CALL_IS_VSL

"This is the third in a three-part series on Gamifiying Your Instruction. (Catch up with Part One and Part Two.)The series is written by Karl Kapp, professor of instructional technology and internationally known author of two books on gamification both co-authored by ASTD. " You can link from this blog post to the two earlier articles.

"Using Google Forms, teachers can create custom checklists that allow them to quickly record observations for all students on one form. With a place to record the date and objective being observed, the form is reusable. Google Forms also conveniently organizes all observations in one place. Teachers can collect data over as many days, and for as many objectives as they wish. Keep in mind that it's not necessary to record an observation for every student every time." Blog by Nick LaFave helps teachers use technology to become more efficient and effective at real-time assessment.

" StoryJumper is a free, online storybook maker. With awesome resources for teachers, StoryJumper provides an easy way for to empower students to make their own storybooks. Students write the story and illustrate them with artwork from StoryJumper, or by uploading their own images. Student books can be shared online for free, or purchased in paperback or hardcover format. It's a great way to inspire a passion for writing." The teacher starts by creating a class so that students can enter the site and write privately. Students must be over 13 to participate. The teacher can also set up a collaboration option to create group books.

This site links to a course design rubric for online and hybrid courses, promulgated by the California State University consortium. The site also links to K-12 and Secondary standards.

"Few approaches to digital storytelling have been as popular among students as stop motion video. Students can make a high-quality stop-motion animation, or stop-motion video with very simple tools, including Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, iMovie, etc. The basic idea is to take a series of photos that are assembled into a video to show motion. Stop Motion Studio is an app that makes the video creation process incredibly simple, allowing students to keep their primary focus on storytelling. Plus it's free and available for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows."

"As the American K-12 system continues to look for ways to increase student interest and aptitude in STEM learning, technology is playing an increasingly pivotal role. Children who come to classrooms today have an inherent aptitude for technology and educators should encourage that skill set with resources that integrate STEM learning. Where do teachers find resources to incorporate into their STEM instruction? The easiest place would be via the internet."

"Cyberbullying is something most families hope they never have to deal with. But if your kids are texting, sharing photos, and posting comments, it's important to talk to them about how to deal with online harassment. Learn 5 ways to stop cyberbullies. "

" HomeUKEdMagUKEdMag: Importance of a PLN by @ponderingDan UKEdMag: Importance of a PLN by @ponderingDan 29th July 2018 UKEdChat Editorial UKEdMag Importance of a PLN - This article originally appeared in Issue 49 of the UKEd Magazine. Click here to view. When you have a specific interest, it can be difficult to learn more about it from people in your immediate circle of influence. Teaching is broad and we all have that one area we love just a little more than the others. This is why I sought out to understand more about Professional Learning Networks (PLN) and their value to teachers. I am often trying to persuade my peers to get online so they can reap the benefits that I am."

"Hosted by Colin Hill, we attended the launch of the Bloomsbury Young Readers series, speaking to authors Jenny McLachlan and Michaela Morgan. " Click from this page to listen to this episode. Also has links to other podcsts and book readings for very young learners.

"Superb adventure platform and puzzle game which teaches about electricity and electrical circuits, designed by the @Cambridge_Eng at @Cambridge_Uni. https://t.co/Ec8r84v5Et #UKEdChat #EdChat @WiredTheGame pic.twitter.com/fj8CVo5I7h - Teacher: Martin Burrett (@ICTmagic) October 4, 2018"

"A useful site for creating metro maps. Use it in creating writing to map out a character's travels, make Monopoly-like games or make classroom posters showing connected words, names, ideas or topics."

"dive into this admittedly overwhelming list and pick the questions that most inspire you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe." Prompts are organized loosely by topic, and relate to a published NY Times story.

"My favorite thing about PlanBoard is how easy it makes organizing resources. You can upload files, create links, connect to files in Google Drive, and more. All resources are not only saved by lesson, but they are added to resources for your instructional unit-making future planning much more efficient. You can even indicate curriculum standards with just a couple of quick clicks. PlanBoard has many state curriculum standards available, or you can upload your own."

"Description: A nice iOS/Android/Windows app for creating stop-motion animation. The basics are free allowing you to record and add sound to your animation and to export it in many formats and places. In-app purchases available to allow you to do more if required."

"Create beautiful page-flipping e-books in minutes. Add text and images. Embed video, audio, ThingLink and more. Share your books with friends and the world."

"Applications for Education TwistedWave could be a good audio track creation and editing tool for students and teachers that are using Chromebooks. The integration with Google Drive makes it easy for students to save their works and share their recordings with their teachers. "

"Ever wonder why stores offer discounts or how the lottery works? Math concepts like percentages, probability, and statistics have a huge impact on the world around us! Use these videos, graphics, and lesson plans to explore math in new, inventive ways. Discover how math helps explain current issues like the gender-wage gap, credit card debt, rising obesity rates, and more."

"With Prowise Presenter you create lessons or presentations easily, quickly and interactively. This smart education software is 100% free for everyone. Presenter is bursting with educational content and interactive options for teachers (instruction), groups (collaborative learning) and students (tasks and assignments). For both primary and secondary education. Consider, for example: images, videos, tools, Touch Table tools and 3D models, but also ready-made curriculum strands, quizzes and mind maps." Free tool.

"When you're working in a word processor, every second you save matters. And while Google Docs may seem simple on the surface, it's practically overflowing with out-of-sight options that can help you get more done with less effort." Includes editing tips, outlining, speech to text, easy exploring with web searches, image editing, et al.

Add voice comments and video tutorials to any Google Doc. Students love to hear your voice. However, the rubrics offered are too high a language level to be of much use to my Freshman English ESL students. You could, however, add your own rubrics and "canned" comments.