The Teacher's Guide To

The Teacher’s Guide to TECH 2020

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MenuPREVIEW: not all pages are included, so page numbers not accurate and most links will not work. INTRODUCTION 9 Know Your Legal Stuff 48 Plickers Classroom Sown to Grow How This Guide Works 10 Management 76 THE TOOLS 53 BehaviorFlip How I Choose the Tools 13 Audience Response Bouncy Balls Animated GIFs 54 New in 2020 14 & Backchannels 63 Class Charts AnswerGarden Classcraft Am I Some Kind of Tech Art 55 Poll Everywhere ClassDojo Expert? 16 Adobe Fresco Slido ClassroomQ Adobe Illustrator Wooclap ClassroomScreen Adobe Illustrator Draw THE TIPS 18 YoTeach! GoNoodle Adobe Photoshop Sketch Why Bother Learning Adobe Spark Blogging & About Technology? 19 Cloud Storage 80 Assembly Website Building 66 A Look Inside the Lives of Autodesk Sketchbook Blogger Collaboration & AutoDraw Three Tech-Enhanced Edublogs Project Management 81 Canva Teachers 22 Tumblr Basecamp Fresh Paint Weebly Kanbanchi How to Do Tech Without Google Chrome Canvas Wix Miro Losing Your Mind 25 Google Drawings WordPress Padlet Inkscape Getting to Know the Slack MediBang Paint SAMR Model 28 Book Publishing 70 Trello Paper When Your School is Blurb Procreate Book Creator Comic Strip Creators 84 Short on Tech 30 Sketchpad Lulu Pixton Wonderings 35 Storybird Storyboard That Assessment 59 What Tool Should I Use? 38 WriteReader Doctopus & Goobric Troubleshooting 41 Edulastic Career Exploration 74 Formative Quality-Check Your Tech 43 CareerVillage Google Forms Find Your Calling A Hat Tip to Common GradeCam Thrively Sense Media 47 Kiddom

Menu Content Libraries 86 Feedback 100 Games 112 Games & Interactives Actively Learn Floop Class Responder Be Washington CommonLit Google Drive Gimkit iCivics Curipow Kaizena GooseChase The Fiscal Ship Epic Microsoft Word Kahoot! Gapminder Global Oneness Project Peergrade Playmeo Mission U.S. Great Big Story Quizalize Redistricting Game Listenwise Quizizz Flashcard Creators 103 Geography MyShakespeare Quizlet Quizlet Live GeoGuesser Newsela StudyBlue Socrative Google MyMaps Novel Effect Google Tour Builder NewseumED Flipped Learning 105 Global Learning 113 Lizard Point Vooks Edpuzzle Empatico National Geographic MapMaker Wonderopolis InsertLearning Global Read Aloud Seterra PlayPosit PenPal Schools Curation 92 Sutori Skype in the Classroom Primary Sources elink TED-Ed Bill of Rights Institute Feedly Tes Teach History & Digital Public Library of America LiveBinders Versal Social Studies 116 DocsTeach Paper.li Google Arts & Culture Curriculum Pinterest Fundraising & Interactive Constitution Big History Project Symbaloo Payment Processing 109 Smithsonian Learning Lab The Choices Program Wakelet Cheddar Up Facing History and Ourselves Other Great Sites Webjets DonorsChoose The Gilder Lehrman Institute C3 Teachers GoFundMe Stanford History Education Group Casemaker Digital Portfolios 97 Indiegogo Teaching Tolerance Holocaust Encyclopedia Artsonia If It Were My Home bulb Voices of the Civil Rights Movement Portfoliobox Zoom In Seesaw Showcase

Menu Infographics 122 Learning Management Robotics Music 152 Infogram Systems 131 LEGO Education GarageBand Piktochart Blackboard Sphero Groove Pizza Venngage Edmodo Dash & Dot Hooktheory Visme Google Classroom Noteflight Microsoft Teams Math 143 Soundtrap Interactive Lessons 123 Schoology ASSISTments TonalEnergy BookWidgets Desmos Boom Learning Makerspaces 134 GeoGebra Note Taking 155 Deck.Toys Mathalicious Diigo 3D Printing Genially Mathchare Edji 3DoodlerEDU oodlü MyScript Calculator Evernote Thingiverse Wizer NCTM Illuminations Google Keep Tinkercad Photomath Hypothesis Interactive Posters 126 Coding Wolfram|Alpha Kami Buncee Codecademy Woot Math Notability Glogster Code.org Would You Rather… OneNote ThingLink Kodable Rocketbook Made with Code Mind Mapping 148 Language Study 128 Scratch Coggle Duolingo Trinket.io Lucidchart FluentU Tynker Popplet Italki Unruly Splats Sketchboard LingQ Electronics Lupa Arduino Microsoft Translator littleBits Kano Makey Makey Pi Top Raspberry Pi

Menu Parent Engagement 159 Podcasting 168 QR Codes 179 Social Media 189 Bloomz Anchor QR Code Generator Facebook ClassTag Audacity QR Code Reader Instagram FreshGrade LinkedIn Remind Presentation 171 Research 181 Reddit SignUp.com emaze Google Scholar Snapchat Smore Google Cast MyBib Twitter Google Slides Zotero Photo Editing 163 Haiku Deck Speaking & Discussion 192 Adobe Lightroom Nearpod Science 183 Equity Maps BeFunky Pear Deck Algodoo Extempore Gimp PowerPoint Compound Interest Flipgrid Photoshop Express Prezi ExploreLearning Gizmos Kialo Pixlr Sway Google Earth Parlay Prisma Google Expeditions Skype Snapseed Productivity Google Science Journal StartSOLE VSCO & Planning 175 HHMI BioInteractive Voxer Auto Text Expander Learn.Genetics Physical Education 165 Boomerang Mystery Science Special Ed/UDL 196 Coach's Eye Calendly NASA’s Eyes First Then Visual Elanation Google Calendar PhET Simulations Schedule My Bracket IFTTT Physics Classroom Livescribe Pen Seconds Interval Timer Microsoft To Do Ptable Microsoft Learning Tools Sworkit Noisli Star Walk NaturalReader Team Shake Planboard Visible Body ONEder Toggl Read&Write for Chrome Rewordify Understood

Menu Spreadsheets 200 Video: Live Streaming Writing 221 THE TERMS 228 Google Sheets & Short Form 211 Composition Helpers Microsoft Excel Speare REFERENCES 242 Video: Screencasting 213 WriteWell Survey Tools 202 Camtasia 287 Google Forms Grammar Instruction Explain Everything 288 INDEX 267 SurveyMonkey Screencastify 289 GrammarFlip Typeform Screencast-O-Matic 290 NoRedInk Quill Acknowledgements 280 Teacher Professional Virtual & Proofreading Development 204 Augmented Reality 216 Ginger About the Author 281 Fishbowl 3DBear 293 Grammarly Insight ADVANCE CoSpaces Edu 293 Participate Google Tour Creator 293 Social Writing JumpStart: A Technology Swivl HP Reveal 294 BoomWriter Course for Thoughtful TeachFX Merge 294 Wattpad Educators 282 Verso Metaverse 294 WriteAbout Quiver 295 Style Editors Video: Animation Thyng 295 Hemingway Editor & Production 207 Tilt Brush 295 ProWritingAid Adobe Spark Do Ink Word Processing Google Docs iMovie Microsoft Word mysimpleshow PowToon Toontastic 3D

The Teacher’s Guide to Tech 2020 7 PREVIEW: not all pages are included, so some links will not work. The Tips

Why Bother Learning About Technology? A Look Inside the Lives of Three Tech-Enhanced Teachers How to Do Tech Without Losing Your Mind Getting to Know the SAMR Model When Your School is Short on Tech Wonderings What Tool Should I Use? Troubleshooting Quality-Check Your Tech: 6 Strategies A Hat Tip to Common Sense Media Know Your Legal Stuff Menu | Introduction | The Tips | The Tools | The Terms | References | Index Why Bother Learning About Technology?

especially if up until now you’ve been doing letting people work together in a way that just fine without it? Here are just a few records their progress and lets participants reasons, in no particular order, why adding dive in whenever and wherever they are even a little bit of technology to your available, even if they are in different teaching can make a big difference. countries. This means your students can collaborate with each other and with you. It saves you time. By automating things Technology also gives you global access to you do over and over again, you get more other teachers: Social media channels and Why Bother time to spend on other tasks. For example, discussion and collaboration tools like using screencasting tools to record some Voxer and Skype enable you to share ideas basic lessons offers the same instruction, Learning and resources with like-minded but it frees you up from having to repeat it professionals all over the world. About yourself. Coordinating parent-teacher conferences with a tool like ClassTag lets It helps you differentiate instruction. you set up the event once, then have Technology has so much potential for Technology? parents sign up on their own without you allowing you to differentiate instruction. Technology can be a huge pain in the butt. having to coordinate schedules. Being able Here are just some of the ways: to record voice comments on students’ Wi-Fi goes out, programs freeze, YouTube Content: Suppose you’re studying the work with a tool like Kaizena will save you gets blocked, you forget your password, Underground Railroad. You want all loads of time that you would have spent and all too often, things just don’t work the students to know a core set of facts, writing them, meaning you can give more way they’re supposed to. names, and dates, but beyond those, you high-quality feedback. So why bother? Why take the time to add could allow students to follow their new tools to your teaching practice, It allows for better collaboration. So many interests to enrich their understanding. of these tools are built for collaboration, for Students who enjoy literature can explore

the writing of that time period. Those who offers so many options. As a final spending less time delivering content and get fired up by social justice causes can assessment, you could start by giving all more time interacting with our students. investigate specific people and how they students the same basic test to be sure It helps students become more made things happen. Map lovers can they all have the same foundational independent learners. If used correctly, explore the different routes and how knowledge. Then, to demonstrate what many of these tools allow students to natural elements impacted them. they’ve learned, students could create a create their own study materials (like Because technology gives us so many video, do a spoken presentation, write a flashcard creators), access video tutorials options for consuming content, we are no short digital book, or even create an that can supplement what they learn in longer restricted to the information annotated bibliography with a digital class, collaborate with other students presented by one textbook company. bookmarking tool. outside of class time, and download Process: Learning the required material It gives you more one-on-one time with materials when they need them, rather doesn’t have to look the same for every students. By letting technology handle than wait until they are in class. Because it student. You could provide students with some of the straight-up information puts learning at students’ fingertips more the learning objectives and let them delivery, teachers get more time to than ever before, technology can help choose the tools to meet those goals. If, interact with students at higher levels of them develop learning skills that will last for example, students need to know the thinking—a task only humans have the long after they graduate. states where the Underground Railroad subtle decision-making skills to do. We It develops the skills students will need was active, you could simply tell them to can talk more with students about the for work and life in the 21st century. It’s find that information with their tool of whys of our content, and spend more hard to imagine a path a person might choice and see what they come up with. time on things like discussion, evaluation, take in life that would not require the use and problem-solving. It allows us to get to Product: When it’s time for students to of some technology, and for many paths, know our students better because we are demonstrate understanding, technology technology skills will be essential. If we do

not give our students regular practice with adds a layer of sound and graphics that Gone are the days when an author had to technology, we’ll handicap them in the makes it feel more like a game show. It’s be “discovered” in order to get published, work world. just fun. And if you can grab students’ when you had to possess high-tech attention by making the same learning knowledge to start a website, and when And if we want them to use these tools more fun, why not do it? art could only be purchased from galleries. responsibly, effectively, and ethically, then Your students now have the tools to who better to teach them than us? Would It gives power to the people. So many of make real things that live in the world it be better for them to develop their tech the tools in this book allow regular people beyond the classroom. And with the help skills outside of school, among their peers, to do extraordinary things. Until very of crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo and unsupervised? Or can we prepare them to recently, the average person could only GoFundMe, anyone with a vision and a enter adulthood with the ability to dream of doing these things without few good tools can find the financial carefully choose and thoughtfully use significant financial backing: backing they need to turn good ideas into these tools to make the most of their lives Publishing and selling their own book realities. and impact the world in powerful ways? • Filming, producing, and distributing And so can you. Educators have It increases student engagement. Even if • their own movie traditionally had limited options for what you’re doing with technology is very growing professionally, earning extra similar to what you’d do without it, it can • Producing their own radio show income, or making their voices heard. better engage students by adding the That is no longer the case. Learning new elements of design, interactivity, and • Interviewing people in other countries technology not only gives more power to automaticity that technology offers. Sure, or experts in a particular field your students; it can do the same for you. you could review for a test by just asking • Collecting data with survey tools that students questions and turn it into some have the potential to reach thousands kind of game, but using a tool like Kahoot! of people

pencils, physical books, and face-to-face In class, two of Mara’s most-often used conversations that have always been at our tools are Plickers, which she uses to disposal. formatively assess students during lessons, and GoNoodle, which provides fun, high- Take a look at how these three teachers energy brain breaks to her wiggly students have integrated a personal set of in between lessons. A Look Inside technology tools into their practice. As a teacher in a rural town in the Midwest, the Lives of Mara wants to expose her students to other cultures and places. Once a year, she and Three Tech- her students participate in the Global Read Aloud, where they read the same book as Enhanced students all over the world. And this year, Mara, Grade 3 Teacher they just took their first virtual field trip to Teachers For the past two years, Mara has had a Tokyo through Skype in the Classroom. class website, which she built on Weebly. At home, Mara uses several tools to keep One reason technology can seem so out of Once a week, she posts an update, telling up with all of her professional materials. reach is that people who use technology parents what the class has been working She has a collection of boards on Pinterest, appear to be using all of it, all of the time. on and giving reminders of upcoming where she pins ideas for lessons and But this just isn’t true. Each person has a events. If there’s a permission slip or other classroom management. Because she also unique toolbox, a combination of apps, form parents need to fill out, she will link tries to keep up with news and trends in websites, and software that meets their them to the document in Dropbox, where education, she uses Feedly to follow all of specific needs and works in conjunction they can download their own copy. her favorite blogs and websites. And this with their “analog” tools—the paper and

year, Mara just started working on her Three nights a week, his students watch a occasionally starts off with a warm-up master’s degree, so she’s using Zotero to video lesson on Edpuzzle, which debate from Would You Rather. organize her research. formatively assesses them as they go. He also uses station work quite often so Before the school day even begins, Tim In years past, Mara has had her students students can apply their learning from the can check his account to see which write poetry. This year, they’ll do this on at-home lessons: Each station has a math students viewed the lesson the night Storybird, where they can be inspired by problem using the skills they are currently before and, based on their responses, high-quality art and share their work with learning. Printed alongside each problem determine how well they understood the students around the world. is a QR code that contains the correct material. answer. When students finish the At the end of every school year, Mara Most of his students have signed up for problem, they use their smartphones or loads her favorite photos from the year free Voxer accounts. He has put them into tablets to scan the QR code. This shows onto Adobe Spark, where she creates a small chats of 6-8 people so students can them the correct answer on their phone, slideshow—complete with musical ask each other questions about the at- giving them instant feedback about soundtrack and captions—to share with home lessons. Because he is included in whether they did the problem correctly. students and parents. each chat, he can step in at any time if Tim stays in touch with students and students aren’t able to figure something parents through Edmodo, where he posts out on their own. Students who don’t announcements, interacts with parents have access to Voxer through their own or and students, and stores materials that their parents’ phones are put into a can be downloaded at any time. And regular phone group so they can still call when parent-teacher conference time rolls each other on their home phones. Tim, 8th Grade Math around, Tim uses SignUp.com to set up a In class, Tim makes use of the classroom schedule, then has parents sign up for Tim has partially flipped his classroom: activities available on Desmos and whatever time they want.

sources from NewseumED, so students she uses Remind to stay in touch with can examine artifacts firsthand, and players and parents about practices, historical documents from CommonLit, upcoming games, and other team which are paired with literature and business. Denise, AP U.S. History informational text from the same period. Students in Denise’s classes need to know a lot of history and be able to write about Denise has two students this year who it. For learning and remembering the have dyslexia. To help them tackle all of history, she has students create and share the required reading in her course, she has online flashcards with Quizlet. Every them use the Natural Reader tool to read Friday, she holds a class competition with most of the texts out loud. Now a few Gimkit to see who has learned the most. other students have asked to use it sometimes, because they simply prefer to For the writing, Denise has students hear text out loud rather than read it. organize their thinking using Coggle mind mapping, then write their essays in To keep her professional documents, Google Docs. Next, she has students read notes, and reading organized, Denise uses each other’s essays and provide written Evernote. She also has taught her and voice feedback with Kaizena. After students how to use it for taking their own some revisions are made, she adds her notes and keeping their resources own feedback in Kaizena. organized—most of them use it for all their classes. When she is teaching students about key events in U.S. history, she pulls up primary Because Denise is also a basketball coach,

Step 1: Get Clear on the Reason. It’s essential to start with your learning Before you adopt a new tool, figure out objectives. Before you even consider why you want to use it. Some reasons are technology, think about what you want sound and will lead to success: students to know or be able to do by the time the lesson is over. Then consider how • The tool could solve a problem for you. technology could help you reach those • It may boost learning for some kids. goals more effectively: Can this tool help your students develop measurable, How to Do • It could save you time or stress. content-based skills in a way that’s more • It may give you access to new skills, authentic, lasting, expedient, or engaging Tech Without people, or information. than the way you’d ordinarily do it? Or will • It looks like fun. If the tool could engage it enable you to grow professionally in a Losing Your students and keep them learning, it’s way that would be much harder without it? worth a try. Then it’s worth a try. Mind Then there are the not-so-good reasons: Any time you feel things are taking too long or getting too frustrating, ask yourself Technology can be tricky even for the most You feel pressure to use the tool • whether you’re still heading toward tech-savvy person, and if you don’t have a because people keep talking about it. meeting those learning goals. If you’re not, good plan, you might give up before you • You feel like you should use some it’s time to change course. ever really get started. These seven steps technology; it might as well be this. will give you a framework for adding more Step 2: Get in the Right Mindset. technology to your teaching practice. • It looks fun. A time-consuming tech tool with no connection to learning will take Succeeding with tech requires a ton of too much time away from instruction. flexibility and patience. Most people who

get good at it have a few mindsets in • Let's just try it. The only way a person • How to use _____ common, so try to adopt them yourself: gets better at working with technology • ______for beginners is by trying stuff. They don't wait for • Things WILL go wrong. Expecting and tutorial dealing with problems and setbacks, the full day of training. They sign up, • ______log in, and get their hands dirty. rather than getting thrown into a tizzy • Introduction to ______by them, makes it easier to persevere. Step 3: Start Small (and Low-Risk). If you get a lot of results, look for ones • Reboot and undo. When something Small wins equal greater confidence, so that have a lot of views and were made goes wrong, know that many problems start with a tool that’s easy. Some good within the last year. You may have to can be solved by simply restarting a options are QR codes and YoTeach!. But watch the first minute of a video to figure program or a device. And before you let before you start, read the next step. out if it’s going to be helpful. If it’s not, a big mistake discourage you, look for move on; there are plenty of others. the “undo” button: In many programs, Step 4: Find the Video Tutorial. Many tools also have their own collection there’s a way to reverse that terrible Ninety-five percent of what I’ve learned of tutorials right on their website; just look thing you just did. about technology has come from video for a section called support, help, learn, or • Phone a friend. It’s not possible to tutorials. These free videos teach you knowledge base. know everything, so get comfortable exactly how to use tech tools—an with asking for help from colleagues, experienced user uses the tools right on Step 5: Do Test Runs. your screen and talks you through each friends, and students. Don’t let the fear Even if you’re armed with the best step. To find good ones, go to YouTube of looking ignorant stop you. And if the instructions, things will still go wrong in and search with any of these phrases, (fill person you ask seems bothered, then class. To avoid watching a class period in the blank with the name of your tool): look for others who are happy to share waste away while you and your students what they know. frown at screens, trying to figure out why

something isn’t working, do a few test more convinced than ever that technology it’s living up to its promise. Tech runs before launching a new tool. just isn’t worth the trouble. implementation is an ongoing process, Start with your own test—for tools that and you shouldn’t feel you have to stick • Step 6: Prepare for Setbacks. have a teacher end and a student end, with something forever just because you set up a fake student account and go The first few times you use a new tool, invested time in learning it. If this tool isn’t back and forth between being the have some safety nets in place in case really paying off, ask yourself these teacher and being the student. This will things don’t go according to plan. questions to figure out why: help you understand how the tool • If possible, prepare a paper version of • Are you using enough features to get functions from a student’s perspective. the activity, in case the tool doesn’t the best from it? Do you or your students need more training? • Try the tool on the devices students work or the internet goes out. will use. If your home computer is a PC, • If the whole lesson depends entirely on • Have your needs changed? Is the tool but your school is Mac, get on a Mac a tool, have an alternate activity ready. not what you thought it was? and see how the tool works. If students • Have someone in your building (or a • Compared with how you used to will be using iPads, try it on an iPad. tech-savvy student) on call to assist perform this task, have you seen • Do another test run with a small group you if needed. improvements with this tool? If not, of students; or, if you teach multiple you might need more time with it OR it classes, start off using the tool with just Step 7: Reflect and Recalibrate. might be time to drop it. one class. Once you’ve used the tool long enough to Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if Whatever you do, don’t use regular class get semi-competent with it, where you’re you only add one or two tools, you’ll get a time, with the whole class, to try past the most frustrating part and you real sense of satisfaction from it, a feeling something out for the first time. You’ll end and your students can get basic use from of strength that just might make you start up frustrated, way behind schedule, and it, take a moment to reflect on whether seeing yourself as a bit of a techie.

tech’s sake,” the SAMR model is an

Redefinition Transformation important tool for reflecting on and Tech allows for the creation of new designing your practice. tasks, previously inconceivable. The chart shown here works from bottom Modification to top, with the bottom representing the Tech allows for significant task redesign. least desirable level of implementation, and the top representing the ideal.

Augmentation Enhancement As teachers first get accustomed to using Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, technology, they are most likely to start at Getting to with functional improvement. the Substitution level, where the tech Substitution merely takes the place of some tool they Know the Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, are already using. For example, having with no functional change. students take handwritten notes with an app like Notability merely replaces the SAMR Model Diagram based on the work of Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D. notes they would take on paper, especially Not all tech use is created equal. In some That’s the basis of the SAMR model, a if they simply write words in the same way classrooms, the technology is a distraction framework for technology integration that they would write them on paper. from the learning; in other rooms, it merely developed by educator Dr. Ruben For many teachers, starting at this level is makes things faster or more efficient. And Puentedura. The model lays out four perfectly reasonable: It helps both us and in others, it gives students experiences different levels of using technology for our students get comfortable with the tech they would likely never have if it weren’t for instructional purposes. For teachers who and work it into our regular routines. And as the technology. want to get beyond just “using tech for long as the tech doesn’t detract from the

learning, doing some work at the The next level is Modification, where you students might be tasked with creating Substitution level isn’t a problem. But if are starting to actually change the learning notes specifically for others to learn from, we want to really make the most of what task for students. Puentedura says that at with embedded audio recordings to guide tech has to offer, we should be starting to this stage, the “heart” of the task is still readers through the notes. This type of push ourselves to see if more of our the same, but certain capabilities of the end product wouldn’t be possible without lessons can reach those other levels. tech are making the learning experience this technology, and it is therefore a very At the Augmentation level, the tech still different. With the Notability task, different kind of learning task. acts as a substitution of a tool we’re students might be told to give a few While it’s not reasonable to expect all already using, but now it adds some students collaborator access to their class work to hit this highest level, having functional improvement. So you have notes, then give each other written and an awareness of the SAMR model can students using Notability, but now they audio commentary to add to students’ help us stretch our teaching practices to add diagrams to their notes, zooming in notes. Now the work has become truly make the most of the tools we have. to add more detail, then their notes are an collaborative, and because the tool allows improvement over what they’d be able to students to save and revisit the do on paper. commentary, their notes have now become rich sources of information that At both of these levels, our instructional has come from their own research and the process is still basically the same, but the input of their peers. tool has enhanced it. Some classroom activities work just fine at this level and At the top level, Redefinition, students are don’t need to be changed, but you may actually performing a new task with the start to incorporate different activities that tech, something that would not be push the learning in a new direction. conceivable without the tool. At this level,

equipment, extracurricular options, and ask yourself these two questions: healthy, fresh food in the cafeteria, First, does a regular classroom teacher technology is now another resource that’s have the power to give students more abundant in well-funded schools and access to technology in a whole school? lacking in underfunded schools, creating one more way low-income students will fall I ask this one first because I suspect this is behind their more affluent peers. the thing that might be holding you back, the reason you haven’t done more than If you’re in a school where technology is in shake your head at your school’s lack of short supply, and you believe your students tech. You’re “just a teacher.” You have no are falling behind their peers because of it, When Your control over the school’s budget. You can’t you have options. change the tax laws in your community. School is I’m going to share 11 specific solutions you I think you have more power than you can choose from to start improving realize. Short on Tech students’ access to tech in your school. You can pick just one or mix up a few of Your administrators are doing the best they While some schools have already gone 1:1 them, but in this list, there’s definitely can with the knowledge and money they —with a device for every student—others something that can start to make a real have, but technology is just one small piece don’t even have reliable internet access, let difference in giving your students more of of all the stuff they’re responsible for. If you alone enough devices for students to use, the opportunities technology has to offer. and a small group of your colleagues even if they share. committed yourselves to improving your This issue has a name: It’s called digital TWO QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER school’s tech infrastructure, to identifying equity. Just like with books, science Before we get into the specific solutions, which changes would make the biggest

impact and figuring out how to fund • Technology provides students with them, your administrator would be crazy more flexible options for learning, so to turn you down. I think it’s definitely they can learn at school and at home, worth a shot. A serious, carefully planned developing habits that will equip them shot. to become lifelong learners.

Which brings me to my second Here are some important things • Technology gives students tools to question: Will having more technology technology can do to improve learning. create original products and share automatically improve student learning Consider whether your plan embraces them with the world. Rather than at your school? some or all of these: simply doing tasks “for school,” they can pursue their talents and passions The answer to this one is definitely NO. • Technology increases opportunities and share their work in communities of Simply boosting your school’s internet for students to take ownership of their real artists, writers, filmmakers, bandwidth or adding more devices will learning through self-paced models, photographers, journalists, scientists, not magically improve the education you inquiry-driven projects, and authentic historians, designers, and engineers. offer. tasks that allow them to engage with content in ways that reflect how it is • If your plan for increased technology You need a better plan than that. used in the real world. doesn’t allow for much of this, you Start by getting very clear on the learning may want to rethink things first. These Technology allows teachers to assess goals you’re hoping to achieve with more • standards for educators and students, student learning more efficiently and technology. What is the end goal? What put out by the International Society for effectively so that they can will teachers and students be able to do Technology in Education (ISTE), would differentiate instruction and challenge with more tech that they can’t do now? be a good place to start when crafting every student appropriately. a vision for your school.

So let’s explore some of the creative ways computer, you can get a lot out of it by to create videos, provide instructions schools are addressing the digital divide. setting up guidelines and routines to for stations, and give students I’m putting the solutions into three make sure students know how and when opportunities to be creative. groups: work-arounds, fundraising ideas, to use it. Also check out these resources: 2. Implement a Bring Your Own Device and off-campus solutions. • Blended Learning with Catlin Tucker: (BYOD) program that allows students to WORK-AROUNDS This seven-video series by McGraw-Hill bring devices from home for use in school. Education provides an excellent This can quickly increase the number of These are the fastest to implement: overview of how to set up and run a devices in your school without the need Rather than attempt to change the blended learning environment in your for any increased funding. If you choose amount of tech your school has, these classroom. Tucker walks the viewer this route, do it carefully: Without a clear work-arounds will help you make the through specific stations so you can get plan in place, a BYOD program can cause most of what you do have. an up-close look at what students lots of problems. Two resources that can 1. Create centers or stations where actually do at each one, along with how help are listed below. They include advice students take turns using single devices. tech is integrated into some of them, on getting buy-in from parents, creating These might be permanent centers that which will help you imagine how you an acceptable use policy, and making sure students can access at any time, or might do the same in your classroom. your school network can handle increased centers that are part of a specific station- use by more devices. • Spruce Up Your Centers with rotation model. You might have devices Technology: This blog post and video • 9 Best Practices for Getting Started set to specific sites or programs or create by Tony Vincent focuses on the with BYOD published by Edmentum a physical menu of options students can specific things you can do to set up use during their time at that center. BYOD Guidebook published by technology-driven centers, including • ClassLink Even if your classroom only has a single which programs and tools you can use

3. Use minimum-tech tools that only 6. Partner with local businesses and require the teacher to have a device: organizations to raise funds and provide better access. Plickers allows teachers to scan responses that students hold up on paper sheets; • This Cincinnati high school partnered only one device required. with the local phone company to get devices and tutoring for students. GradeCam lets teachers create paper answer sheets that can be scanned with a 7. Apply for grants: This is one of the The Learning Center at Big Walnut Middle School single device. more difficult ways to go about raising funds, but if you learn how to do it, it can Skype in the Classroom offers some into an essential, active part of the school be a great source. incredible programs that only require one once tech resources were centralized and internet-connected device. a system was created for teachers to send • This guide from Education World offers students there to work on specific tasks. good advice for successful grant 4. Create a tech hub at your school where writing. most devices are kept in one central FUNDRAISING IDEAS location. Students then go to the hub to • Check out this list of grants put 5. Raise funds through crowdfunding use the devices, which ensures they are together by Kajeet. sites like DonorsChoose. With this put to maximum use and rarely ever sit approach, teachers often target specific idle. hardware that they’d like for their Check out this story about the Learning classroom, such as a collection of Center at Big Walnut Middle School. What Chromebooks. See more examples of was once an underutilized library turned successfully funded projects here.

OFF-CAMPUS SOLUTIONS This California district installed these systems on its buses and has many of When technology is limited at school, it is them park right in family neighborhoods, often limited at home as well, which can so students can get access at home. put students at a further disadvantage. When addressing digital inequities in your 10. Summer device check-out school, think beyond the boundaries of programs allow students without devices your campus. to check out school-owned devices and continue their access over the summer 8. Portable Wi-Fi hotspots can be months. Read about how this Kansas checked out by students, giving them school district did it. internet access in homes that otherwise wouldn’t have any. Kajeet offers 11. Build community connectivity. Districts the SmartSpot, which can be filtered so can work toward setting up Wi-Fi kiosks in that students can only access educational local neighborhoods. Organizations content. This Wisconsin high school uses like EveryoneOn work to get low-cost Kajeet to provide at-home internet to internet, refurbished devices, and students, and this public library in Prince computer literacy training to unconnected George’s County, Maryland, checks them families. If you pool resources from out to the public. everywhere in your community, like this North Carolina town did, you’ll not only 9. Wi-Fi enabled school buses, also build greater capacity for student learning; offered by Kajeet, allow students to get you’ll create more opportunity for work done on the ride to and from school. everyone.

of these is to create a term that is unique usernames you have to remember. and searchable. • Create a separate email just for your Hashtags originated on Twitter, but are tech accounts. Except for tools that now being used on other social media require a school-based email for networks as well. This allows lots of people educator discounts, using an email to talk about the same topic and see all service like Gmail or Yahoo mail is a comments about that topic in real time. good move so you don’t clutter up your For an in-depth explanation, read regular inbox with mailings from tech Mashable’s Beginner’s Guide to the companies. Then unsubscribe from any Hashtag. email correspondence you don’t want to receive. To use a new tech tool, I have to set up an account. Won’t this cause me to get a Where do people get those cool fonts? Wonderings bunch of unwanted emails or threaten my You can download free fonts from sites like privacy in some way? dafont.com and 1001 Free Fonts. After Why do I see the pound sign everywhere? downloading, you just install the font on Having multiple accounts is one your computer, and it will appear in most What you’re seeing are hashtags. These are inconvenient aspect of exploring of your programs after that. Follow these words and phrases (all smushed together), technology, but you can do a few things to instructions for installing a font on a Mac or with a hashtag (or pound or number minimize the impact: symbol) right before them. Like this: a PC. • Many tools now let you sign in using a #ilovecheese or #bestdayever. The point Google or Facebook account; doing this If you install a free font, be aware that it is cuts down on the passwords and generally only free for personal use. To use

a font for a product you’re going to sell, How do people make those tutorials, effect, it impacted most of the internet, you usually need to purchase a license. anyway? because even if a website isn’t created in Learn more here. One option for free They use screencasting tools. These tools Europe, they all reach European citizens. fonts, even for commercial products, is record whatever is on your screen. Go here GDPR required most websites to get Google Fonts. to read more about them. users’ consent for things like storing cookies, small text files that tell a website How do I learn how to use these tools? Where do people get those cartoon a bit about you so they can tailor your Do I have to enroll in some sort of class? images of themselves? viewing experience. Having to click that “accept” button everywhere you go is a Nope. That’s the most wonderful thing Those are called Bitmoji, and people pain, but ultimately it just means the about technology: You can teach yourself create them with an app by the same website you’re visiting is trying to obey the almost anything tech-related just by name. Once you have yours created, you law. Learn more about GDPR here. finding free video tutorials. can use it in emails, in texts, and on various social media platforms. Go to To find good ones, start by going to the What are Open Educational Resources? bitmoji.com, download the app, then tool’s website and look for a section called follow the steps in this video. These are teaching and learning resources, help, support, learn, or knowledge base. usually available online, that can be used These sections often have a library of Why is every single website I go to asking or modified for free. In 2015, the U.S. tutorials, some written, some video. If they me about cookies? Department of Education launched the don’t have much, go straight to YouTube #GoOpen movement, which encouraged In May 2018, a law was put into effect in and start searching for “___ for beginners” schools to adopt these resources. Learn Europe called the General Data Protection or “Intro to ___ .” Once you find a good more about OERs in this article. video, go to the video creator’s channel Regulation (GDPR). This law is meant to and see if they have more. give internet users more control over how their data is used. When the law went into

I see people use abbreviations like AF, When I click a link, sometimes I am taken Where do people get music for videos SMH and IRL and I can figure out some of to a new tab, but other times the new and podcasts? them, but not all. Is there some kind of page replaces the one I’m on. This is Ooh, good question, because using dictionary for these abbreviations? maddening! How can I get control of it? copyrighted music for these things is a big Yes! One of the best resources for “real Good news: You can force a link to open problem. If a person is following the rules, talk” definitions of terms people use is in a new tab or window. If you’re on a PC, they will use royalty-free music. Head over Urban Dictionary, but be prepared for just right-click on your mouse when you to the podcasting section for a full some very adult language and topics on hover over the link (use command-click explanation. this site. on a Mac) and you’ll get this menu: Another place to look for answers is this My students keep talking about needing text abbreviation list that is regularly to “keep up their streaks.” That sounds updated by Webopedia. gross. What the heck are they talking about? Where do people get memes? It’s a Snapchat thing. Read about it here. First of all, if you don’t know what a meme is, read this. So where do people get these? Some social media platforms now have built-in search engines for From there, you decide what happens. On memes and GIFs. Otherwise, people a smartphone, you may also be able to do either make their own or share them from this by holding down the link and waiting meme-generating websites, like the ones for this option to come up, rather than listed in this article. just tapping on it.

Photos for Class. When using images I’m constantly typing on my computer or created by others, it’s important to thumbing away on my phone. Are there understand copyright and licensing issues: any tools that let me use voice or video Even though most of the work you and instead? your students do will remain in school, YES! Voxer, an incredibly easy voice understanding the law is smart in the long messaging system, is a great substitute for This article explains how to teach run. emails. It allows you to chat with up to 15 students to legally use images online. people at a time and would work for How do I project what’s on my iPad (or conferencing with students, parents, or another device) to my whole class? colleagues. Kaizena lets you give voice feedback on written work, instead of having The simplest way to do this is to connect to write it all out. If you use Google Docs or What Tool your iPad to the computer that’s Slides, try using voice typing within those connected to your classroom monitor. If platforms. Should I Use? this is not a solution, it would be a good idea to enlist the help of the technology I want to meet other educators who share We need images for all kinds of projects. coordinator in your building, because each my specific interests. What tools will help Where can we get them? school will have a unique combination of me do that? devices and systems. To get started, the If you want to make your own, try an Twitter is a great way to start finding other article 10 Ways to Show Your iPad on a image creation tool like Canva or people who share your interests, especially Projector Screen offers lots of solutions in a Piktochart, an infographic maker. For if you participate in Twitter chats that focus range of prices. photography, check out this list of royalty- on topics you care about. free image sources or visit the website

I can’t keep track of anything! My to-do Do you know of any tools to help me I teach pretty young kids. Are any of lists are all over the place, and I have files increase student participation? these tools appropriate for them? and bookmarks on different computers. Why yes I do. Equity Maps is designed to • Many of the classroom management What can help me pull it all together? help you get a better sense of which tools in this guide are appropriate for Evernote is designed to solve this students are participating in a discussion. young students, especially ClassDojo, problem. It gives you a cloud-based place ClassDojo, Class Charts, and Classcraft (all GoNoodle, and Bouncy Balls. to create and store notes, files, images, in the Classroom Management section) • Young students who can do some even websites. You can also create help you recognize positive behavior, typing would love creating their own “checkable” to-do lists and scan receipts which could include participation. All of online stories with Storybird. and other documents right into your the audience response systems in this notebooks. A simpler tool that’s designed guide allow every student to participate at • Many of the flipped learning tools allow teachers to build lessons around purely for to-do lists is Microsoft To Do. once. existing internet content, so these can Remember chat rooms? I would love to be custom-built for a young audience. Organizing class parties and parent be able to create those kinds of private, conferences is so time-consuming! Is • Seesaw is popular with primary online rooms where my students could there anything out there that can make teachers because you can share have “chats” about class content. Does these processes easier? student work in images as well as anything like that still exist? words. Read about ClassTag and SignUp.com Take a look at YoTeach!, a free and prepare to have this problem reduced • With help, students could create their backchannel tool that sets up a web- to a tiny speck in your universe. own animated videos with a tool like based discussion in real time. Toontastic 3D.

• Primary students would love Finally, students who know certain tools Some of my students’ parents don’t participating in a video discussion very well can create video tutorials for the speak English, and my school doesn’t through an app like Flipgrid or a class using screencasting tools. have enough interpreters. Are there tools Mystery Skype session through Skype that can help me communicate with in the Classroom. Sometimes I’ll have a file, but I need it to them? be a different kind of file. For example, I TalkingPoints is a parent communication Some of my students are showing a lot of might have a PDF but I need to convert it app that can translate your messages into aptitude for technology in general. What to a Word doc. Any tools do that? over 100 languages. For face-to-face tools can I point them to that will Yes! Check out Zamzar, a free site that communication, check out the instant challenge them? can convert just about anything into just translation offered by Microsoft Translator. For students who are detail-oriented and about anything, or Media.io, which is curious about how things work, suggest specifically for audio and video files. that they try some programming lessons on one of the coding instruction sites. There are times when I’ll come across a great site, and I wonder if there are other Highly social students or those who are sites just like it. Is there any way to confident speakers might enjoy learning quickly find these? how to podcast. If you’re using the Chrome browser, you Students with skills in visual art, writing, or can try adding the Google Similar Pages graphic design might like the challenge of extension. One click on this in your building a website in WordPress or using browser will give you a list of other sites iMovie to produce a movie. similar to the one you’re currently using.

My district has blocked YouTube. How can only videos made for kids and giving I access this content at school? parents more control over content. Though Despite the fantastic educational value it’s not currently set up for school use, it that can be gained from YouTube, many might still be an option. schools are reluctant to allow classroom Finally, you can show YouTube videos access to the channel because it contains through ViewPure, a free site that filters out so much inappropriate content. comments, related videos and most ads. To work around this issue, some teachers download videos at home, then share How can I choose the right tech tools if I them at school through Google Drive. This don’t have time to research them? practice is frowned upon, however, so it’s Consider turning this into an independent best to avoid it. project for tech-savvy students. Give them The best approach would be to let your parameters (what the tool should be Troubleshooting administrators know that YouTube allows able to do, price, compatibility with your them to customize viewer settings. These school’s hardware), and then have students Technology is rarely trouble-free. In this can be set to different restriction levels for present you with the three best options. section, we’ll look at some common different users, so that mature content is This task engages tons of higher-order problems with managing tech in the filtered out. You can also approve thinking skills, including analysis (choosing classroom. For more excellent, practical individual videos or whole channels, so that the tools), presentation (informing you of ideas, see Education World’s Managing teachers and students can access the their choices), and argument (convincing Technology: Tips from the Experts, which videos they need. you that their choice is the best). contains 33 smart ideas for common management problems. YouTube Kids launched in 2019, offering

The Wi-Fi in our school is unreliable. How My students plagiarize and borrow I get that cell phones and other devices can I plan internet-dependent lessons? images from the internet. How can I can have instructional value in class, but If you have a smartphone, try tethering, teach them to respect the intellectual they cause so many problems in mine! where you connect your phone to your property of others? How can I keep my students focused? classroom computer, and the computer I believe many students who make these Because this is a problem that so many taps into your phone’s mobile data; this errors do so because they honestly don’t teachers deal with, there are lots of great uses your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot. know better, and that if we explicitly teach ideas for solving it. These three articles Although some phone plans restrict this them ethical practices, far more of them offer thoughtful, practical suggestions: and tethering can drain your battery and will do the right thing. I have two articles data plan, it is an option for short-term that can help: A Cell Phone Policy that Actually Works! How to Use a Amanda Cardenas, Mud and Ink Teaching use. To learn more, read Teaching Students to Avoid Plagiarism Smartphone as a Mobile Hotspot. Teaching Students to Legally Use Images Can We Have an Honest Conversation You also might want to check out Kajeet, Online About Phones in the Classroom? which provides Wi-Fi hotspots to schools. A.J. Juliani I want to make sure I’m using tech Our issue is money. All these tools and 3 Tips for Managing Phone Use in Class thoughtfully, keeping the learning at the ideas sound great, but our district just Liz Kolb, Edutopia center. How do I avoid using tech just for can’t afford them. tech’s sake? See our section on what to do when your Check out my online course, JumpStart, school is short on tech for lots of ideas which shows teachers how to focus on the that can help with this. learning process first, then apply tools to enhance that learning.

CIPA | COPPA | FERPA | PPRA

This section was created with the help of Schools and libraries must adopt policies of Sheri Edwards, an educator and technology protection by providing a blocking or advocate who also happens to be a mentor filtering of internet access to pictures that for my online tech course, JumpStart. are obscene, contain child pornography, or Keep in mind that all of this information is may be harmful to minors. Schools need at just meant to give you an overview. The least one public meeting about their policy, internet is constantly changing, and so are must certify that those policies monitor the laws associated with its use. For more minors’ online activities, and must include complete information on each of the laws, lessons to minors in appropriate online please check the links provided or talk with behavior. This would include lessons that the student privacy expert at your school. teach such things as interacting with others on social networking websites, email, and Know Your chat rooms; hacking or unauthorized CIPA access by minors; protection of personal Children’s Internet Protection Act Legal Stuff information; and cyberbullying awareness The Children’s Internet Protection Act, a and response. Knowing the tools is one thing. Knowing federal law enacted in 2005, affects CIPA compliance is not required for the laws that surround those tools is schools and libraries that receive e-rate telecommunications service only. Filtering something else entirely. If we are going to discounts for internet access or internal or blocking protections can be disabled for use these tools with children, we need to connections. Schools and libraries must adult access for research or other lawful know what the law requires of us. adopt internet policies to protect minors purposes. The internet use by minors or from obscene or harmful content while In this section, we will review four major adults need NOT be tracked. tech-related laws and what they mean for accessing the internet. you and your students.

CIPA | COPPA | FERPA | PPRA COPPA For teachers, this means that when using the age of 13. This includes sites for used, and how it is disclosed internet tools in the classroom, use tools children and those for general audiences. • Procedures for parents to review or and websites whose content is Its purpose is to put parents in control of delete the personal information and appropriate for minors, include internet what information is gathered about their refuse further collection or use safety and anti-bullying lessons and children. Sites or apps that allow users expectations, and follow your school’s who are under the age of 13 must not COPPA compliance also requires: Internet Protection Policy. collect any personal information without • Providing direct notice to parents and verifiable parental consent. Learn More: obtaining verifiable parental consent What is “personal information”? It • FCC Consumer Guide to CIPA • Providing parental choice in use of includes full name, address, email or other child’s information, but prohibiting Common Sense E-rate Toolkit for online identifier, or photos, videos, or • disclosure to third parties (unless Administrators and Teachers audio with a child’s image or voice, required service, which must be made among other things. • FCC Administration of e-Rate is clear) through Universal Service COPPA compliant websites must clearly • Maintaining confidentiality, security, Administrative Company link to their online privacy policy and and integrity of the information include: collected • Name, address, telephone, email of all COPPA • Retaining information only for as long collecting operators of the website—or Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act as is needed, deleting to prevent a contact person for parents after unauthorized access or use when no COPPA regulates what websites, online listing all operators services, mobile apps, and extensions or longer needed • Description of collected information, if plug-ins can collect from children under it is public, how that information is

CIPA | COPPA | FERPA | PPRA

In 2019, after Google and YouTube were may act as a parent’s agent and can Teachers who sign students up as sued by the FTC for COPPA violations, consent to such collection of information parental agents must verify that the sites YouTube made two significant changes to for educational purposes to benefit the and apps are COPPA and FERPA its platform: (1) YouTube creators are now student and the school. The consent compliant; the site’s website must have required to mark their videos as “directed cannot be given for use of the information clearly marked links to their contacts and to children” if kids are the video’s for commercial purposes. Such websites privacy policies for the teacher to read to intended audience. (2) YouTube Kids was and apps must provide and comply with verify compliance. Look for Terms of launched. This new platform only offers the COPPA requirements. Service (TOS) and Privacy Policies for content that’s intended for kids and it Privacy Best practice for schools is to develop each site or app. See this sample gives parents the ability to restrict content Statement from Flipgrid. Acceptable Use Policies for Internet Use for their children. to educate parents, list the online services, More information: One interesting thing to note about the and obtain permission from parents. The YouTube case is that the government is online service assumes the school collects • COPPA Information from the FTC now including the comment section of permission as the service’s verification any website when deciding whether that when the schools accepts their COPPA site is complying with the law. Users can compliant terms. Schools should develop inadvertently include personal information procedures for teachers to apply for use of in their comments, which can then be online services. Finally, acceptable use collected by the website. For this reason, policies and links to online services and the new YouTube Kids does not have a their policies should be listed on the commenting feature for its videos. school’s website. The school should Schools, school districts, and teachers provide the links and obtain new permission signatures annually.

CIPA | COPPA | FERPA | PPRA FERPA FERPA Schools must protect the privacy of More information: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act students, and release records only with permission or according to the exceptions. • Protecting Student Privacy This federal law protects the privacy of A comprehensive guide from the U.S. Schools may share, without consent, student education records. It applies to all Department of Education certain “directory” information (name, schools receiving funds from applicable address, phone number, date and place of programs of the U.S. Department of • Read the full regulation here birth, etc.), but must allow adequate Education. Parents have certain rights, notification to parents of such information FERPA 101: A free online course which transfer to students when the • and the opportunity by families to request student reaches the age of 18. the information not be disclosed. This An educational record is one directly must be done annually in a form of the pertaining to a student in any form. These school’s choice. See models of legal forms include grades, report cards, transcripts, here. class lists, schedules, health records, Schools are also required to put their financial records, and discipline records. FERPA information on their school Parent rights, briefly, include: website. Teachers must be aware of • Inspection of student education student privacy guidelines and of the records school’s policies. When using websites and tools, student’s personally identifiable • Requesting corrections to records (or information must be protected. receive a hearing) • Giving permission for release of student records

CIPA | COPPA | FERPA | PPRA PPRA

PPRA • Income (except as required for Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment eligibility) A federal law since 1978 for K-12 Schools must develop and work with institutions, PPRA protects students from parents on policies that protect parental the collection of data about them or their rights of notification, inspection, opting- families in surveys or evaluations that ask out, disclosures, or marketing instruments. for information on any of the following The law also covers certain physical areas, unless provided by Department of exams. Education: Teachers must check any tool or website • Political affiliations that may be asking for personally identifiable information or any of the eight • Mental or psychological problems protected areas. Even paper or audio- • Sex behavior or attitudes visual materials must not gather such • Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or information. Book clubs, magazines, demeaning behavior student recognition programs, and student fundraisers for school are some of • Appraisals of other individuals closely the exceptions for gathering information related for that particular situation. Refer to • Legally recognized privileged guidelines for exact exceptions. relationships (lawyers, ministers, doctors) More information: • Religious practices or beliefs • Summary of PPRA Requirements

The Teacher’s Guide to Tech 2020 37 PREVIEW: not all pages are included, so many links will not work. The Tools

Animated GIFs Curation Makerspaces Social Media

Art Digital Portfolios Math Speaking & Discussion

Assessment Feedback Mind Mapping Special Ed/UDL

Audience Response & Flashcard Creators Music Spreadsheets Backchannels Flipped Learning Note Taking Survey Tools Blogging & Website Building Fundraising & Parent Engagement Teacher Professional Payment Processing Development Book Publishing Photo Editing Games Video: Animation Career Exploration Physical Education & Production Global Learning Classroom Podcasting Video: Live Streaming Management History & Social Studies & Short Form Presentation Cloud Storage Infographics Video: Screencasting Productivity Collaboration & Project Interactive Lessons & Planning Virtual & Management Augmented Reality Interactive Posters QR Codes Comic Strip Creators Writing Language Study Research Content Libraries Learning Management Science Systems Menu | Introduction | The Tips | The Tools | The Terms | References | Index Assessment

Most teachers have a range of methods for Tracking Progress Over Time assessing student learning―many of which Kiddom are not digital. But in recent years, some Student Self-Assessment & Goal-Setting pretty incredible tools have come along to Sown to Grow make the process more thorough and efficient.

What you’ll find here are eight assessment Where did Peergrade, Poll Everywhere, and tools; each one does something unique, Seesaw go? along with links to other tools that perform Last year, these tools were featured in the a similar function. To help you sort through assessment section, but because it’s gotten them, I’ll put them into broad categories so big, Peergrade has now been moved to based on their strongest capabilities: the Feedback section, Poll Everywhere to the new Audience Response & Backchannels Multiple Choice & Forced-Answer Tests section, and Seesaw to the new Digital Assessment Google Forms Portfolios section. GradeCam Measuring student understanding is Plickers essential for good instruction. If you can One to Watch: Quillionz figure out exactly which students “get it” Real-Time Formative Assessment Quillionz uses artificial intelligence (AI) to and which ones don’t, or which parts of Edulastic help you write better test questions. Upload your content are clear and which parts Formative or paste your content into the platform, aren’t, you can fine-tune your teaching and choose key words, then wait as Quillionz Rubric Management differentiate instruction. generates multiple choice, short answer, and Doctopus & Goobric basic recall questions you can choose from.

Doctopus & Goobric Edulastic Formative See below for links. edulastic.com goformative.com

Doctopus, an add-on for Google Sheets, This site offers a massive bank of With Formative, teachers give an helps teachers manage documents more standards-aligned questions teachers assessment, then see the responses of a easily. Goobric, a Chrome extension, can pull from to create formative whole class in real time (the image above works with Doctopus to integrate rubrics assessments. As students take the shows five students’ responses). This into the assessment process, allowing assessment, teachers get the results in includes open-ended and hand-drawn teachers to more quickly use rubrics to real time, allowing them to make responses. You can create your own quizzes assess student work and add their own instructional decisions right away. inside the platform, upload your own file, or written and voice comments. Many who Edulastic even has an option, similar to use something from Formative’s library of use this combination say it works best GradeCam, where teachers can give a assessments created by other educators. inside Google Classroom. Both tools are paper-based test and scan the answer free for G Suite users. sheet with a smartphone. Similar Tools: Classkick, The Answer Pad, Pear Deck

Google Forms GradeCam Kiddom google.com/forms/about gradecam.com kiddom.co

Although Google Forms was originally This tool does what Scantron does, but Kiddom allows you to track student designed for surveys, you can also use it without the need for any special assignments along with the standards to create quizzes. Quiz items come in equipment: Students take quizzes on they assess for, then access a range of multiple choice, checkboxes, linear scales, printable response sheets, then the data reports that tell you who’s mastered grids, short answer, or long answer form. teacher scans the sheets with a webcam, the standards and who needs more help. When students take the quiz, Forms will smartphone, or document camera, and Their library of standards-aligned lessons, automatically grade every response that the scores automatically appear on the including full-course digital curricula, has a correct answer identified. If you teacher dashboard. From there, scores makes it easy to meet curricular goals assign essay questions or open-ended can then be imported into most and differentiate instruction. Teachers questions, you can grade those manually electronic gradebooks. can collaborate and co-plan right on the after the auto-grading is done. platform. Similar Tool: ZipGrade

Plickers Sown to Grow plickers.com sowntogrow.com

A smart solution for schools that are On this self-assessment platform, short on technology, Plickers is an app teachers create learning cycles—short you put on a handheld device. Using an periods of time during which certain assessment that you pre-load, students learning objectives should be met—and respond by holding up their own unique students set their own goals. As the cycle paper card one of four ways to indicate a progresses, students record their scores response of A, B, C, or D. Next, you scan and reflect on how they did, noting which the room with your device, reading all strategies helped the most. Over time, student responses in a few seconds. students review the results of multiple Plickers will then give you a results report cycles to see their growth and determine that can inform your next instructional which strategies worked best. steps.

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W

Until recently, finding high-quality activities for early finishers or enrichment nonfiction was challenging. But more sites activities for advanced students. are now offering excellent, searchable Improve listening comprehension skills libraries of content (both fiction and • by assigning podcasts or treat video as nonfiction) for classroom use, along with text by studying films. outstanding tools to support their use. I’m calling these sites Content Libraries. • Encourage students to use these sites when doing research on a topic. Each Some of the sites in this group offer only one is being updated regularly and will texts, others house libraries of videos, one continue to grow. focuses exclusively on audio content, and others include primary sources in their Content collections. Libraries Classroom Uses • Assign the same piece of reading to the In recent years, a much greater emphasis whole class on Newsela, but have has been placed on nonfiction texts. students adjust the reading levels. Lesson Plans for Movies Because students are required to read and Although it’s not a content library, the site understand challenging texts in college and Use Listenwise to help English learners, • Teach with Movies offers summaries, age their professional lives, teachers in all reluctant readers, or emerging readers recommendations, curricular connections, content areas are expected to give students “see” writing by using the live transcript. lesson plans, and discussion guides for lots of practice with these kinds of texts. hundreds of classic and contemporary movies. • Use any of the sites to offer free-choice

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W Content Libraries: A-C

Actively Learn CommonLit CuriPow activelylearn.com commonlit.org mycuripow.com

This platform offers a large library of texts A free online library of literary and The mission of CuriPow is to “empower and videos for ELA, social studies, and informational texts for grades 3-12, you with a short untold story each day on science for grades 3-12, many of which CommonLit helps teachers quickly locate the diversity of history through cultural come pre-loaded with assignments and leveled texts that fit into a lesson or unit, identity and heritage.” Every daily entry is questions for students to answer. What’s assess student understanding, and pair indeed short—either a few written great is that you can also add your own the texts with other media. The library paragraphs or a podcast lasting less than questions or notes to the existing includes public domain texts, two minutes—and tells an interesting assignments. You can also upload your professional writing contributed from story of someone in history from a own documents and create assignments other publications, and short works different ethnic and cultural background. from these. donated by published writers.

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W Content Libraries: E-G

Epic! Global Oneness Project Great Big Story getepic.com globalonenessproject.org greatbigstory.com

Free for teachers, this site houses This site offers a stunning collection of Great Big Story’s mission statement says: thousands of digital books and videos for multicultural films, photo essays, and “We believe there is magic in the world kids from pre-K through age 12. These are articles that “explore cultural, social, and and it’s our mission in life to help you the award-winning, best-selling books environmental issues with a humanistic discover it. We search for stories showing you’ve known forever, but now they can lens.” Many stories are paired with a a sense of optimism for the world… be accessed through a desktop, tablet, or standards-aligned lesson plan for high because goodness can grow through the smartphone. Students can keep track of school or college classrooms. This smallest cracks in the sidewalk.” They their progress, take quizzes over their collection will provide students from any share this magic through short, beautiful reading, and earn badges for hitting culture with a deep understanding of videos about people and phenomena all reading milestones. Paid plans are lives completely unlike their own. over the world. available for families that want access at Similar Site: Ever Widening Circles home.

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W Content Libraries: L-M

Listenwise MyShakespeare listenwise.com myshakespeare.com

Every day, dozens of exceptional stories This fantastic site starts with the full text are published on public radio. of five of Shakespeare’s most popular Listenwise curates these podcasts for plays. But there’s so much more: Each classroom use, organizes and tags them play also comes with modern English into categories, and builds a set of translations, “between the lines” outstanding instructional resources commentary, audio recordings that sync around each one. With Listenwise, with the written text, videos of actors teachers can easily use podcasts as performing key scenes, and video classroom texts, amplifying content and “interviews,” where actors talk in giving students practice in required contemporary language about their listening skills. characters’ situations. Definitely worth a look for high school English teachers!

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W Content Libraries: N

Newsela Novel Effect NewseumED newsela.com noveleffect.com newseumed.org

Newsela provides an incredibly powerful This free app listens while you read a NewseumED is the educational branch of tool for differentiation: The site houses a story aloud and plays music and sound Newseum, a news museum located in big collection of current events articles effects at key points in the story. Using Washington, D.C. The site offers free from sources like the Washington Post voice recognition, Novel Effect keeps accounts that link teachers to fantastic and the Associated Press. Each article pace with you: If you skip pages, re-read primary sources, news artifacts, and has been adapted for five different sections, go fast or slow, it will play the lessons and units that help teachers reading levels, allowing readers to simply sounds at the right time, adding a little teach media literacy, civics, and all select the level they want and read the extra excitement to the read-aloud aspects of the First Amendment. same content written in language that’s experience. You need to have the the best fit for them. physical books in order to use it, but their Similar Site: library is loaded with soundtracks for over Digital Public Library of America Similar Tools: DOGOnews, ReadWorks 200 popular kids’ books.

A – C | E – G | L – M | N | V - W Content Libraries: V-W

Vooks Wonderopolis vooks.com wonderopolis.org

Vooks offers a library of streaming videos On this site, users submit “wonders,” that read well-loved children’s books questions about things they are aloud to them. The text only appears wondering about. Once a wonder has with the voice-over, allowing readers to been submitted, other users vote on the follow along as they listen, and the art is ones they find most interesting. Those also animated, which makes the book with the highest votes are then selected come to life. by the site as Wonders of the Day, questions that have been formally answered by the Wonderopolis staff, along with added photos, videos, a vocabulary list, and a short quiz.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other

What you’ll find here are 30 websites and • Other: These last six sites are the tools that can serve as incredible resources spillover from the other sections, and for anyone who teaches social studies, some have completely unique offerings. history, civics, or world cultures and geography. TEACHING WITH PODCASTS • Curriculum: These websites primarily Podcasts are another resource that can’t be offer lesson plans and other curricular overlooked for history teachers. New material that can serve as a supplement podcasts are being produced every day, so to your regular curriculum. So much of it spend some time exploring what’s out there. is so good, it might even replace what Two highly recommended podcasts are you normally teach. 60 Second Civics, which provides quick, daily History & lessons about U.S. government and the • Games & Interactives: Here you’ll find Constitution, and Teaching Hard History: tools that students can interact with to American Slavery, a podcast geared toward Social Studies learn about various history and social helping teachers thoughtfully navigate the studies topics. topic of slavery. The amount of high-quality resources online for history and social studies is truly • Geography: This collection focuses solely overwhelming. Believe it or not, the huge on geography-related topics and skills. ONE MORE TO “CHECK” OUT collection in this section has actually been • Primary Sources: These websites offer One more site worth a look is Checkology, narrowed down from the recommendations large libraries of documents, images, where students learn how to evaluate I got in response to a single tweet I put out different media sources for quality and bias. videos, and other primary sources that in October 2018. can be used in your lessons.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other Curriculum

Big History Project The Choices Program Facing History and Ourselves bighistoryproject.com choices.edu facinghistory.org This free online social studies curriculum This curriculum from Brown University Teaching strategies, lesson plans, videos, spans 13.8 billion years and asks big emphasizes critical thinking, argument, and full units focused on the study of questions about human life on Earth. and connecting history to the present. racism, prejudice, and antisemitism.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute Stanford History Education Group Teaching Tolerance gilderlehrman.org sheg.stanford.edu tolerance.org The History Now section offers lesson plans Frequently recommended! “Reading Like Lesson plans, film kits, and customizable and videos from the Institute’s collection of a Historian” lessons and other materials learning plans build on TT’s powerful over 70,000 primary sources. have passed 5 million downloads. social justice and anti-bias materials.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other Games & Interactives

Be Washington The Fiscal Ship Gapminder mountvernon.org/bewashington fiscalship.org gapminder.org/tools This interactive experience puts users in This game challenges players to select Visualize data like population growth, life the shoes of George Washington as he policies and watch how they impact the expectancy, and income across world navigates four key historical situations. federal budget. regions with this interactive tool.

iCivics Mission US The ReDistricting Game icivics.org mission-us.org redistrictinggame.org Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day Games and lesson materials immerse This game allows players to redraw the O’Connor created this site loaded with students in historical settings where they boundaries of voting districts to see how interactive games that teach civics. have to make big decisions. they impact election outcomes.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other Geography

GeoGuessr Google My Maps Google Tour Builder geoguessr.com google.com/mymaps tourbuilder.withgoogle.com This addictive game puts you somewhere Create and save your own interactive Create customized tours that combine in the world using Google Street view and maps using Google’s robust mapping your own photos, text and targeted you guess where you are. So fun! technologies. locations on Google Earth.

Lizard Point National Geographic MapMaker Seterra lizardpoint.com mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org seterra.com Digital map quizzes can be taken in Interact with maps and manipulate a Great practice tool for map recognition. practice or test mode and can be wide variety of data. Add photos and Available in dozens of languages and customized for your needs. drawings to customize your map. has a mobile app.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other Primary Sources

Bill of Rights Institute Digital Public Library of America DocsTeach billofrightsinstitute.org dp.la docsteach.org Educational resources on the Bill of A free library of more than 33 million Backed by the National Archives, this site Rights. images, texts, videos, and sounds from provides tools to build and borrow across the United States. lessons around primary sources.

Google Arts & Culture Interactive Constitution Smithsonian Learning Lab artsandculture.google.com constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution learninglab.si.edu Access an incredible collection of art, Read the original text, click highlighted Users can curate their own collections of videos, documents, and photos, and sections to learn about changes, and read resources from the Smithsonian’s organize them into your own galleries. scholarly commentary. archives.

Curriculum | Games & Interactives | Geography | Primary Sources | Other Other Great Sites

C3 Teachers Case Maker Holocaust Encyclopedia c3teachers.org mycasemaker.org encyclopedia.ushmm.org Resources to help teachers implement Inquiry-based challenges using Library of A huge collection of photos, films, maps, the C3 Framework in their teaching, Congress primary sources for students in documents, and other resources from the including ready-to-use inquiries. grades 6-8. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

If It Were My Home Voices of the Civil Rights Movement Zoom In ifitweremyhome.com voicesofthecivilrightsmovement.com zoomin.edc.org Compare life in your country with life in Powerful collection of videos, including Structured inquiry lessons support any other country in terms of income, life viewer-submitted stories, documenting students in careful research and writing expectancy, and many other data points. moments in the Civil Rights Movement. about history.

Buncee | Glogster | ThingLink

The tools in this section help users create Student Uses these posters to dramatically enhance the Demonstrate learning with a portfolio of learning experience. • art, spoken word, or music projects; a timeline of historical events or a Teacher Uses documentation of the stages of an • Make interactive posters for teaching independent project; an instructional content. For example, a series of photos poster to teach someone how to from the Great Depression, tagged with perform a task; even an interactive, text information, embedded videos, content-based game, where answers are audio recordings from music of that embedded in audio or video clips. period, maps of key areas, and links to • Create personal posters as a “getting to related articles. Interactive know you” activity at the beginning of • Create interactive photos of classroom the year; all posters could be housed in a Posters spaces, embedding text in key areas to student gallery. explain how to use them, or video to An interactive poster is an online image demonstrate procedures. that contains clickable elements, allowing the viewer to activate sections of the poster • Share photos of classroom activities to reveal text, links to outside sources, or online with parents, embedding text or other embedded items such as audio clips audio to describe what’s happening in or videos. one or more parts of the picture.

Buncee | Glogster | ThingLink Interactive Posters Page 2

Buncee Glogster ThingLink buncee.com edu.glogster.com thinglink.com/edu

Starting with a blank canvas, you build A glog is an online poster. It has its own ThingLink lets you take any image and your slide with text, images, animations, unique URL, and on it, students can add interactive elements right on top of stickers, files, and embedded items like place text, images, embedded video and it: You can embed pop-up blocks of text, video and 360 images. When your slide is audio, and links to outside sources. In videos, a Google Map, an audio clip, a done, you can then create another, and addition to creating their own glogs, users survey or quiz, a Google Slides slideshow, another, in a PowerPoint-style slideshow can also access other posters through the even a complete entry from Wikipedia. A that can be delivered as a regular Glogpedia, a library of thousands of finished ThingLink can be shared through presentation or navigated independently public glogs on every academic topic a direct link, by embedding it in another by the user. A Buncee can be shared as a imaginable. These can be used as website, or through social media. link, through social media, or by learning tools or as inspiration for embedding it on a website. students’ own designs.

Second, we now have apps that offer approach: People who want to learn a language lessons we can access at any time language can take advantage of different and on any device, plus games that can types of tools, giving themselves a rich, make it more fun to learn. Duolingo is one multilayered language study experience. of the most popular tools for this kind of And language teachers can share many of practice. these tools with students to reinforce and extend the learning they are doing in class. Third is access to authentic content. Millions of videos, podcasts, songs, articles, and books are created in different Three Useful Supplements languages and shared online every day. Extempore is an app that allows teachers to Sites like LingQ, FluentU, and Lupa curate create and collect speaking assignments Language and organize this content so we can from students—great for language class! immerse ourselves in real language use. Google Translate can be indispensable when Study Finally, we have translation tools that can communicating with non-English speaking at least approximate the work that once students or parents. Keep in mind that the translation offered by this app is fairly rough: Technology has given us many gifts that could only be done by a human interpreter. make it much easier to learn new languages Don’t count on it for nuanced interpretation, Microsoft Translator provides real-time but it can help provide the words we need to in the 21st century. transcriptions of teacher lectures in different get a basic message across. languages and translates student questions The first is better access to people who TalkingPoints is a tool built specifically for speak different languages. Tools like italki back into the language of the presenter. the purpose of communicating with parents in other languages. Read more about it in facilitate those interactions, connecting The great thing about all these options is the Parent Engagement section. users with native-speaking tutors online. that you don’t have to choose just one

Duolingo FluentU italki duolingo.com fluentu.com italki.com

Duolingo has perfected the gamification On this site, you can watch authentic While the other tools in this section help of language learning. Offering free self- videos of people speaking in different you learn language independently, italki paced courses in over 30 languages, this languages in a natural context, not actors focuses on connecting users with real tool breaks courses into small lessons doing scenes for instructional purposes. people. Learners on italki can grow their that can be completed in less than 10 The videos come from movies, music language skills through paid one-on-one minutes on any device. Every time you videos, news shows, even commercials. lessons with native speakers or by having complete a lesson, your progress is Each video has subtitles for the language conversations with other learners in the tracked visually, which provides an spoken along with the viewer’s native italki community. incentive to keep going. language, and you can hover over any word to get a definition. Similar Tools: Lang-8, HelloTalk Similar Tools: Fluent Forever, Memrise, Babbel, Lingvist, Busuu Similar Tools: FluentKey, Yabla

LingQ Lupa NO VIDEO AVAILABLE Microsoft Translator lingq.com lupa.app microsoft.com/translator/education/

Pronounced “link,” this site was created Also based on the comprehensible input Using artificial intelligence, Translator by linguist Steve Kaufmann and is based approach, this app for Spanish learners transcribes and translates teachers’ on the comprehensible input method for offers a library of episodes from the NPR speech into other languages in real time; language learning. Users choose what podcast Radio Ambulante. As users the transcript is built while the teacher is they want to read or listen to from a huge listen, they can slow down the speed, talking. Using an app on their phones, library of articles, books, videos, songs, toggle between a Spanish transcript and students read the transcript in whatever and more—”natural content” that floods an English translation, and get definitions language they choose, and they can type the brain with authentic language—then and hints provided by the app. As you or speak into the app to contribute their save the words they’re learning. An online continue to use Lupa, the app will keep own comments or questions; these will community and on-demand tutors add track of the words and phrases you’re automatically be translated back to the more support. learning. language of the presenter.

Some offer channels for easy voice and • Discussion starters like Kialo, Parlay, and video communication, and others provide StartSOLE provide topics and structures new topics and scaffolds for structured for deep discussion. discussion. Still others help us measure the A speaking assignment app like quality of our conversations so we can • Extempore makes it easier for teachers conduct them more effectively and to assess students’ speaking skills equitably. without having to be in the classroom. Here’s a breakdown of the tools in this section: Fresh Ideas for Class Discussions Videoconferencing tools like Skype let • Maybe you love the idea of having class users have face-to-face discussions in discussions, but you’re in a rut, with the Speaking & real time, while Flipgrid provides a space same students doing most of the talking where participants contribute one-way most of the time. Check out my post, Discussion video commentary. The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies, where you’ll find 17 different ways to have a More technology means more time on our • Voice messaging tools like Voxer allow class discussion. devices, and unfortunately, that means we for asynchronous conversations at any Let Students Do Their Own TED Talks are talking to each other less and less. time and from any place. If you teach public speaking, check out In theory, anyway. • Discussion monitors like Equity Maps TED-Ed’s Student Talks Program, which show us who is participating, and how supports students in developing their own Because some tech tools have come along often. Parlay also offers discussion TED-style talks. to make it easier for us to talk to each other: metrics.

Equity Maps Extempore Flipgrid equitymaps.com extemporeapp.com flipgrid.com

Equity Maps gives teachers a way to This simple app was built for speaking This video response app has all kinds of quickly record student participation in a assignments, allowing students to turn possibilities for discussion and speaking discussion. Using a seating chart, you tap in audio or video recordings in response activities. Start by setting up Grid, which icons as each student talks. Equity Maps to teacher prompts. Prompts can be in can be limited to a classroom, a school or keeps track of how long each student text, audio, or video form. For each district, or it can be public. Inside the grid, talks so that when you’re done, you get a assignment, the teacher can create a you add a topic—a prompt for students summary of how often each student rubric, set time limits, and decide to respond to. From their own devices, participated, how many were active, and whether to let students review or re- students then go into the grid and record whether there was equal gender record their responses. Feedback and video responses, which are then added to distribution among those who engaged. grades can be given right in the app. that topic for others to view. See some of Similar Tool: TeachFX Flipgrid’s newest features in this video.

Kialo 13+ Parlay kialo.com parlayideas.com

On this platform, users participate in This platform offers a suite of tools for debates that start with a thesis like “All conducting class discussions. Start by humans should be vegan.” Once a thesis choosing a topic from their library: These is set up, invited participants offer contain readings and videos to give claims—arguments for the Pro or Con background information. Then students side. Once a claim is entered, other users submit written responses and respond to can comment on a claim or add a Pro or one another in writing. Finally, the class Con claim to that one, starting another can conduct a live roundtable discussion, layer of debate. Every claim can be rated using Parlay to track and facilitate their by users for its impact; those with the participation. When the discussion is highest ratings rise to the top. over, the teacher gets a report to see who participated and how.

Skype StartSOLE Voxer skype.com startsole.org voxer.com

Since it came along in 2003, Skype has This platform offers organizational tools Voxer is like a message board, except it’s enabled anyone whose computers had a to help teachers facilitate SOLEs, which all voice recordings. This is great because video camera and an internet connection are self-organized learning environments. the voice communicates things you can’t to make free video calls to anyone in the A SOLE starts with a question like, “Do get with words alone. And Voxer is world. For educators, Skype in the genetics cause a person to be good or asynchronous: People participate when Classroom offers all kinds of possibilities bad?” In small groups students discuss they can rather than trying to find a time for discussion with people near and far. the question, then move to the to meet or call. In addition to voice, you investigation phase, where they research can also send texts, videos, links, and Similar Tools: FaceTime, WebRoom, answers. Finally, each group presents images over Voxer, so it’s good for all Google Hangouts, Zoom their discoveries to the class. kinds of communication.

Similar Tools: WhatsApp, VoiceThread

The Teacher’s Guide to Tech 2020 63 PREVIEW: not all pages are included, so many links will not work. The Terms

add-on: similar to a browser extension, a small Android: the operating system used for many ASMR videos: ASMR stands for autonomous piece of software used to enhance the non-iOS smartphones, such as Samsung sensory meridian response, a physical performance of another tool Galaxy. Usually this comes up when people are sensation people experience when they hear talking about an app, like this: “I’m using this pleasant tactile sounds. In recent years, ASMR AI: artificial intelligence; the ability to perform great fitness app on my iPhone! You should videos—showing nothing but people brushing tasks that normally require human intelligence. get it…oh, wait, you have an Android. Never their hair, typing, whispering, or turning pages Tools like AutoDraw look at what a user is mind.” (P.S. I have an Android. They’re great.) in a book have exploded in popularity on drawing and use AI to guess at the intended YouTube. Upon first seeing these videos, you shape. app: (short for application) a software will probably think they’re pretty odd, but the program. Any software, like PowerPoint, is an calming effect they have on people is starting algorithm: a set of instructions telling a application, but app usually means a smaller- to get the attention of researchers. Learn more computer what to do. For example, if you sized software with a limited job, like tracking here. search for the term “pizza” in Google, the site calories, that typically lives on a mobile device. uses search algorithms to find the most avatar: an image or icon, often illustrated, popular results for that term. Lately, when app smashing: using multiple apps or tools representing a person in a video game, in people talk about algorithms, they are referring together to complete a task social media, or in a software program to the kind used by social media platforms. A site like Facebook uses complex algorithms to AR: augmented reality; a technology that uses keep track of what people you’ve interacted apps to layer digital elements over real-life with and what types of content you like so objects and photos; learn more in the Virtual & they can customize the experience for you, Augmented Reality section showing you more of what you like. Social media companies are constantly adjusting these algorithms, which can frustrate users. Example: “I never see your posts on Instagram! I bet they changed their algorithm again.”

backchannel: a secondary discussion that blog: short for weblog; basically an online browser: short for web browser; software that happens at the same time as a larger event. A diary, a series of posts that are updated lets you browse the internet. Popular browsers backchannel can be set up on YoTeach!, regularly, unlike on a static website are Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer. allowing participants to comment in an online chat room while another presentation is going. Bluetooth: a technology that uses radio waves browser extension: a tool added to your to let devices communicate across short web browser that gives it new functions, like bandwidth: the amount of data that can be distances wirelessly. A Bluetooth headset lets letting you quickly add an item to your sent over an internet connection at one time you talk on your phone without holding it up Evernote notebook, or pin an item on Pinterest to your ear or using speakerphone. beta: an unfinished or “really good draft” version of a computer program or tool. When bookmarklet: a bookmark stored in your browser extension you hear that something is “in beta,” it means browser that allows it to do a specific task; like bookmarklet that it has all of its basic parts, but the kinks a browser extension, but it won’t slow down haven’t all been worked out yet. your browser as much buffering: pre-loading data into a separate bitcoin: one of the most recognized types of bot: a computer program designed to perform area of memory so it can be accessed at a cryptocurrency repetitive tasks that would be time-consuming later time. When streaming a video, the service for humans, like looking for new pages online will buffer chunks of the video to prevent the Bitmoji: a cartoon version of a person’s image, and indexing them for Google. Recently, bots video from lagging during playback. used in digital spaces. Bitmoji is the brand have been created to impersonate humans on BYOD: bring your own device; a policy in name of an app that creates these images. social media in order to influence public which students are allowed to bring their own opinion on political issues. Learn more here. blended learning: a teaching approach that cell phones, tablets, or laptops to school and combines traditional instruction with online breadcrumbs: small text paths usually found use them during class to enhance learning learning near the top of a web page that show how you byte: a small unit of measurement for got to where you are. For example, a electronic data. Most files we interact with blockchain: a ledger or record of all breadcrumb trail might say Home > Books > contain far more than a single byte of data cryptocurrency transactions that occur Nonfiction > Animals. throughout the world and are measured in kilobytes or megabytes.

cache: (pronounced cash; both a noun and a clickers: handheld, portable devices given to Creative Commons: a nonprofit organization in verb) a mechanism that stores recently used students in a classroom, allowing them to the U.S. whose mission is to make it easier for information so it can be quickly accessed later. respond to questions and have their responses people to share creative work. Photos, videos, Your browser will often cache recent web collected via radio transmission music, and other creative work that has a pages you’ve visited so the next time you visit Creative Commons license is available for them, it re-loads them from memory, rather cloud computing: using a network of remote others to use in their own projects under than going back to the site and loading servers (large systems like Google Drive, for certain conditions. Learn more in my article, everything from scratch. This makes things example) to create, share, and store files, Teaching Students to Legally Use Images faster. Often when people are having trouble rather than performing these operations on a Online. with a website, they are advised to “clear their local network, such as your home computer or cache,” which erases that memory and forces office network crowdfunding: using websites like GoFundMe your browser to start fresh with the newest and Kickstarter to raise funds for independent, information from the site. cookie: a small text file containing information often creative projects. In 2014, the Veronica about you and what you’re interested in, based Mars TV franchise raised $2 million for a movie chatbot: a piece of software that conducts a on your browsing history. A cookie is stored in in 12 hours with crowdfunding. text- or voice-based conversation “like a your web browser and is sent to websites human being.” When you call a company on you’ve already visited to help them customize cryptocurrency: a completely digital form of the phone, you’re often put through a phone your visit. If I go to Zappos and look at a currency, such as bitcoin. Two advantages of tree by a chatbot. When you go to a site and a particular boot, even if I don’t create an cryptocurrency are that (1) unlike money, it is pop-up asks if you need help, that’s usually a account or anything, the next time I visit, that decentralized, passing directly from person to chatbot starting the conversation, although a boot will be a featured product. That’s cookies person, rather than being controlled by banks real person may take over after a few minutes. at work. or the government, and (2) because transactions are encrypted, they are very clickbait: a derogatory term used to describe difficult to counterfeit. Learn more. attention-getting headlines designed to entice people to click over to a website, like “This secret will get you more women!” Often, the headline doesn’t accurately represent the thing it leads to.

dashboard: a term used by many programs to domain name: the part of your URL that emoticon: also called a smiley; a sequence of describe the user’s “control center,” the place identifies your IP address. (In the URL characters made to represent a facial where you get an overview of your account http://www.cultofpedagogy.com, the domain expression or some other visual image, like and your activity within that program name is cultofpedagogy.com.) this: :-) See this List of Smileys and Emoticons for examples. digital citizenship: the standards for etiquette, e-commerce: buying and selling items through ethical conduct, and safe behavior while using the internet extension: see browser extension technology EdCamp: a type of unconference. A external hard drive: a small device, somewhere digital literacy: being versed in the terms and TeachMeet is basically the same thing. between the size of a wallet and a paperback, concepts associated with using technology and where you can store electronic files digital tools embed: to insert one item, such as a video, (documents, photos, videos, etc.). These come into another item, such as a website, in such a in handy when you need extra storage space digital native: nickname for a person who grew way that it retains all of its functions and can on your computer or you want to back up your up with technology—personal computers, be operated from within that second item. The files outside of your computer. internet access, etc. symbol for embedding looks like this: < > To watch how the above is done, watch How to DM: direct message. A message that happens Embed a YouTube Video. on social media platforms, but in private. A person’s followers can’t see a direct message; emoji: small pictures that can be inserted into only the person it’s sent to can read it. When texts and other digital communication, like someone says they will “DM” someone or this: 😂😂 (By the way, some publishers agree external hard drive “slide into their DMs,” they are planning to that it’s okay to use emojis as the plural for send a direct message. emoji, while others feel strongly that the word emoji is both a singular and a plural, like the word sheep. Read this post from the Grammarly blog for more information.)

The Teacher’s Guide to Tech 2020 68