Four Websites

This week, we are featuring some neat websites that you will want to check out. Thanks to the tech mentor group and Michelle Farnum for the suggestions.

AirPano
View 360 degree aerial panoramas. Use your mouse or arrow keys to see fantastic sites in all directions. This is a great way to take a virtual field trip.


http://explore.org/
This is a great directory of live webcams. This is especially good for wildlife viewing.

PaperRater.com
Think of this as a free plagiarism checker (like Turnitin) that also includes writing analysis tools.

NoRedInk.com.
Use this tool to analyze word choice, sentence structure and grammar usage.

Control Alt Archive
This site is packed full of great technology integration tools and ideas. Here are a few I like.

• Google Draw Magnetic Poetry Template
• YouTube Read Aloud Videos (many ready by the authors!)
• Build a Snowman with this Google Slides template (build one of these for other topics!)
• Screencastify Activities for Students (Screencastify Extension Link)

Writing Tools: PaperRater and NoRedInk

Here are two tools you may want to use with your writing students. They've gotten good reviews. I've looked at them a little bit, and they look very promising.

1. PaperRater -- This is a free plagiarism checker. Think of it as a free Turnitin. It provides an originality grade, lists sources that have identical content and gives a list of potentially plagiarized parts. 

PaperRater also provides writing analysis tools that are similar to those available in Turnitin (and maybe a little better). These tools are not available in Schoology. PaperRater also lets students share reports to their teacher with a teacher code. The teacher gets a really nice table of all the students' scores in each category. It also allows students to print a summary which could be uploaded to Schoology, and it does writing analytics and gives students a grade/report. 

Use this link to get the free school premium version: http://f9.PaperRater.com/  Students should use this link too.

Here's a 1.5 minute video of how it works.

2.  NoRedInk -- This is basically a self-paced, differentiated grammar and writing course. You can have students take a diagnostic test to determine their level. Then students work through interactive lessons with immediate feedback. There is even a teacher section where you can track student progress and proficiency. If you sign up for the free teacher version, there is a very good 2 minute overview video to give you a better idea of what this is like.

Podcasting: Consume and Produce

Definition: Podcasts are audio recordings posted to the internet that are available for others to listen to or download. Typically, they are produced in a series that are available for subscription, but you do not need to go that route if you want to get started in your classroom.

Integration: Podcasts can be a great technology integration tool to facilitate learning. Here are some ideas for how you can use podcasts for both consuming and producing content:

• Consume
• Staff--Listen to podcasts as professional development to improve teaching and learning.
• Students--Listen to podcasts as learning materials.
• Produce
• Staff--Create a teacher or classroom podcast for a professional learning network or for your classroom.
• Students--Create podcasts about curricular topics as a way to process and demonstrate learning.
• Classroom--Create a regular classroom podcast and rotate topics/assignments.

Creation Tools: These are some recommended tools for creating audio recordings.

1. Seesaw--Students can use the screen recording feature to show and tell their understanding of a topic. This might include narrating over an image or diagram and including annotations and labels. This keeps it simple, only requires an iPad and allows teachers to use a tool students already know how to use.

2. Schoology--Students can use the recording feature built into assignments or discussions. With this feature, there is no need for additional software, and they can use the camera/mic built into a Chromebook. Students cannot edit recordings, but they can pause and continue. This is simple but restricted to use in Schoology. If you post recordings in a discussion, other students can listen to them and respond which is more like a syndicated podcast.

3. Vocaroo--http://vocaroo.com/ This is very simple if you just want an audio file that you can export/download. It's a simple record, stop, export. There is no editing available, and recordings are only archived for a few months. No account is needed. Recordings can be uploaded to Schoology.

4. Soundtrap--https://www.soundtrap.com This one is not quite as simple, but it's much more powerful and still free. Students can collaborate on projects, add music from the gallery, record multiple tracks, edit, and export their audio. This is the best choice if editing or the addition of multiple tracks is required. Recordings can be uploaded to Schoology. Note: Students need to set up and account (and therefore, need to be 13 years old).

A Few Lists of Recommended Podcasts To Get You Started:

• 50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out - InformED

• 60 Podcasts You Should Check Out - Getting Smart

• Top Ranking Podcasts in Education at podbay.fm

• Best Education Podcasts | Edutopia

• 36 Educational Podcasts to Energize Your Teaching - Fusion Yearbooks

• 10 Podcasts That Will Make You Feel Smarter | Mental Floss

• Top 20 STEM Education Podcasts You Should Be Listening To Now!

Bonus Material:

• Sample Rubric for Assessing Student Podcasts (Feel free to simplify this.)

• Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts

• How to Create Podcasts with Your Students

• Listening To Themselves: Podcasts Take Learning Beyond the Classroom

• Podcasting for Education

Google for more!

Image courtesy of Colleen AF Venable.

New Year's Resolution: Getting Organized in the 2017

Based on Google searches, getting organized is the second most popular New Year's resolution for 2017 (Source: NBC).

Here are some tips to help you get more organized this year:

Gmail

Use labels to organize your email messages (see video) and create filters to automatically label and archive emails based on rules you set (see video).

Calendar

Use Calendar Reminders to manage your "to do" items. Creating reminders is similar to creating events on the calendar. You can set a reminder for a certain date, but if you don't get it done, it will automatically carry forward to the next day until you mark it as done.  Click here for more details: video | print directions.

Google Drive

Use folders and naming conventions to keep your Drive organized (see video and step-by-step guide).

Google Keep

Use Google Keep in lieu of post-it-notes and checklists (see video). You can even share your notes and checklists with collaborators. Use the Google Keep App on your phone to stay organized on the go.