Tech Tools for Teachers

Flipgrid is a fan favorite. Both with teachers, and with students. This week, we dive back in and re-explore Flipgrid. They've made a ton of updates since the first few times we reviewed the program on Episode 22 and Episode 48. When you use Flipgrid, you'll see it's a lot like some of the social apps that your students are used to using like TikTok and Instagram Stories—only this is made for the...

Are you looking for ways to help your students learn about civics and citizenship? Check out our latest episode of the Tech Tools for Teachers podcast, where we discuss two great websites that can help you do just that. Kid Citizen and Learning for Justice are both packed with resources that will engage your students and help them learn about their community and the world around them. These sites...

This week's tech tool can be used in any content area! Edublogs is a free blogging tool for educators and their students. There are so many ways you can use this tool—from keeping your families and community up-to-date on what's going on in your classroom to providing a resource for students to create portfolios, track progress on a project, lab reports or newsletters. If you haven't already, chec...

This episode is packed with science (and a few other elements 😭)! As we move into the second half of the school year, I know our high school teachers really start to prep for AP exams and we are all looking for some new resources to change things up! We have help for both this week! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/supporting-science/ Tech Discussed in This Episode • Bozeman Science - http://...

It's 2022 and time to try something new! There are so many *edsiting* things about this week's site! Edsitement is a huge collection to help support humanities in education. If you are looking for new resources to support content that you teach or are looking to explore interesting topics this site has many resources to help. Edsitement features a large collection of lesson plans organized by grad...

Are you looking for a fun way to engage your students? Jeopardy Labs is the perfect tool! You can create your own Jeopardy game boards and use them with your students. It's easy to make one of these boards—all you need are some answers (and questions) about any topic! Whether it's math, history, science—you name it there are plenty of topics that work great with this well-known game. View the post...

This week, we're talking Tynker! If you are looking to for a fun way for your kiddos to working on their problem-solving skills, have them write some code! Tynker is a great way to introduce coding to your students in a fun and easy way. Students get the opportunity to play games, create their own games, and more! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/tynker-a-coding-tool-for-students/ Tech Discuss...

Have you ever wondered where to find great science learning materials for students aged 5 to 11? Well, look no further. On this week's episode, I have the perfect site for you! Wow Science is filled with so much information that can be used at a variety of grade levels. This website collects and evaluates resources from all over the web and organizes them in one place for easy access by teachers a...

Talking about hieroglyphics is one thing, but really understanding them? That's much more complicated. But Google has a new project that might just help kids understand this ancient form of communication: Fabricius! In this episode of the Tech Tools for Teachers podcast, we'll learn all about how Fabricius works and what it can teach us - as well as share some fun ways to use it in our classrooms....

Pear Deck is still one of my goto tools for livening up my Google Slides in the classroom. On this episode, we re-explore Pear Deck (first mentioned in Episode 11). We also talk about another tool from the creators of Pear Deck—Flashcard Factory. Have I mentioned that Pear Deck's mascot, Peary, is adorable? View the post: https://smartinwi.com/pear-deck Tech Discussed in This Episode • Pear Deck •...

I'm excited to share a really useful website for both teachers and students, this week. Headspace for Educators has awesome tools that support mindfulness in the classroom! From meditation to anxiety reduction, there are so many different ways you can use Headspace to support your K-12 students (and yourself). Thanks for listening! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/headspace-for-educators Tech...

Do you ever feel a little puzzled about how to share content with your students? Edpuzzle to the rescue! This site is really helpful to make sure students are understanding the videos that you are sharing with them. It takes minimal set up and you are ready to share your content right away. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/edpuzzle-video-lessons-made-easy/ Tech Discussed in This Episode • Edpu...

Episode 100 is here! I have had a lot of ideas spinning around about the topic for Episode 100 and had to go with one that was very important to me. Girls and STEM! Highlighting STEM/STEAM topics and how many awesome women are in these fields is so important for young girls. So this week, I gathered a few of my favorite girls & STEM resources to share with you! View the post: https://smartinwi...

All-in-one tech tools are so helpful when you want to add choice into your classroom but not have to use a million different websites. This week, we have a tool that allows flexibility and organization all in one place! Whimsical.com gives you a workspace that has a large variety of tools where you can lay out ideas, collaborate and share with others. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/099-a-whi...

Google Earth is more than just a map that comes to life! It is one of my go-to tools for interaction and discussion in my classroom. There are so many awesome features that I have to just talk about them all! On this week's episode, we do some exploring of Google Earth, and Earth itself. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/what-on-google-earth Tech Discussed in This Episode • Google Earth ( https...

We like to Blooket, Blooket! You like to... Blooket! This week we are highlighting all of the awesomeness that is Blooket! We have chatted a little about this site on episode 82 but I felt like we needed to spend a little more time on it! Everyone that engages in Blooket loves to play and it is such a great learning tool! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/097-engaging-students-with-blooket Tech...

We are back! It's Season 4 of the Tech Tools for Teachers Podcast and it is so exciting to be starting a new school year! This year, we are going to do a few different things with the podcast and we are ACTUALLY going to focus on only 1 or 2 tech tools each week! Then we will be adding a quick video to each episodes webpage so you can see how all of these fantastic tools work! Slides Mania is our...

It's mid summer and just about the time when all of those school supplies sales start kicking in. I know I still get excited about new pens and stickers, but I also try to start planning leisurely (if that is possible) for the new school year. So I thought our mid-summer check in would be something you can explore a bit this summer and then share with your students in the fall. We are talking abou...

Summer is around the corner and it's almost time for a break! Part 2 of our Summer Support series is focused on our 6-12 kiddos. They are ready to mooooove on up to the next adventure so here are a few easy ways to support their learning over the summer. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/summer-support-for-students-part-2 Tech Discussed in This Episode • VocabTest.com • PBS Learning Media • DIY...

Looking to share some fun summer learning ideas with your students? We have you covered! Many families ask about ways to continue learning over the summer and this week we have sites for our K-5 kiddos that will keep them engaged on those rainy summer days! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/093-summer-support-for-students-part-1 Tech Discussed in This Episode • Geocaching.com • Rockalingua • St...

Odds are that your school year is winding down. Every day certainly feels like a game of chance, so why not play!? This week, we are all over some math sites that have great probability & statistics activities along with other math support. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/092-probability-and-statistics-fun Tech Discussed in This Episode • Transum Math • PBS Learning Media • Free Learning...

Readers unite! This week we are highlighting a few tools to support readers in your classroom. We have lots of resources and fun ways to interact with other students! Let's get reading! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/091-reading-resources-for-teachers-and-parents Tech Discussed in This Episode • CommonLit • Biblionasium • AdLit Find all of the tools we've discussed in the EdTech Directory: h...

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Even if you do not teach science on a regular basis, The Biology Corner and Top Crop are two really fun sites to explore. They're really easy-to-use and will save you time in the classroom! Thanks for listening! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/090-rainy-day-science-tools Tech Discussed in This Episode • The Biology Corner • Top Crop Find all of the tools we've...

This mini episode features a few of the cool resources connected with the Smithsonian. There are two resources we are focused on that are great classroom tools. Check them out! View the post: https://smartinwi.com/089-a-day-at-the-museum Tech Discussed in This Episode • Smithsonian Magazine • Smithsonian Learning Lab Find all of the tools we've discussed in the EdTech Directory: https://smartinwi....

It's Chrome Experiment time! I love Chrome Experiments! They are always fun, easy-to-navigate sites that are perfect to set up inquiry projects for students. They let you explore something you may not know a ton about, play around and then you want to know more! So this week, we are having a little fun exploring some experiments. View the post: https://smartinwi.com/088-fun-with-chrome-experiments...