Apps and Tools

Any post detailing an app or other tool which can be used with students to enhance classroom practice.

Using Logitech Crayons to Enhance Your Teaching

Have you heard a bit about Logitech crayons, but are not sure what they are, how they work, or how you might use them in the classroom? Below is a quick guide on how to use your Logitech crayon, and also how to bring it into your classroom for maximum impact. What is a Logitech Crayon? Logitech Crayon is a digital pencil designed to help students express their creativity and complete assignments in new ways. It has an easy-to-grip shape that keeps the pencil from rolling off the desk, a long-lasting battery that provides up to 8 hours of charge...

Introducing FigJam!

Have you heard the (pretty old but might be new to you) news? Google is waiving bye-bye to Jamboard, as of October 2024. So what do we do now? I want to introduce you to FigJam.  FigWhat? FigJam is a great alternative to Jamboard, and may actually be a superior platform. Allowing FigMa to introduce itself: “FigJam is an online whiteboard where possibilities turn into plans. Teachers can facilitate collaborative group learning while encouraging active participation from students. It’s best suited for classroom discussions, brainstorms, and group work.” FigJam Education Be sure to get verified for FigJam Education. This will help you...

The Best Productivity Tool for Your Team

We’re big fans of being as productive as possible in our work. If you’re able to work efficiently, you can put more energy into the why of what you’re doing, not the how. In any organization, figuring when and how to meet with other people can often become an overwhelming task, especially if you’re trying to pull a large group together. In this post, we’ll explain why the calendar is the best productivity tool for any team or organization. We’re a Google district, so our examples will be from Google Calendar, but just about every platform has the same tools...

The Basics of ChatGPT in Simple Language

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are nearly unavoidable now – and we’ve mentioned them more than once in stuff we’ve published. We want to make sure that we’re talking about what these tools are and not just how you can use them in the classroom. I’m hoping this post can be a resource for you, dear reader, to help you make informed decisions about how – or even if – you want to start using AI in your work. Listen instead Holly and Brian recorded the content of this blog post as a podcast. If you’d prefer to listen to the...

Wait, you mean you’re not using these ✨amazing✨ iPad features yet?

The iPad has some awesome features you may didn’t know even existed! Annotating within safari reader, powerful accessibility features, Apple Classroom hidden features, the split screen superpower, and upgrading your home screen with widgets.

3 Quick & Easy Podcasting Activities using Flip

Podcasting is increasingly becoming popular for all ages due to the ease and free approach of access. It’s not surprising there are podcasts for every topic under the sun. Flip makes it easy to provide opportunities for students to record, edit, share, and listen to their classmates.

The top three Epic features that I didn’t utilize when teaching and should have.

We talk about accessible learning in our department possibly daily. It comes up in almost every conversation we have. Despite this, the one thing we’ve never said about accessible learning is that it’s easy because frankly, it isn’t. Ensuring that all of your students, regardless of ability and language, have the same level of access to content is a huge challenge for a teacher. One free tool for teachers that can help to bridge that gap is Epic.  Epic is a freemium tool (keep an eye out for the “🔒Unlimited” books that are not available with the free account) that...

February is Digital Learning Month

Did you know that February is Digital Learning Month? We have some fun choice boards with helpful links and resources for you to use to help you become a Digital Learning Superstar! ⭐️✨ 🍎 Elkhart Teachers: Choose 5 of the options and send us your pictures to be entered into our giveaway! Just click on the image and it will open in a new tab so you can use the links. 👇🔗 Elementary Teachers Secondary Teachers Elementary Administrators Secondary Administrators

Keep Kids Begging to Learn: Using Blooket as a Formative Check

Need a fun way to do a quick formative assessment? Try out Blooket as a fun way to check what your students know in the moment! Blooket is a game-based, freemium program (meaning you can pay for premium, but the free version is still amazing) that keeps kids begging to play “one more round!”  How to start a Blooket: Create or Discover a Set When looking to start with Blooket, you first need to decide if you want to create your own set or discover a set that has already been created. I recommend taking a peek at already created...

Quick Videos with Apple Clips

Videos don’t need to be full-blown edited masterpieces. We have a great app on all iPads called Clips which allows you to string together video segments to make short movies. The added bonus is that there are pre-made animations and annotations students can use to spruce up the video even more. 🍎 Elkhart Teachers: Find the App on your Self-service app If you’ve never tried the app or seen a video, here’s an example: Why not use iMovie? The main benefit of Clips is that the videos are easy. You don’t fuss with a timeline-based editor to make changes. You...

January Tech Treasures

I have curated some fun and engaging activities that you can do with your students in this cold and dreary month. Also If you haven’t heard we have started a podcast!

How to Use IXL Without an Account

Even without an IXL paid account, you can still support students while they’re using IXL. Use the resources below and make sure to check out the videos linked at the bottom of the page!

“Ready To Go” Student Directions for IXL

We have made assignments that you can import into your canvas or seesaw class that helps guide students through IXL. We also made a Youtube video (Scroll all the way down) specifically for students to help navigate finding assigned skills & the resources / tools they have available to them.