Canva: A Presentation Tool for All!

The first thing I want to say is that educators can get a FREE subscription. It is rare that educators get anything for free, especially an amazing tech tool such as Canva.

And here's the thing. You don't get some watered down version of Canva for free, you get PRO features. You can use these features to "create lessons, learning materials, and activities in minutes." I used what they said on the site, but being an avid user myself, I can say that this is in fact, a true statement.

Why Canva?

I can't even go into all the ways you can use Canva in your classroom. My goal is to get you to check it out out, and play around with it yourself.

I love that I was able to set up a classroom where their work is shared with me. I can review it, and leave feedback, and/or return if something needs to be edited. I can also create assignments for them.

I love to use it myself for a variety of things, but I love to use it with my students because it is so easy for them to use. The other day, I told my students that they could use Canva to create Christmas cards for their family. 

Christmas card

They came up with the most beautiful cards, choosing from the multitude of Christmas Card templates Canva has to offer. One of my students even taught me how to add audio to the card.

I then shared the cards with their families on Classdojo, using the link provided by Canva.(On this card, the characters are actually animated.) My parents were so touched by their cards.

We also created book covers when we were working on a narrative fiction unit. Check out the
example.

At the beginning of the year, I had my kiddos create posters showing how they feel about Math.

"What is Math?" poster

The templates make it sooooo easy! I can't wait until I introduce presentations using video. I am excited to see what my students do with that.

If you only use one tool for presenting this year, choose Canva!

Quizlet Checkpoint

Raise your hand if you use Quizlet.

Now raise your hand if you use Quizlet Live.

Well, have you heard about Quizlet Checkpoint?

It is described as a quick and fun formative assessment, and I think that is a pretty good description.

Yes, there are already a lot of  interactive formative assessments out there, but I don't see anything wrong with adding another to the mix.

And, my students really enjoy it!

I love when they start counting...5,4,3,2,1....  

You have to play to know what I mean.You select the terms you want to use, and it takes you to a format just like Quizlet live. The kids already know how to sign in, so that makes it easy. You have to have at least 2 students in order to play.

I like that I can copy the link because I have been hybrid the last few days, so I just popped the link into the ZOOM chat and my ZOOM kiddos are in the game!

The students can use the same devices they use for Quizlet Live. When they post their answer, they get encouraging terms, like "You're doing great" if they get it right or "Try this one later." if it is incorrect. After all the students have selected an answer,  it shows the results, (no names).

At the end of the round the teacher gets a Class Summary, top scorers, and the breakdown of the answers that were chosen.(That was me trying to play on my phone and other profile. Didn't work out well.:)

And what I really like is that the students get their score, results, and a review of questions. They can choose from "All questions" or "Missed questions."

Yes, I know there are already a slew of formative assessments out there, but if you are looking for a change, try Checkpoint!

Ziplet:Exit Tickets Made Easy!

Two things are important to me in my classroom.

Finding out how my students are feeling.

Finding out how they are doing with the content.

There are A LOT of edtech tools that provide this information but I have fallen in love with Ziplet.

What do I love about Ziplet?

*No Student Logins are required. NONE. The students access the site and use the GO Pin. I have posted the GO Pin in my room so that the students can access it easily.

*They have ready made questions OR I can write my own. But you know those ready made questions are it. 

*I can set it up in no time. Write the question, or use one of their Template questions.

Pick a format for how you want the students to answer and BAM! You are done.

*Students can respond anonymously. I don't always have to know who said what.

*My questions are saved. I just close them and I can use them again if I need them. Click "Ask again" and it is the same question, fresh start.

*My students love it!

I don't know why they added, "Exit Tickets Made Easy", because it is so much more than that. Give it a try!

Creating a BackChannel or Exit Ticket on Google Docs!

We are a Google Education school, so when I saw this, I was excited!

Giving our students the tools they need to communicate "behind the scenes" is important.

It is also important that we have a quick and easy way to determine what they know.

Check out what Ms. Tolisano has to offer!

photo credit: [phil h] via photopin cc

Narrable: Images with a Voice!

I was really excited when Narrable was introduced. A presentation of images where you are able to add your voice. My mind raced thnking about the number of ways I could implement this tool in my classroom! But my excitement soon turned to disappointment when I realized I would only be allowed 5 Narrable presentations. That didn't sit well with me, and as much as I loved it, I left it alone. Apparently, I was not the only educator with this concern. Fortunately, Narrable founders listened to the feedback from educators, and changed. Yeah!:)

Introducing Narrable for Teachers. If you are an educator, and already have Narrable, you can upgrade. If you never signed up for Narrable, sign up, and then upgrade. Educators have access to unlimited Narrable presentations for FREE! Narrables can be shared using social media, embedded, and emailed.

They are in the process of creating Narrable + EDU, where your students can have accounts, log-ins with no email, collaborate,etc.... This will be a premium version, and will cost $49 a year.

I know there are tons of digital storytelling tools out there, but I think this one is worth a look! (The example above was embedded from the Narrable website.)

Phrase.it: Speech Bubbles on Photos!

It started with the Teacher Tip of the Week I received in an email from WeAreTeachers.
"Add speech bubbles to famous paintings or photographs as a thinking/writing prompt!"

That link led me to Pinterest where there was a picture of "When Washington Crossed the Delaware" with speech bubbles on it. How cool! What a great idea to motivate students to think about what is going on in the picture. You could use this in every subject!

Teachers were leaving comments about printing, paper copies, and I'm thinking there must be a way to do this online.
So I Googled it, and sure enough, there it was. A speech bubble site, Phrase.it  mentioned on FreeTech4 Teachers. Very simple to use. I created one of my own using a Civil War photograph. If it's not your own photo, be careful about copyright issues. Everything is free, so donations are welcome!

Phrase.it is a great way to promote critical thinking and writing in any subject!

Infusing Technology into the Common Core Curriculum!

I attended a workshop hosted by Classroom 2.0 LIVE today. I always say I am going to make it to their Saturday workshops, I never do because... it's Saturday. But, I made it today, and after listening to Tia, and just getting a chance to glance at her resources, I am glad I did! Take a look through her "Top 10" Livebinder and see if you can't find something you can use!