Best EdTech Links from April 2019

By Eric Curts
published

Illustration: Best EdTech Links from April 2019

Each month I come across lots of interesting educational technology resources from the blogs I read, podcasts I listen to, videos I watch, or trainings I attend.

As I find these valuable resources I collect them in several ongoing Google Documents for different subject areas including: 

These documents are shared with comment rights so everyone is allowed and encouraged to add your own suggestions for links to include.

At the end of each month I like to share my collected resources from that month. See below for the links from April 2019, organized by subject. You will also find my video and podcast episode where I highlight a handful of my favorites from the list. 

Resources

Podcast Version: (Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (opens in new tab), Google Podcasts (opens in new tab), or your favorite podcast tool (opens in new tab).) 

Video Version: (subscribe on YouTube (opens in new tab))  

ELA / ELL / Languages

  • Novel Effect - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Read aloud from your favorite kids books and Novel Effect will follow along and play music and sound effects, customized for every story.
  • WordWanderer - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Interactive word cloud generator with drag and drop features to compare and explore word relationships
  • Tech to Support ELL - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - A collection of online tools and resources to help support vocabulary and literacy skills for ELL students (or any student)
  • Word Hippo - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Online site that students can use to find definitions, synonyms, antonyms, translations, and more for words.
  • The Most Dangerous Writing App - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Website that forces you to write continuously for a set number of minutes, and will delete what you write if you stop for more than 5 seconds.
  • ELL Blogs - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - A collection of the best blogs for sharing resources for teaching English Language Learners
  • Classtools SMS Generator - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free tool that can be used to create text message exchanges between fictional and historical characters. 

Math

  • Desmos Pet House - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Interactive Desmos activity where students learn about graphing, slope, and linear relationships
  • GeoGebra 3D Graphing Calculator - Android Link (opens in new tab), iOS Link (opens in new tab) - Graph 3D functions and surfaces, create geometric constructions in 3D, save and share your results. With Augmented Reality enabled, you can place math objects on any surface and walk around them.
  • Solving Equations HyperDoc - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Interactive lesson to review, explore, and extend student understanding of solving equations
  • Far Side Expansion - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Fun math activity addressing scale and proportions, where students collaboratively create an enlarged version of a comic strip
  • Google Dataset Search - Resource Link (opens in new tab), Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Search tool to help users find publicly available datasets on a wide range of topics, which can be viewed and downloaded for analysis.
  • Braingenie - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free site from CK-12 to learn, practice, and quiz yourself on over 5,000 skills in math and science for elementary through high school students 

Science and STEM

  • Science Experiment Channels - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Collection of YouTube videos and channels that focus on science experiments and STEM activities.
  • The Pack - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free open-world game for PC and Mac, that lets students explore STEM subjects of environmental awareness and computational thinking.
  • Global Temperature Anomalies - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Interactive 3D climate change map showing temperatures around the world above or below the long-term average temperature for every year since 1950.
  • Science Media Resources - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Large collection of excellent YouTube channels, podcasts, and websites with media resources for Science education.
  • Google Dataset Search - Resource Link (opens in new tab), Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Search tool to help users find publicly available datasets on a wide range of topics, which can be viewed and downloaded for analysis.
  • Braingenie - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free site from CK-12 to learn, practice, and quiz yourself on over 5,000 skills in math and science for elementary through high school students.
  • Google Earth Engine Timelapse - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Satellite photos from the last 35 years show time lapse changes for any location around the world. Updated with new interface and more years of data. 

Social Studies

  • Economics Comics - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Downloadable digital comic books for teachers to use in their social studies and economics lessons.
  • Google Dataset Search - Resource Link (opens in new tab), Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Search tool to help users find publicly available datasets on a wide range of topics, which can be viewed and downloaded for analysis.
  • Global Temperature Anomalies - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Interactive 3D climate change map showing temperatures around the world above or below the long-term average temperature for every year since 1950.
  • Classtools SMS Generator - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free tool that can be used to create text message exchanges between fictional and historical characters.
  • Google Earth Engine Timelapse - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Satellite photos from the last 35 years show time lapse changes for any location around the world. Updated with new interface and more years of data. 

General

  • ClassKick - Resource Link (opens in new tab), Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Free web tool that allows ease of use, activities with manipulative movement, instant feedback, audio comments, peer interaction, and more.
  • Gzaas - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Quickly share a full-screen message with your class, with multiple text styles to choose from.
  • Photos for Class - Resource Link (opens in new tab), Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Great site for school-safe, free images including proper citations for student projects
  • Word Cloud Tools - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - A collection of seven online tools for creating word clouds, with directions for using each one.
  • Random Student Selector - Resource Link (opens in new tab) - Creative use of Google Slides to make a random student selector 

cross posted at www.controlaltachieve.com

Eric Curts is an education trainer and consultant with over 20 years' experience throughout the U.S. He is an authorized Google Education Trainer   and a Google Certified Innovator. Read his blog at www.controlaltachieve.com and follow him on Google+ and @ericcurts on Twitter.

Eric Curts