Tracey's Tools to Try
Highlighting cool tools to try next week
March 27, 2014
This Week's Focus
For the first edition, I have chosen three great resources that help you evaluate and select cool tools. Sometimes it feels like our toolbox is overflowing and what we really need is to narrow it down. About one-third of teachers spend an hour or more each week searching for educational technology they can use in their classrooms, according to a recent survey. This week's selections will give you reviews from other educators, as well as ideas on how to implement them in your classroom so you can make the most of that search time.
Graphite
Graphite is from Common Sense Media. This site has reviews for every tool it lists, field notes from teachers that explain how they used it in the classroom, and lets you build "boards" à la Pinterest to organize your favorites. All of the sites listed have been rated, reviewed and recommended by teachers. Graphite has archived Webinars called #appyhours that cover a multitudes of favorite tools, letting you watch when you want to learn. Search by Type (Web, app, etc.), Price, Grade, Subject or Common Core Standard. Each review also links to other related products to try. You can register and submit your own Field Notes to share your experiences with the tools. Teachers who submit field notes and commit to writing blog posts can become Graphite Certified Educators.
edshelf
edshelf has many similar features to Graphite. It allows you to build collections of tools related to topics, add your own reviews (not every tool has been reviewed yet), and discuss tools with other educators. edshelf has a more robust categorical search tool so you can find the perfect tool for Mind Mapping, Digital Storybooks or whatever category you need. edshelf also has user-supplied ratings on the Learning Curve, Pedagogical Effectiveness and Student Engagement for each tool. For each tool, there's a video tutorial as well as screenshots and the description of the tool which gives you a really good feel for it, even if there isn't a review posted yet. Like Graphite, it also links to other related tools so you can easily explore the options.
Power My Learning
Power My Learning is run by non-profit CFY. It's targeted to not only teachers, but also students and parents. The cool thing about Power My Learning is that it includes online interactives, games, videos and simulations. The focus is less on tools, and more on content-specific resources. The activities were chosen and curated by educators, and are tied to Common Core standards. You (and students) can search by grade level, subject matter, platform (web, flash, etc.), and standards. Teachers can designate learning activities for students via "playlists", who then earn "power" in a gamified version of personalized learning. With an educator account, you have a dashboard that lets you track student activities and their "Playpoints".
Teachers, Meet Graphite
edshelf General Overview
CFY and PowerMyLearning - Powering a New Generation of Learning
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Tracey Waid
I am the Instructional Technology Facilitator for Mooresville High School in Mooresville, NC.
Email: traceywaid@mgsd.k12.nc.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/mgsd.k12.nc.us/tracey-waid/
Location: 659 East Center Avenue, Mooresville, NC, United States
Phone: 704-658-2616
Twitter: @traceywaid