Google’s Word Cloud Generator

google word cloudUse Google Doc’s add-on to quickly assess what your emerging theme is, how to best categorize your document, or find out the theme of document without reading it.  Word Clouds can be created manually and be specific or they can be created from a document and be full page images.  Options include choice of palettes, colors, sizes, and even a word count table feature.

Download Word Cloud generator from the Chrome Web Store.  It’s free!

ADA Project – Basic Arithmetic to Calculus

Multimedia Mathematics Question Bank.
Free, easy to use, and no login is required.

The ADA Project is an open multimedia mathematics resource that covers everything from basic arithmetic to calculus. On the ADA Project’s homepage, teachers or students can select a category and then choose a topic. Within each topic, they will find a set of sample problems. Each sample problem is accompanied by a link to reveal the solution, a video that explains the solution, and a link to a discussion forum. The questions and answers can also be printed. Teachers are invited to contribute to the ADA Project’s development by submitting problems, solutions, videos, and discussions. Questions are added daily for all abilities, across a range of topics.

Persuasive Editorial Essay Contest 2018

Write about an issue that matters most to you and include evidence that supports your point of view.

Every school day The New York Times Learning Network invites teenagers to share their opinions about questions on topics from reality television to the justice system, and hundreds post arguments, reflections, and anecdotes to The Learning Network’s Student Opinion feature. Now, for the fifth consecutive year, The Learning Network is inviting students to channel that enthusiasm into something a little more formal: short, evidence-based persuasive essays. Participants simply choose a topic they care about, gather evidence from sources both within and outside The Times, and write a concise editorial (450 words or less) to convince readers of their view. Because editorial writing at newspapers is a collaborative process, students may write their entry as a team effort. They may also choose to write their editorial on their own. The judges will use a rubric (PDF) for selecting winners to publish on The Learning Network’s webpage.

So what issue do you care about? Gun violence? Sexual harassment? Social media? You decide.

Deadline: April 5, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. (ET), for submission of editorial entries

Goose Chase on a Mission

Scavenger hunts… We know what they are all about, but did you know Goose Chase EDU is an educational scavenger hunt designed for 21st century learners?  Participants work in teams (or independently depending on your account type) and solve missions for point values.goose chase edu

Here’s how it works:

  1. Create games from scratch or view and copy hunts curated by other educators.  
  2. Start the competition with participants working in teams with mobile devices.
  3. Track and review progress through the Leaderboard and Activity Feed – keeping participants engaged and giving you realtime insight into progress.

goose chase missions

Gamify a learning experience with mobile technology and a blend of missions for tried and true fun.

Get started today! Educational accounts are free forever.

Goose Chase EDU

Sesame Snap – Assess with Visual Evidence

sesame snap logoSesame Snap is a free app to capture student assessment and record student performance much like the SeeSaw app for digital journaling but with the option for rubrics.

Easily save photos or videos of student work on the go – even without an Internet connection!  Furthermore, record assessments using comments, rubrics, checklists and rating scales with just a few taps. Everything is automatically organized into each student’s portfolio.

You can even grant student access with unique scan codes so they can capture their own work and reflections – without ever having to memorize usernames or passwords.

Student-driven documentation
∙ Create “snaps” with photos, videos, audios, Google Docs, links or PDFs as evidence of learning.
∙ For younger learners, sign in on shared devices with QR codes instead of passwords. Or you can sign in using Google Apps for Education email/password.
∙ Import directly from 100’s of your favourite apps to show off learning in one place.

Instant authentic feedback
∙ Assess with comments, rubric, checklist or score tools that become instantly visible to students.
∙ Build trust and respect with families by inviting them to view updates in each student’s portfolio.
∙ Teachers always have control of who can see what.

Easy tracking and collaboration
∙ Tag local curriculum standards to student artifacts and assessments.
∙ Gradebook export and student portfolio makes report card writing a snap.
∙ Showcase students by their skills rather than test scores.