Do you tend to have A LOT of tabs open at one time? That seems to be a common occurrence for me as well. It can be a lot to manage; however, the Tab Manager Plus for Chrome can be a good solution for managing all of those open tabs.
Why I Like Tab Manager Plus
First, this Chrome Extension has a simple interface, giving you a visual icon summary of all open browser tabs and windows on your screen. Need to quickly find an open tab? Just look, and you will find it!
Secondly, it gives you tools for opening new tabs, minimizing, and closing all of your tabs at once. In other words, you can control your browser experience from the Chrome extension window.
Finally, you can use several other helpful features to search, organize, and quickly find the information you need. One of my favorite features is the ability to pin a browser tab to make it easier to locate.
Conclusion
Managing resources is an essential executive functioning skill for adults and students alike. Being productive begins with understanding how to manage and utilize resources more effectively. Tab Manager Plus provides an easy-to-use interface, which can help support the development of this skill in children and adults!
When I think of the lessons we learned from remote learning, I think about how much mathematics instruction had to adapt to the changing needs of students. In other words, we couldn't do things the way we had always done them. We had to change! As we start the journey towards post-COVID, there are many lessons that we can take and infuse into our classrooms.
Montejo-Gámez et al. (2022) proposed several best practices for teaching mathematics during remote learning, such as:
Connect real-world issues (i.e. COVID stats, lockdown numbers, etc.) with math concepts to take a "meaningful mathematics," approach.
Blend synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
Emphasize modeling, student interests, and hands-on activities.
It made me think about how important virtual manipulatives are for modeling math concepts and providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. Here are six great tools for providing students with hands-on learning opportunities for math!
#1 - Didax
Didax has approximately 19 different pre-created virtual manipulatives for teaching math, such as ten-frames, number lines, fraction tiles, and more!
I love using the Unifix Cubes and Base-Ten Blocks for counting activities, adding, subtracting, and division. It's easy to use and can be used on any device. Simply share the link to the activity on Google Classroom or your favorite LMS.
# 2 - Classkick
Classkick is an awesome tool for creating your own customized virtual manipulatives for the math classroom. Although it sounds intimidating, it is very easy to create!
Classkick has some amazing pre-made Venn diagram and t-chart backgrounds that you can choose from; however, you can also add your own customized backgrounds or graphic organizers.
Creating your own virtual manipulatives is very easy. First, you will need to have an already created PDF, JPG, or PNG file available with your objects. I would recommend using Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Google Drawings to create your graphic. Make sure that you save it as a PDF, PNG, or JPG!
Toy Theatre is a great place to get virtual manipulatives and resources for a variety of subject areas geared towards the elementary classroom. If you are teaching virtually, Toy Theatre could provide a variety of math learning options to help students learn multiplication and division, alphabetical order, symmetry, and more!
Mathigon is a very helpful virtual manipulative tool that you can use to make math more engaging and exciting! It contains free tools, games, activities, and resources for all students to use! Not only can you use the activities, but you can assign assignments to your students directly from Mathigon or import your students from Google Classroom.
A great site to help our visual learners connect with Mathematical concepts is called the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. Whether you are an elementary teacher who wants your students to understand measurement, a middle school teacher who wants your students to understand basic algebra, or a high school teacher who wants your students to understand geometry, this site is a great tool to connect your visual learners with mathematical concepts.
I really enjoyed trying out the Algebra Basic Scales game, where you solve "X" by using a weighing scale. It's a great way for students to learn in a visual way! It is overwhelming to see how many games are available for students to learn!
#6 - Google Slides
Did you know that you could use Google Slides as a tool for virtual manipulatives? I was recently in a 4th-grade classroom, where we wanted to help students understand how to convert units of measurement like ounces to pounds and pounds to tons.
We developed the following Google Slides presentation to help students. Students are asked to guess how many ounces are in a pound, then they are asked to drag the one-ounce boxes into the one-pound container. When they are finished, they will record their answer in the answer box.
I am a big fan of Eduprotocols. If you are not familiar with this innovative and engaging way of infusing technology and pedagogy together, then I recommend that you check out the Eduprotocols website.
Eduprotocols are
UDL-friendly and provide accessible and flexible options for ALL students!
The Iron Chef Eduprotocol is a lot of fun because it provides students with an opportunity to research and collaborate on a slideshow. Students are assigned a slide and have ten minutes to complete it. They have ten minutes to add facts from a text, video, or website, as well as an image and "special" ingredient. The special ingredient is what makes this item "special" in comparison to the other items discussed in the presentation. At the end of ten minutes, students will present their findings to the class!
If you want to read more about this protocol, click here.
I created a very basic version of the protocol using the three branches of the US government. Each student is assigned a slide containing a branch and a resource that I would like them to explore. Here is an example of how each slide is organized. You will notice that I included at least one hyperlink for students to explore. This is a helpful scaffold to ensure that students will meet the 10 minute time period.
I added my own "spin" to this Eduprotocol. If students have time, they will complete the final slide, which shares one commonality, one difference, and one purpose for each branch. This portion of the activity is a great way for students to synthesize information and understand the relationships between each item.
Google Sites is a great tool for creating websites, but how can you make it more visually stimulating to your audience? One way is to create visual icons like you see below.
Why Customize Your Site?
Customizing your Google Site meets the needs of your audience. Visual icons make it easy to navigate, understand, and engage with your site. For example, perhaps you want to increase engagement with your Bitmoji or make it easier to navigate with colorful icons.
How often do you use a timer in the classroom, at home, or somewhere else?
I use my timer all of the time to keep track of time and stay focused. For instance, I often set a time limit for myself to complete a certain task. For example, if I know that I cannot complete a project in one sitting, I might set a timer for 30 minutes. Setting the timer actually helps me work harder and stay focused!
In a similar way, timers are extremely useful for helping our students with self-regulation and managing their time. Setting timers help students stay engaged and focused!
There are a lot of great free products out there that help with managing time; however, I recently came across Time Timer, which offers a free iOS, Android, and Apple Watch application. There is a paid Mac and Windows application too.
Why do I like it?
It's visual interface is easy to use and understand. It's visual nature makes it easy to understand how much time remains.
Setting the timer can be done by touch or using controls, much like the timer on most phones.
You can easily set, save, and reuse multiple alarms! For example, I love creating a 5 minute timer for email, 15 minute timer for reading, and a 30 minute timer for working on projects. I can save the timers and reuse anytime I need them!
Unfortunately, there is currently not an option for Chromebook users. Hopefully the tool will develop something for students with Chromebooks!
Tis' the season for parent teacher conferences and other meetings that may require creating a Google Form with limited choices. Choice Eliminator 2 might be a great option to create a Form with limits!
Games are a great way to provide students with valuable practice or assess their understanding of content. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right tool for elementary students in particular. I found a great free resource called Tiny Tap for students in elementary school to practice a variety of skills in math, language arts, social studies, science, and more. If you have ESL students, this could be a great resource too!
I like it for several reasons because it provides accessible ways to access content through video, audio, and hands on activities. Secondly, it provides you with an easy way to share activities with students via Google Classroom, your LMS, or assigning it through Tiny Tap. Finally, it is easy for students to understand and navigate. You can embed audio instructions as a way to help students with understanding directions.
Whether you want to create your own game or use an existing game, it is a great tool to use in your classroom!
Want to see it in action? Check out my video below:
I have been spending a lot of time working with elementary teachers on infusing technology into a new ELA curriculum. It has been a valuable experience because I have learned so much about how students use language to communicate.
Writing is an essential skill that all students need to master; however, many of our students struggle with the structure associated with writing. Have you ever considered using Google Slides to provide students with the scaffolds and supports they need to construct a writing piece?
I recently developed the following Writing Prompt template in Google Slides for students in our elementary school; however, this could easily be adapted for use in secondary classrooms. Students read a writing prompt, brainstorm ideas, and then construct their paragraph - all in one place.
First, students read the writing prompt. We have found that many of our students struggle with some of the vocabulary terms in writing prompts, so we added an opportunity for students to dig deeper into what a specific term means. This helps our students overcome the "vocabulary gap" which may prevent them from fully understanding the prompt.
Then, students begin brainstorming their response. Brain research tells us that students often need to use their senses and different representations and media to formulate understanding. The following section provides students with a structured way to begin brainstorming about their topic.
Finally, students use Google Slides to construct their writing response. Students have all of their resources and ideas in one place to begin writing.
BONUS 💡 : Want to practice reading fluency? Perhaps consider using Mote for students to read their responses and embed them into their presentation. Not familiar with Mote? Check out my blog post.
Remote learning has transformed how students participate in class. The shift to virtual environments has introduced students to online skills, such as using Google Classroom to foster online discussion. Although some may consider online discussion self-explanatory, many students need structure to successfully master this skill.
Building skills for effective online discussion begins with helping students understand my expectations and the structure to complete the assignment successfully. Therefore, I have developed the following Google Classroom Discussion Organization tool to help students:
Brainstorm ideas
Write an effective response
Edit their responses
Respond to classmates
Tip: It might be helpful to share an individual copy of this document with each student so that they can edit, add text, and check off each box on the checklist!
First, students begin with copying and pasting the discussion question in the document. Then, students brainstorm their ideas, based on what they know or their thoughts. I like to emphasize that this does not have to be in order! Plus, it might be helpful for students to use tools like Voice Typing to get their thoughts on paper.
Writing Response
Next, students begin writing their responses. When students are finished, they have a checklist to ensure that they have followed instructions, checked their grammar and spelling, and completed the assignment to the best of their ability.
Responses to Classmate
Finally, I have found that students need a framework for responding to classmates. I enjoy using the TAG framework, which I originally found in a Seesaw webinar. You can read more here. Students tell what they liked, ask a question, and give a suggestion.
Conclusion
Online communication is quickly becoming an important workplace skill, as electronic communication increasingly becomes a staple in face-to-face and virtual environments. Therefore, it is important to prepare our students to organize their thoughts through electronic discussion. Providing students with a framework and expectations for electronic communication is an important skill we can all use to prepare our students for success inside the classroom and in the future workforce.
Mathigon is a very helpful virtual manipulative tool that you can use to make math more engaging and exciting! It contains free tools, games, activities, and resources for all students to use! Not only can you use the activities, but you can assign assignments to your students directly from Mathigon or import your students from Google Classroom.
Here is a quick 4-minute tutorial to learn more about the Polypad feature!
Are you looking keep yourself organized, take notes, upload documents, bookmark key resources and add notes to them, develop and utilize note templates, and manage a to-do list all in one place? I recently came across a free tool called Notion, which is an amazing workspace tool that can be used across any device.
You may see some of these features in some tools like OneNote, Evernote, Apple Notes, etc.; however, very rarely can you find them all in one place! Notion has solved the dilemma of many educators and business professionals across the globe.
Not only is this a great tool for adults, but it can be a helpful way for older students to reflect, take notes, gather resources, collaborate with classmates, and more.
Want to see how this works? Check out my tutorial below:
Anchor Charts are a helpful strategy that you can use to reinforce learning, independence, and problem-solving skills in the classroom. Have you ever used Anchor Charts? Check out my Wakelet below for more information and strategies.
What are the Benefits?
There are many different benefits to Anchor Charts in any classroom.
First, Anchor Charts are used to increase student engagement. One helpful strategy is to develop a chart as an entire class because students will feel more a part of the learning process.
Secondly, Anchor Charts, when designed with variability in mind, provide options for representing content differently. For instance, it may be helpful to include graphics, colorful text, and examples to help students connect with the content.
Finally, Anchor Charts are an excellent self-regulation tool that can help reinforce classroom procedures and help students solve problems. For instance, students who have difficulty understanding a text can revisit an anchor chart containing reading comprehension tips and strategies.
Can I Make Digital Anchor Charts?
Absolutely! Although typically created with chart paper and markers, you can use a variety of tools to make electronic anchor charts, such as:
One of my favorite tools to use is Wakelet because I can add PDFs, images, and text all in one place. Plus, I can share this on my Google Classroom for my students to reference inside and outside of the classroom. In fact, check out my Wakelet below for more ideas and resources for creating your own Anchor Charts!
Do you use Anchor Charts? I'd love to hear more about how you use them! Please leave a comment below.
With the beginning of school upon us, you might want to create a custom Google Classroom header. If you upload a traditional picture, you might get this.
Instead, you might want to use Google Slides to design a slide that everyone can see. See my example below.
How do you do it?
1. Open up Google Slides
2. Visit File Menu > Page Setup > Custom > Pixels and make the dimensions 1600 x 400
3. Add your pictures and design your header!
4. Visit File Menu > Download > download your current slide as a JPG or PNG
5. Upload to Google Classroom
Want to see a video on how to do this? Check out my video below to see this in action!
Reading protocols are great tools for analyzing and dissecting a text. One of my favorite protocols is known as the Four A's protocol because it helps provide students with a framework for constructing and composing their ideas through the graduated levels of supports offered by the protocol.
Adding a tool like Mote and Google Slides can create dynamic discussion through audio comments.
Then, students will use the following Google Slides presentation template and Mote to record their comments. Students can work individually or collaboratively on this assignment.
The Four A's Protocol
The Four A's protocol is quite simple and requires students to analyze the text through the following lenses:
• What Assumptions does the author of the text hold?
• What do you Agree with in the text?
• What do you want to Argue with in the text?
• What parts of the text do you want to Aspire to (or Act upon)?
Finally, students place their recordings in the proper section of the Google Slides presentation.
Conclusion
Whether students are face-to-face or in a virtual setting, this modification to the Four A's protocol will create engaging conversation and powerful analysis! If you are interested in learning more about this protocol, I would recommend checking out this awesome article by the School Reform Initiative.
In the past, I have written about the importance of vocabulary instruction in all grades because the achievement gap is largely attributed to a vocabulary gap. Therefore, strategies like word walls are effective tools for providing students with important visual representations to encourage the use of vocabulary in the classroom, in assignments, etc.
Neuroscience is showing us that students need multiple representations of vocabulary terms in order to best understand the word's meaning. Adding tools like video and audio can enhance how students comprehend vocabulary. Mote is an audio recording tool that can be used to add audio explanations of vocabulary terms.
Word walls can be created in a variety of different ways. For instance, teachers can generate a word wall for the entire class based on vocabulary terms within a unit, chapter, story, etc. Students could create their own individual word wall for an assignment or collaborate on a word wall for the entire class.
The following templates use Google Slides to provide an area for the term, picture to describe, and a 30-second Mote recording. Mote can be used as a tool to say and define the word. Additionally, users may want to consider using Mote to share examples of the term.
Student choice and autonomy is an important aspect of learning, especially in vocabulary instruction. A choice board is an effective strategy for supporting vocabulary instruction. I recently developed the following Vocabulary Choice board for Google Slides.
As students complete each task, they will drag the red "X" on top of the task completed. There is an additional slide they can see and mark off vocabulary terms used.
Next, students are required to complete a Frayer Model for one vocabulary term on slide number 5. When students are finished, they will have the choice to complete any two tasks on the choice board to make a tic tac toe!
Conclusion
Do you like what you see? Click here for your own copy. Feel free to leave comments below on other tasks that you like students to complete for vocabulary practice.
