Ibn Battuta (surely you remember him from that high school history class!) was one of the earliest known travel writers. He was a 14th-century Moroccan traveler and scholar who journeyed more than 70,000 miles across North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond, often traveling with caravans that connected people, cultures, and ideas. I find a connection with Battuta because, like the travelers of a caravan, I entered a new cultural landscape ready to learn, listen, and share what I discovered with others. My Fulbright journey became another leg of that caravan, one that I now bring home to my students and fellow teachers. Plus, I love travel writers and I love to write about travel!

Kami This is an extension I use with Google Classroom. It lets you interactively write, draw, type, and add voice comments directly onto PDFs, worksheets, and other digital documents. It is very useful for student collaboration projects.

Google Meets Video conferencing tool that allows students from around the country or around the world to interact with one another. Be sure to seek permissions from both your administration and parents before holding a student-to-student conference. It is also advisable to do a practice run with another class in your school just to get a feel for how to use it.

Google Classroom This is a popular tool that many schools use to let students interact with their class materials both inside and outside of school. It could also be useful if you created a national or even global Google Classroom. Just make sure to check with your technology department to see whether students can join from outside your network.

Generation Global This was mentioned in the "Learn" section of this site, but it also has a "Teacher Dashboard," where you can create and manage classes, book video conferences, access your teaching resources, and enroll in professional development.

Padlet A great collaboration tool to use with students in your classes. This could also be use with students around the country or world. You can use it like a digital bulletin board where students can post notes, documents, images, videos, links, and audio recordings simultaneously.

Google Maps I am a bit of a geography geek, so I had to include this. It's more than just looking up directions. You can draw historical borders, plot important places, or trace exploration routes for your history class. Plus, multiple students can work on a single shared map via Google Drive to add notes and images! Every subject area can find a use for Google Maps!

TEDEd My students love the talks and videos from TEDEd. You can present videos focusing on global goals, climate change, or cultural diversity, and pair them with quizzes, discussions, or follow-up lessons. You can also easily share your lesson links with partner classrooms abroad, allowing students to share their localized perspectives inside a discussion forum. Just make sure to check with administrators and parents first.