Non-Google Tools for Learning

EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle allows educators to take videos that are available on YouTube or videos you create yourself and add self-grading questions, short answer questions or longer more detailed responses. The teacher has a dashboard in EdPuzzle for gathering and scoring long answer questions.

EdPuzzle has an option to push content to Google Classroom so students can quickly access these assignments.

If you are new to using EdPuzzle, use this code for extra tutorial slots on EdPuzzle: https://edpuzzle.com/signup/teacher?rc=el2x5M

Install the EdPuzzle Chrome Extension in order to have quick access when watching videos on YouTube.

Read & Write for Google Chrome Extension

Read & Write for Google is such a powerful tool that our district actually pays for each and every student to have access to it!

Teachers can obtain free access to all the premium features by signing up here.

Teachers should load the Read & Write for Google Chrome Extension if you don't already have it.

Please note that this extension is pushed to ALL students in our district. They will notice it as a purple puzzle piece on their Chrome Toolbar.

The Text Help PDF Reader Chrome Extension is also something that is pushed to ALL students in our district. This allows students to mark up and write on pdf files. While I am not suggesting that we create handouts to type on as an educational technology option, I know that many of the online texts that are being used come with pre-made lessons that are in PDF format. Realistically, students are not going to be able to print these files at home so typing their responses on the digital copy and turning them back in to the teacher is a viable option using the Text Help PDF Reader.

FlipGrid

FlipGrid is a tool that allows educators and students to respond to prompts using a user friendly format that creates a video response to the prompt. The best option when creating a grid is to require students to use their Kearsarge login. This creates a "secure" environment for student responses. Students and educators should still take great care to not mention any location details when posting as a safety measure. This is a non-live format that respects the families that cannot coordinate "real time live" options for participating.

Since this tool was purchased by a new company, all of the premium tools are available to students and to teachers for free. One great option is that students can respond to other video responses (this was not available on the free version before). While responding to videos is not the same as face to face conversations, it is a great social option for remote learning.

Screencastify

Screencastify is one of my favorite tools for learning. Teachers can use Screencastify to create tutorials to demonstrate how to use a tool. Teachers can use Screencastify to further explain an assignment that students are completing at home without the benefit of direct instruction such as in a remote learning environment. Students can use Screencastify to show what they know by explaining their artifact or completed work. Students can use the webcam feature of Screencastify to sing for chorus, play their instrument for band or do a demo of a hands on learning experiment or activity that they are doing for a learning activity.

Padlet

Padlet is a fun tool that allows student voice. Students can include their identity or post anonymously. This gives students a comment on an online sticky note type of platform. They can see what others students have said as well. Teachers can keep these postings contained to just their classrooms for security purposes.

Thinglink

Kearsarge has a district license for Thinglink. If this is a tool you want to use with your students, let either Laurie or Hilary know and we can give you the join code based on YOG (year of graduation) or grade. Here is a sample of a Thinglink using a 360 image. Here is a sample of a regular Thinglink. Basically, student use one image and then "link" a bunch of "things" to the image to tell a story or teach about a topic or to show what they know about something by gathering content about a topic.

Quizlet/Kahoot

Both of these tools allow students to interact with content that a teacher creates.

Clever

Clever is a Single Sign On solution that allows educators to curate resources and share them with their students. Students' login credentials are saved by Clever for many different applications which helps with password management and ease of access for students. Grades 4 and up can login with their Kearsarge accounts. Grades K-3 have Clever badges that they can scan to gain access to all of their learning tools. If you need assistance with setting up your own Clever page for your students, please reach out to Hilary.

Bookcreator

Bookcreator is one of my favorite tools because it is so user friendly. This is a great tool for students in all grades. Elementary students will find this tool really fun to use. Teachers can have a free account that allows them to have 40 books. This works very well for elementary teachers. I have a premium account so if a middle school or high school teacher wants to consider a project for more than 40 students let me know. Teachers create a book shelf and then share the join code with students.

This tool does exactly what it sounds like. It allows students to create a digital book. Students can add images, text, and shapes. They can add audio, which is great for younger learners, so that limited typing or spelling does not intefere in the creative process. There is a comic feature that allows students to create graphic novels.

NOTE: Bookcreator has just offered a 90 day free trial for their "collaborative" feature. This means that students can collaborate on the same book instead of just creating one of their own. This is normally a premium feature.

Zoom

Zoom is another video conferencing tool that is pretty user friendly. Many Kearsarge students have experience using this tool with VLACS. It does require the teacher to download and install the app. Students will be required to download the chrome app. If you invite a student to a Zoom and the student does not have the Chrome app, the student will be prompted to load it from a link given to them so this won't be difficult for older students. Younger students might have difficulty with this if they are attempting to do this for the first time from a home environment.

Zoom sessions can be scheduled in advance and a calendar entry is automatically created. Students can be invited on this calendar entry and be reminded to connect on the correct date and time for a scheduled live session.