Learning Tools
Premium Learning Platforms being used in District
If any of these require individual account access other than @mcmsnj.net domain sign in and you are seeking an account for it please email gallantd@mcmsnj.net and you question will be routed to the correct person to authorize that account. Not all paid software is currently available at every campus.
Key: D - District, EB - East Brunswick, PA - Perth Amboy, PI - Piscataway, E - Edison, W - Woodbridge
EdPuzzle - Our District has a site Pro-License with unlimited video creation and storage of lessons given by our teachers with check-in questions and teacher monitoring of progress.
Implementation Strategies - This is an excellent tool to record mini-lessons on with quick formative checks embedded in the video. While there is an already fairly deep library of videos that can be used, students respond best to their own teacher so custom created material is preferable to increase student engagement.
Place to get started - Resources - Online PD
In Use At - D - Sign in with Google - To register for first time - Click here - If you're previously registered you are already upgraded.
ScreenCastify - Record mini-lessons, instructional guides, tutorials, with this powerful Google Suite enabled tool. Screencastify makes it easy to record, edit, and share videos of your computer screen. Recordings can easily be shared via email, embedding code, YouTube, Google Classroom, and more.
Implementation Strategies - Use it to create your "morning message", or walk through the instructions of an assignment, or put a mini-lesson/lecture up on your Google Classroom. This tool can also be combined with EdPuzzle to even greater effect.
https://www.screencastify.com/
Place to get started - https://www.screencastify.com/courses
In Use At - D - Enable in your Chrome Browser - Live Now - Sign in with @mcmsnj.net email. Get started guide
Pear Deck - Make Pear Deck Slides within Google Slides. But instead of simply presenting informational slides, Pear Deck makes your slides interactive so every student can respond to your questions or prompts right on their own screens. Turn your presentations in learning tools with feedback and student response.
Implementation Strategies - Upgrade your informational presentations to include student feedback slides and get that data right there within your mini-lesson. Ask questions to check for understanding as you are in your presentation. This is a fantastic upgrade to your Google Slides and Powerpoint Online presentations.
Place to get started - Peak Deck Help Center Register for Training Sessions
In Use At - D - You should receive an email from Pear Deck on activating your account
IXL - Math/ELA/Spanish - in some locations. This platform allows teachers to assign self-paced work to support struggling learners. With instant feedback delivered to the students when an incorrect answer is entered students can work towards mastery of many skills.
Implementation Strategies - Excellent tool for reinforcing concepts and taking students from understanding basics to mastery.
Place to get started: https://www.youtube.com/c/IXL/playlists
In Use At - EB & PI - Accounts managed by admin reach out to building admin and Dan Gallant for assistance gallantd@mcmsnj.net.
Delta Math - Similar to IXL but has both a premium and freemium version. This platform allows teachers to assign self-paced work to support struggling learners. With instant feedback delivered to the students when an incorrect answer is entered students can work towards mastery of many skills.
Implementation Strategies - Excellent tool for reinforcing concepts and taking students from understanding basics to mastery.
Place to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5-1xZ9_ss
In Use At - E - Accounts managed by admin reach out to building admin and Dan Gallant for assistance gallantd@mcmsnj.net.
Gizmos - Interactive digital lab environment students can use to explore scientific principles. Teachers create classrooms where students explore such topics as Anatomy, and cellular processes with formative assessment checks.
Implementation Strategies - Excellent tool to leverage when physical labs are not possible whether it be due to feasibility of the lab or that students are learning remotely. They have a great new intro resource call STEM Cases which are canned learning tasks that help with the toughest parts of Biology.
https://www.explorelearning.com/
Place to get started: https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=/cTraining.dspCourseCatalog#intro
In Use At - EB - Accounts managed by admin reach out to building admin and Dan Gallant for assistance gallantd@mcmsnj.net.
Freemium Platforms Used for Learning
NJCTL - The New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning has their entire course curriculum available online for free use to verified teachers that can be utilized in your classrooms. This is a valuable resource both in-person with your students and virtually. Courses are complete with PowerPoint Presentations, worksheets, quizzes, and summative tests. The subjects available are Mathematics, Science, ELA, and Computer Science.
Implementation Strategy - These lesson can be immediately used in hybrid and remote settings.
Register here: https://njctl.org/accounts/register/
Registration typically takes on business day.
Course Launch page: NJCTL Courses
Accounts are managed by NJCTL. Additional software may be needed for SMARTNotebook files. Submit a ticket to Technology Department for assistance if needed here.
Desmos -This platform excels in face-to-face and remote environments. Teachers have collected a variety of ready made activities for many topics and settings. Interactive and discovery math learning activities can be designed here as well as simply found in the library and put right into use within the classroom. There are links attached to some previously curated activity lists by class. Students can create virtual, interactive mathematics notebooks that teach the concept and can be interacted with later for comprehension.
Implementation Strategy - Excellent for discovery learning and for documenting the learning for the student in a virtual environment.
Place to get started: https://learn.desmos.com/
Link to curated list: Google Doc Collection List
Sign in with Google
NearPod - Upload your favorite resources, including slides, videos, and more. Downloading and customizing lessons and videos from a library of 8,500+ already created lesson is quick and easy. Adding media and formative assessments to your lessons is a great way to turn your Slides or PowerPoint presentation into a formative assessment or low-stakes quiz. This platform is flexible across in-class, distance learning, and hybrid learning.
Implementation Strategy - Convert old mini-lesson presentations into interactive activities that are far more engaging.
Place to get started: https://www.youtube.com/user/Nearpod
Sign in with Google
CK-12.org - CK-12 will provide open-source content and technology tools to help teachers provide learning for students in a global world. Free access to high-quality, customizable educational content in multiple modalities suited to multiple student learning styles, levels, resources and use content acceptance will allow teachers, students and others to innovate and experiment with new models and modalities of learning.
Implementation Strategies - This content integrates beautifully with Google Classroom. Teachers can craft assignments that are already aligned to the standards and monitor progress as well as provide feedback. This free platform is also able to be used as a textbook replacement, and is far more adaptable and interactive than most textbooks on the market.
https://www.ck12.org/teacher/#
Place to get started - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhWx3LZhlpsfKhfOMg3kwRNKfGWdwvHnR
Sign in with Google
Padlet - Padlet is an online virtual “bulletin” board, where students and teachers can collaborate, reflect, share links and pictures, in a secure location. Padlet allows users to create a hidden wall with a custom URL. Padlet creators can also moderate posts, remove posts, and manage their board 24/7. Padlet is free and easy to use!
Implementation Strategies - This is a great tool for Group work, exit tickets, sharing student work, current events, online student portfolios and much more.
Place to get started: Padlet for Beginners
New Ed Tech Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC69Sr-OQik
Sign in with Google - The freeware does limit to 3 open padlets so you need to use and close as you go. If you need an alternative due to this here are 5 you could use instead: 5 Alternatives to Padlet
Tips from Mr. Morley using the free version
It's limited to 3. My workaround was pretty simple. After I used it, I when on the home page and ARCHIVED the completed padlet. That freed up one of the three slots.
Occasionally I would combine 2 sections onto the same padlet if I needed to keep one active but not often. You can choose an organizational template that makes it easy to keep the two sections students virtually separated.
Khan Academy - Khan Academy's website aims to provide a personalized learning experience, mainly built on the videos which are hosted on YouTube. The website is meant to be used as a supplement to its videos, because it includes other features such as progress tracking, practice exercises, and teaching tools. The material can also be accessed through mobile applications.
Implementation Strategies - While much of the platforms material is well developed and useful make sure to access the relevancy to your students.
Place to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C90fOhavNvE
Sign in with Google
GeoGebra Classroom - this is new and only just being rolled out. It is a virtual platform through which teachers can. assign interactive and engaging tasks for students. view live updated progress of students working on a specific task. view which tasks students have (or have not) started. ask the entire class questions and see all student answers instantly.
Place to get started: https://www.geogebra.org/m/fa5tndzg
Professional Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yoo2qhQ1FAw
Sign in with Google
Graspable Math - This platform lets you turn static mathematical expressions into dynamic objects! Take abstractions like algebraic concepts and turn them into "hands-on" learning tasks.
Implementation Strategies - A fantastic tool to empower students struggling with abstract algebraic concepts. This tool integrates nicely with the previously mentioned Geogebra Classroom tool.
Place to get started: https://graspablemath.com/learn
Sign in with Google
Newsela - Newsela is an education website focused on building student reading comprehension by providing high-quality news articles and real-time assessments for students in grades 2–12. Newsela now offers extensive Social Studies and Science material!
Implementation Strategies - Share with colleagues, it's meant to be collaborative. Build Text Sets and draft potential exemplar assignments for your colleagues, discuss what you've found in PLC's and integrate it into our curriculum.
Place to get started - Start Guide
In Use At - D - Use this Document to activate your account