Bloom into EdTech: The Blog

Hello! Just a really quick and simple post that I wanted to share. I created the above Google Login Cards for the students at my school from Google Slides. Grab a copy for yourself and edit the information to fit your class needs!  Grab your copy here!

If you haven't noticed by now, I am a huge fan of project-based learning; and anyway you can incorporate an easy-to-use app that is applicable across the board- I. Am. In! Toontastic from Google is one of those tools! And best part of it all it is free! Use this 3D story-based app to have you or your students draw, animate and narrate their way to the top of the class. Equipped with an idea lab to help your students begin the journey or have them create a 3 or 5 part guided story or 5 part science report. Did I mention this was free? I love how the creators at Google prompt their users throughout the story but explaining the different elements in a fun and exciting way. Personally, my children have been glued to my cell phone creating stories on how much I need to go on vacation... I was even able to download it to keep for a future reference! Anyway, any great story always should start with good planning. The last thing you want (or need) is having your students come u...

Math. I have to be the first one to admit that it is not my strong suit. I only could wish that they had math applications like the ones listed below for me as I was growing up. Who knows- maybe I could of been a mathematician? Who am I kidding? My right side of my brain is a little bit more dominant. Anyway- here are some tried and true math games that you can bring into your classroom (or home). Most are free with paid versions. Splash Math - Is a great game based math site for students in grades K-5. With fun, interactive customizable math games, what kid wouldn't want to practice their math facts to improve their score? They also have apps available for free and to purchase in iTunes. Prodigy - I was first introduced to Prodigy at a NYSCATE conference back in 2015. I was handed a flier and spoke to the representative for a matter of 15 minutes. I went back to my hotel that night, logged in and played math (yes, me) for about an hour. I was hooked. Prodigy is grea...

Omigoodness- no way! The moment that I have been waiting for: you can now insert videos from your Google Drive into Google Slides!!! Why is this so exciting?  For starters, say your students spent hours creating a "how to video" or they created a video just in general, and they do not have the ability to have a YouTube Channel, this is a great way to embed their videos into Google Slides! For educators or trainers like myself this is also a great way to share information with your faculty and staff. I often create videos that specifically pertain to my fellow educators at my school. Inserting videos from Google Drive into Google Slides would be a fabulous way for me to create a library of my "in-house" videos for an easy one-stop location. How would you use this new feature?

Roses are red, Violets are blue. Here are some coding sites just for you. Wow. Sorry. I couldn't help it. It's that time of year again. Where we fall head over heels in love. Why not this year- fall in love with coding? Here are some ideas to get you and your students started! From Tynker: On Cloud Nine Create a Valentine's Card From Google's Made w/ Code: Fall in Love with Code From Thinkful: Code a Valentine's Day eCard

Animoto is a great tool to use as an educator. At my school we use it religiously every month to showcase what we have been up to at our school to our families. Animoto can be just as powerful in your classroom as well. Students can use the tool to produce digital stories, explanation videos or powerful presentations. You can use it as a way for your students to create a gift for their families around special occasions such as Christmas, Mother's Day or graduation. I have created a tutorial that I use with my professional developments. Please feel free to use it for yourself by clicking here . Don't forget to check out my Website, Bloom Into EdTech  where I organize all my tutorials in one neat place! How do you use Animoto in your classroom?