Today’s students face a technology-infused, innovation-filled world in their future. We’re already looking at the possibility of widespread smart houses, autonomous cars and artificial intelligence that can talk to us and work on our behalf. MORE
Podcasts are learning on the go: in the car, while working out or as you garden. Here are some great ones for educators. Icons via TheNounProject.com) Podcasts are my lifeblood for generating new ideas, processing the ideas I already have and entertainment. MORE
At the same time, being a math teacher puts me in a tough place with the parents and guardians of my students. After all, they’re used to seeing homework sent home with their kids. They grew up with textbook problems when they were kids. MORE
Flashcards on index cards can be useful, but creating them can be a drag. Plus, there’s the trouble of carrying them around. What if students could create flashcards as a CLASS, keeping only the best ones to use for practice? Oh, and what if they added their own IMAGES to those flashcards? MORE
The end of the semester can be full of challenges. But it also creates unique opportunities, too. Here are some ways to seize them. Photo by Eric Rothermel via Unsplash.com)When the semester winds down, it brings its own unique list of challenges. Special programs cut into class time. MORE
243 So … can I come along with you on your commute to school? Or a grocery run? Maybe while you’re working out or gardening? If you let me, I promise I’ll give you some ideas you can use in your classroom. This is what podcasts feel like to me. MORE
Fifth-grade students in Andrew Fenstermaker’s class in Iowa are creating podcasts about what they’re learning — and what ignites their passion. They take a planning sheet and think through the entire process. They create an image to represent their podcast. They plan some episodes. MORE
186 
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re chained to your desk grading papers. It’s getting monotonous, but you feel like you need to do it because it’s important. You hand those papers back to the students, and where do they end up? Yep, the trash. Even if you make them keep that homework in a […]. Teaching effective feedback in the classroom how to make auto-graded quizzes providing digital feedback save time feedback to students MORE
Let students put what you're studying in MOTION. Animation is easy with stop motion Google Slides. Icons via The Noun Project with NounPro account.)For For years (centuries. really, millennia), students have had access to paper. MORE
All student have a voice. Some students share their voice often, some rarely, and some almost never. We want to hear from ALL of our students. But what does encouraging student voice really mean? How do we creatively incorporate ways for students to showcase themselves in our lessons? MORE
Record a video of your screen. Split the screen of your web browser. Block ads. Keep digital sticky notes. Even make your phone ring to end a conversation that’s gone on too long. Google Chrome extensions turn your Chrome web browser into a veritable Swiss Army knife of versatile options. MORE
Almost daily teachers are bombarded with shiny new apps designed for education. It can be enough to make our heads spin. We WANT to use technology that is meaningful and manageable for ourselves and our students. MORE
Learning how to read and annotate text is an important skill all our students need to truly understand stories, articles, and *GULP* textbooks. This is a skill that can be learned over time. The hard reality of the situation, though, is most college level texts are now distributed in PDF or other digital formats for […]. Ed Tech annotating pdfs in class annotating student documents marking up student documents student PDF activities MORE
Getting to the gym. Folding that pile of laundry. Writing a new blog post.Some projects we find easier to get motivated for than others. The same is true for our students, our fellow educators and ourselves in the classroom. Motivation has a powerful impact in education. MORE
Genny Kahlweiss, a teacher in southern California, wanted more for her students … more than she could provide for them. She started digging into resources at SkypeInTheClassroom.com to get her students connected to experts and new places with video calls. MORE
We use tech tools like Kahoot! in the classroom all the time. When we pair them with brain science strategies, they can be even more powerful. Sketch by Matt Miller)Sure, you might think. I use Kahoot! and G Suite and others in the classroom all the time. MORE
Bitmojis are so much fun! They’re these little cartoon character images of yourself that let you express emotions and communicate. I’ve seen educators use them all over the place: in text messages, in emails, in slide presentations, in documents and on social media. MORE
The standard lecture has plenty of detractors, and rightfully so. Done poorly, it can be an uninspired stream of facts, delivered in sit-and-get style that get forgotten quickly. However, we can turn the standard lecture — and its tool of choice, the presentation slide! — on its head. MORE
HyperDocs are are NOT just a doc with links. They are purposefully designed digital lessons and can transform your class. The creators of HyperDocs — Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis — describe them as a transformative, interactive Google Doc replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction, the ultimate change agent in the blended learning […]. MORE
Using homework assignments to give feedback is pokey. Inefficient. Think about the length of the feedback loop for traditional homework assignments: Teacher assigns homework to students. Students take it home (maybe) and work on it (maybe). Students turn it in the next day. MORE
I’m a huge fan of free. I believe in what my teacher friend Mike Soskil says: a teacher’s favorite price is FREE. For years in the classroom, I scoured the Internet for the best free digital tools and web apps. MORE
We have a golden window of time at the beginning of any class. For these first five or ten minutes of class (OK, probably more the five than the ten), we have our students’ most attention. It’s the most focused they’ll likely be for us all day. If we squander that time, the rest of […]. Ed Tech bell ringers edtech educational technology flipgrid formative padlet prior knowledge screencastify MORE
The best thing about Twitter is the community of educators who share freely with others. Aaron Hogan, the author of Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth, wrote that “Twitter is not going to change your life, but the educators you meet there will.” MORE
When the end of the school year is in sight, it’s a time of excitement coupled with the importance of finishing the year STRONG. The end of the year is a time unlike any other. State tests are behind us. Many students are working on big projects or papers. It can be a great time […]. MORE
A teacher sent me a link to a video recently. I think it was probably from Teachers Pay Teachers, and she asked, “How do you make something like this in G Suite?” ” The video showed a document with three columns and a bunch of words at the bottom. MORE
Could you use some practical new ideas for teaching that you can use tomorrow? Want to find ways to save time for what matters most? You’ve come to the right place. I have put together 101 of my best practical ideas to “Ditch That Textbook” in a free 19-page ebook! MORE
We have had students turn in documents, slide presentations and spreadsheets digitally for a long time. We’re comfortable with them. They’re easy to open and (fairly) quick to grade … depending on what’s in them, of course! MORE
Low-prep doesn’t have to mean less learning. Technology allows us to be more efficient and effective in the classroom in many ways. When we focus on sound teaching and learning, we can do high-quality learning in less time — AND take less time to prepare for it! MORE
Part of the reason social media has taken off so much are the connections. Seeing other people’s reaction to what you’ve shared. Learning from others. We can get the same attraction when we do collaborative learning in the classroom. Google Slides makes this possible. MORE
Teaching digital citizenship in a meaningful way can be daunting. These picture books illustrate important concepts beautifully. This post is written by Eleni Kyritsis, a Year 3 teacher and Leader of Digital Learning and Innovation from Melbourne, Australia. She was named the 2017 ACCE Australian Educator of the Year. Find her on Twitter (@misskyritsis) and […]. MORE
Creating stop-motion animation with Google Slides is easy! These tips will help your animations look phenomenal! This post is written by Jake Miller, a tech integration specialist from Ohio. He's a Google for Education Trainer and a self-proclaimed spreadsheet nerd. Find him on Twitter (@JakeMillerTech) and at his blog, jakemiller.net. A note from Matt.I […]. Ed Tech google slides animation stop motion animation google slides stop motion slides MORE
I had a pile of assessments to mark (grade). I knew was going to take the best part of four hours to get done. I seemed to be writing the same comments as feedback: “Use a quotation to support your argument.” ” “Include a religious view as an alternative.” (I MORE
I have been enjoying creating, sharing, and using HyperDocs in my classroom for the past three years now after learning about them during the very first night of the inaugural #DitchBook book study Twitter chat. Ever since then, I have been a diehard shouting “HYPERDOCS!” MORE
Summer … the time when all teachers spend carefree days sitting by the pool and drinking fruity drinks, right? Many teachers I know (especially the best ones!) spend at least part of their summers honing their craft. It’s a time to do things we were too busy to do during the school year, and […]. Teaching summer reading for teachers top books for educators top education books top teacher books MORE
184 Consuming vs creating, sounds like it’s one or the other. But don’t our students need to do both? Sometimes our students are consuming information and sometimes they are applying what they have learned by creating something. Its all about balance and knowing the why behind your lesson. MORE
When families are part of the learning community it has profound effects on the students. We want parents and guardians to feel involved in their child’s learning and welcomed in our classroom. Some families are involved and engaged from the moment their child steps foot in your classroom. MORE
After co-authoring Ditch That Homework, I’ve participated in LOTS of meaningful discussions about the subject. And they haven’t all been about “homework is evil and we should ban it all the way across the board.” MORE
283 Ditch That Textbook
SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
Today’s students face a technology-infused, innovation-filled world in their future. We’re already looking at the possibility of widespread smart houses, autonomous cars and artificial intelligence that can talk to us and work on our behalf.
Ditch That Textbook
FEBRUARY 21, 2018
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re chained to your desk grading papers. It’s getting monotonous, but you feel like you need to do it because it’s important. You hand those papers back to the students, and where do they end up? Yep, the trash. Even if you make them keep that homework in a […]. Teaching effective feedback in the classroom how to make auto-graded quizzes providing digital feedback save time feedback to students
Ditch That Textbook
NOVEMBER 10, 2017
I had a pile of assessments to mark (grade). I knew was going to take the best part of four hours to get done. I seemed to be writing the same comments as feedback: “Use a quotation to support your argument.” ” “Include a religious view as an alternative.” (I
Ditch That Textbook
AUGUST 30, 2017
We have a golden window of time at the beginning of any class. For these first five or ten minutes of class (OK, probably more the five than the ten), we have our students’ most attention. It’s the most focused they’ll likely be for us all day. If we squander that time, the rest of […]. Ed Tech bell ringers edtech educational technology flipgrid formative padlet prior knowledge screencastify
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If your school is like most, inventory and/or asset management plays a critical role in daily operations.
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 20, 2018
When I do presentations and workshops with teachers all over the United States and beyond, hands go up all over the room when I ask if they’re familiar with Kahoot! It launched in August 2013 and has taken off like a rocket. In May 2017, it had 50 million monthly active users.
Ditch That Textbook
FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Using homework assignments to give feedback is pokey. Inefficient. Think about the length of the feedback loop for traditional homework assignments: Teacher assigns homework to students. Students take it home (maybe) and work on it (maybe). Students turn it in the next day.
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 4, 2018
It was a simple activity. One that I thought my students would have no trouble completing. In my Spanish 3 class, I had asked them to find some facts about an artist from the Hispanic world and write a paragraph about that person. One paragraph. In Spanish. No big deal, right?
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 25, 2018
Low-prep doesn’t have to mean less learning. Technology allows us to be more efficient and effective in the classroom in many ways. When we focus on sound teaching and learning, we can do high-quality learning in less time — AND take less time to prepare for it!
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 26, 2018
Let’s see if you sound like many people I’ve talked to about sketchnotes (and the former version of myself): “I’d love to be able to do that. I’d love for my students to be able to do it. But I can’t draw! I’m not an artist.”
Ditch That Textbook
JANUARY 12, 2018
Record a video of your screen. Split the screen of your web browser. Block ads. Keep digital sticky notes. Even make your phone ring to end a conversation that’s gone on too long. Google Chrome extensions turn your Chrome web browser into a veritable Swiss Army knife of versatile options.
Ditch That Textbook
MAY 4, 2018
The best thing about Twitter is the community of educators who share freely with others. Aaron Hogan, the author of Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth, wrote that “Twitter is not going to change your life, but the educators you meet there will.”
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 13, 2018
All student have a voice. Some students share their voice often, some rarely, and some almost never. We want to hear from ALL of our students. But what does encouraging student voice really mean? How do we creatively incorporate ways for students to showcase themselves in our lessons?
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 7, 2018
The standard lecture has plenty of detractors, and rightfully so. Done poorly, it can be an uninspired stream of facts, delivered in sit-and-get style that get forgotten quickly. However, we can turn the standard lecture — and its tool of choice, the presentation slide! — on its head.
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 23, 2018
Part of the reason social media has taken off so much are the connections. Seeing other people’s reaction to what you’ve shared. Learning from others. We can get the same attraction when we do collaborative learning in the classroom. Google Slides makes this possible.
Ditch That Textbook
DECEMBER 6, 2017
Podcasts are learning on the go: in the car, while working out or as you garden. Here are some great ones for educators. Icons via TheNounProject.com) Podcasts are my lifeblood for generating new ideas, processing the ideas I already have and entertainment.
Ditch That Textbook
JUNE 8, 2018
Consuming vs creating, sounds like it’s one or the other. But don’t our students need to do both? Sometimes our students are consuming information and sometimes they are applying what they have learned by creating something. Its all about balance and knowing the why behind your lesson.
Ditch That Textbook
NOVEMBER 14, 2017
After co-authoring Ditch That Homework, I’ve participated in LOTS of meaningful discussions about the subject. And they haven’t all been about “homework is evil and we should ban it all the way across the board.”
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 23, 2018
Almost daily teachers are bombarded with shiny new apps designed for education. It can be enough to make our heads spin. We WANT to use technology that is meaningful and manageable for ourselves and our students.
Ditch That Textbook
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
Let students put what you're studying in MOTION. Animation is easy with stop motion Google Slides. Icons via The Noun Project with NounPro account.)For For years (centuries. really, millennia), students have had access to paper.
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 21, 2018
I’m a huge fan of free. I believe in what my teacher friend Mike Soskil says: a teacher’s favorite price is FREE. For years in the classroom, I scoured the Internet for the best free digital tools and web apps.
Ditch That Textbook
DECEMBER 13, 2017
We use tech tools like Kahoot! in the classroom all the time. When we pair them with brain science strategies, they can be even more powerful. Sketch by Matt Miller)Sure, you might think. I use Kahoot! and G Suite and others in the classroom all the time.
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 22, 2018
Teaching digital citizenship in a meaningful way can be daunting. These picture books illustrate important concepts beautifully. This post is written by Eleni Kyritsis, a Year 3 teacher and Leader of Digital Learning and Innovation from Melbourne, Australia. She was named the 2017 ACCE Australian Educator of the Year. Find her on Twitter (@misskyritsis) and […].
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 28, 2018
Could you use some practical new ideas for teaching that you can use tomorrow? Want to find ways to save time for what matters most? You’ve come to the right place. I have put together 101 of my best practical ideas to “Ditch That Textbook” in a free 19-page ebook!
Ditch That Textbook
NOVEMBER 1, 2017
A teacher sent me a link to a video recently. I think it was probably from Teachers Pay Teachers, and she asked, “How do you make something like this in G Suite?” ” The video showed a document with three columns and a bunch of words at the bottom.
Ditch That Textbook
MAY 2, 2018
Summer … the time when all teachers spend carefree days sitting by the pool and drinking fruity drinks, right? Many teachers I know (especially the best ones!) spend at least part of their summers honing their craft. It’s a time to do things we were too busy to do during the school year, and […]. Teaching summer reading for teachers top books for educators top education books top teacher books
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 6, 2018
So … can I come along with you on your commute to school? Or a grocery run? Maybe while you’re working out or gardening? If you let me, I promise I’ll give you some ideas you can use in your classroom. This is what podcasts feel like to me.
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 3, 2018
Genny Kahlweiss, a teacher in southern California, wanted more for her students … more than she could provide for them. She started digging into resources at SkypeInTheClassroom.com to get her students connected to experts and new places with video calls.
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 2, 2018
Flashcards on index cards can be useful, but creating them can be a drag. Plus, there’s the trouble of carrying them around. What if students could create flashcards as a CLASS, keeping only the best ones to use for practice? Oh, and what if they added their own IMAGES to those flashcards?
Ditch That Textbook
SEPTEMBER 21, 2017
We have had students turn in documents, slide presentations and spreadsheets digitally for a long time. We’re comfortable with them. They’re easy to open and (fairly) quick to grade … depending on what’s in them, of course!
Ditch That Textbook
MAY 11, 2018
When families are part of the learning community it has profound effects on the students. We want parents and guardians to feel involved in their child’s learning and welcomed in our classroom. Some families are involved and engaged from the moment their child steps foot in your classroom.
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 8, 2018
Learning how to read and annotate text is an important skill all our students need to truly understand stories, articles, and *GULP* textbooks. This is a skill that can be learned over time. The hard reality of the situation, though, is most college level texts are now distributed in PDF or other digital formats for […]. Ed Tech annotating pdfs in class annotating student documents marking up student documents student PDF activities
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 16, 2018
Bitmojis are so much fun! They’re these little cartoon character images of yourself that let you express emotions and communicate. I’ve seen educators use them all over the place: in text messages, in emails, in slide presentations, in documents and on social media.
Ditch That Textbook
JUNE 15, 2018
HyperDocs are are NOT just a doc with links. They are purposefully designed digital lessons and can transform your class. The creators of HyperDocs — Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis — describe them as a transformative, interactive Google Doc replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction, the ultimate change agent in the blended learning […].
Ditch That Textbook
AUGUST 24, 2017
At the same time, being a math teacher puts me in a tough place with the parents and guardians of my students. After all, they’re used to seeing homework sent home with their kids. They grew up with textbook problems when they were kids.
Ditch That Textbook
APRIL 17, 2018
Fifth-grade students in Andrew Fenstermaker’s class in Iowa are creating podcasts about what they’re learning — and what ignites their passion. They take a planning sheet and think through the entire process. They create an image to represent their podcast. They plan some episodes.
Ditch That Textbook
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
The end of the semester can be full of challenges. But it also creates unique opportunities, too. Here are some ways to seize them. Photo by Eric Rothermel via Unsplash.com)When the semester winds down, it brings its own unique list of challenges. Special programs cut into class time.
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 29, 2018
Creating stop-motion animation with Google Slides is easy! These tips will help your animations look phenomenal! This post is written by Jake Miller, a tech integration specialist from Ohio. He's a Google for Education Trainer and a self-proclaimed spreadsheet nerd. Find him on Twitter (@JakeMillerTech) and at his blog, jakemiller.net. A note from Matt.I […]. Ed Tech google slides animation stop motion animation google slides stop motion slides
Ditch That Textbook
MARCH 16, 2018
Getting to the gym. Folding that pile of laundry. Writing a new blog post.Some projects we find easier to get motivated for than others. The same is true for our students, our fellow educators and ourselves in the classroom. Motivation has a powerful impact in education.
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