TOO COOL (PERFECT FOR SCHOOL): Here we go again! We've got our favorite edtech teacher and administrator tools for the week right here, as highlighted in our Instruct newsletter. Our fave S'Cool Tools are:
Free! If you’re looking to communicate with parents, SchoolCircle may be your solution, providing a system for sending messages to families. Share pictures of notable classroom moments with parents, collect volunteers, and organize events. Unlike similar communication tool Remind, SchoolCircle also allows you to designate a room parent--take advantage of the power of delegation.
Free! Are your students eager to share their work? From photos to videos to research papers and lab findings, Bulb provides a platform for students to create portfolios and showcase their creations. Students can transfer their work from school accounts to personal accounts, so it remains viewable after graduation, as well as comment on the posts of others. Try it out to help your students build their personal learning communities.
Free! If you’re looking for more multimedia resources for your students, check out the Time For Kids classroom app (build for tablets, but also accessible through a browser). Enter your classroom’s grade level to get access to customized material, from games about naming planets to videos on NASA to interactive world maps.
Freemium: A recent study from Dr. Susan B. Neuman, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, reports that Learn with Homer, an iPad-based early literacy and phonics app, increased early reading skills in preschool children by 74%. It’s not free--$7.95 per month after your 30-day trial runs out--but nevertheless, it looks like you get what you pay for.