The beginning of the school year can bring excitement and new ideas.  It can also seem overwhelming.  The Ed Tech Team has determined the top five technology tools that can be seamlessly integrated into lessons.

 

	Padlet  Padlet is an online post-it wall.  Users can post text, files, videos and images.  A teacher can set up a padlet for students to collaborate.  Students will not need to login to post on the padlet.
	Quizlet Quizlet is a free site for users to create flash cards and other study material.  Teachers can set up an account and create content for students as well.
	Symbaloo Symbaloo is a visual bookmarking website.  Provide all your links to students from one location. Set up an account, choose the links you would like to share and place on the Symbaloo site.
	Thinglink Create interactive images with links, videos and text.  Teachers can upload an image about a specific content area and provide links and instructions for students to navigate.
	Vocaroo  Vocaroo is a audio recording website.  Teachers and students can record their voices directly from the site.  The site saves the recording and creates a link and QR Code for easy access.

 

Exciting news!  Students can now access YouTube Education videos from the YouTube website.

Navigate to the YouTube EDU section of the site to locate videos.  Click here to view.

Many popular YouTube Channels can be found under YouTube Education.

Note:  When sharing the URL with students, make sure you are using http://www.youtube.com/ and not https://www.youtube.com.  Students cannot access videos with https .  If your browser only allows https://, clear the browser’s cache.

Khan Academy  |  PBS

 

Click here for a step-by-step guide.

 

The Blue Valley Ed Tech Team hosts a summer technology workshop each year.  This year, teachers were able to learn about a variety of tools including Symbaloo, Edmodo, Thinglink, Google Docs, Padlet and WeVideo.

Nancy Driscoll, library  media specialist at Liberty View Elementary, attended the one day workshop.

“I am really excited about Padlet. I plan on using it with the comprehension strategies that I learned about this summer. I will read a book to students and model the strategy of asking questions aloud as I read. I will give students the opportunity to pair/share and then write questions out on the Padlet site as they listen to the rest of the story. ”

Nancy also utilized myparade.com to show pictures from PebbleGo called Communication Then and Now.  Students will choose a subject (transportation, schools, housing, farming) and analyze the pictures before they start reading the information.  This will help students further connect to the new information.

Qrafter is a QR Code reader available for free on Apple devices.  Students can scan QR Codes to access websites, information and contact details. Post a QR Code on your door for Back to School Night for parents to access your classroom website.

Click here to view more information about QR Codes.

Click here to view details about using Qrafter.

Synergy

As you log into Synergy, a new interface appears.  Synergy created a user-friendly navigation menu to easily access attendance and other common features.   View the link below to access step-by-step guides to using Synergy.

Synergy Support Site

Blocked Web Site Notification

If you receive a notification that a web page is blocked, contact the Help Desk through email with specific details.  Click here to learn what information is needed.