Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Shake Up Learning Show


Apr 23, 2019

Have you seen Google for Education’s brochure on 60 Tools to Inspire Students with Chromebooks? It’s an awesome resource that inspired me to make this episode for you!

I don’t have time to touch on all 60 tools in one episode, but I’ll chat about the highlights. If you want the entire list, just scroll down! If you need any inspiration for tools to use, this is definitely the episode for you.

One of the tools I love is Book Creator. So often, kids are given the same presentation tools over and over, and this tool can help educators break out of that box and offer an alternative to the traditional presentation.

If you haven’t used it before, I think CoSpaces Edu will blow your mind! It allows students to build 3D virtual environments, that can then be viewed in virtual or augmented reality.

In the literacy and numeracy tools category, I particularly love Flocabulary. You might have already seen some of their videos without even realizing it!

Another of my favorite tools in this category is Newsela. This is perfect for finding non-fiction articles that are appropriate for your students. They take news articles from reputable sources, and “translate” them into four different reading levels.

Can you tell I’m excited about these tools? I wish I had time to talk about all of them, but I can’t wait to highlight at least a few of my favorites! Tune in to hear about even more apps that I love, in four different categories.

In This Episode:

[00:28] - Welcome to episode 9 of the Shake Up Learning Show! Kasey explains her inspiration for today’s topic.

[01:05] - Kasey sends a shoutout to @AlexTravisITRT on Twitter.

[03:18] - Today’s question comes from Julie Cobb, who wants to know if Kasey will be doing any on-air coaching for coaches.

[05:02] - It’s time to dive into the tools! Kasey starts off by chatting about one of the Content Creation category tools, Book Creator.

[08:15] - Kasey shares another reason that she likes Book Creator so much.

[09:16] - Next, Kasey chats about CoSpaces Edu, which allows students to build virtual 3D environments.

[12:58] - We learn about another application, Explain Everything.

[14:38] - The last content creation tool for today is Adobe Spark. Kasey talks about how powerful it is.

[17:48] - Kasey shifts into talking about tools in the Literacy and Numeracy category, starting off with Flocabulary.

[20:11] - The next tool that Kasey will chat about today is Newsela, which is great for finding age-appropriate news articles.

[23:02] - Kasey talks about EquatIO, which may be perfect for math teachers.

[24:50] - We shift gears back from math into reading as we hear about the next tool, Fluency Tutor.

[26:03] - The last tool that Kasey wants to talk about in this category is Read&Write for Google.

[27:18] - Kasey moves on to talking about the next category, STEAM Tools, and discusses Tynker.

[28:24] - We learn about Flat.io, which allows you to collaboratively create sheet music.

[29:44] - Code.org is one of Kasey’s favorite coding websites.

[31:33] - Kasey talks about Edpuzzle, a tool from the Communication & Understanding category.

[33:07] - We hear about Flipgrid, which is now completely free for everyone!

[35:08] - Kasey shares her thoughts on Pear Deck, which is a favorite tool of hers (and this episode’s sponsor!).

[37:59] - The last communication tool that Kasey will talk about today is Screencastify, which is a Chrome extension that lets you easily record your screen.

[40:48] - Ready for the question of the week? Here we go! What are three tools from this week’s episode that you want to try in your classroom, and how will you integrate them into your curriculum? Post your answers on your favorite social media platform using the #ShakeUpLearning hashtag, or share them in the Shake Up Learning Community!

[41:44] - Have you thought about getting Google Certified? Kasey can help! She helps educators get certified through her three online courses:

The Google Certified Educator Level 1 Academy

The Google Certified Educator Level 2 Academy

Become a Google Certified Trainer Online Course

If you’re interested in taking more than one of these courses, get a bundle to save big! Enrollment only opens twice a year, so sign up when it opens on May 21st or you’ll need to wait until November. If you’re ready to learn more, head to this link!

[44:12] - Kasey thanks listeners for tuning in, and offers a way to give back: leave a review (using the word “y’all” if you can squeeze it in!). This helps other teachers find the podcast, and might get you a shoutout on a future episode!

List of 60 Tools to Inspire Students with Chromebooks:

Content Creation Tools

Literacy & Numeracy Tools

STEAM Tools

Communication & Understanding Tools

Links and Resources:

The Shake Up Learning Show

The Shake Up Learning Community on Facebook

Join the Shake Up Learning Book Study!

Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic by Kasey Bell

Education Podcast Network

Pear Deck (this episode’s sponsor!)