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Online Tools and Apps

Discover innovative online tools for education. Explore strategies and resources to enhance teaching, learning, and collaboration in the digital age.

Making Learning Visible with Genially Live

by Belinda Howell January 7, 2026

written by Belinda Howell

One of the biggest challenges teachers face today isn’t access to content—it’s student engagement. In classrooms filled with digital tools and distractions, keeping students actively involved in learning requires more than static slides or one-way presentations. That’s why interactive learning experiences have become so important, and why Genially has quickly become a favorite tool in my work with teachers.

Why Interactivity Matters

Genially stands out because it transforms presentations into interactive learning experiences. Instead of students passively clicking through slides, they explore content through clickable elements, animations, embedded media, and visual storytelling. Teachers can easily create engaging digital escape rooms, choose your own adventures, self-paced interactive modules, and more. This interactivity naturally increases engagement—students are curious, involved, and more likely to stay focused on the lesson.

When students interact with content rather than simply consume it, learning becomes more meaningful. They’re not just watching; they’re participating.

Enter Genially Live

Genially’s newest feature, Genially Live, takes this interactivity to the next level by giving teachers greater instructional control—without sacrificing student engagement.

With Genially Live, students sign in to the lesson on their own devices, but the teacher controls which page is displayed in real time. This means:

Everyone stays on the same page—literally.
No students clicking ahead or lagging behind.
The teacher sets the pace of instruction.

This feature is especially powerful for whole-group instruction, guided practice, and direct teaching moments where timing and focus matter. For instance, a teacher covering the three colonial regions could create a page for each region with their notes, expandable images, audio readings, translations or simplified reading, and other interactive material.

After covering the information, the teacher could then go to a page that checks whether students understood the main aspect of the content just covered or if the teacher needs to review a specific concept again.

Built-In Checks for Understanding

One of the most impactful aspects of Genially Live is the ability to embed a variety of question types directly into the presentation. Teachers can include:

Multiple-choice questions
Fill in the Blank questions
Sort/Ordering questions
Image select questions
Open-ended responses
Polls and more!

Genially also has AI features to help with creating questions, formatting the writing, creating images, and more.

As students respond, teachers receive immediate feedback. This real-time data allows educators to see who understands the content—and who doesn’t—right away. Teachers can set up the questions to check for understanding and/or provide a form of competition. Students will also receive feedback based on whether they selected the correct or incorrect answer.

Instead of waiting until the end of a lesson or reviewing an exit ticket later, teachers can address misconceptions immediately. Instruction becomes more responsive, more targeted, and more effective.

Supporting Better Instructional Decisions

Genially Live shifts formative assessment from an afterthought to an integrated part of instruction. Teachers can:

Pause to reteach when misunderstandings appear
Adjust pacing based on student responses
Encourage discussion using live results as a conversation starter

This kind of immediate insight empowers teachers to make informed instructional decisions in the moment, ultimately leading to stronger learning outcomes.

Genially Live: A Powerful Tool for Today’s Classrooms

Genially Live combines the best of both worlds: the engaging, interactive design Genially is known for and the instructional control teachers need in a live classroom environment. Students remain actively involved, teachers stay in control, and learning becomes visible through ongoing checks for understanding.

For educators looking to boost engagement while gaining clearer insight into student learning, Genially Live is a powerful addition to the digital classroom toolkit.

January 7, 2026 0 comments

Whooo’s Cheating and Whooo’s Reading? Strategies for Keeping Young Readers Honest (and Learning!)

by Dr. Amanda Smith December 8, 2025

written by Dr. Amanda Smith

Reading is one of the most powerful tools students have to build knowledge, improve writing, and explore new ideas. On our campus, we have been using Whooo’s Reading to help track reading progress, encourage comprehension, and reward students for putting in the work. Like any tool, however, it works best when it’s used honestly.

Lately, a few of our “super readers” have gotten a little creative with their entries by logging books they haven’t read or adding a few (or 1,000) extra pages here and there. Whooo’s cheating has become a great teachable moment about honesty, motivation, and what real growth looks like.

What Is Whooo’s Reading (and why use it)?

Whooo’s Reading is a free interactive platform that helps students log the books they are reading and answer comprehension questions about them. Instead of just tracking pages, it focuses on understanding what is read and has a great writing piece that is self-graded with AI. It’s very similar to the way writing is being scored on the STAAR assessments across the state. Students can earn points for writing thoughtful responses, using good grammar, and demonstrating comprehension.

Why Cheating Hurts More Than It Helps

When a student logs 1,000 pages for “Cat in the Hat,” it’s blatantly obvious that they are not being honest with their reading. The fact that they thought they would get away with it is even more concerning. After realizing the wide-spread dishonesty amongst students, we shifted classroom discussions towards honesty and why being dishonest will actually hurt you in the long run. We talked about how:

You’re not really helping yourself. The prizes may be fun, but they are not worth missing out on the growth that comes from honest reading. The real reward is becoming a better reader and writer.
You’re hurting others. Students who are working hard and logging truthfully may feel discouraged when they are passed by someone who did not play fair.
It’s easy to get caught. Teachers can tell quickly when a student has hundreds of pages logged when the books they read are only a few pages long. It’s not a good feeling to be confronted about dishonest work and it makes your teacher disappointed in you for not being truthful.

How to Use Whooo’s Reading the Right Way

Here are five simple strategies that help keep reading fun and fair:

Promote Accountability Partners
Have students pair up to check each other’s logs, discuss books, and share summaries. Peer accountability builds trust and enthusiasm along with encouraging positive social interactions. Several hours each day are spent on various online educational programs, so pairing it with face-to-face interactions can increase learning and accountability.
Emphasize Quality Over Quantity
Reward thoughtful responses, not inflated numbers. Model what strong, detailed writing looks like and let students revise their answers for higher scores. We had several teachers who were vocal opponents of the “hard grading” of the Whooo’s Reading AI grader. As we sat down together and looked answer by answer, they quickly realized how much subjective grading they were doing. As educators, we love to see students make progress, but the progress still needs to be graded objectively.
Use the Feedback Features
Point out how Whooo’s Reading highlights grammar, vocabulary, and content improvements. Show students that it is more than a score and that the feedback can make them stronger writers. Several students made significant improvements in their writing using the feedback provided by the AI. Their teacher told them the same improvement information, but the students were more open to the automatic feedback from the program than from their teacher.
Set Personal Growth Goals
Encourage students to compete against their past selves, not just each other. Celebrate milestones like finishing a tougher book or trying a new genre. Several students were visited by their previous teacher who brought stickers or suckers to reward them for their growth from the previous year. This helped make our goals a full campus experience.
Celebrate the Joy of Reading
Celebrate “best effort” awards or “most improved reader,” not just the top spot for most pages read or most quizzes passed. We had great conversations with the students about the purpose of reading for comprehension versus skim reading to try and pass a test.

What to know about the AI-grader

The autograder uses rubrics that vary by academic level. It’s helpful (and important) to know the rubric so you can discuss their scores. The program will explain why the student scored what they did on each individual question. It will even give you a confidence score of whether the student read the book or just said they read it and tried to pass the questions without reading.

*Picture courtesy of Whooo’s Reading Help Center.

Customizability: You can edit the reading level (lexile), number of questions, and various other options per student to individualize learning.
Setting expectations & fidelity: Since the AI scores based on specific criteria (number of sentences, details from text, restatement of question, etc.), it’s useful to explicitly teach those expectations (e.g., “for your answers you need at least three sentences and two details from the text to aim for full credit”) so students aren’t “beating the system” but genuinely improving.
Transparency with students: Let students know how their responses are being evaluated (at least in terms of the rubric categories) so they understand what good work looks like and why their feedback says what it does.

*Picture courtesy of Whooo’s Reading Help Center.

Whooo’s ready to get started?

As with any tool, how you use it determines the effectiveness. We’ve enjoyed using the free program of Whooo’s Reading to encourage our students to read for enjoyment, as well as for comprehension. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!

December 8, 2025 0 comments

Online Tools and Apps Planning and Preparation Productivity

ClassLink’s Assessment Insights: Make Data-Driven Decisions Without the Overwhelm

by Mary Batiwalla September 23, 2025

written by Mary Batiwalla

Wrangling your assessment data together into something meaningful can be transformational for schools. But it can also make you want to pull your hair out.

You know the feeling: you’ve got a dozen tabs open, you’re combing through files with names like Final-Final-Version3.xlsx, and you have that creeping suspicion you’ve missed something important.

It’s more than frustrating. It’s a missed opportunity.

However, when districts bring the right data together in one clear, accessible view, they can spot patterns, act sooner, and help students succeed in ways that aren’t possible when data is disconnected and siloed.

So, how do you get there?

Overcome the Roadblocks to Better Decisions

For more and more districts, prioritizing data-driven decisions means finding a data management tool.

When staff are short on time, overloaded with data sources, and tasked with the critical work of keeping data secure, a data management tool can do the heavy lifting. Think of it as a handy assistant ready and waiting to gather disparate data in far less time, with less frustration and without risking data security.

With the right data management tool, you can replace hours of frustration with time spent gaining insight into how to better support students. But what does the “right” data management tool look like? Here are a few things to look for:

Fast and Automated Data Retrieval
No more manual digging. The right tool should automate gathering assessment data from all your platforms, freeing up time for staff to focus on using the insights, rather than chasing them down.
Context-Rich Insights
You should be able to connect assessment scores with critical context, such as attendance, demographics, and enrollment details. With the whole picture, you and your staff can better understand performance trends and make more informed decisions and better use of the MTSS and dashboard tools you purchase.
Secure and Seamless Sharing
The best tools don’t just organize your data, they make it easy and safe to share. That way, instead of relying on risky workarounds like email attachments or shared logins, you can use a solution that supports secure, streamlined data transfers to vendors and partners.

Move From Frustration to Insight

Whatever tool your district chooses, the goal is the same: spend less time untangling spreadsheets and more time helping students thrive.

Tools such as ClassLink’s OneData, can help automate the process of pulling assessment results, fill in contextual details like attendance and rosters, and share the information securely with the platforms schools already use. It’s one option districts can look to as they move past data wrangling and focus on acting on insights to support learning.

It’s time to stop spending hours fixing errors, merging files, and searching for missing information. Instead, redirect that energy to what matters most: supporting students with more data-backed decisions.

September 23, 2025 0 comments

Four smiling adults of diverse backgrounds collaborate at a table using laptops and tablets, with colorful educational posters and projected code in the background.

Artificial Intelligence Content Creation Online Tools and Apps

The Educator’s Guide to Creating Perfect AI-Generated Images Using JSON

by Dr. Bruce Ellis August 25, 2025

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Picture this: You spend 20 minutes trying to get ChatGPT to create the perfect AI-generated images for your lesson plan. The first attempt gives you a blonde teacher when you asked for diversity. The second try changes the classroom entirely. By the third attempt, you’re ready to give up and use clip art from 2003.

Sound familiar? If you’re struggling with inconsistent AI-generated images and visuals, you’re not alone in the content creation challenge. There’s a better way.

The Problem Every Educator Faces (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)

You’re not alone in this struggle. Traditional AI prompts are like asking a student to “write something good about science”—too vague, inconsistent results. When you’re creating:

Sequential lesson visuals that need the same characters
Brand-consistent marketing materials for your district
Realistic career scenarios for CTE programs
Diverse, representative imagery that reflects your student body

…you need precision, not guesswork.

Meet JSON: Your New Teaching Assistant

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) sounds technical, but think of it as a detailed order form for your AI-generated images. Instead of hoping the AI understands your vision, you’re giving it a clear blueprint. It’s like the difference between telling a substitute teacher “keep the kids busy” versus leaving detailed lesson plans with timing, materials, and backup activities. You wouldn’t wing a parent conference, and you shouldn’t wing your AI image requests either. JSON transforms vague hopes into specific instructions that actually work.

Before and After: See the Difference

The Old Way (Frustrating):

“A teacher helping a student with a robot project in a classroom.”

Result: Generic white male teacher, random classroom, inconsistent lighting

The New Way (Precise):

{
  "scene": "modern STEM classroom",
  "characters": [
    {
      "role": "teacher",
      "gender": "female",
      "ethnicity": "Latina",
      "age": "mid-30s",
      "clothing": "casual professional",
      "expression": "encouraging",
      "pose": "pointing at robot mechanism"
    },
    {
      "role": "student",
      "age": "middle school",
      "ethnicity": "Black",
      "gender": "male",
      "clothing": "STEM club T-shirt",
      "expression": "focused concentration",
      "pose": "adjusting robot components"
    }
  ],
  "objects": ["Arduino robot", "laptop with code", "engineering notebook", "whiteboard with circuit diagrams"],
  "lighting": "bright natural light from windows",
  "mood": "collaborative and innovative"
}

Result: Exactly what you envisioned, every single time

The Genius Shortcut: Let AI Write Your JSON

Not comfortable writing JSON yet? Here’s the educator’s secret weapon:

Upload any image to ChatGPT (could be from your phone, a stock photo, or even an AI image you liked)
Ask: “Create a JSON structure describing this image that I can use to generate similar images”
Get instant JSON templates you can modify and reuse

This reverse-engineering approach is perfect for busy educators who want results fast, or want to tweak one thing at a time to see how each attribute impacts the overall aesthetics of the image.

Game-Changing Applications for Your Classroom

🎯 Elementary Teachers

Create consistent character families for math word problems. Instead of generic stick figures or clip art, your students will connect with real-looking characters they recognize from problem to problem. This visual consistency helps students focus on the math concepts rather than getting distracted by constantly changing faces and scenarios.

Two students sitting at a desk in a classroom work together on a math problem using orange base ten blocks and blue counters, with a whiteboard behind them displaying an addition equation. — Image made with JSON prompt on the left using ChatGPT

{
  "characters": [
    {"name": "Maya", "role": "student problem-solver", "clothing": "purple hoodie"},
    {"name": "Carlos", "role": "math buddy", "clothing": "striped shirt"}
  ],
  "scene": "classroom math center",
  "problem_type": "addition with manipulatives"
}

🔬 Middle/High School Science

Build lab safety scenarios with proper PPE. Show students exactly what safe practices look like in realistic laboratory settings, reinforcing safety protocols through visual modeling. These images become powerful reference materials that students can internalize much faster than reading safety manuals alone.

A group of students and an instructor in a science lab, wearing lab coats and goggles, observe a student holding a beaker filled with a vibrant blue liquid. — Image made with JSON prompt on the left with Leonardo

{
  "scene": "chemistry lab",
  "safety_equipment": ["safety goggles", "lab aprons", "closed-toe shoes"],
  "demonstration": "proper chemical handling",
  "diversity": "mixed ethnicity student group"
}

🛠️ CTE Educators

Model authentic workplace environments. Give students realistic previews of their potential career paths with industry-accurate tools, settings, and safety standards they’ll actually encounter. These visuals help bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application, making career preparation more tangible and motivating.

In a modern science lab, a diverse group of students gathers around a peer who is presenting a beaker containing a bright blue liquid. Everyone is dressed in white lab coats and protective goggles, indicating an emphasis on lab safety. The instructor stands nearby, gesturing toward the beaker as part of a guided discussion or demonstration. The students' expressions are a mix of curiosity and attentiveness, suggesting an interactive and engaging lesson. The lab is well-equipped, with countertops, lab equipment, and scientific posters visible in the background, reinforcing the hands-on nature of the learning experience. — Image made with JSON prompt on the left with NightCafe

{
  "career_pathway": "automotive technology",
  "setting": "professional garage bay",
  "tools": ["hydraulic lift", "diagnostic scanner", "tool chest"],
  "safety_focus": "proper lifting techniques",
  "industry_accuracy": "current technology standards"
}

📢 District Communications

Maintain brand consistency across all materials. Professional-looking communications build trust with parents and community stakeholders while reinforcing your district’s identity and values. Consistent visuals also save time and budget by eliminating the need for expensive graphic design services for routine materials.

A group of cheerful elementary school students gather outside a modern school building, reading books and interacting under a large sign that reads “Welcome to our School.” — Image made with JSON prompt on the left with Ideogram

{
  "brand_elements": {
    "color_palette": "school district blues and grays",
    "logo_placement": "bottom right corner",
    "font_style": "clean, professional"
  },
  "message_tone": "welcoming and inclusive",
  "representation": "diverse student and family demographics"
}

Your JSON Toolkit: Copy-Paste Templates for AI-Generated Images

Basic Character Template

{
  "character": {
    "role": "student/teacher/parent",
    "age": "specific age or range",
    "ethnicity": "be specific for representation",
    "gender": "as appropriate",
    "clothing": "describe style and colors",
    "expression": "emotion that fits your lesson",
    "pose": "what they're doing"
  }
}

Scene Enhancement Add-Ons

{
  "lighting": "natural classroom light/dramatic/soft",
  "camera_angle": "eye level/slightly above/close-up",
  "background_activity": "other students working/hallway visible",
  "wall_decorations": "subject-specific posters/student work",
  "mood": "collaborative/focused/celebratory",
  "art_style": "realistic/illustration/watercolor"
}

Pro Tips That Will Save You Hours

Art Style Consistency: Add "art_style": "flat illustration" to all your prompts for a cohesive look across your materials.
Color Control: Use "color_palette": "warm earth tones" or "color_palette": "school brand colors" for instant visual harmony.
Perfect Proportions: Include "camera_angle": "eye level" and "framing": "medium shot" for professional-looking educational content.
Speed Hack: Save your most-used JSON templates in a document. Just copy, paste, and modify the details you need to change.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Educator Tricks

This is where JSON really shines for curriculum development. When students see the same characters moving through different scenarios, it creates a narrative thread that helps them follow complex concepts across multiple lessons. It’s like creating your own educational comic book series where the visual familiarity supports deeper learning retention.

Create Series Consistency

Building a unit on ecosystems? Use the same base JSON but modify only the "biome" field. Same characters, same art style, different environments. Your students will love the visual continuity.

Lesson 1: "biome": "rainforest"
Lesson 2: "biome": "desert"
Lesson 3: "biome": "ocean"

Three colorful illustrations show a young student in a field vest kneeling and exploring different biomes—rainforest, desert, and ocean—using a notebook and magnifying glass, with binoculars around his neck. — The same JSON prompt was used except the biome was replaced. Each image created with ChatGPT.

Cultural Responsiveness

Include specific cultural elements:

A group of children and adults dressed in traditional Indian clothing sit around a vibrant rangoli design in a classroom, sharing festive food in celebration. — Image made with JSON prompt on the left with MageSpace

{
  "cultural_elements": {
    "celebration": "Diwali classroom celebration",
    "decorations": "rangoli patterns on floor",
    "clothing": "traditional and modern mix",
    "food": "Indian sweets on sharing table"
  }
}

Your Week 1 Challenge: Pick One and Try It

Choose your adventure:

The Series Creator: Make 3 images for your next unit using the same JSON character but different scenes
The Brand Builder: Create 2 promotional images with consistent styling for your next parent newsletter
The Safety Guru: Generate workplace safety scenarios for your CTE pathway with proper equipment and procedures
The Representation Champion: Build diverse character templates you can reuse across multiple lessons

Tools to Get Started Today

A Quick Reality Check: Not all AI image generators understand JSON the same way. Some might interpret your quoted text as literal words to display in the image rather than descriptive attributes. If you see random text appearing in your images, try rephrasing your JSON as a natural sentence instead: “Create an image based on this structure:” followed by your JSON. Alternatively, ask ChatGPT (or another LLM) to convert your JSON into a traditional prompt format that any image generator can understand.

Free Options That Work:

Mage.Space: Perfect for beginners, handles JSON well
Leonardo.Ai: Offers style presets plus JSON control
NightCafe: Great for saving and remixing your templates
Ideogram.ai: Excellent text rendering in images, great for educational posters and signage

Premium Power: ChatGPT Plus users get DALL-E integration with JSON support built right in.

The Bottom Line

You became an educator to inspire learning, not to wrestle with inconsistent AI images. JSON prompts give you back control, save you time, and help you create the exact visuals your students deserve.

Start small. Try one JSON template this week. Notice how much more satisfying it feels when your AI actually listens to what you want. Your future self (and your students) will thank you.

What’s your biggest AI image frustration? Drop a comment below and let’s solve it together with JSON!

Quick Reference: JSON Cheat Sheet for Educators

{
  "scene": "where it happens",
  "characters": [
    {
      "role": "who they are",
      "demographics": "age, ethnicity, gender",
      "appearance": "clothing, expression, pose"
    }
  ],
  "objects": ["list", "of", "important", "items"],
  "style": {
    "art_style": "realistic/illustration/sketch",
    "lighting": "natural/soft/dramatic",
    "color_palette": "warm/cool/school_colors",
    "mood": "collaborative/focused/celebratory"
  }
}

Remember: You can add any field that helps describe what you want. The AI is surprisingly good at understanding custom attributes!

August 25, 2025 1 comment

Educational Research Educational Trends Online Tools and Apps

Harnessing Visual Learning with Free Tools

by Miguel Guhlin July 8, 2025

written by Miguel Guhlin

Are you spending hours lining up ovals and squares in your favorite graphic organizer program? My routine involves crafting a first draft of my great ideas in concept maps that span pages. Then, I refine them into concept maps to share with others.

Visual learning facilitates comprehension for those who struggle with abstract concepts. Working through an academic text, I often make a concept map. Tools like Draw.io (also known as diagrams.net) and MXStudioGraph (see free AI tool to convert writing into code) can serve as essential instruments for creating clarity. How can you leverage these free tools and concepts in your K-16 work? Let’s see how to harness visual learning with these free tools.

Revisiting the Research

Wondering what the scientific consensus is on the use of visual tools for constructing knowledge? Consider these points about the power of graphic organizers:

Organize and comprehend information. Working at the Deep Learning phase, graphic organizers assist students in seeing relationships between ideas. This relational aspect, how facts and perspectives connect, reflects the Deep Learning phase (source).
Enhance critical thinking. Compare and contrast diagrams, as well as cause/effect organizers, encourage deeper processing of information (source).
Non-linguistic pathway to understanding. Students with learning disabilities (source) can benefit from diagrams with minimal words to organize their thinking.
Improve metacognition. Using organizers assists students (source) in seeing “the big picture” about text, stimulating meta-cognition (source).

You can find an overview of these ideas in the PRISM Framework, adapted from Biggs’ SOLO Taxonomy. What’s your plan for learning new information, to help you see the connections? Having a strategy is important. That’s why I like the PRISM Framework and use it when possible. One way to identify and see patterns could involve the use of AI to scaffold your awareness. But one can get lost in the dense thickets of academic text.

Diagram generated by the author using AI-generated MXStudioGraph code in Draw.io.

A Hattie Connection

These diagramming tools (e.g. Draw.io) support high-effect size instructional strategies. No doubt, you are familiar with John Hattie’s and Corwin Press’ Visible Learning MetaX database. When students visually organize information, they engage in deeper cognitive processing. A Deep Learning strategy, Concept Mapping has an effect size (d=0.66).

Note: Although I use the term “visual learning,” it should not be confused with the visual learning of discredited learning styles (e.g. Fleming’s VARK model featuring four sensory modalities to receive and process information, although they are really cool, they lack empirical evidence). Learning styles fall into neuromyth territory. Fortunately, we have evidence through high-effect size instructional strategies.

It assists students in building relationships between ideas and gaining a deeper conceptual understanding. With digital tools like Draw.io, students can link concepts, add explanatory text. What’s more, they can visually represent hierarchies and connections. This moves them towards the “Relational” and “Extended Abstract” levels of understanding as described in the SOLO Taxonomy. It aligns with the “Deep Learning” phase where learners integrate and connect knowledge.

Other related high-impact strategies that tools like Draw.io facilitates include:

Outlining and Organizing: With an effect size of 0.84, this strategy helps students structure information, which supports critical thinking and problem-solving. Draw.io can be used to create visual outlines that are more dynamic and interconnected than traditional linear notes.
Graphic Organizers: Tools like Venn diagrams, flowcharts, and cycle diagrams help students categorize information, see relationships, and reduce cognitive overload by breaking down complex information into manageable sections. The ALDO framework also points to the use of graphic organizers.
Computational Thinking. Consider that Decomposition might be another way to interpret helping students break down problems and information into easier to manipulate and solve chunks.

Let’s address the elephant in the room first. This article requires Generative AI use.

A Metaphor for GenAI Use

Generative AI can, focused on specific texts, identify big patterns. In this situation, use GenAI not as a final answer but as a cognitive trampoline that may launch your thinking in different directions.

Or consider it a stationary handrail to provide our brains something to interact with. Eventually, we can step away from this “barre work” to the center floor to think without support. But how do we shift AI provided text summaries, even of our own writing, into concept maps to help us identify previously missed connections?

Perhaps we can use GenAI like a ground penetrating radar to identify unknown connections between ideas. Then, with some elbow-powered excavation (I don’t own a mechanized excavator), we can dig out the deep conceptual understandings that may be there in our own work and that of others. Or, find them to simply be false echoes.

Whatever your metaphor, trampoline, the ballet’s barre work or ground penetrating radar, let’s take a look at a potential process using free tools.

This diagram was based on author’s text above, as processed by GenAI into MXStudioGraph code and rendered by Draw.io.

Free Tools

In this blog entry, I’d like to introduce you to two tools. The first is code-based, not unlike Mermaid syntax I’ve written about before. However, where Mermaid syntax results in a clunky concept map, MXGraphXML offers more beautiful creations and flexibility. To make generating code easier, use this free custom Bot I made for the purpose:

Get BoodleBox free for two months with the code “**MGFREE**” and **access the BoodleBox AI version of the Diagram Generator AI** (shown above). Or, if you are using ChatGPT, Access the ChatGPT version of the Diagram Generator AI to create MXStudioGraph code from a selection of text you provide.

Here’s what that looks like:

The BoodleBox Bot version of Diagram Generator AI in action, converting my prompt into diagram code.

This is the rendered code in Draw.io desktop app on Windows OS. You can get the same effect in Diagrams.net.

You will combine the MXGraphXML code with a free diagramming tool to get a concept map (as shown above) that you can modify and rework. Wait, before you panic, there’s no coding involved. Let’s get a little background on both tools.

AI Generated MXStudioGraph Code

MXStudioGraph is built upon the robust foundation of mxGraph. It is an open-source JavaScript library renowned for enabling interactive diagrams and visualizations. Educators and students can use MXGraph code to design, edit, and visualize a wide array of diagrams. This can mean creating anything from simple flowcharts to complex network structures. To keep things simple, students and staff control the generation of the code through natural language interaction with GenAI.

For example, to render the section of this text A Metaphor for GenAI Use, I used a simple prompt:

Use MXGraph XML code compatible with Draw.io to capture the key concepts in this selection of text: [A Metaphor for GenAI Use text]

This resulted in:

Gemini-generated MXStudioGraph code at author’s direction

Drawio A Free Accessible Diagramming Solution

The resulting code is useless to me without some way to turn it into a more visual tool. To accomplish that, I rely on the free, open source Draw.io that you can install on your Windows, Mac, or GNU/Linux computer (or access via diagrams.net). It is a fantastic tool I relied on as an educator and technology director for a variety of diagrams. It leverages the same mxGraph engine mentioned above.

Some benefits of Draw.io:

Completely Free: There are no hidden costs, subscriptions, or mandatory accounts. Both the online editor and the desktop app (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) are available at no charge. If you ever had to justify purchasing Inspiration for a K-12 school district, you will appreciate such a powerful tool available for free.
No Account Needed: You or your students can begin diagramming immediately without the hassle of sign-ups or logins.
Flexible Storage Options: You can save diagrams to popular cloud services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, or directly to your device. You can run it without internet access, too.

Some other benefits? You can run it locally on your device or via the web. It also features integration with cloud storage if that’s a need (such as a Chromebook environment), and supports collaboration.

Unlocking Learning K12 Classroom Use Cases

Having students struggle with writing can be powerful. When you use GenAI as a way to convert student-authored content into a diagram using natural language, this means students might perceive their writing in a clearer fashion. They can see the relationships and concepts. What’s more, once the AI-generated MXStudioGraph code is in Draw.io, they can manipulate it to say what they want it to, restoring agency and ownership.

Some more uses:

Graphic Organizers and Mind Maps: Students can brainstorm ideas, map out complex concepts, and visually structure information for essays, research projects, or study guides.
Timelines and Story Maps: Ideal for social studies and literature, students can create chronological timelines of historical events they have created or develop storyboards to analyze narrative structures.
Scientific Illustrations and Process Flows: Labeling diagrams of biological structures (plants, animals), chemical processes, or ecological cycles becomes more interactive and clear with custom shapes and connectors.
Mathematical and Logical Reasoning: Construct Venn diagrams to explore set theory, build flowcharts to outline problem-solving steps, or even create geometric figures to support mathematical reasoning.
Collaborative Projects: The real-time editing feature empowers student groups to work together seamlessly on shared diagrams for presentations, group assignments, or inquiry-based learning activities.
Assessment and Review Tools: Teachers can design visual quizzes, create concept maps for review sessions, or use process flow diagrams to assess students’ understanding of sequential information.

Getting Started Is Easy

Get started by visiting the free online editor at app.diagrams.net or by downloading the desktop application.

Follow these steps:
1) Use your favorite GenAI tool, dropping text in with this prompt:

Use MXGraph XML code compatible with Draw.io to capture the key concepts in this selection of text: [text or link to text]

GenAI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Mistral.ai, Copilot, Raina have built-in support for MXStudioGraph. But, they can be finicky. To assist you in avoiding that, use the TCEA Diagram Generator AI (requires a free ChatGPT account).

Note: You can see an example of this earlier in this blog entry in the AI Generated MXStudioGraph Code section.

2) Copy the code

3) Paste the code into Draw.io on your computer or browser, depending on which you chose to install or use:

Then, paste the code:

4) Modify diagram, then save your changes. You can also export the diagram in a variety of formats:

Give it a go, it’s not as hard as you might think.

Harness Visual Learning Tools

Students will both have fun and extend their digital toolbox when creating visualizations. Digital tools like Draw.io can make that possible. Mix in GenAI generated MXStudioGraph XML code renditions of author-created writing. Free, avoiding student user accounts, usable from grade 3 through adult learners, AI-powered Draw.io offers a powerful choice to manipulate deep learning connections. You now have a tool to better identify and map deeper conceptual thinking in your own work or that of others.

But Wait, There’s More!

For more information on learning styles and implications for classroom usage, be sure to read:

Robinson, D. H., Yan, V. X., & Kim, J. A. (Eds.). (2022). Learning styles on trial: Implications for classroom instruction and student achievement. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90792-1 (Reviewed by Kassandra R. Spurlock)

July 8, 2025 4 comments

Accessibility Libraries Online Tools and Apps

Kiwix: Offline Learning for K12

by Miguel Guhlin June 26, 2025

written by Miguel Guhlin

When my WiFi network died, I sat there staring at my laptop screen. It still had power but I wondered, “How will I get by without all the information on the Web?” Obviously, it’s a problem that can be solved in many ways. One approach is to make a copy of critical documents and resources. What could be more critical than free, educational materials like Wikipedia, Wikiversity, and other great resources available at no cost? In this blog entry, I’ll share about free, open source Kiwix, a tool you can use on your mobile devices, as well as your desktop. Even when the Internet connection dies, you can still access vast libraries of educational content.

How Kiwix Works

Founded in 2007, Kiwix offers a treasure chest (995 books in their library) of what are called ZIM files. These ZIM files are easy to share and accessible on USB flash drives, as well as low-cost Raspberry PI devices. ZIM files are portable and represent vast libraries of content available for free via the Web. This makes ZIM files perfect for reference materials.

For example, I saved quite a few ZIM files using the Kiwix interface to my hard drive, taking up a mere 187 gigabytes of storage space. For $20 – $30, you can get portable USB flash drives to carry that data around. It makes my childhood efforts to copy the encyclopedia pages I needed for a research report laughable. Of course, it was those very experiences at summarizing Encyclopedia Britannica and WorldBook content that impacted my writing.

The right to information and right to freedom of expression are fundamental human rights and we’ll stand by and defend those values… Knowledge is so fundamental to allowing us to make decisions that empower and fulfil us as individuals. Wikipedia is one of the remaining free and open spaces on the internet.
-Katherine Maher,

Why Every K-12 Classroom Needs Kiwix

You may be saying, “Why would anyone want that much information offline?” Even though Internet access is a given in many places, rural and/or economically challenged areas may appreciate a portable Wikipedia, Wikiversity, or a dozen others repositories. And, in support of accessibility and language learning, Kiwix can read any text aloud in whatever language is loaded on the computer.

Screenshot of offline copy of a TCEA blog page with read aloud features emphasized

Some of my work once involved setting up school bus-based learning management systems with content for migrant workers. The bus came to them for daily learning opportunities sans Internet. The description my employer shared with me matches the picture in my head. It is a powerful scene, and it has stayed with me.

ChatGPT-generated image of bus in a field with migrant workers accessing computers inside it and on a table in front of it — An AI-generated image rendering an imagined image from the author

I imagine the most needy having access to non-internet connected machines. On those machines, a Kiwix-based treasure trove of information. When the Wi-Fi drops out, Kiwix steps up. Even students in internet connected settings can benefit from the smartphone version of Kiwix, able to, as one Jeopardy contestant (Matt Amodio) uses Wikipedia “brush up on less familiar subjects.” After all, there is a certain fascination to reading an encyclopedia.

Screenshot of smartphone version of Kiwix by author

What You Get with Kiwix

There’s really too much to include in a short blog entry. Here is a short list of what you have access to via Kiwix:

Entire encyclopedias or curate subject-specific collections
Wikibooks (textbooks)
Wiktionary (dictionaries)
Project Gutenberg (classic literature), and
Inspiring TED Talks

In my pursuit of critical thinking resources, I even stumbled upon these specific collections:

MediaWiki
Wikipedia
Rational Wiki
Skeptics
Wiktionary
EduTech Wiki
Wikibooks
Pets
Wikiversity

And many more resources.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

If you’re wondering if Kiwix will work with whatever devices you have, you need not worry. It works with:

Android
iOS
Windows
Mac
Linux

It also comes with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge. This makes it easy to deploy and use on ANY device. The secret to Kiwix are ZIM files you can store on portable media, such as USB drives or hard drives. You can easily make them accessible by pointing the Kiwix software to where the data is stored.

The portability of the book, like that of the easel-painting, added much to the new culture of individualism.
-Marshall McLuhan, as quoted in WikiQuotes

Create Your Own Portable and Shareable Knowledge

You can store ZIM files on portable media like USB drives or external hard drives. This makes sharing content between devices or even classrooms incredibly easy. The user-friendly interface boasts full-text search, tabbed Browse, and the ability to export articles, streamlining research and making it simple to create resources for assignments and handouts.

What you may not realize is that you can also create your own ZIM files with an online utility, Zimit. For example, I started the process to create a ZIM file of the TCEA blog:

I will report back at the end of this blog post with the results.

Beyond Wikipedia: Essential Resources for K-12

Kiwix is a gateway to a rich ecosystem of educational content that directly supports the K-12 curriculum. Here are just a few examples of the valuable resources available:

Resource	Description	Relevance to K-12
Wikipedia	The world’s largest encyclopedia in multiple languages.	Foundational information across all subjects, supporting research and general knowledge.
Wikibooks	Free, open-content textbooks and manuals.	Provides alternative or supplementary textbooks for various subjects.
Wiktionary	A multilingual dictionary and thesaurus.	Essential for vocabulary building, language arts, and understanding new terms.
Wikiversity	Educational resources, learning projects, and courses.	Supports project-based learning and provides resources for deeper dives into topics.
Project Gutenberg	Thousands of classic literary works.	Offers access to literature for reading assignments and explorations of classic texts.
TED Talks	Inspiring talks on a wide range of educational topics.	Provides engaging content for sparking discussions and exploring diverse perspectives.

Empowering Learning with Kiwix in the Classroom

Integrating Kiwix into classroom activities can significantly enhance learning experiences. As a technology director, I would have loved to have provide a copy of Kiwix and resources available for our District’s computer give-away program.

Getting Started with Kiwix is Simple

Getting started with Kiwix is easy. Follow these four steps.

Download Kiwix. Get the free application for your device. Find it at the official website or your device’s app store.
Explore the Library. Browse the collection. Select what is relevant and useful.
Download and Access: Select and get the ZIM files relevant to your needs. Open these files within Kiwix to start Browse content offline instantly. The process is easy.
Scale for Organizations. For school-wide access, set up a low-cost Raspberry Pi (or faster server) Kiwix hotspot to provide wireless offline access to multiple users simultaneously. That will ensure it’s accessible even if Internet access is lost.

And, for those who may need more robust support, explore the Kiwix WiFi Hotspot. After you set it up, you can connect to it via your browser without internet access. It provides access to custom libraries you have decided on.

For example, several libraries are offered such as Wikipedia (6.7 million articles), Preppers (resources on homesteading, water treatment, military and emergency medicine, etc.), and Medical (Emergency and Military Medicine). There are other options, too.

Kiwix for Offline Learning

While Kiwix offers ample access to information even when offline, remember to pair it with appropriate note-taking and concept mapping strategies. We have a wealth of information, and students need a process for understanding how to work with it and make it their own.

**Vikidia: The encyclopedia for 8 to 13-year-olds**
that anyone can improve with 4,327 articles in English

Oh, I almost forgot. I promised to show you how TCEA’s blog might get converted into a ZIM file for offline access.

TCEA Blog Offline Storage

You can see the status of the TCEA blog’s conversion to a ZIM file below is complete. The ZIM file was entirely too large to get in its entirety, but you can see it captured quite a bit of content from the blog:

What’s more, the content saved for offline use is searchable. This is wonderful, especially in those situations there is a storm and I am trying access content I needed offline. I can imagine many uses for school district technology directors who need to create a backup of their school websites and knowledge management resources:

Imagine making an archive of all of your critical resources for offline access for students and staff to enjoy offline.

June 26, 2025 0 comments

Online Tools and Apps Summer Ideas

Five Techie Things Teachers Should Try Over the Summer (2025 Edition)

by Peggy Reimers May 28, 2025

written by Peggy Reimers

First things first: summer break is for teachers to rest, recharge, and relax. So kick back, put your feet up, and dive into that series you’ve been saving. At my house, we follow the “watch two, do one” rule when it comes to streaming shows. After two episodes, it’s time for something productive (yes, laundry, sweeping a room, and checking out a techie thing totally counts).

Back in 2023, I shared my personal CTO list. That’s short for “Check This Out,” a collection of fun, techie things I’d saved during the school year but hadn’t had time to explore. So welcome to the 2025 edition! Whether you’re in the mood for something useful, something fun, or just a spark of curiosity, these five ideas are a great place to start your summer.

1. Yuka – My Top Find for Smarter Food Choices

Want to know what’s really in that snack bar or the giant bag of granola calling your name at Costco? Yuka is a free app that lets you scan barcodes on food products and instantly see how healthy (or not-so-healthy) they are. Each item gets a simple score out of 100, based on nutritional value, additives, and other health considerations. With more than five million items in its database and no ads or brand influence, it’s like having a nutrition label translator right in your pocket.

This app earned the number one spot on my CTO list for a reason. It helped me discover a delicious Pumpkin Seed + Flax Granola at Costco that scored high, and it has saved me from grabbing a few not-so-great options during snack emergencies at Walgreens. Bonus: Yuka also works on personal care products like shampoo and lotion, giving ingredient safety scores so you can make informed choices there too. Available on iOS and Android.

2. Suno – Song Creation

Suno is an AI-powered music generator that turns your words into original songs: lyrics, vocals, and all. Just type in a prompt, and Suno creates a complete track in seconds. Whether you’re capturing a summer memory, making a silly tune with your kids, or just playing around with creative ideas, it’s a fun and surprisingly impressive way to explore music. No instruments or experience required but you will need a free account. Check out my country acoustic song on my rescues, Boo and Tuff. Just for the record, Boo and Tuff are dogs, but with the free Suno account, you get what you get, and apparently, I got cats.

3. Google’s “Year in Search” (Zeitgeist)

Every December, Google releases its Year in Search, a powerful recap of the most searched topics, questions, people, and defining moments from around the world. It’s like a digital scrapbook of what captured our attention, made us curious, or brought us together. The project started back in 2001, originally called Google Zeitgeist, and you can still go back and view past years. (Just scroll to the bottom of the web page to access the other years.)

I like to revisit a few of the older ones now and then. It’s a mix of nostalgia, surprise, and “oh wow, I forgot about that!” Some years hit especially hard, and after watching, you might want to have a Kleenex nearby. Whether you’re looking for reflection or just want to remember what shaped the year, it’s well worth a scroll.

4. Which Character Are You, Really?

Looking to add a little fun to your summer scroll sessions? Try the Fun Personality Quizzes for Educators GPT, created by my colleague, Miguel Guhlin. This lighthearted tool dishes out playful quizzes to reveal which classic character you’re most like—whether it’s a Looney Tunes character, one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs, a Smurf, or someone from the world of Winnie the Pooh. Each quiz includes five multiple-choice questions that really made me pause and think. By the way, I’m Piglet! Give it a try and see who you get!

5. Tony Vincent’s Gramograms – Text Speak with a Twist

Gramograms are a clever type of rebus where letters and numbers form phrases when read aloud. For example, “RUOK” becomes “Are you OK?” Tony Vincent created a fun, interactive form where you can try decoding Gramograms yourself, and you can’t submit the form until every answer is correct.

If you’d like to know how he set that up, visit Tony’s newsletter for the full instructions. He uses Google Forms’ response validation to ensure only correct answers are accepted. This is also how I build answer forms for my own digital breakouts. It’s a simple but powerful strategy.

And if you follow my writing at all, you know I think very highly of Tony Vincent. He gets an A++ in the department of creating material and giving out sage advice for educators.

Whether you’re scanning cereal boxes, creating your own summer soundtrack, exploring what the world searched for, or finding your inner Looney Tune, I hope this year’s CTO list brings you a spark of fun and curiosity. Take what you need, enjoy what you try, and if you discover something new worth sharing, send it my way. I’m always adding to my list.

May 28, 2025 2 comments

Online Tools and Apps

App Vetting: It’s Time To Take Control of Your App Requests

by Dr. Barbara Nesbitt April 9, 2025

written by Dr. Barbara Nesbitt

Ask any K-12 district technology professional about their app vetting process, and you’ll likely be hit with an exasperated sigh, followed by frustrated grumblings like, “What process?” or “Oh, you mean the process that nobody follows?”

There are many challenges around app vetting, but the two I hear most often are:

Setting up the process—Deciding who to involve and what to look for in your evaluation.

Ensuring adoption—Making sure teachers and staff know about, understand, and follow the process.

If left unchecked, these challenges have serious implications for student data security, budgets, classroom learning, and parental trust. With districts using an average of 2,700+ digital tools every year–a number that continues to grow–the need for a streamlined app vetting process is more urgent than ever.

How to Get App Vetting Off the Ground

So, how do you get started? I frequently talk with K-12 technology leaders about the issues around app vetting and here are steps they consistently say are key to setting up, (and getting people to follow) a proper process:

Get Buy In (Not Easy, But Necessary)

Step one is getting your school system leaders to understand the importance of app vetting. Start by clearly outlining the risks of not having a process and the benefits of establishing one.

Risks of Not Having an App Vetting Process

Apps that don’t meet curriculum needs
No way to track app requests against available budget dollars
No clear guidelines to fall back on when declining an app request
Risks to student and staff data due to using non-compliant apps
Interoperability issues
Failure to meet district, state, or federal cybersecurity requirements

Benefits of an App Vetting Process

Apps that align with curriculum goals
Checks and balances for cybersecurity and data security
Clear guidelines for declining app requests
Clear expectations for purchasing and using apps
Interoperability is verified, so your new and existing apps work together

Many schools create a committee that includes representatives from curriculum, data security, budget owners, and even parents. In a recent article, Libbi Nelson, CITE’s director of resource and service programs, shared a great 10-step rubric for creating an app-vetting team.

Make Your Purchasing Team Part of the Process

Ensure your purchasing department verifies that software purchases have received approval before processing purchase orders. This helps catch unapproved purchases, whether due to oversight or an attempt to bypass the process.

Require Vendors to Sign Data Privacy Agreements

Many schools now adopt a “no signed data-privacy agreement, no purchase” policy. The risks of unvetted apps are too high. Without a signed agreement the implications to your district, as well as students and staff, are costly in terms of money and privacy.

Make Your Process Known, Transparent, and Easy to Track

Once you’ve established your app vetting process, make it widely known and easy to follow. Transparency is key to ensuring adoption.

Luckily, ClassLink has a new AppTrack tool (available Summer 2025) that can help with this step (and many others).

ClassLink AppTrack

AppTrack lives inside the ClassLink LaunchPad (which is where students and staff go to access all their apps anyway).

With AppTrack, you set up the approval steps and assign tasks that align with your app vetting process. Teachers and staff request apps (through one easy-to-find place): ClassLink Launchpad. Once a request is added, everyone can see if and when the app is approved. Every step is visible and trackable, so all your decisions are informed, secure, and accountable.

At just $0.25 per user, per year it’s an affordable way to set up an accessible, transparent, and easy to follow app vetting process.

Buddy Denman, Technology Director at Splendora ISD, recently learned about AppTrack and had this to say; “We’ve been sitting down for the last three or four months trying to come up with the best app approval process, and then AppTrack was announced this morning! It’s just awesome and more than we could have really hoped for, so I’m super excited for that.”

Final Thoughts

App vetting isn’t just nice to have—it’s a must-have. With the right process, districts can improve cybersecurity, ensure budget efficiency, and enhance learning outcomes. Whether you’re just starting or refining your approach, the key is to make app vetting structured, transparent, and enforceable.

April 9, 2025 0 comments

AI/VR Online Tools and Apps

Padlet’s AI Tools Supercharge Digital Collaboration

by Miguel Guhlin April 4, 2025

written by Miguel Guhlin

Creating engaging digital spaces where students can work well together can be hard. Recently, I was impressed to discover Padlet’s AI Tools, new features designed to assist teachers. And, there’s an exciting new addition introduced at the end, the Padlet Teaching Assistant (TA). Let’s jump in.

What Are Padlet’s AI Features & How Do They Work?

Padlet has introduced several AI-powered capabilities. These are designed to make its collaborative platform even better. One feature is “Magic Padlet.” Given a brief description of what you need, it relies on generative AI to create an entire board. If you aren’t sure what you need, you can use one of several “AI Recipes.” These can make it easier to make content for different, specific, and educational purposes.

I recently used the AI Recipes feature to create a jigsaw activity for a mock literature class. I simply selected “Class Activity Creator,” entered a subject (American Literature) and topic (The Great Gatsby themes), and specified the desired grade level (see image below).

Within seconds, Padlet’s AI generated a complete board structure with logical organization, discussion prompts, sample starter posts, and suggested resources.

(View it online)

What impressed me most was how customizable everything remained. After the AI generated the initial board, I could easily modify any element to better suit specific class needs.

Practical Applications

The AI capabilities in Padlet extend beyond basic board creation:

Lesson planning with the AI Lesson Plan generator that creates learning objectives, materials lists, and assessments
Creating historical timelines or geographical explorations with AI-powered map features
Generating reading lists on specific topics with accompanying discussion questions
Using the “I can’t draw” feature to help students create visuals for projects
Utilizing AI-generated text-to-speech in over 40 languages
Automatically generating captions for uploaded videos

Even more helpful? The features to schedule automations, like having a board automatically freeze or unfreeze at specific times (see Automations under the three dots in the sidebar). This makes it perfect for timed activities or assignments with deadlines. What’s more, you can have Padlet assign grades in the gradebook, too.

My Experience Using Padlet’s AI Tools

One interesting use is a Jigsaw Learning Board. You can see one quick board for capturing expert findings and reflections below.

I’ve also used Magic Padlet to quickly create lesson plan boards. You can ask the AI built into Padlet for assistance, providing minimal information:

This makes it easier than starting from scratch and you will see several ideas for your lesson. I may or may not use all of these ideas but they are a way to “prime the pump:”

Introducing Padlet Teaching Assistant (TA)

You can get a look at the Padlet TA online (still in beta at the time this blog entry was written). Not only does Padlet TA enable you to connect to Google Drive, but use a variety of sources to create boards. Those sources could include:

YouTube video
Links
Google Drive
Text you paste in

The Padlet TA is pretty generic at the moment, but you can see the potential possible:

Some of my favorite tools in Padlet TA include:

AI Image Generator – You will love being able to quickly access Padlet’s image generator.
Name Picker – Need to pick a student name for an activity? This is sure to be a fun alternative.
Smart Groups – Create groups quickly from your class roster.
Short Link – Get a Teach.link/yourTitleHere for those long links
QR Code generator – Make a QR code

The other tools, such as lesson plan, presentation, multiple choice quiz, and rubric are also worth exploring. Padlet’s done a great job making these tools so easily accessible via the PadletTA page. Get a quick tour via the animated GIF at the end of this blog entry.

Looking Ahead

Padlet continues to develop its AI capabilities. I’ve found Padlet’s AI tools to be game-changers for my work with learners. The learning curve is low, and the benefits are substantial.

Have you tried any of Padlet’s AI features yet? What has been your experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

April 4, 2025 0 comments

Online Tools and Apps

A Flippity Spreadsheet Superhero: Revolutionizing Education with Free, Interactive Tools

by Peggy Reimers November 20, 2024

written by Peggy Reimers

I am such a huge fan of Steve from www.flippity.net. Let me tell you, this guy is an absolute superhero in my book! I cannot believe how he wields his Flippity spreadsheet knowledge like a superpower when it comes to creating tools for educators? It’s mind-blowing!

Steve’s ability to transform ordinary spreadsheets into a treasure trove of interactive educational resources is nothing short of magical. From flashcards to quiz shows, progress indicators to random name pickers, he’s got it all covered. And the best part? It’s all free and incredibly easy to use!

As a Director of Professional Development, I’ve seen countless tech tools come and go, but Flippity stands out from the crowd. Steve’s dedication to empowering teachers with user-friendly, versatile tools is truly inspiring. He’s constantly updating and adding new features, always with educators’ needs in mind. His two latest tools are the Flippity Group Game (think the New York Times Connections) and Flippity Video Game.

Flippity Group Game

The Flippity Group Game is a word puzzle that challenges players to categorize 16 words into four distinct groups of four, each connected by a common theme. If you are familiar with the New York Times Connections game – this is the puzzle maker for this game. Due note in the NYT Connections you are allowed to make only four wrong guesses and the game is forfeited, but in Flippity you can make over 20 mistakes. (I gave up making wrong guesses at 21.) Each group is assigned a color which is revealed when you choose the four words correctly.

A few more details on exactly how this group game works:

Each category is defined by a unique connection between its four words. These connections can be diverse and creative, including:

Shared characteristics (e.g., animals with black and white coloring)
Linguistic features (e.g.,similar phonetic qualities, spelling patterns)
Semantic relationships (e.g., synonyms)
Cultural references (related to movies, books, music, etc.)
Wordplay (anagrams, homophones, palindromes)

I also wrote a blog on the benefits of using this type of word puzzle in classroom.

Flippity Group Game Directions

The steps are quick and easy.

Enter four items in four categories (you have a limit of about 16 characters)
Click the generate button
Bookmark and save the link to re-use the Group Game.

Here are two examples of the Flippity Group game I have created:

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Flippity Video Game

Steve provides the demo and the instructions to make your own game. I’m not a gamer, so please drop a comment as I would love to hear how you would use this video game in your classroom. I bet your idea will be a spark for the rest of us. Just like the other Flippity tools there are four main steps to use this resource:

Modify a Google spreadsheet template.
Enter your content
Publish the spreadsheet
Save the link and share out.

If you haven’t checked out Flippity yet, you’re missing out on a game-changer for your classroom. Trust me, once you start using Steve’s creations, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them. It’s like having a secret weapon in your teaching arsenal!

So here’s a shoutout to Steve, the unsung hero of educational technology. Your Flippity spreadsheet superpowers are making waves in classrooms across the globe!

November 20, 2024 4 comments

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