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PhotoAid: Free Easy Photo Enhancing Tools

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Fantastic image editing tools abound online. Let me introduce you to a new one, PhotoAid. It offers a stunning amount of solutions on one website through a collection of free, online photo editing tools–14 different tools to be exact. Let’s take a look at my top five PhotoAid tools. And, given the positive response this blog entry has received, you can find contributions from Twitter fans included after Tool #4. Check them out!

The main product of PhotoAiD is the all-in-one passport photo editor, which, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, will transform a simple selfie into a professional passport-style photo. The software we developed is composed of numerous small apps like our remove-shadows-from-photo app. We have figured out the smaller tools may be beneficial to plenty of people on their own, hence in order to give back to the society, we made this tool completely free of charge.

Tool #1: Free Photo Blurring Tool

Need to blur a portion or all of your photo? There are several tools you can use. For example, one of my favorite photo blurring tools is Irfanview. It’s a no-cost, Windows-only program (look at the shareware Graphic Converter for a Mac alternative) that offers a host of features. One of those features is the ability to blur images. The reason I like it is that I can apply a wide variety of effects via a simple interface to a photo selection. That is, blur the face of one person in a group rather than the whole group.

For a browser-based tool, you can try LunaPic would let you. A tool like LunaPic would let you be more selective about which portion of the image you might want to blur, like Irfanview.

If you need to blur an entire photo, then PhotoAid’s Free Photo Blurring Tool works quite well.

photoaid

It’s a question of how selective you want to be. A general-purpose blurring tool can be helpful to have.

Tool #2: Shadow Remover

Now this is a tool I haven’t seen much. It allows you to lighten an image by removing shadows. Here’s a picture of me in my new Fiesta hat:

photoaid

What if I want to remove the shadow cast by the brim of the hat? Here’s the resulting image; you decide as to the quality:

photoaid

This might work great for removing circles under a person’s eyes, but I’m not sure about shadows cast by a hat brim. Here’s another example. The picture on the left is the original, and the one on the right is enhanced.

photoaid

Hold On, I Want To Share Some Other Tools, too!

Thanks to feedback from the Twitterverse, I’m adding a few more tools other readers want to see included. Special thanks to TCEA Member John Bimmerle for sharing IMGCandy. If you haven’t seen it yet, it offers a ton of features as well, similar to PhotoAid. Give it a looksee!

Tool #3: Image Enlarger

Have a thumbnail image that you wish were…well…larger? You can do that with the image enlarger tool. The idea is that you can “upscale your pictures without losing quality.”

For this test, I took a small image and ran it through the enlarger.

Here’s the original thumbnail image:

photoaid

Here’s the enlarged image:

photoaid

The pixel resolution doubled. What do you think of the quality of the image?

Additional PhotoAid Tools

I’ve shared a few of my most often used tools through PhotoAid’s site. But there are nine more to try. Find them all online here. The ones I didn’t mention but that you may find useful include:

  • Photo Darkening Tool
  • Photo Inverter
  • Photo Cropper
  • Color Eyedropper Tool
  • Black and White Photo Editor
  • Photo Flipper
  • Photo Brightener
  • Colorize Photo Tool
  • Photo Rotator

Additional Articles on Photo Editing

If you’re a first time visitor, you may be wondering what other TCEA blog entries address photo editing and enhancing. Here is a short list you can explore later.

Give them a try. There’s bound to be some awesomeness you can use with your existing images.

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author.

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Google Tips and TricksOnline Tools and Apps

Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (July 2022)

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

It’s almost the end of July, which means Target has killed that summer vibe by already putting out school supplies and back-to-school items. I’m sorry about that, but there’s still fun to be had in July! Hopefully, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy these extensions and sites during these last days of summer.

Chrome Extensions to Try

Dualless. We can’t always have a second monitor, and that’s where Dualless comes in to save the day. Dubbed as the “poor man’s dual monitor solution,” it splits your browser windows into two. You can then easily adjust to the size you need.

Magical Text Expander. Save time by creating shortcuts to text that you commonly use. Tired of typing in your address, phone number, or email? This extension is here to help.

Google Dictionary. Yes, you could just “google” the word you are looking to define, but this extension makes your life a tad easier because you don’t have to open up another tab. To get the meaning of the word, you just double-click, and the definition will appear.

GlotDojo. With GlotDojo, you get rid of the need for switching between tabs trying to translate. It even will translate movie subtitles without you having to leave the tab you are in. Plus, you can just click to look up a word in another language.

Pic-in-pic for Chrome Browser. You can now bring this well-loved feature found on mobile phones to your computer. The extension allows you to watch videos in a floating window while still browsing the internet.

Must-Visit Websites

Find the Invisible Cow. You’ll want to make sure you’re audio on before taking a brain break with this site. Think of it as a web version game of Marco Polo. If cows aren’t you’re animal, you can select another animal to find. To date, over 74 million have been found globally. Moo!

Stellarium. If you live in a location where you can’t just step outside to see the starry night, check out Stellarium. You’ll need location services turned on, but it will give you a look into the constellations and planets that you should be able to see from your location.

Internet Live Stats. I am sure you have heard more than once about the millions of people that are really on the internet at any given moment. This site gives you a real-time look into how many internet users, tweets that are being sent, Google searches, emails sent, and more that are happening right now.

Remember, I love to hear about an extension you are using or if you had a great time finding invisible animals.

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Content AreasContent CreationLibrariesOnline Tools and AppsProfessional Learning

Two Tools that Make My Job as a Librarian Easier 

by Andrea Keller
written by Andrea Keller

Like most humans, I spend a large amount of time on various devices using various websites and applications. Although there are a million different websites and applications,  I can count on just one hand the ones that have made my life as a librarian so much easier. When I look at websites and apps, I want to find ones that are useful, make my job easier, and help with community engagement and programming. 

Before I even dive into a website or app that I am going to use in school, I remind myself about my district policies and expectations. I also take a few minutes to really look at the fine print of the terms of service. There are so many great apps out there that our students are using, but they are not always listed for 13 and under. I also look at the data that an app or website takes from the user (be sure to read the fine print!) to be sure I’m protecting my students’ privacy.

1. Nearpod 

Nearpod is one of my favorite websites to use as an instructional tool. Think powerpoint or slides, but make it interactive. The district that I am in provides us with the upgraded version, but even the free version is robust. I can start a Google Slide, and by using Nearpod, I can easily add on other content.  Although the Google Slide add-on is convenient, I tend to create most of my content directly in Nearpod. Nearpod also has a library full of already created lessons and slides that are easily editable once you’ve added them to your own library. Students can access created Nearpods through the Nearpod app on different devices, or log in through the website. Nearpod can also be student-paced, teacher-led, or both, depending on the type of learning. Working in middle school, my students are not always the first to volunteer answers. When using Nearpod, I can invite students to answer open-ended questions, take polls, take short quizzes and so much more. I use the feature to hide students’ names to provide students a safer space. I also appreciate that I can have students log in using Google Single Sign-on, which helps with those names. Nearpod is easily embedded into different Learning Management Systems and offers great data reports to see activity. With any website or app that I use, I want to make sure that my students are engaging with it, and with Nearpod, I’ve hit the jackpot. 

2. Canva

If you haven’t jumped on the Canva bandwagon yet, do so now. Canva is a graphic tool that you can use to create, design, and edit images and videos. I was always in awe of all of the cute and interactive graphics I would see on my different social media platforms. Once I discovered Canva, I realized I could do the same. Canva offers thousands of templates, but also the option to start from scratch and create your own. I use Canva on a daily basis to promote what is happening in the library, provide information to teachers, and create items for my own personal use. I create most of my first line Fridays using Canva and their video options also offer the ability to add collaborators and share across platforms. And there is a free educator account you can sign up for! 

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Online Tools and Apps

12 Apps to Try in 2022

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

With well over two million apps available in the App Store and Google Play Store, it can be tough to know which ones are worth your time. Here are some of my favorites to give your mobile life a boost this summer. Disclaimer: Some apps are free and others offer more features if you pay.

Video and Photo Editing Apps

1. Snapseed.

Developed by Google, this is a great app for more advanced photo editing. This app has some of the best enhancement features and tools I’ve seen in a photo editing app.

iOS | Google Play

2. Quik.

From the makers of GoPro comes one of the easiest video editing tools I have seen. This app is one of two apps in my life that I have bought the full version of. It’s that good. What makes it stand out is its ability to take a video and pull out highlights for you.

iOS | Google Play

Parental Controls

3. Quostodio.

With three boys, I have tested my fair share of parental control apps over the years. Quostodio is pretty great as far as parental control apps go. I like this one because it can monitor search queries and can send you reports on your child’s activity plus offers web filtering. If my kids were not all almost out of the house, I’d probably upgrade to a paid plan. The free version is limited to monitoring one single device and only keeps seven days of activity saved.

iOS | Google Play

4. FamilyKeeper.

The free version is not as feature-packed as the previous, but it does offer parents a warning about potentially dangerous behavior on social media and chat apps using AI. It will send you real-time alerts if it detects a child is being cyberbullied, searching or visiting websites you don’t want them on, and if they are spending too much time on their phone. However, it doesn’t stop them or shut their phone down. You’ll have to do that.

iOS (Available mid 2022) | Google Play

Password Managers

5. 1Password.

If you are one of those people who are keeping all their passwords in their Notes app, it’s time to stop and really think about if that’s the best place for those gatekeepers. (Hint: It’s not.) There are many password managers available today that are free. However, most are not what they are touted to be. The individual plan for this app is still budget-friendly at $3.99 per month and a plan for up to 10 users is $19.99 per month. 1Password is great because of the breach and dark web monitoring. I love it because of its privacy cards. If you’re an online shopper, like me, it will take your actual credit card number and replace it with a different set of numbers. So if there is ever a data breach where you used your card, your information won’t be leaked.

iOS | Google Play

6. Dashlane.

If you want to keep it on the free side, Dashlane will do. It lets you store 50 passwords (because you should not be using the same password for every site) and offers password sharing with your family. This one ranks high in my book because it can give you the option to replace your weak passwords across hundreds of sites with just a click. Plus, it comes with a VPN.

iOS | Google Play

Brain Games

7. Match 3D.

When I need to wind down, my current obsession is Match 3D. At first, the thought of matching objects sounded a bit subpar. And, then I tried it. You may find yourself quickly addicted to this game as well.

iOS | Google Play

8. Two Dots.

This puzzle adventure may easily become your new go-to phone game. Just connect at least two matching dots and you will be on your way to solving brain games.

iOS | Google Play

Travel Apps

9. Wanderlog.

Whether you are planning a vacation by plane or hitting the open road, this is one app you need to download. I personally love road trips. What makes Wanderlog fantastic– it doesn’t limit the number of stops you can create along the way, like other apps. It also has a website if you like to plan your travel that way. Bonus: You can collaborate with friends and family and write about your tip.

iOS | Google Play

10. Culture Trip.

This app has been around for a while. It offers curated content from experts and locals. It provides you with insider tips, guides, what to avoid, and where to go for a local and authentic experience. If you hate doing all the “tourist” things, this app is for you.

iOS | Google Play

Finance Apps

11. Mint: Budget & Expense Manager.

This free budgeting app connects all of your financial accounts in one space. It also helps you track spending, savings, and budget goals. Mint is great because of the customization for tracking your transactions. You can categorize and tag as you see fit which is often overlooked in most financial planning apps. You can also check your TransUnion credit score for free and use their credit monitoring tools. The only downside is the ads. However, that is how this powerful app has remained free.

iOS | Google Play

12. Truebill Budget and Bill Tracker.

I probably have too many subscriptions. From Amazon Prime to Spotify to Instacart to Netflix to that HBO Max that I had to have when the Friends Reunion came out. My list goes on and on and on. If you forget to cancel it, though, you’re still being charged. That’s where Truebill steps in. The app will find your subscriptions and ask you which ones you want to cancel and does it for you! This is available only for premium subscriptions but you get to choose what you want to pay per month. You read that right, you choose from $3-12 a month. There is a free trial as well. (Bonus: They offer bill negotiations.)

iOS | Google Play

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Online Tools and Apps

New Tools to Try Out This Summer

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

Summer is definitely a time to rest up from what has been a very challenging school year, to say the least. But it’s also a time to recharge our batteries through some professional learning. Here are a few new ed tech tools that you should take a look at as you relax and see if any of them will fit your subject area or student needs for the next school year.

River Runner – The premise of this website is simple: Drop a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous United States and see where it ends up. Once you’ve released your drop, the site automatically creates a map and takes you on a visual journey as it travels. It identifies each river it runs into, as well as how far along that body of water it would travel. You can zoom in for more detail on the map, too. I randomly put my drop in Cora, Wyomong and saw that it would travel 2,563 kilometers to Mexico (not where I would have predicted). There is also a global version of the site available.

Nvidia Canvas – If you’d like your students to enhance their creativity, you might consider having them use Nvidia Canvas. This free software available for download for Windows computers turns whatever simple or complex things you draw into beautiful artificial intelligence-crafted images. It works best for landscape images and allows you to select from nine styles that modify the look and feel of a painting and 20 different materials ranging from sky and mountains to river and stone. You can start from scratch or get inspired by one of the sample scenes.

ed tech tools

Loru Games – Loru Games is another assessment/game site for student learning. There are a number of games for them to play for free using either your own questions or those that other educators have submitted. Only the teacher has to have a registration (free); students enter a code given to them by their teacher to get into a game. The site is COPPA, FERPA, and GPDR compliant. Please note that if you want the learning reports, that is a paid feature.

Earth 2050 – Help your high school students become future thinkers by using Earth 2050. This is a website about the future as seen through the eyes of futurologists, scientists, and internet users from all corners of the globe. Select a year — 2030, 2040, or 2050 — and study the predictions for different cities and countries: what will happen to our planet, what our lives will be like, what jobs we will have, what we will eat, and more. Students can also add their own predictions, based on data they gather, to the site for others to view. Sounds like a great project to me!

ed tech tools

3D Driving Simulator on Google Maps – I have to be honest and say I’m not sure of the educational value of this new site I discovered. But I was impressed with its tech. This 3D driving simulator runs on top of Google Maps. Controls are simple: Left and right arrow keys are for steering and the up/down arrow keys let you go forward and backward. The simulator starts you at the same map place every time. But you can get the latitude and longitude for any location you want here and then enter those numbers to drive in your hometown, Paris, or anywhere in the world.

ed tech tools

EmojiMix – Create your own emojis by mixing emojis together. This site was more fun that I anticipated, and I won’t tell you how long I played with it. You can have the site randomly select both emojis, select your own, or search for exactly what you are looking for. Once your new emoji is perfect, you can copy or share it. Simple and entertaining!

ed tech tools

Google Lens – While this isn’t a new tool, it is one that I haven’t taken full advantage of previously. Google Lens works on any device with the Google search feature. Instead of typing in what you are searching for, you simply use your camera or an image to find what you need. It can copy and translate text, provide step-by-step help with math homework (and assignments in history, chemistry, biology, physics, and more), identify plants and animals you see, and much more.

Do any of these websites or tools look interesting to you? Let me know what you think!


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Online Tools and Apps

How to Play YouTube Videos without Ads in Wakelet

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

We all dislike those pesky ads on YouTube videos. (Sorry, not sorry YouTube!) Our students don’t need to sit through 30 seconds of Vrbo or Grammarly commercials before getting to the video we want them to watch, right? Ok. Glad we agree on this. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a way to silence the ads without editing the YouTube link. And my good friend Miguel introduced me to a way to do this with Wakelet. It works just fantastically, and I can’t wait to share this tip with you today.

Step 1: Log in to Wakelet and create a new collection.

Once you’ve logged in, click on the green circle to create a new collection.

For sharing purposes, it’s important to note before you begin that the link or QR code that is generated when you share the Wakelet collection will take the viewer to the entire collection. It’s not possible to just share one item from a collection. Why is this important? If you’d like students to view or access only one video at a time, you will need to create a separate collection for each video. If you want students, for example, to access numerous videos so they can choose what to watch, put all the videos into one collection to share. It’s best to decide now. Ok, moving on!

Step 2: Name your collection and write a description (if you’d like).

Type directly into the text box, and Wakelet will autosave your title and description.

Step 3: Copy/paste the link from the YouTube video into the “Paste any web address” box.

Head to YouTube to copy the video’s link.

Once you paste the link to the video into the “Paste any web address” box, the video will automatically pop up for you below. As you can see, I pasted one of EducatorAlexander’s videos (about Wakelet!) into my collection, and it appeared immediately.

Access the Video

Step 4: Click the blue Share button in the top right corner.

Step 5: Choose your Wakelet collection’s privacy settings.

If you’d like your collection to be private, it will only be viewable to you. A public collection is accessible to anyone. An unlisted collection is accessible only to those who have a link or QR code to that collection.

Step 6: Choose how you’d like to share your collection.

Wakelet offers several sharing options to make it super easy for educators to share with each other, students, and families in the way that’s easiest/best for them. Take your pick!

If you follow these six steps, you’ll be watching ad-free YouTube videos in no time.

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Online Tools and Apps

Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (May 2022)

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

Can you believe it? June is just moments away. I can feel it! Let’s break into summer vacation with a little more organization so we can amp up the chaos in other areas of our lives. Here I offer you a few extensions and sites for organization, but I also sprinkle in a few for fun.

Chrome Extensions to Try

Google Translate. Most of us are already familiar with this tool since it’s built into many social media sites. Now you can translate any page as you browse with this extension. As Emily, our Communications Specialist and former French educator, would say, “Allons-y, mes amis!”

Todoist for Chrome. If you are a listmaker like myself, stop what you are doing and download this one right now. Not only is this great for making ordinary lists but it also lets you organize by day and category.

Tab Manager Plus. I know I am not alone in having 34 tabs open right now. Can I get a silent nod in agreement that this is just one habit I may never break? Tab Manager Plus has been coined the Marie Kondo for your Chrome tabs. The biggest thought they put behind this extension was speed, and it shows!

Click and Clean. Step right up to the plate if you are one of those people who never clear their browsing data or their cache and cookies. This one is for you! With a simple click, it can delete browser history, erase temporary files, and so much more.

Clockify Time Tracker. Sometimes the best way to boost your productivity is to figure out where your time is going. This extension helps to do that by tracking the time you spend anywhere on the web. Data will gather, and you can analyze what’s eating up most of your time. Warning: You may not like your results.

Must-Visit Websites

Vsauce. Love learning? Who do I think I’m talking to? Of course, you do! Vsauce takes all the best YouTube education and science channels and puts them in one place for you to learn.

The Moth. Are you a people fan like me? Well if you are, this website will have you eating up stories from all points of view. “Moth Stories” are told by the storyteller, and they’re always told live. Get ready for some amazingness.

This Is My Website Now. “A hodge-podge of the useful, the useless, and the everywhere-in-between.” I couldn’t have said it any better, so I won’t even try. This site is great for short break.

Now just because summer is almost here doesn’t mean that I won’t be here. Don’t leave me hanging! Make sure you come back for June’s edition with a summer twist.

More From This Series (2022)

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Common Core State StandardsContent AreasCurricular StandardsMathOnline Tools and AppsTEKS

Boddle Learning: A Free Gamified K-6 Math Tool for Summer

by Gabrielle Carpenter
written by Gabrielle Carpenter

Are you looking for a fun yet beneficial educational tool for students to use over the summer? Boddle Learning is an online math platform specializing in adaptive math practice through engaging gameplay.

One way Boddle helps is through its adaptive learning program that identifies student learning gaps and begins bridging those gaps. However, aside from being a great educational tool, it’s also fun and engaging. As students work through problems, they get to play mini-games, earn coins, and collect rewards, all while building their math skills. 

Boddle character with laptop

Why Use Boddle over the Summer

Summer learning loss is a normal occurrence, and it can make the transition back to school more difficult for both students and teachers. However, Boddle can help reduce summer learning loss and improve student re-engagement.

Teachers and parents/guardians can either assign content for their students to practice or allow Boddle’s AI system to take the reins. Students will continue learning during the summer months, keeping their growing minds fed. Teachers and parents have access to a live-data feed on their dashboard, which clearly details student learning gaps, allowing them to help guide the student through the gaps towards success.

Boddle Teacher Ambassador, Carley English, uses Boddle regularly in her classroom and encourages her students to continue the fun at home. “Boddle has been such an incredible tool used to enhance instruction in the classroom, and I know kids would love to have something engaging to play at home over the summer. I had a student say, ‘Ms. English, I know you are going to say no, but can I play Boddle at home over the weekend?’ I laughed and said, ‘Absolutely! I would love for you to!’”

Check out this video that gives a quick look at Boddle!

It’s Fun for Students, Too!

Boddle values providing fun and engaging learning for all students. The gamified education approach has been shown to improve learning and retention, and Boddle has taken that to heart—learning can and should be fun. But, just because the learning is fun doesn’t mean it’s not rigorous. 

Ms. English enjoys the combination of engaging gameplay and math practice: “For students who are used to just playing mindless video games at home, this is a great way to spice up their level of engagement. The games they play are exciting, fun to watch, and gives you a sense of peace knowing they are learning while they play.”

Both the math content and the game side provide students with fun challenges that enrich their minds and test their skills. What’s better, they don’t have to do it alone. Through the “Buddy List,” students can keep in touch with their classmates and practice skills together.

Boddle character with iPad

How and Where to Use Boddle

Boddle is completely free for all users. All you need to do is go to the Boddle site and create an account. Boddle is aligned with Common Core standards and many other state standards, including but not limited to: Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Missouri, California, Massachusetts, Arizona, and many more.

Boddle is a great tool for families to use at home over the summer as well. “Parents can send and see student assignments, which creates a new way to help students with math at home,” Ms. English says. “There are plenty of instructional videos on the Boddle website […] plus technical support standing by to answer questions. As a teacher, I am excited to send home my login cards again in hopes of students continuing to work on their activities over the summer!”

If you’re looking for a fun, easy-to-use math program to use over the summer and in school, check out Boddle Learning! Its adaptive learning program can help fight summer learning loss and provide students with a fun, enriching summer activity, making the transition back to school easier and re-engagement quicker.

Boddle is here to help make math fun for students. We can’t wait to have you be part of our growing community!

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Six activities from the Math Playground site.
MathOnline Tools and Apps

11 Free Math Sites and Games

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Looking for math games for a center, additional practice, or an answer to the question “TEACHER, I’m done. What do I do now?” Below you will find a list of several math game sites that do not require downloading or an account. These websites work well in a regular old browser. The best of all? They are all FREE! Hopefully, you will find one or two that will meet your needs. Here we go: 3, 2, 1 ADD some fun. (MINUS the login and password headaches.)

1. Numble

columns and rows in green, black, and yellow in Numble.
Screenshot by author.

Think Wordle, but for Math. This daily challenge gives you six tries to guess the hidden equation. The only hint you receive is for the value. Just like Wordle, a green number means it’s in the correct spot. Yellow means you have the correct number/sign but not in the correct position. Black means the number/sign is not present. The equation follows the DMAS order of operations. 

2. Ooodle

Mathszone is a website from the U.K. that has a variety of math games for students. Oodle is like Numble. This variety consists of using numbers 1-9 only one time each. Green, yellow, and gray give you hints to find the solution. 

3. Fun Brain

This website has tons of games. The Math Zone alone has over 75 choices. The best thing about these games, they are all labeled with the appropriate grade levels (K–1, 1–6, 2–8, all grades, etc.). Look for the tiny print in the lower left corner of the game graphic to locate the grade levels. 

4. PBS Peg + Cat

The 4 animals on the Peg Cat cartoon.
Scrub-A-Dub

The Fred Rogers Company produced an animated preschool series featuring Peg and Cat which ran from 2013 to 2018. Even though the tv series has been discontinued, the website houses games, stories, and videos that are just so darn cute. Games are centered around arithmetic and problem-solving skills. If you don’t know which one to check out, I highly recommend Scrub-a-Dub. Your job is to match up the sizes of buckets, soap, and water for the cute little farm animals so they will be camera-ready. 

5. SolveMe Mystery Grid

The nine grid with numbers.
Screenshot by author.

Think Sudoku, but online! This site includes three levels of built-in puzzles:

  • Puzzler level – 3×3 or 5×5 puzzles with whole numbers only.
  • Explorer level – 4×4 to 6×6 puzzles with integers.
  • Master level- Up to 7×7 puzzles with fractions and algebraic equations.

You can also build your own MysteryGrid puzzles. Students do not need an account to play. But if an account is created, their progress is kept and players can also be logged in from another device. Players over 13 can enter an email address, but those under 13 can still create an account as this app follows COPPA.

6. Math Is Fun

On this website, you can find puzzles, games, worksheets, and an illustrated dictionary. The games are geared for K-12. Math Is Fun has several categories: Games, Numbers, Algebra, Money, etc. The site states “we may use cookies,” and there is a button to hide ads. 

7. Math Playground

Six activities from the Math Playground site.
Screenshot by author.

Colleen King created this slick, colorful site in 2002 for students to practice math facts. And wow, has it grown to offer hundreds of free, online math games which include problem-solving, logic games, and number puzzles. The site is kidSAFE COPPA certified and does contain ads. Scroll down on the About page to find the categorization of all the games. 

8. Would You Rather Math

This site is so awesome! The activity engages your students in math-based conversations. They do the math and then justify their reasons.  The questions are divided into four grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

9. Solvemoji

Here you’ve got a free website that makes math puzzles using emojis. There are ten levels of difficulty in classic, grid, or word types. You can create an account to join the leaderboard or just solve puzzles on the website. Solvemoji puzzles are great for Math warmups and bell ringers. You can also follow @solvemoji on Twitter. Note that there are ads throughout the website. 

10. Guess My Number

guess my number showing message when guessing a number.
Screenshot by author

Math is Fun provides a website called Guess My Number. Choose a number between a range of two other numbers: 1–50, 100–200, etc. As you enter your number guess, the computer will let you know if you are too high or too low. Once you have guessed the correct number, the website will let you know how many guesses it took to correctly guess your number. 

11. Number Gossip

Tanya Khovanova has designed a website where students can type in a number and up pops all kinds of facts on that particular number.  Just for fun, I typed in the 13. And here are two interesting facts on lucky number 13:

  • 13 is the smallest emirp (yes, I had to look up the meaning of the word emirp.),
  • Irrational fear of the number 13 is termed triskaidekaphobia.

Looking for more math materials? Check out this TCEA blog for digital math tools and here for virtual manipulatives.  If I missed a great math game site, please share in the comments below so we can add it to our list. 

Featured image screenshot by author.

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Building Number Sense with Fractions

by Toni Hardy
written by Toni Hardy

“Cross multiply… just do it! Don’t ask why! It works every time!” This was an unspoken rule when I learned fractions years ago. Many of us had the same experience. Our fraction sense was a series of memorized steps. Where did it get us? It made us human calculators who lack the ability to reason about the size of fractions. 

With “new math,” students have skills that build strong conceptual knowledge using strategies that build number sense such as decomposition. Decompose means to break down into parts. Students usually perform well at this skill. They are able to decompose whole numbers such as 10 is 2 + 8 or 10 is 2 + 3 + 5. This level of thinking can be used when reasoning about fractions. Let’s use what the kids know to help them make connections to concepts they do not know. 

This starts with the way we explain the meaning of a fraction. The numerator is more than the top number that tells us how many are shaded or not shaded. The denominator is more than the bottom number that tells us the number of objects in all. Many times our students interpret these definitions to mean that there are two whole numbers, one on the top and one on the bottom. They see the fraction as two separate whole numbers rather than a number that has a value. 

Let’s modify the way we define the parts of a fraction to students. According to John Van de Walle in “Elementary and Middle School Mathematics, Teaching Developmentally,”:

“the numerator counts and the denominator tells what is counted”.

These definitions are aligned to the level of thinking students should be encouraged to use as they build number sense as it relates to fractions. 

  • Let’s look at an example, 3/8. In this fraction, the denominator is 8. So, we know we are counting eighths. The numerator is 3, which tells us we are counting 3 one-eighths. 

When students use this information to decompose fractions into their parts, they are able to reason about the size of a fraction. They should be able tell you several truths about the fraction 3/8. Here are a few examples that have been modeled using the online tool Mathigon.org. It is an awesome website that can be useful to help students explore and make sense of fractions.

  • The whole is 8 eighths or 8/8. 
  • 3/8 can be renamed to 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8. These are three iterations of copies of 1/8.
  • 1/2 of 8/8 is 4/8.
  • 4/8 = 1/2 So, 3/8 < 1/2 or 1/2 > 3/8.

Conclusion

Decomposing is a powerful tool in developing number sense. When students know the meaning of a fraction, they are able to determine the whole, the unit fraction, and reason about sizes. We must take advantage of this and ensure we allow students to explore and justify their reasoning while using the correct language. Sometimes this takes a shift in our thinking, but we have to ensure we are meeting the kids where they are instructionally and not expecting the kids to meet us where we are. The kids can do it when we help them make the connections.

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