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The title "5 AI Tools to Try (September 2023)" typed over the photograph of a woman with various tech symbols in her head.

Five AI Tools to Try (September 2023)

by Emily Horn September 13, 2023

written by Emily Horn

We’re back with five more AI tools for you to try this month! There are so many available now it’s becoming more and more difficult to choose which ones to feature. But we’re having a great time exploring, and we hope you are, too. September’s batch won’t disappoint, so grab your phone or laptop, and get ready to try out some AI tools that might just become your new favorites.

1. QuestionWell

QuestionWell's homepage — Screenshot by the author: QuestionWell Home Page **https://www.questionwell.org/**

QuestionWell is an awesome AI tool that will help you quickly and easily generate questions and objectives that can be exported and used with a variety of other tools. So, if you use any of the following online tools, you will definitely want to check out QuestionWell:

Kahoot!
Quizizz
Gimkit
Canvas
Blooket
Moodle
Schoology
Google Slides
Google Forms
Quizlet

Access QuestionWell by logging in through your Google account. Once logged in, you’ll be prompted to type in the topic, subject, and grade level and select a language for your questions. For the subject matter of your questions, you will need to write text or copy and paste text related to the content, or you can leave the text box blank. Right now, there are three account types: Free Plan ($0/month), Paid Plan ($7/month), and Team Plan ($6/month per user). I would highly recommend giving this one a try!

2. iScanner

iScanner's home page. — Screenshot by the author: iScanner Home Page **https://iscanner.com/**

iScanner for Educators is an AI tool that’s available through the App Store, Google Play, or through a web browser. It boasts that it can scan any document and make it look professional. You can get started with iScanner for free and unlock additional storage space and features with the paid pro version, but with the free version, you get:

Unlimited Scanning
Full PDF-Editor and e-Signature
Export to PDF, JPG, PPT (5 documents per day)
200 MB cloud storage
No advertisements, no iScanner watermark on the documents

BUT, as an educator, you can access iScanner Pro for free if you meet the requirements and complete the educator form at the bottom of the iScanner for Educators page!

3. Typpo

I was a bit skeptical about this tool, but after trying it out, I think it’s pretty amazing! Using Typpo is simple:

Download the app.
Talk into the app.
Edit any words it may have gotten wrong.
Watch the video it generates.

Typpo essentially uses voice-to-text to create a video for you. I can see this being a useful accommodation tool for students who need to see written language as they are hearing it, for students learning English, for chunking assignments, etc. Here is the video it created for me, and it took me about 10 seconds longer than the length of the video to make. So when I say it’s easy to use, I really mean it!

4. Research Rabbit

ResearchRabbit is an AI tool I was introduced to by my dear TCEA colleague, Dr. Bruce Ellis. This tool allows you to start collections of research much like you would create playlists in Spotify or collections in Wakelet. You begin a search with keywords (like you would in Google), a title, or an author, and ResearchRabbit will put up papers for you to add to collections. Once you add a paper, you can see its abstract, references, citations, similar papers that relate, and other information. This tool also generates graphs that show timelines and relationships between research content, authors, and more. Here is a great introduction video to this free tool:

5. Movie/Book Recommender

An image of the Movie/Book Recommender tools' website, showing the input options for the tool. — Screenshot by the author of Movie/Book Recommender Home Page **https://movie-and-book-recommender.vercel.app/?via=topaitools**

We’ve all been there. You finished your book and need a new recommendation. Or it’s Friday night, and you can’t decide on what movie to watch. Fear not. There’s an AI for that! This AI tool is very simple. Movie/Book Recommender requires you to type in a favorite book or movie. Next, you indicate whether you’d like it to generate a book or movie recommendation for you. Then, choose how many recommendations you’d like to get (from two to 10). It’s pretty great.

Well, I hope you enjoy September’s AI tools to try! Which one is your favorite? Do you have any we should add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

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September 13, 2023 0 comment

Assessment

How to Easily Convert Quizzes Between Platforms

by Miguel Guhlin June 20, 2023

written by Miguel Guhlin

Are you an online quiz user? Not the social media quiz kind, but the teacher who uses tools like Quizlet, Kahoot!, Quizizz, and others? While quiz questions are often available in various places, they may not be on the platform you want them to be in. How do you get a quiz from Quizlet Flashcards into Kahoot!? Or a quiz from Kahoot! into ClassQuiz? Let’s learn how to convert from one quiz maker to another and how to export and import questions. We’ll walk through the following actions, and you can feel free to jump to any section that will meet your needs.

Export and Convert from Quizlet
Import Quizlet to Kahoot!
Import Kahoot to ClassQuiz
Import Quizlet/Kahoot! to Quizizz
Import to Quizalize
Bonus Tool: The GetMarked Digitaliser

1. Export and Convert from Quizlet

Do you have a Quizlet Flashcard or quiz? Then you will want to follow these two guides and free tools from GetMarked:

For this demo, I decided to use this Quizlet Photosynthesis Flashcard.

Image of a photosynthesis flashcard in quizlet

Here are the steps I followed:

Save and Edit. When viewing a public flashcard, choose SAVE and EDIT from the ellipsis (three dots) as shown.
Create. You will need to create the flashcard after making any changes you desire.
Export. Now that you have your own edited copy of the flashcard, click the three dots again and select EXPORT.
Use default settings. Do not change anything that appears.
Copy text. Click the copy text button in the window that appears.

You are now ready to use the GetMarked MCQ Converter. Follow these steps:

1. Convert. Paste the copied text copied from the Flashcard into GetMarked MCQ Converter. Click CONVERT. Click COPY. This will put a copy of text in your device’s clipboard. As soon as you click COPY, the EXPORT button appears.

2. Export from MCQ Converter to Text to Quiz Converter. When you click EXPORT, it will take you to another page, the Text to Quiz Converter. At this point, you can paste in the text and choose from a drop-down menu what you want to convert to.

At this point, you can now convert your Quizlet flashcard to any of the following:

Google Forms
Gimkit
Kahoot!
Quizizz

This process is pretty straightforward.

2. Import Quizlet to Kahoot!

Export your questions from Quizlet, then use GetMarked MCQ Converter process above. Here are the steps you would take:

Convert Quizlet to Kahoot! using GetMarked MCQ Converter and Text to Quiz Converter tools.
Save the generated XLSx file with questions.
Go to Kahoot! and create a Kahoot! Then click ADD QUESTION.
Select IMPORT SPREADSHEET.

You will then be asked what you want to do on this screen:

Choose SELECT FILE, and find the file you exported from the GetMarked Text to Quiz Converter. You will upload that file and Kahoot! will process it. When done, you should see:

Then, you can ADD QUESTIONS and the questions and responses will appear in Kahoot! as shown below:

You can now share the Kahoot! with others. Be sure to copy the website address/URL to the Kahoot!

3. Import Kahoot! to ClassQuiz

A few educators have asked me, “How do I get questions from Quizlet into ClassQuiz?” The process is simple. If you want to use ClassQuiz (open-source and free), then you can import your converted Quizlet quiz that is now in Kahoot! Format into ClassQuiz.

To do that, open up ClassQuiz and go to the IMPORT tab at the top of the screen:

Paste in the Kahoot! link you copied into the appropriate box (left side). Then click Submit. After a few moments, you will see the imported Photosynthesis quiz in ClassQuiz:

Example of Kahoot Photosynthesis question imported to Classquiz

4. Import Quizlet/Kahoot! to Quizizz

If you have a quiz you want to import into Quizizz, all you need to do is use the GetMarked tools. Since Quizizz imports from Google Forms, you would follow these steps:

Export from the original quiz tool (e.g. Quizlet) then use MCQ Converter to get question text.
Copy that text and paste it into the Text to Quiz Converter.
Select Google Forms as the output, then click CONVERT.

Once you do that, GetMarked will give you a multi-step process to get the questions into Google Forms. It will involve using Google Scripts, but it is straightforward.

Upon completion, you can open a fresh tab in your browser, and look for the most recent document (check RECENTS). You will see an oddly named Google Form. Click and open it to see it:

At this point, you can go to Quizizz, and select Google Forms:

After you grant appropriate permission, you will get a list of files in your Google Drive that you can open:

Quizizz will work on the import process:

And after a few moments, you now have the quiz in your Quizizz space:

5. Import to Quizalize

Are you a Quizalize user? Then importing is easy. You can import from Quizlet or Google Forms directly. This makes getting content from another quiz provider into Quizalize easy.

Need more? Get the GetMarked Digitaliser.

Back in the day, converting quiz questions was a nightmare. Thanks to GetMarked’s free tools teachers can move back-n-forth between quiz formats. But the GetMarked Digitaliser offers even more comprehensive quiz conversion support.

The price is an annual subscription with an anytime cancellation option. You can see their price chart online, but the Basic pricing at $29 seems affordable. It offers a lot of support for imports from various formats, including:

Word documents
PDF
Google Forms
MS Forms
Kahoot!
Quizizz
Quizlet
Blooket
Gimkit
Socrative
Formative
Canvas
Blackboard
Brightspace
Moodle
Schoology

Highlighted above are the formats most common in K16 settings. And the GetMarked Digitaliser can export to all these formats and more. The custom pricing is only useful if you need support for LearnDash, GIFT, or LTI Integration.

I hope you found the information in this article helpful with your quiz-making, exporting, and converting. If there’s something else you’d like to know about online quiz tools, leave us a comment.

June 20, 2023 0 comment

ClassQuiz: A Free Tool Supporting High-Effect Size Instructional Strategies

by Miguel Guhlin April 20, 2023

written by Miguel Guhlin

Educators are buzzing around a new Kahoot and Quizziz-like tool available at no cost. This quiz website offers a host of features, the most important being that it doesn’t collect data. If you’ve used other quiz tools, you know data is collected about you and your students for their own use. ClassQuiz asserts that, unlike these other quiz tools, it doesn’t send information to third parties.

Let’s take a closer look at ClassQuiz to see what it can do. You will also see how it aligns with evidence-based instructional strategies as well as see new research updates about those strategies.

Git ClassQuiz

Unlike it’s commercial, closed-source competitors, ClassQuiz offers a GitHub website. That means that you could, if you chose, set up ClassQuiz internally in your own server farm. The benefit? You would have sensitive data under organizational control. This is like hosting your own WordPress or Moodle installation.

What Is ClassQuiz?

ClassQuiz works in a simple way. It allows you to take three primary actions:

Create a quiz that allows the insertion of pictures/images
Explore and find quizzes others have created
Import quizzes from Kahoot! that you can then edit in ClassQuiz

As you might imagine, this import option gives you access to the content in a more established tool. Once the quiz has been set up, students select responses, view results, and see a leaderboard.

What Security Safeguards Does ClassQuiz Offer?

ClassQuiz boasts of the following features that safeguard student data:

No tracking
Self-hosting
Cost-free
Multilingual
Dark mode
Save quizzes
Save quiz results
Community-driven

Hot to Get a ClassQuiz Account

Getting an account is easy. Click on the Register button at the top left of the screen, then fill in your desired information, as shown below:

You will need to confirm your email address via an email in your inbox. Using your school district or organization email? Be sure to allow emails from classquiz@mawoka.eu.

Once you have a registered account, you can log in and get access to options that include create, import, results, settings, explore, and search.

How to Import a Kahoot!

You can import a Kahoot! by selecting Import, then pasting the link (a.k.a. URL) to a Kahoot! quiz into the box. To keep it simple, I found a Technology and Robots with Star Wars quiz on Kahoot. Note that I did not create the Kahoot! quiz, but I was still able to import it into ClassQuiz.

Here’s what the import process looks like in ClassQuiz:

And once complete, the imported quiz appears in ClassQuiz ready to be edited, if needed:

Two Strategies to Use with Digital Quiz Tools

Tools like Kahoot, Quizziz, and ClassQuiz offer educators access to digital quiz tools. Each of these tools can be useful for teachers and students. That’s because, when used in alignment with research, they can impact student achievement. How? Through the use of high-effect size instructional strategies.

Did You Know?

“When repetition leads to long-term memories, there are physical changes in the brain. Brain memories disappear very quickly unless they are repeated. Our brains are made up of billions of nerve cells or neurons, all connected together. We form memories when some of these pathways become strengthened by being repeatedly used. (Source: Mike Bell, The Fundamentals of Teaching)

Two powerful strategies can inform our use of quiz tools, like ClassQuiz. Those include:

Rehearsal (d=0.73). This is a high-effect size strategy that accelerates student learning. It refers to mental techniques designed to help us remember information.
- It includes memorizing information through repetition. It can involve repeating information upon seeing a visual cue (like images or flashcards).
- What’s more, team competition as a rehearsal strategy works. That is, the teacher asks questions requiring rehearsed information. Students answer on their own to gain points for their team. (Learn more!)
Retrieval Practice (d=0.46) is often referred to as Practice Testing.
- It is a way to support long-term information retention. It also assists learners in increasing access to the “to-be-remembered” information (source).
- This strategy can strengthen learning. It does so when the teacher or student draws out information through a variety of approaches. The information is “pulled out” of students’ brains when they are prompted to retrieve it. Example approaches include flashcards and low-stakes quizzes.

With these two strategies in mind, you can approach the use of ClassQuiz to see how effective it is.

If the rehearsal strategy relies on repetition through the viewing of visual cues, how does ClassQuiz work? You can create flashcards in ClassQuiz that feature images. Then, students can select responses to match.

Retrieval practice (or practice testing) relies on students retrieving information from their minds on cue. Low-stakes quizzes, entry/exit cards (a.k.a. bell ringers) work well in ClassQuiz.

Shocking Research Update

A new study published in “Psychological Science in the Public Interest“ provides evidence that these strategies are ineffective:

Re-reading
Highlighting
Mnemonics

Pretty shocking, no? If those strategies are ineffective, what strategies are MOST effective?

Practice testing (d=0.46). This is defined as self-testing or taking practice tests on to-be-learned material (a.k.a. retrieval practice).
Spaced vs Mass Practice (d=0.65). Implementing a schedule of practice that spreads out study activities over time (a.k.a. distributed practice).
Interleaved practice (d=0.44). Implementing a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems. Or, relies on a schedule of study that mixes different kinds of material within a single study session (source).

Whenever you see these three strategies, think of this diagram:

Created by author as adapted from a workshop presentation

Leverage ClassQuiz for Effective Learning

Don’t be afraid to leverage ClassQuiz. It can enhance student use of effective learning strategies. This includes strategies like retrieval practice and rehearsal. Teaching students to engage in distributed and interleaved practice amplifies strategies’ effect. It can ensure long-term information retention beyond re-reading and highlighting.

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author, ClassQuiz

April 20, 2023 6 comments

Educational Research

TCEA Responds: Student and Classroom Response Systems

by Miguel Guhlin March 5, 2022

written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

Are there apps that have students respond to a teacher’s multiple-choice questions? I need it to show the results in real-time in the form of a graph.

Thank you, Cindy

Dear Cindy,

Thanks for your question. This question recently came up in one of the Facebook groups I visited. Please allow me to share some of the classroom response systems mentioned.

Before I do, though, I have to share some of the qualities most of these systems share. Those include:

Support for various question types
Instant feedback
Automatic grading and reporting
Work on radio frequency or via WiFi
May need a device for students or run as an app on a student-owned device, or no device at all

These can be costly systems to put in place. As a technology director, I often encouraged more in-depth learning activities. That said, teachers can use classroom response systems for low-stakes, practice testing. Why is practice testing important?

How the Brain Works

In his book, “The Fundamentals of Teaching,” Mike Bell makes this point:

When repetition leads to long-term memories, there are physical changes in the brain. Brain memories disappear very quickly unless they are repeated. Our brains are made up of billions of nerve cells or neurons, all connected together. We form memories when some of these pathways become strengthened by being repeatedly used.

How do you strengthen these pathways? Through repetition. Repetition leads to what Bell describes as “long-term potentiation.” This isn’t just his label, though. Consider this:

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a process involving persistent strengthening of synapses that leads to a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between neurons. It is an important process in the context of synaptic plasticity. LTP recording is widely recognized as a cellular model for the study of memory. (Source: Science Direct)

To Teach is to Learn Twice

When I read Mike Bell’s book, I had already read Zaretta Hammond’s book. In her book, “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain,” Zaretta Hammond expands on this idea. She writes:

When the brain is learning something new, it clusters neurons together to create a neural pathway…when we go back and forth along this pathway, it helps drive new learning deeper into long-term memory until it becomes automatic or deeply understood.

The brain helps neurons talk to each other faster along these neural pathways through the process of myelination, where it wraps the body of the neuron with layers of a fatty substance called myelin. Myelination makes it easier for the brain to do more complex work because the fat allow the chemical and electrical impulses to travel across the neuron faster.

“When we don’t practice or use new dendrites shortly after learning,” Hammond says, “our brain prunes them.” Imagine your brain saving resources, reabsorbing unused dendrites.

By sharing these two descriptions that underscore repetition for long-term information retention, I hope to strengthen my own neural pathways. Doesn’t this give Joseph Joubert’s quote a whole new meaning?

“To teach is to learn twice.”

Team Competition and the Rehearsal Strategy

Rehearsal is a concept I’ve described before. It is a high-effect size strategy (d=0.73) that accelerates student learning. It refers to mental techniques designed to help us remember information. It includes memorizing information through repetition. It can also involve repeating information upon seeing a visual cue (like images, flashcards).

For the purposes of this blog entry, team competition as a rehearsal strategy works. That is, the teacher asks questions requiring rehearsed information. Students answer on their own to gain points for their team.

Classroom response systems can facilitate point collection for their team.

Student vs Classroom Systems

Curious about what classroom response systems may be available for use? Before we get to those, let’s review a related category, Student Response Systems. Student Response Systems often work as part of another solution. This means you’re not relying on a “clicker” device from the vendor. Instead, you use a smartphone, Chromebook, and/or iPad.

What’s more, these tools work great with other high-effect size strategies, including our focus rehearsal through team competition.

Some popular ones include:

Desmos. Math-focused responses. Learn more.
Edulastic. Provides pre-built assessments.
GoFormative. Watch this series of videos.
Peardeck. Allows for interactive questions in multiple formats. Read this blog entry for more information.
Poll Everywhere.
Smart’s Lumio. Watch video overview.
Socrative. Read this implementation document to learn more.
Vevox. Live polling solution for face to face and hybrid. Learn more.
Wooclap. Watch this short tutorial.

Want to learn about more or similar tools? Explore these TCEA TechNotes blog entries. Many tools (Kahoot, Quizziz) are also relied on for quick low-stakes assessments. Now, let’s take a look at Classroom Response Systems.

Classroom Response Systems

Here’s a shortlist of Classroom Response Systems. These systems often come with their own student device. They connect to each other via radio frequency or infrared beam. Rather than work with your existing technology, students get a clicker.

Since Classroom and Student Response systems are often confused, let’s define them for clarification. If there is a clicker device running on radio frequency, it’s a classroom response system. If the clicking happens in a browser or app, it’s a student response system.

Remember, the key difference between the previous list and the one below is simple. Classroom Response Systems are not app or browser-based.

Here are a few you can use:

H-ITT Classroom Response Systems. Comes with a radio frequency clicker, require batteries, and comes in a class pack.
Plickers. This system doesn’t rely on students needing devices, but relies on cards instead. The teacher is also limited to five multiple choice questions. Once responses are collected, answers appear in a bar graph. Watch this video for an overview.
TurningPoint Interactive Polling. See how one education organization relies on this solution.
Qwizdom. Includes a plugin for Powerpoint that allows for instant feedback, grading and reporting. Classroom clickers rely on radio frequency (RF). Watch video.

Thanks for your question, Cindy. As you can see, there are many different types of response systems available to you. A few I didn’t mention here are included in another TechNotes blog entry, Buzz Me In: Remote Learning Buzzers and Scoreboards.

Finally, here’s a quick summary of educational research and a digital tool recommendation.

March 5, 2022 1 comment

Announcements/Important Dates Content Areas Culturally Responsive Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Social Studies

10 Helpful Resources for Women’s History Month

by Peggy Reimers March 1, 2022

written by Peggy Reimers

March is the month to celebrate National Women’s History. The month is dedicated to the accomplishments and achievements of women across the U.S. and the world. Let’s celebrate women everywhere!

Resources for Women’s History Month

#1- National Today

The National Today website has a quick rundown of Women’s History Month. Included you will find the history, timeline, FAQs, importance, and how to observe the month.

#2- History.com

This site has a timeline of women’s history milestones and four photo galleries divided into women leaders and women in sports, art, and science. They also have a documentary vault with 17 women of history biographies. Caroline Kennedy and Christa McAuliffe are two of the selections.

#3- National Women’s History Museum

This website is jam-packed with resources. The two standouts for me are digital classroom resources where you can find lesson plans, biographies, posters, primary sources, and more. You can easily search by topic, theme, or resource type. The other outstanding resource they offer is their library of 170+ biographies. These biographies range from historical pioneers to contemporary newsmakers that impact the world.

*Digital Classroom Resources Screenshot from National Women’s History Museum*

#4- The National Women’s History Alliance

Formerly, the National Women’s History Project, the National Women’s History Alliance is a leader in promoting Women’s History. It is committed to the goals of education, empowerment, equality, and inclusion. The gems on this website include the theme for 2022 and an extensive quiz library (with answers.) and plenty of resources.

#5- 30 Empowering Quotes

Success.com lists 30 wonderful quotes through the generations. Betty White, Mindy Kaling, and Lucille Ball are included. Here is a small sampling of my favorites:

“If you were born with the weakness to fall, you were born with the strength to rise.” –Rupi Kaur

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of using your voice.” –Michelle Obama

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” –Frida Kahlo

“The challenge is not to be perfect… it’s to be whole.” –Jane Fonda

Quote created in Google Slides by author

#6- “A Voice That Carries”

I was so excited to be able to attend the TCEA 2022 keynote and hear Brett Culp speak. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of the nonprofit, The Rising Heroes Project. During the keynote, Brett shared his newest documentary, “A Voice That Carries.” The documentary explains how dads play an important role in the development of their daughter’s self-esteem, body image, and confidence. You can watch his film on Tubi. If you are a father, celebrate WHM by watching this film and maybe even trying one of the challenges with your daughter(s).

#7- 125 Influential Women

If you are looking for a list of influential women, check out this resource. 125 women listed with their life dates and one sentence with “known for” information. The list is divided into the following categories:

Influential actresses and entertainers.
Famous female authors
Influential women pioneers in medicine, science and math
Famous female politicians
Influential activists
Famous women in sports
Influential women in business

#8- American Women Quarter (AWQ) Program

From 2022 through 2025, the U.S. Mint will issue five quarters per year honoring a diverse group of women whose achievements have shaped our nation’s history. 2022 will see the release of quarters honoring Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong. Check your change as the Maya Angelou quarter has already been released! You can read about the quarters here and watch a great 11-minute video explanation by the U.S. Mint. One extra tidbit is the presentation includes designs that were also under consideration but were not chosen. If you are looking for something quicker, check out the two-minute news clip by CBS 2 News. You can also follow the quarters on Twitter with #herquarter.

#9- Augmented Reality Experience

Grab a dollar bill and use the NotableWoman augmented reality app, available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, to replace George Washington’s portrait with 100 historic American women. You will discover the accomplishments of activists, artists, scientists, business leaders, writers, and civic leaders. After the magic happens, tap their name at the top for a brief summary.

#10- Quizzes

Several teachers have created and shared their WHM quizzes through several different educational platforms. Quizizz, BrainPOP, Kahoot and Gimkit have scads to choose from.

For even more resources, check out 18 Women’s History Month Activities or this TCEA blog post.

Featured image: Created by TCEA staff.

March 1, 2022 2 comments

Good Teaching

Tech Tools and Best Practices with Remote Learning

by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author July 21, 2020

written by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author

As educators prepare for going back to school, some may still feel uncertain as to what our upcoming year will look like — and most importantly, how it will start. In March, we were all thrown into the deep sea of remote learning regardless of whether we were tech-savvy enough to swim or not! It is safe to say though that teachers now have a wide variety of tech tools under their belt.

Here are eight tips on using tech tools that enhance best practices for remote learning and even traditional settings. Whether your district will follow a hybrid model or full remote model, the following digital tools and examples from additional resources will help you be ready for whatever comes your way.

Digital Organization for Remote Learning

Being organized can help to reduce stress and focus on what’s most important, allowing more time for teaching or facilitating the learning of students, while also helping them access resources easily. Google Classroom has a fairly new feature where assignments or questions can be categorized by topics for efficient organization.

Creating hyperdocs is another way to keep tasks and assignments in one document where students are provided hyperlinks and instructions for a self-paced lesson. Google Sites is a great tool that is free and available for Google users to set up a digital classroom where students can visit to access resources, assignments, important upcoming dates, and other materials all in one place.

Increase Student Engagement

In order to increase student participation during remote learning, we must keep them engaged with interactive lessons. Nearpod is a teacher favorite that focuses on learner participation with a wide variety of activities embedded, such as open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blank, Flipgrid, and matching pairs, available for feedback and assessments.

Content media can easily be included in the lessons as well, such as videos, VR field trips, 3D objects, and Sways. This tech tool is constantly evolving to meet teacher needs in order to keep every student engaged while delivering a live lesson for synchronous learning or a student-paced lesson for asynchronous learning.

Nearpod has a full library of already created interactive lessons that are aligned to state standards ready to be assigned to students. Classflow is a cloud-based software that allows for effective lesson delivery and you don’t necessarily need an interactive display. Pear Deck is a Google Slides add-on that helps teachers create interactive lessons with different activities and assessments for students to participate in during a live lesson.

Finally, Edpuzzle is a life saver when it comes to assigning videos to students. This tool allows teachers to embed questions, narration, or notes throughout any video to check for comprehension and ensure students are fully engaged.

Facilitate Student Learning

Become a facilitator and encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. You can create and assign a hyperdoc for an entire week, allow students to complete it at their own pace, and set a due date for students to submit all of their work. You can use Google Docs or Google Slides to create those interactive lesson documents with hyperlinks and resources.

Timely Student Feedback

Timely feedback from students in real time allows the opportunity to monitor and adjust instruction immediately to meet their needs. You can empower every student with a voice by actively participating using collaborative Google Drawings or any other Google tool, interactive assessments with Quizizz, fun synchronous assessments with Kahoot, and game-based quizzes using Time to Climb activities in Nearpod.

Another amazing tool that allows for students to have a voice is Flipgrid. While you effortlessly engage learners, you also provide the opportunity to boost their confidence.

Student Collaboration

Collaboration among students not only increases their confidence and keeps them actively learning, but also allows them to problem solve with peers while developing one of the critical skills needed in the real world.

Padlet is a digital platform where teachers can create beautiful collaborative boards for students to contribute with a variety of media. They can post content such as text, hyperlinks, images, and videos.

Nearpod also has a collaborative activity where students can post ideas or resources to one digital board. Teachers can also share templates they create in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings, granting them editing rights to work synchronously in real time to complete a task or assignment as a group.

Limit Screen Time

Just because students are learning remotely does not mean all of the work needs to be done digitally. Students can be given a project-based assignment and be asked to reflect or present it to peers using a tech tool, such as Flipgrid or Seesaw. Within both of these platforms, students can record a video of themselves and safely share with peers.

Video Recording

Video tutorials are one of the best ways to teach anything while showing visuals or using a digital whiteboard, especially on YouTube! Screencastify or Loom will allow you to record yourself explaining a concept while sharing your desktop screen and simply uploading it to YouTube to share with students.

Communication with Students and Parents

Communication is key. One of the best interactive tools to openly communicate with students, parents, and even colleagues is Google Sites. As mentioned in the first tech tip for best practices, Sites allows the user to organize any content and media in pages and personalize it to make it fun.

The site can be shared and viewable to not only students but parents as well to create a centralized digital location for all important classroom information and resources for student success. Think of it as a digital open-house for the entire year!

Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash

July 21, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Test-Enhanced Learning Made Simple with Knowt

by Miguel Guhlin March 26, 2020

written by Miguel Guhlin

The research is clear: rereading a text doesn’t work as well as taking a test over the material. Known as retrieval practice, it involves students studying a passage of text. Then, students take a low-stakes test about it. In this blog entry, we’ll explore a tool that empowers students to make their own tests.

The Testing Effect

“Retrieval practice” involves frequent testing or quizzing. Students take practice tests over a period of time. This pushes them to recall material from memory. In time, this assists students with remembering the material. Research shows that students recall more information from practice testing than rereading.

Practice testing has an effect size of .46. The Visible Learning Meta X database describes it in this way:

Practice testing is a well-established strategy for improving student learning. The aim of practice testing is to support long-term retention. It is also to increase access to retrieving the “to-be-remembered” information. Sometimes called retrieval practice, practice testing, or test-enhanced learning.

Let’s take a look at some research. These results compare studying versus practice testing as a way to increase retention:

Studying
- Need information retained for a short time? Study it.
- Studying over fewer, longer sessions is less effective than its alternative. The alternative is spacing out the intervals of study over a longer period of time. This is called Spaced vs massed practice and enjoys an effect size of .65.
Practice Testing
- Need long-term retention of information? Use practice testing.
- Testing has a greater impact than repeated study when done over time.
- Testing after reading improves students’ ability to answer questions. That includes questions that are “in the text” and “in the head.”
- Testing done once a day after covering material increased retention
- Students tested often had increased retention.
- It doesn’t matter what form the questions take. Students gain the benefit of practice testing regardless of question type. All questions were as effective as the others at enhancing the students’ learning. Question types include:
  - multiple-choice,
  - short-answer, and
  - hybrid questions

You can deepen the impact of practice testing if students receive feedback. Delayed feedback yields better results. That’s no surprise since feedback has an effect size of .64 itself.

What’s convenient about practice testing is teachers or students can create the test. The question is, what’s the best way to do that?

Reviewing High-Effect Size Strategies

Before we jump into the technology side of this, notice that there may be a happy confluence. The confluence is of high-effect size strategies that include the following:

It’s easy to see how these powerful strategies speed growth in a year and a half in a school year. Ok, now that’s out of the way, let’s review some technology tools.

Ways to Create Practice Tests

Although teachers can make a practice test, there’s a benefit to students making it. No doubt, teachers are making tests using various tools that support quizzing.

Some of those tools teachers use include the following:

Google Forms: Create quizzes with this easy to use tool
Kahoot!: Check out these TCEA TechNotes blog entries on Kahoot!
Microsoft Forms: Learn more about Microsoft Forms via this blog entry
Quizlet: Explore this tool via these blog entries
Quizziz: A few blog entries discuss how to use this tool

While students can use these tools, there is another one available.

Student-Created Quizzes

As a high school student, I stumbled upon a technique that I wish someone had told me about earlier. That is, how to read a selection of text then select content that might appear on a test. At the time, I did not create a test. I highlighted, wrote down or summarized critical test information. It was only later that I would reformulate my notes into test questions. This technique was quite effective in history classes, which I made straight “As” in.

Students can now use a free service to turn their notes into practice quizzes. Students can use an online notebook, or import their notes. The imported notes can be in Google Docs, or Word format. Once imported, the student click a button and their notes get turned into a quiz.

Wondering what the digital tool is that can students can use? Asking yourself what tool can they use to get a .47 effect size boost to knowledge retention? Let’s find out.

Meet Knowt: Get to Know Your Notes

Students can take their online notes, click a button, and a quiz appears. Knowt features fill in the blank, multiple choice or short answer questions. Recall that question type doesn’t matter for practice testing. Instead, it’s the repetition on a daily basis to allow for spaced practice (.65 effect size).

For fun, I asked Knowt to import a tough Google Doc. The Google Doc? Matching High-Effect Size Instructional Strategies and Digital Tools. It created a twenty-five question quiz out of the content.

Here’s the first question:

In case you’re wondering, the answer is C. Performance. How did Knowt do this? Knowt describes their process in this way:

First, we take your notes and analyze them using machine learning. On our server, the A.I. determines the best question formats for each sentence. Once it knows the best questions, the algorithm sends it to the web or mobile app for you to take a quiz. It only takes seconds. At the end, you get great quizzes that are custom made from your notes that you can take anywhere you go.

In this 25-question quiz that I created from complicated content, the questions made sense and worked. Here’s what my notes looked like in Knowt:

Fiction vs Non-Fiction

For fun, I decided to drop one of my favorite stories into Knowt. The story? Frank Stockton’s The Lady or the Tiger (online). One of my favorite teachers, Fr Richard O’Shaughnessy, introduced it to my classmates and I. Like everyone else, we agonized over the ending.

Knowt turned the story into another 25-question quiz. Some of the questions were not reasonable, but if you have to know it cold, Knowt works great.

Watch a Video

Need a quick way to get started? Check out esteemed educator, Richard Bryne, as he shares a demo of GetKnowt.

A teacher’s edition is under development and is due out in April 2020. That’s right around the corner. Sign up for the beta.

Making an AI-powered quiz of study materials has never been easier. Give Knowt a try. Want to share quizzes you create as a teacher? The Knowt Teacher’s Edition makes it possible. It also features a class section, student management, and more. Pilot programs for the teacher’s edition are also available.

Image Source

Feature image. Screenshot by author.

March 26, 2020 0 comment

Educational Trends Good Teaching

How to Start Your Flipped Classroom

by Jill Hobbs, Guest Author January 23, 2020

written by Jill Hobbs, Guest Author

Are you sold on the flipped classroom model but don’t know where to start? I’d like to help you get there. I’m very passionate about this method and can’t wait for others to join me.

It’s been a year and a half since I started flipping, and seeing the transformation of my class and my students is exhilarating. Students are more engaged and interested and there is more active learning in class. I’d like to share my knowledge with you to hopefully help lessen the anxiety of trying something new.

Let’s get started with a few things I believe are important to a successful transition to a flipped classroom.

Consider Access First

First, incorporating technology is the most important aspect of flipping your classroom as this is how students will access materials outside of the school. In my district, we use the learning management system (LMS) Canvas to offer a blended learning approach.

An LMS is a great tool to deliver vast amounts of information through a web-based environment. It is easy for students and offers 24-hour access to information (i.e. calendars, learning content, multimedia, assignments, etc.) anywhere they choose as long as they have internet access. Learning your districts’ LMS is crucial.

You can also register for a free account if your district doesn’t have one. Check out the 11 Best Free, Open Source LMS Tools for Your Small Business to explore some options.

Use the Right Tools

Secondly, integrating various digital tools for your students to use is also a must. One of the biggest struggles with flipped classrooms is having students come to class ready. In my class, students need to watch a video for homework and answer at least five questions to check understanding. How do you encourage students to complete this before class?

It helps to ensure that there are engaging, fun, and interactive activities during class for students to participate in when they come to class prepared. Make sure the students know this up front and they will come to class with their work completed so they can participate in all the excitement.

Plus, for the first several weeks, you can send emails to parents informing them of their child’s progress with homework. I also encourage a weekly newsletter so parents and students are well-aware of the expectations for the week. Whether you flip or not, communicating with parents regularly is very beneficial.

Useful Digital Tools

Here are a few digital tools I find very helpful to use with my class:

Edpuzzle – Edpuzzle uses videos you make or find to engage students. You can embed questions throughout the video to track comprehension.
Flipgrid – Flipgrid is a social learning platform. Students are asked questions and respond with a video, allowing other students to comment on their post and opening the door for discussions.
Nearpod – Nearpod is an easy way to engage students with interactive lessons they can do individually (self-paced) or in groups. There are a lot of lessons to choose from, or you can create your own easily.
Kahoot! – Kahoot! is a game-based learning tool. There are a lot of games already created by other teachers and you can also create your own. Students are highly engaged as they answer questions, creating an exciting learning environment.
Quizizz – Quizizz is a fun and engaging way to provide student-paced formative assessments.
Padlet – Padlet is a powerful resource for student collaboration. It is a digital canvas where students can upload videos or images, write text, or upload documents.

There is a lot to learn when flipping the classroom, so don’t try to figure it all out in one night. Learn as you go and don’t be afraid to go slowly. Start out with only flipping one lesson a week and then move to two lessons a week.

The same goes for integrating various digital tools – one at a time, and before you know it, you’ll be flipping all your lessons.

Let Your Students Shine

The best part about flipping is when your students shine. This past year, I had a student who really excelled with the flipped learning method. He struggled in math for years, and the first semester in my class was no different. However, once he and his parents grasped the concept of the flipped learning method, his grades and understanding vastly improved.

The use of instructional videos, external videos, practice problems, quizzes, and interactive games to play assisted him to see if he “gets it.” His success was a combination of having all the resources easily and readily available to him, as well as his willingness to work hard.

In your flipped classroom, you could see these same results. So remember to start with one lesson at a time and go slowly. Don’t rush, as it takes time to learn all the resources, but you will get it. Once you do, you won’t want to go back.

Photo: stem.T4L

January 23, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Take the Ed Tech Leap and Make It Count!

by Guest Blogger December 21, 2018

written by Guest Blogger

“The day is almost done. Don’t cry until they leave.” Those words echoed in my mind as I stood there watching my class. I stopped talking. I stopped teaching. It was my first year of teaching and I was exhausted, drained, and burned out. I realized I was the Charlie Brown teacher. I was playing “sage on the stage” but all my students were hearing was, “wah wah wah wah.” I questioned my ability. I questioned my future as an educator. I had to choose: quit or change.

Well, six years later, I’m still teaching. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.” Challenges are opportunities to learn something new about ourselves. That first year was insanely challenging. But it started me on an incredible journey of discovery. The challenges I faced pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the realm of ed tech and innovation. These challenges ignited my teacher soul in ways I didn’t know I needed!

If it had been easy, technology integration might never have crossed my mind. However, I quickly learned that traditional teaching wasn’t working for me or my students. Something had to change, and ed tech was the avenue that revolutionized my classroom. It wasn’t an overnight success. There were plenty of bumps and a whole lot of crazy adventures (and there still are). But the payoff is worth it. If you’re standing at the edge intimidated by the leap, that means it’s time to do it. Effective technology integration is a game changer. Don’t wait any longer!

Increase Student Engagement

I needed to get away from the front of the room and put the learning and ownership in my students’ hands. Nearpod was the first tool I encountered that facilitated this shift. Its many different interactive features make formative assessment instantaneous, which makes it easy to adapt lessons to meet student needs. Sharing student work allows my students to analyze and discuss what they have done well and what they could do better. They identify and learn from mistakes from themselves and their peers. Leading the lesson from my iPad, I am no longer a prisoner of the front board. Finally, I can move around the room, helping students on the spot, checking in as we discuss and work. It has changed the dynamics of my classroom!

Nearpod was only the beginning for me. A plethora of options exist to increase engagement. Tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz bring an element of competition and fun. These tools are used to assess prior knowledge or review concepts, either whole group or independently. They excite students about winning with knowledge while giving you feedback to adjust instruction. Put the learning in your students’ hands and empower their voice with tools like FlipGrid. Give them the opportunity to explain, make connections, discover, and teach each other. Putting a worksheet on a device isn’t revolutionary, but switching up the way students interact with the information can be. Using ed tech isn’t about what you use, it’s about how you use it.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

There’s an abundance of tools available, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and paralyzed. Don’t. Choose one tool and try it out. Don’t give up when it glitches or the internet goes down or any of the other million things that could happen, happen. Be patient…with the tech, with your students, and with yourself. And always ask for help…from anyone, including your students. Support equals survival!

Share Your Experiences

The first time I used Nearpod effectively (there were some definite misses along the way), I was bursting to tell anyone and everyone. It was an exciting shift. You’ll have those moments, too, so be sure to share your experiences. You might be the spark for a colleague who has been standing at the edge intimidated by the same leap. As you get your ed tech footing and begin experimenting with different tools, you’ll also realize it’s just as important to share the missteps as it is to share your successes. Use your voice and experience to empower others!

Embrace the Journey

I had no idea how much technology would change my professional journey. This adventure has connected me with people from all over the world. It has opened opportunities that I might never have considered before, like pursuing a degree in educational technology leadership. To be completely honest, there are ups and downs. Sometimes you’ll feel like a rock star and other times you’ll feel full of self-doubt. You may question what you have to contribute because others are doing incredible things. Embrace the words of Simon Sinek: “Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle.” It’s your journey, own it!

Ed tech changed me and reignited my passion for teaching. How will it change you?

This is a guest blog by Karen Vallente. Karen is a middle school Algebra teacher in San Antonio, Texas who constantly pushes herself outside her comfort zone and loves learning new ways to engage students in authentic, meaningful learning experiences!

December 21, 2018 0 comment

Android Chromebooks

Androidify Learning

by Miguel Guhlin January 2, 2018

written by Miguel Guhlin

“Ninety-two percent of students say that it is easier to use their mobile device to improve their access to information,” says Daniel Adeboye, citing university research. “Not every classroom can get a laptop every day, so [devices like smartphones], even if you have to pair up, become something useful for teachers,” says Ken Halla, a classroom teacher. In this blog entry, let’s explore a few, effective ways to “androidify” learning in your classroom.

Research Insights

Do BYOD devices enhance learning or distract learners? Let’s take a look at one meta-analysis of 110 studies, The effects of integrating mobile devices with teaching and learning on students’ learning performance: A meta-analysis and research synthesis.

Use the Android app PicsArt Photo Studio to create infographics like this one

Mobile devices…

Support various teaching styles, including lecture-style teaching, convenient information gathering, information sharing, cooperative learning, exploratory learning outside the classroom, and game-based learning.
Facilitate the development of communication, problem-solving, creativity, and other high-level skills among students.
Feature individualized interfaces, real-time access to information, context sensitivity, instant communication, and feedback.

In-Classroom Strategies

While the debate rages on the effectiveness of smartphones in the classroom, many educators and students have already taken the plunge. Consider the slide show, Thirty-three ways to use mobile phones in the classroom (PDF) as a starting point.

Effective Mobile Device Use

Daniel Adeboye makes the point that use of technology in classrooms often enhances efficiency, rather than improves learning effectiveness. He suggests several approaches, among them these three:

Audio recording
Live polling tools
Video creation

Some would also add tools that facilitate staying in touch with students, such as Remind.com for “real-time messaging for your school, group, or just a single person.” However, while educators like Ken Halla have compiled excellent lists of educational apps for BYOD, in this blog entry I’d like to make some of my own recommendations.

1- Audio Recording

As a veteran audiophile, my go-to set of recording tools includes the following:

Voxer.com: While many educators use Voxer to participate in audio-only communities and audio chats, only a few take advantage of it as a recording tool. You can record interviews with others using “My Notes.” Add an iRig Mic to enhance audio quality. You can save the audio as an MP3 file to the cloud. If you prefer to tweet the audio as a link, that option is available. Maximum record time is fifteen minutes.
HiQ MP3 Recorder: A drop-dead simple audio recorder, HiQ MP3 Recorder (free version) can save to MP3 audio format. You can get the audio off the device quickly, saving to Dropbox, Google Drive, or taking advantage of an app’s built-in WiFi Drive. WiFi Drive allows you to connect via a web browser on a computer (or another mobile device). Once connected, you save a copy of the audio file. This is a real time saver. Unlike Voxer, an account is not required to use HiQ MP3 Recorder. Maximum record time is 10 minutes in the free version.

Audio recordings can be used to monitor and/or assess students’ grasp of a subject or target language.

2- Live Polling Tools

Mobile devices facilitate “instant-feedback functions.” These functions “solve the difficulty of efficiently executing…formative assessment in a class with many students,” say the authors of the meta-analysis cited earlier. Many choices are available.

Poll Everywhere: Available for several years, this is often the go-to choice for conducting polls.
VoxVote: This app provides five events for free and allows for unlimited audience voting.

Some other tools include iClicker, Sli.do, and Quick Tap Survey. Add interactivity with tools like Kahoot! and Quizizz.

3- Video Creation

“By 2017, video is predicted to be two-thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic,” point out the authors of this article. Anyone can create a video with a smartphone. However, editing the video to good effect can be challenging on the small device. Just as iOS users enjoy a few tools like iMovie (free), Videocraft ($2.99), Pinnacle Studio ($12.99), or Filmic Pro ($14.99), so do Android users.

Note: Remember that you need to be logged in with a personal Google account, not a G Suite EDU, to access links to apps in the Google Play store. Otherwise you will get an error.

Before jumping into a list of Android video creation and editing tools, it wouldn’t hurt to review the article, Six tips for successful mobile video assignments. Video creation and editing expectations need to be lower than desktop editing. Most “free” tools include watermarks that can only be removed with a monthly or annual subscription. If you need to record your Android screen, use XRecorder. The tools below focus on video editing.

YouCut – Video Editor & Video Maker, No Watermark: An easy to use video editor that will have you combining pictures, videos, and music (free titles available).
Filmora Video Editor: From their website, app creators describe it as “A pretty powerful video editor application, which will not stamp a watermark or place a time limit on your clip.” With FilmoraGo, you can make video with music and effects and then share to social media.
VideoShow Video Editor: This editor with in-app purchases offers simple editing, subtitles, and over a thousand music clips. A companion app, GIFGuru, makes animated GIFs possible. VideoShow allows conversion of the video to MP3 audio. Creating a video for class assignments shouldn’t be too difficult.
Action Director Video Editor: Action Director offers a variety of options, including editing video, adding music, and more.

Android Authority has a few more choices listed. Try these three first. Kinemaster, ALIVE MovieMaker, and PowerDirector were objectionable for various reasons. Provided video editing is not a class assignment, students can use the Seesaw app to capture student video summaries. The real challenge for video on Android is video rendering time. Not all Android devices are created equal.

Green Screen Tip

On iOS, the DoINK Green Screen app reigns supreme. Green screen can also be done on Android. For video editing, try the paid version of Media Studio. For a one-time charge ($14.95), additional features can be purchased. These features include the green screen effect and audio recording/editing tools. For photos, use PhotoLayers (features in-app ads).

Androidify Learning in Your Classroom

As you work to “androidify” your classroom, remember to have fun. One complaint I often hear about BYOD involves teachers’ lack of familiarity with the right apps. They often do not know how to match apps to an instructional purpose. Consider these apps as a starting point.

Update: This blog entry was updated on 04/01/2020 with new information.

January 2, 2018 0 comment

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