Turn QR codes into a game that can be used with any content!
It’s colorful. It’s magical. It’s MYSTERIOUS. It will mesmerize your students for the whole class period. Eighth graders will swoon, and ninth graders might start out as skeptics (“Why can’t we just do this on a worksheet?”), but fear not! Before long, they will fall prey to the magic as well. And the best part? They are actually LEARNING. So, what is this magical tool, you might ask?
It’s the magic of a cube. Yep. A cube.
Just insert a QR code on each side, and presto! Like magic, you can turn any activity into an engaging learning quest. Furthermore, QR codes are an easy way to differentiate content, process, and product without making it obvious to your students that you are doing so. If this sounds magical to you, read on for some different ways to incorporate QR cube codes into your teaching!
The QR Cube
Roll the cube and scan the code. It’s as easy as that. You can easily find or make your own cube template to use for this activity. I made mine in Microsoft Word by pasting the cube template and then inserting the QR codes as pictures. However, you could also print out a blank cube template and then print the QR codes separately to paste on to the cube.
You can easily create your own QR codes at a website like http://www.qrstuff.com/. Just copy and paste a link to a website or to a Google Doc, choose your color, and the website will generate a QR code for you, which you can save as a JPEG. I typically provide a separate assignment with questions or space to complete each task provided by the QR codes. This way, you can simply change the questions on the printed hand out if you want to differentiate, instead of having to make different cubes for each group.
I recently used QR cubes with my eighth grade students to practice identifying paragraph structures such as compare/contrast, problem/solution, and cause/effect. Each QR code took them to a Google Doc with a sample paragraph. They had to identify which type of paragraph structure was being used by identifying signal words and then creating a graphic organizer.
With my ninth grade students, I used QR cube codes to help students practice identifying ode and elegy. Each code was linked to a poem which students had to identify as ode or elegy; then, they answered differentiated questions on each poem and practiced writing their own poems.
Next, I am looking forward to using the QR cubes to introduce The Diary of Anne Frank. Each code will link to a different website with historical background information, such as The United Holocaust Museum and the Anne Frank Museum website. Students will explore each site and complete a web quest to build background knowledge.
The options are endless when it comes to QR code cubes, but here a few more ideas to get you started:
Link codes to student writing samples and have students evaluate them.
Provide pictures or narrative writing prompts to spark your students’ imagination!
Practice vocabulary by linking each code to a vocabulary word. Provide students with a list of definitions or fill in the blank sentences and have them match each word they scan. This could easily work with foreign languages as well!
Help students practice grammar by providing sentences for them to correct with each code.
Practice developing claims and counterclaims by linking each code to an argumentative writing prompt.
Provide links to different websites on the same topic and have students evaluate their credibility.
Link each code to a practice math problem.
Link codes to different steps in a sequence and have students put them in the correct order. This could work with a variety of subjects; for instance, order the plot events in a story, the steps to solve a math problem, or even the steps of the Scientific Method.
Make test prep more fun by linking codes to practice tests or individual prompts. You could even link each code to a different test prep strategy and have students practice using that strategy with the next problem they complete.
Because they are so versatile, QR cube codes can be tailored to meet the needs of any student. In addition, they add an element of mystery and surprise to any lesson, which everybody loves! If you have other ideas for how to use QR codes in the classroom, send a shout out in the comments. In the meantime, roll the dice and have some fun! I promise you’ll see the magic!
Easily find and create modified content with Common Lit, Rewordify, Newsela, and Actively Learn!
I was recently browsing Pinterest to procrastinate on school work when I came across a website that actually made me want to get back to work. Well played, life…well played. The website is commonlit.org, and it offers a compilation of free texts sorted by type, theme, and grade-level. It can be difficult and time-consuming to differentiate content, but websites like commonlit.org give me confidence that I can meet the needs of all of my students! Keep reading to learn more about Common Lit and a few of my other favorite things (websites for differentiating texts, to be specific).
Common Lit: The first thing that struck me about commonlit.org was its broad listing of common literary themes. Once you select a theme, you can choose a discussion question based around that theme, which will take you to a page with relevant fiction and nonfiction texts sorted by grade level. Even better, each text includes a set of text-dependent questions and discussion questions rooted in Common Core Standards. It also includes links to paired texts and related multimedia, answer keys, and even a parent guide. In addition to theme, you can also search by genre, literary device, or Common Core Standard. Commonlit.org is completely free, though you do have to register in order to access all of its resources. My only complaint with Common Lit is that some themes have limited resources for particular grade levels; however, I think this will only improve over time, as Common Lit relies on teachers to add content. You could easily use Common Lit to differentiate content by assigning heterogeneous groups texts at their reading level related to the same theme, genre, or standard. However, if you want all students to read the same text, the next two resources are definitely for you!
Rewordify: Let’s say you find an 11-12th grade text on Common Lit that you want to modify for struggling readers or use with a younger grade level. Simply copy and paste the text into rewordify.com and click “rewordify” to create a modified text. Rewordify identifies tricky vocabulary words and replaces them with easier synonyms and/or definitions. You can toggle the settings to adjust how many words are replaced as well as whether/how the original words are displayed. In addition to modifying texts, Rewordify offers some strong vocabulary and grammar features. For instance, you can print lists, quizzes and activities using the vocabulary words replaced in the original text; you can also view parts of speech, color-coded for identification. Like Common Lit, Rewordify is totally free, and even offers a wealth of classic literature and public documents if you are looking for a particular text.
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Newsela: This resource is somewhat of a mix between Common Lit and Rewordify, offering modern and historical news articles, primary sources, biographies, and famous speeches each re-written at five different Lexiles. Each article provides a writing prompt as well as four text-based questions focused on specific Common Core standards. Articles can be filtered by topic–opinion, war & peace, kids, law, health, and more–as well as Common Core standard, and of course, Lexile. One of my favorite features of Newsela is that you can find or create text sets based on novels, themes, subject areas, and more, so if you find an article you love, you don’t have to worry about losing it! The one downside to Newsela (if you’re cheap like me) is that the paid version has some awesome features that you will have to look at longingly every time you log in. However, if you are willing to pay for a subscription, you can create classes, assign articles, and track results based on Common Core Standards. Newsela will also automatically adjust the Lexile for each student based on their performance on past quizzes.
Actively Learn: One of my close friends, a fellow middle school English teacher, recommended this resource, and I am stoked to use it in my classroom! This tool provides a wide variety of free and paid fiction and nonfiction texts, searchable by grade-level, genre, subject, page count, and more. In this way, it is very similar to Common Lit. However, what distinguishes Actively Learn is its assessment features. Whereas Common Lit provides an uneditable set of text-based questions, Actively Learn allows you to use and edit pre-made questions OR create your own questions. It also allows you to place questions anywhere within the text and require students to answer the question before they can continue reading (if you like). Questions can be multiple-choice, poll, or short answer, and you can align Common Core Standards with them. Aside from questions, you can also add links, notes, and multimedia, and even whiteout text that you don’t want students to read. Like Newsela, Actively Learn allows you to create classes, assign texts, and grade assignments. Unlike
Newsela, you do not have to pay for a subscription in order to use these features; you do, however, have to have a subscription in order to use more advanced features like assessment data. In addition, the free version of Actively Learn allows you to upload three internet article, Google Doc, or PDF imports per month, while the paid version allows unlimited imports. This being said, the free version is by no means lacking, and I would still highly recommend this tool.
Differentiating content doesn’t have to require tons of time or boring content. With tools like these, we can reach and challenge all students to meet their potential! Do you have other ideas for how to simplify the process of modifying content? If so, leave a comment! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and happy teaching!
Gotta catch all these lesson plans for Pokemon Go!
You may have heard of a little game called Pokemon Go (if you haven’t, you may have been living in a Pokeball for the last few weeks 😉 ). In any case, Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm, becoming the biggest mobile game in U.S. history, eclipsing daily Twitter users and earning an estimated $14 million all since its American release on July 6. The game superimposes animated Pokemon characters over your phone’s camera so you can “catch” them as you walk around in the real world. You can also collect items from Pokestops (geographic landmarks), and finally, fight to defend your team–red, blue, or yellow–at “gyms” located all around the world.
At first glance, Pokemon Go does not seem like the type of game you would use in a classroom. In fact, it seems more like the type of game you would ask students to put away as they try to play it under their desk during your lesson. However, many of our students are kinesthetic learners, longing to get out of their seats and do something; many of our students are competitive or achievement-driven. Many of our students are already playing this game, so why not use it?
Below are twelve ideas for how to use Pokemon Go in your classroom, or as a supplement to your curriculum. Below each lesson you will notice a list of learning styles and personality types. While the activities are intended to be engaging for all students, they may appeal more to certain types of learners than others. Traits highlighted in pink represent the types of students who would most benefit from that particular activity. To learn more about any of the learning styles or personality traits listed, go to my about page here.
12 Ways to Use Pokemon Go in Your Classroom
Have students play the game and complete activities as they find Pokemon. Start by making your own copy of this document with a list of Pokemon (seen below). Click here to access this document and make a copy for yourself!As students catch each Pokemon on the list, they will scan a QR code which will take them to an assignment or activity you create for that character. You will need to create your own QR codes to link to each of your activities (instructions for creating QR codes are included in the download). In addition, I have included common and rare Pokemon as well as evolved forms of some Pokemon. This way, you can vary the difficulty or include enrichment activities based on how hard the Pokemon is to find. You could easily turn this into a class or group contest by Awarding points for speed and/or accuracy. Here are some ideas to get you started:
English: Create a short grammar activity for each Pokemon; assign a vocab word (or list of words) to each Pokemon and have students use the word(s) in a sentence about that particular Pokemon; provide a creative writing prompt for each Pokemon
Math: Create a word problem for each Pokemon on the list
Science: Provide a research prompt based on the type of animal each Pokemon represents (e.g. students would research crabs for the Krabby Pokemon)
History: Provide a significant historical date, person, or political or economic concept for students to learn about or research for each Pokemon.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
2. Have your students read and compare these two contrasting articles on how Pokemon Go is affecting the economy: “Pokemon Go is everything that is wrong with late capitalism” and “Pokemon Go is actually helping small businesses.” If you teach economics, you could discuss or further research the economic theories behind the main points in each article. If you teach English, you could have students evaluate and write an argument or host a debate supporting which article is the most valid. This activity would support Common Core State Standard 8.9 for reading informational text, which requires students to “Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.”
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
Example of a Pokestop in Pokemon Go3. If you teach English or History, have students select and research the significance of a Pokestop or gym in the game, and have them write or present about why they think the writers at Niantic chose that location for the game. As an enrichment activity, you could have students write or present on a location that they think should be added to the game.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
4. One of the most fascinating aspects of Pokemon Go is that it inspires people to explore the world around them, and even meet new people in the process. Using an app like Marvel, have your students design an app imitating Pokemon Go, where users have to walk around to collect something or interact with people. This could be a great way to promote social justice in your classroom. For example, students could research needs in their community to illuminate through their game (e.g. their Pokestops could show where all of the animal shelters in the community are, and users could collect lost or stray animals to bring to the shelters). You could also use this idea to have students demonstrate their knowledge of a concept. For instance, students could show the origin of myths from around the world and have users “catch” legendary characters or symbols from each myth; they could show that they understand a particular time period by including Pokestops at locations where historical events occurred; they could even show that they understand weather patterns by including Pokestops at places where certain weather patterns occur.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
5. Pokemon isn’t for everyone, but the concept behind the game is still worth exploring. Have your students play Ingress instead, the previous game made by the creators of Pokemon Go (free for iOS and Android). In fact, the location of the Pokestops in Pokemon Go are based directly on the location of what are called “portals” in Ingress. Portals emit exotic matter (XM), a form of energy thought to come from an extraterrestrial life form, known as the “Shapers,” who are trying to take over the world. As a player, you serve as an agent for one of two factions “battling to control the destiny of humankind”: the Resistance or the Enlightened. The Resistance do not trust the Shapers and fight to protect humanity by stopping the emission and use of exotic matter, while the Enlightened seek to understand the Shapers and embrace the use of exotic matter to bring technological advances to our society. As an agent, you work to control portals for your faction, much like how you battle at gyms in Pokemon Go. You can learn more about Ingress by checking out their website here or watching the video below on how to get started.
This game would pair well with a unit on dystopian literature or a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of technology. You could also discuss what it means to “advance” society: should we embrace change or trust in what we know to be safe?
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
6. Show students this picture imagining a Pokemon’s life inside a Pokeball.
Begin this lesson with a writing prompt like the following: Write about the life of a Pokemon in the wild. Then write about the life of a Pokemon after it has been caught. Did you portray one life as being better than the other? If so, which one?Once you have sparked your students’ interest, have them read about the morality of keeping animals in captivity, and host a debate on the subject. If you prefer, you could focus more on reading and analyzing the articles by having students “Determine [the] author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints” (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6) or “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning” (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8). Below are a few articles you could use for this activity:
This article by One Green Planet, a nonprofit environmental protection organization, lists reasons why zoos are bad, making it easy to follow and good for comparing arguments on both sides of the coin.
This article, published by a blogger for The Guardian, does a good job of addressing common arguments against zoos. It is however, fairly lengthy, and does contain some high-level vocabulary, so it would be best-suited for strong readers. To aid in comprehension, I would suggest reading Article 1 first, then having students identify counterarguments to the “10 Reasons to Skip Your Next Zoo Visit” in this article on “Why Zoos are Good.” The structure of this article, in contrast with the first article, would also make it a great text for “Analyz[ing] and evaluat[ing] the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging” (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.5).
Hosted on the LearnEnglish Teens section of the British Council’s website, this article provides a concise overview of both sides of the issue at a lower reading level than the previous two websites. It also includes true/false reading comprehension questions as well as a fill-in-the-blank vocabulary quiz and practice worksheets/activities for additional practice.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
7. Research the evolution of the Pokemon franchise. Then compare different mediums of the game, including any or all of the following: the GameBoy games, the collectible card game, the television show, the manga series, and of course, the newest sensation, Pokemon Go. If possible, allow students to experience these mediums first hand (it is likely that students may own one or more of these Pokemon products to bring in). Then you could have students “Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.7) or “Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea” ( CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.7). You could assess this lesson by having students write a review of one or more versions of the game, evaluating which they think is best or worst.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
8. Have students read the article “Playing a science-based video game? It might be all wrong” and then identify what is scientifically accurate or inaccurate about Pokemon Go. Students could then work to create an accurate version of the game using an app like Marvel to make their ideas come to life. You could also use this article to spark a debate over the use of video games in learning as a whole–can a game be helpful or educational if it doesn’t portray an accurate version of the topic?
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
9. Have students choose a Pokemon and write a story about it. In lieu of a traditional written story, you could also allow students to write a manga, since the original Pokemon stories were also written in this form.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
Create a Pokemon, including type, evolution, powers, strengths, and weaknesses.10. Have students create a Pokemon based on a character from a novel, a historical figure, or even a scientific element or mathematical principal. Their Pokemon should include type, how the character or person would evolve, what powers it would have, and which type of Pokemon it would be strong or weak against and why. Once they create their Pokemon, you could even have them “battle” for a gym by having them debate each other over why their Pokemon would beat the other.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
11. Since its recent release, Pokemon Go has had some very positive and some not so positive effects on its users. Have students read about these effects in the articles below, and discuss if the game is ultimately a positive or a negative for society. For enrichment, you could have students create a P.S.A. about how to stay safe and be healthy playing the game, using video making software like iMovie (iOS only) or Do Ink (an app that lets you create green screen videos). They could also create a visual presentation using a website like Adobe Spark, Canva, Prezi, or PowToon.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
12. Create your own version of Pokemon Go using the free app Aurasma (iOS and Android). If you are worried about the liability of having students go out on their own time to play Pokemon Go for an assignment, this could be a great alternative. Aurasma allows you to create “Auras” by taking a photo and superimposing an animation over that photo, so that when a student takes a picture of that object, the animation will pop up on their screen, much like Pokemon pop up on your camera in Pokemon go. This works best when you take a picture of something still, like a painting, sculpture, or logo that won’t be moved or changed. Using Aurasma, you could create your own version of Pokestops around your school and have students find them by completing activities to receive clues, like a scavenger hunt. You could also have students create Aura’s to produce their own version of Pokemon Go.
Types of students benefitted: Ability (low ability, high ability, struggling readers), Myers Briggs (EN, ES, IN, IS, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving), Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical), VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
So there you have it! Happy hunting, and if you haven’t started yet, download the app and start catching ’em all! I promise you and your students won’t be disappointed.
Are students always asking you how to study for the test? This post shares some new and creative ways to help every student ace the test.
All students learn differently. Here are 9 apps and online platforms to help different learners study their materials. For more information on the types of learners mentioned in this post, go to the About Page.
Quizlet: Featuring iOS, Android, and online platforms, Quizlet is a free application that lets you create study sets with terms, definitions, and even pictures. Once you have created a study set, you can review in a variety of ways, including flashcards, definitions, spelling, practice tests, and games. With the flashcards and definitions you can enable audio playback. You can also adjust the difficulty for several of the activities. This is a great study tool for virtually all students, including auditory, visual, kinethetic, low ability, struggling readers, Introverted Sensing, and linguistic learners.
MindMeister: MindMeister is a mindmapping app available for iOS and Android. It also has an online platform. A mindmap is basically a graphic organizer/chart that helps you map out ideas or learning topics. With the online platform, you can create three free mindmaps, but the phone app is free, and lets you create unlimited mindmaps. MindMeister even allows you to collaborate and share mindmaps, which would certainly benefit extraverted and interpersonal learners. This app would also be particularly helpful for visual spatial, logical mathematical, visual, kinesthetic, and Introverted Sensing (IS) learners. You can see some of the features here:
Popplet: This app is very similar to MindMeister, but simpler. You can still share your Popplets by email or by downloading them to your phone or computer, but Popplet does not have the collaboration features that MindMeister does. While MindMeister isn’t difficult to use, Popplet is much more intuitive, so this would be a great tool for students who aren’t so tech savvy, or just want a tool that is quick and simple. There is no Android app, but you can download the iOS lite version free or full version for $4.99; Popplet also has an online platform which allows you to create ten Popplets for free. Like MindMeister, this app would benefit visual spatial, logical mathematical, visual, kinesthetic, and Sensing (ES and IS) learners.
AutoRap by Smule: AutoRap is a free app for iOS and Android that allows you to create rap tracks by recording your voice. Auditory or musical students could use AutoRap to create raps for any topic they need to study. You can read my earlier post on other ways to incorporate AutoRap into your lessons here.
Adobe Spark Video: This is a free iOS app that allows you to create beautiful slideshows with text, images, and audio (voice recording and background music) in in a matter of minutes. To start, you can choose an organizational template–promote an idea, a hero’s journey, show and tell, personal growth, teach a lesson, an invitation–or start from scratch. You can even export your slideshow as a video to share. Auditory learners benefit from hearing their own voice played back to them, and musical learners tend to retain information better if they study with background music. Visual learners can incorporate pictures to associate with terms they need to learn, and Intuitive (EN and IN) students will love the opportunity to be creative. As natural leaders, Extraverted Intuitives (EN) in particular would love the “teach a lesson” template, which they could use to study for virtually any topic.
Spotify: Students ask all the time if they can listen to music while they work. Spotify is one of many free music streaming services, but I particularly like it because you can search by genre or by specific songs. Instrumental music can help many students focus, but musical students in particular learn best with background music. You can listen to Spotify online, or download it for free on iOS or Android, although the free version does have adds.Voice Recorder (iOS)
Voice Recorder (iOS) & Audio Recorder (Android): There are many voice recording apps out there, but I chose these two because they are free and easy to use. Auditory learners could record themselves reciting terms and definitions, or spelling out vocabulary words to study from.
Whiteboard (iOS) & A Web Whiteboard (online): Both of these are essentially free-form drawing canvases. Whiteboard (iOS) has some cool templates you can use as backdrops, or you can upload a photo to draw over. When you save your whiteboard in the phone app, it automatically stores it in your phone’s photos. With A Web Whiteboard (online), you can download your whiteboard to your computer or share via Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit. Visual spatial and kinesthetic students would especially appreciate these apps!
Post-its Plus: Kinesthetic, Extraverted Sensing (ES), and Perceiving students will love this free iOS app which allows you to take pictures of multiple Post-its at once, organize and rearrange them in the app, and even add new Post-its later. You can also share and collaborate with other users. This means that hands-on students get to work with real, physical manipulatives, and Perceiving students can explore new ideas in a way that lets them easily organize later. Watch this one-minute video to see this app in action!
Use VoiceThread and Adobe Spark Video in tandem with Google Slides to reach auditory and visual learners, as well as struggling readers.
Teacher: A simile is a comparison using the words like or as.
Student: What is a simile?
As teachers, we have all been here (a few thousand times). There is always at least one kid who isn’t paying attention, or genuinely needs to hear a piece of information more than once. Adding voice narration to your Google Slides presentations is a great way to reach auditory and visual learners, as well as students who may have difficulty with the material. Struggling readers will also appreciate being able to listen as they read along with the slideshow. You can even assign presentations for homework the night before to give students a chance to preview the material before class (great for flipped classrooms!).
Google Slides is Google’s free, online version of Microsoft PowerPoint. Unfortunately, it does not have a built-in tool for adding voiceovers. However, there are several ways to get around this. I will cover two methods here, one for its efficiency and ease of use, and the other for its $0 pricetag:
VoiceThread: Voicethread.com allows you to upload pictures and add text, audio, or even webcam narration to them. This is an easy and efficient option for adding voiceover to a Google Slides presentation. In addition, students can comment on each slide using text or voice, so VoiceThread is a great tool for collaborating and evaluating information. Downside: with a free account, you can only make a limited number of presentations, so Voicethread is a good option for limited use. Watch the video here to learn how to create a Voicethread.
Adobe Spark Video: Adobe Spark Video is totally free; it is available online as well as for iOS. Just like VoiceThread, Spark Video allows you to upload pictures and add audio to them with the press of a button. You can also choose your background and layout, and even add background music to your slideshow. Get started with Adobe Spark Video here!
With both of these options, you will need to save each individual slide in your Google Slides presentation as a picture so you can upload it to either of the websites. Here’s how to do it:
Click on the slide you want to download as a picture.
Click on “File,” then “Download as” at the top left:
Choose “JPEG image (.jpg, current slide). This will save the individual slide as a picture rather than saving your entire slideshow as one document.
Click on the next slide in your Google Slides presentation and repeat steps 1-3. You will need to save each slide in your presentation in order to create your voiceover in VoiceThread or Adobe Spark Video. Once you have saved each slide as a picture, you can upload them to Voicethread or Adobe Spark Video by searching “My computer” and looking under your most recent downloads.
You can view some of my slideshows at the links below:
I hope you have enjoyed this how-to! Now you can create beautiful slideshows with voice narration using Google Slides and VoiceThread, or Adobe Spark Video.
7. Research the evolution of the Pokemon franchise. Then compare different mediums of the game, including any or all of the following: the GameBoy games, the collectible card game, the television show, the manga series, and of course, the newest sensation, Pokemon Go. If possible, allow students to experience these mediums first hand (it is likely that students may own one or more of these Pokemon products to bring in). Then you could have students “Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film) (
differentiTECH 