Content and Substance

Many of these will also connect with other Design Qualities. For example, a Khan Academy video will contain content. But one could also consider that the delivery model of an explanatory video also addresses Organization of Knowledge as an instructional strategy.

GENERAL
Teachers Give Teachers - This is the HyperDoc library of HyperDocs. Lots of design ideas. Login required, but free.
​Ted-Ed Lessons - A searchable database of lessons in a variety of content areas.
Wonderopolis - Where the wonders of learning just never cease. With a hook like that, who can resist! Check it out.
iBooks - Apple’s e-book site. Keep an eye on the emergence of digital textbooks.
Wolfram/Alpha - Billed as a computational knowledge engine, this site is loaded with content. Click examples and explore.
ViewPure - ViewPure is a site that allows students to watch YouTube videos free from ads. You can enter any URL from YouTube. However, one neat addition on ViewPure is the Teacher Resources link. Here you can see video already curated by subject area and topic. ViewPure makes it's money on site embedded ads [not video]. There is no login.

MATH
Digital Tools for Math - Janet Corder and Joan Gore have curated a treasure chest of digital tools with math applications.​
The Big List of the Best Websites for Teaching Math - From We Are Teachers with lots of math applications.
What's Trending in Math - A great Pinterest board for digital math ideas.
Math in Real Life - Real-life math applications from Ted-Ed.
Math in the Real Word - Lesson ideas with real-life applications from EconEdLink. Most are economic based.
Mathematics Assessment Project - The Mathematics Assessment Project is part of the Math Design Collaborative initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
CK-12 - A complete science and math curriculum with online resources and activities. It is like a free digital textbook with practice activities, videos, and some interactive applications built in. We found most of the practice activities to be a multiple-choice Q/A format.
Math Playground - Lots of free math games. No login required, just open and play.
​Desmos - A collection of unique and engaging digital activities [math related], free for you and your students.
​Math Technology Tools - From EdTechTeacher. Nice reviews of each tool.
101qs - More from Dan Meyer. Three-act math tasks.
Graphing Stories - This website converts stories into graphs.
Fluidity - Offered with a free trial leading to a paid subscription. Fluidity makes equation writing easy on tablets and IWBs. Video Intro. 
Math Train - Math videos covering many topics created BY STUDENTS.
Khan Academy - Greenboard videos on many math topics.
Math TV - A mix of tutorials by adults and students.
Mathalicious - Provides teachers with real-world lessons.  
TenMarks - Comprehensive practice exercise math programs
Career Films - An iPad app that connects math to real-world applications. Pricey, but well worth it.   
Greg Tang Math - Home of the very popular math game: KaKooma.
Math Munch - This site is getting rave reviews. Watch the TED video HERE. Visit a blog entry HERE.
dy/dan - Great math site with lots of ideas. Has a blog with it.
Pixar in a Box - Algebra and geometry come alive as Pixar and Khan Academy bring us lessons that show the practical applications of math to animation.
OER Commons - Sort of a free clearinghouse for resources by content areas. 
EquatiO - EquatiO is a software that converts handwritten or spoken math equations to readable type. Interfaces with Google docs. Installed as an extension. The extension is free, no need to buy anything.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Google Tour Creator - A pretty cool tool that lets students create their own VR projects. Based on Google Maps, students assemble a series of street-level 360 pics to create a tour. Tons of possibilities. Read Richard Byrnes great blog on it, and while you are there, sign up for his newsletter!
If I was Teaching Social Studies Today - A great blog with a lot of social studies ideas from Dangerously Irrelevant.​
Pictures of the American Revolution - From the National Archives. 
History Animated - This site has a lot of historical war battles animated. Warning: while no login is required, we found the homepage laden with ads and some links broken. However, if a teacher screens the link ahead of time and then gives students a direct link to the desired map, the homepage would be skipped. Also, for a $15 donation, you can buy them on a USB drive.
Current Events in Historical Context - A great resource for connecting current events to past history from UC Davis.
​VR Stories by USA Today - News stories in virtual reality. Available for iPad.
NYTVR - This is a free Phone app that plays many stories from the New York Times video collection. It can be used with Google Cardboard. 
Kiosko - Kiosko is a website or mobile app that brings you front page newspapers from around the world. It is offered in three languages. Free with no login required, but it is heavily laden with advertising. You will need to show your students how to navigate around the ads. Still, this is a great way to compare news around the world. 
Digital Tools for Social Studies - A Smore of digital tools from Pam Evans.
​Teaching History with Technology - From EdTechTeacher. Lots of ideas here.
What Was There - Matches historical photos with world maps. Click on a city and see photos from the past.
Show My Street - A very neat site that works similarly to Google Earth only faster and more efficiently. Type in your address and see what happens!
The Revolution - A strong interactive e-book on the American Revolution.
EDSITEment - A treasure chest of history content from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
HaveFunWithHistory - A treasure chest of history video.
Newsela - A great "newspaper" site for students. Lots of options for teachers, including reading Lexile controls. Video tutorial.
OER Commons - Sort of a free clearinghouse for resources by content areas.

ELA - READING
​ReadWriteThink - Design ideas from the National Council for Teachers of English [NCTE].
DOGOnews - A great source of articles sorted by grade levels [note: not Lexiles]. DOGOnews has a read-aloud function for each article. 
Actively Learn - This site is to reading written text as Edpuzzle is to videos. Teachers can choose articles from a vast catalog or upload their own. Then, hi-liting key words or phrases allows teachers to embed questions, notes, etc. in the text. It is like having a reading coach sitting beside you while reading a text.
Teaching English with Technology - From EdTechTeacher. Lots of tools and ideas on how to use them.
Scholastic BookFlix: Fictional Video Storybooks Paired Nonfiction eBooks-Online! Grades PreK-3 - The introductory video explains this site. This is a for-profit offering.
First Book - Read a book. Give a book. Free online books with a twist. Every book read results in a book donated to a needy child.
Storyline Online - Stories read by famous personalities.
Storynory - More stories read aloud.  
VocabularySpellingCity - Recommended to us by elementary students in Texas, this site offers lots of possibilities.
Flocabulary - Educational hip-hop. You just have to see and hear it to believe it.
Newsela - A great "newspaper" site for students. Lots of options for teachers, including reading Lexile controls. Video tutorial.
myShakespeare - Four of the Bard’s most popular plays augmented with audio recordings, contemporary translations, pop-up notes, videos, performances, and character interviews. Free with no login required.
TweenTribune - Lexile leveled ready examples. Similar to Newsela. Completely free with no commercial side. From the Smithsonian Institution.
Rewordify.com - This site allows teachers to reword any article to an easier reading level. Whereas sites like Newsela and Tween Tribune give you articles in a variety of reading levels, Rewordify.com allows you to import [by copy/paste] ANY article and change the reading level.
OER Commons - Sort of a free clearinghouse for resources by content areas.

WRITING
​Newspaper Templates for Google Docs - It is what it is!
NoRedInk - NoRedInk is like having a writing coach by your side. NoRedInk surveys students’ cultural interests [media, musicians, historical figures, presidents, etc.] and matches content to those interests.
Inspired Writing - A complete site dedicated to writing with lots of digital and non-digital applications.
Hemingway - This free site allows you to cut and paste a writing sample. The site then analyzes your writing through multiple lenses and suggests improvements.
Grammaropolis - A great site for building grammar. Grades 1-3. Lots of activities. Lots of novelty and variety. Multi-platform.
Newsela - A great "newspaper" site for students. Lots of options for teachers, including reading Lexile controls. Video tutorial.
Freerice.com - Vocabulary practice with a twist. For every right answer, a sponsor donates funds to the United Nations World Food Programme to support its work around the world.
​Write About - A pretty comprehensive writing site.
​StoryboardThat - Easily create comic looking stories. Great for writing.
OER Commons - Sort of a free clearinghouse for resources by content areas.

SCIENCE
Solar System Exploration - A great interactive website from NASA. No login needed.
​Explore - Live wildlife webcams from all over the world. Fascinating. No login needed.
The Hacking STEM Library - Downloadable, hands-on, teacher-tested projects and activities that use everyday materials to make STEM affordable, accessible, and fun. NOTE: these are not free, but the prices are shown and nominal.
​​Chem Collective - The ChemCollective is a collection of virtual labs, scenario-based learning activities, tutorials, and concept tests.
Ptable - Interactive periodic table.
Science NetLinks - A clearinghouse of ideas for teaching science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
CK-12 -  A complete science and math curriculum with online resources and activities. It is like a free digital textbook with practice activities, videos, and some interactive applications built-in. We found most of the practice activities to be a multiple-choice Q/A format.
Shodor - Tools to better understand science and math, to practice math skills, or simply to explore and experiment. No login needed.
Circuit GoGo Lite - Free iPad app to teach electric circuits. Recommended to us by elementary students.
Cogent Interactive Cases - An interactive biology technology experience getting rave reviews. Free one year trial for a teacher.
PHET Interactive Simulations - Created at the University of Colorado, these are online simulations for math and science. Totally free.
OER Commons - Sort of a free clearinghouse for resources by content areas.
Cool Periodic Table and other resources recommended by Liza (student at Lyndhurst Stem)

MUSIC
Noteflight for Chrome - Noteflight is an online music scoring program. There is a free version that offers a lot of features. We were able to create a musical score and print the score. (Note: in the free version, printing individual parts is not available so you cannot go from score to parts for free. We did transcribe a bass guitar part and were able to print that.) The simple entry is easier than Finale. Users click the mouse on the staff, and the program inserts a note based on the value of the previous note (so adding 24 quarter notes in a row is really easy!). To change the value, users simply click on the correct value after inserting the note. The platform is NOT as powerful as Finale, but then again, it is free. Best uses: transcribing individual parts and quick score writing with playback.
Chrome Music Lab - A wonderful, free, no-login-needed, music creativity site for young people. Your elementary students and adults will be mesmerized.

DRAMA
Plotagon - Plotagon is downloaded to your device. You can work offline. Lifelike animation. The free package is super, and you can buy add-ons as desired. Drama teachers can use this platform for students to create plays. Data entry is done in a play write format.
My Shakespeare - Four of the Bard’s most popular plays augmented with audio recordings, contemporary translations, pop-up notes, videos, performances, and character interviews. Free with no login required. If you are staging Shakespeare, this site will give your young actors and actresses lots of resources.

Product Focus

Most of these sites have free use options. Most have an upgrade option for a cost. 

eBOOKS
WriteReader - online eBook platform for elementary kids. Use provided pics or add your own. Lots of free features.
Book Creator for Chrome - We first came across Book Creator as  popular iPad app. It is now available online for free in your Chrome browser.
My Storybook - This is a free, easy to use laptop storybook tool. Students can type text, draw, and insert pictures. The final product can be printed.
Mixbook - Create online books with text and pictures. Different from Storybird in that the composer chooses the pictures.
Storybird - Collaborative storytelling. Match stories with artwork. Students can join a class without divulging personal info. 2019 update: Storybird has seriously limited free options.
iBooks Creator -  iPad app.  Costs $4.99 but well worth it.  Very usable at all grade levels.  Imagine your students on a field trip with their iPads taking photos and using them to create a book about the experience.
Story Buddy - iPad app.  The lite version is free.  We like this story creator because you can save the final product as a PDF book and send it anywhere!!
Bookemon - create online books.
Demibooks - book writing app for your iPad.
SimpleBooklet - create online booklets.
Little Bird Tales - create books for the very young.  Uses student voice.  Doesn't require writing.  Great site for early childhood. 
ToonDoo - another comic book site.
Read-Write-Think Comic Creator. - Free, online, no login, basic comic strip creator.  Print to PDF.

MOVIE MAKING 
YouTube Video Editor - create videos right in YouTube!!
Animoto - Create multi-media projects. Merge music, video, pictures, etc.
WeVideo - WeVideo is a very useable online video creation site.  If you can't use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, try WeVideo.
iMovie - It just doesn't get much better!  iPad app, iPhone app, or Macbook.  For iPad or iPhone
Peanut Gallery - allows you to create old-time silent films using your voice.
Lego Movie Maker for iPad - create sets with Legos and then convert them to movies.  Watch this video. 
Shadow Puppets - a video making tool for your iPad/iPhone.  Combine photos, video clips, and voice.
PlayPosit - Allows you to import video, trim it, add questions, comments, etc.
EDpuzzle - Allows you to import video, trim it, add questions, comments, etc.  If your students have iPads, there is a nice app for student to use to view the videos.
Zaption -Similar to Educanon and EdPuzzle.
Vibby - Similar to EduCanon, EdPuzzle, and Zaption.  However, Vibby allows you to cut videos up and choose segments.  The others allow you to trim front and back end only.
Mixtape - This free web tool lets you do exactly what it says: mix a group of YouTube videos into one mix. You can trim the front end and back end. Imagine you had four clips on four different videos. Each video is 10 minutes long but you only want 1-2 minutes of each. Mixtape lets you do that.

ANIMATION
Plotagon - Finally!  A viable alternative to GoAnimate.  Plotagon is downloaded to your device.  You can work offline.  Lifelike animation.  Regrettably, in 2019, we are heartbroken to announce Plotagon seriously restricted their free options. It is now a 7 day free trail only with additional in-app purchases.
Biteable - Very similar to Powtoon only a lot easier to create.
GoAnimate - Animation site. Create stories with animation characters. Go Animate has removed their liberal free access. Pretty much a paid site now.
Voki - Create talking avatars. 
Morfo - A superb "talking head" app for tablets or smartphones.  You turn your photos into lifelike talking heads.
Sock Puppets - great i-Pad site that lets students create digital puppet shows.  Does not require writing.
Toontastic - hot off the presses from USA Today as a top five app for creativity.
Puppet Pals - like Sock Puppets only you can create characters from your own pictures.
Tellagami - iPad animation app.  Instead of a talking head, Tellagami gives you a full blown character.  
Powtoon - a very unique and different kind of presentation technology.
Wideo - combines animation and presentation tools into one platform.  Similar to Powtoon.  Easy to edit templates.
Moovly - this site is more about animation than presentation. It gets close to being a true animator - but still easy to use.  Great entry level animator.
Blabberize - make objects come to life and talk!

PHOTO
Adobe Slate - create and share visual stories.
Roxio Photoshow - Create multi-media projects. Merge music, video, pictures, etc.
Sphere360 - Create a 360 panorama picture with your phone.  View it online.
Photovisi - Create photo collages here.  Sort of an online Pic Collage.  You do not need to join anything to use this one.
BigHugeLabs - Everything you might want to do to a photo under one site.  Posters, magazine covers, trading cards, etc.
Adobe Voice -  iPad app that allows for creative photo show with music and narration. Works great without Internet once you register.
Remove.bg - stands for remove background. It is a photo editing tool that lets you remove a background and then add a new background. It's like a green screen tool for photos without the green screen.

PRESENTATION
Powtoon - a very unique and different kind of presentation technology.
Prezi - Create digital presentations.
Slide Rocket - Touted as PowerPoint on steroids. Digital presentations.
ExplainEverything - one of the most powerful apps available.  Create tutorials, projects, or virtually any multi-media idea.
Movenote - a web based tool that is similar but simpler than Explain Everything.
Flowvella - Looking for a new alternative to PowerPoint. Presentations, Keynote, or Prezi?  Consider Flowboard.
emaze - Another neat "alternative to PowerPoint, Keynote, et al" presentation tool.  Web 2.0 tool.
Buncee - Presentation tool with a flair for younger children.  Buncee offers a safe environment for young students by offering classroom accounts for just $60 a year per 
teacher.

DIGITAL POSTERS
Glogster - Create digital posters. Glogster has become a paid service. There is a free 7 day trail.
ReciteThis - Turn quotes into beautiful posters.
Thinglink - A very cool site for interactive images - one of the hot digital tools out there.
Easel.ly - a unique site to create visual products.
Canva - Create really cool graphics and then import to Thinglink. Check this Pinterest board for classroom Canva ideas.
Smore - Lots if neat templates. 

​MISC
Livebinders - Create virtual three-ring binders.
Kidblog - a really safe place for young kids to blog.
Kid Blocks - a neat app that lets kids build with Legos in 3D.  This link is to a web site for more info.  You get it in your app store.
Kid Timber - a neat app that lets kids build with Lincoln Logs in 3D.  This link is to a web site for more info.  You get it in your app store.
ShowMe - a drawing app that allows students to create work.  Link is to web site with info.
Museum Box - This site provides the tools for you to build up an argument or description of an event, person, or historical period, by placing items in a virtual box.
VuVox - a media creation site.  You can make videos, photo shows, or combine both here.
Spicynodes - Organize websites, pictures, and video in a unique graphic organizer.
Meograph - Create multi-media projects online.  Be sure to use the educator version.

Organization of Knowledge

Creative Common Photos: Teach your students to find and use photos legally.
The Noun Project - What Unsplash is to photos, the Noun Project is to icons (or clip art as we used to say). This is an enormous library of free-to-use icons. A free account is required. Downloads require that the source be cited, but that is done for you on the icon.
Unsplash - Gorgeous, free-to-use, pictures. Really! No strings attached that we can see. Read the license notes; you won't believe it.
Copyright-friendly images - A phenomenal tutorial from Kathy Schrock on finding and using copyright friendly images
British Library - Thousands of royalty-free photos.
Flickr Creative Commons - Start here. Read the definitions. Search any topic. Filter by license.
Google Advanced Search - Start here. Scroll to the bottom. Set usage rights to "free to use or share."

Tools to work with video.
The following links allow you to watch video without the distractions of advertising and commentary. We have tested these and found that they work and can be useful tools. However, they don't work all the time and with all videos. If you try a video in one and it is rejected, try another. With access to all four sites, we hope you can find one site that works for every video. While these sites are great for cleaning away the clutter to show a video, they do not work well for embedding video. If you are looking for a way to embed a video in an online learning experience, these may not be much help.
     Safeshare.tv - This site lets you watch YouTube video without sidebar or ad distractions. 
     Watchkin - This site lets you watch YouTube video without sidebar or ad distractions.
     ViewPure - ViewPure is a site that allows students to watch YouTube video free from ads. You can enter any RUL from YouTube. However, one neat addition on      ViewPure is the Teacher Resources link.  Here you can see video already curated by subject area and topic. ViewPure makes it's money on site embedded ads [not video]. There is no login.
Savevideo.me - Video download site that will do Vimeo
Vimeo - online video storage similar to YouTube but far less commercial.
Zamzar - online video conversion/download site.  This is where you can convert video to match the format of your video creation program.  For example:  you can convert a .mov [apple friendly] to a .wmv [windows friendly].
Convert-Video-Online - alternate to Zamzar. Zamzar requires you enter an email address and sends you notification by mail. CVO runs the entire process right from the program.
Save You Tube - Download YouTube video.
The following tools allow you to add audio and written commentary to video
    Playposit - Formerly Education, Playposit allows you to import video, trim it, add questions, comments, etc.
    EDpuzzle - Same as EduCannon only it has a few more bells and whistles - namely you can add audio as comments or complete overdub.
    Zaption -Similar to Educanon and EdPuzzle.
    Vibby - Similar to EduCanon, EdPuzzle, and Zaption.  However, Vibby allows you to cut videos up and choose segments.  The others allow you to trim front and back             end only.

Sites to Organize Knowledge in a website. Website builders.
Wix - Free website builder. Could also be used for Product Focus.
Weebly - Free website builder. Could also be used for Product Focus.
Webs.com - Free website builder.  Could also be used for Product Focus.
Yola - Free website builder.  Could also be used for Product Focus.

Back Channel sites for brainstorming, sharing knowledge, etc.
Tozzl - A digital pinboard where one can quickly share ideas. No login required to create or use.
TodaysMeet - TodaysMeet expiration date: June 16
PrimaryPad - Project PP to a screen and anyone who logs on can add comments. Can be unstable.
GoSoapBox - a very easy to use discussion tool. 

​Graphic Organizing Tools
​Coggle - graphic organizing for any device. Easy to use.  Three free diagram max in the free version but you can delete and reuse as much as you want.
Lucidchart - Great graphic organizing that works seamlessly through your Google Drive.
Mindmeister - Similar to Lucidchart with a different look.
Simplemind - graphic organizing for your iPhone or iPad.
Popplet - graphic organizing for your laptop or tablet. May be used without a login! Just be prepared to screenshot your final products.
Interactive Graphic Organizer - Create online graphic organizers.

Timeline Tools
Dipity - create digital timelines.
Tiki-Toki - introduced to us by a student in Dalton, Georgia, Tiki-Toki is an amazing timeline tool.  Has 3D capability.

Sites to Curate Content
[Note:  Many tools serve multiple purposes.  For example, website builders are great for curating content.  Tools for managing digital work such as Edmodo, Google, Canvas, Zunal, and Google Classroom can also be used to curate content.]
TESTeach - Formerly Blendspace, TES is a great site to find sample lessons for redesign or curate content for a single season into one place. 
Ted-Ed  - use this site for creating video-based resources.
Wakelet - A very easy site for curating content. 

Screencasting - Create your own instructional video.
Loom Screencasting for Chrome - Move over Screencastify.  Loom is here.  It is free, quick, and easy.  Install it as a Chrome extension use on demand.
QuickTime - that's right.  No link needed.  You'll find it on every Macbook.  Open QuickTime. Choose File - New Screen Recording.
ExplainEverything - You'll see this app in a lot of categories because it does so much - including screen casting. 
Movenote - a web based tool that is similar but simpler than Explain Everything. Move note is not pure screencasting. It allows you to screencast slides with accompanying webcam video of the facilitator.  
Screencast-o-Matic - Web based screencasting. Make sure your Java is current. Works well for Windows machines.
Screencastify - Screencasting for Chromebooks. This link starts at the Chrome store where you can type screencastify in the search window.  

Tools to manage digital work, create online or blended learning experiences.
Classroom Screen - Use this site to create a default screen your students can view when other work is not up on the projector. You can add a clock, timer, text notes, a warning light, and other cool stuff.
SmallPDF - SmallPDF aims to solve all your pdf issues. Convert, annotate, merge, lock, unlock, etc.
PDFEscape - this site allows you to upload PDFs work with them, and save them.  If you have ever worked with an editable PDF online you know it can be a lifesaver.
Formative - ​Formative is neat site that allows you to monitor the digital work your students are doing - LIVE!! Also can be used to create work. Note: because of the web address, Formative is often referred to as GoFormative!
Canvas - Looking for a complete learning management system for your classes?  We have worked with Canvas and find it an incredible tool.
Edmodo - Built to look like a social media platform, Edmodo has a quick learning curve and is easy to use.
Google Classroom - A very easy to use platform that links to your Google drive. Note: only available to users with a school e-mail address. 
iTunes U - Create courses in iTunes U.  A great app that is easy to use, organize, and curate. Warning!  The resultant course created on your Mac is for iPads only. Requires iTunesU app and Apple ID.  Start here on your Mac.
Zunal - Originally designed to create web quests, Zunal has been used to create complete units of work.
Seesaw - This site-app allows students to gather their work into digital portfolios. Keeps all their work in one place.  The teacher can organize by classes. 

MISC
NearPod - NearPod allows to send slides to your student devices and control what they are looking at. It moves the screen from the front of the room to the students device. Also has interactive possibilities. We like NearPod's pricing structure. You can use it for free indefinitely and buy added features when the need arises. We tested NearPod using a Mac to present and a Chromebook to simulate the student and it worked great. Then we reversed and used the Chromebook to present and the Mac to receive. No problems there either. 
PearDeck - very similar to NearPod. However, PearDeck is designed to work well with Chromebooks.  It has been called the NearPod for Chromebooks. It allows the teacher to send slides to your student devices and control what they are looking at. It moves the screen from the front of the room to the students device. Also has interactive possibilities. Note, the free version gives you a set number of uses before you have to buy in.
TUVA - too cool for words. A unique site that allows you to input and work with data.  You gotta see it to appreciate it! DEMO VIDEO
Canva - Create really cool graphics and then import to Thinglink.
Classkick - monitor your entire class from an iPad.
Kindle Notes - Print your notes and highlights from your Kindle books.
Tumblr - Blog site. Very easy to set up and use. Could also be used for Product Focus.
Tubalr - YouTube video without the junk. Try it. Very cool.
SC Pull Center - Design Team resources from the Schlechty Center.
Collaborize Classroom - Set up discussion threads for students. This is a free site for educators. [CC]
Classtools.net - Create interactive flash cards, games, etc.
Scribble Maps - lets you draw on a Google map!
TEDEd - an amazing site that publishes incredible educational video on a variety of topics.  Watch the intro and then scroll down for the specific videos.
Socrative - Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
A Periodic Table of Visualization - A fascinating page that shows most every way imaginable to represent something visually.
A Blooms Taxonomy Pyramid of Web 2.0 Tools using Bloom's Taxonomy
Seussville - tons of stuff from the immortal Dr. Seuss
Pete's Powerpoint Station - a treasure chest of ready to go PowerPoints organized by subjects.  
WatchKnowLearn - this is a great repository of video.  You can also create a "classroom" for you own video links.  
Technology Integration Matrix - this site will make you think about different ways to integrate technology.  If considered with Design Qualities, it can be powerful.
Natural Reader - this is a free download as opposed to a web-based tool.  Allows you to cut and paste text and then the reader will "read" it to you.  This technology has come a long way.  You can choose from multiple voices.  Note:  The free download is functional.  They make money by getting you to download the premium version with the best voices!
Aurasma - actually a cell phone or tablet app, Aurasma merges the virtual world with the real world.  The link opens a video to get you started.  It is unreal.
Google URL Shortener - Very easy to use site for shortening a URL.  When that google doc you want to share has a mile long URL, paste it here and get a short version.
Google Forms - Part of the Google Drive suite of tools.  You can create engagement feedback surveys, assessments, etc.  Start at Google, log in, and click create in Google Drive.
Board Cam - IPad app that turns your iPad into a document cam.   
ReadThinkWrite - A treasure chest of lessons, activities, games from IRA and NCTE.
Showbie - a great app the let's students "turn-in" iPad projects.

Authenticity

GAMING
Gamindex - a cool jump-off site to review digital games.

Ready made games.
Math Playground HTML5 Version - Math Playground in HTML5 format.
CoolMathGames - These are html tased.  Site ads are not tool obnoxious!
Fun4TheBrain - Free games with no login!! Covers many academic areas! Grades 1-7. Can you say YEAH!
Math Playground - Free math games with no login!! Covers K-12 topics.
Elegy for a Dead World - a truly exciting game that causes students to write! Just watch the promo video. This is a paid application well worth the investment.
Never Alone - "Guide... characters as you trek through frozen tundra, leap across treacherous ice floes, swim through underwater ice caverns, and face numerous enemies both strange and familiar in the journey to save the girl’s village." A great game for social studies and understanding cultures. This is a paid application well worth the investment. Be sure you watch the video trailer.
Valiant Hearts - "In Valiant Hearts: The Great War™, the lives of all these characters are inextricably drawn together over the course of the game. Friendship, love, sacrifice, and tragedy befall each one as they help each other to retain their humanity against the horrors of war. Animated. Teen rated for animated war violence. Free with in-app purchases. Be sure you watch the video trailer.
MathSnacks - Great math games. Check out Gate!
MangaHigh - a suite of ready to play math games on a variety of math topics.  Each game has a preview video.
Motion Math - Motion Math is a suite of math games for elementary grades. There is a free trail but eventually purchase is required. Here are some video samples of the games:  Pizza  Fractions  Hungry Fish  You can go to YouTube and search "Motion Math Game Title" and find other videos. These games are ready made. They work on tablets and phones. 
Math Versus Zombies - zombies are about to invade your home! Use math to fight them off! Tablet and phone app.  There is a charge for the app. Ready made game - no design capabilities. Introductory video.
iCivics - Different civics games to hone your civics content. Ready made game - no design capabilities. 
Dungeon Geometry - A math video game for grades four through seven. This is a phone or tablet app. The website explains.
Sokikom - A safe, math social learning game.               
SumDog - may be the coolest game site I have seen.
Arcademics - very similar to SumDog.
Playful Learning - a great site where teachers collaborate over educational gaming. 
Fractus Learning - this link reviews five sites and is a jump-off link for online game creation:  Sploder!, Draw4Play, Isoball 3, Jacksmith, and Purpose Games. 
Prodigy - math games for common core standards.
Peep and the Big Bad World - science and math games for your people.
Shutterbugs: Wiggle and Stomps - a virtual zoo trip for young people. From Smithsonian
Habitats:  Match animals to their habitats.  From Smithsonian
Feed the Dingo:  Build your own habitat.  From Smithsonian
CoolMath - Math games for Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and PreCal.
Algebra Math Games - Math games for Algebra.

Platforms that allow teachers and students to design games.
Gamestar Mechanic - a superb site allows teachers or students to become game designers without using code. Gamester Mechanic has an excellent learning program that teachers and students use to become apprentice and intern game designers. For an excellent review of Gamester Mechanic click this blog. Be sure to view the Teacher's Page.
Stencyl - Stencyl is a free download to your laptop. There is a tutorial. Students or teachers can create games. The resultant games are similar to Gamester Mechanic. These will be what we call Pacman style games where a character moves through a created environment gathering points and avoiding enemies. The learning curve is steeper than Gamester Mechanic. However, Stencyl offers two advantages. 1] It has more programmable options. 2] Games can be published to phones or tablets. Stencyl designed games have sold online as legitimate commercial games. Like Gamester Mechanic, Stencyl requires no coding skills. In our opinion it is approachable for grades 7 and up.  

Quiz Games.  Platforms that allow teachers to create quizzes in a gaming platform.
​Blended Play - A unique approach.  One of the only game sites where the teacher doe not have to put any data in.  Teachers verbalize the questions and then give credit for the answers and the program does the rest.
Kahoot - create quizzes, surveys, etc in a game-based format. A national hit! 
Cram.com - a hot new gaming site.  Create games for content review.
Quizalize - A platform create quiz games for students. Similar to Kahoot. However, Quizalize lets you send quizzes to students to complete on their own time.
Study Stack - At it's core, you make digital flashcards. But then the cards can be used to create a variety of games. Games can be embedded. Ads.
Quizlet - Similar to study Stack. Flashcard based but then you can create different games based on the cards.  Ads.
Gimkit - A game creator site.  Import your data from Quizlet. Five free kits, then fees start.
Flippity - A most unusual site!  The games are based in Google drive and were created with Google apps. You make copies, customize, and share with your students. Crossword puzzles, jeopardy, random picker, word search, hangman, and many, many more [16 total].  Ad presence is minimal and easily avoided.
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​Role playing games. Students assume a role in a community activity and interact with other students to solve problems, play games, etc.
Whyville? - Become a participant in the online Whyville community. For elementary students. Participants have great latitude in where they go and what they do, but all the games are ready made. From the website:  "Whyville is one of the safest, friendliest and most innovative game-based learning sites for your students. Whyville is also FREE, with over 100 games and activities covering a wide range of subjects. Your students can safely explore, play and have fun while learning important lessons about the real world." 
Government in Action - Students assume a role in government such as a member of the House of Representatives. They then participate in all aspects of government from passing legislation to getting re-elected. This app was demonstrated by a high school government teacher at South by Southwest Edu who runs his entire high class through the platform. From McGraw Hill. Works on laptops or tablets. A free version is available. 
Argument Wars - a civics based site that lets students argue a case before a judge.  Game-based learning.  Free sample to try.
Make Your Case - Civics, government, etc. Choose your legal team and argue your case online. Ready made game - no design capabilities.
Kerbal Space Program [edu]  - Players assist the lovable-but-hapless Kerbals as they build rockets and carry out orbital missions. Students master real-world physics and engineering skills as their understanding of STEM concepts blast off! KerbalEdu is an official school-ready standalone* remix of the award winning game Kerbal Space Program. The game is available for everyone to purchase and has been enhanced with features that help integrate it into the classroom*. [From the KPS.edu website]
A free demo can be downloaded and played here. 

Sandbox Games.  The emphasis here is on building things in an online environment.
Minecraft - a worldwide phenomena. "Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things." Educator Wiki. Video Trailer. Disclaimer:  Minecraft is not cheap. $25+ for a laptop version or $6.99 for the tablet version. However, you will likely find many of your students already have it.

Coding

Charge Blog on Coding with Dash the Robot.
Scratch - Online free block coding.
Code.org - Home to Hour of Code - a complete coding curriculum 
CodeCombat - a logical progression from block coding into machine language [java script, html].  Lots of free tools including 42 free lessons.


Miscellaneous
Ananth Pai's 3rd Grade Class site - Ananth is a wonder with classroom gaming.  His site contains many resources.
G.A.M.E - Gamers Advancing Meaningful Education. The title is self-explanatory. This site goes deep into gaming including World of Warcraft, Machinima,and Minecraft.