iPad Gestures As a daily iPad user, I’m amazed at how frequently I discover shortcuts and gestures the I didn’t know about previously. Text-editing gestures can be a real time-saver when working on an iPad. Some of the text-editing gestures below have been around for a while, while others are new to iPadOS. Undo and… Read more
Alternatives to EdTech Tools That Have Kicked the Bucket The rapidly changing world of EdTech has seen a lot of great resources come and go. Many great ideas just couldn’t find a profit model to sustain them, or simply faded away. Inspired by a trip to the Flavor Graveyard at Ben & Jerry’s, I’m finally… Read more
The QR Code Extension QR codes are one of the most convenient ways to share a link with students who are using tablets or phones. The next time you’re on a site that you would like to share, use this one-click solution. Simply add “The QR Code Extension” to Google Chrome Visit any site. Click… Read more
Translate Any List of Words Instantly in Google Sheets More than a great tool for foreign language teachers, it’s a must-have resource for nearly all educators, especially since most of us teach ELL, ESL, ESOL students. Enter words in one column and use a simple formula to translate them to a different language in another… Read more
Nothing is more important than building strong relationships during the first days of school. When you’re ready to break out the iPads, consider these two awesome activities to help students learn more about each other. All About Me Apple has created a fun activity to help students learn more about each other. It’s available on… Read more
Whether multiple students are adding data to a class spreadsheet or I’m sharing a sheet with colleagues, real-time collaboration is my favorite feature in Google Sheets. Unfortunately, it’s easy for collaborators to make changes to the wrong cells. Now it’s easier than ever to view the edit history of a cell in Google Sheets. While… Read more
Note: Google Classroom does this automatically for any assignment that includes a Google file. Google Docs Templates Sharing templates through Google Drive is a great time saver for teachers. You could share a “view only” version of your file and require students to go to File>Make a Copy. Unfortunately, this often results in your inbox… Read more
Phenomena for NGSS True inquiry often starts with an anomaly or at least an engaging hook to elicit curiosity. Phenomena for NGSS is an ever-growing collection of engaging phenomena, in the form of images and animated GIFs; it’s a must-have resource for any science teacher. Throughout Next Generation Science Standards resources, you’ll notice a clear… Read more
Rewordify Rewordify.com is not only the best text simplification tool I’ve seen, but it’s also a great way to teach vocabulary. Plus it’s totally free. The site has several step-by-step guides and tutorials that I have linked to throughout this post. Simplify Difficult Text Rewordify.com is the easiest way to simplify difficult text. Just copy… Read more
Looking for a quick way to create a new Google Doc? Just type doc.new and a new Google Doc will open instantly. The .new shortcut works for nearly all types of G Suite files. It’s also forgiving in allowing variations of the shortcut. For example, you can open a new Google Sheet by typing sheet.new,… Read more
