FunBrain

                                         

FunBrain is a great website for kids in grades Pre - K through 8 to go on to use as a beneficial resource that combines both educational topics with fun games. According to the site, FunBrain has been the leader in educational games since 1997. It is trusted by many schools and parents as a tool to help strengthen learning.

A cool thing FunBrain does is that it categorizes its features based on grade. So, if you're looking for something specifically for 5th grade, you can find that on this website. The site offers hundreds of games, books, comics, and videos. All the resources helps kids develop stronger reading, math, and literacy skills. Children can pick from many books to read digitally on their computer or tablet. There is no sign up necessary to start playing, watching, or reading. It's 100% free and a great website find for kids!

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv
     Made in June of 2011, Twitch is an app used for live streaming or video streaming. Twitch is most commonly used to individually stream oneself playing video games such as Fortnite, eSports tournaments, and talk shows. Recently, the NBA actually started streaming the NBA G league games on Twitch along with statistics and commentary. This app, recently known as Justin.TV, was purchased by Amazon back in 2014 after, according to rumors, Google had backed out of a deal made with Twitch due to concerns with it's existing deal with Youtube.
     Every month Twitch receives around 43 million viewers and is the fourth largest internet source behind Netflix, Google, and Apple. Even though Twitch is mainly used as a video game streaming source, it is also used as a teaching resource also. Some users stream their programming projects and teach others their tips on software development.
     I think this app could broaden the topics in which users are streaming about and actually be used by teachers too. A teacher may run out of class time or assign an at-home assignment and use Twitch to stream them giving instructions or teaching the students/viewers a new lesson. There are endless possibilities with this app and I believe that even though this app is used by gamers now, the education community will be using this app too in the near future.

ABC mouse

ABC mouse is an educational website that is for children age 3-8 which offers over 9,000 activities for children to due ranging in topics from math, reading, science, social studies, language and health. The website is meant to give supplemental instruction for students in grades preschool up until 2nd grade. Parent pay 9.95 a month or 79.95 per year to have access to the website and can pay more to have access to more personalized assessments and progress tracking.

While I have personally never have been on ABC mouse I know of children who have and read a wide range of reviews online to see that this website isn't without it's flaws. Some of the biggest draw backs about ABC mouse is the ability to cancel they as a company make the consumer jump through a lot of hoops in order to cancel their subscription. Another draw back is the lack of challenging material for higher levels such as 1st or 2nd grade. Unless your child is struggling a lot in the classroom parents wont see the improvement in their child's academic scores for the money spent. The positives about the website is its well rounded approach to learning where printables, videos, puzzles and games that are included in each lesson. The curriculum is progressive and can be adjusted to meet each child's individual needs.


My opinion of while the idea is good ABC mouse needs improvements in order to make it worth wild for a parent to invest in it for their child especially if the child isn't behind in their grade. I feel this is a great tool for children needing more help outside the classroom and much cheaper than hiring a private tutor.

Driveline Baseball

 Driveline Baseball is a place in Seattle where the top technologies of baseball are used to analyze your game. These technologies consists of radar guns, video, and simulators all of which give you an idea on how to improve yourself as a player. I find this to be very fascinating that technology has come so far in anything that we do. The video taken, can be analyzed and broken down into segments for the person to see what they did and how to correct that. Not only video, but the radar guns that tell you the velocity of the ball also state many other things. One of the key things it shows is the spin and movement of the ball. Those two things have become the biggest criteria for getting into professional baseball, so seeing your exact results and learning how to improve them is a major step in the right direction, if you have dreams of pursing a career in baseball.

The one bad takeaway from Driveline baseball is that it is very expensive. To maintain and keep all the new technologies running their best, it comes at a hefty cost. The cost is about $7,000 a year. The reality is it depends on how serious you are about continuing a career in baseball. If baseball is what you want to do, then this is the perfect technology for you.

Freckle Education

Freckle Education is an online learning platform for K-12 students which inlcudes ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. I used the online learning platform this past summer while teaching summer school in a 2nd Grade class.This website was primarily for K-5 but they have been updating the platform with content for grades 6-12 recently. Being a summer school second grade teacher allowed me to use the teacher edition for free, this was paid by the district in which I worked. I had access to many features of the website and was able to assign work to students based on their level.

When students are navigating the Freckle website, there are endless topics in which are adapted to their level. The ELA section especially has some strong content. How Freckle works is that it assesses the skills of students individually and adjusts the level of the content accordingly. ELA is broken down into the areas, Word Work and Reading Comprehension. Depending on the grade level of a student, these two areas are then further broken down. For example, students in grades K-2 are able to work on sight words and phonics decoding. When working on Reading Comprehension, students read a short passage and then answer questions related to the passage. One of the amazing qualities of Freckle is that students initially take diagnostic assessment in which the program then offers various versions of the same reading passage depending on a student's reading level. The word study area is also adaptive. Words are sorted and classified according to their spelling patterns.

The Math area is adaptive as well and relies on diagnostic tests to determine the content in which a student will be working on. One of the most valuable assets of the Math area is the practice that is aligned to common core math standards which ranges from kindergarten to the12th grade. Students are given math problems and if they answer incorrectly, Freckle will provide an explanation or a video tutorial. Teachers are able to determine how their kids are doing by gaining access to data and reports, this is only available with the paid school edition. This allows a teacher gain access to feedback about student performance. Based on the data, teachers can then determine how to provide support and intervention where needed. From my experience this summer, my students enjoyed the online learning platform. They enjoyed the learning content as well as the virtual coins they would earn when answering questions correctly. Students can then use these coins when visiting the Piggy store to buys clothes and accessories for their character. Overall, Freckle is a well designed platform that is not only enjoyed and appreciated by teachers, but students as well. It may seem overwhelming to navigate the website at first but once you get started, you will learn to appreciate its features. Teachers who do not have access to the teacher edition can get their students started with a free account which does not require any form of payment.

Kahoot

Kahoot! is a program that teachers use to inspire learning in students by having a trivia platform and by using games created by the teachers themselves.  After being launched in 2013, it is currently  ranked as a top three tool for educators according to its website.  There is a free option where you can use games that are already created to use in your classroom or you can purchase one of the extras that enhances the user experience.  There is Kahoot! Plus where you can create, edit and share games, add numerous questions to their answer bank and invite school administrators to your team.  Kahoot! Pro will also allow you to use built-in, high image pictures from their library to draw in students more and combine question types to give students more of a comprehensive understanding of the lesson being taught.  You can also track a student's progress and have polls taken to give you even more feedback to make the game better for future students.  Overall, this is a program I would definitely recommend for teachers.

MacMillan Learning

MacMillan Learning is an online application catered to specific subjects like biology. It ranges from $60-$160. All packages bought from MacMillan come with an eBook and their application. The more expensive version comes with a loose-leaf book for those who need a paper copy in front of them. The eBook is available on and offline, making it accessible no matter where someone is. Also, students can highlight and take notes in the eBook just like a hardcopy. The notes are extremely accessible as there is a tab where one can always access them. Their most helpful feature is LearningCurve. LearningCurve consists of multiple-choice questions catered to each chapter within the book. The way the questions are given are in an additive grading way. For example, the student starts with zero points and answers questions to gain points until they reach the end goal. Furthermore, while a student practices with LearningCurve, MacMillan creates a personalized study plan based on the questions one has gotten right or wrong. Once someone finishes the activity, they can continue to practice the questions even if they passed the end amount of points. Overall, I believe this application is very helpful to students and I would recommend it if offered.

The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids

     I found a website today called the Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, and it has a ton of cool interactive features for kids to learn. The homepage of this website features hyperlinks to pages where kids can learn about the weather, phases of the moon, animal tracks, and animal species! This website also features fun facts, jokes, and new daily questions. The homepage is full of bright colors, fun graphics, and interactive links for the kids, so they stay interesting and focused! I thought this could be a fun website to bring into the classroom, possibly through having the kids guess at the daily question. The website has a lot of fun information, for a variety of learning interests, so that kids can learn in a fun and age-appropriate virtual environment. Though it can only be used with younger students, or students at a younger cognitive level, it is a great resource for elementary level classrooms. Furthermore, it could be a good resources for parents to explore with their kids at home to promote learning for fun. Overall, I thought this website was a great tool and resource which is fun to explore!

Here is the link to the site:

https://www.almanac.com/kids

Duolingo

Duolingo is a cool free app I am currently using for a class project that helps you learn a new language. This website and app has a variety of languages ranging from Spanish to Navajo, and has a fun way of teaching them. Each time you use the app you earn points and awards for your learning, which is a fun reward system which motivates you to learn. By using a variety of multiple choice, short answer, and fill in the blank questions, it helps you learn new words and works to every learner's strengths. Duolingo separates each language into different categories such as introductions, family, food, weather, and more. Within each app, there are levels which increase in difficulty with each level. At the end, you take a test for your certification to ensure you learned the material properly. Duolingo claims to contain as much content as a college course, and has you do a little every day in order to study. With just 10 minutes each day, students learn effectively and are motivated to keep working hard. The bright colors, sound effects, and cute owl mascot help students remain focused and engaged with their learning. Personally, I am having success with the app and my language learning, and enjoy the various features it offers. The app is convenient, free, and easy to use. Overall, I love the Duolingo app and hope others can have fun with it too!

NCVPS is AMAZING!

NCVPS, is a a supplemental program with student being from mostly public and charter schools. 100% of North Carolina's school districts have students enrolled.  It offers over 150 courses with electives, core courses, credit recovery, and STEM. All 150 of these courses are aligned with the North Carolina Course of Study, and aligned with the standards of the Southern Regional Education Board and International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Over half of the 500 teachers that teach each semester, are also teaching face-to-face during the day. The passing rate for the courses is at an 82%.
I have to admit, this is a pretty astonishing thing to have for their state. I wish Michigan would have something like this. This would encourage students to go back and finish school if they were unable to physically go to school due to sickness, pregnancy, or family issues. Students who are enrolled are able to call, text, email and instant message their teachers any questions or comments they have. If I had the choice to be enrolled in this program, I so totally would!

3D Printing

I think that the use of a 3D printer is a complete game changer for education.  In a time where geography is completely missing in curriculum or involves the coloring of worksheets, a 3D printer could make geography and its connection to history come alive again.  I am interested in becoming a high school history teacher, but I recognize that many people lack artistic skills like I do and assignments that call for modeling strike terror in the hearts of many.  This device would allow a teacher, for example, to really show students why a terrain or topography would have such an impact on a war's outcome or really help demonstrate why people concentrate where they do to live.  I think this would be a terrific aid to make concepts that are foreign to many students, especially those whose families do not have the financial means to travel, vibrant and much more understandable.

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Prodigy

After seeing the different games in class, I was curious to see if someone was nice enough to incorporate it with specific state standards. Sure enough, Prodigy, a math learning site, calls itself a "Pokemon style game" and is lined up with k-8 math standards in various states. There are also standardized test prep options. The teacher can select to use this every now and then or daily. It allows the teacher to create a programmed lesson plan based on specific standards which could be as long as a day to a whole week. It also gives an estimate of daily time that students will need. The site is adaptive to student learning and allows for easy differentiation. And while the students are plugging away, they are motivated by the fast pace, immediate feedback, and interactions with their online characters and environments. It can also be used as an RTI tool because of the easy reporting that teachers see. There are videos on the website on how to use it for RTI. Additionally, it allows the teacher to see the progress made by the class as a whole and from specific individuals. It has a graph that shows the number of students below grade level and at or above grade level, allowing teachers to easily get a feel for how the class is doing. And based on individual progress reports, I could easily think of a way to link the progress made on prodigy to something in the grade book for classwork.

While I do not wish to teach k-8, I think it is a cool resource. I can definitely see it or something similar to it expanding to high school and other states.  The only downside I can think of is that the teacher has little control over what problems are being provided. When selecting which standards to cover the system generates different problems from a problem bank to give to the students. While this is good for differentiating, it could also mean that there may be a problem you might not have thought to prepare the students for. I could also see it being problematic if a problem covers more than one standard and the students have not had experience with that other standard. However, I think it is certainly an interesting and engaging learning tool and I would give it an overall thumbs up.
(All information taken from Prodigy Game)

Statisticsteacher.org (ST) is a great resource for K-12 teachers who are looking for different and diverse ways to incorporate statistics into their students’ learning. The site provides all sorts of education articles, lesson plans, announcements, professional development opportunities, technology, assessment, and classroom resources specific to the teaching of stats. The site creation is the result of a joint collaboration between the American Statistical Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Statisicsteacher.org is extremely simple to use and navigate. There are eight tabs across the top navigation bar that allow the user to access most resources within two clicks. For example, under their “Technology” section, teachers will find articles and links to various tools like iNZIGHT that help teachers bring stats “to life”.

Teaching statistics can be challenging. ST helps by providing full lesson plans under a very easy to find “Lesson Plans” section. Teachers can access at least one lesson plan for most K-12 grade levels and each plan is connected to specific CCSS standards. Most lesson plans incorporate a graphing calculator and strongly encourage the use of statistical software if available.

All in all, the site is a great starting point and takes some of the “scary” out of teaching stats!

Study Blue

    StudyBlue is an online learning service that helps high school and college students study for selective courses. The user is able to download Study Blue on any device at any time. The site will allow you to study by searching for your school and courses as well.
   This site shows the frequently searched courses by your particular school. The user is allowed to look through millions of notes discussed on class chapters. The user also can make and share study materials and join classes with other students. Study Blue helps make learning more efficient, allowing the user to enjoy more instructional activities.
   This growing online study tool, now has boasting 500 million flash cards, notes and study guides by students. Compared to 2009 company results (when Study Blue was first founded) of 5.5 million users and only 200 million study materials available. The educational site is easy to navigate and view.

Quizlet Live

I discovered the "Quizlet Live" feature of quizlet today while exploring different educational technology.  Quizlet is a website and an app which helps students learn better by allowing them to create custom flashcard sets. After the sets are created, students can learn a variety of ways, such as timed matching games, fill in the blank exercises, and traditionally reviewing the flashcards in whichever way to user sees fit. This technology is free and helps students learn in a tech-savvy way. Quizlet caters to every learning style, and contains many aids which help cater to those learners with disabilities.
      Contrasting the rest of its features, "Quizlet Live" is geared towards teachers. In this feature, teachers create a custom flashcard set for their students. After this is made, there will be an access code used for the students to access the set in class. Once signed in, the kids will compete in teams to answer all of the questions correctly the fastest. This gameshow-style learning exercise is a fun way to build teamwork, communication skills, and the desired content. This future seemed exciting and fun to me, and would work great as a learning aid in K-8 classrooms. Personally, I was unaware of this feature and hope it gains more awareness, as it is a fun and engaging way to ensure the students are learning the material. Overall, I am very excited about this technology and hope it gains more recognition in the future

Hopscotch App!

Today I was told about the Hopscotch app, which is a fun and educational app for teachers and children. In the app, you can learn computer science, such as coding, and create your own games. Every video and feature is colorful, easy to use, and children friendly. Not only is the app educational and a great teaching tool, but a great way to increase learning in the home. This app is one way to make learning STEM more fun and also to integrate education into video games. I downloaded the app on my phone and am going to try and create my own video games using the instructions. I thought this app was cool and a great way to engage kids in learning from a young age using technology! I will attach the link to the app below and hope you all have fun exploring the app.

https://www.gethopscotch.com