Blog | edshelf

The blog for edshelf, a socially-curated discovery engine of websites, mobile apps, desktop programs, and electronic products for teaching and learning.

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edshelf Weekly - Last Minute Gift Ideas

For many of us, the holidays are here. And for many of us, this is a time for gift giving. What better gift than an educational kit to spark a child's curiosity and creativity? Something that can challenge one's problem solving? Here are some (last-minute) holiday gift ideas to consider.

FEATURED TOOL

littleBits - Build a wide range of electronic projects using a combination of hardware (this product's signature magnetic "bits" that snap together), software, and content. PAID

KiwiCo - Purchase a monthly subscription of do-it-yourself, age-appropriate craft kits for your budding tinkerer. PAID

Roominate - Assemble all kinds of interactive buildings using this kit of circuits, motors, and modular wired building pieces. PAID

Wonder Workshop - Program Dash, Dot, or their newest robot Cue to perform all kinds of fun tricks and useful tasks, like playing music and pushing toys into a pile. PAID

Osmo - Augment your iPad, iPhone, or Amazon Fire tablet with an Osmo kit and play numerous interactive, hands-on, educational games. PAID

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

STEM/MakerSpace - Curated by the librarian at Hicks Elementary School.

Tools for Digital Making - Curated by middle school librarian Heather Lister.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Free Stock Photos and Illustrations

As you put together your lesson plans and presentations, sometimes the right photograph or illustration can go a long way. Here are some teacher-recommended resources of free stock photos and illustrations that may help.

FEATURED TOOL

Creative Commons Search - Search through multiple sources, such as Google, Flickr, and SoundCloud, to find content with the Creative Commons license. FREE

Photos For Class - Find classroom-safe photos with the Creative Commons license and proper attribution. FREE

Edupics.com - Browse through a large selection of printable school-appropriate coloring pages. FREE

WorldImages - Explore the California State University IMAGE Project's database of approximately 100,000 free images. FREE

Free Historical Stock Photos - Look through this collection of royalty-free historical photos, such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, etc. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Images for Educators - Curated by district library coordinator Charlotte Ballard.

Art Content Resources - Curated by the Expanding Technology in the Classroom department of USD475 Geary County Public Schools in Kansas.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Comic Strip Creation Tools

Creating a comic strip can be a fun way to tell an engaging story. Perhaps your class can craft a comic about their favorite book, animal, toy, or holiday.

FEATURED TOOL

Toontastic 3D - Animate 3D cartoon models, record your voice, and select from dozens of soundtracks. FREE

Comic Life 3 - Create comics on your desktop or mobile device using this powerful, full-featured comic strip creator. PAID

Animaker - Craft animated comics and videos with this web-based tool and its pre-animated asset library. FREEMIUM

Paper Camera - Render photos and videos as cartoons, sketches, and other comic book effects using a variety of real-time filters. PAID

Superhero Comic Book Maker - Put together animated stickers with sound effects and backgrounds, then record your voice to create animated comics. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Comic Makers - Curated by teacher-librarian Joyce Valenza.

Digital Storytelling - Curated by AT facilitator Kay Bolen.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Tools for Interactive Whiteboards

Do you have an interactive whiteboard in your classroom? Here are some web-based resources that you can use with your IWB to increase student engagement and attention.

FEATURED TOOL

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Access wide range of virtual manipulatives that will work with almost all interactive whiteboards. FREEMIUM

SMART Exchange - Download SMART "notebooks" and get IWB-compatible lesson plans aligned with Common Core State Standards. FREE

PBS LearningMedia - Search through tens of thousands of classroom-ready videos, games, audio clips, photos, and lesson plans for your IWB. FREE

Funbrain - Find several educational interactive games spanning a range of subjects and grades that are compatible with IWBs. FREE

TeacherTube - Watch classroom-safe instructional videos and pause at key points to engage your students in a discussion on the subject matter. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Whiteboards - Curated by assistant principal Kristin Crowley.

Whiteboard Tools - Curated by technology coach Gabrielle Copen.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Classroom Tools

Technology can be a great help to your daily instruction. Here is a set of student-tested, teacher-recommended classroom tools to supplement your preparation, lesson plans, and activities.

FEATURED TOOL

RefSeek - Search for academic information in web pages and online books, encyclopedias, journals, and newspapers. FREE

JogNog - Select a pre-made, standards-aligned student assessment from this library of thousands. PAID

BookWidgets - Create and embed an interactive game or exercise into your iBooks Author project or website. PAID

HandBrake - Convert a video from any format to any other format with this open source desktop software. FREE

Super Teacher Tools - Find a variety of digital classroom tools, like a Jeopardy game, seating chart maker, random name picker, countdown timer, etc. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Classroom Tech Tools - Curated by French immersion teacher Diane Cartier.

Student Learning and Gaming Platforms - Curated by world history teacher Kimberly Dawn Albury.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Safe Online Environments for Kids

Whenever you give kids access to the Internet, it's highly recommended that you provide them with the tools necessary to explore in a safe manner. This can range from teaching them good digital citizenship skills to seeking safe online environments. Here are some options from vendors that strive to create safe, kid-friendly, online communities.

FEATURED TOOL

Kudos - Teach kids about online respect in a safe environment using this social photo-sharing app. FREE

Classting - Bring students, parents, and teachers together into a single, safe, collaborative classroom wall for sharing docs, photos, and videos. FREE

Celly - Send private, secure SMS text messages to parents, students, or other teachers using this communication tool. FREE

GeckoLife - Communicate with a group of people privately and safely, with chat, photos, or videos. FREE

Moshi Monsters - Play in a kid-friendly virtual world, which involves adopting a virtual monster, solving puzzle games, and make friends with other monster owners. FREEMIUM

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Building Online Community – Sharing Ourselves Safely Online - Curated by head digital learning teacher Leslie McCurrach.

Digital Citizenship - Curated by elementary school teacher Jennifer Tyson.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Social Gaming Tools for Students

Sometimes a game can be a fun medium for delivering instruction. Sometimes a group activity can be an engaging method for understanding content. Put them together and you have social gaming, a field of gaming that requires social interactions and group collaboration. Here are some teacher-recommended educational tools for playing social games with your students.

FEATURED TOOL

MinecraftEdu - Play a customized version of Minecraft tailored specifically for teachers and students. PAID

Votograph - Take a photo with your team that best represents a challenge phrase given by your teacher. FREE

Kahoot! - Engage in classroom quizzes using this game-based classroom response system. FREE

Klikaklu - Run around using your phone's GPS, camera, and advanced image matching technology to play treasure hunts. FREEMIUM

SMART lab: Learning Activities - Compete or collaborate with classmates in this suite of games. Requires the SMART Notebook Learning Suite. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Educational Games - Curated by South Vermillion Middle School.

Polling/Student Response/Formative Assessment - Curated by the Plano Independent School District.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Tools for Teaching Students to Become Global Citizens

Teach your students to be global citizens with these engaging tools. From geography games to virtual tours to connecting directly with classrooms and students around the world, these student-tested, teacher-recommended tools will help your students increase their empathy for and understanding of other cultures.

FEATURED TOOL

GeoGuessr - Play a geography game where you guess the location based on a randomly chosen Google Street View map. FREE

One Globe Kids - Watch students from around the world share with you their hometowns, languages, and cultures. FREEMIUM

PenPal Schools - Meet penpals while completing collaborative online courses about world cultures and foreign languages. FREEMIUM

Skype in the Classroom - Watch live video conferences with guest speakers and classrooms from around the world, or engage in virtual field trips and video lessons. FREE

Roundme - Create panoramic interactive virtual tours of your hometown to share with other classrooms and students around the world. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Global Issues - Curated by gifted interventionist Anthony Provenzale.

Social Studies World History - Curated by technology and history teacher Wayne Graydon.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Learn How to Make Games With these Tools

If you like making games just as much as playing them, then you will love this list. Here are some fun game creation tools recommended by teachers and students, as well as professional game creators.

FEATURED TOOL

LearnToMod - Teach programming through Minecraft "modding" with this easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. PAID

Unity - Build professional-quality games using this popular industry development engine. FREEMIUM

The Infinite Arcade by Tinybop - Create a wide range of games (e.g. platformer, adventure, pinball, text puzzle, maze, etc) in this iOS app. PAID

Factile - Put together a simple and free web-based Jeopardy game, perfect for a classroom or PD workshop. PAID

Crossword Labs - Type in a list of words and clues, then click a button to automatically generate crossword puzzles. FREEMIUM

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by educators on edshelf.

Computer Science & Game Design - Curated by district librarian Shonda Brisco.

Coding & Gaming - Curated by teacher librarian Kathy Malatesta.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Interesting Teacher-Recommended STEAM Tools

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) is great, but STEAM takes it a step further by adding A (Art). Here are some interesting teacher-recommended tools for anyone interested in exploring any of the fields in STEAM.

FEATURED TOOL

LabsLand - Access a real laboratory located somewhere else in the world using your web browser. Control a remote robot in real-time or view pre-recorded experiments as if it were happening in real time. PAID

STEMscopes - Get a variety of formative and summative assessments built around 5E, IDEA, and UPs models. FREEMIUM

ChemSpider - Search through this chemical structure database containing over 63 million structures, properties, and associated information. FREE

Joy.js - Create programmatic artwork, music, or mathematical graphs using this visual programming interface. FREE

Inkboard - Draw on pictures or a blank canvas using life-like drawing tools, such as pens, markers, highlighters, pencils, crayons, and erasers. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Creative Communication Tools for Learning - Curated by edtech coach Tracey Ricco.

Communication Tools - Curated by curriculum coordinator Angela McKee.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Mobile Apps That Engage With The Real World

Interacting with a mobile app doesn't have to be confined to its screen, just as learning doesn't have to be confined to the classroom. Here are a set of student-tested, teacher-recommended mobile apps that engage with the real world.

FEATURED TOOL

iNaturalist - Take and share photos of nature to build a living record of life on Earth. Community members can help identify your photos too. FREE

Recycle HD - Learn about the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) using informative photos, videos, and games. PAID

DIY Sun Science - Interact with hands-on science experiments and activities to learn about the sun. FREE

Nature Cat’s Great Outdoors - Explore the outdoors with Nature Cat using a compass, camera, sound recorder, sketching tool, and journal. FREE

Monkey Spot Scavenger Hunts - Go on a versatile scavenger hunt with generic clues such as "find a machine that uses gears," then take a photo of it. FREEMIUM

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Earth & Space Science - Curated by student in education Cassandra Johnson.

Physical Science - Curated by middle school science teacher Jennifer Nunn.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Even More Digital Communication Tools

Here are even more tools that help enable and augment digital communications. Added to edshelf by educators, they all support various aspects of communication, from writing to speaking.

FEATURED TOOL

The Doodle Library - Add any of these delightful hand-drawn images to your lesson plans and presentations. FREE

Hypothesis - Annotate, highlight, and tag any web page or online PDF document with notes that can be shared in private groups. FREE

ViewPure - Create a seamless playlist of YouTube videos without any ads, related videos, and comments. FREE

Harvard Generator - Generate references for your essays and papers in the Harvard Referencing Format easily. FREE

Speech Blubs - Pratice speaking in this voice-activated, video modeling, speech therapy mobile app. Helpful for children with Apraxia of Speech, Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder. FREEMIUM

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Creative Communication Tools for Learning - Curated by edtech coach Tracey Ricco.

Communication Tools - Curated by curriculum coordinator Angela McKee.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Do-It-Yourself Resources for Students

Few activities are as empowering as learning how to build something from scratch, instead of buying it in a store. Here is a selection of teacher-recommended, student-tested, do-it-yourself resources for every aspiring maker.

FEATURED TOOL

DIY - Learn new skills in a safe online community for kids. FREE

Make: - Read articles and guides from the founder of Maker Faire. FREE

Instructables - Build all kinds of products and electronics. FREE

VideoScience - Watch educational videos of science experiments. PAID

MakeUseOf - Get the latest news on DIY electronics and gadgets. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Maker Sites - Curated by library media specialist Shannon McNeice.

Tech Tools for Bad Weather - Curated by instructional technologist Becky Bush.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Communication and Collaboration Tools

Technology expands the number of ways you can coordinate and connect with students, parents, and colleagues. From polls to private messaging to multimedia stories and annotations, here are some notable, teacher-recommended tools to facilitate different ways to communicate and collaborate.

FEATURED TOOL

Dotstorming - Hold a brainstorming or decision making activity where participants can vote and comment in this visual polling tool. FREE

Doodle - Schedule an event by having busy colleagues indicate which dates and times work best for them. FREEMIUM

Class Messenger - Send messages to parents with photos, meeting requests, forms, and even scheduled and repeated notifications. FREE

Story Maps - Tell a location-based multimedia story using maps, text, images, and video. FREE

Blrt - Record your voice as you draw and annotate online materials, such as images, websites, PDFs, etc. FREEMIUM

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Organizational/Note Taking Tools - Curated by computer teacher M Schur.

Construction Toolbox: Building Communities - Curated by innovations and technology systems manager Dewi Griffiths.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - 3D Scanning and Model Creation Apps

If you are exploring the worlds of virtual reality, augmented reality, or 3D printing - or just want to grow your students' skills in 3D modeling programs - these mobile apps can help you scan and convert real-world objects into 3D models. Some require expensive hardware however, but their models are of much higher quality.

FEATURED TOOL

Trnio - Walk around a real-world object while your iOS devices records and converts the object into a 3D model. PAID

Scann3D - Take multiple photos of an object, then process them into a 3D model. FREEMIUM

Scandy Pro - Use a 3rd-party scanner attached to your Android phone, plus this app, to create a 3D mesh. FREEMIUM

itSeez3D - Attach the Structure Sensor by Occipital to your iPad, then use this app to create 3D models. FREEMIUM

Eora 3D - Create high-quality 3D models using this professional-grade, but expensive 3D scanning device plus companion iOS app. PAID

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Reality Educational Computing Tools - Curated by Lollapalooza Consultant Group president Joyce Whitby.

3D Printing - Curated by teacher Jennifer Hettler.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Hands-On Learning Technology Tools

Interested in interactive, hands-on, learning experiences? Here are a set of educational products that pair mobile devices with physical objects. Sometimes something tactile is just what a young brain needs!

FEATURED TOOL

Breakout EDU - Open the puzzle lock of this box to get at the various physical and online games within. PAID

Bloxels - Create pixel-based video games in student teams using physical blocks placed on a grid. PAID

LightUp - Build circuits using magnetically snapping blocks and an accompanying mobile app. PAID

Tiggly Shapes - Learn about shapes with this interactive mobile app and set of touch-screen rubber stamps. PAID

Osmo - Interact with physical tangram puzzles, letters, drawings, and other objects with this set of iPad accessories. PAID

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Cleveland Technology Tools - Curated by technology facilitator Lynn Bradley.

STEAM - Curated by technology teacher Ebony Deal.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

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edshelf Weekly - Tools for Finding Classroom-Safe Content

The web is enormous and full of resources. Many of those resources are untrustworthy or inappropriate. Fortunately, there are tools that exist to help teachers find classroom-safe content.

FEATURED TOOL

DuckDuckGo - Search the web safely using this privacy-minded search engine. FREE

DinoSearch - Search the web with this search engine's keyword and key phrase filtering system. FREE

Kiddle - Search through only sites that satisfy this service's family-friendly requirements. FREE

Web for Classrooms - Search through age-appropriate content that has been hand-checked by teachers for relevance and trustworthiness. PAID

Photos For Class - Look for classroom-safe photos and images that include author citations and image license terms. FREE

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Internet Safety - Curated by digital literacy instructional specialist Christine Schein.

Internet Safety - Curated by coordinator of information & technology literacy Jennifer Cirino.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Is there a topic you would like me to cover? Or a tool you would like me to share? Leave a comment and let me know!

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf