If you’re looking for something new to try in the new year, you have come to the right place! We’ve compiled a list of ten innovating ed tech ideas that you can try RIGHT NOW! Check them out below!
(click on any subheading to jump to that section)
Meta Demo Lab & Canva
Meta Demo Lab is a website that will take your drawings and automatically animate them. The key is that the drawings need to be completed on white paper. Once you run through the process of creating your animation, you can download the file as an MP4. But, this is where the magic starts. Take your MP4 file and upload it to a video project in Canva. Once the video uploads, remove the background using Canva’s Background Remover tool. Replace the background with a new element of photo from Canva, and now your drawing is in an entirely different place. We’ve used this idea to have our students illustrate story book characters or historical figures and then animate them back into the setting or moment in time. Click here or the image below to visit the Meta Demo Lab website!
Immersive Reader & Microsoft Edge
Microsoft takes accessibility very seriously, and this new feature in Microsoft Edge is a prime example. This shortcut / hack allows users to turn on Immersive Reader for any Edge web page In the address bar, add "read:" in front of any link. For example, if you’re using Microsoft Edge and visit our website using this link:
read:https://www.themerrillsedu.com
Then, Immersive Reader will be able to read aloud the content of the website to you!
360Schools
360schools is a unique immersive 360° / VR education service designed for teachers and their students. This website brings hundreds of thousands of incredible 360° panoramas to your students. Educators and students can search for specific locations, share content, and even embed the 360 images into a website or LMS. There are even a few guided tours which will take users from point to point in images. For some amazing results, search “underwater” or “The Alamo!” Click here or on the image above to learn more and sign up for an account today!
Adobe Animate from Audio
Adobe’s Animate from Audio is a part of its Animate app. The difference between the two is that Animate from Audio is a free online converter and you won’t need to download the Animate app, or have an Adobe account. This can be done right within your web browser! Click here or the image to the right to visit the Animate from Audio website. Your first task is to select a character. Once you’ve done this, you can choose from a variety of backgrounds (tip: if you choose green, you can remove the background and upload it to Canva to drop your character into a background of your choice). The last option is the size. Once you’ve configured your project, just hit the record button and follow the steps to save your work. It’s that easy!
Canva Docs
Canva Docs is a visual-first document creator that allows you to design documents supercharged with videos, images, graphics, charts, and graphs. It lets you bring the same color, movement, and eye-catching visuals you usually reserve for presentations to your documents. So, now your students’ word documents don’t have to be boring! Another thing to love about Canva Docs is the ability to collaborate quickly and efficiently. Now, your students can brainstorm, write, create, and design their projects without ever having to leave Canva. Learn more about Canva docs by clicking here or the image to the right!
Animal Crossing Digital Room Transformation
Chances are if you’re an Elementary teacher, your kids are obsessed with the game Animal Crossing. So, we wanted to figure out a way to integrate this into the classroom. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it basically works by using a character to walk around an island performing tasks, catching fish & bugs, and then selling them to a store in return for “bells,” or money. Then, you can use the bells to purchase items to put into your house. So how does this translate into the classroom? Well, if you’re looking for a classroom management idea or if you’re learning about map skills, this is for you! Students can use the ABD card to accumulate bells. The catalogue will allow them to purchase items using their bells. The items purchased can go into their house - which they have picked out on the class map. Check out the explanation in our video above, or download each item below!
Each student gets an ABD card. Students can earn “bells” by completing tasks or doing jobs around the classroom. Click here or the image above to download the ABD card!
Students use their bells from the ABD card to purchase items from the catalogue. We recommend sharing this template on your LMS, then your students an copy / past the items to their own homes. Click here or the image above to download the catalogue!
Students use Canva to create their own room (as a blank presentation slide). Then, have them share their slide to you. Next, have them pick out a house from the map. Then, hyperlink their slide to the master copy of the class map. Click here to or the image above to download the map template!
Microsoft Word - Share Link for Review Mode
Writing in the 21st Century looks different. Students are still using paper and pencil, but the possibilities no longer stop there. Now students of all ages are able to publish their writing to share with broader audiences. Microsoft Word has used accessibility features like dictation, Immersive Reader and more to help make this happen. But, educators know that sometimes students like to rush the process a bit. Enter “Share Link for Review” mode. When a student is working on a Word document, they can generate a share link which will allow for review. Then, they can share the link with the teacher who will then be able to leave comments or suggest revisions. Check out the video from Mike Tholfsen to the right for more information!
Microsoft Forms: Insert Images in Multiple Choice Questions
Let’s face it…Multiple choice assessments aren’t our favorite way of assessing, but there are times where we must use it. Microsoft Forms is a great way to generate a quick assessment, and now you can add images in multiple choice selections. This means you can add a picture to each answer selection, giving clear and concise expectations to your students. Learn how it all works by clicking the image to the right or right here!
Minecraft EDU
There are many possibilities with Minecraft EDU, but some of our favorite activities have been where students have created unique features in their worlds. For example, while learning about local Native American tribes, the students re-created their villages and included explanations for the different landmarks. Another class favorite was when the students created theme park rides and the experience had to include the plot and theme from the story. If you’re looking for a history idea, check out the museum template idea featuring information from World War I - where the students included important artifacts and information. Check out examples from all three below!
Students created theme park rides and the experience had to include the plot and theme from the story.
While learning about local Native American tribes, the students re-created their villages and included explanations for the different landmarks.
This is a museum template idea featuring information from World War I - where the students included important artifacts and information.
Osmo Words
Osmo Words has been around for a while, but educators are catching on to the fact that you can create your own custom Osmo Words Albums. The process isn’t as difficult as you think, and can be done in just several clicks. Here’s how:
Go to your myWords dashboard.
Click on Create New Album, and you will be automatically taken to the new album page.
Click on Add Title (or on Untitled Album) to add your album title.
Click on Add Image to upload a picture (or to take one, if you are using your tablet or phone). You can also drag multiple files to upload images in a batch.
Hover your cursor over the image you have just added and click the Edit button.
Type your chosen word in the Add Word field and select a difficulty. If you want some of the letters to appear as given on the screen, you can put them in parentheses. A(NT) will show as _NT, for example. Add a couple more words; the more the merrier!
Return to your album homepage to add as many images and words as you wish.
-- Please follow us on social media and tag us with how you’re using these ideas in your classroom! 👓👗
For more tips, tricks and lesson ideas for making learning more interACTIVE, check out our books The InterACTIVE Class and Flipgrid in the InterACTIVE Class on Amazon!
