The Month in Review - The Most Popular Posts

It's the end of the month and as I always do, I've put together a list of the most popular posts of the last 30 days. Take a look at the list and see if there is anything neat that you missed this month.

The Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp starts in three weeks. There is still time to register. If you're a Mainer, email me for a special discount only available to schools in Maine.

Here are the most popular posts of the month:
1. New Grading Options in Google Forms
2. Six Types of Video Creation Projects - And 18 Video Creation Tools
3. 4 Good Formative Assessment Tools for Classrooms That Aren't 1:1
4. Be Internet Awesome - Google's New Internet Safety Curriculum
5. Track Progress Toward Goals With This Google Sheets Template
6. Make Stop Motion Videos On Your Chromebook
7. Grade Items in G Suite Side-by-Side With Otus
8. How to Create a Word Cloud in Google Docs
9. How to Move from Google Drive to One Drive
10. 12 Sites and Apps for Learning to Code

Individual and group registration is still open for the Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp and the BYOD Camp. Register with a group and get a great discount!

Four online courses starting in July:

• Getting Going With G Suite is a five week course that offers a graduate credit option. 
• Teaching History With Technology is a three week course for middle school and high school social studies teachers. 
• Practical Ed Tech Jumpstart is the course for anyone who has looked at the educational technology landscape and wondered, "where do I start?" 
• Finally, by request, I am offering from Blog to Job - A Teacherpreneur Jumpstart.

Please visit the official advertisers that help keep this blog going.

Practical Ed Tech is the brand through which I offer PD webinars.

Storyboard That is my go-to tool for creating storyboards.

QuickKey saves teachers tons of time when scoring formative assessments.

University of Maryland Baltimore County offers a great program on instructional design.

Discovery Education & Wilkes University offer online courses for earning Master's degrees in Instructional Media.

PrepFactory offers a great place for students to prepare for SAT and ACT tests.

Boise State University offers a 100% online program in educational technology.

My Simpleshow provides a great way to create explanatory videos.

The Tour de France Begins Tomorrow - Resources for Learning More About It

The Tour de France begins tomorrow. What started out as a promotion to boost the sales of newspapers in France is now one of the biggest sporting events in the world (and a big business). Here are some resources for learning more about the Tour de France.

Check out this animated video to learn all about the tactics of the race, the logistics of the race, the physiology of riding in the race, and many other interesting facts about the world's most famous bicycle race.



If watching the race (broadcast on NBC Sports in the US) inspires you to get outside and ride a bike, don't forget your helmet. The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky offers some good resources about brain injury prevention. One of those resources is a short animated video designed to teach students about the need for wearing a helmet and how to wear helmets when biking or skateboarding. In the video students learn how to pick a helmet and how to properly fit a helmet. Watch the two minute video below.


The Science Behind the Bike is a four part video series from The Open University. The series has a total running length of 33 minutes and is a complement to a larger Open Learn course called The Science Behind Wheeled Sports. The videos and the course are designed to help students understand the physics, the physiology,  and the technology that influence the outcome of cycling events.

Sticking with the science of bicycling, Global Cycling Network offers a video addressing the question of whether having a light bike or light body makes the bigger difference in speed on a bike. The video is a bit long, but worth watching for the process and outcome. Ask your students for predictions before jumping to the end.


How is the overall winner of the Tour de France determined? It's not as simple as you might think. In addition to the overall winner's Yellow Jersey there are other prizes awarded in the race. Learn all about how the race times and points are calculated by watching the following video from the Global Cycling Network.


Minute Physics offers two videos about the physics of bicycles. In How Do Bikes Stay Up? we learn how bikes stay upright, how design and weight influences balance, and why bicycles are difficult to balance in reverse.


The Counterintuitive Physics of Turning a Bike explains how we turn bicycles.

Practical Ed Tech Live - Episode 10 - ISTE Recap + Q&A

Just a few minutes ago I wrapped-up the tenth episode of Practical Ed Tech Live. Most of the time was spent on my ISTE recap, but I did answer a couple of reader questions at the end. Next week I will cover more questions. The video of the episode is embedded below. You can get the outline and resource links here.

Great Chromebook & G Suite PD on Both Coasts

Summer is here and it's a great time to learn new skills and brush-up on old ones. If your school is moving to Chromebooks and or G Suite for Education, I have two great professional development opportunities to share with you.

Folks on the west coast should look into Beyond Tech Ed's two day training classes happening in Palm Springs, California on August 2nd and 3rd. Use the code FAMILY25 to receive a great discount on your registration.


If you're on the east coast, join me in Portland, Maine for the Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp on July 20th and 21st. Teachers in Maine should email me for special discount code.

Disclosure: Beyond Tech Ed is an advertiser on this blog.