In Case You Missed It - The Periodic Table in Pictures and Words

One of the most popular posts of the month so far featured The Periodic Table of Elements, in Pictures and Words. In case you missed it, here's a video I made to provide an overview of the site.


Applications for Education
As I mentioned last week, The Periodic Table of Elements, in Pictures and Words could be a great resource for middle school science classrooms. It also provides a nice model for an assignment in which you have your students pick an element and then try to identify as many products as possible that contain that chosen element.

Save Time by Using JoeZoo Express to Give Feedback in Google Docs

JoeZoo Express is a Google Documents Add-on that can save you a ton of time when you are grading or editing your students' writing in Google Documents. The way that JoeZoo Express saves you times is by providing you with the ability to store canned comments to insert directly in your students' work. You can use standard comments provided by JoeZoo Express or you can create, store, and use your own comments. Additionally, JoeZoo Express offers an option to include links to tutorials and help pages in your comments.

In June JoeZoo Express published a new set of tutorials for teachers and students. The playlist of tutorials is embedded below.

View and Print 3D Models of Smithsonian Artifacts

Smithsonian X 3D (SIx3D) offers a neat way for students to learn about artifacts from the Smithsonian museums. The site is the result of a collaboration between Autodesk and the Smithsonian Institution. More than artifacts are currently featured on Smithsonian X 3D. The artifacts can be viewed as 3D models that you can virtually manipulate. Many of the artifacts have accompanying fact sheets through which you can learn about the artifact's history and significance. A screenshot of the fact sheet accompanying the model of the Philadelphia (a gunboat) is included below.

If you have access to a 3D printer you can print models of many of the artifacts featured on Smithsonian X 3D.

Applications for Education
The Smithsonian video embedded below provides an overview of how the Smithsonian envisions teachers using Smithsonian X 3D with students.

Math Shorts - 21 Math Lessons from Planet Nutshell

I became a big fan of Planet Nutshell the first time that I saw their series of videos on Internet Safety. Math Shorts is another great series offered by Planet Nutshell.

Math Shorts is a series of 21 animated math video lessons. The majority of the videos are designed for third through eighth grade. Each of the videos has a Common Core standard aligned to it. All of the videos have supporting materials from PBS Learning Media attached to them. The first video in the series is embedded below.


In addition to the math videos and Internet safety videos, Planet Nutshell has also produced great videos on Financial Aid and Climate Science.

The Week in Review - Fun and Learning at UTC

Good evening from Maine where I'm wrapping up a busy week that included hosting four webinars and two days of presenting at the Upstate Technology Conference in Greenville, South Carolina. UTC was a great event. It was a pleasure to meet so many new people including YouTube sensation Tom Richey and to reconnect with old friends. If you're in the Greenville area, make sure you put UTC on your calendar for next year. And if you're interested in having me speak at your conference, please get in touch.

Here are this week's most popular posts:
1. 5 New Google Forms Features
2. The Periodic Table in Pictures and Words
3. Try Book Creator In Chrome to Create Multimedia Books
4. Tutorials to Help You Get Started Creating Apps in Your Classroom
5. More Than 40 Examples of Classroom & School Blogs
6. Workbench Offers Good Hands-on STEM Activities
7. Anchor Offers the Easiest Way to Publish Podcasts

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!

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.

Beyond Tech Ed is hosting a great Chromebook training in Palm Springs. 

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.