Control Alt Achieve: EdTech Links of the Week

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

EdTech Links of the Week - 7-2-24

Each week I keep an eye out for the latest edtech resources through blogs, social media, podcasts, videos, user groups, and more. I then try to reshare these resources in many ways.

One way I share these is here on the blog in these "EdTech Links of the Week" posts. See below to explore the latest batch of resources, and be sure to share with others who may benefit.

If you want to make sure you don't miss new resources, you can:

🔗 View all EdTech Links of the Week: bit.ly/caa-links

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And as always, please let me know of any resources that you recommend. I would love to learn from you!

This week I have 3 resources from around the Internet and 2 resources from my blog.

📊 Drawcharts

Resource Link

Looking for a way to spice up your charts and graphs? Drawcharts is a free website that let's you create a wide range of charts in a fun hand-drawn style. You simply enter your own data and choose a chart type including bar graph, line chart, pie chart, and more. You can also edit the labels, colors, and the "roughness" of the graph to control how neat or messy the hand-drawn chart appears. Best of all, you do not have to create an account or log in to use the tool, so it is great for users of any age.

🔵 WordHoop

Resource Link

I am a big fan of puzzles and word games, so I am always excited to come across a new one. Recently I heard about WordHoop which involves unscrambling words that fit within a topic category. Here are the basic directions:

Unscramble four missing words in a sequence using all the letters in the grid for each word.
Each word is related to the previous; starting and ending words provide clues for a theme.
You have three lives; each wrong guess costs one life.
Incorrect answers lead to hints, which highlight correct letters in blue.

There is a new puzzle each day which can be played without needing to create an account or log in. This can be a fun way for students to learn vocabulary and work on spelling.

🚘 Social Media TestDrive

Resource Link

Common Sense Education puts out so many valuable resources for schools. Recently I came across another free project they provide, in collaboration with the Cornell Social Media Lab, called "Social Media TestDrive". This is a collection of 12 interactive lessons for students that simulate realistic digital dilemmas and scenarios they may encounter as they enter the social media world.

The modules include Accounts and Passwords, News in Social Media, Shaping Your Digital Footprint, Scams and Phishing, Healthy Social Media Habits, Social Media Privacy, and many more. Each module includes sections to Learn, Practice, Explore, and Reflect on the content.

🎵 Creating Educational Songs with AI Tools

Resource Link

I decided to see if I could use AI tools to create an educational song that could be used to help teach a concept to students. The plan was to use ChatGPT to write the lyrics for the song, and then use Udio to generate the music and to sing the completed song.

For this test I used the water cycle as my topic, and I am so excited with the final product! See the link above to listen to the water cycle song, and for the directions and tools I used to create it. I hope this will inspire you to create a song, and I would love to hear what you make, as well as any suggestions you have for making this project better.

▶️ Recorded Webinar - Today's Special Classroom Guest: Mr. A.I. Chatterbot

Resource Link

I recorded a recent training on engaging ways to use AI with students of all ages. This includes activities such as:

🎙️ AI Interview
⚖️ AI Debate
🧩 AI Games
✍️ AI Co-Writing

You can watch the full video and access all of the session resources at the link above. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on using AI for student learning activities.