EDpuzzle

Image from EDpuzzle.com

I used to be a Zaption lover and then poof, it was gone.  I searched and tried a number of innovative video sites before finding my new love…..EDpuzzle.  I was never big on assigning videos to my students, because they were not engaged.  I would try to give them a sheet with questions to answer as they watched the video, but once they got distracted all was lost. 

              EDpuzzle has changed this for me.  With EDpuzzle, I can upload my videos (or choose another video from the web), edit it, add comments, open ended questions, or multiple choice questions, and adjust the settings to prevent skipping in the video.  I can also monitor student progress all for free.  My students are engaged in the video, take great notes, and even stop to ask questions on concepts.    

              Let me show you a few shots of my EDpuzzle account.  This first one is my assignment page.  I can see my classes on the left, the assignments I have posted for the class, the due dates, the completion percentages, and then I can click on progress to see a breakdown for each student in the class.   

                This next image is in the editing mode.  Above the video are my editing options to clip the video, add audio tracks, add audio notes, or insert questions.   On the right, you can see a question I added to my video and under the video, you can see the green boxes which represent the questions I added throughout the video clip. 

               

             The next image represents a class snapshot of grades on the questions I added from the video.  Remember, EDpuzzle does not grade open-ended questions, so I do need to grade those and click correct to improve the student’s score. 

               

               This last image is a student’s individual score sheet.  I see each question and the answer given.  I always have the ability to change the score on each question and add comments.  I really enjoy Edpuzzle and my students have given positive feedback about their experience.   

Go check it out!

Geogebra

              Here is an oldie, but goodie!  My students love working on Geogebra.  You can use the web version or the app in the Google play store and you have the ability to save and print files.  Geogebra offers great tutorials that I have watched or you can search YouTube for videos on different options offered in Geogebra.  You can also check out the awesome materials platform offered on the homepage for ideas and lessons to use in your classroom. 

The most common uses for Geogebra in my classes are to graph lines, calculate the slope of a line, compare functions, and find the distance between points.  My students favorite project in Geogebra is the coordinate plane pictures we create each year.  I have created some pictures, my students designed some pictures, and there a multiple free options on the internet.   Below are examples of finished projects.  Enjoy!

Mathtrain

              I just learned about this site called Mathtrain and thought I would share.  I have not used it in my class, but I do plan on incorporating the idea after break.  Mathtrain is known for being a free, educational “kids teaching kids”project from Mr. Marcos and his students at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, CA.  How awesome!  Sixth grade students teaching math concepts for others to learn.  There are times that students understand each other better and if a student can teach another student about a concept, then you know the ‘teacher’ student has mastery of that skill.  This is a great alternative assessment for students, as well.  Create a video on a learned concept instead of completing a pencil and paper test.  Love it!

               

                The video below is a Mathtrain spotlight story.  

                 This video clip is from a TED^x talk given by Alan November discussing Mathtrain and the great advantages of kids teaching kids.