Archives: Resources

A quick overview of how Minecraft can be used in the classroom, and an invitation for teachers to join the conversation. Minecraft can be a stepping stone to … learn more

Code.org’s 2015 third annual Hour of Code includes this Minecraft module in partnership with Microsoft. It’s part of their worldwide campaign that tries to demystify code by teaching … learn more

Parents and teachers ask: “Are the kids obsessed with Minecraft? Need to learn how to install mods? Looking for party ideas? Don’t have a clue what a spider … learn more

This site outlines some of the ways Minecraft is being used in schools. It has been used in everything from science and literature to architecture and interactive stories. … learn more

This 1 minute video will give you a good idea of what your students are doing with Minecraft, sometimes described as the world’s biggest sandbox.

In February, 2002, we went to Stanford University’s School of Education and interviewed Margaret Krebs, Jennifer Wolf, and Charla Rolland about how they use the K-12 Instruction Resource … learn more

Vimeo is another contender for hosting videos. While not as well known as YouTube, it has the advantage of being pretty much ad free and provides better video … learn more

Making captivating videos has never been this easy. Movie Studio brings together efficient cutting tools, extensive optimization options and up to 1,500 effects and titles in a single, … learn more

Scan Tips is Wayne Fulton’s attempt to clarify some mysteries about the basics of flash and digital photography. A little of it is Nikon specific, however almost all … learn more

PG Music offers reasonably priced sound software, including Power Tracks Pro (sound editing) and Band-in-A-Box (music creation).

Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds, available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Our webmaster has used it … learn more

Their premise is that anyone with a little ambition and elbow grease can make a terrific podcast. Though creating a regular talk show is hard work, it’s also … learn more

When creating content for your web site, training video or classroom presentation, it would be nice to be able to capture what’s on your computer screen as you … learn more

Stop frame animation — think Chicken Run or the old Gumby cartoons — can easily be done with programs like Clay Animator (free!). Includes information and videos as … learn more

Here is an example of how the Alice programming language can be used to create animations. While there really isn’t much of a plot, you can see how … learn more

Here are some examples of what you can do with Pencil2D. The wide variety of animation styles it supports is amazing.

Pencil2D Animation is a free, open source, cross platform program that can be used to create traditional 2D animations in a wide variety of styles. Supports both bitmap … learn more

A collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy, Pixar In A Box looks at how animated moves are made, and in the process helps students answer an … learn more

In this entertaining video, Phillip Kerman illustrates the cheap and easy way to produce video content. A good starting point for any school video project.

SkyBot was a small, 3D printed drone kit designed to walk students, or even interested adults, through the concepts of basic drone and robotics construction. Their goal was … learn more

Drones that weigh less than 0.55 lbs. (250 g) including batteries do not need to be registered. Most toy and hand held drones fall in this category. Drones … learn more

About two dozen middle school students from around Kern County attended a very special STEM Camp, hosted by Bakersfield College. With potential college and careers in mind, students … learn more

The Drones for Schools program resembles a nesting doll for concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A drone is a complex machine, and once you peek inside, … learn more

This hour long presentation talks about using drones to build interest in STEM in middle school students. Includes both presentations and workshop sessions.

OK, you are probably much better off buying rather than building your first drone. This pages shows you the steps needed to create a drone, from different frames … learn more

Since 2004, volunteers have mentored the G3 Grady High School Robotics Team in Atlanta, GA, introducing students to technology careers and providing a glimpse into the engineering profession.

The Federal Aviation Administration at the beginning of 2021 released its Remote ID ruling for drones, which will require drones to broadcast their location as they fly. While … learn more

In the United States, anything that flies is under the jurisdiction of the FAA. This section of the FAA’s web site explains the rules and how to get … learn more

Here’s an archived list of how drones can be integrated into education, in areas from art to assembling tensile structures or bridges to ethics. As drones are versatile … learn more

Heather Wolpert-Gawron, a middle school teacher and curriculum coordinator, answers the question, “so what can you do with it?”. And notes that maybe we’re not “there” quite yet.

100’s of templates & extensions are available for LibreOffice. You can find similar sites with Google.

The official site for LibreOffice. You can get up-to-date information and download the latest version of LibreOffice here. This is the suite our webmaster uses and recommends.

Chris does an in depth comparison of LibreOffice vs. Microsoft Office, looking especially at the word processing and spreadsheet applications and the ability to switch back and forth … learn more

K-12 Dive provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping K-12 education. The newsletters and website cover topics such as leadership, school models, … learn more

You can use this page as an introduction to Astrophotography. It details experiences and ideas to help you capture your own star images, including maybe the Milky Way. … learn more

While today’s smart phones do not have the capabilities of a high-end SLR camera, the gap is narrowing every year. Schools like Stanford University are now offering classes … learn more

So, you might not be able to duplicate this rig at your high school, but you can use this as a springboard to explore what sort of interesting … learn more

In addition to portraits and landscapes, there is the whole area of product shots for advertising and eCommerce. This resource shows simple setups your students can use to … learn more

What better place for photography ideas than Pinterest. Elizabeth Osborne has compiled over 250 photography ideas for High School students. Elizabeth teaches high school art, photography and 2D … learn more

Photographer Lorenz Holder demonstrates some easy & creative smartphone photography tips & tricks. New ways to look at panoramas, “free” zoom and macro lenses, easy tripod & shutter … learn more

A good alternative to Photoshop is Corel’s PaintShop Pro. While not the gold standard, it provides many of the same features and can be easier for schools to … learn more

Explore the endless possibilities of digital imaging with solutions tailored for your unique needs. Whether you’re a digital imaging novice, enthusiast, or professional, work with software that lets … learn more

Pixlr, among other things, has simple and advanced photo editors you can use right on your web browser. They also make cell phone apps and desktop versions available … learn more

This video takes a quick look at the pros and cons of both Photoshop and GIMP. And good news! GIMP version 2.8, mentioned in the video, is now … learn more

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, cross-platform image editor available for Linux, OS X, Windows, and more. GIMP can be used by graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, … learn more

Paint.NET is a free(!) image and photo editing program for Windows PCs. While not as “feature rich” as PhotoShop, it does a great job and loads faster than … learn more

There are a number of hybrid sites like FreeImages.com that provide both free and for-purchase photos. With over 300,000 free photos, sites like this can provide interesting images … learn more

The Graphics Fairy has over 4,500 free vintage stock images, illustrations, old pictures, antique graphics, and vintage printables. DIY and craft tutorials are offered as well. All images … learn more

Unsplash has over 2 million free high-resolution images “brought to you by the world’s most generous community of photographers”. Covers a wide variety of subjects with high quality … learn more

Check out a repository of digital images from the collections of the National Gallery of Art. More than 45,000 open-access digital images spanning over 700 years of art … learn more

Flubaroo is a free add on for Google Forms (part of Google Docs). In Google Forms, create a test with multiple choice answers then take the test yourself, … learn more

Engage every learner, anywhere with the most comprehensive solution for video recording and streaming, video content management, audience engagement, content creation, and assessments.

Smarter Balanced is a consortium of 15 states, one territory, and the Bureau of Indian Education working together to determine how the Smarter Balanced assessment system is developed … learn more

From 1993 to 2003, the Balanced Assessment in Mathematics Program existed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project group developed a large collection of innovative mathematics … learn more

Take a look at sample assessment questions from Smarter Balanced.

This blog post from the Northwest Evaluation Association looks at easy-to-implement ideas for measuring student learning. One idea: Keep the Question Going. The teacher asks one student a … learn more

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan organization that oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card. You will find … learn more

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, first administered in 1969, is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in … learn more

What is student-centered student self-assessment? No, it’s not the students grading their own tests and giving everyone A’s. What does it look like in the classroom? Do students … learn more

Standardized testing. Formative assessment. Competency-based learning. Report cards. Explore EdWeek’s full coverage of student testing

Louise Yarnall of SRI International answers the question of why assessment is important in education. Assessment is more than just recalling facts and dates, but ensuring the ability … learn more

Assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning to refine programs and improve student learning. This article from Westminster College looks at the different definitions of … learn more

The Educational Testing Service site is dedicated primarily to their standardized tests; under teaching and learning is a list of current performance assessment studies and measures.

NCEO offers resources for administrators, educators, parents, and others concerned with the educational outcomes of all students: An extensive publications list that includes technical reports, state activity updates, … learn more

Connecting educators to what works. Includes many topics: Teachers Essentials, New Teacher, Technology in the classroom, and Professional Development. Education World is a complete online resource that teachers, … learn more

Autodesk’s Tinkercad makes a great classroom tool for 3D modeling. It’s free to use, runs within your web browser (so there’s nothing to install), and is beginner friendly, … learn more

Don’t want to create your own .stl files? Looking for project ideas or see how other people tackled things? Thingiverse is the go-to place for printed objects. Includes … learn more

This post by Josh Price goes into more detail on the steps needed to turn a drawing into complete articulated 3D objects with Fusion 360. While has a … learn more

Lithophanes were first created in the 1820s using porcelain. By varying the depth of the material, you can create a seemingly 3 dimensional black & white image that … learn more

3D printed artwork can take many forms, including 2D wall hangings. Here’s an example of what you can do when you take a line drawing and convert it … learn more

MIT gives us a glimpse into the future of 3D printing technology with an inexpensive printer that can print 10 materials at once, no assembly required. Combining multiple … learn more

We know about 3D printing with plastic, but what about printing magnetic fields? This video by Destin Sandlin looks at how Polymagnet has come up with a way … learn more

The Geneva Drive is an elegant mechanism used to convert rotary motion into intermittent motion. The link includes a YouTube video as well as the STL 3D printer … learn more

Awwww. Meet Peggy. When this little kitty was rescued, they found the lower portion of her rear legs were gone. The author was asked to design a wheelchair … learn more

This is an example of using a 3D printer to create the connectors and other parts needed to assemble an item, in this case a simple solar powered … learn more

Not only is this a fun print that shows how you can print moving mechanisms in place, but it’s practical too. Someone discovered you can spin the Air … learn more

This video shows not only the sphere being printed, but also the steps needed after the print to get everything to work. As you can see, 3D printing … learn more

This model is an exemplar of many different 3D prining concepts. When the model is well designed, you can print a multi-part articulated item all-at-once with even an … learn more

This collection of bubble wands can be printed and used for students of all ages. Younger students can have fun while learning about bubbles. Older students with access … learn more

No matter where education takes place, Zoom can help engage students, faculty, and staff for learning, collaboration, and administration. See how Zoom supports remote and hybrid learning environments … learn more

Naveed Husain, from Teachers College, Columbia University, outlines 20 best practices for educators thrust into the remote-learning journey. The list includes: Be as present as possible through video … learn more

Many teachers have been caught off guard trying to figure out how to pull off lessons. Darin Nakakihara created this edtech tip to help teachers teach remotely. Darin … learn more

Danielle Rochford has been teaching online for over 10 years. She put together this 52 minute webinar to address issues like: How do I get started? What should … learn more

This quick video from ABC News (posted March 10th) explains why officials are banning crowds, closing schools, and encouraging anything to avoid a lot of human contact. It’s … learn more

With everything that’s happening about the Coronavirus, it can be very hard to make a decision of what to do today. Should you wait for more information? Do … learn more

Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer and current “YouTuber and friend of science”, put together this video showing how easy it is to spread germs, including the COVID-19 … learn more

With schools turning to the Internet to facilitate education activities, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are stepping up to the plate, providing free Internet hotspots and continued service during … learn more

To say things are “up in the air” regarding fall college admissions is an understatement. This article from NPR outlines some of the current issues for H.S. seniors … learn more

At the end of March, 2020, 185 countries had closed their schools, affecting 90 percent of the world’s students. The speed of these closures and the rapid move … learn more

The current stay-at-home environment is challenging for learning on a number of fronts. This article talks about how school districts in Colorado are trying to overcome the disparities … learn more

PROTECTING, MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF ALL MINNESOTANS

This article by Sarah Gonser highlights some issues that we will all face as states start to prepare contingency plans for a highly unpredictable Fall 2020 school year: … learn more

This post by Krista Kaput looks at issues specific to Minnesota, but is a reminder that the COVID-19 crisis has caused ripple effects across the education system, raising … learn more

This post by Amy Takabori explains why building a sense of community for your school during a school closure is important and gives 4 tips on how to … learn more

Mike Rowe’s recorded a commencement speech to all those graduating from a trade school, and to those high school graduates about to enter one. In these uncertain times, … learn more

Parents, teachers and students across the country are gearing up for the new school year. But, as of mid-July, what schools and the school day would look like … learn more