Otus Worksheets is the latest update from the innovative easy-to-use Learning Management System, Otus.  This feature allows educators to create a assessment/worksheet for students to take inside of Otus.  The questions can be T/F, multiple choice, EdPen, or short answer.  Best of all, Otus grades the assessment automatically except for short answerBelow is a brief demo...I highly recommend checking out Outs by clicking here!!!*Otus is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Math Quest is a fun RPG style game for El Ed ages kids learning basic Math skills (i.e. addition, subtraction, etc.).  Like most RPGs a user can create a character and then level up by battling monsters.  As a user gains skill points, money, and items a user can level up purchase items, learn magic, equip their player, etc etc.  Also, there are fun side quests to go on and a student has the ability to save their progress.  Math Quest is a highly addictive game that is ideal for Game Based Learning that has lots of replay value.I highly recommend checking out Math Quest by clicking here!!!

EDpuzzle is vastly becoming one of the premiere web/iOS tools around for learning in the classroom.  This is fantastic free tool for editing a video, cropping, adding quizzes/polls, narration, etc. then embedding into site/blog.  It is being used to flip a classroom or lesson, Project Based Learning, grading/assessing, and even for differentiating instruction.  The educational portal allows students to sign-up w/out needing an email account and lets educators track student progress in real-time.Due Date feature...A while back EDpuzzle updated their fantastic site/app to integrate a "due date' by assigning it via drop down calendar to a video.  This helps students and educators organize their videos/lessons and see not only how far along an assignment is completed but when it is due as well.  An unfinished assignment can even be archived by the user.  I like how teachers can create their assignments before hand and assign it a "due date' to get a nice visual of what they class will be working on in the weeks ahead.I highly recommend checking out EDpuzzle by clicking here!!!Below is a brief demo video...For my Pinterest board on Flipping a Classroom click here.*EDpuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

30hands Learning is the excellent company for creating an innovative LMS (Learning Management System) as well as the popular mobile iOS apps that are ideal for digital storytelling (30hands Starter (free), 30hands Pro (paid)).  The 30hands community is a perfect cloud based solution that allows educators to: manage/track students, hand in/out assignments, schedule events, and more.  While the mobile apps are being used in education for project based learning, digital storytelling, and more.30hands has lots of exciting news on the horizon...After upgrading to Pro, users will have access to existing advanced features and new features in the works: • Video clips as slides • Google Drive + Dropbox Integration • Importing of Google Slides and PDFs as 30hands slides • Backgrounds and scenes • Higher quality videos • Advanced drag-and-drop drawing with editing (Aug 2015) • Slide sharing with parents and students (Fall 2015) • Slide Transitions (Fall 2015) • Unlimited presentations • Unlimited saves to Camera RollDistricts that purchase 30hands Pro will get free or discounted professional development (depending on licenses purchased). The PD can be onsite or virtual and selected from our areas of expertise: Digital Storytelling, PBL, Blended Learning, Teaching Coding, and Teaching Entrepreneurship. 30hands Learning is putting 20% of the net sales of 30hands Pro toward helping kids without hands get a 3D dream hand. Your students can help by printing a hand, assembling a hand, designing a hand, telling a story or buying 30hands Pro.For more info on how your school can participate, email info@30hands.com.Join our newsletter here: http://30hands.com/newsletter.*30hands Learning is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Spellspire is a new free iOS word game that I can't stop playing.  This is a fun game that is like a combination of Boggle meets a RPG, where in a user can earn money and then buy different items to equip their player.  As a user advanced up the tower, monsters get harder and harder, and a player has to spell words faster and faster.  This can be a fun way to introduce Game Based Learning into the classroom, is great for centers, and has high replay value.  I just wish they add the ability to have future players per device, as it seems only one person can play at a time.Below is a brief demo...I highly recommend checking out Spellspire by clicking here!!!For more information check out Edshelf by clicking here.

Lyrics2learn uses Hip-hop and rock to boost K-5th grade reading fluency, and offers 4 levels of interactive comprehension practice.  Kids read along with rappers and rockers during each lesson.  Kids memorize quickly while learning about about character building, history, science, and grammar and boost reading skills.  Each fluency video is followed by 4 levels of interactive comprehension.  Lyrics2learn gives students and educators immediate feedback and tracks data.L2L offers free, full access trials to teachers, parents and entire schools.I highly recommend checking out Lyrics2Learn by clicking here!!!Below is a demo video...

Sketch Nation is a wonderful free app (iOS/Android) and website for creating games.  Sketch Nation reminds me of Pixel Press Floors but w/out the paper.  All a student has to do is select their category of game (i.e. platform, jumping, etc) then draw their backgrounds/characters/items and let Sketch Nation do the rest.  The advanced level editor will help students create more complex games and work on their STEM skills.  Sketch Nation even has a nice section for education w/ a collection of games created by students.Here is what is new in Version 3.0...- Version 3.0 is an exciting update for Sketch Nation Create. Lot's of new stuff to challenge and entertain you, including:- Custom movement / coding - You can now learn the basics of coding by setting custom movement for enemies. You can specify exactly how enemies move by setting each step of movement, such as "Go left", "Go right", "Start over", etc.. We will add more customization like this in upcoming releases.- Comments - You can now comment on online games created by other users. See what other users think of your games and give feedback to other game creators. All the comments will be checked by an admin before they are viewable to others.-  News feed - You can now see what users are doing in your games. You’ll see news feed items for new high scores, new comments, when your games have been favorited or featured. You’ll also be able to see when games and comments you have submitted have been approved or rejected. - Art gallery - You can now re-use art you have previously drawn when creating a new object. Local games will be limited to art stored locally, while online games will be able to access all the art you have created for your online games.- Pushable blocks - You can now create obstacles that can be pushed by the player. This opens up a whole new way to design levels by requiring the user to push obstacles in order to solve puzzles.- New ammo settings - You can now create non-moving ammo that appears directly in front of the player. This can be used to let the player wield a weapon such as a sword. - New dying animations - New dying animations for enemies like "Cut", "Flatten" and "Fall over".I highly recommend checking out Sketch Nation by clicking here!!!Below is a brief demo...For my Pinterest board on Programing/Coding click here.*Sketch Nation is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Geo Tombs is a excellent new game from RoomRecess, that helps students learn about Geometry (perimeter/area).  This game works like a standard platform game where a user has to run and jump collecting keys and different items, while solving equations and unlocking chests.  This is a great way to integrate Game Based Learning into the classroom and has high replay value.I highly recommend checking out Geo Tombs by clicking here!!!

Oncore is a free iPad app that acts as a learning management system for teachers.  This simple to use app allows educators to track student behavior as well as assess students in real-time.  The way this works is by uses color-coded data, to help educators visualize student's performance and help assess data."By using the seating chart as the classroom interface, Oncore helps teachers collect color-coded, one-touch data on student learning, integrating formative assessment and feedback into their daily practice.Oncore focuses any K-12 classroom on mastery learning by helping teachers engage all students, check for understanding, create collaborative groups and communicate learning and behavior progress to parents. Unique to Oncore is its integration of Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Teachers can tie a standard to classroom activities, groups, assignments, or individual participations with students."I highly recommend checking out Oncore Classroom Productivity app by clicking here!!!*Oncore is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Storyboard That the wonderful site for education to create a wide variety of things such as: timelines, storyboards, digital stories, graphic organizers, etc etc, has recently released a bunch of updates.  These updates include a guide for Mother's Day activities,  smart scenes, and a storyboard save history.  Also, educators are using Storyboard That for Project Based Learning, Blended Learning, and much much more.More info on their latest updates...Smart Scenes: Smart scenes are scenes that can be customized in one way or another, similar to how we can customize characters. So far, we have 60+ Smart Scenes! These scenes will have a blue ‘Edit Scene’ button (in the same place that a character’s ‘Edit Pose’ button is) that allows the user to edit things such as time of day (daytime to nighttime), weather (raining, snowing, sunny), and more!Storyboard Save History: This feature allows users to pull up previously saved versions of their storyboards in case they want to go back and fix something, or just in case they want to see a previous version! You can find this feature by clicking the ‘View Save History’ button below a storyboard that you have edited and saved at least once before. I highly recommend checking out Storyboard That by clicking here!!!Storyboard That is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.