On Friday afternoon I gave a presentation to a great group of educators from the greater Chicago area. Twice as many people registered as came to the event so I'm guessing there are some folks who would like to see the slides from my talk. Those slides are embedded below. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHaiku Deck Releases a New iPhone App for Creating PresentationsHow to Enable Google Drive Desktop NotificationsHow to Add Word Art to Google Slides 

It's the end of the month and it feels like I was writing about Google Apps daily in April. I checked, I wasn't, but there were a lot of useful updates to Google Apps products this month. Here are the updates that are of interest to teachers and students. 1. Google Play podcasts. You can now publish your podcast on Google Play. The process is actually rather straight-forward. 2. New filtering options for YouTube within Google Apps domains. 3. Google Calendar now suggests mutually convenient meeting times for your group. 4. You can now create and track goals in Google Calendar. 5. Google Calendar's web app now includes task reminders. 6. Google Classroom now includes a polling function. 7. Outlook users will be pleased to know that the Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office now supports Outlook. 8. The Mac & PC Google Drive desktop apps now allow you to choose which folders you want to sync. 9. Google Drive now lets you choose which files you want to sync for offline access. 10. Google Keep for Chrome & Android now let you bookmark websites, add notes to your bookmarks, share bookmarks, and set reminders for sharing. Watch my latest video overview of the Google Keep for Chrome extension. 11. Desktop notifications are now a feature of Google Drive's web app. The notifications will tell you when someone shares a file and or requests a file. Watch my video to learn how to enable this feature. Learn how to put all of these features and more to good use in your classroom in my online course Getting Going With GAFE. You can earn three graduate credits in the course.  This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHow to Enable Google Drive Desktop NotificationsHow to Add Word Art to Google SlidesNow You Can Choose Which Google Drive Files Are Synced for Offline Access 

Good morning from the temporary Byrne Instructional Media, LLC headquarters at O'Hare International Airport. I'm currently waiting for my flight home after a great afternoon yesterday with people who came to the networking event hosted by Otus. Thank you to everyone that came out to hear me speak. Getting to meet passionate educators all over the world and share stories is the best thing about maintaining this blog. Those opportunities wouldn't happen without all of you who follow and share my posts. Thank you! Here are this week's most popular posts: 1. My Three Favorite Classroom Timer Tools 2. Telling Stories With Storyboards - Webinar Recording 3. How to Add Word Art to Google Slides 4. Four Tools for Creating Screencasts on Chromebooks - A Comparison 5. STEM in 30 - A Smithsonian Webcast for Middle School Students 6. Four Ways to Explore the News Through Maps 7. Resources for Reviewing for AP US History Exam Spring and Summer PD Opportunities With MeDiscounted early registration for the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camps is available through the end of the day. If coming to Maine isn't an option for you, take a look at the online workshops I'm hosting throughout the spring and summer.Would you like to have me speak at your school or conference?Click here to learn about my professional development services.  Please visit the official advertisers that help keep this blog going.Practical Ed Tech is the brand through which I offer PD webinars.BoomWriter provides a fantastic tool for creating writing lessons. FreshGrade is a great online digital portfolio tool.  Storyboard That is my go-to tool for creating storyboards and cartoon stories.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.FrontRow offers adaptive online ELA and Math practice activities.  Teach n Go is a comprehensive platform for teaching online courses. The University of Maryland Baltimore County offers graduate programs for teachers.Boise State University offers a 100% online program in educational technology.EdTechTeacher is hosting host workshops in six cities in the U.S. in the summer. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related Stories11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This MonthHow to Enable Google Drive Desktop NotificationsHow to Add Word Art to Google Slides 

April came and went quickly. In fact, it went so quickly that I didn't even realize it was over until I looked at the date about an hour ago and realized we were into May. I'm a day late on my month-in-review post. Here are the most popular posts of the last month: 1. 11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed 2. New Polling Feature Added to Google Classroom 3. A Short Overview of 12 Tools for Creating Flipped Lessons 4. Kahoot Adds a Team Mode 5. 5 Ideas for Using Google Sites in Your Classroom 6. Mozilla Releases an Interactive Web Literacy Map 7. My Three Favorite Classroom Timer Tools 8. Three Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed 9. Telling Stories With Storyboards - Webinar Recording 10. Four Tools for Creating Screencasts on Chromebooks Spring and Summer PD Opportunities With MeOnly seven tickets are left for the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp in July. Just one ticket is available for the Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp in July. If coming to Maine isn't an option for you, take a look at the online workshops I'm hosting throughout the spring and summer.Would you like to have me speak at your school or conference?Click here to learn about my professional development services.  Please visit the official advertisers that help keep this blog going.Practical Ed Tech is the brand through which I offer PD webinars.BoomWriter provides a fantastic tool for creating writing lessons. FreshGrade is a great online digital portfolio tool. Storyboard That is my go-to tool for creating storyboards and cartoon stories.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.FrontRow offers adaptive online ELA and Math practice activities.  Teach n Go is a comprehensive platform for teaching online courses.The University of Maryland Baltimore County offers graduate programs for teachers.Boise State University offers a 100% online program in educational technology.EdTechTeacher is hosting host workshops in six cities in the U.S. in the summer. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesThe Week in Review - The Most Popular PostsThe Week in Review - TransitionsThe Month in Review - #Masonshome 

The US Environmental Protection Agency offers some nice resources for teaching about the water cycle and water treatment. Thirstin's Water Cycle takes students on an animated and narrated tour of the water cycle from water, to vapor, to clouds, to rain. Thirstin's Tour of a Water Treatment Plant takes students on a narrated tour through a typical water treatment facility found in the United States. Applications for Education Both of Thirstin's narrated tours are designed as supplementary materials to the elementary school lesson plans offered in the teacher's resources section of EPA.gov. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesApril's Most Popular Posts on Free Technology for TeachersThe Week in Review - The Most Popular Posts11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This Month 

This is a guest post from Avra Robinson (@AvraRachel) of EdTechTeacher, an advertiser on this site. As a teacher, for years, I loathed the PDF file.  It was that file that I couldn’t edit or manage very easily.  I’d print off hard copies for my students, but when I started teaching technology, I was eager to discover a way to digitally annotate PDF files.  I wanted students to be able to highlight information in a variety of colors, underline key terms, and draw or type on a PDF file using a computer or Chromebook   Kami, formerly Notable PDF, is the streamlined, easy-to-use solution to my PDF hopes and dreams! With Kami, students can view and annotate PDF documents from within the Chrome Web Browser, so it is a perfect tool for Chromebook and laptop users.  Once annotated, the files are stored in Google Drive, which makes integration with Google Apps for Education and Google Classroom possible, too. To get started using Kami, simply install the app from the Chrome Web Store.   As the app installs, if you are signing in with a Google Apps for Education account, you will be prompted to select that you are an educator.  At that point, Kami allows you to explore the premium features for 30 days, though the basic features provide ample opportunity for teachers and students. Tech Tip: Once the app is installed, teachers and students may need to manually connect it to Google Drive.  In Google Drive, select the red NEW button & scroll down to More.  From there, select "Connect more apps," and search & connect Kami.  By creating this connection between Google Drive & Kami, students and teachers can choose to have Kami be the default app that opens PDF files if desired. To begin using Kami, students and teachers simply launch the app, and drag or click to import a PDF file from the hard drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box. There is also an option to open a recent file that has been edited in Kami.  From there, students can start marking up their documents. There is a wide variety of annotation tools including highlight, strikethrough, underline, add comments, add text, free draw, and an eraser tool.  In the premium version, there are some added capabilities of inserting shapes, signatures, and voice-to-text features. Saving couldn’t be easier with Kami, as it can be set to sync to Google Drive.  Students and teachers can also export the file to other locations.  Each time the file is exported, the option to export both the original and annotated copies exists.  Additionally, because Kami files are stored in Drive, Google Classroom integration is made possible!  Teachers can annotate a PDF file with directions, further explanation of content, or guiding questions, and then push it out in an assignment in Classroom, selecting the option for each student to get his or her own copy.  Students can open the file in Kami,further annotate the file, and then submit! The easy-to-use annotation features in Kami make utilizing PDF files easy and fun for students and teachers! Learn more Google Apps Tips & Tricks from Avra Robinson this Summer! EdTechTeacher also has a wealth of Google resources on edtechteacher.org/gafetheir web site. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesAn Animated Tour of the Water Cycle and Water TreatmentApril's Most Popular Posts on Free Technology for TeachersThe Week in Review - The Most Popular Posts 

The AP exams for US History, European History, and Government are coming up this month. Teachers and YouTube sensations Keith Hughes and Tom Richey are hosting a series of Google+ Hangouts on Air for students who would like some review help before the exams. Every night this week they are hosting a different hangout for different aspects of the exams. Check the schedule for the list of what is covered each night. The review hangouts will be posted on Tom's YouTube channel and Keith's YouTube channel. Students should take a look at the other videos on their channels for more review lessons. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesThe Week in Review - The Most Popular PostsThe Week in Review - 50 Million Page ViewsPowerPoint Playbook - Animating Numbered Lists 

Over the weekend my friend Tony Vincent sent me an email about a new video that he made about Adobe Illustrator Draw. Adobe Illustrator Draw is a free iPad app and Android app. It's the app that Tony uses to make the awesome illustrations that appear in his presentations, on his website, and in his Instagram feed. Watch Tony's video, embedded below, to learn how to create illustrations from scratch or by tracing in Adobe Illustrator Draw. Applications for Education As you can see in the video illustrations made with Adobe Illustrator Draw can used by students in slides, as avatars, or anywhere that a high-quality original illustration is needed. As Tony pointed out to me, the app is free but it does require you to register for a free Adobe ID. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesNow You Can Sync Your Google Classroom Roster With Quick KeyNew Commenting Options in Google Slides, Sheets, Docs Mobile AppsThe Week in Review - The Most Popular Posts 

Disclosure: Front Row is currently an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com. Front Row is a service that offers teachers a nice way to deliver practice math and ELA activities to their students. The central feature of Front Row is that students are given practice activities based upon their individual needs. To get started with Front Row teachers register and create class rosters. Students then join their teacher's class by entering a class code on the Front Row student website or on the Front Row iPad app for students. Once students have joined your class they complete an evaluation assignment to determine a baseline of their current skills in an area. Subsequent assignments can be adapted based upon that baseline information. In both the Front Row web app and iPad app students have digital scratch paper to use as they figure out answers to questions. Front Row is available in a free edition and in a paid school-wide edition. The paid edition offers additional reporting data for teachers and administrators. Applications for Education Front Row could be a good tool for tracking students' progress in mathematics and ELA then giving them practice activities that help them improve in areas the areas in which they are not as strong as they could be. Front Row won't replace the need to work with students individually, but it could help you identify which areas to focus on with them. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesKaizena for iPad - Add Voice Notes to Students' Printed Documents5 Dice - A Fun Math Activity on iPadsThe Week in Review - The Most Popular Posts 

There are a lot of things that we do every day that consume more energy than we realize. One of those things is watching videos on the Internet. I did not know that until last week when I watched a Minute Earth video titled, This Video Has Consumed "X Amount" of Energy. The "x amount" is a reflection of the constantly changing title of the video. The more times it is watched, the more energy it consumes. Watch the video for the full explanation of how energy is used in delivering a web video to your screen. Applications for Education The video does a nice job of using AA batteries to illustrate how much energy is consumed by watching a video. AA batteries are objects with which most students are familiar in terms of how long they last in common electronic devices. To continue the lesson have students use National Geographic's Personal Energy Meter to see how much energy they consume. They might be surprised at how much energy they actually use. Consider using VideoNotes to use this video as part of a flipped lesson. Learn how in this video. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesAn Animated Tour of the Water Cycle and Water TreatmentNearly 100 TED-Ed Lessons About NatureWhy Do Some Birds Eat Dirt? - National Geographic Explains 

AZ Screen Recorder is a fantastic free app for creating screencasts on your Android phone or tablet. Unlike a lot of Android screencasting apps AZ Screen Recorder does not require you to have root access to your device nor does it require you to mirror to another device to record. To create a screencast with AZ Screen Recorder on your Android device simply install it then open it and tap the record icon. You will see a three second countdown timer appear on your screen and then you'll be recording. You can talk over your recording to explain what you're showing on your screen. When you're done just tap the stop button and your recording is saved on your device. You can share your recording directly to Google Drive, YouTube, or any other file storage service that is connected to your Android device. Applications for Education I often receive emails from teachers who want to create tutorial videos or have students create screencasts on Android devices. AZ Screen Recorder is a great option for doing that. See my sample AZ Screen Recorder recording in which I demonstrate the Padlet Android app. Come to the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp to learn more about screencasting on Android devices, iPads, Chromebooks, and laptops. Only six tickets remain. Powered by Eventbrite This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesTony Vincent Teaches Us How to Make Great Illustrations5 Questions to Consider in BYOD SchoolsTap to Learn Grammar 

BandLab is a free service that enables you to create music in your web browser or through free Android and iOS apps. In BandLab's you can create soundtracks using any of the virtual instruments that are provided. You can also speak or sing to record a track. Within the BandLab editor you can mix your tracks together to create a song. If you have existing audio files on your computer, you can upload those to incorporate into your BandLab creations. BandLab is designed to allow you to collaborate with others. To collaborate you first have to create a band in your BandLab profile then invite other users to join your band. Applications for Education BandLab offers one way for high school students to collaborate to create music. That music could then be downloaded and used in other places like as background music in a video. BandLab could also be used to create simple podcasts. One aspect of BandLab that teachers should be aware of is the public profiles that can be followed in the BandLab community. Those profiles feature the creations of other users. It doesn't appear that those creations are moderated for language. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesAZ Screen Recorder - Create Screencasts on Your Android DeviceHow Much Energy is Consuming by Watching a Video?Front Row - Adaptive Math & ELA Practice for K-8 Students 

One of the complaints that I often hear about Google Classroom is that there isn't a good way for parents to know what has been shared with students within the classroom. This afternoon Google announced that a solution to that problem is coming this fall. This fall Google will introduce an option for parents and guardians to sign-up to receive daily or weekly email digests of upcoming assignments and announcements. Student progress will also be included in the email digest. According to the announcement it appears that administrators will have to invite parents/ guardians to receive the daily or weekly digest via email. Administrators will also set policies for notifications. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesSchedule Assignments in Google Classroom11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This MonthNow You Can Choose Which Google Drive Files Are Synced for Offline Access 

For quite a while now you have been able to save announcements and assignments as drafts in Google Classroom. But the problem was that you would then have to go back and post them when you wanted students to see the posts. Beginning today that is no longer the case. About an hour ago Google announced that you can now schedule assignments, announcements, and polls to appear at a later time in your Google Classroom stream. To schedule an assignment in Google Classroom simply select the scheduling option when you're drafting an assignment. You can pick the day and time at which you want your assignment to be visible to your students. Applications for Education The scheduling option in Google Classroom could be used in much the same way that I have used scheduled blog posts over the years. Rather than having to post an assignment or quiz on the morning that you need students to see it, you can write and schedule things in advance. Join my online course to learn how to get the most out of Google Apps for Education. You can earn three graduate credits through the course.  This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related Stories11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This MonthNow You Can Choose Which Google Drive Files Are Synced for Offline AccessThree Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This Week 

On Monday evening I hosted the first meeting of the spring section of Teaching History With Technology. One of the topics that I covered was using technology to support students as the read and work with primary sources. Before a student can search for, read, or cite a primary source he or she needs to be able to identify the differences between the two. The Minnesota Historical Society offers a fantastic video on the topic of primary v. secondary sources. By watching the short video students can learn what a makes a resource a primary or secondary source. The video provides a handful of examples of each along with a description of what makes the example a primary or secondary source. This is probably the best video that I have seen explain the differences between primary and secondary sources. Teaching History With Technology will be offered again during the summer along with two other online professional development courses for teachers.  This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHow Much Energy is Consuming by Watching a Video?Front Row - Adaptive Math & ELA Practice for K-8 StudentsSoon You Will Be Able to Email Parents from Google Classroom 

This afternoon Google added two fantastic new features to Google Slides. First, Google Slides now has a Q&A feature that lets your audience submit questions to you. Second, Google Slides now has a built-in laser pointer that you can use to call attention to parts of your slides. I've already received some questions about how to use these new features so I made the following short video. Applications for Education The new Q&A feature in Google Slides promises to be a great way to collect questions and comments from students during a presentation by you or their classmates. The nice thing about the Q&A feature is that you can turn it off at any time. You can also let students vote for the questions and comments that they like the most. Learn how to get the most out of Google Apps in my online course Getting Going With GAFE. The next class begins on Monday. You can earn three graduate credits through the class. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesSoon You Will Be Able to Email Parents from Google ClassroomSchedule Assignments in Google Classroom11 Google Apps Updates You Might Have Missed This Month 

Anyone who has read this blog for more than a month or two has probably figured out that I love Google Apps including Google Slides. Sharing, collaborating, and publishing Google Slides is convenient and easy. But sometimes it feels like the ease of using Google Slides comes at the expense of not having as many multimedia options as other slide creation tools. Buncee is a slide creation tool that makes it incredibly easy for young students to add a wide variety of multimedia elements to their presentations. To add multimedia content to their Buncee slides students simply click the "add" button then they can choose from videos (available from Vimeo and YouTube), animated characters, animated text, animated stickers, static stickers, audio from SoundCloud, images from Pixabay (filtered public domain images), and upload their own content from their desktops. Students also have the option to draw freehand directly on their slides. Compared to Google Slides Buncee has more video and audio options. While you can draw on Google Slides that requires the use of Google Drawings whereas on Buncee slides students just choose the pencil icon and start drawing. Applications for Education If you have been looking for a Google Slides alternative for elementary school students, Buncee is a good option. Right now Buncee has a bunch of Mother's Day templates that your elementary school students can use to create digital Mother's Day cards. Those cards can also be printed. Disclosure: Buncee is a client of MindRocket Media Group. I am a partner in MindRocket Media Group.  This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHow to Use the New Q&A and Laser Pointer Features of Google Slides @googledocsA Great Explanation of Primary Sources vs. Secondary SourcesSoon You Will Be Able to Email Parents from Google Classroom 

Leading the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp has been the highlight of my summer for the last three years. This year I am leading two versions of the event. The Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp and the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp. There are some people coming for the third year in row! The Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp will be held on July 11-12 in Portland, Maine. Only seven tickets remain for this hands-on professional development opportunity. The BYOD Camp is for people who work in schools that have BYOD programs and 1:1 laptop programs (Mac or Windows), iPads, Android tablets, Windows tablets, or who have shared computers in a classroom or lab setting. The two day workshop is based on my framework of Discovery, Discussion, and Demonstration. The first day is focused helping students use technology to discover and discuss. Day two is focused on demonstrating knowledge by creating new digital content including podcasts, videos, and other multimedia productions. Abbreviated outlines of both days are available on the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp page. Only 7 tickets remain for the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp. Group discounts are available, please email me for details. Powered by Eventbrite The Chromebook Camp sold out on Tuesday. Please email me to be put on the waiting list.  This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related Stories5 Questions to Consider in BYOD SchoolsFAQs About the 2016 Practical Ed Tech Summer CampsWhat is BYOD? And Why Do Schools Opt for It? 

Stackup is a new service that aims to help you give students credit for time spent reading quality articles online. On Stackup you can create reading challenges for your students. A challenge could be something like "read international news for 60 minutes this week." After creating the challenge you invite students to join it. Students can join by entering a challenge code on Stackup or you can invite them by email. To get credit for reading quality articles students have to use the Stackup Chrome extension. When it is enabled the extension tracks how much time students spend on a relevant webpage and how many relevant webpages they've read. In their Stackup dashboards students can see their progress toward completing a challenge and they can share their reading data with you. Applications for Education Stackup could be a good tool for high school students to use to prove that they have read content related to topic that they're studying in your classroom. I think the best use of Stackup would be in a social studies class in which students need to follow current events for classroom discussion. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesMoveIt - A Chrome Extension to Keep You ActiveAn Interactive Cartogram of NewsNewsela Offers Text Sets About the 2016 Election 

ClassDojo is a popular tool for giving students feedback on class participation, behavior, and for keeping parents informed about classroom news. The feedback mechanism for teachers is to award points to students. Today, ClassDojo introduced a new "no points" feedback option. This option allows teachers to confirm that students did something, but doesn't assign a point value to it. This option could be good for keeping track of things like who took a turn as line leader during the week. ClassDojo published a lengthy post on the rationale for adding this new feedback option. I encourage you to read it. ClassDojo can be used for more than just giving feedback to students. The ClassDojo Class Story feature provides a good way to keep parents informed of the good work that students are doing in your classroom. Watch the following video from my YouTube channel to learn how ClassDojo Class Story works. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHow to Use the New Q&A and Laser Pointer Features of Google Slides @googledocsClassDojo's Makes Translation Available to All Class Story UsersHappier Icons Coming Soon to ClassDojo 

In my previous post I shared the news about ClassDojo's new feedback option. In that post I referenced my YouTube channel having some ClassDojo tutorials. The most popular of those tutorials is How To Use Custom Avatars in ClassDojo. The video is embedded below. Applications for Education Using custom avatars in ClassDojo can provide you with two things. First, it can help you learn students' names at the beginning of the year by matching their faces to their names whenever you open ClassDojo. Second, it gives students a sense that they are individuals and not a faceless avatar in your digital classroom. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesClassDojo Introduces a New Feedback OptionHow to Use the New Q&A and Laser Pointer Features of Google Slides @googledocsStackup - Create & Track Reading Goals for You and Your Students 

PrepFactory is a free service that offers excellent SAT and ACT preparation activities. The site offers free guides to SAT and ACT strategy along with a plenty of review activities to help students sharpen their skills and knowledge before taking the ACT or SAT. In the video embedded below I provide an overview of a student's perspective of PrepFactory. Applications for Education One of the better ways to prepare for a test is to review small chunks frequently. PrepFactory provides students with a good review system that breaks SAT and ACT review into bite-sized modules for each of the topics on the tests; each module contains a 3-5 minute video, notes on the video, and a five question video review quiz. The modules help to identify problem areas for students. PrepFactory also provides tools to allow teachers to manage their classes by keeping track of how many modules their students have completed, and whether or not they've mastered strategy tips and tricks related to the SAT and ACT. Disclosure: PrepFactory is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesTry PrepFactory for Free SAT & ACT ReviewQuizzy Offers a Quick Way to Create Online QuizzesStackup - Create & Track Reading Goals for You and Your Students 

Earlier this week Google added a frequently requested feature to Google Classroom. That feature is scheduling of assignments and announcements to appear in your Classroom stream at a later date and time. In the video embedded below I demonstrate how to schedule an assignment in Google Classroom. The video also points out a scheduling mistake that I think a lot of people will make the first few times they attempt to schedule an assignment. Learn how to get the most out of Google Apps for Education in my online course Getting Going With GAFE. The next class begins on Tuesday. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesHow to Use the New Q&A and Laser Pointer Features of Google Slides @googledocsSoon You Will Be Able to Email Parents from Google ClassroomSchedule Assignments in Google Classroom 

ReadWorks is a great service that I've featured in at least twenty blog posts since it launched a few years ago. ReadWorks offers free standards-aligned reading lesson plans for K-12 classrooms. In addition to lesson plans ReadWorks offers a huge libray of fiction and non-fiction literature that you can search according to topic and grade level. All articles in ReadWorks are listed with a lexile score and suggested grade level. Next week ReadWorks is launching ReadWorks Digital. ReadWorks Digital is a service that will allow you to send reading assignments to students, have them take short quizzes about those reading assignments, and grade the assignments online. This is a departure from how ReadWorks currently works as you currently have to print all assignments or email them as PDF attachments. Watch the video below to learn more about ReadWorks digital and check back here next week for complete tutorial on the service. Applications for Education One of the aspects of ReadWorks that I like is that lexile scores are listed for each article. ReadWorks makes it easy to find fiction and non-fiction articles that are appropriate for your students. With a free ReadWorks account you can search for lessons and reading passages by grade level, lexile score, reading skill, subject area, and text type (fiction or non-fiction). In your ReadWorks account you can create digital binders of the lesson plans and reading passages that you want to use. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission.              Related StoriesStackup - Create & Track Reading Goals for You and Your StudentsReadWorks Offers Articles, Question Sets, and Videos About Martin Luther King, Jr.How to Schedule Assignments & Announcements in Google Classroom