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.

StudyMode is an excellent new site for students looking for a wide variety of study materials.  A user can search through course notes, research papers, essays, and other student created content.  Also, this is a great place to find notes on famous works of literature and AP notes for exams.I highly recommend checking out StudyMode by clicking here!!!

Buncee is the amazing Web 2.0 learning tool that educators everywhere are using in a wide variety of ways.  This is a simple to use site/app w/ educational portal that allows educators to "flip" their classroom, differentiate instruction, blend learning, and much much more.... in a safe environment where they can manage/track student accounts and presentations.Recently, Buncee created a page for wonderful Mother's Day Projects.  Students can create eCards, digital stories, poems and more, to show how much their mom means to them while sparking their creativity in the process.Below is a brief demo video of Buncee for Education...I highly recommend checking out Buncee by clicking here!!!*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Infinite Arcade is the wonderful new iOS app for kids wanting to create their own game.  This is all done through a simple to use drag-n-drop interface and lets students select/create their own characters, enemies, objects, etc.  Best of all, there are a wide variety of game styles to choose from (i.e. platform, maze, pinball, etc.) and the multiuser save function.Below is a brief demo...For more info check out Edshelf.I highly recommend checking out Infinite Arcade by clicking here!!!

ProjectorScreen.com is an excellent site for people or educators to find projectors and other type of equipment for their classrooms.  Not only can a person search through an immense amount of screens, but from other categories such as fixed or manual, multimedia carts, boards, chairs, and more.I highly recommend checking out ProjectorScreen by clicking here!!!*ProjectorScreen is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Sketch Nation the simple to use mobile (iOS/Android) app/site for creating games recently updated their lesson plan ideas page.  This is a great place for educators to go to find ways on how to integrate Sketch Nation into their classroom.  These lesson ideas focus on a wide variety of subjects such as: Coding, History, Math, and more.  Sketch Nation makes it a seamless way to introduce STEM into their classroom in a fun and engaging way.I highly recommend checking out Sketch Nation Lesson Plans by clicking here!!!Below is a brief demo...*Sketch Nation is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Digipuzzle is an excellent site to find free educational games and puzzles for grades K- 5.  Also, educators can find a wide variety of online activities dealing w/ different holidays.  For example, their KDG section has a nice selection from counting games, shapes, colors, and more....I highly recommend checking out Digipuzzle to see the nice collection of games they have for younger learners and those in KDG by clicking here!!!*Digipuzzle is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

King of Math 2 is a super fun iOS game for ages 10 on up.  King of Math has students playing through 125 stages as they solve different basic (i.e. addition, multiplication, etc) Math problems as they unlock levels to become king or queen.  Best of all, there are detailed help guides to show players how to solve a problem, and a timer that can be turned on or off.I highly recommend checking out King of Math 2 by clicking here!!!

NameCoach the innovative site for learning students names and how to pronounce them correctly has  just released their latest update, Directory Integration Service.  Directory Integration Service allows a district/school to embed a voice recording of your students' name pronunciation directly into your existing directory listings.Here are some more benefits...Build a stronger community, promoting diversity and enhancing team relations.  Encourages inclusion not just diversityHelpful in orientation and recruitmentHelpful with Alumni relationsCommunication made easier across your institutionHelps build student-faculty rapportSeamlessly integrate with our Commencement ServiceWe make all of this secure, scalable and easy to deployI highly recommend checking out NameCoach's Directory Integration page for schools by clicking here!!!Below is a brief demo...*NameCoach is an advertiser of TechnologyTidbits.

LitCharts is a neat site I just learned about from Richard Byrne's excellent blog.  LitCharts is a free service for students that lets them type in a book to find out all relevant information pertains to that title, such as: background info, summary, detailed analysis, quotes, characters, and much much more. All information can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF.  Also, there is a innovative chart wheel which color-codes different themes in the story.I highly recommend checking out LitCharts by clicking here!!!

Seterra Geography is a fun iOS app that helps students learn states, flags, countries, and more.  This is done through a simple to use touch interface on selecting the correct location or flag given.  Each session is timed and graded for accuracy.  Also, this is a great way to challenge other students, family, and friends.  Finally, Seterra helps students learn about Geographical content such as capitals, oceans, mountains, and more.I highly recommend checking out Seterra Geography by clicking here!!!

Answerables the innovative educational tool that combines the best features of game based learning w/ a learning management system has just released their free iPad app.  Answerables is being used by educators in a variety of ways from collaborating w/ other classes, to browsing the web, all in a secure 3D virtual environment.Answerables is used as a:• Virtual classroom • Lesson planner• Learning manager • Quest creator• Resource manager • Web browser (managed)• Social Network• Student portfolio• Presentation spaceFeatures include:• Multiplayer game environment• Learning management system• Quests & badges• Assessment tools• Analytics• Resource/Content management system• Web browser• Secure audio/video streamingI highly recommend checking out Answerables by clicking here!!!*Answerables is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

TowerStorm is a fantastic free iOS app/broswer based game for Game Based Learning in the subjects of Math and Literacy. As w/ any game created by the award winning company DimensionU, this game takes place in a multiplayer 3D virtual world.  Players can create their avatar and unlock special power ups as they immerse themselves in a fun 3D world while solving problems in Math/Literacy aligned to Common Core Standards.  Best of all, the game tracks a players score and generates detail reports as well as lets a player customize and select what problems they want to encounter (i.e. Algebra, Vocabulary, etc.).  Also, TowerStorm has high replay value as each game lasts only 5 minutes and has students trying to answer as many questions correct as they can while trying to score points by changing the color of rings on the Tower.I highly recommend checking out TowerStorm by clicking here!!!For more DimensionU games click here.For my Pinterest board on Game Based Learning click here.To find TowerStorm on Edshelf click here.* DimensionU is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

Buncee the award winning site for creating stunning presentations, digital stories, flipping a classroom, and much much more, has recently released their latest iPhone app that is ideal for mobile learning.This is a great way for students to spark their creativity on the "go" and create interactive stories/presentations using 1000's of clipart/stickers and animations.  Also, syncing between the Buncee mobile app and website is as seamless as possible.  Buncee, is still one of the easiest and innovative learning tools that educators are using around the world.I highly recommend checking out Buncee's new iPhone app by clicking here!!!Below is a demo video...*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

ReadWorks Digital is a new site for comprehension that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's amazing blog.  This site reminds me a tad of Kurzweil 3000, where educators can create a virtual class and then assign students reading articles to improve their comprehension.  Best of all, and educator can track student progress and assess them in real time.Below is a brief demo video...I highly recommend checking out ReadWorks Digital by clicking here!!!

Buncee is the award winning creative learning tool that educators are using worldwide in a number of different ways.  Teachers are using it to "flip" a classroom, announcements, create stunning presentations/digital stories, project based learning, and much much more.  Best of all, there is a educational portal that allows educators to create, manage, and track student progress and learning in real-time.Recently, Buncee released their latest iOS apps (iPad/iPhone) for mobile learning.  This allows users to create a "buncee" on the go and sync w/ their web account.  Also, all the bells-and-whistles that make Buncee so great, such as: clip-art, stickers, animations, and more are all here.Finally, there is the original (AASL award winning) Buncee for Edu iPad app that is ideal for creating multi-slide presentations, holiday greetings, digital cards/announcements, and more.Below is a demo video...I highly recommend checking out Buncee Mobile Applications by clicking here!!!*Buncee is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

BoomWriter PROBoomWriter is a terrific site that I’ve written about many times because it lets elementary, middle, and high school teachers conduct non-fiction, fiction, and vocabulary development group-writing activities in almost any subject area. Now they’ve added BoomWriter PRO, which is a paid version of their product, and any teacher whose work with students involves writing should definitely consider this upgrade (only $2.99 a month) for the following reasons:Standards-based Rubrics! Boomwriter has made Argument/Opinion, Information/Explanatory, and Personal Narrative rubrics that will resonate with and prove useful to any teacher regardless of the state or region they may teach in.Makes Grading Easy!!  BoomWriter has done a very clever job of overlaying the rubrics and grading feature atop the individual student’s submission.  This allows the teacher to look at the work and the performance descriptor simultaneously before then applying the grade/score with a single click. Capture Student Writing Data!!!  If the first two reasons were not convincing enough, this one should seal the deal.  Are you frustrated by having to wait until the following school year when the standardized testing results arrive to learn how your students’ writing is progressed?  Not particularly helpful, is it?  BoomWriter PRO lets teachers capture whole class and individual student writing data in real time before then presenting it to the teacher in a highly visual and easy to interpret manner.  This allows you to identify any potential writing instruction ‘blindspots’ that you may need to address with your class, as well as the ability to consistently assess and monitor the progress of each individual student in your class in all areas of writing throughout the entire school year.   BoomWriter is a free site that keeps finding new and better ways to support teachers through technology.  If you join, be sure to opt for the PRO upgrade.I highly recommend checking out BoomWriter Pro by clicking here!!!*BoomWriter is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

LessonPix is a nice site for creating custom learning materials as well as, cards, clipart/images, educational resources and more.  This is a great place to find templates or customize your own learning materials, and best of all a user can share their resources w/ other educators online.I highly recommend checking out LessonPix by clicking here!!Below is a brief demo video...

PBS KIDS recently announced its annual summer learning initiate, including all-new episodes, digital resources and community activities, to make learning this summer FUN! With new episodes from ODD SQUAD, NATURE CAT and READY JET GO! beginning in June, and digital recourses available at pbsparents.org/summer, kids can keep learning and exploring with favorite PBS KIDS characters all summer long. Also, nearly 100 local PBS member stations will host summer learning-related events to offer educational resources to families. Parents can follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook for more information on free summer learning resources and special offers from PBS KIDS and its partners. Please see the full Summer Learning press release below and online.

Math File Folder Games is an excellent company for finding inexpensive or free educational iOS apps for Math.  These games are fun to play and high replay value being multi-player via bluetooth which allows players to play the same game on separate devices.  Also, MFFG games have interactive "whiteboards" to work out problems, scoring that can be emailed to parents/teachers, and more.Here is a list of their games... http://www.mathfilefoldergames.com/my-math-apps/5 Dice: Order of Operations Game(Cost: FREE!)5 Dice: Order of Operations Game is a math app intended for upper elementary and middle school students that helps students enjoy practicing their order of operations. Read More Here4 Dice: Fraction Games(Cost: $1.99)4 Dice: Fraction Games is a math app for middle school and upper elementary students. The goal of the game is to present fractions in a way that is both conducive to learning and fun. Read More HereOrdered Fractions: Comparing & Ordering Fractions(Cost: $1.99)Ordered Fractionsgame begins by pressing the button that rolls the dice. Students then insert these numbers into the boxes on the board, which creates the fractions. Students then position the fractions in ascending order by comparing fractions. Read more hereGrid Lines: Ordered Pair Game(Cost: $1.99)Grid Lines is a Battleship-style math app used to teach students the coordinate plane. Students will get practice plotting points on a coordinate plane by playing a game similar to Battleship. Read more hereTangram Chess: Transformation Games(Cost: $1.99)Tangram Chess For Kids, Translations (slides), Rotations (turns) and Reflections (flips). Every game of Tangram Chess has its own story. Some are long-drawn out strategic affairs; others can be quick, but complicated, tactical battles. The winner is the player who can out-think his or her opponent, and make the best plans for attack and defence. Read more hereSkip Math: Skip Counting Games(Cost: $0.99)Skip Math is a simple math game that helps practices skip counting. Skip Math is a a Doodle Jump style math game in which a girl or boy who jump from platform to platform counting by a certain number. Read more hereJack and the Beanstalk a Mathematical AdventureHi, my name is Jack. I know you have all heard of me before, I'm the guy who climbs an enormous beanstalk to retrieve the princesses amulet. But today I would like to tell you the real story of HOW I was actually able to accomplish such a feat.  Read more here*MathFileFolderGames is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits

NameCoach the innovative site for learning students names and how to pronounce them correctly has  just released their latest update, Directory Integration Service.  Directory Integration Service allows a district/school to embed a voice recording of your students' name pronunciation directly into your existing directory listings.I highly recommend checking out NameCoach's Directory Integration page for schools by clicking here!!!*NameCoach is an advertiser of TechnologyTidbits.