Ditch That Textbook: Templates!

WEBSITE ↬ DTT: Templates

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Matt Miller, of Ditch That Textbook, has a wonderful website packed with templates that are free and available to teachers everywhere. I love how he has them organized into groups to make it easier to find what you are looking for. The categories are:

• Social Media Templates
• Game Templates
• Interactive Activities
• Graphic Organizers
• Lesson Plan Templates
• Communication Templates
• Feedback Templates
• Exit Ticket Templates
• Back to School Templates
• End of Year Templates

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using DTT's Template Gallery to hep themselves in quite a few ways. Feedback & Exit Tickets are helpful in many classrooms. Having students provide each other feedback is helpful to learn and improve. The Back to School & End of Year Templates are a great way to help start and reflect on the school year. If you only check out one of the categories, be sure to hit up the game templates ... so many different games that you - AND your students - can customize and create using.

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

5 Clue Challenge

WEBSITE ↬ 5 Clue Challenge

AUDIENCE ↬ students

CONTENT ↬ research

GRADE LEVELS ↬ middle school & high school

I remember hearing about the 5 Clue Challenge years ago, but I somehow lost track of it only to be stumble upon it again recently. It is just as fun as I remember! Michael Soskil created this idea to encourage students to practice research skills and have a little fun along the way. The way it works is you watch the video and use the clues in the video to help you research. The quicker you can guess the location the more point you earn.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this as a warm up for class or even when you find that you have a few extra minutes. For more of a challenge, you can team students up to work together or make it into an individual challenge. After your students are comfortable, you might even encourage them to create their own 5 clue challenge to share with the class.

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Finding Flow Solutions (Truth for Teachers)

WEBSITE ↬ Finding Flow Solutions

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ middle school (Grades 6, 7, 8) & high school (9-12)

This resource is amazing! Created by Angela Watson - of Truth for Teachers - to help teachers help their students. We all know students have to be willing participants in their learning or it won't happen. As a classroom teacher, I am frustrated with the lack of engagement and the behaviors that cause disruptions and take my attention away from those who want to learn. I am hoping to utilize Unit 1 soon in my classroom.

As of December, 2024 - there are 6 units ready for middle school (grades 6-8) and 6 units for high school (grades 9-12). Elementary units are noted to be coming soon. It's also important to note - the first unit is available completely FREE! 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this in their classrooms for sure! I'd recommend being strategic with the lessons. I'm sure you can repeat them, but I'd think a building-wide approach would benefit all students. With 6 units, it'd be ideal to assign them to grade levels so there is a wholistic approach. 

Licenses can be purchased for more than one teacher, too. 

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Questions to encourage students to use intuition

WEBSITE ↬ Questions to encourage students to use intuition

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I came across this PDF on Twitter and held onto it. It isn't glamorous. It isn't pretty or fancy. But I believe it is powerful and can help all teachers. Two pages of questions teachers can ask their students for many different purposes but all stretch their thinking. This gathering of was published by Tracy Zager in her book, Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to push their students' thinking. To challenge them. The PDF can be kept on hand and used at various times. No preparation is needed. Teachers might also embed specific questions in lessons to purposefully encourage students to use their intuition.

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Digital Inquiry Group: Reading Like a Historian

WEBSITE ↬ Digital Inquiry Group: Reading Like a Historian

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ History, ELA

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

I cannot tell you how I connected with this website, but am I glad I did! Wow!!! I had a conversation with a SS teacher in my school about teaching her students to read historical material and help them make sense of it and the very next day, I received an email highlighting this activity. (Ironic?) This site works on that very skill! I really wish I had this when I was teaching history! Amazing! The two big sections are US History and World History, and then you can dig in by era. 

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this to teach students how to better read historical material. It will also allow teachers to introduce students to historical material and provide a better understanding of events of the past. This is a bookmark for sure!!! 

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

A Soft Murmur

WEBSITE ↬ A Soft Murmur

AUDIENCE ↬ teachers

CONTENT ↬ all

GRADE LEVELS ↬ all grades

Ok. At first, I kind of did an eye roll when I came across this website. Then I started playing with the ambient noises and I realized how helpful it can be. I cranked up the chirping birds along with some waves and took a deep breath. Ahhhh, relaxing. Which is your favorite? 

You can set a timer so the sounds turn off. And you might miss it at first, but there is a little squiggle line to the left of the play button. It is the "meander" function which will randomly change the volumes of various sounds.  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this as background noise for their classroom. I know there is a place for silence and a place for noise. Sometimes our students need help regulating this. I think this site can help - possibly on their own, possibly for the entire class.

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Seterra - The Ultimate Map Quiz Site

WEBSITE ↬ Seterra - The Ultimate Map Quiz Site

AUDIENCE ↬ students

CONTENT ↬ history, geography

GRADE LEVELS ↬ 4-12

I am going to give the credit for this resource to my 7th grade daughter. She was recently telling me how she had to learn all the African countries and she showed me how she was studying for her test. Wow! There are so many different collections for students to study - maps, countries, capitals, bodies of water, and many more!  

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE THIS RESOURCE?

I can see teachers using this for students to learn countries, capitals, flags and more. One link for all of the games! 

*** Interested in more resources like this? Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. Interested? Sign up here!  ***