This week I continued my search through uncharted (by me) territory. First I checked out Edutecher.net.
Just a quick word on the directory itself - I'm not sure if it is still being updated. The last blog post was from 2012, the last update to the mobile app was 2013, and I was unable to log in either with my newly created account or with my Twitter login information. It is possible that it's my aging computer's fault, I'm just not sure. I am able to log in on my phone.
Other features that would be beneficial to the directory itself would be a way to search by star rating, an indicator as to how many people rated the site or app, and date information. For a site that appears to not be updated any longer - or at least not frequently, it would be extremely helpful to have dates in the entries to avoid old and defunct websites.
Just a quick word on the directory itself - I'm not sure if it is still being updated. The last blog post was from 2012, the last update to the mobile app was 2013, and I was unable to log in either with my newly created account or with my Twitter login information. It is possible that it's my aging computer's fault, I'm just not sure. I am able to log in on my phone.
Other features that would be beneficial to the directory itself would be a way to search by star rating, an indicator as to how many people rated the site or app, and date information. For a site that appears to not be updated any longer - or at least not frequently, it would be extremely helpful to have dates in the entries to avoid old and defunct websites.
One site I found was Bitstrips for Schools. Teachers can sign up for a free 30 day trial, after which it is $9.95 per month for a classroom of 30 students. I started out looking at the regular Bitstrips site which was not appropriate for students AND only accessible with a Facebook login.
The site is pretty neat - I like the classroom features. It does have a couple of negatives however. The first thing students are prompted for when they log in is a password. There is a feature for teachers to look up passwords, but I can imagine spending lots of time doing that! Then, there are literally 21 steps to creating an avatar. It's a little much for 3rd and 4th graders, my target group.
The site is pretty neat - I like the classroom features. It does have a couple of negatives however. The first thing students are prompted for when they log in is a password. There is a feature for teachers to look up passwords, but I can imagine spending lots of time doing that! Then, there are literally 21 steps to creating an avatar. It's a little much for 3rd and 4th graders, my target group.
I like the feature where teachers can assign activities to the class. And after classmates make their avatars you can use each other in your comic strips. It looks difficult to get the characters positioned the way you want, but perhaps this is a case where the students will be able to figure it out easier than I can. I'm thinking of trying this site with one of the suggested activities- making a book cover for a favorite book.
The regular Bitstrips site requires users to be over 13. I was unable to find any information on the Bitstripsforschools site. I had a moment's pause when designing my avatar as I had to adjust 'chest size' in the process. But when I tested the avatar creator logged in as a student that question was skipped.
The next site I investigated was Classbadges. I've been thinking about badges as a motivational tool, so I was pleased to come across this.
Classbadges is a free site that lets teachers create classes and badges. You can create multiple classes, upload a CSV file of students, and create your own badges using already made designs or by uploading your own images.
The regular Bitstrips site requires users to be over 13. I was unable to find any information on the Bitstripsforschools site. I had a moment's pause when designing my avatar as I had to adjust 'chest size' in the process. But when I tested the avatar creator logged in as a student that question was skipped.
The next site I investigated was Classbadges. I've been thinking about badges as a motivational tool, so I was pleased to come across this.
Classbadges is a free site that lets teachers create classes and badges. You can create multiple classes, upload a CSV file of students, and create your own badges using already made designs or by uploading your own images.
I haven't quite figured out how my students could display the badges that they've earned, but it is an interesting idea for a motivational tool.
Classbadges is COPPA compliant, so my district would have to add it to the list of sites requiring parental permission or teachers would have to obtain that permission prior to use.
Classbadges is COPPA compliant, so my district would have to add it to the list of sites requiring parental permission or teachers would have to obtain that permission prior to use.
The last website I discovered this week was iPiccy. I read about several interesting websites in Untangling the Web. I definitely need to learn more about several of them. But iPiccy can solve a problem I'm having now - I'm frequently unable to post pictures of my students to my website or blog. I've been looking for a way to cover their faces.
Some of my attempts were pretty sad indeed. Like this one:
Some of my attempts were pretty sad indeed. Like this one:
Lightbulbs? What was I thinking. I believe I was in a hurry and had 5 minutes to share a photo. iPiccy is a full-featured photo editor with an incredibly easy user interface. It is web-based, so it works across platforms. With a little bit of searching I was able to find a tutorial about how to blur faces.
It's not great, but it works. I would rather use little squares to blur...maybe I can figure that out next. And yes, I'm allowed to use the photos of these students.
One of my ongoing pet peeves is websites that charge a lot of money after the trial period or trial number of uses for teachers. I know everyone needs to earn a living, but if it is a site with a lot of commercial business, perhaps they can use those incoming dollars to allow a few teachers to use it. And the sites that have educational pricing at the district or building level should offer the first user or two a free account. How do they think teachers will be able to convince administration that a particular site is worth the money if teachers cannot use it on a trial basis. I believe some of these sites need an ambassador-type of program. Last week I contacted Smore about this issue - as soon as I mastered the site and found wonderful ways to use it, I had reached the limit of my 5 free flyers. And you cannot delete one to free up a spot - it doesn't work. I emailed them letting them know that $59 in unreimbursed expenses is too much for me. I offered to review/promote or whatever in return for a reduced fee. I did receive a reply
Rachel repliedFeb 1, 16:26
Hi Debra,
Thanks for reaching out :)
I understand that it may be difficult in some districts to purchase Smore which is why we provide an option for schools to purchase Smore in Bulk. This is a great option for many educators interested in using Smore for a significant discount. Perhaps it could work for the next fiscal year! For more information, please check out our Bulk page:https://www.smore.com/educators-bulk
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any additional questions! :)
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Rachel E.
Community & Customer Happiness
I emailed Bitstrips as well. And I'm expecting a similar response. But, I'll continue to forge ahead searching for new discoveries.
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Dembo, S., & Bellow, A. (2013). Untangling the Web: 20 tools to power up your teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin