Tired of those Ads popping up - Especially for Teachers! I ran some tests- it blocks ads about 90% of the Time!

Chrome App:  Adblock for Youtube
Cost:  Free -
Special Note: You need to be in the Chrome Browser and have a login for google

What:  Automatically filters Ads out

Level- All

Teachers- Do you want to able to show videos without those annoying ads popping up in the beginning of the videos?  Adblock will do the trick!  You need to make sure you are in Chrome and have a Chrome login.  Visit the Link above to add as an extension to your chrome browser and viola!  You don't need to do anything else.  When you visit youtube and open a video to view, you will notice a not at the bottom right saying "cleaned by Adblocker" . I ran a test on several videos with huge viewing numbers and the majority of the time the ads were blocked.  I came across 1 or 2 that didn't block.  Always look for the message on the bottom right for the "cleaned" message.    Also, don't forget about Quietube to get rid of all the junk on the screen.

YouTube Kids Great for Kids 10 and under- Free App

App:  You Tube Kids
Cost:  Free for iOS and Android

Age appropriate videos

Level- Pre K -3rd grade

Finally, youtube has created a safe place for kids to explore.  All videos are kid appropriate.  It has a link to tv shows for kids, a kids radio and an educational/learning link.  This will put parents minds at ease know their kids won't be coming across inappropriate videos.  This is also a great because it gives the parents the option to set a timer on how long children can use the app.  

Unroll Me - It has made my email manageable again!

Unroll.me from Unroll.me on Vimeo.


This is for those gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc . accounts that get out of hand with subscriptions. I was very skeptical at first, but after about a week I realized I am able to see the emails that are important and I don't have to weed out all the "stuff" that I don't care about.  Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.  It gives you the option to unsubscribe to the numerous emails that come to your account or you can create an unroll where it will take the subscriptions you choose and roll them all into one email for you to view!   Super cool!

Unite Literacy- Free online books with narration- any language!

Website:  Unite Literacy
Cost:  Free

Interactive Books that students can have narrated to them in any language!

Level- Pre K -2nd grade

This is a great Free resource site for students K-2nd grade.  There are several categories to choose from for types of books/reading they want to do.   They can even select various languages to listen to the reading.  The only downfall to the site is when the pages are read the words do not highlight as they are read.  

Waterford Institute Free Learning App K-2

 
iPad App: My Backpack
Designer:  Waterford
Cost: FREE
Level- Pre K -2nd grade

Great find of a free educational app made by the Waterford Institute.  We currently run the Waterford paid subscription for the PC in our K-2 building and the children really enjoy playing and learning on this software.  Features include:

• 4 Mental Math Games – Interactive addition and subtraction games with 25 progressive levels and 3D animation that encourages and challenges children, yet is so fun they don’t want to put it down.
• 5 Nursery Rhyme Read-Alongs – Creative nursery rhymes that encourage exploration and reading, in a board-book format with interactive features that appeal to pre-readers.
• 35 Songs – Catchy, original songs illustrate reading, math and science concepts in fun ways that make sense and stick with the child.
• 16 Traditional Tales books – Beautifully illustrated interactive read-along stories allow the child to choose if she wants to read on her own, be read to, or watch the story like a movie.

I just tested out this app and I am super excited to load it to our iPads in our K-2 Building.  Another perk to this app is "no in app purchase".  Love it!

Fantastic (Video) Resources for teaching Elementary Music Education- Treble & Bass

Listen and view - You won't forget about Treble and Bass, neither will the students!

YouTube Channel: AT8fingers louie
Cost: FREE - Platform: across
Level- Music Elementary K-8

Direct URL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2TLtRu6Hqk 

Direct URL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY-hJ9WZ6lk

Bookmark! 15 Chromebook Keyboard shortcuts

Website:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/2871246/the-15-best-chromebook-keyboard-shortcuts-for-faster-productivity.html

Cost:  FREE  -  

Platform:  Chromebook

Level- all

This is a great resource/guide for Chromebook users for quick/easy shortcuts on Chromebooks.  Shortcuts are a necessity for faster productivity.  Bookmark it today- even if you don't have a chromebook yet, I truly believe they are the future and you will need this shortcut someday soon!