10 Sites for Blended Learning

What is Blended Learning?  This is a question that I frequently think about and a term that gets tossed around in education.  It's a smorgasbord of teaching strategies that uses analog and digital technologies to teach and learn.

Wikipedia says, "Blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace.^[1][2] While still attending a “brick-and-mortar” school structure, face-to-face classroom methods are combined with computer-mediated activities.^[3] Proponents of blending learning cite the opportunity for data collection and customization of instruction and assessment as two major benefits of this approach.^[4] Schools with blended learning models may also choose to reallocate resources to boost student achievement outcomes.<sup>[5]"

That being said, I decided to curate a list of resources that can be used for Blended Learning instruction.

*This list is in alphabetical order.</sup>

^{10 Sites for Blended Learning}

1. Answer Pad - Is a free visual and student based response system that educators use to blend learning and assess students in real-time on browser based devices.
2. Been for Education - A educational tool that allows educators to browse and curate the web w/ students in a safe environment in real-time.
3. Buncee - A fantastic and easy to use tool w/ educational portal that educators are using for blended learning, digital storytelling, creating presentations and more.
4. Edmodo - A free and safe social learning environment where educators can collaborate w/ students and assess them to deliver best teaching strategies.
5. EDpuzzle - Is one of the most popular resources on the web to flip a classroom or lesson.  This is done by taking a video editing (i.e. cut/crop) it, adding questions, and generate assessments to blend learning.  Also, it is ideal for student centered self paced learning.
6. GoClass - A innovative tool that uses a web interface and mobile app to allow teachers to create digital lessons, blend learning, and generate detailed reports.
7. Kahoot - Is a easy to use game based blended learning system that allows educators to assess students in a visual bar graph manner, while students take control of their learning.
8. Khan Academy - A very popular resource for online learning where the user learns at their own pace through interactive exercises and videos.
9. LessonPaths - Formerly known as MentorMob, LessonPaths allows users to create learning playlists to blend their, flip their classroom, and learn at their own pace.
10. Otus - Otus is a new and innovative free learning tool designed for the iPad that allows educators to blend learning by creating a digital learning environment.  Educators, can manage and track student performance, take attendance and notes, grade, and more.

• Blended Learning Tool Kit - http://blended.online.ucf.edu
• Blended Learning Infographics - http://elearninginfographics.com/tag/blended-learning-infographic/

10 Sites for Online/Educational Tutorials

Online Tutorials or walk-throughs are great for self paced learning.  People have been using Google and YouTube to learn how to do things all the time.  However, there are also sites specifically dedicated to Online Learning and helping people learn all kinds of subjects.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

10 Sites for Online/Educational Tutorials

1. Atomic Learning - Probably the most popular resource on the list, Atomic Learning is a great site to find all kinds of "How to" videos on all sorts of subjects for K-12.  This is also a nice place to find other educational resources, professional development, and tips on how to integrate technology into the classroom.
2. Khan Academy - A widely talked about free site w/ lots of resources and tutorials on a wide variety of subjects such as: Math, Science, Economics, and more.
3. Lynda - A very nice site that reminds me a lot of Atomic Learning where users can look for tutorials on all sorts of subjects and even create custom playlists.
4. MentorMob/LessonPaths - One of my all-time favorite Web 2.0 sites that allows people to view and creating their own "Learning Playlists" through an innovative and easy to use interface.
5. Sophia - One of the most popular Learning networks around that not only offers tutorials, but online courses and resources as well.  Also, this is one of the best places to find and learn how to create a Flipped Classroom/lesson.
6. Teacher Training Videos (TTV) - A great site by Russell Stannard that offers award winning screencasts to help teachers in wide range of topics.
7. Teachers Tech - A wonderful iOS app for finding videos on over 200 Web 2.0 resources to use in education.
8. Techsmith - Techsmith is a great company for creating your own screencasts and offers lots of tools/apps that are being used throughout education worldwide.  Also, they have a wide abundance of free tutorials on how to use their products.
9. Virtual Nerd Mobile Math - A nice free iOS app for finding educational interactive videos on MS/HS Math concepts.
10. WizIQ - A nice place for finding educational tutorials.  A student can also find online courses and a educator can even host online tutoring/trainings.

10 Online Summer Programs

Being a parent of four young kids I often find myself wondering what I'm going to do w/ them for the summer when they get out of school.  When thinking about this and looking over many options, I noticed lots of Ed Tech companies have started to offer online summer programs/camps.  This is a fantastic way (and lots of times inexpensive/affordable) for students to spend some time in the summer and help prevent summer learning loss.  With that being said I've decided to create a list of 10 excellent educational programs that students can take online.

*This list is in alphabetical order.
** Not offered online

10 Online Summer Programs

1. BoomWriter Storytellers Camp - BoomWriter uses their innovative collaborative writing process to help students create their very own Mystery or Realistic fiction book/story.  This is a one week course where students then receive their very own published book.
2. Connections Learning - A nice collection of technology related online courses for Math and reading grades K-8th.
3. Electric Company - The Electric Company from PBS is offering a 6 wk multimedia summer learning program that will focus on Vocabulary and core Math concepts.
4. EverFi - Called Vernao, EverFi will be launching this summer digital learning camps to help students in all areas of Math, Literacy, STEM, and more.
5. K12 - Offers a wide variety of online courses for HS aged students as well as Foreign Languages.
6. SpellingCity - A great program for grades 1st-12th that focuses Vocabulary, Writing, and Spelling using Game Based Learning.
7. TenMarks - A excellent online program for all areas of Common Core Math through engaging videos/instructions w/ real-time interventions.
8. Time4Learning - A fantastic online curriculum for PreSchool through 12th grade that can be used for summer learning in a wide variety of subjects.
9. **Tynker - Based on the popular iPad app, Tynker offers one week long summer camps help students (grades 3rd-8th) learn how to program/code.
10. **Voyager Learning - Great resources/programs for K-12 students looking for summer learning help.

Top 40 Web 2.0 Sites w/ Educational Portal

A while back I compiled a very important list of Web 2.0 sites that can be used in education.  The reason for this was a lot of sites that are beneficial for education require that a student has an email account to login.  This is very frustrating for educators that have to worry about district policy and CIPA/COPPA compliance to maintain student safety/privacy.  So, I compiled a list that had a educational portal that allowed an educator to create a student account or that is safe for use in education.  Since then, a number of new sites have been released that accomplish this as well persuading me to create a new updated list.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

Top 40 Web 2.0 Sites w/ Educational Portal

1. Animoto Plus - One of the most popular web tools/apps for creating slideshows w/ free educational portal for schools.
2. Answer Pad - A fantastic Student Response and Assessment System that uses an innovative graphical interface to help turn a teacher's classroom paperless (by doing testing on mobile devices) and assess students on any number of subjects in real-time using a free mobile app w/ digital portfolio capabilities.
3. Been for Education - A innovative site  for collaboratively browsing the web w/ your class to incorporate different styles of teaching (i.e. Guided Instruction, Blended/Flipped Learning, etc.)  Best of all, educators create/monitor all student account activity.
4. Biteslide - A fantastic site where educators create student accounts for making stunning slide book presentations that are ideal for Project Based Learning.
5. BoomWriter - A terrific site for grades 3rd-8th that has students collaboratively writing a story/book while voting chapter by chapter on which one should be included.  Educators get to create the student the accounts and a finished product can then be published online and ordered.
6. Buncee for Education - A wonderful site/app for creating beautiful/interactive presentations that can be embedded into a site or blog and educators can make and track the student accounts/assignments.
7. ClassDojo - Widely used in classrooms throughout the world ClassDojo is an excellent free site/app that allows educators to manage student behavior and notify parents via the computer or mobile devices.
8. Diigo - A very popular social bookmarking/annotating site that allows educators to share links w/ students for Guided and Project Based Learning.
9. Drawp for School - A wonderful drawing app that integrates w/ a web portal where educators can create student accounts and share assignments/projects via the cloud or iPad.
10. Edmodo - A safe learning environment for teachers and students.  A great all-in-one solution for education.
11. EDpuzzle - One of my favorite safe site that does not require a student email to take a digital video and "make it your own".  This can be done by editing, cropping, adding a voice, etc.  Educators also have the ability to embed a quiz into the video for assessment and Flipped Learning.
12. Flocabulary - A interesting site that allows teachers to share an educational account which allows access to educational hip-hop videos for learning and assessment.
13. Gaggle - A great platform designed to making the web/mobile devices safe for students through built in filtering and more.
14. Glogster EDU - A popular Common Core Aligned digital platform that allows educators to create student accounts for making interactive posters, signs, presentations, etc.
15. GoAnimate for Schools - A excellent COPPA compliant site for making animated videos in a safe/secure environment.
16. Google Apps for Education - nuff said...
17. Kidblog - Quite simply the best blogging platform for students that does not require a student email to sign up.
18. Kubbu - A great site for educators to make quizzes, crosswords, and puzzles and then analyze results w/out the need of student email addresses for accounts.
19. LessonPaths - Formerly known as MentorMob EDU,  a fantastic site for creating learning playlists that can be use for Project Based/Guided Learning, a Flipped Classroom, and more.
20. Little Bird Tales - A fun site/app for digital storytelling w/ lessons that are aligned to Common Core Standards.
21. Metta - A fantastic site that can be used by students w/out the need of an email address for digital storytelling/presentations.  Educators can use it to Flip a Lesson or for Blended Learning by embedded a poll or quiz into a video.
22. Mixbook for Educators - The educational portal for the great site for creating all types of digital/real books (i.e. yearbooks, scrapbooks, calendars, etc.).
23. Musicshake Edu - A great way for students to create legal, copyright music right from the browser.
24. Nanoogo - A fun site where students can create presentations, artwork, and more in a safe environment.  Also, educators can monitor all student/class activity but a parent's email address is needed for a student to sign up. 
25. Myths & Legends - One of my favorite sites for digital storytelling in a safe environment set to a fantasy theme.
26. PhotoPeach - A nice site for creating interactive slideshows where educators create/manage the student accounts and control all privacy settings.
27. Pixton for Schools - A nice/safe site for students for creating digital comics where they login w/ a unique code.  This is a fun tool can be used for any curriculum for any grade level.
28. Primary Access - A cool site for creating digital presentations that can be embedded into a site/blog w/out the need of a student email address.
29. Scrawlar - A cool new web whiteboard/word processor where students don't signup and can share/save/collaborate via the cloud.
30. SideVibe - A innovative site that takes bookmarks and turns them into lessons where teacher creates the class and students join via a unique code.
31. Socrative - A wonderful Student Response System that students use for educational games and exercise on mobile devices.
32.  SpellingCity - The best site around for Spelling/Vocabulary w/ educational portal and where educators can integrate word lists into educational games.
33. Storybird for Schools - A terrific Literacy tool that educators can use to engage student's Reading/Writing skills.
34. StoryJumper - A nice site for digital storytelling where students login w/ a unique code and even oder a copy of their book.
35. ToonDooSpaces - A great site for digital storytelling in safe/private environment.
36. Verso - A innovative site/app where educators can create Flipped Lessons that students can respond to.
37. VoiceThread - A very popular Web 2.0 resource for educators and students to create dynamic presentations w/ narration and then embed them into a site.
38. Weebly - One of if not the most popular site for students to create web pages in a safe environment where teachers manage their accounts.
39. Zimmer Twins - A fantastic site for digital storytelling in a fun cartoon style site; that offers lots of options for how to use w/ student accounts.
40. Zoho Wiki - A great resource for students to create a wiki or for educators to create online courses, lessons, presentations, and more.