Software Support Tools

Tools for Teachers and Grade 6 ELA students
Materials Generators

Google Slides |  Information about Google Slides
Google sides is a Web 2.o presentation slide deck. It's a reinvigorated version of PowerPoint. Students create presentations on topics that we study, integrating images, text and video.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: What is more valuable about Google Slides than PowerPoint is that students and teachers can collaborate online synchronously and asynchronously. Further, as it is a Web 2.0 tool, it is always available and saved to the Cloud. Students have access to Google Search and can cite sources easily. Google search within Slides can search specifically for images that are free to use and be changed.

Google Docs  |  Information about Google Docs
Google Docs appears to simply be a word processing equivalent to Microsoft Word. It is much more. Docs is the go-to tool for the writing process. Graphic organizers help with pre-writing. Drafting is done online. Peer and teacher editing support enhanced writing levels.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Beyond the Web 2.0 attributes mentioned with Google Slides, it has embedded research tools (see Google Scholar below) and allows for the ability for students to collaborate, comment, edit, and embed other digital tools seamlessly. Students can search and embed citations for resources used, building proper digital citizenship through the responsible use of media.

Data Collection and Analysis Tools:

Google Forms |  Information about Google Forms
Google Forms offers teachers and students a Web 2.0 way to create assessments and surveys. Forms provide quick and easy formative assessment, for exit tickets as well as assessment of ongoing learning. Students can create them to gather data and do research.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students: 
The assessments and surveys can be sorted and presented as data for summative and formative assessment, which helps teachers identify student learning needs. Students can identify their own learning needs and be part of making goals for learning. Also, students can create and conduct surveys about topics of interest related to their reading or grammar lessons. 

Google Sheets |  Information about Google Sheets
Google Sheets is more than an Microsoft Excel replacement, even though they look quite similar in the grid-like analysis and data-sorting tools that are present in both. Sheets can be used by teachers, but at the sixth grade level, they are more useful to teachers for gathering and analyzing data.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Google Sheets has operated as the back end of Google Forms, gathering data. Sheets can also be used for crowd sourcing information (such as important quotes in literature) by allowing others editing privileges. Sheets has boundless creative uses. Alice Keeler posts extensively on them on her website, www.alicekeeler.com. ​

Graphics Generators:

 Google Drawings |  Information about Google Drawings
Google Drawings are simple to use to create graphics.  The can be more sophisticated, allowing students and teachers to provide instructions, links, diagrams, and references.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Google Drawings is easy to use, but also flexible. Students can use them to demonstrate understanding or to create digital badges or bumper stickers to be used in Social Media, providing visual evidence of their learning.. Both teachers and students can create engaging and attractive graphics to make work and publications more appealing.

Adobe Post |  Information about Adobe Post
Adobe Post is an App which is currently available for free to iOS (Apple) users. An Android version is in the works. It is great to create social media images that could be used online as well as on blogs by a media-savvy teacher. 
​Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Adobe Post is simple and beautiful. The app is free and there are free design elements embedded into it. Also, it allows for use of your own photos seamlessly. Students can use this to create memes or representations of ideas they are using. The pictures created could be posted in a variety of places, such as a Padlet board.

Testing and Assessment Tools:

Zaption |  Information about Zaption
Zaption offers teachers the ability use existing YouTube videos and integrate questions for students to reply to. Zaption provides teachers a way to flip learning, engage students with questions, and monitor learning.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Data on the assessments is gathered, allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of topics in an engaging way. Teachers can share this data with students, allowing them to be part of the learning and goal-setting process. Students cannot fast-forward through videos, but must watch in order to answer questions posed, requiring them to complete all the material. This is a "Freemium", so that some aspects are free and others are paid.

Playpostit |   PlayPostIt Blog (formerly Educanon)
Simliar to Zaption,  PlayPostIt (formenerly Educanon) also provides students with the ability to watch videos and answer questions. This is an engaging way for students to review. 
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Teachers can reuse and revise existing lessons, which are engaging for students. Also, students can review existing lessons as a way to review information. Students can use the video lessons to review and practice difficult information, seeking to develop mastery.

Planning and Organizing Tools:

Remind |  Information about Remind
Remind is a student and parent communication tool for parents using texting as the vehicle for communication. Teachers can send Remind texts for students and parents without giving out their own phone information.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Most middle school and above students have phones that can receive texts. Teachers can easily inform parents and students about upcoming assignment, new information, travel times on field trips, etc. This allows students to maintain up-to-date knowledge about assignments and important details of class responsibilities.

Voxer |  Information about Voxer
Voxer is a digital walkie-talkie that teachers can use as a PLC/PLN to share information. Voxer's benefit is primarily for teacher collaboration, but also could be used with parents.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Voxer is easy to use to leave voice messages for individuals or groups. It requires a sign-in and approval to join a group. It allows for asynchronous participation. Teachers could post links, written comments and also add typed ones and images. It probably would not be usable for students, but students would benefit because of teacher collaboration to make lessons better for all students.

Research AND Reference TOOLS:

Google Scholar |  Information about Google Scholar
Google Scholar is available independently at www.scholar.google.com as well as through the "Tools" tab, "Research" sub-tab on Google Docs and Google Slides. It is an easy way for students, especially at sixth grade level, to get into the habit of seeking high-quality, easily cited research information.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Google Scholar's ease of use, coupled with the high level information available, provides an ideal situation for students to learn appropriate ways to do scholarly research. It allows students to easily cite information, preparing them to be responsible digital citizens.

Gale Virtual Reference Library |  Information about GRVL (Access this through a public library, such as the Orange County Public Library eLibrary links then look for Gale in the A-Z listing). While GRVL requires a bit more sophistication to use, it is an easily accessible scholarly resource to provide access to students.
Relative Advantage for Grade 6 ELA Students:
Students benefit from learning to research from peer reviewed resources. The become more discerning users of information, when they develop an understanding of the difference between blog-posts and peer reviewed research. GRVL provides another avenue for seeing this contrast.

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