New Ideas and Tools for STAAR Review

Springtime in Texas can bring beautiful weather, meals on the patio, sprucing up the garden and for some, STRESS. It's STAAR time in Texas where even the best students and teachers can feel nervous and troubled. Many educators have spent years perfecting review materials and test-prep methods. Be that as it may, times have changed, students learn differently and resources have evolved. If you are looking to add a little something new to your STAAR review toolbox, take a look at these ideas.

• ClassTools.net - A website many educators know for useful tools in the classroom. Try Dustbin, this free tool allows you to create a drag and drop game. Teachers title each bin and include terms or phrases that correspond to the bin in the space below it. When finished, embed the game into a blog or website, share by email, and more! 
• Educaplay - Make and share your own learning resources. You can practice with other user activities. Free!
• Flipgrid - A flipped classroom approach to using video for igniting student discussion and engagement. Use this tool for interactive student reviews. 
• Flippity.net - "Easily turn a Google™ Spreadsheet into a Set of Online Flashcards and Other Cool Stuff."
• GooseChase EDU - "Blend together the tried-and-true fun of scavenger hunts with mobile technology and create a learning experience like no other."
• Pear Deck for Google Slides - Pear Deck for Google Slides is the #1 Slides Add-on making it effortless for educators to add interactive questions and formative assessments to their presentations.
• Quia - Create your own educational games, quizzes, surveys, and web pages. Search millions of games and quizzes created by educators around the world.
• Quizalize - Allows teachers to pinpoint classroom STAAR progress in real-time. 
• QuizBean - "Quizzes are fun! Give your users a chance to play with their knowledge, or challenge them to tackle tricky puzzles. We all learn better when we have a solid sense of our own progress. Get a handle on how well your students are learning, and help them do the same."
• 10 Classroom Review Games (tech and low tech) - Reviewing material can be so boring. Not only is it boring for you to teach, but think about how your students feel! When reviewing for a unit or state exam, try to incorporate activities and classroom games that engage students, not bore them. The trick is to make it so much fun that the students don’t even realize they are reviewing material."

Your Digital Learning Specialist is happy to assist with more information or help in implementing any of these tools.