Lighting The Fire: Technology Resources for Interest-Driven Learning

I love the idea of this! Now do these tools actually make this happen? Well, that's the question, isn't it? Even more interesting is that some of these resources are considered to do this and so many other things... that could have to do with marketing efforts or it could mean that there's some real magic here... Some of these I find interesting or inspiring or really I like the look of...

(came across this on the Common Sense education site https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/edtech-that-fuels-interest-driven-learning?utm_source=Edu_Newsletter_2017_06_13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly )

When students are passionate about something, it's essential to create an environment of support that helps them dig deeper. One of the best ways to get students invested in learning is to connect what they're doing in the classroom to what interests them beyond the classroom. These picks help students get inspired, research their interests, connect with mentors and collaborate on projects, and create portfolios. There are also some tools for tailoring assessments to each student’s topic.
Interested in seeing tips on how you might use some of these tools to build curiosity in the classroom? Check out our blog series We All Teach SEL: Inspiring Activities for Every Classroom.

Exploration and Inspiration

Podcasts Publisher: Apple Search, access, and organize podcasts from iTunes' free library	Grades K-12 Type App Price Free Platforms iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Thrively Visit Website: http://www.thrively.com/ Cool assessment targets kids’ strengths; sprawling content overwhelms	Grades K-12 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
News-O-Matic for School, 2016-17 Nonfiction Reading Publisher: Press4Kids Flexible, interactive daily stories for elementary school students	Grades 2-5 Type App Price $6.99 Platforms Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Newsela Visit Website: https://newsela.com/ Absorbing daily news stories offer kids just-right learning content	Grades 2-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Expeditions Publisher: Google Inc Fire up the warp drive to bring VR field trips to your classroom	Grades 3-12 Type App Price Free Platforms Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
KidsThinkDesign Visit Website: http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/index.html Projects inspire creativity; a place for kids' sharing would boost fun	Grades 4-12 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Couragion Visit Website: http://www.couragion.com/ Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values	Grades 7-12 Type Website Price Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating Not Yet Rated

Research and Citation

Citelighter Visit Website: http://www.citelighter.com Substantial all-in-one tool scaffolds the research and writing process	Grades 3-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Simple English Wikipedia Visit Website: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Adapted resource can help some ELLs, with potential for other students	Grades 5-12 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
findingDulcinea Visit Website: http://www.findingdulcinea.com Quality search tool with curated resources and links to credible sites	Grades 6-10 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
SweetSearch Visit Website: http://www.sweetsearch.com Search engine with filtered results leaves room for critical thinking	Grades 6-10 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Evernote Visit Website: http://evernote.com/ Handy storage locker for anything and everything you might create	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Imagine Easy Academy Visit Website: http://www.imagineeasy.com/academy/ Versatile site helps integrate literacy skills into the curriculum	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Free to Try, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
NoodleTools Visit Website: http://www.noodletools.com/ No noodlin’, just serious research with this comprehensive resource	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Free, Free to Try, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
EasyBib Visit Website: http://www.easybib.com/ Helpful citation and writing resource for instant bibliographies	Grades 7-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating

Collaboration

Dreamdo Schools Visit Website: https://edu.dream.do/ Sleek project-based learning platform encourages global connections	Grades K-12 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating Not Yet Rated
Edublogs Visit Website: https://edublogs.org/ Customizable classroom blogs get students writing and collaborating	Grades 3-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Actively Learn Visit Website: http://www.activelylearn.com/ Empowering social ereader keeps kids actively, independently engaged	Grades 4-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Google Hangouts Visit Website: http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/ Communication, learning, and fun converge nicely in Google's slick platform	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Free Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Wikispaces Visit Website: http://www.wikispaces.com/ Powerful tool for creating collaborative websites	Grades 7-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Google Drive Visit Website: https://drive.google.com/ Nifty tool for collaboratively editing docs and syncing files across devices or online	Grades 9-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
WordPress Publisher: Automattic Inviting, customizable mobile blog platform with easy-to-use interface	Grades 9-12 Type App Price Free Platforms Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, Chrome, Fire phone Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating

Portfolios and Assessment

Goalbook Toolkit Visit Website: https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit-info/ Set tailored targets with pricey but worth-it kit of tools, strategies	Grades Pre-K-12 Type Website Price Free to Try, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Seesaw: The Learning Journal Publisher: Seesaw, Inc. Versatile digital portfolio appeals to teachers, students, and parents	Grades K-12 Type App Price Free, Paid Platforms Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, Chrome Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
WeLearnedIt Publisher: eduClipper, Inc. Digital portfolio and management tool for project-based classrooms	Grades K-12 Type App Price Free, Paid Platforms iPad Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating Not Yet Rated
PlayPosit Visit Website: http://www.playposit.com/ Simple design makes it easy to jump into interactive video	Grades 2-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
eBackpack Visit Website: https://www.ebackpack.com/ Easy system to submit, review, and store digital assignments	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Free, Paid Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating
Project Foundry Visit Website: http://projectfoundry.org/ Helpful, yet complex, management tool for project-based learning	Grades 6-12 Type Website Price Common Sense Rating Teacher Rating