10.28.16- CK-12, Nearpod, OpenEd, Graph Builder, and More

EduApps Edition-

What is EduAppsCenter.com?  EduApps is a collection of educational applications that can be integrated into learning management systems. Some are free and some require subscriptions or licenses. Feel free to browse the Apps and let me know if there are any you would like to have added to your course or to a test course (I recommend doing that first so you can test the value of the integration).

Why Embed or Integrate Apps?  Embedding Apps helps to keep your students in one location and discourage wandering behaviors! If an app is built into your Canvas course students are not having to go elsewhere to complete assignments or find resources which further reinforces Canvas as the central hub of their learning.

Below is a partial list of Apps that have been installed or, in the case of Nearpod, could be installed on our instance. Like all products, there are some great resources included in these integrations and there are some that are less than great. Make sure to thoroughly vet any resource that you decide to use with a class.  

1. CK-12- I know this tool is used by some science and math teacher. You can know add “high quality, free, teacher created and vetted STEM content without ever leaving” Canvas. Here are CK-12 created instructions on how to embed a CK-12 resource into a Canvas assignment.
2. Nearpod- If you have a Gold membership to Nearpod you can embed your Nearpod lessons directly into a Canvas assignment. Some of the benefits of this include: fewer clicks for students and the ability to maintain Canvas as your central classroom hub. If you have a Gold membership and would like me to install the integration in your courses let me know. The second part of this resource explains how to embed a Nearpod lesson into Canvas.
3. OpenEd- OpenEd has “the largest FREE K-12 resource library with videos, assessments, games and homework assignments, all built from quality publishers and sorted by effectiveness.”  Many of these resources can be assigned directly into Canvas.
4. Graph Builder- This app has been added to the list of external tools available within the Rich Content Editor. To access it, select Graph Builder from  the “V” drop down menu found in the Rich Content Editor within all aspects of Canvas- Pages, Quizzes, Assignments, Discussions. It can be used by teachers or students to “define graphs based on simple or complex equations and chart them dynamically.”
5. Can any tools that aren’t apps be integrated? Yes, look at last week’s Friday Five to see how to include links in course navigation. You can also check to see if a resource has a built in ability to share to an LMS. For example, one of my favorites, EdPuzzle, provides HTML code that can be added to a page or assignment in Canvas. I will place an example in the Friday Five Module in the Professional Learning Course as an example.