Symbaloo as iGoogle Replacement

As many of you probably know, Google will soon be getting rid of iGoogle.  This announcement leaves those who use and love having an iGoogle Home Page wondering what will come along that will take its place. On the blog Free Technology for Teachers, I found a post about using Symbaloo as that replacement. I created a free account for myself and started developing (what Symbaloo calls) a Webmix, which essentially is a collection of tiles that act as links to sites.  Not only was there a huge collection of these ready-made tiles, but you could also create your own tiles. You could even upload your own images to have as a visual reminder about what that site is or is used for.  Users can create webmixes for each subject they teach or for any subject they wished.  I would recommend that you go to symbaloo and create your own account.  Next, come back to this page on my site and click the View on Symbaloo:LRMS Teacher Webmix button located on the image below.  Then click the orange Add This Webmix button on the new window. This will allow you to use this ready-made webmix that includes some of the links you might use frequently.  You can then edit it to suit your own needs by adding and removing tiles. 

Socrative

Effective teachers develop and utilize online formative and summative assessments to check for understanding inside and outside of the classroom. Socrative is a smart, engaging, and FREE online student response system.  What makes Socrative different from other polling sites is its ability to be utilized on any device with an internet connection.  That means students can access it on laptops, tablets, or smart phones.  Teachers can ask oral questions and students reply using their devices.  Teachers can create online quizzes or tests, and when students complete them, graded results can be downloaded and viewed on a spreadsheet.  See how Socrative can help you get immediate feedback about what your students know and understand which will help you know where to go next with your instruction.