Tech Tools for Teachers PODCAST

Corgi and Hour of Code!

December 9, 2024

Tech Tools for Teachers Podcast Episode #199: Corgi & Hour of Code. The image features a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a black top, set against a bright yellow background. The text is styled in bold, contrasting colors with the podcast’s logo at the top.

Hey, educators! Episode 199 has a few fun tools that will supercharge your classroom toolkit!
This week, we are highlighting Corgi! It does have cute pup for a logo, but really it is here to help you co-organize your learning. 🐶 Developed by CAST, the Universal Design for Learning experts, Corgi is about to become your new best friend in educational technology.

Screenshot of the Corgi Lesson Library page featuring a unit plan on chemical reactions for grades 6–8. The description explains how the tool supports Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with linked guides such as a Question Exploration Guide and Cause & Effect Guide.Screenshot of the Corgi Key Terms page showing vocabulary definitions like energy transfer, thermal energy, and kinetic energy. A yellow box on the side explains how defining key terms supports student learning by reducing barriers.Screenshot of the Corgi Question Exploration Guide page, displaying a series of steps for exploring significant places in Washington D.C. The steps include identifying essential questions, key terms, and supporting questions, as well as applying the knowledgeScreenshot of the Corgi homepage showing different graphic organizer guides, such as the Cause & Effect Guide, Question Exploration Guide, and Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Guide, designed to support higher-order thinking skills.

Why I Love Corgi

  • Create Interactive Graphic Organizers: Corgi lets you design visual learning maps that break down complex ideas into digestible, student-friendly formats. Whether you’re teaching science, literature, or math, these organizers make abstract concepts crystal clear.
  • Translate and Read Aloud Features: Support multilingual learners and students with reading challenges by using Corgi’s powerful translation and read-aloud tools. Every student gets equal access to learning, no matter their language background or reading level.
  • Seamless Google Drive Integration: Corgi automatically saves and syncs your resources directly to Google Drive, making organization a breeze. It is also easily shared and compatable with Google Classroom.
  • NGSS Science Standards Alignment: Each graphic organizer and resource is carefully crafted to meet Next Generation Science Standards, ensuring your teaching is both innovative and curriculum aligned. It also easily works with other subjects too!
  • Expandable Resource Library: Corgi keeps all of your resources together in one place and also offers examples for you to build on.

Perfect for teachers and students across ALL content areas! There are so many ways you can support your students with this tool.

Bonus this week: Hour of Code 2024!

Screenshot of the Hour of Code activities page featuring interactive coding lessons such as ‘Music Lab: Jam Session,’ ‘Dance Party,’ and ‘Inventing with Scratch and Gitanjali Rao.’ The page includes filters for grades, topics, and classroom technology.

Computer science isn’t just for tech wizards—it’s for every student! This year we celebrate Hour of Code December 9-15. Hour of Code offers engaging, beginner-friendly coding activities that encourage programming. From interactive tutorials to creative challenges, Hour of Code provides resources that make coding accessible, fun, and transformative for students of all ages and skill levels. So check it out with your kiddos sometime this week!

I know this is a busy time of year! I hope you all find these tools helpful and fun!
Have a great week everyone!

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