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The DigitalPIRATEAdding techno-wizardry to teachingwith passion and engagementAguide By matt miller (@jmattmiller)The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

Pirates are daring and adventurous. They sail intouncharted territories with no guarantee of success.They reject the status quo and refuse to conform toany society that stifles creativity and independ-ence. And besides, everybody loves a pirate.”This is the premise of “Teach Like a PIRATE,” a book written bysocial studies teacher Dave Burgess. He encourages teachers to increase student engagement and boost creativity through inspiration, practical techniques and innovative ideas.With the technology tools available to many classrooms, there isplenty of digital swashbuckling to do. Great apps, websites and devices provide opportunities to engage students and learn in waysthat were never before possible.This guide, “The Digital PIRATE,” encourages teachers to providethose experiences by tapping into technology that grabs students’attention immediately and redefines learning. This guide provides20 classroom activity ideas based on the “Teach Like a PIRATE”engagement hooks and a free technology tool.Hopefully, you’ll find some ideas to set sail on agreat adventure!2The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

Table of Contents1. The Mozart Hook with Garage Band . . .42. The Involved Audience Hook with Poll Everywhere .53. The Picasso Hook with Canva .64. The Backwards Hook with WeVideo .75. The Kinesthetic Hook with Classtools.net .86. The Safari Hook with the Camera App .97. The Dance/Drama Hook with YouTube .108. The Real World Application Hook with Skype / Google Hangouts .119. The Opportunistic Hook with Image Searches .1210.The Interior Design Hook with Pandora . 1311.The Board Message Hook with PowToon .1412.The Costume Hook with Voki . .1513.The Involved Audience Hook with AudioMicro . .1614.The Storytelling Hook with Storybird . .1715.The Taboo Hook with the Camera App .1816.The Mime Hook with Gone Google Story Builder . .1917.The Teaser Hook with Remind . .2018.The Contest Hook with Kahoot! . .2119.The Magic and Amazing Hook with Aurasma . .2220.The Mnemonic Hook with Piktochart . .23About the Author and Hire Matt to Present . 243The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Mozart HookThe app/site:The activity:Garage BandHave students that are musicallyinclined? Give them an outlet!They’ll have all of the tools they’llneed in Garage Band to record asong based on the content in yourclass. They can sing and play instruments, recording it all in aGet Garage Band(free for iOS 7)sound file you can play for classor add to a video project.1.Garage Band ideas4The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The InvolvedAudience HookThe app/site:The activity:Poll EverywhereEveryone seems to have an idea ofwhere a story is headed as theywatch it. Let students share theiropinions with a poll — AND letthem use their cell phones to takeit! Poll Everywhere shows realtime results as students vote viaPoll EverywhereHow to use Polldevice. Check the results to seewho was right after the story is2.Everywhere5text message or an Internet-readyover!The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Picasso HookThe app/site:The activity:CanvaPromotional and marketing materials are real-world products. Fliers or advertisements can bemade for almost any content area.Canva makes them easy and attractive. Use Canva’s free imagesand graphics (some are paid) withtext to make your work look like aCanvaCanva ideasdesigner created it. You can savethem as an image file or PDF or3.generate a link to them.6The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The BackwardsHookThe app/site:The activity:WeVideoThink of the TV shows and movies that start at the end with anattention-grabbing sequence before showing how it all unfolded.Use some photos, video clips andwell crafted words to create aWeVideo video project paintingthe picture of where your instruc-WeVideoHow to use WeVideotion is headed. Then get startedwalking students through it.4.Video project ideas7The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The KinestheticHookThe app/site:The activity:ClassTools.netScavenger hunts are great fun,with clues to follow and adventure to embark on. Add QR codesto the mix and it’s techie heaven!Create a QR code scavenger huntwith clues about your content thatlead students all over the class-ClassTools.netQR code scavengerused during class time or for students to complete on their own5.hunt how-to video8room or building. They can betime outside of class.The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Safari HookThe app/site:The activity:Camera appOne of the most overlooked appson any device has to be the camera app. It has huge potential inthe classroom. Turn studentsloose to find examples of whatever you're studying in the classroom, the school or the world10 ways to use iPadcamera in classaround them. Document themwith video or pictures and discussthem in class afterward. If stu-6.dents use their own cell phones,that’s a bonus!9The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Dance/DramaHookThe app/site:The activity:YouTubeVirtually any kind of video imaginable is available on YouTube.With a little luck and good searchskills, you can find instructionalvideos of dances that pertain toyour content area. Or, to reachthe dramatically inclined, video aYouTube VideoManagerskit or re-enactment and add music, slow motion, visual filters andmore using YouTube’s Video7.Manager.10The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Real WorldApplication HookThe app/site:The activity:Skype / GoogleHangoutsNeed a convincing explanation ofhow your content is relevant inthe real world? Those experts arecertainly out there and might explain the importance first-handthrough a video chat. Often, businesspeople, professors and evenConnecting classes tothe world resourcescelebrities make themselves available to classes via video throughSkype or Google Hangouts. You8.never know until you ask!11The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The OpportunisticHookThe app/site:The activity:CC or Googleimage searchesThere’s a reason people have said,“A picture is worth a thousandwords” for so long. They’re greatto generate conversation andstimulate ideas. Creative Commons searches and Google Im-Creative Commonsages searches can turn up theimage searchright image that will get the gearsGoogle Images search12in your students’ heads turning.9.The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Interior DesignHookThe app/site:The activity:PandoraThe Interior Design Hook is allabout setting the right atmosphere so students can experiencewhat they’re learning about. Music is a powerful way to set the atmosphere. Playing the right Pandora station behind the activitiesPandoraUsing Pandora in theof the day in class can put students in the right mindset andhelp them to feel the content.10.classroom13The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Board MessageHookThe app/site:The activity:PowToonThe Board Message Hook suggests that a provocative, attention-grabbing message written on theboard can engage students beforeclass even starts. Creating an animated “board message” (video)can do that in a flashy way. Pow-PowToonCreating your firstanimated videos easy. Play one tostart class to get everyone’s atten-11.PowToon14Toon makes creating customizedtion!The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Costume HookThe app/site:The activity:VokiVoki creates talking heads (calledavatars) that you can play foryour class or embed on a website.Instead of dressing yourself incostume, have a character visit inthe form of a Voki. Voki has several pre-made historical charac-VokiUsing Voki in thehatma Gandhi and BenjaminFranklin), or you can customize12.classroom15ters (like Abraham Lincoln, Ma-your own with lots of features.The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The InvolvedAudience HookThe app/site:The activity:AudioMicroSound effects can bring any story,lecture, explanation or narrationto life. AudioMicro has hundredsof thousands of sound effects thatcan be played from the website oncommand. Imagine assigning adifferent sound effect to each student and having them play thatAudioMicrosound effect when you say a certain word or phrase. Students are13.involved and engaged!16The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The StorytellingHookThe app/site:The activity:StorybirdHistory has been passed downthrough generations by storytelling. It’s powerful and memorable. Storybird can help tell yourimportant stories in class usingoriginal artist-created visuals.Write a digital storybook aroundthose visuals or find pictures thatStoryBirdmatch what you want to say. ThenHow-to video onshare your Storybird with your14.using Storybird17class or anyone on the planet.The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Taboo HookThe app/site:The activity:Camera appRecord yourself telling studentssome provocative, controversialsecret about your content. Formore impact, step out of class butpush play before you leave. Thevideo you steps in and can tellthis secret — something you“Teachers Have Style,would NEVER tell them — to thestudents while you’re gone. Re-Too!” (re: Tabooturn to class oblivious to what hasHook)just happened.15.18The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Mime HookThe app/site:The activity:Gone GoogleStory BuilderUsing silence or written messagesis what the Mime Hook is allabout. Gone Google Story Builderallows users to create a video thatlooks like people are typing messages to each other in a GoogleGone Google StoryBuilderdocument. Those written wordscould set the stage for a lesson orpunctuate it at the end. Type theWhy You Shouldwords and generate a link thatHeart Story Builderanyone can view later.16.19The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Teaser HookThe app/site:The activity:RemindMarketers and advertisers knowthe power of anticipation. It’swhat makes kids unable to sleepon Christmas Eve! Remind letsteachers send text messages totheir students safely and securely.A quick text message — which isVERY likely to be read — beforeRemindan interesting class period willUsing it with classesbuild anticipation that will peak17.when class starts.20The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Contest HookThe app/site:The activity:Kahoot!Students love games, and gameshows on TV are very popular.Kahoot! brings the best of gameshows to the classroom. Teachersset up questions. Students answerthem with their devices, earningpoints for quick correct answers.Students can even create theirKahoot!own Kahoots to show their under-Using Kahoot! in classstanding of a topic. Engagement18.is always high when Kahooting!21The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The Magic andAmazing HookThe app/site:The activity:AurasmaAurasma uses a digital variety ofmagic and amazing. It’s called“augmented reality,” where it usesa device’s camera and adds thingsto it that aren’t there in real life.Record a video and choose something you want Aurasma to showthe video on. When scanned,AurasmaAurasma will play that video overResources for classthe top of your object — like19.magic!22The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)

The hook:The MnemonicHookThe app/site:The activity:PiktochartMnemonic devices are clevermemory aids that help us remember information. Anyone cancome up with these tricks. Takethose creative ideas and makethem visual with an informationalgraphic on Piktochart. Use a pre-Piktochartdesigned template or create yourown graphic with images, textUsing Piktochart inand more. Share your mnemonicsthe classroomvisually with Piktochart!20.23The Digital PIRATE (DitchThatTextbook.com)