2020 Digital Shopping Guide and Online Holiday Specials for Educators

 

Every year I do more and more of my shopping online. The thrill of driving from store to store and fighting the crowds just isn't there for me anymore. Add in the fact that we are living in a world where many stores are closed, online shopping make quite a bit of sense.

Each year I share some Holiday shopping tips I’ve organized to help teachers, families, and just about anyone save a little green this holiday season. I try put this guide out once a year and I think there is something in this post that can help just about anyone regardless of your online shopping experience.

Do you have additional online shopping tips or resources? Please share them in the comments below.
I wanted to stat this year with few sites that are new to me, that I will definitely be exploring this year.

Best Online Deals These sites work in a variety of ways to find some of the best deals online.

Online Cashback and Coupon Websites
There are many sites that take advantage of online advertising to provide the consumer with coupons and cashback for major retailers when you shop online. They are free, secure, and incredibly easy to use. Combine these with rewards on a credit card and it the cashback can start to really add up. Mr. Rebates, Rakuten, and Honey are great resources for online shopping.
  • Mr. Rebates - Online Coupons and Cash Back
  • Rakuten - Online Coupons and Cash Back
  • Honey - Online deals and coupons. 
Amazon and eBay
Great places to shop for literally anything, especially Tech. You will frequently find the best prices for stuff here.  Remember that you are not always buying directly Amazon. Like eBay, Amazon has items for sale from other companies and independent sellers.  Both eBay and Amazon have incredible customer support. Mr. Rebates and Rakuten also support Cashback for both sites.
Technology Purchases Most major online retailers will run a variety of sales throughout the year. I would recommend starting your technology search by exploring the Amazon Deals Page. Most mobile service providers will include deals on phones when you sign up for a contract, but smart shoppers can often find great deals online.

Apple
  • iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, or Macbook? Apple typically runs their once a year sale on Black Friday online and in store.
  • The MacRumors Site typically has the most updated details about Apple Store Sales.

Android and Chromebooks

Did you know that both the NEA and AFT posts some excellent deals for teachers? These deals include merchandise, restaurants, and travel. 
Protecting Your Credit Card Online
Most online stores/credit card companies do a great job taking care of credit card purchases, but a great way to pay from a lot of online purchases is to use PayPal. It’s free and provides an extra layer of security between your credit card and online shopping. Paypal also supports free returns for many purchases.

The Rest of the Story

Product Reviews
Online Electronics Retailers
Unique and Creative Gifts

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Google Drawings and Google Slides Venn Diagram Templates


Creating is an essential part of learning. I've always believed that having my students draw is an essential component of our learning experience, but this has been a little harder to manage with my students at home. It's not that I can't have them draw on pen and paper, we still do this all the time. The problem is sharing these drawings with the rest of the class. There is always one glitch or another when my students take a photo of a drawing and then share it digitally.

To compensate during Remote Learning, Google Drawings has become an essential tool for creating to learn and sharing our learning with authentic audiences. While this is not something new for me, I am definitely using Google Drawings more now than I have in the past. Here are a few examples of how I've used Google Drawings in class. 
Today I wanted to share something new I created using Google Drawings that really isn't about drawing at all. I need a Venn diagram to compare rocks and minerals and after a short internet search I decided to create my own. I started with two perfect circles but stretching them a bit seemed to give a bit more room for text. I don't know if this is the best digital Venn Diagram on the market, but I think it will work for my purposes.


Feel free to make a copy and modify for your classroom. If you think your students need more space for text, you can also make it into rectangles. I also have one that I created using Google slides. 


Curious About Google Drawing Templates? Here are a few more great resources your might want to explore. 
Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions. Happy Learning!

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