KCSS is giving an online tool called Smore a test drive for publishing our quarterly newsletter. First things first. Head over and get the newsletter here.

But I also think that Smore is a handy tool for teachers and students for creating all sorts of products and projects. It seems very easy to use and has some cool sharing tools.

Create a free account and begin creating a rich, multimedia online flyer with drag and drop features. Use one of their templates or start from scratch. You can add audio, video, photos, text – just about anything you need. And once you’ve added your elements, you’re able to drag and drop them in any order you want.

Finished? You have a ton of social media tools to share your latest creation and to get the word out. You can share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, as well as Craigslist, which is especially handy if you’re selling something. You can  embed your flyer into a website or email it directly to friends. After you have sent it out, Smore gives you an analytics feature to see who has actually viewed your flyer.

This seems like a great push / pull tool for the classroom. Push content out to kids, parents, and other teachers. Create interactive study guides. Communicate with parents about upcoming class events. Share foundational content in a flipped classroom.

You can also use it to pull products and assignments in from kids. Ask kids to create a newsletter as if were created after the attack on Fort Sumter. Or have small group collaborate on what a flyer might have looked like if the Sons of Liberty were recruiting members. Perhaps students could recreate the look and feel of the Civil Rights movement.

Give it a try. Let us know what you think!