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Every Tuesday SmartBrief on EdTech runs Tech Tips, a column featuring practical advice from school technologists and tech-using educators. This month, we are running a roundup of the top tips from the year. Below are activities and games to help teach coding, ideas for inspiring learning and tips for using digital tools -- email, voice typing and video -- with students. 

How to introduce students to coding

Khan Academy and Kano are just two tools that teachers can use to introduce coding to students, writes Kristi Frankina of the Evergreen School District in California. Frankina outlines five platforms that offer games, curricula and activities designed to help students and teachers learn about code.

How can teachers encourage students to embrace learning?

Kerry Gallagher, a digital-learning specialist and a presenter at the International Society for Technology in Education 2016 Conference and Expo, shared in her address a road map for inspiring students to learn. She asserts that teachers should start with a thoughtful question, ensure they have the right tools and give students flexibility.

5 things students should know about email communication

Schools need to foster an email culture that teaches students how to communicate appropriately through email, high-school English teacher Adam Schoenbart writes in this blog post. He shares five lessons, including the importance of checking email regularly and communicating with authenticity.

How to use voice typing in Google Docs

The voice-typing feature of Google Docs is useful for students who want to capture their ideas, Sean Williams writes. In this blog post, he offers several tips that can help students use the technology tool.

Teacher: How to use video clips to engage students

Stop motion video can be a useful classroom tool, according to sixth-grade teacher Josh Stock. In this blog post, Stock offers a step-by-step guide to using video clips to engage students in classroom lessons.