Here are highlights from last week’s email newsletter of new tools on edshelf. Many of them come from a “startup accelerator” program called Imagine K12, which helps new education technology companies get up and running.

• NoRedInk - Started by an English teacher from Illinois, NoRedInk helps students improve their grammar and writing skills using sentences that reference popular culture. It even features an adaptive learning engine that changes the difficulty of the question to match each student’s performance.

• DigitWhiz - Started by a Math teacher from California, DigitWhiz helps students learn multiplication, division, integer operations, like terms, and solving equations using fun online games. Students can also earn certificates and points that can be redeemed for virtual awards.

• SmarterCookie - Started by a 2nd & 3rd grade teacher from New York, SmarterCookie helps teachers improve their craft by getting feedback on one’s classroom instruction through recorded video that is shared privately between trusted peers and coaches.

• Chalk - Started by a grade school teacher and district administrator from Rhode Island and California, Chalk helps teachers turn paper forms into online forms that can be emailed to parents and other educators. All of the information is recorded and saved in the cloud.

• CodeHS - Started by two recent Stanford graduates and teaching assistants in the Computer Science department, CodeHS helps high school students learn computer science by doing interactive programming lessons online in a visual and supportive environment.

• Tioki - Started by a Humanities and Literacy teacher from California, Tioki is a professional social network for teachers. It helps teachers build an online brand and work history. Much like LinkedIn, teachers can also connect with colleagues to expand their PLN.

• StudyRoom - Started by a team of engineers, StudyRoom helps university students connect with classmates and other learners in an interactive, animated, 3D virtual chat room that includes a collaborative whiteboard, private group discussions, and video conferencing.

• Securly - Started by a team of engineers, Securly helps technology administrators set up an intelligent Internet filter that blocks not just websites, but specific pages, content, and keywords from within a website. Fully CIPA compliant and doesn’t require expensive hardware or software to set up.

You may see a trend in this group of Imagine K12 companies. Most were started by an educator. That’s a nice trend we’re seeing more and more. Even here at edshelf, the foundation of our idea came from a couple of public school teachers (who wanted to remain in the classroom, doing what they love most: teaching).

If you would like to receive these highlights via email, sign up!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf