Useful Tools for Teachers

This website is designed to be a simple resource for teachers who are looking for free or inexpensive online tools to improve their instruction and create a more engaging learning environment for their students.  Feel free to use this resource as much as you like and share it with anyone you think could benefit from the information it shares.

The tools listed below represent my favorite tools that are easy to use and can help you create a more engaging instructional experience quickly!

THE FAVORITES

What is it? Kahoot! is an educational platform that is based on games and questions. Through this tool, teachers can create questionnaires, discussions, or surveys that complement academic lessons. The material is projected in the classroom and questions are answered by students while playing and learning at the same time. Kahoot! promotes game-based learning, which increases student engagement and creates a dynamic, social, and fun educational environment.

 

Why do I like it? It is an easy way to engage your students with both gamified learning and formative assessment.  Additionally, it is easy to use and quick to implement.  Best of all, it is totally free.

What is it? Designed by a group of entrepreneurs and engineers passionate about education, Socrative is a system that allows teachers to create exercises or educational games which students can solve using mobile devices, whether smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Teachers can see the results of the activities and, depending on these, modify the subsequent lessons in order to make them more personalized.

 

Why do I like it? It is similar to Kahoot in that it allows you to introduce real-time formative assessment into your classes.  For those of you who think Kahoot is too “kiddish,” have no fear, Socrative is a more sleek and professional looking platform.  The biggest advantage with Socrative is that it allows you to turn your students’ smart phones into a classroom response system.  It is easy to use and free!

What is it? EDpuzzle is an incredible-easy-to-use video platform that helps teachers save time, boost classroom engagement and improve student learning through video lessons. EDpuzzle also collects data as students watch and interact with the video. Best of all, it’s completely free!

 

Why do I like it? If you’re like me, you use YouTube a lot.  A problem with YouTube is that you never know how much students are actually watching your videos.  Also, it can be difficult to engage students on YouTube.  Look no more…EDPuzzle solves those problems.  It allows you to add short quizzes for formative knowledge checks and it allows you to see your students’ engagement with the videos.

What is it? Google Apps is a Web-based and collaborative Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that customizes the proprietary Google platform and brand for businesses of all sizes, including large enterprises. Google Apps facilitates the provisioning of Google applications and user/enterprise management tools, including Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Videos and Google Cloud Connect.

 

Why do I like it? Basically, its free and you can do so much with it!  From Google Draw to Google Slides, Google can be a one-stop-shop for all of your classroom design needs.  Additionally, all of the Google Apps have a collaborative element, so it is a great way to create collaborative activities for you classes.

 

What is it?  Prezi is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs such as PowerPoint. Instead of slides, Prezi makes use of one large canvas that allows you to pan and zoom to various parts of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there.

 

Why do I like? Basically, because it is a fresh alternative to PowerPoint and other “Slide Deck” type software.  Also, it gives you the flexibility to do creative things like zooming in on content that you want to emphasize. It also embeds nicely within your learning management system.