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Online Platforms and Applications Worth Exploring for Teachers Preparing for a New School Year

Discover the leading education technology websites and applications to prepare for the upcoming academic year

Twenty Platforms and Applications Teachers Should Explore for a Smooth Return to the Classroom
Twenty Platforms and Applications Teachers Should Explore for a Smooth Return to the Classroom

Online Platforms and Applications Worth Exploring for Teachers Preparing for a New School Year

Top EdTech Tools for Back-to-School 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

As the 2024-2025 school year approaches, educators are on the lookout for innovative and engaging tools to enhance their teaching. Here's a roundup of 20 top edtech tools, catering to a variety of categories and budgets.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

  1. Google Classroom: A free, user-friendly platform that seamlessly integrates with Google Workspace, offering assignment tracking and real-time collaboration.
  2. Schoology: A premium LMS with over 200 educational tools, grading, lesson planning, and virtual learning support.
  3. Canvas Free-for-Teacher: A free LMS that provides assignment management, grading, and communication features.

Interactive Learning

  1. Nearpod: Offers virtual lessons, gamification, assessments, and VR capabilities.
  2. Pear Deck: Delivers interactive presentations and formative assessments.
  3. Socrative: Provides real-time quizzes and instant feedback.
  4. Kahoot!: Offers game-based quizzes and interactive lessons.
  5. Seesaw: Encourages student engagement through portfolio creation and personalized learning.

Collaboration

  1. Microsoft Teams for Education: Facilitates video calls, file sharing, and integrated apps.
  2. Canva for Education: Supports graphic design, presentations, and collaborative projects.
  3. Padlet: Offers digital bulletin boards and real-time collaboration.
  4. Jotform: Provides online gradebooks, feedback collection, and customizable forms.

Language Learning

  1. Duolingo: Offers gamified lessons, streak rewards, and community challenges in various languages.

Course Creation

  1. Thinkific, Teachable, Graphy, Ezycourse, and Movavi Screen Recorder: These platforms facilitate easy course building, marketing, and selling.

VR/AR Tools

  1. Merge Cube: Provides AR STEM learning objects compatible with mobile devices.

Other Notable Mentions

  1. Microsoft AI Reading Coach: Helps students practice reading aloud and track progress through generated stories, targeted word coaching, assessments, and digital badges.
  2. Common Curriculum: Allows educators to design standards-aligned lessons, units, and assignments in one easy-to-use website, with collaboration features.
  3. EDpuzzle: Enables teachers to turn videos into lessons by adding questions, audio, or notes.
  4. Khanmigo: An AI-powered guidance and tutoring service from Khan Academy, providing features like lesson planning, differentiation, assessment creation, automatic essay feedback tool, and IEP creation for teachers.
  5. Photomath: A free app that helps users understand and solve math problems through annotated equations, method variation, and concise explanations of math terms.
  6. ClassHook: Leverages movies to help educators capture student attention across various subjects.
  7. Ducksters: Offers interactive educational games and engaging lessons on various subjects.
  8. BoomWriter: A platform for students to collaborate in writing books and receive individualized feedback.
  9. Otter.AI: A transcription/speech-to-text app that creates a cloud-based transcript synced to its recording.
  10. NewseumEd: Provides thousands of free lesson plans, digital artifacts, virtual classes, professional development, and more.
  11. Google Fact Check Tools: A valuable resource for students doing research or studying journalism, allowing users to search for fact checks from various sources with a single word or phrase.
  12. Grammarly: A top spelling and grammar checker with a free account option.
  13. Desmos Classroom: Offers free math lessons and activities for students.
  14. Book Creator: Allows users to blend text, visuals, audio, and video to create digital books and portfolios.
  15. Oodlu: An educational platform that allows educators to create learning and assessment games for their students, offering formative assessments, question creation, and search capabilities.

Many of these platforms have free versions or trials, making it easier for educators to test and integrate them into their teaching for the 2024-2025 school year. The list includes solutions suitable for K-12, higher education, and even individual educator entrepreneurs.

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