2019 Top 20 Digital Tools for
Teaching & Learning
Presented By: Cathi Brewer, MOBOCES Media Librarian
Grades: 4-12 Cost: Free No Accounts
Brush Ninja
Animated GIF Creator
Ask students to create animations demonstrating science concepts like erosion, weathering, or chemical reactions. Use this site to have students create animations demonstrating events from stories, share their thought process in math, or animate an event from history. Have students include their animations when creating multimedia projects.
Teacher Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free No Accounts
explore.org
Live Animal Webcams
Create a center activity in which students observe animals in their natural settings to gather and record data as citizen scientists. As the introduction to an animal research project, this resource can ignite curiosity and encourage further investigation. Additionally, explore.org can serve as a gateway to compare and contrast different animals among diverse habitats.
Grades: All Cost: Free No Accounts
Unite for Literacy
Online Picture Books
Unite for Literacy is perfect for use with ESL/ELL students for reading and hearing books in both English and their native language. Share a link to the site on your website or newsletter for use at home. World language teachers can use this site to have students listen to books in the language they are learning.
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
Object Viewer for Merge Cube
Convert 3D designs into augmented reality (virtual) objects they can hold and preview on the MERGE Cube. Students can also preview their creations prior to 3D printing to ensure accuracy.
Example Object Codes
Grades: All Cost: Free
Teacher account needed
Educandy
Learning games
Create interactive learning games in minutes. All you need is to enter the vocabulary or questions and answers and Educandy turns your content into cool interactive activities.
Grades: All Cost: Free for Educators
Account needed
Webjets.io
Web curation tool
Organize and curate content for any unit. Share video and website links, upload notes, and create mindmaps for student review. Ask older students to create their own Webjet to organize information for large projects and when collaborating with other students.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
Wakelet
Web curation tool
Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
Teacher account needed
Gimkit
Learning games
Follow the prompts to add questions, four answer choices, and add an image if desired. Add class rosters and assign kits for student completion within a specific time frame. Students complete quizzes at their own pace within the due date. As they complete quizzes, students earn money to reinvest in Gimkit upgrades that align with their strengths.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
Sites in VR
Virtual Field Trips
Sites in VR is an interactive virtual reality experience where learners can immerse themselves in places around the world! From tourist attractions to landmarks to cultural and religious centers, there are SO many options that learners can explore.
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
10
novel effect
Storytime App
Novel Effect uses voice recognition to compliment read alouds with sound effects and music. Novel Effect features a catalog of over 200 popular and well-loved titles for children, with new titles regularly being added. Parents, teachers, and librarians can use it to spice up their read alouds or revisit old favorites by adding a new soundscape. Students can practice their reading fluency as the app responds to their voice.
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
11
Chatterpix Kids
Video projects
Give your photos a voice with ChatterPix! Chatterpix can make anything talk — pets, friends, doodles, and more! Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth, and record your voice. Use ChatterPix whenever you’re doing a video project with students on the “no photo” list. They can take a picture of whatever they want, record their voice and still participate.
Grades: K-5 Cost: Free Teacher Account needed
12
Empatico
Videoconferencing
Empatico is a free tool connecting classrooms around the world through live video exchanges and activities designed to spark empathy, curiosity, and kindness. A three step approach of prepare, interact, and reflect encourages deeper learning, meaningful connections, and helps students practice social skills such as respectful communication, perspective taking, cooperation, and critical thinking, as they experience positive connections with peers around the world.
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
13
Figment AR
Augmented Reality Storytelling
You can “turn your world into an augmented funhouse” as the developers share on in the description on the App Store.This fun app lets you create scenes filled with imaginative objects out of the world around you. You can add interactive animals, objects and emoji’s to make your scene come to life. One of my favorite things about this app is that you can create “portals” to step into another dimension while adding environmental effects like rain, fireworks, snow and more.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Account needed
14
Glide
App Builder
Use Glide as a unique teaching tool to engage and capture student interest in a variety of ways. For example, have students create a directory of characters found in a Shakespeare play and include pertinent information including their relationship to other characters, the character's important moments within the play, and more. Another example of how to use Glide is to create an app for students to use when working on long-term projects. Use the objectives template to set up goals and timelines for students to follow.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Account needed
15
Thunkable
App Builder
Thunkable enables anyone to build their own beautiful mobile apps. Using drag and drop code, students can start from scratch or remix a sample app. Created app projects are accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. Thunkable has an active community with regular design challenges to keep students thinking outside the box with their app creations.
Grades: ALL Cost: Free
16
No account needed
Teaching Tolerance
Lesson Resources
Educators use Teaching Tolerance materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants. With a focus on social justice and anti-bias education, this site offers something for every educator including lesson plans, teaching strategies, printable posters, frameworks for teaching difficult topics, webinars, podcasts, and more.
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
17
Anchor
Podcast Creation
Both an app and a website, Anchor makes it easy to create high quality podcasts with their free and easy to use creation tools and hosting service. With a library of a variety of sound effects and audio clips, transitions can be included before and after audio recordings to create a professional mix of audio. Anchor makes it easy to share saved podcasts directly to social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Anchor also generates a link and an embed code for each episode.
Grades: 4-12 Cost: Free No Account needed
18
Pulitzer Center
Current Events Resources
Promotes in depth engagement with critical global issues by sponsoring quality international journalists and newsrooms. Stories as well as accompanying lesson plans, are searchable by issue, date, author, region and grade level. In addition, the Pulitzer Center offers in person and Skype journalist visits to classrooms, workshops and professional development opportunities.
Educator Resources
Grades: 6-12 Cost: Free
19
No Account needed, but can be created for extra features
iCivics
Civic learning games
There is a total 11 apps in the iCivics Suite. “Win the White House” will help students to explain the electoral process, identify the influence of the media in forming public opinion, and analyze how parts of a whole interact to produce outcome in complex systems.
Educator Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
20
Account needed
genial.ly
Content Creation
This tool allows you to create presentations, infographics, video presentations, resumes, and more. It includes many templates with access to photos, animations, and illustrations giving the user the ability to make any image or text interactive. Content can be shared through a link or downloaded. Teachers can make materials to share with students or other teachers, and students can use to build resumes or design a product for summative assessment.
Educator Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free Google Classroom Needed
21
Share to Classroom
Chrome Extension
The extension allows you to push webpages to any of your Classroom classes, so they open instantly on your students' computers. With this extension, you can get your students on the right page, quickly and reliably every time. You can also post announcements, create assignments, or save webpages to post to Classroom later.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Google Account needed
22
Screencastify
Chrome Extension
Create screencasts showing how to do various computer tasks or navigate websites. Demonstrate how to use a website or software for specific tasks within the classroom. For example, show how to use the comment feature in Word for annotating class notes, reading passages, and other items. Make how-to demos for instructions on using and navigating your class home page, class wiki or blog, or other applications you wish the students to use in creating their own projects.
THANKS!
Lorem ipsum dolor
cbrewer@moboces.org
Digital Tools 2019
Catherine Brewer
Created on October 21, 2019
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2019 Top 20 Digital Tools for
Teaching & Learning
Presented By: Cathi Brewer, MOBOCES Media Librarian
Grades: 4-12 Cost: Free No Accounts
Brush Ninja
Animated GIF Creator
Ask students to create animations demonstrating science concepts like erosion, weathering, or chemical reactions. Use this site to have students create animations demonstrating events from stories, share their thought process in math, or animate an event from history. Have students include their animations when creating multimedia projects.
Teacher Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free No Accounts
explore.org
Live Animal Webcams
Create a center activity in which students observe animals in their natural settings to gather and record data as citizen scientists. As the introduction to an animal research project, this resource can ignite curiosity and encourage further investigation. Additionally, explore.org can serve as a gateway to compare and contrast different animals among diverse habitats.
Grades: All Cost: Free No Accounts
Unite for Literacy
Online Picture Books
Unite for Literacy is perfect for use with ESL/ELL students for reading and hearing books in both English and their native language. Share a link to the site on your website or newsletter for use at home. World language teachers can use this site to have students listen to books in the language they are learning.
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
Object Viewer for Merge Cube
Convert 3D designs into augmented reality (virtual) objects they can hold and preview on the MERGE Cube. Students can also preview their creations prior to 3D printing to ensure accuracy.
Example Object Codes
Grades: All Cost: Free
Teacher account needed
Educandy
Learning games
Create interactive learning games in minutes. All you need is to enter the vocabulary or questions and answers and Educandy turns your content into cool interactive activities.
Grades: All Cost: Free for Educators
Account needed
Webjets.io
Web curation tool
Organize and curate content for any unit. Share video and website links, upload notes, and create mindmaps for student review. Ask older students to create their own Webjet to organize information for large projects and when collaborating with other students.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
Wakelet
Web curation tool
Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
Teacher account needed
Gimkit
Learning games
Follow the prompts to add questions, four answer choices, and add an image if desired. Add class rosters and assign kits for student completion within a specific time frame. Students complete quizzes at their own pace within the due date. As they complete quizzes, students earn money to reinvest in Gimkit upgrades that align with their strengths.
More info
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
Sites in VR
Virtual Field Trips
Sites in VR is an interactive virtual reality experience where learners can immerse themselves in places around the world! From tourist attractions to landmarks to cultural and religious centers, there are SO many options that learners can explore.
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
10
novel effect
Storytime App
Novel Effect uses voice recognition to compliment read alouds with sound effects and music. Novel Effect features a catalog of over 200 popular and well-loved titles for children, with new titles regularly being added. Parents, teachers, and librarians can use it to spice up their read alouds or revisit old favorites by adding a new soundscape. Students can practice their reading fluency as the app responds to their voice.
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
11
Chatterpix Kids
Video projects
Give your photos a voice with ChatterPix! Chatterpix can make anything talk — pets, friends, doodles, and more! Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth, and record your voice. Use ChatterPix whenever you’re doing a video project with students on the “no photo” list. They can take a picture of whatever they want, record their voice and still participate.
Grades: K-5 Cost: Free Teacher Account needed
12
Empatico
Videoconferencing
Empatico is a free tool connecting classrooms around the world through live video exchanges and activities designed to spark empathy, curiosity, and kindness. A three step approach of prepare, interact, and reflect encourages deeper learning, meaningful connections, and helps students practice social skills such as respectful communication, perspective taking, cooperation, and critical thinking, as they experience positive connections with peers around the world.
Grades: All Cost: Free
No Account needed
13
Figment AR
Augmented Reality Storytelling
You can “turn your world into an augmented funhouse” as the developers share on in the description on the App Store.This fun app lets you create scenes filled with imaginative objects out of the world around you. You can add interactive animals, objects and emoji’s to make your scene come to life. One of my favorite things about this app is that you can create “portals” to step into another dimension while adding environmental effects like rain, fireworks, snow and more.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Account needed
14
Glide
App Builder
Use Glide as a unique teaching tool to engage and capture student interest in a variety of ways. For example, have students create a directory of characters found in a Shakespeare play and include pertinent information including their relationship to other characters, the character's important moments within the play, and more. Another example of how to use Glide is to create an app for students to use when working on long-term projects. Use the objectives template to set up goals and timelines for students to follow.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Account needed
15
Thunkable
App Builder
Thunkable enables anyone to build their own beautiful mobile apps. Using drag and drop code, students can start from scratch or remix a sample app. Created app projects are accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. Thunkable has an active community with regular design challenges to keep students thinking outside the box with their app creations.
Grades: ALL Cost: Free
16
No account needed
Teaching Tolerance
Lesson Resources
Educators use Teaching Tolerance materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants. With a focus on social justice and anti-bias education, this site offers something for every educator including lesson plans, teaching strategies, printable posters, frameworks for teaching difficult topics, webinars, podcasts, and more.
Grades: All Cost: Free
Account needed
17
Anchor
Podcast Creation
Both an app and a website, Anchor makes it easy to create high quality podcasts with their free and easy to use creation tools and hosting service. With a library of a variety of sound effects and audio clips, transitions can be included before and after audio recordings to create a professional mix of audio. Anchor makes it easy to share saved podcasts directly to social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Anchor also generates a link and an embed code for each episode.
Grades: 4-12 Cost: Free No Account needed
18
Pulitzer Center
Current Events Resources
Promotes in depth engagement with critical global issues by sponsoring quality international journalists and newsrooms. Stories as well as accompanying lesson plans, are searchable by issue, date, author, region and grade level. In addition, the Pulitzer Center offers in person and Skype journalist visits to classrooms, workshops and professional development opportunities.
Educator Resources
Grades: 6-12 Cost: Free
19
No Account needed, but can be created for extra features
iCivics
Civic learning games
There is a total 11 apps in the iCivics Suite. “Win the White House” will help students to explain the electoral process, identify the influence of the media in forming public opinion, and analyze how parts of a whole interact to produce outcome in complex systems.
Educator Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features
20
Account needed
genial.ly
Content Creation
This tool allows you to create presentations, infographics, video presentations, resumes, and more. It includes many templates with access to photos, animations, and illustrations giving the user the ability to make any image or text interactive. Content can be shared through a link or downloaded. Teachers can make materials to share with students or other teachers, and students can use to build resumes or design a product for summative assessment.
Educator Resources
Grades: All Cost: Free Google Classroom Needed
21
Share to Classroom
Chrome Extension
The extension allows you to push webpages to any of your Classroom classes, so they open instantly on your students' computers. With this extension, you can get your students on the right page, quickly and reliably every time. You can also post announcements, create assignments, or save webpages to post to Classroom later.
Grades: 7-12 Cost: Free version & Paid version for Premium features Google Account needed
22
Screencastify
Chrome Extension
Create screencasts showing how to do various computer tasks or navigate websites. Demonstrate how to use a website or software for specific tasks within the classroom. For example, show how to use the comment feature in Word for annotating class notes, reading passages, and other items. Make how-to demos for instructions on using and navigating your class home page, class wiki or blog, or other applications you wish the students to use in creating their own projects.
THANKS!
Lorem ipsum dolor
cbrewer@moboces.org