5 Fab Tech Tools for Teachers to Master this Summer

Once you’ve had a chance to catch your breath after the end of another crazy school year, take some time to brush up on technology for the classroom. By investing a few hours this summer mastering these tech tools, you can increase engagement, streamline content creation, and improve communication.

1. Flipgrid

Flipgrid is a free video discussion tool that makes class participation easier and more accessible. Students simply record responses to “Topics” that teachers post. Using Flipgrid allows students to express themselves creatively by giving them the time and tools to respond—the perfect recipe for engaging discussions.

2. Kahoot!

Formative assessments are a breeze with Kahoot’s fun, game-based quizzing system. You might think introducing competition in the classroom would increase anxiety, but studies have shown the opposite to be true. With Kahoot, teachers can increase motivation among all students, even those reluctant to participate due to anxiety or lack of engagement.

3. Google Forms

Leverage the power of this cloud-based platform to distribute, share, collaborate, and collect data. At its most basic, Google Forms helps you easily create surveys and quizzes. An important feature is the ability to lock quizzes, meaning students won’t be able to navigate away from a quiz once they begin.

4. ClassDojo

Looking for a better way to connect with students and families? ClassDojo brings everyone together with photos, messages, and video clips. Free for teachers, this messaging platform also includes the ability to translate in thirty-five different languages —closing the communication gap between the classroom and families of English language learners.

5. Blooket

Students will love learning with this character-based gaming platform that contains plenty of pre-populated questions, available for free. Teachers can tweak those already made for them or also create their own from scratch. Choose from several entertaining games to test student knowledge and receive feedback on how individual students preformed, as well as the entire class.

By Kelli Drummer-Avendano

Also read: 8 Ideas for Teachers to Relax and Recharge