Click on the drop down menus below the web based tool image to gain an understanding of what each tool is. To learn some basic information about how to use the tool, you can visit the How To Guides page, which has a link on the Home page as well as at the bottom of this page for your convenience.
Flipgrid is a website that allows teachers to create "grids" to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is like a message board where teachers can pose questions, called "topics," and their students can post video responses that appear in a tiled grid display. Grids can be shared with classes, small groups, or any collection of users interested in a common strand of questions. Each grid can hold an unlimited number of topics and each topic can hold an unlimited number of responses. Topics can be text-based or include a resource such as an image, video, Giphy, emoji, or attachment. Customizable security settings help protect student privacy.
Students can respond via the Flipgrid app or website with any camera-enabled device or by uploading a previously recorded video. Responses can be 15 seconds to five minutes, and a maximum recording time can be set. Teachers can also allow students to record replies to classmates' responses. There are a variety of moderation features teachers can turn on or off per topic. The CoPilot feature allows more than one teacher to be a grid moderator. Teachers have access to a help center and two active teacher communities: Disco Library for sharing grid templates and GridPals for connecting with educators and classrooms around the world.
Pear Deck is an interactive presentation and lesson delivery tool designed to enhance learning as students move through a slideshow. Pear Deck's platform-neutral design makes it a great fit for both 1-to-1 and BYOD settings. Students use their devices to follow along with the teacher's slideshow on a classroom screen, or through a paid Premium plan, kids can complete student-paced decks in class or at home. With in-person delivery, teachers can pause at points where they've added one of several different question types, including drawing, dragging, text, number, and multiple choice. Teachers can view students' responses to these questions immediately, as well as share the results anonymously on-screen for all students to see. The Be Internet Awesome digital citizenship curriculum allows teachers to present lessons via Google Slides on topics such as kindness, bravery, alertness, and more.
On the setup side, teachers will need to take some time preparing presentations and adding the interactive elements that make the platform engaging. Pear Deck has made this process somewhat easier for teachers, not only with a huge repository of ideas but also through integrations with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. Other partners such as Merriam-Webster and Newsela integrate with Pear Deck to help teachers incorporate content more seamlessly, while features like Flashcard Factory give kids a chance to work as individuals or in teams to create study sets that the whole class can use.
Kahoot!, a free student-response tool for all platforms, allows teachers to run game-like multiple-choice answer quizzes. Teachers can either create their own quizzes or find, use, and/or remix public quizzes. Questions, along with answer choices, are projected onto a classroom screen while students submit responses using an internet-connected device (computer, tablet, or phone). Questions and polls can contain images and video to help further appeal to all learners. Classic mode and Team mode take place in real time, but Challenge mode enables students to take quizzes within a set time frame, such as for homework. The energized, game-like atmosphere comes from the use of bright colors, suspenseful music, and points awarded for response accuracy and speed. The Team mode mixes things up and allows groups of students to cooperate with each other and compete against other teams. When using the mobile app on a personal device, students can see their past results, pause/resume individual quizzes, and complete homework challenges.
Playing a game of Kahoot! doesn't involve an account, only a game PIN from the main screen and a name (which can be autogenerated if you choose). Students can create accounts and make private quizzes, but children under 13 (under 16 outside of the U.S.) can't search or share Kahoots.
Google Jamboards are physical interactive whiteboards for front-of-the-class use, but the Jamboard app puts a whiteboard on any tablet in a student's hand. Students or teachers can create Jamboards, share them, and collaborate on them. For classes with the physical whiteboard, the creations could be broadcast onto the big Jamboard, but that's not necessary at all with the app. Jamboards can be saved as image files or PDFs. Rather than requiring endless scrolling, boards can have multiple pages, more like a slideshow.
Soundtrap is a digital audio workstation accessed in any web browser or through a mobile app (Chrome, iOS, and Android). Similar to other digital recording options, it includes prerecorded loops, multitrack recording, software instruments, voice recording, and the ability to connect MIDI devices. Where Soundtrap differs is in its support of collaboration through integrated chat and video calls. To see changes during collaboration, a simple sync updates the project.
All work is done "in the cloud," so a strong internet connection is required for use. The free Basic version gives users access to the digital workstation but isn't in compliance with kids' safety standards. EDU accounts include a teacher admin screen, which allows for management of groups (classes), students, and assignments, plus extensive classroom resources. The EDU account also promises safe collaboration in a walled-garden environment for students. For EDU users, signup is integrated with Microsoft Student, Google, Facebook, or email. Soundtrap EDU integrates with Noteflight and Flat, and also with LMS platforms like Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, and MusicFirst.
Mentimeter is an interactive presentation tool that allows users to engage their audiences in real time. Teachers sign up using an email address or via Google or Facebook logins. After choosing Presenter or Audience pacing to get started, teachers simply click a button to begin designing a presentation. Users can choose from a variety of Events, selecting from options such as questions, polls, word clouds, reactions, and more. Audiences join from the app or via menti.com and enter a six-digit join code in order to see and respond to the questions.
Teachers can create up to five quizzes for free, but Events are limited to two per presentation. Exporting capabilities aren't available in the free version, so teachers who want to view data trends can either upgrade to Basic or use another tool -- such as Google Forms -- for questions where data collection is a priority. Teachers will find additional resources as well as support on the website via videos and a FAQ section, and great ideas about how others are using Mentimeter are abundant via social media.
Padlet is a website and app that allows kids to curate information onto virtual bulletin boards using a simple drag-and-drop system. Students can start with a template or a blank page and add videos, text, links, documents, images -- basically anything -- to the wall and organize it, like a page full of Post-it notes. Kids can add as many notes to a wall as they like; it scrolls in all directions. Teachers can opt to turn on profanity filters, comments, and voting features for more collaboration without the worry of inappropriate language. As added checks, teachers can moderate all posts or require that students display their names on the board.
Students can also upload documents they've created, such as class notes or completed assignments. More than one person can contribute to a Padlet wall, opening the door to teamwork and group projects. Once kids create a wall, they can share it through the usual social media channels (Facebook, Twitter), export it to a file, embed it in a blog or website, or turn it into a QR code. There's also the option to keep walls private, of course. There are lots of places to get support, including social media pages, a fun blog, a FAQ section, and lots of use cases. A paid upgrade to Padlet Backpack offers features specific to educators' needs, including LMS integration, student portfolios, and extra layers of privacy and security.
Google Docs is an online word processing tool that offers real-time collaboration and sharing. Docs can be accessed created and shared from any device including a smartphone. Google Docs is cloud-based and your work is automatically saved. There are many accessibility features offer through Google Docs as well as editing tools.
https://edu.google.com/teacher-center/products/docs/?modal_active=none
With Google Slides, you can create, edit and share presentations. Multiple people can work on a presentation at the same time and you can see changes as they're made. Every chain automatically saves. Google Slides is extremely versatile and can be used as an outline during lectures, as choose-your-own-adventure templates for student engagement, or for collaborative group projects.
https://edu.google.com/teacher-center/products/slides/?modal_active=none
Google Forms allows you to create surveys to gather classroom data and monitor student progress. You can get instant results as students submit responses and view data in simple charts and graphs or as a spreadsheet. Forms is integrated directly with Google Sheets so you can easily evaluate patterns, areas for improvement, and other trends in the classroom
https://edu.google.com/teacher-center/products/forms/?modal_active=none