Applications

ISTE has put together a great list of technology applications that are geared towards diverse learners. Specifically, cloud storage apps and students response tools, tools to make reading on browsers easier, screen-reading tools, text-to-speech tools, visual strategy tools, video, screen-casting, and audio-only tools.

Great Big Story is a huge library of short professionally produced videos that are positive and make your curious. Themes are worldwide and diverse: from food to music to Native American cultures.

Floop creates a feedback loop between teacher and student on a picture of an assignment with students being able to point out visually the areas they have questions about.

In short, Iorad is an interactive screen-casting tool. Not only area you creating a video showing how to do something on your computer, you can also make it interactive which pauses the video and forces the viewer to click on parts of the screen.

Parlay is an application used for facilitating class discussions. There are two options: one being an online discussion board with optional anonymous user ids, and the second being live discussion facilitation. There’s a library of discussion topics, analytic tools for teachers, and teachers can create polls for students.

YoTeach is a backchannel tool that students only need a URL to join. Options include password protection, students can add pictures and drawings, and rooms don’t expire.

A class backchannel is a tool that allows a written conversation to go on during a class or lecture and allows for students to submit questions and talk with other students. This list provides a selection of tools to accomplish this.

Google is creating experiments to help those with disabilities create online. Users can create music, drawing, and more. The code is also open-source with tutorials for anyone interested in creating their own experiments.

ProWriting Aid is an application that evaluates writing. You can compose on the application, copy/paste into it, or upload a document. Then, it will evaluate your writing for strengths and weaknesses from using the passive voice to looking at your average sentence length. It also provides suggestions for changes to strengthen your writing.

Think of Webjets as your blank space, but with far more possibility and organization. You create a card with information, a todo item, an idea, a photo, a video, and more and then can organize these cards into lists, collections, and mindmaps. You can then import into Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Scratchwork is a tool where you can draw and write, take a picture and take that drawing to a digital space where you can add, edit, and reorganize those ideas. The free account allows limited sharing, and with paid accounts, they also allow groups.

CueThink is a tool for students to learn math using Polya’s 4 Phases of Problem Solving, recording themselves solving a problem, and receiving peer feedback. Teachers also have access to assessment and analytic tools.