Overview: Kahoot is an educational tool that focuses on the use of quizzes, discussions and surveys/polls.

Strengths: Teachers are able to create their own content, meaning it can be centered around any of the discussions or learning that occurs in class. As well, there is the added benefits for collaborative learning and friendly competitions (gamification).

Weaknesses: To use Kahoot it is necessary to have some from of projection from a computer, if schools don't have access to technology this would be difficult to implement. Additionally, students are able to create their own names which could result in some students selecting inappropriate names (this emphasizes the importance of placing expectations and rules when using these materials).

Instructional Purpose: This allows for students to demonstrate their learning around the given subject or topic that the teacher creates the quizzes on - this can also be a great tool for diagnostic and formative assessments!

Product Purpose: This tool brings a level of interaction and fun into the classroom while allowing for students to demonstrate their knowledge.

Classroom Use: There are several different ways that Kahoot can be used and even benefit the learning environment. Some of the possible uses are: reinforcing learning outcomes, assessing student learning/knowledge, survey students about the content in a unit of focus (i.e. Mammals, etc.), use it for class study sessions, etc.

Recommendation: I have actually used this in different learning environments and everytime I find it boosts engagement and joy in learning. There are several benefits that come from using Kahoot in the classroom which, in my opinion, supports its use for measuring learning and finding ways to engage students in their learning. So do I recommend this tool, absolutely!

Overview: MindMeister is a online tool that takes mindmapping and brings it online so individuals are able to create, collaborate and present material.

Strengths: This tool not only assists students in creating a visual mindmap for any given topic/area of focus, but it also encourages engagement, visualize possible answers to complex problems, fosters creativity, and since it is stored on a cloud it can be accessed anywhere at anytime (MindMeister Reviews, N.D.).

Weaknesses: Similar to Kahoot, this tool requires the use of computers/laptops/IPads in order to function as it is based around using a Cloud. Additionally, while this is beneficial in mapping out details for various topics or even just to take notes, it does begin to lag once the map becomes to big.

Instructional Purpose: This allows for students to produce mindmaps for various topics whether it is for brainstorming for a writing piece to taking notes when reviewing news articles. It assists in visually mapping out information to help students make sense of their work.

Product Purpose: This tool brings a level of interaction into the classroom while assisting students in breaking down content to the simplest level to help their learning.

Classroom Use: Not only can this be used by students indepedently for their learning, but it can also be used on a larger scale in the classroom. It can be used to facilitate conversations for introducing new content - teachers can input an image into the mindmap and have students add their thoughts and even personal knowledge to the mindmap. This is a great tool for facilitating conversations around new or challenging topics, while also providing the teacher with the opportunity to do a diagnositic assessment or formative assessment (i.e. provide feedback about writing piece in brainstorming stage prior to drafting).

Recommendation: Mindmapping is a task that we always have our students engaging in, especially when we are encouraging students to think of possible topics. If we are using this mindmaps, why not include MindMeister into the classroom, especially since it is engaging and allows for an easier breakdown and reading of content. As you can tell I highly recommend this tool!

Overview: Scholastic Reading Timer works to encourage reading, while also tracking and improving reading habits.

Strengths: This tool is beneficial because it can be used to encourage student reading as they are provided with choice. Even those who are reluctant readers having a timer provided can help alleviate their distress of waiting as it it provided for them. Most importantly, this tool is beneficial in tracking and improving student reading habits and even motivate reading altogether.

Weaknesses: An ongoing weakness tends to be the reliance on availability on Android products, and now it is not available on the apple store which removes the availability of this app from those who only have apple products.

Instructional Purpose: This would be a beneficial way to encourage student reading at home, especially if families have Android products it can facilitate reading with parents. Not only can it facilitate reading, but it can also be used to track student reading levels to see how students are improving over a period of time.

Product Purpose: It is meant to encourage reading, while improving reading levels (it can even be useful in encouraging reluctant readers).

Classroom Use: This would be a beneficial tool to use for moments of silent reading, as well it can also be useful in tracking student reading (especially in younger grades).

Recommendation: Considering how interest in readings tends to waver, this could be a beneficial tool in encouraging reading at younger ages. It is important that we are facilitating and encouraging the love of reading, and if this is a tool that could help with this why wouldn't we want to use this as teachers!

Overview: Prodigy is an interactive tool that is aligned with the curriculum expectations that takes learning and adapts it to being an online, RPG style video game (Prodigy: What is it? Where do I start? N.D.).

Strengths: This is a tool that not only has the curriculum expectations embedded in it, but it also finds ways to make learning adaptive, online and engaging - it allows for students to learn through playing games in a video game-like manner (Prodigy: What is it? Where do I start? N.D.). Additionally, this is beneficial for assessing student learning as there is diagnostic, formative and summative assessments built into the tool to monitor and progress student learning, all while meeting the needs of the students.

Weaknesses: The depedency on technology - there needs to be a desktop in order to use this tool (both within the classroom and even at home). As well, since there is the opportunity to build in test planners and standardized tests, there does raise the concern for relying on the program to test and assess the students.

Instructional Purpose: This would be benficial to integrate as a supporting tool to learning, especially for students who are struggling with certain concepts.

Product Purpose: It is meant to help in finding the levels at which students are currently working at, while introducing content to them in ways that will grow their knowledge. It functions as targeted skill-building for students.

Classroom Use: This would be a beneficial tool to encourage independent math practice (especially if students finish their work earlier or even if they want to practice after school). It allows for students to continue to grow their learning and their skills both inside and outside of the classroom. It could also be used to see what students do or do not understand during a given math lesson, see where students are, etc.

Recommendation: Not only is this tool beneficial to help student learning, both at an independent level but even as a classroom level is amazing. It helps students develop their understanding of content using game-based strategies, while also integrating manipulatives into various activities. I would definitely recommend this tool because it not only allows for students to develop their learning, but it also is useful for teachers to see where their students are and how they are progressing!

Overview: ClassDojo works to build classroom culture (About us | ClassDojo. N.D.).

Strengths: Since ClassDojo encourages the development of a classroom culture that is engaging and positive. It does offer several benefits like: a strong classroom culture, messages between parents/students/teachers, sharing stories of pictures and videos from the school day, and it even offers content to help students learn about "important concepts and social-emotional growth" (About us | ClassDojo. N.D.).

Weaknesses: The depedency on technology - there needs to be a desktop in order to use this tool. This is also a point-based system so it can impact motivation to being extrinsic rather than intrinsic.

Instructional Purpose: It would be a beneficial tool to help with classroom management.

Product Purpose: It is a communication app for the classroom that focuses on developing behaviour, while educating students about concepts of Growth Mindset, Empathy, Social-Emotional Growth, etc. (About us | ClassDojo. N.D.).

Classroom Use: This would be beneficial in encouraging student behaviour, while also opening up and maintaining open communication between parents, students and teachers.

Recommendation: I would definitely use this as a source of classroom management to help students (especially the younger grades) become familiar with their behaviour in the classroom and during instruction periods.