The digital revolution has arrived in the classroom. In the past, gadgets such as tablets and smart phones were banned in the teaching and learning zone, but now, they’re widely used! Because of this, many developers have created apps for the classrooms to support and enhance the learning experience.
With so many apps out there to choose from, it is a challenge to know which are the best ones to use in YOUR classroom. We understand that you and your children’s needs vary from the next teacher and so on, but we picked out the best apps that you can use immediately to help you save time, money (these are all FREE) and energy!
Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud-based file-synchronization tool. It allows you to access your files (photos, reports, grades, etc) on any internet-enabled device. No more hard disk drives or flash disks! The free version comes with 2GB space but if you invite more people, you get an extra 500 MB as incentive.
Evernote. Like Dropbox, Evernote is another cloud-based app. You can take notes for it to store to in the cloud so that you can access it anywhere. Notes can be audio files, text or images.
Class Dojo. A class management tool for the digital age, this helps improve students’ behaviour and engagement by delivering feedback immediately, as in points. You can create your behavioural class expectations and groups in this app to cater to your class’ needs. It can also be used as a parent communication tool.
KidBlog. This app is excellent reading-response activities. Created for elementary and middle school students, it is easy to use and easy to set up. The students’ blogs can only be viewed by the teacher and classmates to ensure privacy.
Grammaropolis. Who said grammar is boring? This app makes characters out of parts of speech, complete with personalities that match their functions. For example, the Pronoun is a sly one who always tries to replace Noun. Conjunction is that character who wants everyone to get along together! It is really enjoyable and kids learn grammar without memorising!
Google Earth. Literally put Earth on your students’ hands. This is great for virtual field trips and the like.
Popplet Lite. This app is a great tool for brainstorming as it encourages collaborative mind mapping. Students can plan out projects or reports, record their thoughts, or make mood boards. The paid version enables you to save works but the lite version doesn’t.
ScootPad. This app combines math and reading skills related to the Curriculum. The teacher can create personalised learning plans for the students to meet their needs and to track their progress as well.
These are just some of the apps that we think can help you. Do you have anything to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!
