The teachers are sparing no effort in making the online campaign a success. And we really want to support them and contribute a little by talking about some of the popular and effective EdTech tools and platforms that can help educators.
Let’s just start with a brief meaning of EdTech and its examples!
Meaning of EdTech
EdTech or Educational Technology is about using modern and digital technology, automation, computers, and machinery to transform learning. It is about giving new meanings to classroom teaching by using ICT.
Examples of EdTech tools - various popular online platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Nearpod, Floop, Peardeck, Kahoot, Gimkit, Electronic White-Board, use of gamification, modern tech methods in education, etc.
EdTech Tools for Classroom Learning
1. Nearpod- Let’s Create Engaging digitalized presentations!
When we talk about students’ engagement and self-paced presentations, Nearpod is the first thing that comes to mind. It is a stunning EdTech tool that helps in creating the presentations with amazing effects.
Educators can make online teaching efficacious by incorporating quizzes, polls, videos, drawing boards, web-based content, and can even access the standardized aligned lessons, etc. The effective instructions can be delivered using this tool which allows sharing these creative and interactive presentations with others as well.
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| Source: Brave in the Attempt |
The other interesting things are fun assessment and live sessions that help educators assess the children with live quizzes that can be customized as well. It can also be used in formative assessment for grading the students.
Another fascinating feature of this tool is the interactive whiteboard. There is an option called ‘Draw It’ which enables the teacher to model the best of the work being done by the students in the class. This motivates the learners to perform better in order to get their work being shared and appreciated by the educator. This feature also encourages the discussion of open-ended questions and facilitates healthy classroom discussions and arguments.
Hence, it is a great tool with almost everything which you need to make your remote teaching a success!
Other Similar EdTech tools- Zoom breakout rooms, Parlay classroom discussions, etc.
2. Kahoot- Let’s learn and assess ourselves with Games!
Kahoot is a game-based interactive learning platform, where students learn through questions, quizzes, puzzles, and polls, etc.
It is a fun learning tool that creates a social and enjoyable environment for the students. Educators create questions that are being displayed on students’ screens, and they are supposed to answer. The difficulty level of the questions keeps on increasing as these are being answered correctly by the children.
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| Source: BSD Education |
It allows teachers to assess the students and give feedback as well with the help of quizzes, surveys, polls, etc. This makes the whole classroom learning process (instructions, arguments, decisions, and analysis) quick and interesting.
It entitles the educator to evaluate students’ understanding, by using the results of multiple choice-based questions asked in quizzes. Kahoot can be used for recapitulation by the teacher. This will develop curiosity and interest among children and make learning awesome for them.
Other popular tools for providing assessment and feedback are Gimkit, Padlet, Quizlet, Socrative, Peardeck.
3. Wizer.me- It’s time to have Awesome Worksheets!
Wizer.me is an amazing tool that allows you to create amazing worksheets for students. It enables teachers to design engaging digital worksheets by inserting videos, audios, pictures, questions, draw in, and a lot more. Recording questions is also an interesting option that makes classroom teaching engaging.
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| Source: Youtube |
The assessment can be done in a fun and way
easier manner with the help of this ed tool. It let instructors grade the
students’ performance. They can do so by tracking children’s work and the time
spent by them on worksheets. There is this great feature that allows teachers to
give audio feedback to the children.
Educators can even share worksheets with their colleagues and friends. The best thing is that most of Wizer’s services are free, though it also has some paid versions apart from the free ones.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Read and write from Google Chrome.
4. Buncee- All Classroom activities and content under one roof!
Here is a one-stop solution for classroom activities, presentations, content creation, and engaging lessons, etc. i.e. Buncee!
It allows both the teachers and the learners to design easy, beautiful, and engaging multimedia presentations, activities and lessons to enjoy learning.
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| Source: Empowering ELLs |
It enables us to share the content easily and helps educators and students in learning and saving their time as
well! It also helps in reducing the workload of the instructors and invest that
time and effort in planning and creating other interesting things for children.
The ease in terms of using the tool is the best thing about it. Learning is a lot more fun and interesting with Buncee.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Wakelet, CoSpacesEDU.
5. Kialo Edu- A tool for Argument Mapping and Debating!
This EdTech is simply great in promoting healthy debates, classroom discussions and arguments and facilitating thoughtful collaboration.
It is designed as a public discussion platform that encourages rational arguments about complex things online. With this mindset, it develops the rationale and critical thinking of the students.
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| Source: Kialo Edu |
Kialo Edu is also helpful in incorporating a problem-based method of teaching. Educators can pose a problem or a topic to research on to the students, they have to come up with the alternatives to solve it, and then with effective discussions and participation, the best solution can be derived.
Hence, it promotes collaborative learning by letting students indulge in debates and arguments through brainstorming, group-discussions, project-based teaching, etc. It develops the higher-order thinking skills, analytical and creative aspects of a child’s psyche. It is an amazing platform to ‘learn with others’ and ‘learn from others’!
Other Similar EdTech tools- Discourse, Loomio, Argunet
6. Floop- A Formative Feedback tool!
Floop is a cloud-based website that provides students with teachers' and peers' feedback. The platform is really helpful for both the educators and the students. Here, learners are required to post a picture of the assignment or worksheet being done by them. The instructor will then simply put red markers or give feedback where there is a need for improvement.
The children can see the comments and respond to them. This way educators will be to analyze the learning patterns of the students and can take further diagnostic steps to help them.
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| Source: Floop |
It is an interesting tool as it allows the peers to review your work. The instructor can anonymously share the picture of a child’s assignment with his class fellows to review the work and then comment on it.
This not only saves the time of the teacher but also helps in assessing the fellow children as well, who have submitted their responses. In this manner, a lot of children can be assessed at a time. Though in peer-review teachers can’t comment on the responses shared by the peers but they can monitor this feedback process. Also, they can ask students to use their thinking skills to respond to the feedback they have received from their fellows.
Educators can ask the students to use the site's Feedback Literacy curriculum, that provides a scaffolding to the students in seeking and understanding the feedback.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Edulastic, Classcick
7. Flipgrid- Learn in an Interactive and collaborative manner!
Flipgrid is a great EdTech tool that helps in classroom communication by making it fun and simple for both the students and the teacher. It requires educators to create ‘grids’ to encourage interactive and healthy classroom discussions.
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| Source: Brave in the Attempt |
Instructors ask questions that are generally referred to as ‘Titles’, for which students are supposed to respond by posting their videos. These responses are then displayed in the titled grid.
So, with this platform, educators facilitate interactive sessions and exchange of thoughts and ideas among students. It can be used for internal class assessments where students can simply post their videos of storytelling, poetry, singing, other oral activities, etc. Flipgrid also promotes social learning and development of the children.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Schoology, Padlet, Seesaw
8. Screencastify- Engage through Videos!
Screencastify is a chrome browser extension that records the videos. This tool helps in recording the video of both the screen and/or the speaker (using a web camera). It assists teachers in delivering effective instructions, to let students learn and understand at their own pace and comfort.
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| Source: Common Sense Media |
It makes flipped learning an interesting
approach in teaching. Children's participation and involvement can be ensured with
the help of a narrative presentation. The students can screencastify with Google Slides
and give presentations, narrate storybooks, animations, etc. It can also be used
for recapitulation and feedback purposes.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Jamboard, Loom, Camtasia, Screencast-O-Matic
9. Twinkl- A Time saver for Educators!
Twinkl is an amazing tool that helps teachers in dealing with the problem of unavailability of engaging and creative learning materials. It provides creative, interesting, and compelling materials to ensure effective teaching-learning.
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| Source: unLTD Magazine |
It helps teachers in planning their lessons
efficaciously and saves their time and efforts as well. Hence, it is a very
educator friendly platform that enables instructors to work productively by
providing the best of resources and materials to achieve the learning
objectives.
Other Similar EdTech tools- Teachable
Knowledgeable!
ReplyDeleteSo Good!!!
Thanks!
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