Educational Technology Resources

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Educational Technology Resources

A man and woman in a classroom looking at a computer with charts and graphs. Both are smiling and have everything figured out.

IMAGES: Generated by Bing Image Creator, https://www.bing.com/images/create, prompt: "a teacher preparing for class with a computer and worksheets" and "a teacher looking frazzled preparing for class with a computer and worksheets".

I've gone down the rabbit hole of educational technologies and have only scratched the surface. Picture in your mind, the iceberg and its peak rising above with its mass down below. Now picture a chicken scratching the top of that iceberg looking for food. I am that chicken. That being said, I've compiled a list of educational technology resources that I have found that I think will be helpful to you in your classroom. 

Please note, most tools that say "free and subscription" only give you a small amount of access to the tool's functionality.

Organization Technologies

IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator,
https://www.bing.com/images/create,
prompt: "a person organizing information"
Organizational technologies help you organize information, documents, links, ideas, images, and more. It allows you to rearrange, sort, collaborate, and share. They can be used individually or in groups to work on single projects or multiple projects. Organizational technologies make it easier to accomplish anything you want.

Padlet

Visual collaboration boards to collect, organize, and share thoughts. Organization similar to a Pinterest board.

Evernote

Organize note-taking and project planning.

LiveBinders

Digital binders to organize documents, images, embed web pages, videos, and application links. Allows you to make one binder for free before a subscription.

TinyCat

Library management system for individuals, libraries, and schools. Free for individuals and subscriptions vary depending on size of school library and who is running it.

Basecamp

Visual project management organizer for individuals and teams. Easy for teams to add, move, and keep track of what needs to be done.

Trello

Visual project management organizer for individuals and teams. Easy for teams to add, move, and keep track of what needs to be done.

Pinterest

Organize, create, and share ideas and inspirations on boards. Who doesn't love a good pin board?

PowerNotes

A chrome extension that allows you to annotate readings online, saving links, images, and pages to refer to later. Lets you organized your notes and export for writing. 

Design Technologies

IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator,
https://www.bing.com/images/create,
prompt: "a person designing"

Design technologies help you create flyers, worksheets, presentations, newsletters, emails, and more! Most are equipped with templates that make them easy to use. No need to be a designer, you can just plug your text and images in and go!

Canva

Design flyers, brochures, presentations, and more. Access to a lot of features with free version. A personal favorite because I can do so much including design new book covers for older books who's covers are lacking in excitement. Unlimited downloads.

LibraryAware

For teachers / librarians. Create newsletters, emails, and classroom worksheets. 

Presentation Technologies

IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
https://www.bing.com/images/create,
prompt: "a person presenting".

Presentation technologies help you design presentations that are clean and gets your point across. They can be used from your computer, collaborated on with a group, and shared. Presentations can include slides, online journals, and videos!

Canva

Design flyers, brochures, presentations, and more. Access to a lot of features with free version. A person favorite as it allows me to make presentations and record voiceover. Unlimited downloads.

BookCreator

Digital portfolio tool. Capture student work from elementary reading records, to middle school research projects, to high school CTE journals. 

Google Slides

Create slide presentations and access it anywhere. Easy to share or work collaboratively.

Animoto

Create professional videos with pre-made templates. Free version allows access to some templates, unlimited slides within the video, and animations. It does not include high resolution download, watermark removal, or voiceover in the free version. 

    Reading Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "a person reading on a tablet"    .

    Reading technologies vary from apps that allow you access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks to tools that will read books to you as it follows along on the screen. They can also help you sort reading material between reading levels, genres, languages, topics, and more!

    Sora App

    Students and teachers receive free access to eBooks and audiobooks, usually less wait than the public library.

    Libby

    Free access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks but may have to wait for an eBook or audiobook to become available. Check with your local library to see if they host Libby.

    Hoopla

    Free access to audiobooks, movies, music, ebooks and comics. No wait for materials but may not have access to as many books as Libby. Check with your local library to see if they host Hoopla. 

    Learning Ally

    Audiobooks for students who are legally blind, students with dyslexia, and others with an impairment that makes reading printed books difficult or impossible. Students can read the text on the screen while the words are highlighted as it is read for them.

    Reading A–Z

    Supplemental reading, differentiate reading, printable worksheets and the ability to select texts by reading level, phonics, genre, topics, language, and more. 

    Book Finding & Tracking Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    a woman with a tablet in a library".

    Whether you are looking for a specific book or genre, or want to catalog what you have read, book finding and tracking technologies are the best tools for the job. They can not only keep a list of what you have read, but they can present your reading data in charts and graphs. By the end of the year you may be surprised where your reading has taken you! These tools not only help you individually, but some even act as a library catalogue for your own personal libraries, classroom libraries, or small school libraries.

    GoodReads

    Track your reading and choose your next book based on recommendations from friends and reviews. A personal favorite because it has ALL the book information and I can organize however much I want.

    StoryGraph

    Track your reading and choose your next book based on your mood and your favorite topics and themes. Shows tracking through graphs and charts. May not have all the editions of books like GoodReads, but I love the end of the year stats in graph and chart form. It really puts into perspective what your reading habits are.

    LibraryThing

    Create and track a library catalogue of your media — books, movies, and music — you own, have read, want to read, etc. Similar to GoodReads and StoryGraph, but it's mobile version is only good for scanning and high level cataloguing. Desktop version is very robust and also includes some charts and graphs.

    NoveList

    Book searching and relevant book suggestions with a robust search engine. Check with your local library to see if they host NoveList. Excellent at book suggestions based on books you like.

    Video Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    a woman making a video".

    Video technologies are not all about editing or recording videos. While some are, others focus on educational content that can be presented through video. Students learn from all mediums and if you can include a video into your lesson to break things up, students may be more engaged and excited to learn. 

    Kanopy

    Watch movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and educational videos. Check with your local library to see if they host Kanopy. 

    KidLit TV

    Provides elementary book read-aloud videos, book podcasts, character how-to drawing videos, and more for children. I couldn't believe this was completely free, it has so much to offer.

    Animoto

    Create professional videos with pre-made templates. Free version allows access to some templates, unlimited slides within the video, and animations. It does not include high resolution download, watermark removal, or voiceover in the free version.

    iMovie

    Create and edit professional videos, add music to videos, and add voiceover to videos. A little learning curve, but can use as many of features as you need to do what you need to do.

    Typing Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    children practicing typing on computers".

    aaa sss ddd fff jjj kkk lll ;;; The old ways of learning to type are now becoming obsolete. With typing programs, students can be engaged in "games" as they learn to type keeping their interest and excitement for typing. Have a student with disabilities? There are also typing programs that allow anyone to talk and the application will transcribe their words. A few clicks and the transcription can be copy and pasted into a working document or shared with a teacher.

    EdClub

    Comprehensive typing course for a standard US QWERTY keyboard. Small typing challenges to help learn typing.

    Typing.com

    Comprehensive typing course and allows teacher tracking. Small typing challenges to help learn typing. I got up to 40 words per minute perfect before I realized I was doing well and then started making all the mistakes. It helped the challenges were short so students do not get discouraged if they start messing up.

    SpeechTexter

    Through Google Speech recognition, it converts speech into text in real-time. Supports numerous languages. Supported by Google Chrome on desktop. A small learning curve as you have to remember to say "comma" or "period" where you want the punctuation. 

    Language Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    two people conversing".

    Whether you have a student who wishes to learn a language other than English, or a student who is trying to learn English, language programs are great ways to learn another language. With short lessons that can be done any time of day, students can fit their learning when it suits them best.

    Duolingo

    Teaches numerous languages in short lessons. Free access to all levels. Subscription gives you access to addition help. A personal favorite as Duolingo has fun reoccurring characters that add to a storyline as you learn. Fun graphics for kids and adults.

    Babbel

    Teaches numerous languages in short lessons. 

    Accessibility Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    student using headphones
    to listen on a computer".

    Accessibility is not just for students with learning disabilities, impairments, dyslexia, or any other reason why they may not learn like other students do. Accessibility helps everyone and there are many technologies that can help teachers in the classroom achieve accessibility for all students.

    Read&Write for Google Chrome Extension

    Reading text out loud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments and proofing written work. 

    Learning Ally

    Audiobooks for students who are legally blind, students with dyslexia, and others with an impairment that makes reading printed books difficult or impossible. Students can read the text on the screen while the words are highlighted as it is read for them.

    Seesaw

    Customizable accessible learning tools that enable teachers to scaffold instruction with audio, video, visuals and more to meet the diverse needs of their students. 

    Kami

    Teachers have access to AI powered assessments, real-time monitoring and feedback, collaborative learning, accessibility learning, classroom blended learning, and literacy and numeracy. 

    Everway

    Curriculum and instruction tools to support differentiated learning experiences based on students’ diverse needs. Everway is compiled of multiple educational products that used to be separate technologies.

    Renaissance Freckle

    Self-paced practice in Math and English with with differentiated resources. Teacher can assess student growth. 

    Assessment Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt:     "students taking a test".

    Assessment is not all about sitting down and taking formal tests. With assessment technologies students can practice reading, math, science, language arts, and more without the fear of a graded test. Teachers can follow student progress on the backend to know which students may need stronger supports and see how students are improving in different subjects.

    iReady

    Online assessment and instruction for reading and writing. Teachers can see where students are in learning and can see how students improve over time.

    IXL Learning

    K–12 curriculum lessons for Math, Languages Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. Assess student knowledge with real-time tracking. This had some of the most curriculum lessons that were also able to assess student improvement.

    Renaissance Freckle

    Self-paced practice in Math and English with with differentiated resources. Teacher can assess student growth. 

    Digital Literacy & Plagiarism Detection Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    a person hacking the internet".

    Students are using AI, there is no getting around it. By teaching digital literacy, the importance of citations, and using AI-detection services teachers can help combat plagiarism.

    Scribbr

    Identify AI-generated content, including ChatGPT and Copilot. 

    GPTZero

    Identify AI-generated content, including ChatGPT, GPT4, Google-Gemini, LLaMa, and new AI models. 

    Originality.ai

    AI Checker, Plagiarism Checker and Fact Checker. 

    Copyright & Creativity

    Website dedicated to classroom resources for teaching Copyright and Fair Use to K–12. It has a lot of information and videos to teach digital literacy.

    RumorGuard

    Created by the News Literacy Project (NLP), RumorGuard recognizes misinformation and uses fact-checking along with tips to help you evaluate and identify fake news online. Also allows searching for topics.

    MyBib

    Easily create accurate citations for APA, MLA, Chicago, and more! Ability to have multiple Work Cited documents. Easy to work with design interface. My personal favorite as it is easy to use, saves multiple documents, and has almost no learning curve. 

    EasyBib

    Easily create accurate citations for APA, MLA, Chicago, and more! Also has AI writing assistance and a plagiarism tracker with paid version.

    Teacher Lesson Resource Technologies

    IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, 
    https://www.bing.com/images/create,
    prompt: "    a teacher carrying many binders".

    Teacher lesson resource technologies encompass numerous technologies that give you templates, help you create worksheets, lesson plans, and tests / quizzes. It can give you multiple options for how to share information to your students all within the curriculum framework.

    Diffit for Teachers

    From “Literally Anything,” you can generate classroom resources that align with state standards in ELA, Science, and History. I almost went down another rabbit hole creating resources for all sorts of topics.

    KidLit TV

    Provides elementary book read-aloud videos, book podcasts, character how-to drawing videos, and more for children. Still can't believe this was free.

    Seesaw

    Customizable accessible learning tools that enable teachers to scaffold instruction with audio, video, visuals and more to meet the diverse needs of their students. 

    TeachingBooks

    Access to child-through-teen audio and video recordings of book readings, author interviews, pronunciation guides along with book information and easy search-ability. Incredible amount of information that would be invaluable to Language Arts classes or book talks in the library. Free version gives you limited access to classroom resources but author information, awards, and some audio interviews are free. 

    Wild Classroom

    Educational resources through World Wildlife Foundation to help students explore the natural world. Not as robust as some, but still offers reading materials and videos for classroom use.

    Kami

    Teachers have access to AI powered assessments, real-time monitoring and feedback, collaborative learning, accessibility learning, classroom blended learning, and literacy and numeracy. 

    IXL Learning

    K–12 curriculum lessons for Math, Languages Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. Assess student knowledge with real-time tracking. 

    SplashLearn

    K–5 teaching tools, lesson plans, worksheets, and games for Math and English. 

    EdHelper

    K–12 supplemental worksheets for Math, History, and English. While is says K–12, most resources are for elementary level.

    Boom Cards

    Interactive lessons and activities for teachers who work with special needs students, English Language Learners, and general education. Includes English, Math, Social Studies, Writing, Related Services, Social-Emotional and Character Education, and more. 

    Teachers Pay Teachers

    K–12 lesson plans, worksheets, and more created by teachers for all core subject levels and also includes Special Education, Physical Therapy, Social Emotion, Arts, and Speech Therapy. Not necessarily a technology beyond an organized collection of resources, but an excellent resource none-the-less...and you support other teachers!

    Everway

    Curriculum and instruction tools to support differentiated learning experiences based on students’ diverse needs. Everway is compiled of multiple educational products that used to be separate technologies.

    Remember, if there is something you or your school cannot afford, check with your local library to see if they have access. The public library is a great resource when you are working with a limited budget. If you use a particular technology a lot and using it through the library is becoming an issue, use it as a case to ask for funding to purchase the technology through your school.

    Concerned how to use technology for your classroom? Check out my blog post, Top 10 Technology Tips for Teachers.




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