danielle-comerford
Here are the top ten websites and apps that I found the most useful to utilize in the elementary classrooms, with brief descriptions. Please feel free to add any of your favorites.
Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!
Kahoot! is a great way to test prior student knowledge on subjects, get feedback, and test knowledge after a lesson in a fun, competitive way. Kahoots can be multiple choice, true/ false, or discussion oriented. The con of this app is that the questions are only displayed on the board and not on the devices the students are using.
"We help people use augmented reality (AR) to turn everyday objects, images, and places into new, interactive opportunities to engage with their fans and customers through striking graphics, animation, video, audio, and 3D content." (Aurasma.com)
Aurasma blends the real world with interactive content, videos, and animation. This a free website and app. However, videos must be a minute or less.
Wikispaces is a free and fun tool for teachers and students. Here's a quick walk-through you should know about!
Wikispaces allows teachers, students, and others to write collaboratively, and communicate with other people. Within wikispaces, you can make the page public where others can post to your page or keep it private to where only the people that you invite can edit your wiki page. Wikispaces for education is FREE for students and teachers but costs money for other plans.
Go to the following link for more information:
https://www.wikispaces.com/content/classroom
Piktochart is an easy infographic design app that requires very little effort to produce beautiful, high quality graphics. Make your own infographics here.
This website allows you to create online posters, infographics, reports, and presentations.
Socrative is a website that allows teachers to create polls and quizzes in three different formats. The available formats for the quizzes and polls are multiple choice, true or false, and short answer. You can use socrative to give students a quiz to test knowledge on a subject, ask a quick question, or use it as an exit slip to get feedback on your lesson and teaching overall. Socrative also has an option for a space race. In the space race option the students are still taking a quiz to test their knowledge but they are also playing a game to keep them interested; the game can be played in groups or by individuals. The best parts about socrative is that it is free, students can see their results immediately, and teachers are able to track their student's success.
PowToon for Education simple presentation tool for awesome animated video explainers as an alternative to using PowerPoint.
Teachers can use PowToon to create a cartoon based presentation/video to keep students engaged instead of just lecturing. Students can use PowToons to create fun presentation instead of using PowerPoint. PowToon does offer a basic plan for free but they do offer other paid plans that allow you to do more with your PowToon.
Edmodo is an easy way to get your students connected so they can safely collaborate, get and stay organized, and access assignments, grades, and school messages.
This is a great tool for discussion and collaboration. This has a place for class assignments and a gradebook as well. Edmodo is free to use.
Scootpad is an "online learning platform" that has tools for math, language arts, spelling, discussion, games, and more for grade kindergarten through eighth. In my opinion this is a great tool to add to any classroom because of the versatility. Students can do practice assignments, do homework assignments, play games as rewards, communicate with each other and their teachers. Teachers are able to track class performance, attendance, communicate with students and parents. The drawbacks of this website is that it can cost money; pricing starts at a basic plan for free and then goes up to $99 depending on how much you want to be included.
Is an online version of pen pals. This website lets teachers search for other classes around the world to collaborate on a project of choice using the internet. The downside is when you go to the website there isn't a video or a description provided to tell you what the website does or is used for.
Get your kids moving with GoNoodle activities.
Go Noodle is a website that provides videos for students that need a 'brain break'. the videos are of exercises or physical activities/games that students can do in the classroom to burn energy or relax. Teachers can use these videos in place of recess when it is raining outside as well. The videos also offer motivational talks mixed in with the videos. One of favorite videos is one for a class to do Zumba. This website is free and the class chooses a mascot that grows every time you watch a video and complete the activity.
