Apps Teachers Can Use for a Successful School Year

School made easier with apps.

Students and parents are not the only ones preparing for the start of the new school year. The educators in our community are prepping as well, and it is no easy task. From decorating classrooms to creating quality lesson plans, teachers are working overtime to ensure they are set for success.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed educators, parents and students alike how the use of technology can impact learning inside and outside of the classroom. So, if you’re an educator, here’s 4 apps you can use for a successful school year.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom’s featured tools make managing, measuring and enriching the learning experience for students easier. A few neat free perks include:

• The ability to track student progress in the grade book and export scores to the school’s student information system.

• The ability to prepare and schedule tasks, assignments, and quizzes across multiple classes.

• Allowing students to snap and submit a picture of their paper homework.

• Giving students the ability to adjust accessibility settings so they can learn in the way that works best for them.

Kahoot!

This global learning platform company allows individuals and corporations to create, share and host learning sessions. Combining curiosity and play to learn, Kahoot! can be used to:

• Host games live via videoconferencing or send self-paced games to connect with students.

• Identify topics that need follow up and help students practice for assessments.

• Import or create slides and combine them with various question types for a seamless interactive lesson.

• Recap on topics to improve knowledge retention.

MobyMax

Designed to help teachers close learning gaps for children grades K-8, MobyMax creates informed teaching with formative assessments and classroom excitement with team and fluency games. MobyMax features include:

• Automatically assigning lessons to each student based on their diagnostic results.

• Providing a complete picture of a student’s missing skills based on current and previous lessons.

• Using Fluency Team Games to allow students to work and compete to earn points for their team (a fun way to encourage students to have value and respect for one another).

• Access to the Messenger Tool to communicate back and forth with students.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo connects teachers and families by sharing the students’ most important learning moments in the classroom and at home. Benefits of using ClassDojo include:

• Using ClassDojo alongside the school’s Learning Management System for classroom and behavior management

• Safely sharing photos, videos and updates on a private feed to give families a view into the classroom.

• Adding events to a calendar and setting automatic reminders.

• Having access to activities that promote social and emotional learning (mindfulness, gratitude, empathy).

Seesaw
Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio that helps teachers engage students while keeping families in the loop. With a focus on creativity and reflection, Seesaw allows teachers and students to:

• Empower students to document their learning with photos, videos, drawings, text, and voice recordings.

• Provide a safe way for families to engage with student progress through private digital portfolios.

• Assign activities from a ready-to-use library or create custom lessons tailored to class needs.

• Give students opportunities to reflect on their learning and build a growth mindset.

Edpuzzle
Edpuzzle makes video-based learning interactive and trackable. Teachers can turn any video into a lesson by embedding questions, notes, or voiceovers. Features include:

• Selecting videos from YouTube, Khan Academy, or uploading your own and customizing them.

• Embedding quizzes directly into videos to check for understanding.

• Tracking which students watched, how long they watched, and where they struggled.

• Allowing students to learn at their own pace with self-directed video assignments.

Remind
Remind is a communication app designed to keep teachers, students, and families connected in real time. Its tools encourage collaboration and engagement through:

• Sending quick announcements, reminders, or motivational messages to individuals, small groups, or entire classes.

• Supporting communication in over 90 languages with automatic translation.

• Allowing safe, secure conversations without sharing personal phone numbers.

• Enabling file sharing of documents, photos, and links to support classroom learning.

Nearpod
Nearpod is an interactive lesson delivery platform that combines content and engagement tools in one place. Teachers can transform ordinary lessons into immersive learning experiences through:

• Creating interactive presentations with polls, quizzes, 3D objects, VR experiences, and collaborative boards.

• Allowing students to join lessons live or complete them at their own pace.

• Accessing a library of ready-to-use lessons aligned with state standards.

• Collecting real-time student feedback and data to adjust instruction instantly.