As planning for the 2020-21 school season begins, the uncertainty around how much of the school year will be spent inside or outside of the classroom can be daunting. On top of that, finding great digital resources for both you and your students that can quickly transition from in-class learning to distance learning is critical. So, to ease some of your burdens, we’ve compiled a list of free, versatile resources that you and your students can use no matter what happens this school year.
For Project Collaboration and Organization:
Google Drive
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Google Drive allows students to work collaboratively on documents, data sets and presentations. With everything stored in one place, you can access work from anywhere on any device.
For Classroom Management:
Google Classroom
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Google Classroom is an organizational class management tool, adding value and impact to your routine classroom tasks. Create classes, manage and grade coursework, and provide students with feedback to save time to prioritize other areas of focus in the classroom.
For Lesson Planning:
Socrative
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Socrative is an app that keeps students engaged during a lesson by allowing educators to create and share multiple-choice, short-answer, and quiz-style questions that can be answered during a lesson. The students’ answers and results can be reported in real-time, gathering feedback from the lessons taught.
For Test Preparation:
Quizlet
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Quizlet is a study tool that has gamified and digitalized classic study methods. Typical formats of study are offered like flashcards and multiple-choice, but game formats are available as well.
If you like Quizlet, consider also checking out these other platforms like Quizizz, Kahoot, and Gimkit too!
For Language Learning:
Duolingo
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Duolingo is a language-learning app that offers 95 different language courses in 23 languages. Teachers can track student progress for personalized assignments and test preparation, enhancing instruction through the teacher dashboard.
For Reading:
Dreamscape
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Dreamscape is a free base-building digital game to help kids grades 2-8 master their reading comprehension skills. It combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game! This platform can be utilized both in the classroom and at home, with accounts personalized to be moderated by Parents, Teachers, Administrators or even just the students themselves.
For Math:
Prodigy
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Prodigy is a math game for skill-building and challenges students from 1st to 8th grade. With embedded assignments, grade placement assessments and test prep instruction, the app allows students to learn at their own pace.
For Science:
Pear Deck
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free Version
Pear Deck enables educators to create subject-oriented lessons and presentations. This app works for a variety of subjects, but some teachers have found it particularly useful for creating interactive content for science students.
If you like Pear Deck, consider also checking out Nearpod, too!
For Health and Physical Education:
Sworkit: Youth Initiative
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android | Price: Free
Sworkit is a fitness technology app, helping to encourage building exercise and nutrition habits. Under the Youth Initiative, K-12 teachers gain unlimited free access to Sworkit’s paid subscription. Partnerships with both youth organizations and schools help grow the initiative and build fitness technology programs designed for children.
We hope you find these resources useful, and if you know of any other free resources that you love using in your classroom, let us know! We always love to share valuable tools teachers can utilize in their classrooms.
About Dreamscape
Dreamscape is a free base-building digital game to help kids grades 2-8 master their reading comprehension skills. It combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game! This platform can be utilized both in the classroom and at home, with accounts personalized to be moderated by Parents, Teachers, Administrators or even just the students themselves.