The work of a teacher is challenging, but technology makes it just a little bit easier. As you are planning your year, make sure you put technology to work for you. Here is a list of some of the best resources you can tap for your classroom and professional development, and best of all, all of them are free.
Slideshow Creators
Freemake Video Converter – Convert videos and images into a professional slideshow for your classroom easily with this free tool.
Slide.ly – Develop simple slideshows from videos or images, including images posted on social media, then display them in class. The one drawback to this free program is you cannot download the slideshow videos.
Photosnack – Easy to use and completely free, Photosnack lets you easily create slideshows without the need to download software. You do need to sign in using social media. You may find the limited templates frustrating, but overall the platform is very user friendly.
Smilebox – With several themes to choose from, Smilebox is a free option to generate slideshows from images you have for your lesson.
Visual Aids
Infogram – Create interactive charts to be used online with this free and easy tool. Display the charts as infographics or allow students to use them in class to create their own presentation visuals.
StatPlanet – Create interactive maps drawing data from the World Bank database, which means your maps are always up-to-date. Maps include options beyond geography, including factors like health, infrastructure, agriculture and more, so you can customize the map to your classroom’s exact needs.
Wordle – Create word clouds from the literature or other subjects you are studying with your students. This free tool will make it easier for visual learners to comprehend the vocabulary you are learning.
Charts Builder – Generate colorful charts with this easy-to-use, free chart builder. Just input your data and receive a chart that matches.
Apps for Teachers
Class Dojo – Class Dojo is a simple-to-use classroom management platform that makes communication with teachers and parents simple.
Prodigy Game – This math app is designed for grades 1 through 8. It has over 1,200 curriculum-aligned math skills and tracks student learning and statistics.
Stack the Countries – This fun geography app will help kids learn the location of the different countries of the world. It also includes facts about the countries.
Explain Everything Classic – This free app has information, videos, images and slideshows about anything your students may ask about. Simply pull up the info and explain!
Seesaw – This portfolio app allows students to store and post top work for their parents to check out digitally.
Touch Learn Lead – Like Facebook for teachers, Touch Learn Lead allows you to connect with colleagues around the world to share tools, resources, and advice.
Surveys, Polls and Quizzes
Answer Garden – Get instant feedback from students with this feedback tool. Embed it to use for online brainstorming sessions.
Free Online Surveys – Create forms, surveys, quizzes, and polls with this online tool, then email them to teachers or students for prompt answers.
Polldaddy – Though this tool has paid versions, it also has free options. Create the surveys and polls you need easily with this popular platform.
ClassTools.net – Use ClassTools.net to create games, quizzes, activities and more for your classroom. It’s always free!
ProProfs Quiz Maker – This tool has a free trial and allows you to make online quizzes and tests easily. To date teachers have created over 100,000 quizzes with ProProfs.
Quizlet – Create quizzes from your course material that students can sue to study at home. Includes an app for students to access material at home.
Memorize.com – Create online quizzes and flashcards using Memorize.com’s learning modes which are free and easy.
Pear Deck Flashcard Builder – Use this tool to build flashcards to work with vocabulary lessons. It’s fun and engaging.
Games and Puzzles
EdGames – This tool from the University of North Carolina Wilmington offers pre-made games and game templates you can use in your classroom. Games run on PowerPoint.
Jeopardy Labs – Find pre-made Jeopardy games or make your own with facts from your lessons, then play in class!
Flippity – If you have data in a Google spreadsheet, you can turn it into a game, flashcards, bracket, chart, and more!
Kahoot – Kahoot allows teachers to create engaging learning games complete with music and award system, all for free.
Vocabulary.com – Interactive adaptive learning games at vocabulary.com focus on building student vocabulary.
FunBrain.com – If you are looking for a fun reward to give students, let them play games on FunBrain.com. They have an educational focus and are fun and engaging.
GeoGuesser – Drop your students virtually somewhere in the world using GoogleMaps live street view, then have them look around and try to guess where they are.
Animations and Comics
Make Beliefs Comix – Create your own comic books that you can display or print for your class.
Pixton – Create colorful comics with your students that help capture what you are learning in class. This platform has a free trial option for teachers and included lesson plans.
Storybird – Combine your words with existing artwork to create engaging animations for the classroom.
PowToon – Free and easy to use, PowToon lets you or your students create animated videos that make learning impactful. Great for project based learning!
ZimmerTwins – Your students can make simple animated movies to go along with their projects with this simple but effective tool. Focuses on character-based stories.
ToonDoo – Create comic style cartoons to supplement your lessons with this free tool.
Witty Comics – Another free comic generator, Witty Comics will add more visual interest to your classroom.
TeacherTube – The educator’s version of YouTube, you’ll find a wealth of already made resources here to add video and animations to your classroom.
Fliers and Brochures
Adobe Spark – Adobe is the best name in visual creation, and Adobe Spark is a free option you can use to create fliers, brochures, and more.
LucidPress – Choose from a number of free flier and brochure templates you can customize for your class.
Canva – Canva lets you create custom fliers and brochures from thousands of templates. Easily customize your favorite for your classroom.
PosterMyWall – Chose a template you love, then customize it for your own needs. Makes posters and flyers.
Smore – Dress up your classroom newsletters easily with this free tool that customizes newsletters and more.
Websites for Teachers
Rewordify – Do you have text too difficult for your students? Plug it into Rewordify for an instant grade-level equivalent.
SMMRY – Plug in your text to this handy tool, and it will summarize it for you instantly.
ViewPure – Do you have a YouTube or other online video you want to use in class, except it has a pesky swear word or trolling comments? Filter it through ViewPure to keep it safe.
TodaysMeet – Allow students to post questions and comments live during your lesson with this interactive classroom tool.
EdPuzzle – Turn videos into interactive tools with EdPuzzle, or use existing videos other teachers have loaded to the site.
Scholastic Book Wizard – Help students find books on their grade level and in their interest areas with this free tool from Scholastic.
Wordsmyth – Effective, comprehensive and free online dictionary resource helps teachers look up word meanings in minutes.
SMART Exchange – If you have an interactive whiteboard, search SMART Exchange for exciting lessons other teachers have made and shared.
Epic! – An online library of books, learning videos, audio files and more that you can use in your classroom. The website and app are free to search, but you may need to pay for some of the books and files.