Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to read the full app review.
DocentEDU
What’s It Like?
DocentEDU is a Chrome extension (with companion iOS and Android apps) that lets teachers turn any site into an interactive online lesson. There’s a free trial available, but extensive use will require the paid version. (That being said, it’s one of those tools that some teachers can use every day.) DocentEDU can be loaded quickly by the user clicking on the browser extension icon and opening the toolbar. Once the toolbar pops up, teachers and students can add annotations, embed videos into websites, add maps, quizzes, discussions, and do much more. Ultimately, the goal is that teachers can guide student learning with questions or class discussions online so students can learn outside the classroom and teachers can help the next day in class.
Price: Free to try, paid for more
Grades: 6-12
Rating: 4/5
Pros: Useful for any classroom where critical reading is key; lets teachers break website reading into manageable sizes.
Cons: Teacher dashboard could give more diagnostics, and feedback from teachers could be strengthened.
Bottom line: A potential go-to tool for teachers focused on building critical reading skills, especially those in Chromebook classrooms.
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