Digital learning tools have proved themselves invaluable as classrooms across the globe made the abrupt change to online learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even now, as some schools have reopened physical classrooms in at least a limited capacity, digital learning tools that may have previously gone unused have retained their place on educators’ must-have lists.
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These tools and trends can boost student engagement and motivate students to immerse themselves in learning–but as with any tech-based instruction, the technology is just a tool. What really makes digital learning tools effective is a highly-qualified teacher who augments a lesson and links learning to real life.
Here are some easy and engaging digital learning tools to try in the physical, virtual, or hybrid classroom.
1. Learning.com Tech Quest: Tech Quest is a new Learning.com feature that delivers essential technology skills to K-8 students without teachers needing to manage classes. Every student that has a Learning.com account is automatically assigned Tech Quest. Students just need to log in to their Learning.com account at login.learning.com, Clever, or Classlink.
2. Storybird: This art-inspired creative platform encourages students and teachers to create visual stories within seconds. It inspires users to boost their writing skills by offering 700+ lessons, writing prompts, and more that were created by experts. Users can choose from multiple writing formats and publish their works online to receive feedback from other teachers, professionals and authors. Teachers can also create interactive books on the app that can be emailed or shared with their students.
3. Nearpod: Nearpod lets users create interactive lessons in minutes and integrates with other learning platforms such as Schoology and Canvas. It allows teachers to create using polls, open-ended questions, quizzes, 3D objects, Draw It and even VR! There are also thousands of lessons online from expert educators that are customizable to fit the needs of every student.
4. Mindomo: Designed specifically to help teachers with mind-mapping, Mindomo documents ideas and plans through a layout that features attachments and different kinds of media. It helps teachers develop new plans and strategies while staying organized and educating effectively.
5. Teachertube: Similar to YouTube, Teachertube is an online platform that provides educational and instructional videos to educators that they can then use in their classrooms or for their own personal development.
6. Educreations: Record your voice and iPad screen to create dynamic video lessons that students and colleagues can access any time, as needed. Post your videos to Educreations and share them with anyone. You can even share videos via email, Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo or YouTube, or download and store them in Dropbox or Google Drive.
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