Real-Life Digital Tools for the Classroom

There’s nothing wrong with using Google Classroom. As a matter of fact, many of the articles I’ve written tie into using Google Classroom. It’s a great digital tool to distribute and collect class work. But, in addition to using Google Classroom or any other learning management system in your class, it’s important to integrate "real-life" digital tools into your classroom.

Google Classroom and other Google tools such as Docs and Slides are perfectly adequate for the classroom. Google tools are good. But, if we want to prepare students for life after school, whether it’s after K-12 or after college, they need to be familiar with the tools they may encounter in the workplace.  Let’s face it, students are more likely to use Evernote, Trello, or Dropbox in the workplace than they are Google Classroom.

I’ve written before about how some of these tools can be used in the classroom. If we want well prepared lifelong digital learners who are ready for life after school, teachers need to expose students to those digital tools they may encounter in the workplace, which I call "real-life" tools. Below are a few of those tools students may encounter in the workplace followed with an idea on how to implement them in class.

Trello: Student can use when working in groups.  They can keep track of team responsibilities.  They can also use Trello as a to-do list.

Skype: Assign students to work in pairs, but with a student from another class!  Ask students to connect with students in other classes and have them work collaboratively via Skype.

Any.do: Have student create and keep to-do lists using Any.do.

Evernote: Ask students to keep their notes in Evernote.  They can share their notes with each other and work collaboratively on an assignment or share their notes with the teacher.

Slack: Students can use Slack when working collaboratively.  They can communicate and share work with each other.  

Explain Everything: Have students explain concepts using this digital whiteboard.  

Dropbox: Students can use Dropbox to store a portfolio of their work, then share their Dropbox with their teacher.

Twitter: Teachers can use Twitter as a means of keeping students informed of classroom activities.

Google Calendar: Have students keep a Google Calendar in which they’ll note upcoming due dates and class events.

11 Apps That Foster Student Collaboration

1. Explain Everything: The well-known whiteboard where groups of students can work on a project together.  Anyone with a link/code can edit.

2. iMovie: A great way to get students to work together!  Making a movie forces groups of students to collaborate, by virtue of the app.  Someone can direct while others act.  And, they should be working from a script, which they all collaborate on as well.

3. Voicethread: Have students put together interviews, conversations, or theatres of the mind.  Ask them to collaborate on a script and the actual voice recording, with students playing different parts in the audio recording.

4. Google Docs & Slides, Apple’s Pages & Keynote: All of these productivity apps can be used collaboratively.  Use them to take collaborative notes, write dialogue as a group, create slides etc.

5. Book Creator for Chrome: Have students create a book on whatever topic you choose.  And the cool thing is, they can do it collaboratively.  Students invite their partners to their library and they can work on a book together.

6. Padlet: Each group can create a thinking map.  Students can use Padlet to address a question or explain the steps in a process, perhaps how to solve a math problem.

7. Popplet—Great on the Chromebook!  Students use the share button with their partners to collaborate on timelines or graphic organizers.

  

8. Recap: Pose a complex question to groups of students and ask each student to contribute to a discussion.  Ask students to present their answers to the rest of the class.

9. Google Drawing: Life Google Docs and Slides, students can collaborate on a poster or drawing, working on the project at the same time in real time.

10. Canva: Students can work together creating posters, photo collages, or infographics.  Students simply share their creation with a partner and their off and creating together.

11. Evernote: Have students share a notebook.  Then, they can work on a piece of writing together or add different entries in a journal style writing assignment.

5 Ways Teachers Can Manage Their Class From Their Phone!

1. ZipGrade:  You find yourself in the unfortunate position of not having much technology in your classroom--but you have your smartphone!  ZipGrade is an app that allows the teacher to turn their phone into an instant Scantron machine.  With ZipGrade, students won't have to wait to get their results of a quiz.  Simply hold the phone over the sheet as you would for a picture or scan and the app does the rest, instantly providing the results.  And, you can send the class results to a PDF or CSV report.

Correct papers with ease with ZipGrade

2. Remind:  Most of your students have cell phones.  So why not use them as a class communication tool?  Ask your kids to install the remind app to get class updates and class news.  Use it as a tool to remind the students of upcoming tests and due dates.

3. Dropbox:  Create an account to be used specifically for your classes.  Then, create separate folders for each class.  Instead of students handing in paperwork, use your phone to take a picture of student work and put it in the appropriate folder.  Students can also set up their own Dropbox accounts and turn in work via a shared link.  Teachers can also deposit class assignments into a shared Dropbox for student retrieval, making the class paperless.

4. Scannable:  Scannable is an iOS app designed by the people at Evernote to make scanning documents easy.  And, if you're already an Evernote user, Scannable makes it easy to scan documents directly to Evernote as it will save directly to Evernote.  Scannable also allows for saving to a multitude of apps as well, including Dropbox and Google Classroom.  Collect student work by scanning into Evernote or Dropbox.  Create student portfolios by scanning student work into your Evernote notebooks.

Scannable makes storing papers easy!

5. Workflow:  Workflow is an iOS app that automates your iOS tasks into the push of a button.  Workflow can save you valuable time by combining multiple tasks into one.  You want to save that picture or scan to Dropbox? You want to save a screenshot or picture as a PDF so students can annotate it?  Create a workflow and do so with the push of a button.  

Workflow can save a teacher valuable time.

Five Apps To Help Keep Teachers Organized

Let’s face it, being organized can promote good teaching. Below are five apps that will help teachers stay organized and record new ideas and inspiration that they can use in their class.

Post-it Plus: It’s all in the name. We’ve all seen teacher computer monitors cluttered with various Post-it’s. Post-it Plus eliminates the need to post notes on your desk, hoping they don’t get lost. Post-it Plus is a virtual version of the Post-it note. Jot down classroom ideas as they hit you by either typing them or writing them down with your finger or stylus. Choose the color of your note and organize them as you see fit. You can easily share your notes to PowerPoint or Keynote to create a presentation of your notes.

Google Keep: If you’ve got your Chromebook open, Google Keep is just a click away. Create to-do lists, notes, bullet notes, and more. Create a new note for each class if you need to. Easily share your notes with your class with Google Classroom.

Padlet: What can’t you do with Padlet? Not only can you take notes, but you can easily categorize those notes. Padlet is great for lesson planning in that a teacher can create a section for each class and record what they want to do tomorrow or next week.

Evernote: A fantastic note taking app that can do it all. Create to-do lists, save online research, use the camera to scan classroom documents, plan classroom lectures and events. And share your notes with staff and students.

Trello: Trello is a unique visual organizer in that it uses what they call “boards” to keep you on track. For the teacher that is in charge of a school club, runs the school activities, and coaches a sport, Trello would suit you quite nicely. Trello allows you to import pictures, files, or links. And, Trello allows you to share your “boards” with others-great for department collaboration.