Get the hang of an educational technology tool in 2 minutes or less!
Select from the following categories:
Artificial Intelligence | Brainstorming | Classroom Interaction | Digital Design | Learning Management | Note Taking | Project Management | Robotics | Supportive Technology | Survey, Polling & Quiz Tools
Artificial Intelligence
Slidesgo
Slidesgo AI presentation maker allows users to input information like subject, tone, context, and number of slides into the tool to produce a presentation made by AI. This can be used by educators looking to draft up presentations about new topics, or used in a professional setting for mock presentations. Give this AI tool a go and let us know what you think!
LessonPlans.AI
LessonPlans.AI utilizes AI to immediately produce customized lesson plans. The platform instantly generates lesson plans within seconds for several school subjects such as Math, English, or Social Studies. The platform specifically provides lesson plans for kindergarten classes, as well as grades one through twelve.
Brainstorming
MindMeister
MindMeister is a brainstorming application that allows its users to create interactive mind maps. This application is perfect for the ideation stage and can help students organize their thoughts before they take on a new project.
Miro
Miro is a free, interactive, and collaborative online whiteboard available for PC and Mac users as well as downloadable as a free app. This digital whiteboard can be used in real time or asynchronously with multiple users to brainstorm ideas, build products, respond to critical discussion topics in your MET courses, or in meetings. Miro is currently being used across health care, education, and business sectors (DELL, Deloitte, Cisco).
Classroom Interaction
Wheel Decide
Wheel Decide is a customizable spin-the-wheel that can add some excitement to your workplace or classroom. Engage your students or your team by spinning the wheel, it can be used as a way of quizzing learners on material, creating groups, or selecting participants.
Pear Deck
Pear Deck makes interactive learning easy through a Google Slides integration that allows educators to add interactive activities straight into their presentations. This application connects to students’ devices and allows instructors to collect responses from students throughout the lesson, in real-time. The activities can be used for brainstorming, checking students understanding of the material, and encouraging student engagement.
Web Whiteboard
Web Whiteboard is hosted by Miro and is an interactive whiteboard that allows users to collaborate in real-time. This platform is especially useful for teaching subjects like math and chemistry online, because students can easily draw equations on the whiteboard. The platform also allows for sticky notes and text, making it also a good platform for brainstorming.
Padlet
Padlet is a free, interactive, and collaborative web platform where users can collaboratively upload, organize, and share content to a virtual bulletin board. Available for PC and Mac users as well as downloadable as a free app. Choose from a variety of templates including wall, stream, grid, shelf, map, canvas, or timeline. Build products, respond to critical discussion topics in your MET courses, use in meetings, classrooms, presentations, and to interact with an audience. Padlet can be used across sections and platforms. A very versatile digital educational technology tool.
Flip
Formerly Flip Grid, the renamed “Flip” is a free video discussion and sharing app that allows users to share videos in private groups for social learning, reflection, and discussion. This safe, inclusive, and accessible app can be used in the classroom, executive meetings, training workshops, and beyond and is available on all devices.
Digital Design
Picktochart
Picktochart allows users to create fun and professional diagrams, infographics, and other digital art. Users can create their projects from scratch or alter one of the thousands of pre-made templates. Students can use this application to display their work, but corporate professionals can also use it in a learning and development setting.
Canva
Canva is a digital art platform used to create engaging and fun marketing material. The platform allows beginners to create professional branding and design material from templates or from scratch. Users can create infographics, logos, social media posts, and much more.
FlipaClip
The FlipaClip app can be downloaded on ISO for free and is very easy to use. The app allows people to create digital flipbooks which can be downloaded as a video and gifs. There are several digital tool options to choose from like pen, crayon, airbrushing, paint fill, and more.
Adobe Express
Adobe Spark, more recently renamed Adobe Express, is an Adobe software product that allows users to create design products, including but not limited to, posters, logos, banners, and flyers. This tool allows users to create digital art in an easy and accessible way. The program has templates and large digital libraries with pre-made content to provide users with easy design creation.
Plotagon Storytelling
This free and completely accessible storytelling app, allows you to create characters and scenes that are representative and inclusive. You can use this app to summarize a reading, present a key concept, or present a policy in an innovative way.
Learning Management
Socrative
Socrative is a feedback platform that allows teachers to get feedback from students in real time. The platform can be used to quiz students or be used as an exit ticket when students are leaving the “classroom”. The activities can also be timed and done in groups, and through gamification can be turned into a competition.
EdApp
EdApp is a free learning management system that allows educators to create modules and lessons for mobiles, tablets, and web platforms. EdApp is focused on creating mobile learning easy for educators to create without any coding skills. The platform easily integrates other applications like Canva in the design process to allow for creative, visually inspiring lessons.
Nearpod
Nearpod is an e-learning management software that allows teachers to use pre-made lessons from the Nearpod library or make their own interactive lessons. One of the many cool features includes an interactive drawing tool that allows students to draw on the lesson slides!
Genial.ly
Genially is a web-based tool that makes creative and interactive presentations, infographics, lessons, and other types of e-learning material. You can choose from templates and Genially’s digital library or you make your own. The wide variety of animations and slide combinations offers instructors an easy way to make visually complex learning material.
Note Taking
Evernote
Evernote is a digital notebook that allows users to use pre-made templates or fully customize the format of their entries. Students can easily keep track of their work in designated notebooks and can use the application across devices. Evernote is great for teachers looking to keep track of their student’s writing progress.
Paper
Paper is a sketchnoting app by WeTransfer that can be found in the Apple store. It is a note app that allows for digital drawing, painting, and collaging. The app can be used to take class notes, draw diagrams, and paint pictures, and can be used by all ages. Further, the paint features allow for basic and intermediate digital design, making it a great tool for beginners and advanced users.
Project Management
Trello
Trello is a project management tool that can be used to manage your classroom and your projects. With many templates to choose from, specifically for educators, Trello makes it easy to plan your school term. Further, Trello makes it easy to collaborate and share progress with others contributors.
Asana
Asana is a sales management software that can be used as a classroom management tool or as a means of helping students/educators stay organized. The software allows users to curate their dashboard categories to be adaptable to their needs, by catering the Asana display to several environments and settings. Educators can assign tasks to students, colleagues, and faculty through projects and pipelines, while also keeping in touch through the messaging feature.
Robotics
Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2 VR headset engages users to freely roam around your physical and digital play spaces through different environments and spaces while utilizing many apps. The apps featured in this Tips-in-Two include Mondly, Anne Frank’s House VR, YouTube 360 degree Videos, and Ecosphere.
Video Referenced
Swanson, R. (2022, May 30). Using Oculus 2 in the classroom [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/lDZhK5YTtuk
Ozobot
Ozobot is a user-friendly, accessible robotics company that allows learners to code screen-free color coding and onscreen programming. The two methods of coding allow students of all ages to learn about using code to give robotic instruction. Ozobot offers pre-made STEAM kits that contain the necessary materials for students to learn at home and in the classroom.
Sphero
Sphero is a spherical robot that can be paired with a tablet or smartphone that allows you to use block coding or push guiding to control Sphero’s movements. You can change Sphero’s color, play different missions, add music to Sphero’s travels, and control Sphero’s movements from a multitude of apps and create customizable experiences to solve real world problems. Trying to identify the most accessible path in a space? Code the path for Sphero to take? Creating a flight trajectory for an airplane? Use Sphero to test it. Use Spheros to design art pieces, on maps, in math class, as team building and more. Check out the Tips-in-Two as a quick and immersive way to learn about Sphero.
Squishy Circuits
Squishy Circuits is designed to teach young learners about electrical currents and robotics. Through a blend of STEM education and play, this product uses conductive and insulating play dough to connect wires, LED lights, motors, and more! Learners can explore engineering by creating their own projects both at home and in the classroom.
Videos Referenced
Makerzine. (2012). Squishy Circuits — Sylvia’s Mini Maker Show. YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZo51k2BWQ.
Region 12 Schools. (2018). 2018 Digital Learning Day: Squishy Circuits. YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOhqweX02Dg.
Squishy Circuits. (2016). 3 Squishy Circuits in 2 Minutes. YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATnoNHtR_-k.
Tinkercad
Tinkercad is an online 3D modeling program that operates in a web browser. The program allows for rudimentary model building and allows young students to engage with multi-dimensional shapes. It is a great learning tool to introduce mathematics, like geometry, within the classroom.
Scratch
Scratch is a free block-based visual programming language and platform that can be used by primary-aged school children to learn code and computer science foundations. The platform allows users to create interactive games, animations, and stories, making it a great tool to use within the classroom.
BBC Microbit
BBC Microbit is a beginner friendly programming tool that allows children, young adults, and new coders to become more familiar with Microsoft MakeCode, Python, and Scratch. Microbit is used to teach students how to code in the classroom and can be used for robotics as well! It’s a great opportunity for learners to practice their coding skills and implement these skills into projects.
Supportive Technology
Text Blaze
Text Blaze is a free platform and Chrome extension that allows users to create custom shortcut templates. The templates can include text, images, graphs, and charts. This feature can be great for automating email responses or efficiently providing student feedback.
Speechify
Speechify is an assistive ed-tech application that uses text-to-speech to support users who cannot or do not want to read text. Speechify can be used as a browser extension that reads out loud text from webpages or can be accessed through the web app, which allows users to listen to their own uploads such as long documents and images. Both the extension and the app allow users to make customizations to the sound and speed.
Survey, Polling & Quiz Tools
Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere is a live polling app that allows educators to get live feedback from their learners through surveys, feedback, and quizzes. The platform also creates word clouds, which are a collection of words that students submit to create a diagram. The word cloud can be used to introduce a lesson as a quick brainstorming exercise.
Survey Monkey
Survey Monkey allows users to create quick and easy surveys for free. The platform allows users to choose from a template or create their own. Teachers can use these surveys to create assessments or get feedback from students.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a learning tool that allows both educators and students to make memory tools like flashcards on their digital devices. These tools are versatile, and can be used within the classroom but also at home and/or within the workplace.
Kahoot
Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that allows groups to collaborate on activities and answer questions in real-time. Kahoot can be used in the workplace, at school, and with friends. Questions and quizzes include a points systems to encourage engagement and friendly competition