Google Integrated Tech Tools to Try this Year
Each of the tools in this list integrates seamlessly with Google Classroom, which makes management a breeze! The most exhilarating aspect of the tools in this post is each of them use student voice and choice is that you can combine any of them to take engagement and creativity up a notch. Better yet, let your students decide which tools they want to use. Read on to see my top picks for fantastic tech tools, that also happen to integrate with Google for Education.
Adobe Spark
When Adobe Spark announced a free education version this past summer, a world of possibilities opened for creating video, pdfs, flyers,images- the list truly goes on! As with any tech tool, make sure you have an instructional purpose for breaking out the “Spark” because the options are endless and you want students to focus on creating a product with a purpose.
Equatio
Brought to you by the team at TextHelp, Equatio is math writing software for teachers. Yes, Math Teachers, you can rejoice! Teachers can easily digitize formulas, graphs, equations, and more! The best part? You have the ability to input math using your own handwriting, voice dictation, and with a few strokes of your keyboard. Neat, huh?
Fligrid
If you haven’t heard the rejoicing of #flipgridfever, it is championing student voices everywhere (yes, it’s a GLOBAL phenomenon) by providing kids of all ages the ability to respond by recording and sharing a video. The professional learning community surrounding Flipgrid has the ability to inspire teachers to inspire students even on a day like Halloween. Some of my favorite Flipgrid resources are The Educator’s Guide to Flipgrid and Richard Byrne’s Guide to Flipgrid.
Pear Deck
Those amazing slide decks you have already poured your heart into? Pear Deck allows you to turn those Google Slide presentations into an interactive conversation with your class where even the quietest kids have a voice. They have amazing teacher resources to get you started today.
Scrible
Scrible is a powerhouse for online research, which takes the pain points out of online research. Throw those index cards away! The main features includes bookmark sources, annotate, build your resource library, and share annotations with others! Students have the ability to create a citation with a few click, all while integrating with Google Docs.
Soundtrap
Incorporating Soundtrap into instruction empowers students to create using the tool’s online music studio. Beyond music, you can open learners up to a world of possibilities with podcasting.
Stackup
Stackup is the “Fitbit of reading online.” Stackup is an easy to install Chrome extension that gives teachers, administrators, students, and curriculum leaders insights into what students are reading online including their favorite topics. Articles and sites from the Internet that are most viewed are curated in the Stackup Library.
Sutori
It’s possible that my love for history fuels my love of a good timeline. Using Sutori, your students will have the ability to create timelines. Students have the opportunity to create media rich timelines by uploading audio, video, images, and more! Here is the Sutori Teacher and Student Guide to get started on telling their story!
WeVideo
WeVideo is a video creation platform that has immersive video templates, themes, images, storylines, and the ability to use a Green Screen. Students also have the ability to collaborate with their peers on projects. For the best resources on WeVideo, check out their WeVideo Academy. They also just released a pretty sweet Digital Storytelling Toolkit you can grab for free.
WriterReader
WriterReader is a K-5 book creation tool that allows parents and educators to interact with student writing. It’s great for younger learners as you can pick from a pre-made image back or a Google Safe Search. Another favorite feature is the sequencing image bank. They also team up with Sesame street to provide Social Emotional Learning focused lesson plans. Here is the Ultimate Guide to Using WriterReader with your K-5 Class that walks you step-by-step through the basis of integrating Write readers with your students.
What am I missing? What Google integrated tools can you not live without? Let me hear about them in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, check out my Top 25 Tech Tools for Teachers in 2015 and Top 16 Tech Tools in 2016.
Need more inspiration, here are 25 Education Leaders to Learn from Today!