TeachersFirst Collection: BYOD Dream Tools: Free Tools that Work on ANY device!
This collection of reviewed resources and tools from TeachersFirst includes web tools and apps that are available for FREE on iOS (iPad, iPhone), Android, and web devices. Come here to find tools that your students can use as they do instructional activities in your BYOD or 1-1 classroom. In this collection, you will find tools and resources that include calculators, quiz creators, game makers, curation tools, interactive lessons, Venn-diagram creators, literacy accessibility tools, online time trackers, meme creators, podcast makers, translator tools, task list creators, and many other free tools that will work on any device.
Even the best device-agnostic resources have slight differences in capabilities on different devices. Encourage your students to share what they discover about additional or missing features on each type of device. Your class will quickly appoint experts for each resource or tool. TeachersFirst encourages our members (membership is FREE) to add comments and ratings to help other teachers and students who are trying these tools. Free resources and tools change quickly, so we welcome your comments on any changes that may occur to these tools and their free status.
(image credit: Jeremy Keith)
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Microsoft Translator for Education - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12
tag(s): chinese (40), DAT device agnostic tool (133), french (74), german (51), greek (46), hebrew (18), italian (33), japanese (54), Microsoft (50), russian (27), spanish (115)
In the Classroom
Use Translator to greet "other language" speaking students and make them feel welcome in your classroom; encourage conversations between them and your class. Take advantage of Translator to broaden your classroom's global perspective by engaging in conversations with others worldwide. Use this site in world language classrooms to have students copy their text to convert it into the language being studied (or vice versa). Enhance student learning by having students create presentations about other countries in the native language of the nation using a presentation tool like Canva, reviewed here. Enhance your technology presentations by incorporating multimedia elements. Use a tool such as Genially, reviewed here, to incorporate multimedia like maps, surveys, video, audio, and more.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Book Creator - Red Jumper Limited
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): collaboration (141), DAT device agnostic tool (133), digital storytelling (182), ebooks (49), literacy (122), preK (347), reading comprehension (147), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Create books together, as a class, as you move through a unit or topic. Enhance student learning by adding images and ideas your students suggest. Use in a flipped classroom to deliver course information. Assign several student groups a different topic and redefine their learning by having each group create their own multimedia versions as they learn more about the topic. Students can combine their books later as a class book. Make a digital bookshelf of all the versions for all to use. Challenge gifted students to modify the "standard" class text with the additional material they discover, by going deeper and learning about related topics. In lower grades, create teacher-made e-books for your young readers, perhaps adding audio - your own voice reading the text. Find much more information and ideas for using Book Creator in any classroom by exploring the Book Creator Toolkit for Schools and Districts available here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Taskade - John Xie & Stan ChangKhin Boon
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), noregistration (74), note taking (36), organizational skills (92)
In the Classroom
Create checklists of steps in a project. Place all notes in one place, so you do not forget. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. They could use Taskade for assignment information, reminders, and more. Consider setting up a class account that can be used by all students. Spell out the use of the site and what is allowed and not allowed -- and the penalties. Set up separate accounts for student groups who can then share their notebook with other groups.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wakelet - Jamil Khalil
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (34), collaboration (141), communication (126), curation (27), DAT device agnostic tool (133), multimedia (70), news (223), personalized learning (13), playlists (7), social media (64), social networking (55)
In the Classroom
The possibilities for using Wakelet in the classroom are endless! Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own collections as part of a research project. Put together a scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share your collections on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content. Having a cover image and background for your collections makes them much more interesting and easier to identify, especially for younger or visual learners!Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Asana - Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), organizational skills (92)
In the Classroom
Create an account to use with students as a tool for organizing and collaborating on group projects. Asana makes it easy for all users to view overall progress on each task. Use Asana to help students remain on track with project deadlines; encourage older students to create their own account and set up groups for projects. Use this tool to collaborate with colleagues for use with professional projects such as unit planning and long-term scheduling.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Intergalactic Mobile Learning Center - Intergalactic Mobile Learning Center
Grades
K to 9tag(s): collaboration (141), mind map (31), spreadsheets (23), Teacher Utilities (226)
In the Classroom
Be sure to watch the videos on the homepage for an overview of the apps in action. Download Intergalactic Mobile Learning Center for use in your class for any collaborative project. Ask students to work in small groups to draw landforms or the water cycle in science class, gather data and create a spreadsheet for math, work together to write a story summary or share information on a KWL before the start of a new unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Delightex (was CoSpaces) - Delightex GmbH
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): augmented reality (7), coding (112), creativity (94), DAT device agnostic tool (133), digital storytelling (182)
In the Classroom
Recreate scenes from books or use Delightex (CoSpaces) to retell any story with 3D images. Encourage creativity and ask students to develop virtual exhibitions of artwork, animal habitats, or landforms. Have older students create infographics featuring data collections, for example, comparing Internet availability across different American towns.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Simplenote - automattic.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), organizational skills (92), study aid (178)
In the Classroom
Use Simplenote for all notes and ideas in all aspects of your busy life. Keep your file system with you all of the time! Instruct students in the use of Simplenote for notetaking needs. Share outlines and study guides with students. All members can collaborate and add thoughts. Offer as a way to improve organizational skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Libib - Javod Khalaj
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (167), DAT device agnostic tool (133), preK (347)
In the Classroom
Libib is perfect for organizing and cataloging your classroom book collection. Use the tag features to organize your collection by genres, subject, authors, or any way you need. Tag books for specific students or reading levels. Post a link on your web page and share Libib with your students as a way for them to give opinions on current books and movies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Epic! For Educators - Suren Markosian and Kevin Donahue
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (152), DAT device agnostic tool (133), ebooks (49), movies (51), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Create your free educator account and share with students as part of your reading activities. Adjust reading preferences and profiles as students increase skills or change interest in reading materials. Be sure to share with parents to use at home. What a fantastic, engaging way to keep students accountable for reading at home and for remote learning.Comments
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The Stock Market Game - Securities Industry and Financial Markets Assoc Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): business (51), DAT device agnostic tool (133), game based learning (333), investing (7), money (114), stock market (13)
In the Classroom
Participants who register as "Teachers with Classes" receive extensive teacher support, including a searchable library of standards, curriculum materials, and assessments. While providing real-world practice, SMG engages students in core academic subjects, including math, English, and economics. Lesson plans include Teacher Background and materials to implement the lesson with students. Find more information by perusing additional publications, links, and other resources. Contact a local SMG Coordinator for additional assistance. Use the game in individual classes, school-wide, in after-school clubs, or with home-schoolers. Encourage families to play at home together or collaborate with others. Additional benefits include higher math and financial literacy scores on tests by students who play SMG. Also, teachers report that the program even taught them about financial planning, research, and investing wisely. Because this is an ongoing activity, enhance learning by utilizing technology throughout. Have students share financial resource sites using a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. In addition to curating and sharing bookmarks, Papaly allows you the opportunity to add notes and comments to sites shared. Have students use a video creation tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, to make explainer videos of financial concepts. Ask groups of students to produce and share podcasts (perhaps weekly or bi-weekly) to discuss their learning and progress within the Stock Market Game. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free tool for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Airtable - Emmett Nicholas, Howie Liu, Andrew Ofstad
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (34), collaboration (141), curation (27), DAT device agnostic tool (133)
In the Classroom
Use Airtable to collaborate on lessons with other teachers, both local and across the world. Share with students to use when collaborating on projects or to create study guides. Use the provided templates to catalog your books or share study guides with students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PicFont - Picfont.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), digital storytelling (182), editing (99), images (276), noregistration (74)
In the Classroom
Use this easy tool to replace paper posters and add captions to images, create memes, or posters for your bulletin boards. Use this easy tool with students during back-to-school time as a way for them to get to know each other. Have students upload a picture of themselves doing their favorite activity and label it with amusing text or a favorite quote (or song lyrics?). Have them upload images that represent their interests and character traits. Print the images with text for a back-to-school bulletin board. Use after a field trip for students to write captions on the photos they took. Be sure to share the photos on your class web page, blog, or wiki. Haven't started blogging yet? Check out TeachersFirst's Blog Basics. For other uses, have students practice new words in a world language class by labeling and identifying images in that language. Create writing prompts using several annotated images. Have students create annotated images to explain key terms in science class. In ELA class, make homophone or vocabulary images to show the correct word along with a picture that explains it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Symbaloo - Learning Paths - Symbaloo
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (34), curation (27), DAT device agnostic tool (133), differentiation (103), game based learning (333), gamification (88), personalized learning (13), study aid (178), Teacher Utilities (226)
In the Classroom
Use Symbaloo Learning Paths to create structured, self-paced learning experiences for whole-class instruction, small groups, independent work, or learning at home. Build different paths around student needs and interests by combining videos, websites, documents, games, and interactive questions in a specific sequence. Create a path for students who need extra practice, an extension path for advanced learners, or multiple versions of the same lesson with resources at different reading levels. Learning Paths can also support multilingual learners by including resources in students' home languages alongside English language practice and open-ended or multiple-choice activities. Use a Learning Path as a digital lesson sequence, a choice-based activity, a pre-assessment review, or a series of connected paths for a larger unit. Explore the Symbaloo Library to find paths created by other educators, then adapt them for your own students. Because the paths can be edited and rearranged after creation, you can continue refining them as your lesson or unit develops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wattpad - Allen Lau & Ivan Yuen
Grades
10 to 12tag(s): creative writing (127), DAT device agnostic tool (133), ebooks (49), independent reading (85)
In the Classroom
Share Wattpad with students as a resource for free, online reading material. Caution is necessary with this site because it is entirely open to the public. Be aware of what your district's restrictions are regarding this kind of activity. Depending on your circumstances and school district policies, this site might best be used under a teacher login. You can display models on your interactive whiteboard for students to respond to, either individually or as a class. You might have reactions to some of the stories or have students write their own critiques of the spotlighted work before sharing what others on the site have posted. Using Wattpad in class may also encourage students to seek out writing on their own and may motivate them to share their work with classmates for feedback. This site may also be a suitable venue for students who collaborate on a high school literary magazine or for gifted high school students seeking writing mentors outside of the school community (with parental permission, of course).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quizlet Live - Quizlet
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): collaboration (141), DAT device agnostic tool (133), game based learning (333), quizzes (82), spelling (94), study aid (178), vocabulary (265), word study (59)
In the Classroom
Use Quizlet Live to introduce new topics or content, or as a review before testing. Quizlet Live would be an excellent tool for the start of the year to help students get to know each other, or use throughout the year to have students work with different students in cooperative learning activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Goosechase edu - Andrew Cross
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): creativity (94), DAT device agnostic tool (133), game based learning (333), gamification (88)
In the Classroom
Use GooseChase in your classroom as part of your project based learning activities. Assign a series of activities to groups for completion. Differentiate projects based on student interest and ability. Use one of the many educational games already in the library to see great examples of how to use GooseChase for any subject area. GooseChase would be an excellent addition to staff meetings. Have participants locate information on websites, textbooks, or throughout your school as part of professional development. Create a GooseChase for students as part of a nature walk outside of your school, ask younger students to find different geometric shapes, or have students draw pictures of main characters in books as part of a GooseChase mission.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Requires download/installation of software
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TinyTap - Yogev Shelly
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (141), DAT device agnostic tool (133), game based learning (333), quiz (58), quizzes (82), study aid (178), Teacher Utilities (226)
In the Classroom
Use the embed code provided with activities to embed activities on your class website for play at home. Create a link to activities on classroom computers. Create your own activities (or have older students create review materials) to include with lessons. Be sure to watch the demo video for information about making your own games.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Requires download/installation of software
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoom - Eric Yuan
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (42), communication (126), DAT device agnostic tool (133), parent conferences (21)
In the Classroom
Use Zoom to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the exact location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work. Connect whole classrooms across the country for book clubs. Collaborate with experts, such as authors and scientists, in classrooms with children. Create connected learning experiences with other students, especially those in older grades. Connect world language classes to classes in different countries. Teachers can hold "office hours" for homework help and to ask questions. Create a collaborative space for homework help before or after school or on snow days. Students can meet whenever help is needed, or teachers can create a session that can be accessed on any device easily by those who need it. Consider using a tool such as Remind, reviewed here, to alert parents and students when your sessions are open. Use Zoom for group work - no more excuses about not being able to meet for cooperative learning projects! Buildings can collaborate and share professional development with others in their own district and beyond!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OneNote - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), Microsoft (50), organizational skills (92), Storage (7), study aid (178)
In the Classroom
Use OneNote for all notes, ideas, and photographs in all aspects of your busy life. Keep your file system with you at all times! Instruct students on using OneNote for note-taking. Share outlines and study guides with students. All members can collaborate and add thoughts. Offer as a way to improve organizational skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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