As summer starts to wind down (already??) it's time again for our annual collection of free apps to check out! We've added a bunch of new reviews this year, but these 8 not only offer excellent classroom potential, but are also available to teachers at no cost. Let's get started!
Quizizz
Quizizz is a Kahoot alternative, with a few awesome additions and differences that really make it stand out as a great tool for K-12 classrooms. Like Kahoot, Quizizz is free, meant to be used for classroom quizzes, and can be accessed from any student device that has internet access. Having used both tools in the classroom, my vote typically goes for Quizizz. Read the full review here!
ClassFlow
ClassFlow is a free software for interactive learning and collaboration created by the folks at Promethean. The system offers an impressive combination of features, including the ability to differentiate lessons, add interactive content, collect real time feedback on formative assessments, and track student behavior. You can read the full review here.
emaze
emaze is an online, web-based presentation creator that can be used to build and edit presentations on any personal computer (and soon to be tablet as well). The goal of emaze is to help users easily design visually compelling and engaging presentations, that don’t look like the typical PowerPoint or Keynote presentations you see every day. Read the full review here.
Visme
Visme is a web-based application that can be used to quickly and easily design presentations and infographics. After testing is out, it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite design tools because of its simplicity and the large collection of templates and graphics. The app does have paid plans as well, but you can do a great deal with the free plan as far as presentation and infographic creation goes. Read the full review here.
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is a free web, iOS, and android app that is designed to help with classroom management, student engagement, and community building. It's an excellent tool to keep track of student behavior, attendance, and to connect with parents. Although the app has been around for a while now, it is still one of my favorites, and one of the few apps I have used consistently over the past 3 years. You can read the full review here.
Google Forms
Google Forms has been around for a while as well, but at this year's ISTE conference the team announced some exciting updates that make the free tool even more worthwhile and useful for K-12 educators. If you’re not familiar, Google Forms is a Google App (similar to Docs or Slides) that can be used to create forms and surveys to collect student data. Read the full review here.
EdPuzzle
EDpuzzle is a wonderful free app that you can use to make video content more interactive by adding in things like multiple-choice and open-ended questions. I’ve been using EDpuzzle for a while now with the preservice teachers I work with, and although there are similar services out there, this one has always been my favorites. Plus, with Zaption going away, EdPuzzle can import your Zaption lessons! Read the full review here.
Bloomz
Bloomz is a free tool designed to help teachers, parents, and PTA members share information and photos through real-time communication and coordination. Built primarily for the K-8 environment, Bloomz is an excellent tool for helping create connections between parents and teachers. It can even be used to help find volunteers and schedule conferences! Read the full review here.
Honorable Mention
I'd also like to mention two of my favorites from this year from the paid category. Even those these aren't free, they are absolutely wonderful hands-on resources for the classroom. I had the chance to test both of these out with my preservice teachers as well, and they enjoyed them just as much as I did. So, if you've got room in the budget, these two options are worth checking out:
The Lego WeDo 2.0 kit is designed to help teach elementary students the basics of programming, robotics, and even STEM skills through hands-on, interactive methods. The classroom kits also come with software that contains an interactive curriculum and gives students the ability to document their construction and investigation processes. Read the full review here.
Activities related to computational thinking, coding, and other problem-solving skills are becoming more and more expected in today’s classroom environments. While there are many ways to address these skills and standards in K-12 classrooms, one of my favorites is Puzzlets, an experience that combines hands-on manipulatives with digital apps to create an engaging and rich learning activity. Read the review here.
I hope this collection of apps and reviews are helpful and I also hope that you're able to find some new resources and tools for the coming school year. If you've had experiences with any of these apps in the past, I'd love to hear about them in the comments, or if you have any questions, just let us know!
Looking for more? Check out our Free Apps post from 2015 and from 2014.
Thanks for reading and best of luck to everyone in the coming school year!
Looking for more? Check out our Free Apps post from 2015 and from 2014.
Thanks for reading and best of luck to everyone in the coming school year!
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