Using personal devices in the classroom continues to be one of this year’s biggest EdTech trends. Whether you have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, apps are the best way to take advantage of everything your device has to offer. However, with over 2 million apps and counting to choose from, finding apps to download can be a daunting task. To help you decide which apps can be the most useful to you, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten app picks for teachers:
- TeacherKit (FREE; $39.99 for premium version)
Used by more than 1 million teachers around the world, TeacherKit is a full-featured learning management tool that can be downloaded on most of your portable devices. With the free version, you can manage your students, class, and documents from your personal device—anywhere, anytime. With a premium subscription, you can also track student behavior, take attendance, and create seating charts.
- Remind (FREE; Subscription plans offered)
With Remind, teachers can send quick and simple messages to any device instantly. Use this app to communicate last-minute reminders to students or parents without sharing your personal phone number with the class. Remind is offered for free with a few limitations, but schools and districts can buy a subscription for greater flexibility of features.
- Edmodo (FREE)
The ultimate goal of Edmodo is to connect teachers with students and parents, forming a community focused on educational enrichment and accessibility. Download this app on nearly any device to create classroom groups, assign homework, schedule quizzes, manage progress, and more—all on one platform with unlimited storage.
- Kahoot! (FREE)
Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform where teachers can create study aids that students work through in the format of a digital game. If your students have their own personal devices, games can be played in a group setting, promoting social learning and discussion.
- Teach Learn Lead (FREE)
Teach Learn Lead is essentially a social network for educators, designed to support and connect new teachers as they navigate the beginning of their career in the classroom. Within this community, teachers can share support and inspiration on topics spanning from technology in the classroom to professional development.
- Educreations (FREE; $8.25/month for premium version)
Especially useful for math teachers, Educreations enables you to share tutorials and lessons, which you can create using a touch-enabled device. Students are able to access and watch recordings as many times as they need to in order to fully understand and master the material. You can get the basic functionality of Educreations for free, or subscribe to a paid membership for unlimited drafts, significantly more storage space, and the ability to export lessons.
- ClassDojo (FREE)
Always free for teachers, ClassDojo is dedicated to creating a positive classroom culture by connecting teachers to students and parents. Teachers can use this app to encourage behavior and acknowledge good work and attendance, while students are given a voice by adding photos and videos to their portfolio. ClassDojo also helps engage parents through the sharing of students’ work and accomplishments.
- ZipGrade (FREE; $6.99/year for unlimited scans)
One of the most tedious parts of being a teacher is having to grade every assignment that you give your students. Quick grading options, such as Scantron, can only be graded by a special machine—and getting to the machine can be a hassle. ZipGrade offers a solution to this issue by grading multiple-choice assessments immediately with your personal device’s camera.
- MasteryConnect (FREE for verified teachers/admins)
MasteryConnect is designed with the teacher in mind, making it easy to assess core standards, monitor student performance, and report student mastery to parents and administrators. Packed with helpful grading and reporting tools, the basic version of the app is free for verified educators, while the pro version can be purchased for a yearly fee.
- MimioMobile (3 FREE device connections with MimioStudio license or subscription)
Get the most out of the devices you already have with the MimioMobile app. Accessible on smartphones, tablets, chromebooks, and through a web browser, MimioMobile helps you connect your classroom and allows students to participate collaboratively and interactively throughout the classroom.
Apps can help you to simplify your workload and better communicate with students and their parents. By downloading these apps to your personal device, you will always have immediate access to important information that can facilitate your ability to best help your students and create a supportive and communicative learning environment.