Picture this: you walk in to greet your class on a Wednesday morning. Instead, they greet you with three paper planes flying at your hair and the exasperating din of a noisy classroom. You end up wondering why you signed up for a teaching job in the first place. You might as well be their only resort when it comes to getting essay help right before the exams, but students these days are easily distracted. If this goes on repeat for almost all the classes you teach, maybe it is time you considered going that extra mile to manage your class better.
We live in the digital age, and students are almost always online these days. With leading educational institutions taking giant strides towards bringing about digitized education in all spheres, why would you lag behind? Digital education tools help students learn almost everything under the sun – from the nuances of custom essay writing to perfecting a science project. Convince your school board to switch to use digital learning tools, and watch as the engagement rates shatter the glass ceiling.
As a modern-day educator, it is time you consider switching to more engaging and interactive formats of teaching to keep your students updated about the latest happenings in the world. Why limit yourself to providing assignment help when you can broaden their perspectives about the world with modern tech-enabled tools that help them learn better? Read this post to know more about the 10 fascinating digital education resources that you can use in your classrooms, blending technology and education seamlessly.
10 digital tools to modernize your classroom today!
It is 2018, and if you are still going the traditional blackboard and chalk way, you are surely not the favorite teacher in school. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you need to pull your socks up and do something about bringing back those spontaneous responses and eager eyes in your classroom. Maybe it is time to take help of the digital learning resources at your disposal, and here are 10 to help you along the way.
- Teacher’s Assistant Pro
First things first. Behavioral issues in the classroom are the worst nightmares for a teacher. We feel you if you have a rowdy class to manage. But Teacher’s Assistant Pro goes a step further to provide you with a great solution. You can easily keep a tab on your class and their behavioral issues using this app. Customize the features as per the needs of your classroom and share the reports with parents using this app.
It helps you enlist contacts of the parents as well as give away bonus or rewards for well-behaved pupils. Similarly, you can put red flags for behavioral issues for students who do not conform to classroom ethics as well. Teacher’s Assistant Pro helps you manage all behavioral problems you keep encountering in class. The next time you get someone talking back to you after multiple warning, simply get Teacher’s Assistant Pro.
- Glogster Edu
A global education platform that enables teachers and students to take part in a wholesome academic community, Glogster Edu is one of the best modern-day apps you will find on the Internet. The interactive online posts at Glogster Edu includes text for learning materials, photos, and videos for lessons and course handouts, as well as graphics and sound effects to make the entire learning experience a super-fun one in the classrooms.
Modern-day educators can create communities on Glogster Edu and encourage students towards creative and critical thinking using the various resources available on the app’s interactive and easy-to-use portal. Glogster Edu also customizes lessons and classroom activities targeted at building special skills in students, such as problem-solving skills and analytical thinking prowess. Developing a lesson plan around the resources that you find on Glogster Edu is thus one of the cleverest things you can do if you want your class to be involved in a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment.
- SchoolTube
Yeah, you guessed it right. SchoolTube is the educational counterpart of YouTube and works in similar ways. Plenty of teachers and school administrators swear by SchoolTube, and it is gradually emerging as one of the most popular digital education platforms. Students can post self-produced educational videos via a secure and moderated online environment on SchoolTube. The content of the videos ranges from theory-oriented lesson lectures (such as chemistry topics) or co-curricular tips (like soccer practice hacks).
SchoolTube helps students and teachers stay abreast of the latest happenings in their schools, along with fun and interactive videos posted by students. SchoolTube helps enliven the atmosphere in schools, creating a feeling of harmony between students and teachers. SchoolTube closely monitors the content of the videos; hence you do not have to worry about stumbling across inappropriate content.
- Flashcard Machine
There is no replacing good ol’ flashcards when it comes to improving your memory and designing bite-sized lessons for quick intake. The Flashcard Machine gives age-old flashcard traditions a modern twist with an updated and digitized version. Students and teachers can create and store flashcards of their choice using the Flashcard Machine and can exchange them in class as well.
While Flashcard Machine has plenty of ready-to-use flashcards for all subjects, you can customize your own as well. However, you need to avoid user-generated flashcards as they might not match the standards of your classroom needs. You can also reduce the carbon footprint of your classroom by going paper-free. Generate and share customizable flashcards through Flashcard Machine to help your pupils grasp difficult topics with ease.
- SelfCAD
If you are STEM teacher encountering difficulties in the classroom to get your students to submit their 3D CAD assignments, get online help from SelfCAD. A free cloud-based software package that is gradually making its way into the schooling system in the USA and New Zealand, SelfCAD can help solve plenty of classroom problems for most STEM teachers the entire world over. SelfCAD has teaching and learning resources for teachers and students alike.
SelfCAD, when coupled with MyMiniFactory, provides an endless database of completed 3D and printable materials for STEM subjects that you can use as learning resources in the classroom or as a reference to create your lesson plans. Thousands of 3D objects are already available on SelfCAD for 3D printing, and your students can add some more to the database by customizing the function as per their academic modules. Being really easy to operate, SelfCAD helps eliminate the initial apprehension in the minds of your pupils when they complete their first STEM project using the practical knowledge they learned in class.
- DK Instant Expert
DK brought out some of the best learning resources in the forms of books and encyclopedias when books were still cool. Cut to 2018, and more students are choosing Kindle over a paperback. Keeping pace with the times, DK has brought out its range of learning resources in the digital format as well. The DK Instant Expert work wonders when you want to share mini-lessons with your students.
It has PowerPoint features as well, and it lets you create informative and tailor-made presentations using resources from the DK books. E-books and handouts are also some of the basic features of DK Instant Expert, and they go a long way to increase student engagement in classes.
- Edmodo
Turning social networking sites by their heads, Edmodo is just the pal you need in classrooms. It helps you take your class online, and establish two-way communication channels. Sharing ideas, updating grades, and creating polls are just some of the fun uses of Edmodo. Post due dates for homework submission and keep a tab on your lesson plans for the week using Edmodo.
All you need to do to start using Edmodo is to register your classroom and invite parents, as per your plans. Posting test dates and organizing school tasks at home becomes an easy breeze with Edmodo. With classrooms taking the digital way the world over, it is time you make use of the time students are online to keep them notified of class activities, so it extends beyond school hours as well.
- National Geographic Education
National Geographic Education places special emphasis on geography, social studies and science classrooms. With a considerable amount of videos, images, lesson plans, activities and interactive games onboard, NatGeo Education provides quite dynamic forms of learning tools for teachers and students. Sign up for a tour, and you will discover interactive platforms that help you have fun while you learn.
Teachers can have a field day using NatGeo Education because it has shown high engagement rates in most classrooms. Create a pictograph or chart to show to your class with ideas from NatGeo Education, and you can be the star of your class for the day. Videos on NatGeo Education can help bring volcanoes, dinosaurs, and the Arctic ecosystem to life in your classroom. Hence, it is one of the best ways to bring about hi-tech learning tools to help your pupils learn faster.
- Coursera
A fun and informative app for students and teachers alike, Coursera is a haven of fabulous course materials. Coursera provides you with myriad learning resources that you can download. It has specially designed online courses for which you have to sign up to gain access to learning materials. There are plenty of lectures on a variety of subjects on Coursera, and they cover a wide range of academic modules taught in schools and colleges.
For students who need an extra hand with their subjects, Coursera is perfect for recapitulation lessons right after it is taught in class. As for teachers, Coursera offers plenty of ideas that you can implement in classrooms. That apart, teachers looking for updating their skill set can also sign up for online certification programs at Coursera. You will get a first-hand account of the digital way of learning in 2018, and have a globally recognized certification in your kitty – win-win!
- Class Dojo
Class Dojo brings you the way towards having well-behaved classrooms. It is a free communication and community building app that helps you stay a step ahead in behavioral management. As well-behaved classrooms are closely linked with faster learning, getting this app will help you manage a very crucial task as a teacher. Class Dojo enables you to keep track of classroom behavior for each pupil and lets you share the same with parents.
As behavioral management extends beyond the four walls of the classroom, Class Dojo lets you think outside the box with brilliant behavioral management techniques. Assign tasks, share behavior reports with parents, and build a positive academic community using Class Dojo. It can also help you come up with activities that foster cooperation in classrooms and a positive outlook towards learning among your pupils.
Parting words
Classrooms these days are gradually coming out of the traditional mold. With digital learning resources, school hours have also become more flexible; learning extends beyond what is taught in class as well. Matching steps with the current times, digital education tools have assisted many teachers and educationists earn those much-coveted brownie points from their classes. Students love learning in an interactive environment, and digital education tools these days provide them with just the right platform to spread their wings. Use the 10 digital education tools mentioned in this post, and you will see a marked improvement in engagement as well as performance patterns of your pupils. Good luck with modernizing your classroom with digital education tools!
Author bio: Jennifer Lee is a blogger & dissertation help expert at MyEssayHelp.co.uk. She writes for a wide variety of topics including Digital Marketing, Health, Fitness, and Technology.
