BlogTeaching Resources15 Best Innovative Tech Tools for Teachers

15 Best Innovative Tech Tools for Teachers

As teachers, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to make our lessons more engaging or to streamline the endless administrative tasks that come with teaching. In today’s digital age, educators’ quest for effective classroom solutions is universal. The good news is that the right tech tools for teachers can transform these challenges into opportunities for innovation and engagement.

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This blog will take you through a curated list of the best tech tools for teachers to elevate the educational experience. By integrating these tools into your teaching practice, you can save precious time and create a more dynamic and inclusive learning environment. Let’s explore how these innovative solutions can help you bring out the best in your students and yourself.

15 Best Tech Tools for Teachers

1. SplashLearn

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SplashLearn is one of the best free tech tools for teachers that revolutionizes the classroom with an engaging, adaptive platform for math, reading and early skills instruction, making learning personalized and fun. With over 10,000 educational games and worksheets, SplashLearn ensures a rich variety of content to cater to different learning styles and levels.

Features for Teachers:

  • Uninterrupted Teaching: Ensures seamless integration with your rostering tools for both remote and in-class teaching.
  • Parent Involvement: Engages parents by sharing insights into student progress and alerts, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
  • Instructional Differentiation: Identifies learning gaps, facilitates student grouping, and evaluates lesson effectiveness for targeted instruction.
  • Personalized Learning Plans: Adapts to every student’s unique needs, offering personalized practice to bridge learning gaps.
  • Class Progress Insights: Provides detailed analytics on class performance, enabling tailored and more effective teaching strategies.
  • Customizable Lesson Plans: Offers customizable lesson plans to meet the diverse needs of your classroom.
  • Interactive Virtual Learning Tools: Incorporates a variety of interactive virtual learning tools that make online education more engaging and effective. 

Price: Free

Best for: Personalized learning, parent engagement, assessing student progress, and interactive virtual learning.

OS: Web

2. Edpuzzle

Homepage of Edpuzzle

Edpuzzle is a standout among teaching tech tools, offering a unique platform that allows teachers to create interactive video lessons. With Edpuzzle, educators can take any video from the web, including those from popular platforms like YouTube, and customize them with quizzes, comments, and voiceovers. This customization makes lessons more engaging and allows for real-time feedback and assessment

Price: Free version available; Pro version pricing varies by school size starting from

13.50$ Per month

Best for: Interactive video lessons and student engagement.

OS: Web, iOS, Android

3. Pear Deck

Homepage of Pear Deck

Pear Deck is an innovative addition to classroom tech tools designed to enhance presentations with real-time student interaction. Teachers can create slides and add interactive questions or polls that students can respond to from their devices. This immediate feedback loop helps keep students engaged and allows teachers to assess understanding and adjust instruction. Pear Deck integrates seamlessly with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, making it a versatile tool for any classroom setting.

Price: Basic version is free; Premium features require a subscription starting from 125$ annually

Best for: Interactive presentations and formative assessments.

OS: Web-based

4. Google Classroom

Dashboard in Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a cornerstone of useful technology for teachers. It streamlines managing and organizing assignments, fosters communication, and facilitates student collaboration. It allows teachers to distribute and grade assignments paperlessly, share resources, and create a class calendar to keep everyone on track. Google Classroom’s simplicity and integration with other Google tools make it an invaluable resource for educators looking to organize their classrooms digitally.

Price: Free for schools using Google Workspace for Education.

Best for: Classroom management and communication.

OS: Web, iOS, Android

5. ClassDojo

Homepage of ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a classroom communication app designed to help teachers, students, and parents share what’s being learned in the classroom through photos, videos, and messages. It’s one of the teacher tech tools that focuses on building positive classroom communities, encouraging student engagement, and facilitating seamless communication between teachers and parents. With features like classroom-related updates, encouragement of positive feedback, and a platform for students to showcase their work, ClassDojo makes classroom management more effective and inclusive.

Price: Free 

Best for: Classroom management, parent communication.

OS: Web, iOS, Android.

Related Reading: Best Strategies to Better Engage With Students

6. Seesaw

Homepage of Seesaw

Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio tool that empowers students to document what they are learning at school independently. As one of the technology tools for teachers, it allows students to use photos, videos, drawings, text notes, and links to show their learning. Teachers can gain insights into student progress and provide personalized feedback. Moreover, Seesaw facilitates family engagement by sharing student work, thus bridging the gap between classroom and home.

Price: Free version available; Seesaw Plus and Seesaw for Schools with additional features at a cost.

Best for: Student portfolios, family engagement.

OS: Web, iOS, Android.

7. Prezi

Homepage of Prezi

Prezi stands out among tech resources for teachers by offering a dynamic, zoomable canvas that makes presentations engaging and storytelling more vivid. Unlike traditional slide-based presentation tools, Prezi allows you to move freely between topics, keeping your audience more engaged. It’s perfect for teachers who bring creativity into their lessons and presentations, with features that support collaborative creation and interactive discussions.

Price: 3$-5$ per month

Best for: Interactive presentations, creative projects.

OS: Web, with viewers available for iOS, Android

Related Reading: Storytelling for Kids: Benefits, Books, and More

8. Padlet

Homepage of Padlet

Padlet is a versatile digital canvas that offers a flexible space for students and teachers to collaborate, share ideas, and showcase work. As one of the top tech tools for teachers, it supports various content types, including text, images, videos, and documents, making it ideal for brainstorming, project planning, and creating interactive lessons. Its simplicity and adaptability make it a valuable resource for enhancing collaboration and creativity in the classroom.

Price: Free 

Best for: Collaboration, project-based learning.

OS: Web, iOS, Android

Related Reading: How to Build Project-Based Learning Plans for Classrooms

9. Flip

Homepage of Flip

Flip is a social learning platform that allows students to create and share video responses to teacher-posted prompts, fostering a vibrant, interactive learning community. It stands out among tech tools for teachers by encouraging student voice and offering a new way to engage with content, peers, and educators. Flipgrid is particularly effective for discussions, reflections, and sharing learning experiences, making it a powerful tool for active learning.

Price: Free

Best for: Student engagement, video discussions.

OS: Web, iOS, Android

Related Reading: Best Active Learning Strategies for Kids in the Classroom

10. Mural

Homepage of Mural

Mural is a digital workspace for visual collaboration, enabling teams (including classroom groups) to innovate and manage projects using digital sticky notes, diagrams, and images. It’s recognized as one of the tech tools for teachers that facilitates creative thinking and collaborative problem-solving. With Mural, teachers can organize brainstorming sessions, design thinking workshops, and planning activities in a visually engaging environment.

Price: 9.99$ per month

Best for: Visual collaboration, creative projects.

OS: Web

11. Trello

Homepage of Trello

Trello offers a flexible, easy-to-use project management platform that helps teachers organize tasks, projects, and classroom activities through boards, lists, and cards. This tool simplifies the tracking of assignments, project progress, and deadlines, making it a staple among tech tools for teachers. Trello’s visual layout and customizable features support individual and collaborative work, helping teachers and students stay organized and focused.

Price: Free; paid plans starting from 5$ per month for more features.

Best for: Task management, project organization.

OS: Web, iOS, Android.

12. Paymo

Homepage of Paymo

Paymo is a work management platform that goes beyond traditional project management, offering features like task management, time tracking, and invoicing. It’s particularly useful for educators managing multiple projects or collaborative classroom activities. By streamlining the organization of tasks and tracking the time spent on each project, Paymo stands out as a practical tool for educators looking to optimize their workflow and manage classroom projects efficiently.

Price: Free for schools, paid plans for teams with additional features starting from 4.95$ per month.

Best for: Project management, time tracking.

OS: Web, iOS, Android

13. Socrative

Homepage of Socrative

Socrative is an interactive assessment tool that allows teachers to create quizzes, polls, and games to gauge student understanding in real-time. Its simplicity and effectiveness in providing immediate feedback make it a valuable asset in the classroom. Socrative supports a variety of question types, enabling teachers to assess students’ learning in a fun and engaging way, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience.

Price: 89.990$-179.99$ annually

Best for: Real-time assessment, interactive quizzes

OS: Web, iOS, Android

14. Mentimeter

Homepage of Menimeter

Mentimeter is an interactive presentation tool that enables teachers to engage their audience with live polls, quizzes, word clouds, and Q&A sessions. It’s an excellent way to make lectures more interactive and to gather feedback or opinions from students in real-time. Mentimeter fosters a more dynamic and participatory learning environment by incorporating students’ input into presentations.

Price: Free; paid plans starting from 11.99$ per month for more features.

Best for: Interactive presentations, live polling.

OS: Web

15. Learn Around the World

Homepage of Learn Around the World

Learn Around the World offers a unique educational experience by connecting classrooms with virtual field trips and global guest speakers. This platform allows students to explore new cultures, environments, and perspectives without leaving their classroom. It’s an innovative way to bring global education into the classroom, encouraging curiosity and understanding among students about the world around them.

Price: Free

Best for: Virtual field trips, global education.

OS: Web

How to Choose the Best Tech Tool for Yourself as a Teacher

1. Identify Your Goals

Determine what you want to achieve with the tech tool. Is it to enhance engagement, improve understanding, facilitate communication, or something else? Your goal will guide your choice.

2. Consider the Age Group

Choose tools that are age-appropriate. The tool should match the cognitive and developmental stages of your students to ensure it’s both accessible and challenging.

3. Ease of Use

Opt for tools with intuitive interfaces. If a tool is too complicated, it can become a barrier to learning rather than a facilitator. Simple, user-friendly tools are more likely to be embraced by both teachers and students.

4. Engagement Factor

Look for tools that will actively engage your students. Interactive features, gamification elements, and multimedia capabilities can make learning more enjoyable and effective.

5. Educational Value

Ensure the tool has clear educational benefits. It should support curriculum objectives and enhance the learning experience, not just be “fun” without substance.

6. Cost-Effectiveness

Consider your budget. Many excellent tools offer free versions with basic features that are often sufficient. Weigh the benefits of paid features against their cost.

7. Feedback and Assessment

Choose tools that offer feedback and assessment features. Being able to track progress and understand areas of improvement is crucial for effective learning.

8. Privacy and Security

Prioritize tools that are compliant with privacy laws and have strong security measures in place to protect student information.

9. Compatibility and Integration

The tool should work well with the devices and systems your school uses. Also, consider whether it integrates with other tools you’re already using.

Conclusion 

The right tech tools for teachers can significantly enhance the learning experience, making education more engaging, interactive, and accessible for students. By carefully selecting helpful educational tech tools that aligns with your educational goals and needs, you can transform your teaching and help your students thrive in a digital world.

Related Reading: Best Classroom Management Tools

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is technology as a teaching tool?

Technology as a teaching tool refers to the use of digital devices, software, and the internet to facilitate and enhance learning. It includes a wide range of resources like educational apps, websites, and interactive whiteboards to support instruction and engage students.

What is the most used technology in the classroom?

The most used technology in the classroom is often interactive whiteboards or smartboards, followed closely by tablets and laptops. These tools have become fundamental in creating interactive and engaging learning experiences for students.

How often do teachers use technology in the classroom?

Teachers’ use of technology in the classroom varies widely but has been increasing steadily over the years. Many educators incorporate technology into their daily lessons, using it for everything from presenting new material to facilitating assessments and encouraging student collaboration.

AUTHOR
Amy Gill
Amy Gill is a Contributing Editor at SplashLearn. As a former teacher, she likes to write about education reforms, edtech and how to make learning more fun for children.
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