Tech Tools for Remote and In-Person Instruction

Education

More than 250 Free Apps for Educators!

With schools engaging in remote and face-to-face instruction and in some places both, I decided it was time to update my list of free tech tools. This list includes web, iOS, and Android apps and a few extensions and add-ons that can be used for remote and in-person instruction. The apps have been catergorized to make it easy to find the tool that fits your needs and for most of the apps a brief description of what each app can do is included. Many of these apps have paid versions that have features outside of the scope of what the free versions offer but I have found that the free versions work very well for school settings and beyond.

Need an alternative to an application on this list? Check out alternativeTo for an alternative. Common Sense Education also provides reviews and ratings of many educational tools.

What are some of your favorite tech tools for remote and in-person learning? Please comment to share any tools you feel should be added to the list.

Videos

  • Biteable – Create animated, live action or photo filled videos.  You can also insert text, photos, colors and sound!
  • MySimpleShow – Create a simple video to explain things in a short, funny, and informative fashion. You can even develop the show from a PowerPoint of 20 slides or less (Web)
  • Storybird – Quickly create visual stories (Web)
  • VivaVideo – Create a video story that can be edited (iPhone/ Android)
  • Slide Presenter – Simply talk and record to add video and/or audio to your document or presentation (Note: formerly Present.me so functions similarly) (PPT) (Web)
  • Movie Maker – Create videos. Simply talk and record to add video and/or audio to your document or presentation. Can be used for podcasts. May require download.
  • Videolicious – Make a video in seconds just tap and talk (Note: 1 minute length/ 10 supporting shots, and 1 sound bite). (Web/iPhone/iPad)
  • iMovie – Create, browse and share movies created on an iOS device. Can be used for podcasts. (Note: Only some versions are free, comes installed on the phone)
  • Masher – Put together photos, video, text, and effects (Web)
  • WeVideo – Video editing (Note: This tool is no longer free but you can try it for free) (Chrome/Android)
  • Splice – Mix video clips, music, photos, visual & sound effects, text, audio, and voice-overs (iOS only)
  • Stupeflix – Video with music and text, also can add maps, custom transitions and voice over (Web)
  • Flipagram Labs – Allows for putting together short “video” stories from your photos (iPad/Android)
  • Flipgrid

Videos – With Advanced Special Effects

  • Jahshaka – Video with editing and effects, but must download to use (Windows/ OsX/Linux)
  • iMajiCam – Create videos with video effects in real time (iPad/iPhone/iPod)
  • Action Movie FX – Place “Hollywood effects” into a video you have already recorded, can also record a video and add the effect (example: an explosion) (Note: Some options are free) (iPhone/iPad)
  • Super Power FX – Add in “Super Hero Power” effects to your videos (iPhone/iPad)

Videos – Screencast Recording

  • Screencast-o-matic – Create a screencast recording 15 mins max (Note: Depending on your school’s settings you may not be able to save your video.)  (Web – Windows/Mac)
  • Screencastify – Screencast recording (Note: free version 10 mins per video) (Chrome)

Videos – Whiteboard Recording

  • Educreations – Record voice and iPad screen to create video lessons that are shareable (iPad)
  • ShowMe – Record whiteboard tutorials with voice over that can also be shared online (iPad)

Videos – Animated

  • Voki – Video can last up to 60 seconds using the free version (Web)
  • Tellagami – Video can last up to 30 seconds using the free version (iPhone)
  • Animaker Beta – Unlimited animated videos (Note: 2 minute length and limited characters using the free version) (Web)
  • Wideo – Put together animated videos in a flash/includes templates (Note: only 30 seconds of video is free) (Web)
  • Plotagon – Create a 3-D animated video (iPhone/iPad)
  • Facetalker – Use a face and make it talk
  • Blabberize – Use a picture and blabberize it (Web)
  • Myidol – Take your picture and customize it into an avatar which you can use to direct your own show (iOS)
  • Insta3D – Turn you into an avatar from a selfie (iPhone/iPad)

Video or Presentations

  • Kizoa – Create slide shows, collages, or videos
  • Emaze – 2D & 3D online presentation software (Web)
  • Powtoon – Online animated videos and presentations (Note: Cannot use locked content if you do you cannot export your work) (Web)
  • Moovly – Create animated videos or presentations (Web)
  • Animoto – Use photos and video + music to create slideshows (lite version – 30 sec./free trial) (Web)
  • GoAnimate – Make professional animated presentations and videos (Note: Only some templates are free – free for 14 days and then you CANNOT edit or download your video) (Web)
  • Renderforest – Create slideshows, use animation, add music, etc (Note: Cannot simply view video (with free version) have to download to view and it takes a minute) (Web)

Presentations

  • Visme –  Create presentations, infographics, charts, reports, and more!
  • Canva – Design flyers, posters, E-magazines, E-books, social media covers, blog graphics, presentations, etc (iPad/Web) (Some options and templates can be used and shared for free)
  • Haiku Deck – Presentation software (iPad/Web)
  • Flowvella – Presentations are interactive and can contain documents, videos, galleries, links, PDFs, and navigation (Note: Can get four public flows) (iPhone/iPad/Mac/Web)
  • Photo Peach – Create slide shows with pictures and text (Note: Cannot download finished product without purchasing the premium version)
  • Prezi – Can be used for presentations as well as for an E-portfolio (iPad/Web)
  • Keynote – Apple’s version of PowerPoint (Note: Free on some devices) (iPhone/iPad/Mac)
  • SnapGuide – Create a How to Guide with pictures & videos, can also add captions (iOS/Web)
  • Genially – Useful for making presentations and infographics too
  • Pear Deck – Can be used in conjunction with Google Slides

Video and Presentation Related Tools

  • Slidemania – Can access templates and themes for PowerPoint and Google Slides
  • Presefy – Store presentations securely in the cloud, also gives the presenter the ability to broadcast the presentation
  • Periscope – Broadcast live video from any where (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch/Android)
  • SlideShark – Simply upload a PowerPoint file to your online account and the slides are automatically converted to a mobile format. The app can be used to download and show your presentation on your mobile device, projector, or broadcast over the web. It has the ability to share an online version of your presentation for others to view on-demand, anytime from any device, and track viewing results.
  • SlideShare – Upload and share presentations, infographics, documents, videos, PDFs, and webinars. (Android/Web)
  • View Pure – Watch clean YouTube videos
  • Ted – Educational videos galore
  • Loom – Screen share

Interactive Video

  • EdPuzzle – Take or make a video and add questions, etc
  • Zaption – Embed questions for students to answer in a video

Audio/Podcasts

Screenshots and Screen share

  • Jing – Share images and videos of your computer screen
  • Awesome Screenshot – Capture screenshots only (Web – Chrome, Firefox and Safari

Find Pictures/Photos

Picture/Photo Gallery

  • JAlbum – Creates slides of pictures a sort of photo gallery (Note: Free trial only)

Whiteboard

Drawing

Cartoon/Comics

Games/Assessments

  • Nearpod – Create and download presentations and lessons to share with students, students can interact (answer questions) and teachers can receive data on students (iPad/Android/Web)
  • Socrative – Create and share online quizzes, surveys, and games (Android/Web)
  • Act it Out – Game (Google)
  • GradeCam – Grade assessments quicker
  • Plickers – Collect real time formative assessment data with or without mobile devices in a game format (iPad/iPhone/Android)
  • Factile – Create an online Jeopardy game (Web)
  • FlipQuiz – Create a game show style game board for review game
  • Quizizz – Games and quizzes online (similar to Kahoot! (Quizziz is Kahoot 2.0 – but allows students to see their answers on their device, etc)
  • Kahoot! – Online quizzes & games (iPad/Android/Web)
  • Quizalize – Create games and quizzes
  • Go Formative

Posters

Infographics 

To Do List/Calendar

Online Meetings and Collaboration

  • Chatzy – Back channel for communication
  • Ning – Set up a social network
  • Fuze – Make calls and host and attend online meetings/web conferences with up to 25 people (Android/iOS)
  • Google Meet – Have group conversations and meetings (Android/iOS/Web)
  • Zoom – Great tool for online meetings and webinars

Communication

  • Groupme – Send group texts which allows for sharing of videos, photos, etc
  • WhatsApp – Text message people all over the world

Flash Cards

  • Quizlet – Create and use study tools such as flash cards, tests, games, etc (Web)
  • Flippity.net – Turn a Google spreadsheet into online flashcards.
  • Evernote Peek – Turn images, notes, audio, etc into materials for study. (iPad)

Social Media Story

  • Storify – Allows for the creation of stories from social media posts (Web)
  • Tagboard – Track hashtags – Can search and collect (Web)

E-book or E-Magazine

  • Madmagz – (Note: Provides only one template)
  • Flipsnack – Create digital publications such as magazines and books (Web)
  • Joomag – Professional online publication editor
  • zinepal – Create an E-book and/or turn your website or blog into an E-book or E-magazine
  • Simple Booklets – Make web booklets – Can be  used as an E-portfolio (Note: Teachers can use for free for limited time only)
  • Fodey Newspaper Clipping Generator – Generates a newspaper clipping from text you enter up to 175 words (Web)
  • Book Creator

News

  • Zite – Articles from the web tailored for you based on your likes and dislikes and areas of interest (iPad/Android)
  • Flipboard – A personal magazine, filled with the things you care about. A single place to discover, collect and share news of importance to you (iPad/ Android/ Web)
  • Wibbitz – Receive news as a video summary (iPhone/iPad/iPod)
  • Newsela – News articles aligned to standards

Videos (Pre-made for viewing)

  • Ted – Short videos on various topics (Android/Web)
  • SchoolTube – Videos from students and teachers

Read Books Online

Read Magazines Online

  • Zinio – Read digital magazines (Note: Free from many local libraries) (iPad/Android/Web)

Photo Collage or Compilation

  • Camera 2 – Photo app, can record and change the way the video looks based on different time periods 1980’s, etc, has lots of cool filters
  • PicCollage – Create a photo collage of your pictures with background and text options (Andorid/iPad/iPhone)

Reading, Writing, &/or Notes

  • Evernote – For notes, writing, capture photos, record audio, with searchable entries. Can also be used as an digital portfolio. (Android/iOS/Web)
  • Simplenote
  • Grammarly – Makes suggestions to correct grammar and spelling errors

Online Forms & Surveys

  • Wufoo – Create and share basic online forms with limited number of responses
  • Typeform – Create online forms that are mobile ready;Has a template gallery

Music

  • Freegal – Stream and download free music, movies, and videos (Note: Available free through many local libraries) (iPad/Android/Web)
  • Creative Commons – Find free music and images
  • Freesound – Find free music
  • SoundCloud – Music & audio
  • Spotify – Listen to playlists in order but only so many skips per hour
  • Pandora – Listen to music based on artists or genres
  • Vimeo – Watch, upload, and share videos (ad free) (Web)
  • YouTube – An oldie but a goodie with millions of videos

Group Maker

  • Make My Groups – Put people in to groups with this app
  • Team Shake – Put students in groups based on rosters and put them into certain groups (iPhone/iPad/Android)

Word Cloud Generator 

Digital Portfolios/E-Portfolios (E-folios)

  • Seesaw
  • Shown’d – Portfolio for illustrations, photos, videos, etc
  • Mahara – EPortfolio
  • Learner Journey
  • FolioSpaces – Free e-portfolio with 2GB of storage
  • eduClipper – Portfolio tool allows students to create portfolios of things they have clipped (aka bookmarked) online.
  • WeLearnedIt – Create digital portfolios that contain files from Google Drive, Dropbox, links from the web, images and videos captured with iPad, and whiteboard videos created within the app. (iPad)
  • ThreeRing – Digital environment for capturing, storing, and using educational artifacts and documenting learning. Capture anything, regardless of format. Students can take a picture of any paper, drawing, or board work and Record presentations or discussions with audio or video. Students can upload their own work from any mobile device or computer. (iPad/Web)
  • Live Binders – Online binder to organize links and files – allows upload of documents on shelves, can copy other binders
  • Zoho docs – Document management (create, store, share, and collaborate), can be used for an E-portfolio or for a presentation

Curation Tools/Online Cork boards

  • Popplet – Virtual wall thoughts can be connected – Must login to use (Free version: limited to 5 popplets)
  • Padlet – Virtual wall on the web that allows for collaboration and posting of videos, files, links etc
  • Scoop.it – Search for discover and curate information from the web – you can also add your own comments. Can post on social media with one click. Also can be used for an E-portfolio
  • Tacck – Virtual tack board for everything – can create blog posts, webpage, flyers, and more with pictures, media, maps, etc
  • Lino – Add sticky notes and photos to a virtual board. Also can be used to curate info.
  • Pinterest – Online pin board (IPad/Android/Web)
  • Noteapp
  • Spaaze
  • TuzzIt
  • Trello – (Note: Have to upgrade in order to add pictures)
  • Wakelet

Websites

  • Webs – Website
  • Weebly – Website or blog (Web)
  • Tumblr – Website or blog (iPad/Android/Web)
  • WordPress – Blog or website (iPad/Android/Web)
  • Wix
  • Google Sites – Websites created and hosted through Google.

Blog

  • Flavors.me – Personal website or blog that allows you to combine your social media sites, photos, videos, etc without ads
  • Blogger – Blog (Google)
  • Tumblr – Website or blog (iPad/Android/Web)
  • Edublogger – Blog

Online Resumes 

Social Media/Marketing

  • HootSuite – Allows users to quickly and easily share content to their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn from anywhere on the web. In the current window, users can highlight text, share content, images and videos easily. (Chrome & Firefox)
  • StayFocusd – Limits the amount of time spent roaming the web. Users can set it to block certain sites, allow some and restrict browsing by time. There’s even a “Nuclear Option” that can block access to the entire internet. (Chrome)
  • AdBlockPlus – Blocks video ads on YouTube, Facebook ads, banners and much more (Chrome)
  • Tweetdeck – Simply login to twitter using tweet deck and you can customize how everything is displayed including hashtags you are monitoring and your dashboard

Quote Generator

Image Editor/Illustrator

Link & File sharing

  • Dropittome – Quick and easy online file sharing especially great for sharing large files (Web)
  • Flick – Share documents, videos, and images between iPads, iPhones, iPods, and Macs and other devices by a flick

Bookmarking 

  • Symbaloo – Bookmark with large buttons that take site visitors to websites
  • Diiago – Social bookmarking tool – can link to blogs, etc

Timers

  • Online Stopwatch – Online timers/ stop watch options (Web)
  • Classroom Timer Lite– Online Stopwatch app (iPhone/iPad)
  • Countdown Timer – Countdown timer – can add a soundtrack
  • Online Timer –  Digital look timer. can adjust the background colors and size of the clock, can only set the timer in minute increments
  • Tick Tock Timer – Plug in the numbers for the time, and then start or clear your time but it is small on the screen
  • Egg Timer – Enter in the time in words and press go. The timer then takes up the ENTIRE screen
  • iPad Online Countdown Timer –  Large on the screen timer and can be adjusted by using +/- buttons.
  • Timerland – Farm animals will fill the screen as the clock runs – fun for younger kids

Create, Take, or Manage Online Courses 

Adobe Apps

Google Apps – Google is your one stop source for several apps such as:

Miscellaneous

  • Classroom Screen – Tool for managing a virtual classroom
  • Insert Learning – Allow users to interact with content such as articles by inserting questions, videos, etc
  • Doctopus – (Add-on) to organize student work
  • Flocabulary – A source for educational songs, videos, and activities
  • Noisedown – Keep track of the noise level in the classroom sounds an alert when level gets to loud (iPhone)
  • ThreeRing – Digital environment for capturing, storing, and using educational artifacts and documenting learning. Capture anything, regardless of format. Students can take a picture of any paper, drawing, or board work and Record presentations or discussions with audio or video. Students can upload their own work from any mobile device or computer. (iPad/Web)
  • Online Voice Recorder – Record your voice and save the recording
  • Class Dojo – Record behaviors and accomplishments in class – Award and recognize student successes / Provide real-time feedback. Share data with parents and students. Parents, teachers and students can sign up.
  • Class Kick – Students work on a teacher-made Class Kick assignment on their iPads, teachers see every students’ work progressing all at once. Students can privately raise hands, teachers give individualized, real-time student feedback.(iPad)
  • Smore – Online flyer, newsletter, that can be linked to a webpage
  • MentorMob – share “educational playlists”
  • BrainPop
  • QR Code Generator
  • Skitch – Use shapes and sketches; Mark up info
  • Class Charts
  • Spritzinc – Reading app
  • Chirp – Airdrop files
  • World lens – Translates text automatically through the camera (Android)
  • Eyejot – Create and send video mail (Web/iPhone/iPod)
  • Voxer – Two-way radios that can be used across the world
  • Rightinbox – Email scheduling and reminders (Web)
  • ColorSchemer – Select colors; complementary and beyond
  • Spiral
  • Mango Languages – Language learning program (free through many local libraries)
  • Goobric
  • StoryCorps.Me
  • Symbaloo
  • Blendspace – Create digital lesson plans with links, quizzes, PPTs, PDFs and more embedded in one place
  • Microsoft Pix Camera
  • Geogebra – Illustrate mathematical problems
  • Desmos – Allows students to join a math activity online and teachers to get feedback

Published by Dr. Yvette Dupree

Workforce Education PhD | Educator | Marketing Enthusiast | Community Leader

Published

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