Ed Tech for ELA

Schoology

Schoology is my go to classroom management tool. Tests, homework, and written work are all submitted through schoology. Students have access to course information and assignments from anywhere they find themselves with their device and internet access. Test results are immediate except for those that require teacher grading like short answer, constructed response, and essay questions. Tests can be imported from other utilities like Blackboard or Examview. My tests have been constructed in Examview for years and these easily import into Schoology.

Quizlet

Quizlet has been a got to formative assessment and learning tool for me for years. Especially the new Quizlet Live feature keeps students engaged and is a great asset to go to for five or ten minutes when students need to get up and move around. I have made Quizlet vocabulary lists for years that I have incorporated into tests that can then be auto graded in Schoology. Especially the new live feature is impressive. Kids love it and they have recently added a feature that allows the assigning of teams (originally teams were only randomly assigned).

Kahoot!

Kahoot is a great way to give give formative assessments (or summative as I have occasionally used it) and keeps students active and engaged in the learning. It is among the

NoRedInk

No Red Ink is a grammar practice app that allows students to drag-and-drop commas and such for practical exercises in grammar. The analytics feature on No Red Ink is fantastic and it uses a student interest inventory when they sign on to incorporate their interests into the lesson material.

Nearpod

Nearpod is an awesome program that presents the lesson on student devices after they input a code. Student mark-ups on images and text can then be pushed out to every device at once or presented by computer screen projection in front of the class. It now offers a robust VR dimension. This is the real deal.

PlayPosit

Play Posit is a video editing, quizzing, instruction software program like Zaption or Edpuzzle. It can be added to the sidebar in Schoology which is what makes it a favorite for me currently (Zaption is no longer in business, but your Zaptions can be imported).

ClassDojo

This is a classroom management tool that allows you to track student behavior in a fun way. Whole classes or single students can be given positive feedback on behavior and parents and students can follow through the app. Much more hear than that, however. Student work can be uploaded, videos, and images to share or show progress. It can also be used to keep attendance.

Zaption

Zaption is now defunct (or soon to be). It is a video instruction app like Play Posit or EDpuzzle.

EDpuzzle

EDpuzzle, like Zaption and Play Posit is a video instruction tool. Great analytics and easy to use.

Actively Learn

Actively learn is an independent reading library that allows questions or tasks to be placed in the text as the instructor chooses.

Curriculet

Curriculet, like Actively Learn, is an independent reading library that allows questions or tasks to be placed in the text as the instructor chooses. It is reportedly defunct. Actively Learn is the new alternative.

myON

MyON is a learning platform offering enhanced digital content for readers. It has embedded metrics to monitor reading activity and growth.

Google Cardboard

Inexpensive VR glasses.

ClassDojo for Students

Student App for Class Dojo.

Stick Pick

Stick Pick is a great little app to randomly select students to be called upon in verbal response situations. The student's names need to be entered for the class and then a name is chosen at random with the shake of your smartphone. Student's sticks who have been called upon already will be removed from the can (is you choose this setting) to be sure everyone is getting a turn.

ReadWorks

One of my go to sites for informational texts. This a site similar to Newsela.

Newsela

Like Read Works, Newsela contains a library of reading selections the lexile level of which a teacher can set. They too now have a feature that allows you to set up a class and assign texts and tasks. Great stuff!

Quizalize

Quizalize is an amazing app that, among other things, allows you to import vocabulary lists from Quizlet and turns them into a multiple choice test. Students can go to zzi.sh and type in the class code and start testing in a competitive model. As students answer question, The Quizalet/ZZish partnership displays student progress on screen and runs analytics in the background. There is a fantastic gradebook feature as well. For formative assessments, this is among the best ed tech out there. And it's fun!

formative

Formative is an easy to use and versatile application for pushing out material to students through devices. It almost could not be easier to use and can incorporate image and document files into a lesson in the blink of an eye (just drag-and-drop any PDF or Doc file and it can be tagged with tasks ranging from multiple choice questions to student drawings. Anyone looking for a simple exit ticket tool should fall in love here. There are a few ready-made general response type questions that can make the exit ticket collection a cinch.

Classkick

A well-done application to allow for the pushing out material to devices and collaborating live with students. Not as feature rich as Formative and Nearpod in my estimation--or possessing the ease of use, but distinguishes itself with the instant student feedback feature.

Seesaw: The Learning Journal

Another popular application for pushing out material and collaborating real time, but not so user friendly as those of a similar class such as Formative, Classkick, or Nearpod.

I Love PDF

This thing does it all with PDFs.

PowerSchool Assessment

Google Drive

Prezi

Google Docs

Quizizz

Quizizz is a great piece of edtech for drill-and-practice and testing. Students log in through any device with internet access and a browser and input a code to complete a timed multiple choice test. The statistics come in live for the group and the data can be readily parsed upon completion to look for areas in which the class or individual students are struggling. Fantastic tool and engaging for students!