Transform Your Classroom: Discover Fun & Free Educational Tools

Modern tools are revolutionizing our daily activities. From meditation apps to culinary websites and technologies that connect us globally, these tools have become indispensable in our lives, even though they were unimaginable just a decade ago.

In this post, we’re exploring several innovative tools designed specifically for classroom use. These resources are not only educational and engaging but also completely free. We strongly encourage you to try them out and see their benefits for yourself.

1. Kahoot

Kahoot! is a dynamic online learning platform boasting over 100 million activities for students to engage with. It’s a perfect tool for introducing some friendly competition into the classroom. When students know a quiz is coming up, they may even review material in advance—not just to revise, but to ensure they can outperform their peers.

The platform’s game-like environment encourages students to stay focused, participate actively, and absorb new information. Another great feature is that teachers can create their own quizzes. If the extensive library of 100 million quizzes doesn’t have what you need, you can easily design a quiz tailored to your lesson.

Monitoring quiz results can also provide insights into students’ understanding. For instance, if many students miss a question about centripetal forces, it signals that the topic may need to be revisited.

2. Socrative

  1. Socrative takes the concept of educational activities to the next level, much like Kahoot!, but with additional features that enhance the learning experience. This tool is of exceptional quality, and we highly recommend it.

Here’s how it works: a teacher assigns an activity, and students complete it on their individual computers or tablets. From the students’ perspective, these activities are far from mundane; they’re designed to be as thrilling and engaging as possible, keeping students absorbed rather than distracted or bored.

For teachers, Socrative provides real-time feedback directly on your screen. You can monitor each student’s responses, noting who answers correctly or incorrectly and how long they ponder a question. You can easily track who is excelling and who might need more support. This level of interactive, real-time data is something previous generations of teachers could only imagine.

While Socrative may not have as many activities as Kahoot!, it excels in providing immediate, actionable insights. After using it in just a few classes, you might find it indispensable, wondering how you ever managed without it.

3. FlipGrid

FlipGrid is quite unique compared to the other tools we’ve discussed. It’s a platform that allows teachers to create secure online groups where students can express themselves by creating short videos.

For instance, you could set up a group for your geography class and post a question like, “Where would you most like to go on vacation?” Students can then respond by uploading videos sharing their ideal destinations—one might talk about visiting the pyramids in Egypt, while another could describe skiing down Mount Everest.

This interaction not only allows students to view and respond to each other’s videos, fostering a sense of community and collaboration, but it also enhances the learning environment by making it more engaging and memorable. Students are encouraged to use props, costumes, and in-app filters to enrich their video presentations.

For those who are uncomfortable on camera, FlipGrid provides alternatives such as sharing audio messages or even text-based responses. However, many students thrive with FlipGrid, especially those who tend to be quieter in a traditional classroom setting; they often become more animated and expressive when given the opportunity to create and share videos.

4. Padlet

Similar to FlipGrid, Padlet offers a collaborative and secure community space for students, but with a different twist. Instead of a platform for sharing videos, Padlet acts as a digital bulletin board where students can create vibrant, visual displays.

Take the geography example again: you could ask your students to pick a vacation destination they’d like to visit. Each student can then find a photo of that location and upload it to a Padlet board. Before you know it, you have a colorful display filled with images from fascinating places all over the world.

Padlet’s versatility doesn’t stop there; it’s also great for mind-mapping, note-taking, and lesson planning, among other uses. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible for all age groups, and it supports various media types, including text, images, and videos.

Padlet is one of those exceptional tools that make you wonder, “How did I not know about this sooner?” Now that you do, it’s sure to enhance your teaching and lead to some engaging and effective lessons in the future.

5. GeoGebra

Now, let’s dive into mathematics with GeoGebra, a comprehensive suite of tools that includes a vast bank of activities, a graphing platform, and a collaborative whiteboard for interactive learning between teachers and students.

GeoGebra offers over a million high-quality activities and supports multiple languages, making it suitable for various age groups and educational levels. Whether it’s geometry, algebra, statistics, or calculus, students can engage deeply by plotting functions, drawing shapes, and analyzing data sets. Essentially, if it involves mathematics, GeoGebra likely has the tools to explore it.

Additionally, the platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, facilitating seamless integration into classroom settings. Here at CodeMonkey, we’re huge proponents of GeoGebra’s innovative approach to learning math, and we’re not alone in our admiration. Over the years, GeoGebra has garnered numerous awards, underscoring its effectiveness and popularity in the educational community.

6. TypingClub

In today’s digital age, typing is an indispensable skill. Almost everyone types daily, whether in personal contexts or professionally. For a comprehensive solution to teaching typing, TypingClub is an excellent choice. This web-based application is well-designed, user-friendly, and effective in improving typing skills.

TypingClub offers a range of lessons and educational exercises tailored to help students enhance their typing skills at a manageable pace. The program also incorporates gamification elements such as levels, badges, and stars to motivate students. Additionally, there’s a unique playback feature that allows students to review their previous typing sessions, helping them see their progress in speed and accuracy.

Simply set your class up in a computer lab and watch their typing skills rapidly improve. Within just a few weeks of practice, your students can become proficient typists, which will significantly boost their efficiency in writing essays, creating presentations, and conducting research. If you’re looking to equip your students with a crucial modern-day skill, TypingClub is among the best resources available.

7. Quill.org

Once your students have honed their typing skills with TypingClub, it might be time to shift focus to creative writing, and Quill.org is the perfect resource for that. This platform offers free activities designed to enhance writing skills for elementary, middle, and high school students.

By the end of their course on Quill.org, students will be able to write clearly and confidently, much to the delight of parents and teachers. While some students may naturally write fluently, others will greatly benefit from the structured support Quill.org provides.

Just like learning to touch type, developing writing fluency offers extensive benefits across all subjects. Writing is a core component of nearly every academic area, and it’s often the basis for how students are evaluated and graded.

It’s a disservice to students brimming with ideas to score poorly simply because they struggle with writing. Quill.org addresses this issue head-on. Having already assisted over 7 million students, Quill.org is ready to make a significant impact on your class’s writing abilities too.

8. Go Noodle

  • For our final tool, it’s time to add some movement to the mix. School isn’t just about reading, writing, geography, and math—it’s also about promoting happiness and health, which is exactly what Go Noodle focuses on.
  • Go Noodle is a website packed with energetic exercise videos and dance routines designed to get kids moving. The videos are engaging and set to music, motivating students to jump up and dance along. It’s an excellent way to end a school week, especially on a Friday afternoon. Just play a video for the class, and remember, you’re encouraged to join in the fun!
  • While academic success is important, we also want our students to feel at ease and excited about coming to school. Go Noodle emphasizes mental health and aims to transform classrooms into joyful, positive environments.
  • Initially, some children might hesitate, especially if they’re not accustomed to dancing in class. However, with a bit of encouragement, they’ll soon be giggling and moving to the rhythm. Everyone needs a break now and then—school can be demanding, and dancing offers a wonderful way to unwind.

Final Thoughts

These tools represent just a sampling of the fun educational resources available. With a little research, you’ll discover many more options. The educational technology sector is booming, continuously introducing new tools. It’s a great time to be both a teacher and a student, with such a rich array of websites and apps at your disposal, offering an abundance of choices.

If time constraints in class prevent you from using all these tools, consider recommending that your students explore them at home. Platforms like Quill.org, TypingClub, and GeoGebra are easily accessible and can be utilized outside of classroom hours. While it would be ideal to incorporate these resources during school time, practical limitations sometimes make that challenging.

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