TeachersFirst's BYOD Dream Tools: Free Tools that Work on ANY device!
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
This collection of reviewed tools from TeachersFirst includes apps that are available for FREE on iOS (iPad, iPhone), Android, and web devices. Ideal for BYOD classrooms or 1:1 computer/tablet programs, these reviewed tools allow users to create and access projects using the same app, no matter what kind of device they have.
This collection includes only "DATs" (device agnostic tools) that are FREE on all devices and offer free access with sufficient features to be useful without upgrading to a paid account. Whether you call it an "app" or a "web tool," a DAT allows you to access your projects from almost any device.
Be sure to read the "Edge Features" list at the end of each review to know whether you need to create individual accounts, how products can be shared, and other tips on using these DATs safely and within school policies.
Even the best DAT has slight differences in capabilities on different devices. Encourage your students to share what they discover about additional or missing features on each type of device. your class will quickly appoint tool experts for each app!
TeachersFirst encourages our members (membership is FREE) to add comments and ratings to help other teachers and students trying these tools. Apps change quickly, so we welcome your comments on any changes that may occur to these tools and their free status.
(image credit: Jeremy Keith)
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Choice of Games - Choice of Games LLC
Grades
6 to 12
tag(s): coding (73), creative writing (170), DAT device agnostic tool (180), gamification (89), interactive stories (31), STEM (206), writing (365)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to your students on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector and explore one or two of the games together. Create a short story together to learn about how to use the different story-writing options. As students begin creating games using this site, consider having students create explainer videos to modify their learning using My Simpleshow, reviewed here, and to demonstrate tools that need a more detailed explanation than what is on the site. Have students create stories to show what they have learned about literature, geography, history, science concepts, and more. As a more "serious" approach, use Choice of Games to present opinion pieces where you take a position and allow readers to click on questions about it. They could also click on statements expressing opposing views so you can write counterarguments to their points. This idea could end up being a powerful way to present an argument and evidence as required by Common Core writing standards. Redefine student learning by having them include their text-based game as part of a collaborative multi-media presentation created using Sway, reviewed here. In addition to their game, ask students to include their written documents, images, and video creations.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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KidCitizen - Congress, Civic Participation, and Primary Sources Project
Grades
K to 5tag(s): american flag (10), communities (40), congress (37), DAT device agnostic tool (180), national parks (22), symbols (18)
In the Classroom
KidCitizen works across all devices, share a link to episodes on classroom computers for students to watch as a learning center activity. Flip your classroom and have students view at home before discussing concepts in class. As students interact with content in the episodes, take advantage of the many resources found at Classtools (reviewed here) to create concept maps, quizzes, and online games. If you teach younger students, create additional interactive games with your own content using Oodlu, reviewed here. Ask older students to create their own games using Oodlu. As a final project, have students create books using WriteReader, reviewed here. Write Reader is a very easy to use tool for even young students and includes features for sharing invented writing along with correct spelling. For older students, consider using Book Creator, reviewed here that features more robust digital storytelling tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Clockify - Nenad Milanovic
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): calendars (46), DAT device agnostic tool (180), organizational skills (120)
In the Classroom
Have you ever had students complain about group projects and class members not participating fully? Clockify is an excellent tool for managing these projects. Share this site with team members and ask them to include time spent on the project and use tags to categorize time spent on different activities of the project. Clockify is also an excellent resource for teaching data and statistics in math class. Create a project and use the site's tools to add information on time spent on class activities, chart time spent on homework, or hours spent on after-school activities. Ask students to take the data and analyze the results. Use a simple online chart-creation tool like ChartAccent, reviewed here, to display the data.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learn to Code with el Chavo - Roberto Gomez Bolanos
Grades
K to 6tag(s): coding (73), computers (103), DAT device agnostic tool (180), engineering (134), logic (249), problem solving (297), STEM (206)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to experiment while viewing their results. Learn to Code with el Chavo is great for differentiating for students with different abilities and learning styles. Set up a computer center for students to practice with the program and share with parents to use at home. Encourage students to go beyond game play and reflect upon their learning through use of a video response tool like FlipGrid, reviewed here. Pose a question for student response asking them to discuss difficult portions of an activity and how they solved the problem. Start another response with a question asking students to provide tips and hints for their classmates. As students become more proficient with coding use Scratch, reviewed here, in your learning centers for students to create their own games and activities. Transform learning by challenging students who are proficient to use Snap!, reviewed here, to create video tutorials using a tool like My SimpleShow, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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oodlu - Wayne Holmes and Douglas Lapsley
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), flash cards (45), game based learning (141), gamification (89)
In the Classroom
Use oodlu to differentiate learning in your classroom. Assign questions sets to different groups of learners according to their specific needs. Be sure to show students how to log in and access questions, then include a link to the site on your class webpage for students to play at home. At the end of your learning unit, augment the lessons by asking students to plan a multimedia presentation using a tool like SuperNotecard, reviewed here, where you can turn your notes into a storyboard! Include modification by using the Storyboard to create a multimedia presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share their learning using. Have students include text, images, videos, and a link to oodlu learning games in the Sway.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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myHomework - myHomeworkapp
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): calendars (46), DAT device agnostic tool (180), homework (43), organizational skills (120)
In the Classroom
Share MyHomework with students as an excellent way to organize and plan homework assignments. Create a link on your class website for students to access, and discuss using this app during back to school meetings. This site works on computers and has apps for all devices so information is available across platforms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Resource Roundup: Free Tools from the Edge - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rocketium - Rocketium.com Technologies Private Limited
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), video (269)
In the Classroom
Use Rocketium to create videos for any multimedia presentation. Ask groups of students to create a video to explain science concepts like causes of earthquakes, demonstrate problem-solving methods in math, or share events leading up to World War 1 in social studies classes. Have older students create videos for younger students sharing book talks and reviews. Use Rocketium with any grade level to create and share explainer videos.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Meme Buddy - Mike Bodge
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): creativity (120), DAT device agnostic tool (180), digital storytelling (151), images (281)
In the Classroom
Use Meme Buddy to quickly create memes on the fly. Share a meme on your interactive whiteboard as a discussion starter for the beginning of your lesson. Ask students to create a meme as a one sentence summary of the day's activity and use as an exit ticket. Meme Buddy translates information into other languages, create a meme in a different language as an anticipatory set for learning about a foreign language. Foreign language teachers will love creating memes to teach phrases to students!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dictionary.com - Dictionary.com, LLC
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), dictionaries (58), game based learning (141), thesaurus (23), word choice (27)
In the Classroom
Use this online dictionary instead of printed dictionaries and thesauruses in the classroom. Be sure to share a link to this site on your class website. Display the word of the day on your interactive whiteboard as a lesson starter during writing or language arts lessons. Ask students to include featured words during writing activities using Google Documents, then highlight each time the word is used. Take it a "tech" step further and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Dive even deeper and have students or groups of students create daily video presentations featuring their choice for word of the day (or week) using a tool like Powtoon, reviewed here. Share their videos on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reader - MindSky
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), media literacy (66), reading comprehension (129)
In the Classroom
Download Reader onto classroom computers and mobile devices for saving and sharing web articles. This app is especially useful for ESL/ELL or Special Education students to help remove distracting information. After reading articles, have students share their thoughts using a voice recording tool like Vocaroo, reviewed here, then share their recordings on your class website. Share several articles with students using Reader, then post an essential question on Recap for younger students, reviewed here, or on FlipGrid for older students, reviewed here. Both Recap and Flipgrid allow students to post video question responses, then add comments to the posted responses creating an excellent tool for collaborative discussions. Share student responses and discussions with a class podcast using Podcast Generator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plotagon Story - Plotagon AB
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animation (61), DAT device agnostic tool (180), digital storytelling (151), video (269)
In the Classroom
Use Plotagon to create animated videos for use as an interesting introduction to new content. Allow students to create their own animated videos bringing characters from a novel they are reading to life with voice recordings of their script. Bring creative writing projects to life or retell historic events through animation, redefining student learning. Be sure to have students create a storyboard to help make the video creation go smoothly. Do this either with paper and pencil or try using a digital storyboard like the Amazon Storybuilder, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. Have students include their Plotagon as part of a larger multimedia project using Sway, reviewed here. Sway provides tools for creating interactive presentations including images, videos, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PyeongChang 2018 - PyeongChang2018
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), korea (18), olympics (51)
In the Classroom
Use this site to follow the latest information from the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. If students use mobile devices, share the link to download the official app. Ask students to share stories from the Olympics using an online bulletin board like Padlet, reviewed here. Padlet allows users to create columns for posts, add columns to sort information by country, sport, or daily events throughout the Olympics. Have students make video recordings sharing daily updates during the Olympic games using a tool such as My Simpleshow, reviewed here. Share videos using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here. As a final project, have students create a Symbaloo Learning Path, reviewed here, to share information learned. Symbaloo Learning Path's offer the ability to add videos, websites, and quizzes into an interactive learning experience.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Anchor - Michael Mignano and Nir Zicherman
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), podcasts (60)
In the Classroom
Create regular or special podcasts to share on your class web page or wiki. Looking for even more ideas? Record class assignments or directions. Record story time or a reading excerpt for younger ones to listen to at a computer center AND from home, adding a touch of blended learning to your classroom! Have readers (perhaps older buddies) enhance their learning and build fluency by recording selected passages for your non-readers. Launch a service project for your fifth or sixth graders to record stories for the kindergarten to use in their reading and listening center. Challenge students to create "you are there" recordings as "eyewitnesses" to historical or current events. Make a weekly class podcast, with students taking turns writing and sharing the "Class News," encourage an extend learning and have student create radio advertisements for concepts studied in class (Buy Dynamic DNA!). Invite students to write and record their own stories or poetry in dramatic readings. Language students or beginning readers could record their fluency by reading passages. Allow parents to hear their child's progress reading aloud, etc. Compare world language, speech articulation, or reading fluency at two points during the year. Challenge your Shakespeare students to record a soliloquy. Write and record a poem for Father's or Mother's Day (or other special events) and send the URL as a gift to that special person. If you have gifted students who lean toward the dramatic, this tool is simple enough for them to create dramatic mini-casts without needing any additional tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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QuizPedia - Stephan Stephensen
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): assessment (119), DAT device agnostic tool (180), game based learning (141), gamification (89), quizzes (104)
In the Classroom
Pretest students and allow them to "test out" of material they already know. Learning support teachers will want their students to create their own QuizPedia sets for practice and review of any material. Create your own sets of quizzes, or let students do the work for themselves and each other. Take advantage of quizzes previously developed and available to share with students on your class website. Allow students to create a quiz for other students to take following class presentations and reports.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Timeline Eons - Maani.us
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): climate change (71), conservation (121), DAT device agnostic tool (180), geologic time (10), space (230), timelines (57)
In the Classroom
Have students explore the timeline on their own, then research and share information on any given period of time. Encourage students to view future predictions on the timeline as a research project to find the basis of the predictions. Have students create a simple interactive infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here .Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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RooClick - David Bard
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), digital storytelling (151), questioning (36), video (269)
In the Classroom
Create short review videos for flipped lessons. Annotate by highlighting the significant features of videos through the addition of documents with supporting information. Consider the power of students using this site to annotate videos to explain the material in their own words. Students can also create questions to play with each video. Also, as a final project for any unit, students can share research findings in a video with discussion questions to go with the research and with links to outside resources. Be sure students create a script to read from before beginning to produce their own video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bitmoji - Bitstrips Inc
Grades
K to 12tag(s): creativity (120), DAT device agnostic tool (180), emotions (39), faces (4), images (281)
In the Classroom
Create a Bitmoji to use as your avatar on your class website or blog. Update your avatar to reflect current lessons, holidays, or events. Use emojis to appeal to students and draw their attention to important information. For example, choose the bitmoji with praying hands and "please" as a reminder to read all of the directions before beginning work. Choose a Bitmoji with an interesting background or phrase to use as a writing prompt. Insert a bitmoji into a Google form as feedback for student responses. Have older students (13+) take a picture of a portion of text and add a Bitmoji to share a connection or response to the text (also known as BookSnaps).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Translator for Education - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chinese (49), DAT device agnostic tool (180), french (87), german (63), greek (41), hebrew (19), italian (35), japanese (45), Microsoft (59), russian (26), spanish (108)
In the Classroom
Use Translator to greet "other language" speaking students and make them feel welcome in your classroom; encourage conversations between them and your class. Take advantage of Translator to widen your classroom's global viewpoint by sharing conversations with others around the world. Use this site in world language classrooms to have students copy their text to convert into the language being studied (or the reverse). Have students create presentations about other countries in the native language of the nation using a presentation tool like Canva, reviewed here. Take your presentations a step further to include multimedia. Use a tool such as Genial.ly, reviewed here, to incorporate multimedia like maps, surveys, video, audio, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wakelet - Jamil Khalil
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (69), DAT device agnostic tool (180), news (259), social media (33), social networking (107)
In the Classroom
The possibilities for using Wakelet in the classroom are endless! Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content. Having the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes makes them much more interesting and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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