TeachersFirst's BYOD Dream Tools: Free Tools that Work on ANY device!
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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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Add Text - FlamingText.com Pty Ltd.
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creativity (98), DAT device agnostic tool (167), digital storytelling (132), editing (75), images (264)
In the Classroom
Use Add Text to add captions to images to create memes or posters for your bulletin boards. Use this easy tool with students during back to school time as a way for them to get to know each other. Have students upload a picture of themselves doing their favorite activity and label it with amusing text or a favorite quote (or song lyrics?). Have them upload images that represent their interests and character traits. Print the images with text for a back to school bulletin board. Use after a field trip for students to write captions on the photos they took. Be sure to share the photos on your class webpage, blog, or wiki. Haven't started blogging yet? Check out TeachersFirst's Blog Basics. For other uses, have students practice new words in a world language class by labeling and identifying images in that language. Help ESL/ELL learn English by labeling the images. Create writing prompts using several annotated images. Have students create annotated images to explain key terms in science class. In ELA class, make homophone or vocabulary images to show the correct word along with a picture that explains it.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Outwhiz - Andrew Kwan and Michael Luk
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (143), critical thinking (111), DAT device agnostic tool (167), differentiation (51), game based learning (160), gamification (77), grammar (158), problem solving (264), sentences (32)
In the Classroom
The gamification of the material on Outwhiz is sure to catch your student's interest! Sign up using your email and create a class. Give students the URL and class code to join. At the end of an introduction of a concept, use this site for specific language arts or math practice. Use Outwhiz for homework, review, and reinforcement of any math or language arts concept. Use this site to differentiate for students of all levels. Create a link to Outwhiz on classroom computers to use as math and language arts centers/stations. Put a link to this site on your classroom website or newsletter as a resource for math and language practice at home. Share this site as a way to review before tests. ESL/ELL and resource teachers will find Outwhiz to be extremely helpful for reinforcing language and math concepts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sharalike - Aymeric Vigneras and Etienne Leroy
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), digital storytelling (132), images (264), multimedia (49), slides (52)
In the Classroom
Sharalike is a great way for students to create and share things that they photograph. Enhance student learning by using Sharalike in the following projects: Challenge students to give oral reports using Sharalike as the visual part of their presentation. Have students take pictures during field trips to use in a Sharalike to display what they saw and learned on the trip. Photograph steps of a science experiment. Alternatively, have students search for Creative Commons and Public Domain images to use as part of a slideshow biography about a prominent person in history. Use to tell the story of the water cycle or another process. Create a Sharalike to use for review of classroom topics. Have students create a Sharalike presentation demonstrating learning in any subject area such as Civil War events, different characteristics of animals, etc. Create a Sharalike for your elementary classroom as part of an informal, sharing presentation. Upload a picture that each student has drawn and have students tell the class about the picture in their own words. What a great way to get young students acclimated to talking in front of a group.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Re-Mission 2: Fight Cancer and Win! - Hope Lab
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), difficult conversations (36), diseases (71), medicine (59), mental health (30)
In the Classroom
Introduce these activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to explore and play on their own. Challenge students to create a story with cancer as the monster and one of the therapies they learned about as a cartoon figure hero. Then have students create an online or printed comic using one of the tools and ideas included in this collection. Re-Mission 2 would be especially useful if your students know someone dealing with cancer. It will help them understand what cancer is and some of the different treatments. It may also give them hope that the cancer can be treatable. Share these games with your school's counselors as an excellent tool for use with students facing cancer treatments either for themselves, a relative, or a friend.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mint - Intuit
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), financial literacy (104), money (160)
In the Classroom
Share Mint with students as part of any consumer education lesson or course as a resource for managing their money. Even if you don't sign up for mint, take advantage of their Tools and Tips section to find money management articles for many different financial situations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seesaw - Charles Lin, Carl Sjogreen , Adrian Graham
Grades
K to 10tag(s): blogs (70), DAT device agnostic tool (167), digital storytelling (132), Learning Management Systems (24), portfolios (20), Teacher Utilities (100)
In the Classroom
Sign up for Seesaw, and after students have parental permission, generate a join code for the class from the menu at the upper right corner or by clicking your name or initials in the left corner to get a drop down menu. The join code expires in 15 minutes, so it is best to do this in your classroom or computer lab. Teachers can add photos, drawings, links, notes, and upload a file from this same menu by clicking the + symbol. You can even add a co-teacher! See Seesaw's FAQs for ways for parents to sign up and letters to send home. Use Seesaw portfolios for any subject or grade level. Once your account is set up, create a simple project or borrow one from the Activities on the Help and Teacher Resources page. Share the project on your interactive whiteboard or projector to get your students started. The teacher portal allows you to access and comment on student work. View the work of an individual or the entire class. The ability to import work from many creation apps to Seesaw makes this a perfect portfolio tool. Don't forget to watch the video about setting up blogs for your students. Remember, this is all free! Science teachers could have students write up their lab reports, take photos of their labs and label them in a portfolio. History teachers could set up portfolios for student report writing or digital storytelling projects. Seesaw is the perfect tool to use during parent conferences.Comments
I love using Seesaw with my elementary school students. It's great that parents can comment also.Katy, , Grades: 0 - 12
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FreeConferenceCall.com - freeconferencecall.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (40), DAT device agnostic tool (167), parent conferences (22), parents (60)
In the Classroom
Use Free Conference Call to set up virtual parent/teacher conferences with participants located anywhere in the world. This is especially useful when multiple teachers are involved or when parents may not reside in the same location. Share your screen as needed to provide information on assessments and student work.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Merlin Photo ID - Beta - The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Grades
K to 12tag(s): birds (48), DAT device agnostic tool (167), ecosystems (84), habitats (105)
In the Classroom
Use this app when out in the field with your students for any reason and for any subject. Encourage observation by students in identifying birds that are located in your community. Follow the identification of the bird by creating related art, music, poetry, or stories. In Biology, identify how the bird fits into the food chain. Identify the plant species that each bird uses for food or shelter. In Math, map the sightings of birds, looking at density of various species.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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4 Numbers Game - 4nums.com
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): addition (205), DAT device agnostic tool (167), division (148), equations (150), mental math (26), multiplication (187), problem solving (264), subtraction (173)
In the Classroom
Share the 4 Numbers Game on an interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate how to play, and then create a link to 4 Numbers on classroom computers. Challenge students to begin playing without time limits. As they become more skilled, start using the clock and have them try to beat it. Have students take a screenshot of any game. Next they can upload the screenshot image and add voice bubbles to explain what they learned. Use a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. If you do not know how to convert a screenshot into an image file, take a picture of the screen using a digital camera, then upload the file to your computer. Be sure to share a link to the 4 Numbers Game on your class website or blog for play at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plickers - Nolan Amy
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (116), DAT device agnostic tool (167), game based learning (160), gamification (77), qr codes (18), questioning (34), quiz (64)
In the Classroom
Create greater student engagement and increased student interest in your classroom with Plickers. Students give their input anonymously. Print out Plickers' cards and hand out to students. Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to explain how the Plickers cards work. Create questions, with or without images, and add multiple choice answers. Project your questions and possible answers. Have students hold up their card in the position that reflects their answer. Use your mobile device and Plickers mobile app to scan the cards. You will see a bar graph with student responses on your mobile device. These can be saved to your Plickers account. Use Plickers to answer exit questions or to see what students remember from the previous day. Use for formative assessment to identify misconceptions that students may have at the start of a unit. There are cards with larger fonts for young students or the visually impaired. ESL/ELL teachers could use this for vocabulary or sentence structure practice. Unless your school or district has access to a matte-finish for laminating or matte-plastic pockets, you may want to collect the cards at the end of class.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Roadtrippers - Roadtrippers
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), field trips (10), virtual field trips (68)
In the Classroom
Bring the world of road tripping to your class! Plan journeys as math challenges to determine the amount of money required. Give students a budget and see what happens. Challenge students to create a dream trip and a budget trip. Find the difference between the two. You could use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to replace a paper and pencil Venn Diagram. Bring the settings of your favorite stories to life! Introduce a travel blog by pursuing the saved trip journals. Again, preview what you will show students as not all journals are kid friendly. Post the trips with pictures and a travel diary on your class blog or Edmodo class group.Comments
This is a great tool to explore the world.Melissa, , Grades: 0 - 5
Great resource!Lacey, , Grades: 0 - 5
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Google Photos - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), images (264), Storage (7), video (249)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom Google account for students to upload video projects or images for projects. Share raw materials for student multimedia projects, such as photos of lab experiments or local historic sites. Share classroom projects privately and easily from your Google account. In elementary classrooms, teachers can use this tool to share photos from field trips, assemblies, project presentations, and other special events. Share the password with parents only. Have older students create their own Google account for collaborating on multimedia projects.Comments
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Bloomz - Chaks Appalabattula
Grades
K to 12tag(s): calendars (40), DAT device agnostic tool (167), images (264), parent conferences (22), parents (60), Teacher Utilities (100)
In the Classroom
Use Bloomz for all your communications with your classroom community. Not only that, but share important documents (field trip permission slips, a syllabus, etc.) for others to access; post photos of special projects in class or from field trips. P.E. teachers and coaches can use this tool to post what skills students are learning and action pictures of student involvement in games and activities. Parents can download the free app or receive updates via email. Currently, there are three ways to invite parents and other class members. Email, enter the information manually, or upload an Excel spreadsheet and send a bulk invitation. Create groups within your Bloomz class and invite members. These groups might be volunteers in the classroom, volunteers for driving on a field trip, and more. Then you can communicate just to that group when necessary. Introduce Bloomz to parents at Back to School Night in the fall, Open House in the spring, or during parent conferences. Encourage resource teachers and others to join your class community to see what your class is doing. Update Bloomz on the go with your mobile device!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quizizz - Quizizz
Grades
K to 12Don't miss the memes that are displayed when students answer a question; these are sure to be a hit with students. You can also customize your Quizizz by creating your own Memes. Use images of the school mascot, students pets, or favorite game characters to create a set of ten or more memes. Click the My Memes from the top menu, then the plus symbol. You are now ready to start. Be sure to Click "Start Game" after students have entered the code. Send the game link to students (or other teachers to use with their classes) by email, website, or social media. Set time limits of 30 seconds to 5 minutes for students to answer each question. This allows more time for more complex questions. Students earn points for speed and accuracy. Unlike other sites, both teacher and students can see the questions, answers, and the leader board throughout the quiz. Most other tools require the teacher to project the answers and leader board on a whiteboard. The leader board can be turned OFF in this tool as well. And, what is the best part of this tool? Two separate classes can play together using this tool. Quizziz works on any web enabled device including smartphones and tablets, and has an iOS app.
You can now email student reports to parents (even send the student reports to multiple/all parents at once), the main navigation bar has moved from the top to the left, and there is a search bar that you can access on all pages, and now you can search both your quizzes and your reports. Quizizz is now available in Spanish and will soon be adding other languages. Don't miss their new Jungle theme with music, backgrounds, and GIFs... oh my!
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), game based learning (160), gamification (77), polls and surveys (46), quiz (64), quizzes (82), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
As with other similar tools, Quizizz is a formative assessment tool that is best used to obtain information about how the class as a whole is doing in understanding content material. Use Quizizz when asking questions that require a reading of a passage or longer time to answer questions. Be sure to set the time limit to the upper reaches of 5 minutes. Students can use code names or numerical screen names for anonymity if desired. Create pretests to offer to gifted students to "test out" of already learned material. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Make it a class challenge! Use this tool at the start of a new chapter or unit. Students can see who is at the top of the leaderboard during the play and can even ask questions while going through the quiz. Use this tool often to obtain a snapshot of each student's understanding of content. Print individual student reports for use during parent conferences and IEP meetings. As with other tools where there is a leader board, it is helpful to have a collaborative environment where competition is not the goal, instead working together and improving is important. Quizizz is PERFECT for remote learning in that it is engaging for students, works on any device, and you can keep track of how each student is doing with your content and who needs help. Use it frequently during remote learning as an exit to a teaching session.Comments
Great way to conduct formative assessments that students love! Its got a great quiz creation interface and many useful customization options too.Deepak, , Grades: 0 - 12
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Clyp - Audiour, LLC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), speech (80)
In the Classroom
When using this site in the classroom in any capacity, we highly recommend providing the direct link to your created material (or your students). This will limit students' exposure to questionable songs on the homepage. Record snippets of information as reminders on your class website or instructions for students to follow. This is terrific for learning support students or non-readers! Have students describe aspects of classroom learning experiences to share with others, such as what they learned from a science experiment or found out about life in Colonial America. Record a quick message for an absentee student and email the link to him/her explaining how to catch up on missing work. Create tutorial pieces that students can use as study aids (or have them create them for each other). Use this site in world language classes or for ESL/ELL students: have students record and listen to their own pronunciation or send short messages to each other to translate. Have students use this site to practice speeches before the presentation to hear their speed, tone, and words. Use this site for research presentations, instructions for a substitute, or many other possibilities. With younger students, read a short story on Clyp, and have students follow along using a picture book. Alternatively have the students read their own stories into Clyp and email the readings to their parents! For Mothers Day, why not have students record messages for mom or grandma? Another idea: Create a class wiki where parents can "find" the entire selection of Clyps for Mother's Day (or another holiday). Record Clyps of each student talking about the importance of Moms for Mother's Day or how grateful they are for certain things at Thanksgiving. Embed them all in a class wiki to share with parents. Just email the URL for the collection. Again, be sure to provide direct links to the students' Clyps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Click2Map - AxioCode SAS
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), digital storytelling (132), maps (249)
In the Classroom
Enhance or modify student learning by having students create place marker files of the significant places in the life of a famous person (with videos for the modification of learning) or the route traveled by a particular unit during the Civil War. Have student groups create place marker files to show environmental sites, habitats, landforms, or anything you can put on a map. In math class have students compare routes between different locations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WikiWand - Lior Grossman & Ilan Lewin
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), media literacy (85), writing (295)
In the Classroom
Install WikiWand on classroom computers to improve student viewing of Wikipedia. Share on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate and view features for student use. If you do recommend Wikipedia as a source for research, be sure to have the discussion about its unknown authorship and usefulness as a general information tool but not as a "scholarly" resource. As a challenge to your better writers, consider asking them to write entries that you can submit to this encyclopedia on classroom topics in simpler English. They will have to analyze their own language and writing style with far greater scrutiny than ever before. Or have the class create a two version wiki glossary of your own on curriculum topics in any discipline, using this as a model for the "easy reading" side.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Random.org - Dr. Mads Haahr
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), gamification (77), probability (125), resources (97)
In the Classroom
Use Random.org to generate any kind of list you need such as groups for field trips, random dates for history research, and random places on a map. Use the name generator to select a student to do an activity or to answer a question. Allow students to use the name generator to choose the classmate who comes next. Use the generator tools as part of your probability unit to chart how often names or coins appear with random selections.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oh nO - Martin Kool
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (167), logic (214), problem solving (264), puzzles (176)
In the Classroom
Oh nO is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard, projector, or on individual computers. Introduce this game to students and then challenge them to move up in difficulty levels and speed up completion times. Use this site to challenge your gifted students. Share on your class web page or blog for students and parents to play together at home. Set up a station at your school's math fair for participants to try their hand at Oh nO.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Little Memory - Ivan Tse
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): creative writing (130), DAT device agnostic tool (167), journals (18)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students to create their own private diary or journal. Use The Little Memory as a good option for students to use for prewriting and brainstorming before beginning writing projects. Create your own account and use The Little Memory as a tool for reflecting on lessons and classroom activities each day. If you have individual laptops for students, or are in a BYOD school, why not begin class with an entry each day. Have students keep a simple, yearlong journal of the highlights of their learning. Use The Little Memory as lesson "closure" writing a summary of each day's events. For young students who cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of Gmail subaccounts, explained here; this tells how to set up Gmail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Using Gmail subaccounts will provide anonymous interaction within your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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