Upgrade Your Classroom: 5 Cool School Tools for Engaged Learning

The modern classroom looks very different than it did just a decade ago. With new technologies rapidly emerging, there are now tons of cool new tools that can amplify learning and capture students' attention. From interactive whiteboards to virtual reality field trips, these edtech tools are transforming the educational landscape.

As an educator in this digital age, you may be wondering: What are the latest classroom technologies that can boost student engagement? Which learning apps best promote active participation? What online resources are most effective for today's students?

This blog shares the top 5 cool school tools that are reinventing the classroom experience:

Interactive Whiteboards Enliven Lessons

One of the most popular classroom technologies today is the interactive whiteboard, like those made by Smart Board and Promethean. These touchscreen whiteboards allow teachers to display notes, graphics, webpages, and multimedia content. Students can interact with the content directly from the board using a stylus or their finger.

According to a [study by Future Source Consulting], over 60% of K-12 classrooms in the US have adopted interactive whiteboards. Why are smart boards so ubiquitous? They make lessons highly engaging through dynamic multimedia, annotations, polling, gamification and more. Students love getting involved directly with the content being presented. Interactive whiteboards energize classrooms by bringing lessons to life.

Some key benefits of using interactive whiteboards include:

• Increased student participation
• Ability to incorporate multimedia content
• Save notes and reuse lessons
• Supports kinesthetic learning styles

Tablets Facilitate Digital Learning

Another essential classroom tech tool is the tablet. Top options include iPads, Kindle Fires, Google Chromebooks and Microsoft Surfaces. Using tablets enables digital learning by giving each student access to online resources, apps, ebooks and more. Plus they’re easy for students to use independently.

Tablets allow teachers to share digital content with students wirelessly. They also have built-in features like cameras and microphones to support multimedia projects. Students find tablets highly engaging, often preferring them over textbooks.

Key advantages of using tablets in the classroom:

• Personalized learning
• Digital annotation capabilities
• User-friendly for students
• Educational apps and programs

According to [Education Week], over 40% of K-12 students have access to a school-issued tablet or laptop. That number is only growing as districts shift towards 1:1 device initiatives.

Clickers Boost Student Engagement

Another way teachers are using technology to engage students is with classroom clickers. These handheld remote devices allow students to respond to questions posed during class. Options like Kahoot, Quizlet Live and Poll Everywhere make clickers easy to implement.

The benefits of using classroom clickers are substantial. Clickers:

• Increase student engagement
• Provide instant feedback to teachers
• Encourage participation from quieter students
• Allow students to anonymously answer sensitive questions
• Track class comprehension and learning gaps

Using clickers prompts students to actively think through questions rather than passively listen. The anonymity also encourages participation from students who normally wouldn’t raise their hand. Teachers gain insight into student understanding to improve instruction.

Note-Taking Apps Help Students Organize

Digital note-taking apps like Notability, OneNote and Evernote allow students to take notes directly on a tablet or laptop. These apps integrate typing, handwriting, audio recordings, images, website links and more all in one place.

Benefits of using note-taking apps include:

• Write, type, record audio, and insert images
• Everything is digitally organized in one spot
• Syncs automatically across devices
• Share notes with teachers and classmates

Students can ditch the paper notebook and take digital notes using keyboards, styluses or their finger. The ability to consolidate different mediums helps support various learning styles. Note-taking apps make information easy to organize, search and share.

Flashcard Apps Facilitate Memorable Studying

Flashcards remain one of the most effective study tools for memorizing key facts and terms. Now flashcard apps like Quizlet, StudyBlue and Anki allow students to study via their smartphones or laptops.

The benefits of digital flashcard apps are:

• Create and share flashcards easily
• Study flashcard sets anywhere, anytime
• Use images, audio and videos
• Track progress identifying learning gaps
• Study modes like learn, write, spell and test

Students can build custom flashcard decks or access pre-made decks covering any topic. Flashcard apps make it simple to create and repeatedly drill flashcards using memorable study modes. The convenience of mobile studying means students can practice and review regularly.

Take Learning Online with These Cool Tools

While the above classroom tech tools are enriching traditional instruction, there are also many exciting online resources for schools today. These digital learning platforms provide engaging curriculum and content students can access anytime from home.

Here are some of the top online learning tools driving innovation:

Khan Academy Offers Free Learning Modules

The Khan Academy website includes over 10,000 free video lessons and exercises covering math, science, history and more. Teachers can utilize these lessons in class or assign them for students to watch independently.

Key features include:

• Video tutorials on nearly every subject and grade level
• Adaptive learning technology tracks student progress
• Teacher tools to monitor performance and assignments
• Available on all devices and in multiple languages

Khan Academy is beloved for its concise video explainers on every topic. It provides a personalized learning dashboard students can use to master skills at their own pace.

Project Gutenberg Offers Free Ebooks

Project Gutenberg is a free online library containing over 60,000 digitized ebooks. Students can download and read books on devices without going to the school library.

Key features:

• Download over 60,000 free eBook titles -PDF, Kindle, HTML, plain text and encrypted versions
• Books available in multiple languages
• No late fees and can keep books indefinitely

With classics, academic texts, children's books and more, Project Gutenberg is a treasure trove. It promotes reading and learning from an expansive online collection.

YouTube Education Provides Video Lessons

While YouTube offers entertainment, it also has fantastic educational content. YouTube Education acts as a centralized home for learning videos, channels and playlists.

Students can find videos like:

• Virtual lessons on topics they’re studying
• Crash course explainers on tough concepts
• Historical footage and visuals
• Educational channels like SciShow, TED-Ed and Kunstler

YouTube Education makes it easy to incorporate visual media into lessons. It’s an engaging way for students to explore subjects through online video.

Chegg Tutors Provide On-Demand Help

Chegg Tutors is an on-demand tutoring platform that lets students receive virtual tutoring help at any time. They can be matched with experts in over 50 subjects to get assistance via chat, call or screenshare.

Key features include:

• Get help 24/7 in dozens of subjects
• Drop-off tutoring lets students submit questions for later
• Use screensharing to work on problems together
• Affordable pricing and flexible packages

For instant homework help or questions on challenging topics, students can connect with Chegg tutors around the clock. It provides learning support outside the classroom.

Virtual Field Trips Take Students Anywhere

From museums to national parks, virtual field trips allow students to explore locations around the world. Platforms like Discovery Education and Nearpod have expansive libraries of interactive virtual trips.

Key benefits include:

• Visit places not feasible to travel to in-person
• Reinforce lessons with immersive multimedia
• Build digital literacy and research skills
• Experience augmented and virtual reality
• Take self-guided tours at students’ own pace

With pandemics making in-person trips challenging, virtual trips present a safe alternative. Students get exposure through engaging 360° views, videos, images and read-alongs.

Revamp Your Classroom with These Cool EdTech Tools

From interactive whiteboards to virtual tutoring, this new generation of edtech tools is transforming classrooms. These solutions make learning interactive, mobile and accessible from anywhere.

As education becomes increasingly digitized, today's students are highly responsive to classroom technology. The visual and interactive nature of these tools speaks to 21st-century learners. Using them builds the technical skills students need to thrive after graduation.

Teachers can revamp stale lectures into active learning adventures. Students have a world of information at their fingertips. These technologies ultimately enable a more enriching, stimulating and effective learning environment for all.

What cool new edtech tool will you try in your classroom next?