Tools for Live Instruction:
These tools are great to use during live instruction, especially during focus lessons. These tools allow you to introduce topics, gain formative data, and monitor student progress live in-the-moment.
| Tool Name | General Description | Links to Resources | Premium Features? |
| Lumio |
Lumio allows you as the teacher to display your Google Slides, Smart Notebook files, and PowerPoints to your students and then add interactive activities. There are templates you can use such as math manipulatives, graphic organizers, and formative assessment. There are also game-based competitive activities, though they are more appropriate for a younger audience (K-6). |
Lumio Lumio Tech Tools Article Lumio Support |
Licenses available |
| Pear Deck |
Pear Deck is a Google Slides Add-on that allows you to take your existing Google Slides and add formative assessment activities. The free edition should only be used a temperature check of the entire class, as individual student data is not saved at the end. | Pear Deck | Freemium |
| Formative | Formative is a tool that allows you to create activities that students can complete as teacher or self-paced. Each activity can include question types such as; show your work, multiple choice, short answer, and whiteboards. Student data can be exported at the end. |
Formative |
Freemium |
| Quizizz/Kahoot | Kahoot and Quizizz are somewhat similar tools that allow you to create formative assessments (multiple choice, T/F) and see results live. You can do a teacher-paced lesson or have students complete it during independent work time. Quizizz does have a "lesson" feature that allows you to import slides and add questions to them. |
Kahoot Quizizz |
Freemium |
| Gimkit/Blooket | Gimkit and Blooket are similar tools in that they all you to create a virtual room where students compete against each other in a review game. Teachers essentially create a set of questions and answers or flashcards and then can use them in different game modes. Gimkit allows you to play the base game and one rotating option for free each month. Blooket is free and is intended for a younger audience (K-6). |
Gimkit Gimkit Tech Tools Article Blooket |
Gimkit: Freemium Blooket: Free |
| Classkick | Classkick is a tool that allows you to create assignments that students can complete on their own device and you as the teacher can monitor their work live easily. Assignments can could be just a blank whiteboard, have a picture you want them to annotate, or multiple choice question you want them to answer. Teachers are limited to 20 assignments for a free account and can delete them and reuse them when they run out. | Classkick | Freemium |
| FigJam | FigJam is a collaborative slideshow tool. Teachers can create their project files ahead of time or create them live during a Google Meet. Teachers can then link their project file and provide editing access to students. There are a number of templates you can use for projects, collaborative brainstorming, icebreakers, etc. |
FigJam | Free |
| Apple Classroom | Apple Classroom is a classroom management tool that allows you to (remotely or in person) view your student's screens, open and lock them in apps, and AirDrop to or AirPlay any device in your class. You can create student groups to monitor a small number of students or view a dashboard of the entire class. Students can be working on something and you can see their progress in near real-time. | Apple Classroom Tech Tools Article | Free |
Tools for Independent Formative Assessment:
These tools allow you to create formative assessments that students can complete before, during, or after live instruction. They can be a great tool to review topics covered in focus lessons or reflect at the end of a lesson.
| Tool Name | General Description | Links to Resources | Premium Features? |
| Canvas | Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows you to gather and present all your learning resources for your class. Students can receive and submit assignments, participate in discussions, and take quizzes. All students and staff K-12 have access to it and it is the official in-progress gradebook for grades 6-12. |
Shakopee Canvas Canvas Setup Checklist Canvas for Parents |
District Accounts |
| Seesaw | Seesaw is an interactive learning platform that allows teachers to communicate with their students and families, share student work with parents, and create interactive/creative activities that allow students to demonstrate their learning. |
Seesaw Seesaw Class Setup Seesaw Messages Seesaw for Families |
District Accounts |
| Quizizz/Kahoot | Kahoot and Quizizz are somewhat similar tools that allow you to create formative assessments (multiple choice, T/F) and see results live. You can do a teacher-paced lesson or have students complete it during independent work time. Quizizz does have a "lesson" feature that allows you to import slides and add questions to them. |
Kahoot Quizizz |
Freemium |
| Flipgrid | Flipgrid is a tool that allows a teacher to create a prompt and then students respond in a video. Students can submit a video using Flipgrid's built-in tools or submit a video they create/recorded on a separate app such as iMovie. Students can add images, backgrounds, filters, and stickers to their video to create a really creative product. Once they are done, other students will see their submission and can reply or comment if that is enabled by the teacher. |
Flipgrid Flipgrid Tech Tools Article Flipgrid Canvas Integration |
Free |
| Formative | Formative is a tool that allows you to create activities that students can complete as teacher or self-paced. Each activity can include question types such as; show your work, multiple choice, short answer, and whiteboards. Student data can be exported at the end. | Formative | Freemium |
| Canvas Studio | Canvas Studio is a tool that allows teachers and students to upload videos to Canvas. Teachers can embed their videos in any page in Canvas and add quiz questions to them. If you create a quiz, students can answer multiple choice, T/F, or multiple answers. If setup correctly, scores will enter into the Canvas gradebook. |
Canvas Studio Tech Tools Article Canvas Studio Video |
District Accounts |
| Edpuzzle | Edpuzzle is a tool that allows you to create a quiz out of a video on YouTube. There are a ton of question types that you can add to your videos, though some will not auto-grade. You can also lock the video so students cannot fast forward or skip ahead in the video. There is a Canvas integration that allows you to have scores automatically entered into Canvas if configured correctly. |
Edpuzzle Edpuzzle Canvas Integration |
Freemium |
Tools for Creation
This list includes a wide variety of tools that allow students to creatively demonstrate master of concepts and skills they have learned. Additionally, the products of these tools can be shared to a wider audience, which motivates students to create better results.
| Tool Name | General Description | Links to Resources | Premium Features? |
| Adobe Express (Adobe Spark) | Adobe Express (Adobe Spark) is a suite of tools that can be used to create many professional products. Adobe Spark Video allows you to create slideshow-like video projects. Adobe Spark Page allows you to create a beautiful webpage that includes your text, images, and media. Adobe Spark Post allows you to create images, infographics, and logos. |
Tech Tools Articles: Adobe Spark Spark Video Spark Post Spark Page |
Free |
| iMovie |
iMovie is the go-to video editing software for your MacBook. Students can insert their images, audio, and video and edit it to create a professional product. While editing, students can add images, transition effects, and voiceovers. There is also a built-in green screen function. | iMovie Tech Tools Article | Free |
| Garageband | Garageband is a tool that allows you to create songs and/or record audio. It can be used to create musical compositions, podcasts, etc. | Garageband Support | Free |
| Canva | Canva is a tool that students and teachers can use to create infographics, flyers, brochures, worksheets, logos, and even videos. They have a number of very professional looking templates to choose from. You can upload your own media to customize your work or use their existing images, videos, and text. Students can easily submit their products to Canvas via an integration that requires no setup. |
Canva Canva Tech Tools Article |
Free |
| Google Suite | The Google Suite can be used for students to create all sorts of work. They can use Google Docs to create any sort of written work, Google Slides could be used to create slideshows they present to class or use to make a screencast video, or they could even use Google Forms to create surveys for research. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides can be submitted to Canvas via the Google Drive LTI integration, which is already set up for all teachers and students. | Google Drive Basics | Free |
| iPad Apps: Clips, PicCollage, Book Creator | These creative tools are only for iPads. All are available in Self Service. Clips is a video creation tool with a lot more options than iMovie. PicCollage is an easy way to take photos, create a collage, add text, and create a final product. Book Creator is a tool that allows you to create multimedia books that include images, videos, drawings, and audio recordings. There are templates to create comic books as well. |
Book Creator Tech Tools Article |
Free |