Students today are digital natives. They were born with technology all around them and will most likely continue into careers that use technology in some way or form. Technology is an integral part of students’ lives and is something teachers should embrace, as it can improve many things in the classroom. When used correctly, technology can support and prepare students to be college and career ready. It engages students and helps them reach their educational goals. The following are the top educational apps of 2019 that students are learning from, engaging with, and utilizing to reach their fullest academic potential.
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is a communication app that allows teachers to fluidly connect home and school. Real-time reports are shared with parents as students work to earn points for positive behavior. Parents see what areas students are excelling at (like homework or participation), as well as areas for improvement (blurting or bathroom behavior). Parents are able to message teachers, and teachers can directly message a single parent or the entire class. Teachers can post pictures of students and parents can respond by liking or commenting on the post.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a free app providing study tools for students. Users are able to create their own study cards with terms, definitions, and pictures or choose from any of the 40 million already created sets. There are six study and game modes to choose from to practice content; users are able to track correct/incorrect answers and review missed questions. This educational app is engaging, motivating, and an excellent way to review material.
See Words: School
See Words: School is an educational app designed to help kids succeed in their developing reading skills. Teachers are able to customize curriculum to support each individual student’s learning needs. For example, if a student is struggling with a certain skill like blends or digraphs, teachers can assign them those word patterns. The teacher tool has many pre-programmed lessons that are user friendly and align with Orton-Gillingham methods. The students are able to learn phonics inside of stories at their developmental level. This is a great educational app for ages 5-8.
News-O-Matic
News-O-Matic is the first daily newspaper for kids. A nonfiction teaching tool, News-O-Matic provides five daily news articles for students that are reviewed by psychologists and ad-free. The news article content has real stories that are going on around the world, giving students a worldly awareness and the opportunity to connect to other cultures. There are a handful of games that relate to the articles; and students can choose to read the story themselves or have it read aloud to them. Good nonfiction apps can be hard to find, and this is a great one to keep close at hand.
Every student today is a digital native. Technology is an integral part of their elementary, middle, and high school years and will continue to be throughout their future careers. When used correctly, technology supports and prepares students to be college and career ready. By using apps like Class Dojo, Quizlet, See Words, and News-O-Matic, students stay engaged and are supported in reaching their educational goals.
