Finding new ways to keep your classroom learning fresh and relevant can be difficult, as educators ourselves, we totally get it. Which is why we figured we’d let teachers know about some fun and useful resources they can use in their classrooms this coming school year, and to prepare for every coming school year.
Whether you’re an educator in the preK-8 space, or empowering high-schoolers to be prepared to take the next step in their lives for when college applications come around, we have a list of resources to fit whatever need you have.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
1.) Storybird Studio
Storytelling is An Important Learning Tool
Storybird Studio is suitable for all students and educators in the K-12 space, and is a widely used tool to help increase literacy and engage student’s passion for writing, reading and creating. Use professional pieces of artwork -- curated by Storybird Studio -- as a tool to get your learners to start writing, and be confident in their ability to create awesome stories with their own writing.
Storytelling has long been the most influential way to learn and pass on knowledge, and Storybird Studio’s platform has taken the art of storytelling and made it into an engaging visual display to help reignite our passion for sharing stories with one another.
2.) Adobe Spark
Create Amazing Animated Videos, Infographics and More
Adobe Spark is being used across a wide array of businesses, but it’s use in the education space cannot be overstated.
The platform allows educators and students alike to create amazing animated videos, web graphics and web stories with ease, and is a great way to introduce students to the world of creation available to them through Adobe.
Whether you want to share a story with your students, and make it look awesome to spark their imagination, or whether you want to assign your students with the task of creating something beautiful of their own, Adobe Spark is a great tool for use in classrooms.
3.) Remind
Organize School Communication On One Easy-to-Use Platform
Learning can’t always be about finding the fun way to teach something, or learn something.
A key facet of learning is organization, and Remind has one of the best tools to keep teachers, school leaders, students and parents informed.
The platform uses an easy messaging tool that organizes to-dos, assignments, important school events and much more in one place, and that is accessible by everyone. Organization and communication between multiple school parties can often be overwhelming and difficult, but Remind makes it easy.
4.) CrashCourse
Bring Fun and Instructive Videos to Your Curriculum
CrashCourse is a YouTube channel created by John Green -- renowned author of The Fault in Our Stars -- and his brother Hank. It’s a fun way for older students to learn important topics ranging from history to psychology, and a great resource for teachers to use as a cursory piece in their assignments.
Videos are generally 10-15 minutes long, and are organized on the YouTube page by subject.
The individuals teaching in the videos use humor and animation to reach students, and each video is as informative as it is funny.
5.) Edublogs
Start a Blog for Your School or Classroom
If you’re looking to start a classroom blog and set all of your students to recording their thoughts, commenting on the news around them and sharing their opinions in a safe environment, then Edublogs is right up your alley.
The blogging platform is powered by Wordpress and allows teachers to privately comment on the writing of students, monitor the topics discussed and engage with Edublogs’ community of educators and students for fresh ideas.
There are also a ton of themes that students can use to design the look of their blog so it’s unique to them, encouraging their creativity in the representation of their blog and it’s writing.
6.) InspirED
Find Amazing SEL Resources and Implement Them With Ease
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools is imperative to today’s current educational environment.
School climate ultimately dictates almost everything else that happens at school, and if students don’t feel engaged with learning, cannot manage their stress or are struggling with self-esteem, then learning can be impossible.
InspirED was created to help schools and classrooms be more aware of SEL as it relates to their students, and provides a bevy of resources to help make it more of a focus not only in schools, but in classrooms as well.
7.) Kahoot!
Teach Your Students Important Lessons With Game-Based Learning
Students of all ages learn well when it’s associated with gaming, it’s just the world we live in now, and Kahoot! is a particularly effective game-based learning program that puts the customization in your hands.
Create your own learning games in just a few minutes, or use games from their extensive library.
If you’re looking for a way to give your students a break every now and then when they’re in your classroom, but still keep learning as the focus, then Kahoot! is the perfect resource to bring to your classroom.
8.) Canva
Design With Intention and Engage Your Students’ Creativity
Do you have some aspiring graphic design artists in your classroom? Or maybe you manage the school newspaper and you need to create a stunning campaign announcing someone’s bid for school president?
Whatever you need it for, Canva is an incredibly easy-to-use and intuitive graphic design platform, and is a great way for teachers and students to learn and create together.
Create logos, infographics, presentations, posters and much much more with ease and efficiency.
9.) Quizlet
Making Studying Easier for Your Students
The final resource on our list takes the classic way of studying and brings it online. Students and teachers can create flashcards, study guides, notes and much more.
If studying seems to be a problem for some of your students, or if you just want to make the access to important study materials easier, then Quizlet is a great resource for you.
Takeaway
That’s all we have for now. Hopefully these resources will be useful to you and your students, and a great way for you to keep your classroom fresh with new ideas.
Thanks for stopping by!