Apps
There seems to be an endless amount of apps and digital tools out there that are available to teachers and students these days. It’s hard to know where to begin and which apps to leave behind. Luckily, we are here for you to provide a list of distance learning apps and tools that come highly recommended in various categories of teaching and learning. Perhaps you can make it a goal for the week to test out one new app that will address a current need of yours!
Here are 50 distance learning apps and online tools to try!
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR COMMUNICATION
1. Remind
This free app is used for messaging between teachers, parents, and students. Teachers can share files, links, and other instructional resources.
2. Edmodo
Edmodo is a free tool for communicating between home and school. Teachers can message families and post updates needed. It is an educational version of Facebook!
3. Google Hangouts
Easily message with students for free through their school emails if your district uses Google Suite. Video chatting is available as well.
4. Flipgrid
Assign activities to students and expect video responses in return. This is a very unique, free communication tool!
5. Bloomz
This free app allows for easy communication between all involved at school. Bloomz also features the ability to create sign-ups!
SCREEN RECORDING DISTANCE LEARNING APPS
6. Screencastify
This app is free for up to 5-minute unlimited recordings. Record your computer screen in digital lessons.
7. Screencast-O-Matic
Record videos that share your screen using Screencast-o-matic for free!
8. Loom
With Loom, you can record your camera, microphone, and desktop simultaneously. Your video is then instantly available to share to students. Loom is free for the first 25 videos!
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR GENERAL INSTRUCTION
9. Kiddom
Free for teachers, educators can differentiate digital instruction using Kiddom. You can record videos and audio, chat with students via Kiddom, and assess students’ progress.
10. Edpuzzle
With edpuzzle, you can check to see if students are watching your recorded videos and if they’re understanding the content. You can also use other videos, like from YouTube. This app is free!
11. Educreations
Educreations features an interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool. Create short instructional videos with your voice and annotations for free.
12. Kahoot
Kahoot is a free trivia style educational tool. Search thousands of premade trivia games or make your own. Students compete against each other throughout the experience.
13. Actively Learn
Actively Learn contains free, differentiated texts and videos for ELA, Science, and Social Studies. Teachers can assess students within Actively Learn as well.
14. Class Flow
Using this free app, teachers can send quizzes, polls, and activities directly to student devices. Premade activities are also available free of charge.
15. GoClass
Create and share interactive lessons with students. This app is best known for engaging students in a highly effective manner. You can have up to 30 students and 12 lessons available at time for free on GoClass.
16. Kailo Edu
This free app is used to facilitate student discussion and debates. It’s an app like no other!
17. PBS Kids
This is a classic! PBS Kids is filled with free learning resources in a wide variety of topics. Students can read short passages, watch videos, and play educational games.
18. NOVA
NOVA by PBS contains many engaging, free science videos and demonstrations.
19. Khan Academy
This non-for-profit app contains thousands of interactive lessons for students in multiple subject areas. Easily differentiate instruction through Khan Academy.
20. TedED from TED Talks
TedEd contains free videos and quests for students to explore. Teachers can also create their own videos! This app is a MUST HAVE!
21. PearDeck
PearDeck brings Google Slides assignments to life. Students can login using a code and follow along as the teacher gives a live lesson. View this tutorial for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ALtFL6HSE
22. IXL
IXL provides K-12 curriculum supports for math, language arts, science, and social studies. Teachers can set up a 30 day free trial for their students.
23. MobyMax
This app is mostly for K-8 teachers providing CCSS-aligned content, assessments, and activities. The app announced that their software would be free during shutdowns due to COVID-19.
24. Grammarly
This free browser extension or desktop tool detects tone and typos, while also strengthening writing skills.
25. Quill
Quill contains free writing and grammar lesson plans for teachers.
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR READING
26. Book Creator
Book Creator provide the opportunity for students to create digital books online. Students can get creative and share their stories. There are many free aspects within this app and other free trials as well.
27. CommonLit
This totally FREE tool provides a digital lesson library, formative assessments, and summative assessments. Books in Spanish are available as well.
28. Epic
This app provides FREE access to a diverse digital library. Quizzes are found within activities as well. This is a super popular tool amongst teachers today!
29. Newsela
Share current events articles with students for free through Newsela. Newsela also integrates with Google Classroom so that you can post article assignments directly to Google Classroom.
30. MyOn
MyOn provides a digital, leveled library. A subscription is required.
31. ReadWorks
FREE content, curriculum, and tools for grades K-12 is available through ReadWorks. Activities are targeted at building reading comprehension.
32. Starfall
Starfall teaches basic English reading and writing skills, best for grades K-3. It includes plenty of games and targeted phonics instruction. Parts of this app are free while other features require a subscription.
33. Storykit
Storykit is a game changer! It’s a user-friendly, free storybook creation app that allows students to add pictures and recordings with their own voices. Amazing!
34. ReadTheory
Here’s another FREEBIE! ReadTheory is best used for reading comprehension activities and monitoring.
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR MATH
35. Dad’s Worksheets
The name of this app says it all. It’s FREE and contains many printable activities, games, and puzzles.
36. Desmos
Desmos is an app containing a free online graphing calculator.
37. Funexpected
Funexpected contains math activities and games, much of which are currently free!
38. Zearn
Zearn contains differentiated math materials at each student’s level. This is a very popular math tool today!
APPS AND ONLINE TOOLS FOR LESSON PLANNING
39. Common Curriculum
For free, teachers can add standards to lessons, print or download lessons, re-use lessons from past years, and upload files from Google Drive.
40. Planboard
Create lessons with added files, photos, and videos. Share your lessons with colleagues. This digital planbook is a lifesaver!
ONLINE TOOLS FOR ENL TEACHERS
41. Duolingo
This app is 100% free containing language learning. It can be personalized with immediate grading and gamification for students.
42. FluentU
FluentU provides real-world, language immersion videos. It is free for the first 14 days of use!
43. TeachVid
Many TeachVid features are free, and some add-ons are available through purchase. The app allows you to create content with interactive activities and quizzes in languages of your choice.
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR MOVEMENT
44. Shape America
Shape America contains PE lesson plans for grades K-8.
45. Alo
Free Yoga videos for kids. Accompanying worksheets are provided as well. This is a teacher’s favorite!
DISTANCE LEARNING APPS FOR ART
46. Smithsonian
Take virtual tours of many different exhibits!
47. The Art of Education
Lesson plans for grades K-6 are provides through The Art of Education.
DISTANCE LEARNING ASSESSMENT TOOLS
48. ReviewGameZone
This free website allows teachers to turn multiple choice questions into review games. Kids LOVE this review option!
49. Socrative
Use Socrative to create free simple and quick true/false and short answer quizzes or exit tickets. This website is free to use for up to 50 students.
50. GoConqr
GoConqr is a quiz generator with premade resources from other teachers!
It can be overwhelming to dive into so many new tools, so we suggest picking just one to check out based on a need you currently have in your class! Bookmark this list and refer back to it when your next need rises.
