Tech Tools Repository: Tools for students

You create an account and a class; students login in with Microsoft. Students answer a prompt that you supply and can view and respond to the presentations of others. In Chrome, Flipgrid can also screencast.

Tip: speed up the playback rate to get more grading done

Cost: free

You create tasks that you want the class to complete and set a time limit (semester, 20 minutes). Students login and see a list of tasks. As they complete each (by submitting info, video, or a pic), you approve, disapprove or award extra points. A feed of the combined progress is available to all participants in a Facebook feed style.

Cost: free for up to five teams

You upload a PDF. Students read it and highlight points of interest, commenting on the side panel. You can also insert questions. Other students can respond to comments or ask/answer questions for each other. Perusall divides students into small groups so that large classes are not overwhelmed by comments.

Tip: this tool is similar to Flipgrid but for text instead of video

Cost: free to use your own materials; optional paid license to use published works

You can create a Bulb of videos you made combined with videos from YouTube. They will seamlessly play as though they were one video with your questions embedded. You can then grade or survey student responses. Students create a free account to view.

Cost: 100 free views total per month with free account; $99/yr for unlimited; paid version integrates with Kaltura

This is an add-on to the Chrome browser that allows a student to easily record their screen, voice and webcam. The 5 min. recording is available to share via a link immediately after filming or the student can upload to YouTube or download the clip. It is simple to get the quick link and post it in BlackBoard.

Tip: you can trim the beginning and the end to clean up your video

Cost: free for videos up to five minutes long; $49/year to make longer videos

Google’s Tour Creator is similar to a slide show but you pull in 360-degree images from sites around the world. It Is integrated with Google Maps, using its Street View images. These can be viewed on a computer, phone or with a VR headset. You can also add comments and additional pics (like ones you took while visiting) within the 360 images.

Cost: free

Students create a free account and start from a wide selection of templates that are easily adjusted. A sharable link is provided which can be uploaded to Blackboard. No printing is allowed on the free account.

Cost: Free for basic account; $99/year for premium with additional features

“Wakelet is a content curation platform where teachers and students can save links, social media posts, videos, and images as items to later be organized into private or public collections.” – Commonsense.org

Cost: free