Whew! This last week has been such a whirlwind, and we can’t wait to tell you about it. We were lucky enough to exhibit at ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference in San Antonio, the biggest educational technology conference in the United States. We had so much fun meeting so many of you, handing out posters, tote bags, and t-shirts, and even getting down on the dance floor at the Vivacity ’90s party! But the best part was definitely scoping out all of the amazing new tools headed to classrooms this fall. Here are a few favorites you need to know about.
We Are Teachers
1. Pocketalk
If you teach in a classroom with multiple home languages, Pocketalk is a game changer. It’s a pocket translator that supports more than 80 languages with instant translation features, including a text-to-translate camera. Having access to two-way translation at the push of a button is transformational.
It’s the classic building block completely reinvented! Clixo’s magnetic play system is light and flexible, and empowers kids to discover their creative confidence as they play and explore. Let imagination take flight by allowing kids to freely create or follow how-tos to build amazing 2D or 3D shapes. We had so much fun playing around with this hands-on toy system.
Viewsonic not only delivers amazing and reliable classroom technology. Their myViewBoard 3.0 is a digital whiteboard platform helping teachers like you deliver engaging lessons. It’s great for both in-person or virtual learning! Our favorite part? The ability to seamlessly integrate your existing PowerPoint, Google Slides, or PDF lesson materials. It makes trying out this platform a no brainer!
If you’re looking for a fun, motivating way to get students to read more (who isn’t?), we love Beanstack, a platform that gamifies reading by awarding fun badges and other prizes as students log what they’ve read.
Plus, Beanstack analyzes students’ reading trends to let teachers know overall reading levels. And teachers and schools can design custom reading challenges and lists to grow reading culture (e.g., a list of books recommended by the principal or a school-wide list for Black History Month).
The brand-new BBC Learning Hub is here, and it’s packed with classroom-ready resources! Check out their site with 1,000+ video clips with corresponding activities, student magazine articles at three reading levels, and free classroom printables. We’re so excited to explore videos and activities including Bluey and Planet Earth!
Student-ready resources can be at your fingertips in minutes! This AI platform allows educators to create resources based on grade level and aligned to your specific standards. Plus, easily adjust reading level, language or length with no prep required. The best part is that Diffit is laser focused on quality and safety, with sources cited with every search and zero student data collected.
Make scavenger hunts memorable with Scavos! This fun app allows you to select from short video challenges, multiple-choice quizzes, or text-based riddles to create an interactive experience. It’s great for teacher team building, school scavenger hunts for students, outdoor events, and much more! You can monitor progress in an in-app activity feed with a leaderboard.
If you’re ready to introduce robotics in your classroom, Ozobot is the place to start! Their STEAM Kits provide hands-on learning experiences that are fun, educational, and standards-aligned for students in grades K–5. Their products make using robots in the classroom more approachable and achievable.
We were so impressed hearing about Project 10 Million from T-Mobile! They’re committed to helping ensure internet access is not a barrier to a child’s education by offering students in grades K-12 free 5G connectivity. Any student eligible for the National School Lunch Program can get connected at home through Project 10 Million.
SmartPass offers a more flexible way to know where students are throughout the school day. Their platform allows you to maximize instructional time, enhance safety, and improve student outcomes. Consider it your digital hall pass with activity scheduling and actionable data!
