TOP PICKS | 28 TOOLS
Lesson-Planning Apps and Websites
Top Picks
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Digital Planners
Common Curriculum
Sleek lesson planner replaces bulky binders, promotes collaboration
Bottom line: Flexible and collaborative lesson planning, calendar design, and classroom site creator save teachers precious time.
Planboard
Handy one-stop digital lesson planner saves time
Bottom line: Simplifies lesson planning with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
Standards Planner
A step up from standard calendars but has room to grow
Bottom line: With proper maintenance, good curation of relevant resources, and up-to-date classroom lessons, Standards Planner can give teachers and students a learning advantage.
PlanbookEdu
Pretty basic online planner with a few teacher-friendly bonus features
Bottom line: Create and organize all your classes and then some on this glorified day planner, but it's not a whole lot better than the paper version.
Teachers.io
Organizational tool helps teachers plan, communicate with students
Bottom line: Scheduling solution for teachers is at its best when used alongside student homework app.
Creation Tools
Nearpod
Engage and assess students with media, videos, and interactive slides
Bottom line: This is a great tool with a vast content library and the teacher- or student-paced learning can unlock the potential of 1-to-1 environments.
Teacherly
Collaborative lesson planning software supports live and asynchronous instruction
Bottom line: This teacher-centric platform may win over some educators, but students might not be as impressed.
Wizer
Digital worksheet builder lets students show learning in multiple ways
Bottom line: Students will appreciate this 21st-century take on worksheets, and teachers will love all the different options for creation and assessment.
Spiral
Provide instant feedback with collaborative, multimedia assessment tool
Bottom line: Engaging, easy-to-use tool that supports both formative and summative assessment while allowing for student collaboration.
Edpuzzle
Crop, customize, and remix online video content with interactive tool
Bottom line: As a tool for the flipped classroom or for student-led creation, a cool tool for teachers to create and share engaging video content.
LessonUp
Flexible interactive presentation tool engages kids at school and home
Bottom line: LessonUp is for teachers who like designing unique lessons to reach every learner.
Blendspace
Create multimedia lessons with engaging but not-so-interactive style
Bottom line: Allows you to incorporate lots of multimedia resources, but be discerning with content and assessments to avoid lazy teaching or learning.
ClassFlow
Robust lesson creation and delivery tool helps with assessment
Bottom line: In the hands of a determined teacher, this platform's useful suite of tools can support learning experiences that move from instruction to assessment and back.
Online Resources
BetterLesson
Exemplary lessons, strategies, and coaching from master teachers
Bottom line: Take advantage of the offerings of this professional community to improve the quality of your classroom instruction.
PowerMyLearning Connect
Create playlists and differentiate with quality third-party content
Bottom line: A curation of some of the best educational content on the web made easily accessible, both for students and teachers.
ReadWriteThink
Excellent free resource for all things reading and writing
Bottom line: A language arts teacher's dream; lesson plans, professional development, and all-around quality support.
Tailor-ED
Create differentiated math lessons and assessments in minutes
Bottom line: Easy differentiation and unique insights that can improve math instruction.
LearnZillion
Quality Common Core-aligned lessons with great modeling for teachers
Bottom line: An innovative way to enhance lessons and tailor learning for individual needs.
OER Commons
Free, easy access to a wealth of resources
Bottom line: Impressive resource opens access to quality materials for all educators.
Gooru
Personalized tool fosters exploration, teacher-led meaningful learning
Bottom line: A great portal for supplementing classroom instruction; supports independent and personalized learning.
Standards and Goals
Goalbook Toolkit
Set tailored targets with pricey but worth-it kit of tools, strategies
Bottom line: You pay for quality with Goalbook Toolkit, including access to clear, well-crafted learning goals and strategies that allow for far easier differentiation.
Common Core Standards
Complete Common Core State Standards in convenient, searchable, free resource
Bottom line: Love 'em or hate 'em, this resource puts them at your fingertips.
Next Generation Science Standards
Free resource puts Next Generation Science Standards at your fingertips
Bottom line: Super-handy resource makes science standards easy to access anytime, anywhere.
Learning Management Systems
Kiddom
LMS offers tangible options to differentiate learning
Bottom line: An excellent option for monitoring individual progress toward goals, but teachers will need to be deliberate when selecting and assigning content.
Otus
Free LMS feels rich in offering data-driven differentiated instruction
Bottom line: This teacher-created site solves more problems than it causes, but it will take some up-front professional development to take full advantage.
Google Classroom
Exceptional, simple communication, collaboration, and document sharing
Bottom line: Though it doesn't have it all, it's an incredible tool for managing and organizing learning.
Schoology
Free LMS for digital classrooms packed with possibilities
Bottom line: This is an LMS that offers rich learning and collaboration experiences when matched with creative tasks and assessments.
PowerSchool
Full-featured LMS great for instructional design
Bottom line: With planning for content and design, and some restraint, teachers can create and manage relevant pages ideal for extending and transferring learning.
