TOP PICKS | 45 TOOLS
Tech Tools for Learning at Home
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Digital Creation
Bandimal
Captivating music creation app for young musicians
Bottom line: For iOS-infused preschool and kindergarten classrooms, this could be an excellent intro to electronic music.
Picture Dots
Kids connect the dots with multisensory, interactive media creator
Bottom line: Kids will love playing with this one, but it needs more developed features and additional support to be effective for classroom use.
Easy Studio Stop-Motion Studio
Ideal, easy-to-use way to help kids learn basic animation
Bottom line: This introduction to digital animation offers lots of opportunities for creativity for young students.
The Infinite Arcade by Tinybop
Simple game-design app has endless creative potential
Bottom line: Letting students design, play, improve, and share their own games opens up opportunities for learning potential in many subject areas.
Paper by FiftyThree
Beautifully designed digital sketchbook for any age
Bottom line: The simplicity and effectiveness of the app make this a powerful sketch and note-taking tool for the iPad.
Adventure Time Game Wizard - Draw Your Own Adventure Time Games
Terrific option to teach basic game design in-app or on paper
Bottom line: A highly engaging hook, along with the ability to design games on paper, make this a great option for STEAM teachers.
Anchor
Podcasting app is super easy to use, if you can do it all in one take
Bottom line: There are few easier ways to publish a podcast, but that ease of use comes at the cost of one-take creation and few tools for post-production.
Auxy Studio - Music & Beat Maker
Loop beats like a pro with stellar music-maker
Bottom line: A stellar, approachable tool for constructing your very own digital beats and tracks.
GameMaker Studio 2
One of the best creation tools available for aspiring game developers
Bottom line: Provides teachers with the best choice for a full unit or class on game design, and gives students a tool to help them realize their game-making dreams.
Snapseed
Extremely powerful photo editor will equally delight pros, amateurs
Bottom line: It successfully walks the fine line of photo-editing features, offering satisfying experiences for those making quick edits and those crafting perfect images.
Games and Play
Busy Water
Solve, create, and share puzzles that gush with STEM learning
Bottom line: This challenging yet kid-friendly set of logic puzzles wonderfully allows kids to solve problems and experiment with light science concepts.
Magnus Kingdom of Chess
Gentle chess puzzle game ideal for young newbies
Bottom line: For kids who are new to chess but want to learn how to play, this fun intro to the game provides a well-done tutorial combined with a light overarching storyline.
Discovery Tour by Assassin's Creed: Ancient Egypt
Popular game's education mode offers stunning view of ancient world
Bottom line: This game is an absorbing experience that offers students a unique, living and breathing view of ancient Egyptian art, life, and culture.
Minecraft
Spiraling sandbox of adventure and creation gets kids to dig deep
Bottom line: An irresistible and seemingly limitless incubator for 21st-century skills that, with a little guidance, can chart new courses for learning.
Twelve a Dozen - all access
Engrossing math platformer puts problem-solving skills to the test
Bottom line: This absorbing game challenges kids' math and thinking skills as much as it entertains.
Elegy for a Dead World
Compelling sci-fi world imagined -- and written -- by its players
Bottom line: With some teacher guidance, Elegy offers an opportunity unlike anything else to get students to write stories and stretch their creative muscles.
Geoguessr
"Just one more turn" gameplay jazzes up geography
Bottom line: It's not a typical educational game, but students are inspired to explore the world and encouraged to think critically about what defines culture and geography.
Scribblenauts Remix
Vocab-building word puzzles inspire creative problem-solving
Bottom line: Wide-open problem solving builds creativity, vocabulary, and spelling skills, but controls can be tricky.
Epistory - Typing Chronicles
Practice typing by exploring and defending a world made of paper
Bottom line: Great for practicing touch-typing skills, this adventure game draws players in with a slowly revealed backstory.
7 Billion Humans
Amusing puzzler challenges kids, teaches programming principles
Bottom line: This high-quality puzzle game is a fun way for students to learn effective and efficient programming skills.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Best entry in classic strategy series might not be best for classrooms
Bottom line: As with all games in this series, Civilization VI is a great learning experience with the right support, but older, cheaper versions may be more practical for classrooms.
Kerbal Space Program
Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim
Bottom line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.
STEM
The Robot Factory by Tinybop
Improve designs, collect favorites in robot creation sandbox
Bottom line: A well-made and enjoyable STEM app that leverages what's great about play -- experimentation -- to spark engineering interest.
Cubelets Blockly
Versatile robots teach many engineering and coding skills
Bottom line: The scalability of the Cubelets learning experience makes them an excellent addition to any school or STEM club.
Scratch
Creative sandbox opens the door to coding in any subject area
Bottom line: Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.
Gizmos & Gadgets
Top-notch tool empowers kids to invent, build, and control wirelessly
Bottom line: Easy-to-use, versatile electronic invention set that works wirelessly with your hand-held device.
Cozmo
A little robot with big personality brings code to life
Bottom line: From Cozmo's engaging personality to endless programming possibilities, this little robot will capture your heart and spark imagination.
Seek by iNaturalist
Nature identification app limited but worthwhile
Bottom line: Even though it can't always make a match, the free price tag and large active community make this photo-snapping app useful for classrooms.
Sky Guide
Awesome astronomy app takes students on a journey through the universe
Bottom line: A quality, affordable way to bring true astronomy study to the classroom, even during the day, with a plethora of viewing options.
Swift Playgrounds
Brilliantly designed iOS coding app great for newbies or pros
Bottom line: If iPad devices are available, this is an inspired choice for learning how to create and tweak code.
Incredible Numbers by Professor Ian Stewart
Beautiful exploration of fascinating math beyond classroom topics
Bottom line: For students who get bored by the usual curriculum, this tool will open their eyes to math's deepest problems and most curious corners.
Fundamentals
Khan Academy Kids
Creative, smart mix of pre-K to K activities is a breath of fresh air
Bottom line: It's tough to stand out in the crowded early learning space, but this collection does just that, offering a one-stop shop for creative learning of foundational skills.
DragonBox Numbers
Explore the concept of numbers through puzzles and fun gameplay
Bottom line: Though there are a few kinks, kids experience fun gameplay while internalizing fundamental number concepts.
PBS KIDS
One-stop shop for a wealth of fantastic PBS KIDS educational content
Bottom line: Amazing collection of valuable learning resources covers an impressive array of topics.
Epic! - Unlimited Books for Kids
Free, expansive digital library unlocks treasure trove of books
Bottom line: This large collection of books and videos on a wide variety of topics is an easy -- and free -- enhancement to any classroom library.
Khan Academy
Missions boost learning with balance of focus, freedom to explore
Bottom line: A solid resource for Common Core math instruction as well as foundational knowledge in a number of other subjects.
Prodigy
Adaptive math practice wrapped in role-playing adventure
Bottom line: Sometimes kids just need some math practice to get things to stick, and Prodigy delivers in a fun format with great teacher support.
Social and Emotional Learning
Toca Tea Party
Pretend play meets social skills at this cute interactive gathering
Bottom line: Beautiful, imagination-provoking app is so easy to use, kids will likely want to return for many more parties.
Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings
Songs and activities help kids express, recognize, understand emotions
Bottom line: Daniel Tiger and his friends present excellent examples for kids who are just learning healthy emotional expression.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame
Sesame Street winner teaches kids how to keep calm and carry on
Bottom line: Highly effective tool for whole-class instruction or one-on-one intervention.
GoNoodle
Brief bursts of physical exercise add classroom fun, build brainpower
Bottom line: In a genre of its own, GoNoodle is a ready-to-go and classroom-friendly exercise program that challenges students to get moving.
Calm
Relaxing and serene app helps incorporate peace into daily life
Bottom line: If you're looking for a captivating app to teach relaxation and calming skills to students, Calm is an essential tool to add to your toolbox.
Thrively
Cool assessment targets kids' strengths; sprawling content overwhelms
Bottom line: A great starting point for conversations about students' strengths; skip some of the digital content.
Me: A Kid's Diary
Unique take on self-exploration relies on prompts to guide reflection
Bottom line: With plenty of ways to express and document their thoughts and more, this app can help students learn something new about themselves.
The Harry Potter Alliance
Fan site promotes real-world heroics with activism for social justice
Bottom line: A fun, empowering community for Potter fans who want to talk Hogwarts and make the world a better place while they're at it.
