50 of the best Free Apps for teachers

That's a pretty general and subjective idea. The best for them as human beings–health, finances, and entertainment? The best for them in the classroom? To connect with other educators? To stay on top of emerging tools and trends in education? To use with students?

For iOS, Android, or Windows Phone? Can we assume there's WiFi access? Is data use an issue? What about data privacy? And what do we mean by "free" Truly free? Are in-app purchases available? Necessary? Is it a free version that has hideous banners everywhere?

To say that there is a lot to consider is an understatement.

That said, we've taken a wide-lens view of the modern teacher and taken a stab at what might be considered 50 of the best really, truly actually free apps available for iOS. They may have some paid options, but they're each entirely useful without spending a penny.

While we do look at music, health tracking apps, and other teachers-as-a-human-being apps, we focus mostly on the kinds of digital content that will help you teach more effectively to a wider range of students in more compelling and dynamic ways than ever before. All free.

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How has Technology Helped With School Bullying?

Sadly, one problem that no generation has been able to escape is bullying. Too many children go to school with fear of other kids. Whether we're talking ab

Sadly, one problem that no generation has been able to escape is bullying. Too many children go to school with fear of other kids. Whether we're talking ab

 

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
A really useful infographic with information about apps that can help deal with bullying.
A really useful infographic with information about apps that can help deal with bullying.

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Can the Maker Movement Infiltrate Mainstream Classrooms? - Mind/Shift

At the White House Maker Faire recently, where President Obama invited "makers" of all ages to display their creations, the  President investigated a robotic giraffe, a red weather balloon and shot a marshmallow cannon made by a student. With so much fanfare and media attention on the event, some educators are hopeful that the idea of tinkering as a way of learning might finally have made it back to the mainstream. But will the same philosophy of discovery and hands-on learning make it into classrooms?

"Most of the people that I know who got into science and technology benefited from a set of informal experiences before they had much formal training," said Dale Dougherty, editor of Make Magazine and founder of Maker Faire on KQED's Forum program. "And I mean, like building rockets in the backyard, tinkering, playing with things. And that created the interest and motivation to pursue science."

That spirit of play and discovery of knowledge is missing from much of formal education, Dougherty said. Students not only have no experience with making or the tools needed to build things, they're often at a tactile deficit. "Schools haven't changed, but the students have," Dougherty said. "They don't come with these experiences."

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5 Highly Effective Teaching Practices

Check out these researched-based, best teaching practices and share with us the ways you already use them in your classroom.

 

Learn more:

 

http://ift.tt/1mg82Qd

 

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
What are the main influences on achievement of K-12 children? This article cites research on student outcomes and discusses five highly effective classroom practices.

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Take Note: How to Curate Learning Digitally

Going beyond the 4Ss of digital note taking (support, save, search, and share), students should work toward curating, synthesizing, and reflecting on their learning.

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
Making curation part of an information management process.

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16 skills students need to learn today to thrive tomorrow

Will classes in curiosity, problem-solving and creative thinking soon be on the curriculum? Our latest report thinks it should.

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
Interesting choice.

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2016 NMC Horizon Report Higher Education #edtech #highered #blendedlib #ACRL

The NMC Horizon Report > 2016 Higher Education Edition is a collaborative effort between the NMC and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI).

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
If you don't already know this, this is one of the best resources for learning about future trends in Higher Ed.

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Personalized Learning: What It Really Is and Why It Really Matters

The authors offer a framework—based on three years of campus visits—for thinking about (1) the circumstances under which personalized learning can help students and (2) the best way to evaluate the real educational value for products that are marketed under the personalized learning banner.

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10 Lesson Plans to Develop Digital Literacies

Over the last few months I have been working hard to develop a set of commercially available lesson materials. These lesson plans aren't specifically designed for English language learners, though they will be useful for students at higher levels who want stimulating skills based practice or for any teacher interested in developing a CLIL or content based approach to language learning. They were designed to enable any teacher to develop students in a way that is more closely aligned to the kinds of skills they will need to function effectively and critically in the digital world.

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
A collection of 10 of my lesson plans designed to develop critical thinking and digital literacy.

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