20 free tools you can use in
education
Matt Buckle
Blogs
• www.wordpress.com
• www.blogger.com
• An alternative way for
students to present evidence
electronically. They can add
video, sound, images and text
as well as interactive content
for the more adventurous.
• Teachers can comment on
posts and keep track of when
new work is added.
Useful for:
Presenting work, assignments,
providing a session by session
course commentary for students to
follow
www.socrative.com
• Socrative is a site that
allows students and
teachers to interact
instantly via a smartphone,
tablet or PC.
• You can set quizzes, ask
questions and get analysed
results easily.
• Uses the web so you don’t
need an app.
Useful for:
Quick exercises, Games, Polls,
reports,
https://www.storify.com/
• When you search for
something on Storify it
brings together restated
content from news sites,
social media sites video
sites and image sites.
• You have the option to
add content to your own
story that can be shared
Useful for:
Student research, link sharing
www.diigo.com
• An online bookmark
manager.
• You can bookmark
anything, sort, organise
and display your
bookmarks in a variety of
different ways
• You can even highlight
relevant parts and add
annotations
Useful for:
Sorting and organising websites
Creating a reading list for students
Highlighting key parts of a website
www.tricider.com
• An online collaboration
tool that allows teams
of people to input and
share ideas.
• You can set deadlines,
refine ideas, vote on
ideas and discuss them Useful for:
Managing group projects, online
collaboration, sharing ideas
www.animoto.com
• Animoto lets users create
30 second videos that can
be
• iPhone App allows users
to capture video on their
phone and upload it
directly to animoto, a
blog or send them via
email etc.
Useful for:
Presenting evidence
cel.ly
• Create your own
mobile social network
• Its private and secure
• Allows group
messaging, scheduled
reminders for hand in
dates etc.
• App available for
Android and iPhone
Useful for:
Engaging with students,
encouraging communication
www.prezi.com
• An online presentation
tool.
• You can create make
impressive
presentations that can
include multimedia and
different layers. Useful for:
Presenting work, sharing
information
www.dipity.com
• Dipity lets you create a
timeline of events
• You can link them to
documents, websites
and videos
• Students can add
comments to your
timeline.
Useful for:
Creating timelines, encouraging
student discussion online,
quizlet.com
• Mainly used for creating quizzes
and games
• Results analysed
• Mainly based on definitions of key
terms
• Ability to create flash cards and
other learning
• www.testmoz.com is an alternative
Useful for:
Creating quizzes, student revision,
testing knowedge.
www.quora.com
• Allows you to post a
question and get
answers from real
people.
• Blogs available on
various topics
• Not specifically designed
for education, but a
good tool none the less.
Useful for:
Finding answers to questions.
www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix
• A simple way to create
comic strips.
• Simply drag and drop
content into boxes
• Can be used by
students or teachers Useful for:
Presenting work in an alternative
format
www.podomatic.com
• Create and upload
podcasts
• Loads of podcasts
available on a variety of
topics to download
• Available via
smartphone or
computer
Useful for:
Audio revision guides,
downloadable versions of lessons,
Presentation of work
www.zamzar.com
• Zamzar is a free online
file converter.
• A very useful tool for
converting a variety of
files e.g. PDF to word
• It also converts images,
videos and text
• It will email converted
files to you
Useful for:
Converting files into a useable
format.
www.mindomo.com
• Mindomo allows you to
create mind maps with text
and pictures that can be
saved, adapted and printed
out
• Apps available for android
and iPad
• A simpler but more basic
alternative is
https://bubbl.us/
Useful for:
Recording student ideas
Presenting information
www.cramberry.net
• Online flash cards
• You can create your
own or use the millions
already on Cramberry’s
system
Useful for:
Revision exercises
www.memplai.com
• Memplai allows users to
create simple videos (with
audio) out of photos,
existing text and videos.
• Videos can be collaborative
– more than one person can
add their photos to if for
example.
• Content created can easily
be shared
Useful for:
Collaborative tasks, alternative
ways to present evidence
Content for lessons
www.polleverywhere.com
• Simply type poll
questions into the
website
• Students text their
answers to a standard
UK mobile number
• Results analysed
instantly
Useful for:
Voting, class polls, quick quizzes
www.screenr.com
• A simple screen cast
creation site
• Record what is on your
monitor and easily share
it
• Allows for discussion via
comments
• Can be viewed on tablets
and smartphones
Useful for:
Creating demos for students
Online recap lessons (use with
another tool)
www.tagxedo.com
• Create word clouds
from the content of
text documents,
websites or just the
words you enter.
Useful for:
Presenting key words in an
interesting form
Some bonus sites
• http://search.creativecommons.org/
– Search for material you can legally use in your work
• http://www.khanacademy.org/
– Online video lessons
• http://www.livebinders.com/
– Sort and organise documents and course files – like a ring binder but
digital
• http://cueprompter.com/
– Turns your monitor into an autocue – useful for those students who
are nervous about giving presentations
• http://www.teachertube.com
– Like Youtube but with a purely educational slant
• http://www.toolsforeducators.com/
– Create word searches and crosswords online

Interactive web tools

  • 1.
    20 free toolsyou can use in education Matt Buckle
  • 2.
    Blogs • www.wordpress.com • www.blogger.com •An alternative way for students to present evidence electronically. They can add video, sound, images and text as well as interactive content for the more adventurous. • Teachers can comment on posts and keep track of when new work is added. Useful for: Presenting work, assignments, providing a session by session course commentary for students to follow
  • 3.
    www.socrative.com • Socrative isa site that allows students and teachers to interact instantly via a smartphone, tablet or PC. • You can set quizzes, ask questions and get analysed results easily. • Uses the web so you don’t need an app. Useful for: Quick exercises, Games, Polls, reports,
  • 4.
    https://www.storify.com/ • When yousearch for something on Storify it brings together restated content from news sites, social media sites video sites and image sites. • You have the option to add content to your own story that can be shared Useful for: Student research, link sharing
  • 5.
    www.diigo.com • An onlinebookmark manager. • You can bookmark anything, sort, organise and display your bookmarks in a variety of different ways • You can even highlight relevant parts and add annotations Useful for: Sorting and organising websites Creating a reading list for students Highlighting key parts of a website
  • 6.
    www.tricider.com • An onlinecollaboration tool that allows teams of people to input and share ideas. • You can set deadlines, refine ideas, vote on ideas and discuss them Useful for: Managing group projects, online collaboration, sharing ideas
  • 7.
    www.animoto.com • Animoto letsusers create 30 second videos that can be • iPhone App allows users to capture video on their phone and upload it directly to animoto, a blog or send them via email etc. Useful for: Presenting evidence
  • 8.
    cel.ly • Create yourown mobile social network • Its private and secure • Allows group messaging, scheduled reminders for hand in dates etc. • App available for Android and iPhone Useful for: Engaging with students, encouraging communication
  • 9.
    www.prezi.com • An onlinepresentation tool. • You can create make impressive presentations that can include multimedia and different layers. Useful for: Presenting work, sharing information
  • 10.
    www.dipity.com • Dipity letsyou create a timeline of events • You can link them to documents, websites and videos • Students can add comments to your timeline. Useful for: Creating timelines, encouraging student discussion online,
  • 11.
    quizlet.com • Mainly usedfor creating quizzes and games • Results analysed • Mainly based on definitions of key terms • Ability to create flash cards and other learning • www.testmoz.com is an alternative Useful for: Creating quizzes, student revision, testing knowedge.
  • 12.
    www.quora.com • Allows youto post a question and get answers from real people. • Blogs available on various topics • Not specifically designed for education, but a good tool none the less. Useful for: Finding answers to questions.
  • 13.
    www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix • A simpleway to create comic strips. • Simply drag and drop content into boxes • Can be used by students or teachers Useful for: Presenting work in an alternative format
  • 14.
    www.podomatic.com • Create andupload podcasts • Loads of podcasts available on a variety of topics to download • Available via smartphone or computer Useful for: Audio revision guides, downloadable versions of lessons, Presentation of work
  • 15.
    www.zamzar.com • Zamzar isa free online file converter. • A very useful tool for converting a variety of files e.g. PDF to word • It also converts images, videos and text • It will email converted files to you Useful for: Converting files into a useable format.
  • 16.
    www.mindomo.com • Mindomo allowsyou to create mind maps with text and pictures that can be saved, adapted and printed out • Apps available for android and iPad • A simpler but more basic alternative is https://bubbl.us/ Useful for: Recording student ideas Presenting information
  • 17.
    www.cramberry.net • Online flashcards • You can create your own or use the millions already on Cramberry’s system Useful for: Revision exercises
  • 18.
    www.memplai.com • Memplai allowsusers to create simple videos (with audio) out of photos, existing text and videos. • Videos can be collaborative – more than one person can add their photos to if for example. • Content created can easily be shared Useful for: Collaborative tasks, alternative ways to present evidence Content for lessons
  • 19.
    www.polleverywhere.com • Simply typepoll questions into the website • Students text their answers to a standard UK mobile number • Results analysed instantly Useful for: Voting, class polls, quick quizzes
  • 20.
    www.screenr.com • A simplescreen cast creation site • Record what is on your monitor and easily share it • Allows for discussion via comments • Can be viewed on tablets and smartphones Useful for: Creating demos for students Online recap lessons (use with another tool)
  • 21.
    www.tagxedo.com • Create wordclouds from the content of text documents, websites or just the words you enter. Useful for: Presenting key words in an interesting form
  • 22.
    Some bonus sites •http://search.creativecommons.org/ – Search for material you can legally use in your work • http://www.khanacademy.org/ – Online video lessons • http://www.livebinders.com/ – Sort and organise documents and course files – like a ring binder but digital • http://cueprompter.com/ – Turns your monitor into an autocue – useful for those students who are nervous about giving presentations • http://www.teachertube.com – Like Youtube but with a purely educational slant • http://www.toolsforeducators.com/ – Create word searches and crosswords online