So Many Apps, So Many Choices

With so many apps out there for educators, it can be really easy to be overwhelmed and not know which is the best to use in the classroom. Well, I have used a few and some have worked better than others. I like Plickers, and I also like Quizlet and Kahoot. There is no perfect app and different situations would utilize different apps or sites better. Quizlet is still one of my favorites, but as with any of the sites, you always have to be on the lookout for snafus. I enjoy having my students compete in a group during a Quizlet Live session, but I have to watch for the students who take over and the ones who will sit back and not participate. I often times put the weaker student in the middle of a group, rather than the outside and purposely tell certain students that they can only be helpers. Sometimes, the students are not allowed to communicate verbally during a Quizlet Live (only with hand signals), and other times, they have to stop when their team is down to the last question in an effort to give other groups a chance to catch up.
My students also love to participate in a Kahoot, which we often use before a big test. When I first heard of Kahoot, it reminded me of the Trivia games that are popular in some restaurants. The kids just really enjoy using the site and the Kahoot creators are always adding more tools to help teachers with assessments.
One more thing I want to share that I learned in the last year from my tech-savvy daughter is called the Snipping Tool. As I was creating an assessment about a year ago, she told me about it and explained that it would change my life.Well, she was right!

This tool is probably already on your computer. You just need to type into your search bar at the bottom of your computer screen, "Snipping Tool", and it will probably appear. Then click  the "New" button and your screen will go a little grey and you can drag a box around whatever you want to capture. You can then save the image as a JPEG or copy and paste the image into a document or assessment you might be creating. This tool has really saved my life and I have been able to really customize assessments I have made in Kahoot, Plickers, and even in Jeopardy games.



As I have said earlier, all of these apps are simply tools, but you always have to be in tune with your students; their strengths and their weaknesses. Any great app can be overused or misused without being observant. We live in such an exciting time with all of these tools!

These are photos of my kids using Quizlet Live. It can be a great tool, as can other tools, but I have to always exercise a little bit of caution and wisdom so I don't overuse the tool and I am also able to use the tool to the best of its ability.