This post highlights 5 tech-based teacher tools proven to be useful both in and out of the classroom.
1. remove.bg
Sometimes you need to remove the background from an image. Fast. Like when you take a lovely photo with your nieces in front of a trash can.
I heard about remove.bg quite some time ago and understood it to be a fast and free tool that could remove the background from any photo. I’m delighted to share that it’s so much more than that. It also provides options for alternate backgrounds, and I had a lot of fun with that feature.
Now that’s what I call fading into the sunset.
2. Google Lens
Privacy concerns aside, I was excited to learn that Google Lens can be used to identify plants, animals, and bugs. I use Lens through the Google Photos app since I already have it on my phone.
It’s easy – once you have an image of something to identify, open it in Google Photos and click the lens icon on the bottom of the screen (3rd icon from the left in the image below).
Before you know it, some possible results pop up and with a little clicking, you’ve got yourself the knowledge that you almost stepped on a Fowler’s toad. Almost.
While I’ve only used this to satisfy personal curiosity so far, I’m looking forward to testing this tech-based teacher tool with students in the fall.
3. Vocaroo
Vocaroo is a free online tool that allows users to record, send, and download voice messages. Teachers and learners can use Vocaroo in different activities, such as podcasting, digital storytelling, broadcasting, and giving feedback. Recordings can be downloaded, sent, or even scanned with a QR code reader.
Here’s a rough tutorial I made for how to record and share an audio file using Vocaroo. No one can judge me harder for this than my students did when I played it for them, but it worked – a handful of students used this tool to demonstrate knowledge whenever I offered it as an option.
This tech-based teacher tool is a must-have for differentiation.
4. Wheel of Names
Maybe it’s my love of Wheel of Fortune that sold me on this tool, but regardless of the reason, Wheel of Names is a free and easy-to-use website you can use to pick a random name (or item) from a list.
Simply enter names, and spin the wheel to pick a random winner. You can customize the look and feel, and save and share your wheels with others.
5. Kahoot!
Learners young and old enjoy the sense of competition and excitement that accompanies every round of Kahoot! I used this tool as a review activity, which usually looked like 8 – 10 questions at the end of class on Friday.
Fellow science teachers, here is my teacher page. Feel free to reuse or repurpose any of my stuff. Let me know if you do and how it goes!
I also created a Kahoot! that covers some community and school history. My idea is to play it at a community-based event or school assembly, but I’m not there yet. If you’re interested in Bay Brook Elementary Middle School #124 or the Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, or Masonville Cove neighborhoods of Baltimore City, here’s what I have so far. I’d love your input