By Connor Greene

Some educators rely on trial and error or avoid integrating online tools into the classroom altogether. Yet, those who find their perfect online toolkit are able to improve communication inside and outside of the classroom, help students improve their study habits, and create more engaging lessons.

Here are some of the best tools for K through 8 teachers to take their teaching to the next level, from tools that reinforce learning at home to platforms that elevate your lessons and teaching every single day.

More: 8 Ways for Old School Teachers to Embrace Technology

Grammarly

Grammarly is an online software that scans student writing and their premium product detects more than 400 types of grammatical errors, according to their FAQs. Grammarly integrates with web browsers, major learning management systems, and Microsoft Office programs, enabling your students to receive immediate feedback on their work. Make it readily available to students doing in-class work by adding the Chrome extension to any device browsers in the classroom.

TurnItIn

Similar to Grammarly, TurnItIn is a software used by higher education instructors and K-12 educators to help students improve writing skills. This tool is known primarily as an anti-plagiarism platform, where student essays can be uploaded and checked against previously written work. However, TurnItIn has expanded to allow teachers to leave personalized feedback on student writing, while their feature, “Revision Assistant,” helps students improve with real-time, actionable feedback.

Prezi

If you and your students are suffering from “Death by PowerPoint,” use Prezi as an your new go-to. Prezi uses words, images, and animations to engage listeners, and presentations created with this platform can be saved online and accessed anywhere and anytime. More importantly, a recent study found that Prezi is more engaging, more persuasive, and more effective than PowerPoint.

More: 8 New Presentation Tools for Teachers

Discovery Education

More than 4.5 million educators worldwide use Discovery Education’s digital content in the classroom to foster curiosity in the world around them. Discovery Education’s suite of digital textbooks, videos, and professional development resources for teachers are aligned with common core standards. Here, you’ll find up-to-date curricula based on enhancing literacy and critical thinking skills. Explore virtual field trips, lessons like this one: Invention: Computer Technology, and much more.

Scholastic

Many students look forward to their school book fairs, but that’s not where Scholastic stops. They offer a database of online resources for K-8 teachers. You’ll find lesson plans, vocabulary lists, discussion guides, and other activities, along with fun features like Daily Starters. While Scholastic’s programs are often associated with reading and writing, these online resources also include science, math, and social studies.

Whooo’s Reading

Developing reading comprehension requires more than Scantrons and multiple choice questions. That’s where Whooo’s Reading comes in, providing teachers teachers with the tools they need to set reading goals, assign open-ended literacy questions, and track the progress of their students against educational standards.

The gamified platform includes avatars and virtual rewards to attract student interest, encouraging higher-level thinking in a way that’s both fun and effective.

More: Check out Whooo’s Reading on CommonSense.org

Teachers Pay Teachers

This online marketplace for lesson plans, activities, and worksheets enables teachers to connect and share their best classroom resources—while being compensated for it. With TpT, you’re incentivized to share your expertise, and the resources found here can help you cut down on the time spent lesson prepping.

For example, if you’re not sure how to broach the topic of computer science, you can head to this section of their site and browse more than 14,000 results that include flashcards, worksheets, lesson plans, and much more, for free and purchase.

Edmodo

Connect with students and parents outside of the classroom while engaging students with online work using Edmodo, a social networking website. As a teacher, you can use this tool to create student groups, assign homework, and track student progress, all in one place. With unlimited storage, you can keep all of your resources within the platform, and switch between classes from year to year making your life easier.

Quizlet

Quizlet is a website and mobile app that helps students study and review subjects. Students can use it to create their own flashcards and study materials and teachers can use it to digitize the review process. Create your own flashcard sets and quizzes, based on your students’ needs and lessons, for more effective studying and learning. You also have access to a vast library of existing materials created by other Quizlet users.

More: 10 Best Tools for a 5-Minute Formative Assessment

Study.com

Teachers seeking additional certification can take advantage of the test prep resources offered through Study.com, an online hub that uses video lessons and courses to enhance learning. For the Praxis exams, for example, Study.com offers thousands of video lessons and test prep questions for different subjects, as well as more than 50 study guides for the different exams.

All of these resources are available on any device for learning anywhere and anytime—during a lunch break or on the train ride home. Lessons are self-paced, allowing teachers to easily fit test prep into their busy schedule. Study.com also offers state-specific certification resources and teaches current and future teachers about how to adhere to educational standards set forth by each state.

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