Wix
This platform functions like WordPress, offering categorized content that keeps learning organized and accessible. It’s handy for students who miss lessons, providing video tutorials and learning pages with additional resources. Teachers can edit posts, add videos, and create comprehensive assignments with step-by-step instructions, rubrics, expectations, and submission dates. With all information accessible anytime, students can plan effectively and stay on track with their learning goals.
Seesaw
Seesaw is a versatile platform that enhances student engagement and learning by connecting students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Accessible from any device, it promotes creativity, diversity, and independence while offering real-time feedback on work. Families can engage with students’ progress at home, fostering communication and relationship-building. Features like peer-to-peer feedback encourage teamwork and create a positive learning environment, while the platform’s ability to translate English into over 100 languages supports inclusivity. Teachers can set boundaries with “office hours” for replying to parents and students. However, a potential challenge is ensuring all families have access to devices for communication.
Mental Health and Technology Apps
Mental health and technology apps offer valuable tools for supporting students, who are four times more likely to face mental health struggles, impacting their academics, well-being, and development. Mental health is closely tied to physical health, with activities like meditation, yoga, movement breaks, and gratitude practices making a difference in the classroom. Apps like Calm provide breathing exercises, mindfulness reminders, and sleep stories, while Finch encourages journaling and social interactions with customizable avatars. Headspace offers free guided meditation and breathing techniques for teachers, improving focus and emotional regulation. GoNoodle engages children with physical brain breaks and attention resets, and Moxie, a social robot, uses AI to promote emotional skill development, affirmations, and peer relationships. These tools positively impact students’ mental health and classroom dynamics.
Inclusive Technology in the Classroom
Assistive technology encompasses many tools and strategies that empower students to accomplish tasks they might find challenging. Screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and Talkback translate computer screens into auditory outputs for visually impaired students. Electronic devices such as magnifiers and Braille tools also provide critical support. AAC (Augmented Alternative Communication) devices and apps like LetMeTalk and AVAZ use semantic compaction and alphabet-based systems to aid communication. For deaf students, hearing loop systems offer inconspicuous sound amplification, while portable FM systems enhance accessibility with personal control of sound input. Bilingual students benefit from translators like Google Translate and gamified learning platforms like Minecraft Adventures in English, encouraging engagement while building language skills. Together, these tools promote inclusion, independence, and meaningful learning experiences.