Teaching can take a lot out of you. It is a hectic job. The burden and responsibility of having the whole generation’s future upon you is massive. I really feel for the teachers. One annoying thing teachers have to deal with these days is, the blatant and unstoppable usage of smartphone and tablets in classrooms.
Using a smartphone in a classroom is bad, even at college level. Right? It most certainly is. However, it is only bad if the user is wasting his or her time on social media or listening to music and so on. There are huge advantages of smartphones in classroom contexts too.
You must be aware that there are so many apps that are helpful for learning these days. Especially if you are a college professor, you can do wonders with your students. Lesson planning and keeping attendances is just kids’ stuff.
We have some amazing apps, likely some you have never heard (thanks to Simon Swift of Swift Contract Phones for letting us know about Classtree) of for you that will really help you teach. Here is the lot of them:
Remind
Remind has two aspects to it: one is to create groups among students and make it a community that is optimized for learning. I know what you are thinking but WhatsApp is not the right platform for this. Remind is a great app for making announcement, sharing classroom plans and what not with a group of students at a time.
Now, to the second aspect, Remind is can be used to form a bond between yourself, pupil and his or her parents. You can keep everyone updated and involved through Remind. It is an awesome app and you should download it right now.
Kahoot
Have you ever thought that your lessons would be a lot more interesting if they were like an interactive game? And even if you have, you probably think that is wishful thinking as who would have the time and money to get a game developed.
Here is the good news. Through Kahoot, you can create beautiful interactive games from your lesson plans and make students sign in and play them. Their performances will be stored. They will be more receptive to your teaching and it will be a blast.
And yes, Kahoot is suitable for college level students as well.
Seesaw
Seesaw is a student portfolio app. Now you must be thinking, why is a student portfolio app so important, when does it even come into play? – The answer is: college students nowadays. Let me explain further.
College students are so digitalized these days that everything is about visuals that can be shared on smartphones and tracked online. Paperwork is becoming outdated and correctly so. Seesaw will help you keep yourself, your student and their interested parents up to date with the student’s progress.
You can also determine what areas a student needs to work on. Seesaw can be a great documentation app as well as a remedy.
Slack
You have probably already heard of this app. Slack is one of the largest and most celebrated project management app in the world. It is known for its quick and simple communication. But it is not only businesses and companies that rely on the app.
As a teacher you can use it to manage your classrooms.
Classtree
Classtree is a different app than the rest on this list. Classtree is basically an e-letter app that lets you the teacher send an e-form to your student’s parents and have it signed and returned digitally. Imagine never having to write a consent form and get it delivered and then get it back. No more hefty paperwork.
