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Educational Technology Tools

UDL TECH Tools

Type:

Customized Video Lessons

Price:

Free

Privacy:

GDPR compliant

Accessibility:

Closed captions/Multiple language

Type:

Create Codes

Price:

Free with pad options

Privacy:

Limited data retention for free version

Accessibility:

Limited to no information, screen reader compatible

Type:

Customized Lessons

Price:

Free with paid options

Privacy:

COPPA, FERPA, GDRP

Accessibility:

Voice-over recordings

Type:

Storytelling tool

Price:

Free (Post, Page, Video)

Privacy:

Up to the student and teacher

Accessibility:

No closed-caption option provided with the Video tool

Action and Expression

Type:

Virtual tours

Price:

Free

Privacy:

Same as google tools

Accessibility:

Still in beta testing, but as of yet still no voice-over features

Type:

Podcast Creation Tool

Price:

Free

Privacy:

Students must be 13 years old

Accessibility:

Screen reader compatible

Type:

Create & Read books

Price:

Free with paid options

Privacy:

COPRA, FERPA, GDPR compliant

Accessibility:

Screen Reader compatible, and alt text for images

Representation

Type:

Design & Publish software

Price:

Free with premium options

Privacy:

Integrated with Google Drive

Accessibility:

Not very accessible

Communication and Collaboration Tools

Type:

Real-time Text Messaging Tool

Function:

Stronger Communication in your classroom or school district

Type:

Team Collaboration Tool

Function:

Allow really large files uploaded

Type:

Collection Tools like Pinterests

Function:

Make beautiful boards, documents and web-pages that are easy to read and fun to contribute to.

 

You may create a public Padlet to create a forum in your classroom. Alternatively you may have each student create their own Padlet to summarize the biography of a historic figure.

Type:

Collaboration Tools

Function:

Tools to collaboratively keep notes, save files, make simple documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, websites and video chat.

 

Google Apps makes communication and collaboration easy, quick and do-able.

Price:

Free

Type:

Video Discussion Platform

Function:

Gives students an authentic voice in classrooms starting from first day introductions to book reports, presentations, public speaking and more.

Type:

Web-page Marker and Note Tools

Function:

A nonprofit tool that allows people to hold discussions, read socially, organize your research, and take personal notes.

 

Essentially, it is a free tool for compiling online research and keep personal notes.

Price:

Free

Type:

Collaborative Student-centered Class Discussion Tool

Function:

Piazza is designed to connect students, TAs, and professors. So every student can get the help they need when they need it.

 

Students and instructors respond to questions fast because it works in real time.

 

Also Students and instructors’ responses can be categorized automatically.

Price:

Free

Type:

Collaboration Tools

Function:

Keep everyone on the same page with different ways to communicate, and keep track of deadlines, checklist, files and more.

Price:

Free

Chrome Extensions for Education

Type:

Screencast recorder

Connections:

Save video to Google Drive

Function:

Flip your classroom, present from anywhere, share feedback

Price:

Free account= 10 mins/video and 50 videos/month

Platform:

Desktops, laptops and Chromebooks

Type:

Remote Tool

Connections:

Google Slides

Function:

Remotely control Google Slides and Ludus from any mobile device

Price:

Free

Accessibility:

No download or sign-in required

Type:

Grading Tool

Connections:

Google Docs

Function:

Made for grading papers, easy to use and set-up, significantly reduces the time writing feedback for essays. Because you can use existed vocabularies to add the feedback or build your own feedback vocabularies.

Type:

Audience Response Tool (can replace iClicker)

Connections:

Google Docs

Function:

Free up to 40 students per class.

Requirements:

Students need to use cell phones or laptops.

Type:

Screenshot Tool

Function:

Easily take screenshots on your browser.  Also you can annotate, draw, blur and resize your screenshots.

Price:

Free

Type:

URL/Link Shorten Tool

Connections:

Google Docs

Function:

Allows you to shorten and customize the URLs/Links.

Increase response rate with shorter and smarter links.

Price:

Free

Requirements:

Sign-in required, but not for the audience.

Type:

Questions Creation Tool

Connections:

Google Docs

Function:

Add math equations and chemical formulas to Google Docs

Price:

Free for teachers, many features free for students

Platforms:

Windows/Mac

Accessibility:

Allows speech and handwriting input

Type:

Highlight Marker Tool

Connections:

Automatically saved on your device

Function:

Highlight and annotate sentences on the web/PDF

Price:

Free

Requirements:

Sign-in Required

Type:

Citations Tool

Connections:

Save video to Google Drive

Function:

Faster and easier way to find academic papers.

Create citations from in multiple APA, MLA, etc.

Allows you to easily find academic papers that have been cited under the references.

Ed Tech Tools for Accessibility

Type:

Readability Support Tool

Function:

Remove distractions from websites for focused reading

Price:

Free

Platforms:

Chrome extension

Type:

​Readability Support Tool

Function:

Boost reading and writing confidence across all types of content and devices, in class, at work, and at home!

 

  • Text-to-speech to hear words, passages, or documents read.

  • Text and picture dictionaries to see the meaning of words.

  • Dictate words to assist with writing, proofreading and studying.

Price:

Free

Connections:

Google Drive

Type:

Map Tool

Function:

  • Web-based mapping service.

  • Users can preview remote site prior to visit to help manage anxiety or over stimulation.

  • Multiple types of map & traffic data.

Type:

Readability Support Tool

Function:

Assist user by summarizing text.

Price:

Free

Type:

Readability Support Tool

Function:

Simplifies text to reduce frustration and increase comprehension.

Price:

Free

Type:

Readability Support Tool

Function:

Free font increases readability for audience with dyslexia.

Price:

Free

Platforms:

Chrome extension overrides fonts on webpage.

Type:

Readability Support Tool

Function:

Convert image text to editable text.

Type:

Closed Caption Creation Tool

Function:

  • Auto-generated subtitles and closed captions.

  • Broadens audience to deaf, hard of hearing, or those who speak other languages.

Type:

Closed Caption Creation Tool

Function:

Automated closed captioning support for spoken English when using Google Chrome for slide show narration.

Type:

Accessibility Tool

Platforms:

Windows Only

Function:

Allows a user to operate their mouse with the movement of their head via a webcam

Type:

Communication Board Creation Tool

Platforms:

Chrome

Connection:

Google Drive

Function:

Allows you to create, edit, play and share communication boards straight on the Google Drive.

Resources:

Handouts from 2018 UMass Amherst College of Education Ed Tech Tools Showcase.

Notes & Summarized by Jia Zhuang.

Click here to download the pdf version of this page. 

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