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Top Five Mobile Apps for Teachers

I have researched top educational apps for teachers of 2016-2017, and I have chosen five that I think are the most useful for my classroom and students. 

Epic is an extensive on-line library for students that contains over 15,000 books.  Teachers can use this app in their classroom and save money on their classroom libraries! It is absolutely free for educators and parents can purchase it for $4.99 a month.  You can use EPIC on a desktop, laptop, and even Chromebooks.  The app can be downloaded on any IOS or Android device. Students have individual profiles and books are recommended based on the child's reading level and/or interest.  My students enjoy using this app!

Quizlet is an app that allows you to make your own flashcards for quizzes or choose from thousands of already made quizzes by subject.  This app helps you study for weekly quizzes, standardized tests, or a unit test.  It not only has flashcards that help you study, but there is also a matching game and a game where you shoot asteroids to protect the planet.  Quizlet is free, or you can upgrade to Quizlet Plus for $19.99 a year. You can use it on any device (phone, tablet, desktop, laptop) and any browser and even offline.  

Remind101 is a fantastic way to communicate with parents and students.  It is like text messaging, but without parents and students having your cell phone number.  You can send out reminders or messages to a group, a single person, or to the school.  It also translates into 70 different languages. You can also see who has viewed your messages. Teachers can also plan a trip, collect money, and share class photos through Remind.  I use this in my classroom to remind parents of important dates, information, or assignments that are due soon.  It is free for a teacher to have an account, but a school or district must request a quote.  It can be used with Android and IOS devices.  

 TOO NOISY PRO - http://toonoisyapp.com/
TooNoisy is an app that is wonderful to use when you are doing centers in your classroom. It has a meter that shows when your students are getting too loud during class.  The background graphics of the app changes when the class is too noisy.   I have used the free version in my classroom, and my kids think that it is neat.  It makes them aware of their noise level, and they know if they are too loud they will have to do center work alone after the third time.  This app also helps cut down on talking and not working because normally if they are just having a conversation, they get loud.  You have six different backgrounds to choose from with the Pro version, whereas the free or lite version only has one.  This version of the app is  $1.99 and can be used with IOS and Android devices.  

KAHOOT - https://getkahoot.com/
KAHOOT is an app that turns learning into a game, and the kids love it!  You can make your own Kahoot, or you can search for one that is already made.  Creating your own is simple, and it takes just a few minutes, depending on how many questions you want to add.  You create multiple choice questions. You can add pictures, videos, and diagrams to your Kahoot.  Your kids do not have to set up an account, each game has a pin number that they will enter and then they will put in their name.  The kids earn points for answering each question and if you earn more points for answering quickly.  It has a leaderboard for the top five students after each question.  You can use it on any device with internet connection. The best thing about Kahoot is that it is FREE!!  





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