Google Chromebooks with webcams are a simple and cost-effective way to equip students with everything they need to consume, produce, and submit content. The webcam gives two-way visibility so that teachers and students can see each other in fully remote or hybrid learning environments as well.
Education-focused Chromebooks tend to be durable and affordable, and any competent technology partner should be able to source and service them.
These are the main reasons Google Chromebook with webcam makes this list:
The primary alternative to Chromebooks is the education-focused Apple iPad. This entry-level iPad offers many of the same benefits as a Chromebook, but with enhanced portability and a touchscreen that’s easy to use.
Deploying iPads across an entire school can be costly, and for high school and above, the lack of a physical keyboard might start to become a drawback. That said, Apple does offer bulk educational discounts to make school-wide rollouts easier.
Apple’s education-focused iPad makes this list for reasons similar to the Chromebook, as well as the following:
Canvas is a web-based learning management system that lets teachers build out online courses and learning materials and communicate with students. It’s designed for all educational institutions, not just K-12 learning, so it’s a good choice for a wide range of blended or online learning approaches.
Like other LMS software, Canvas benefits students and teachers by providing a centralized location for course content, including discussions, modules, and assessments.
Reasons to consider Canvas include the following:
Google Classroom isn’t quite a full LMS in the same way as Canvas. Instead, Google calls it a blended learning platform with a focus on streamlining file-sharing between teachers and students. Because it’s a Google product, Google Classroom integrates seamlessly with many Google services, from Drive and Docs and Meet to Sheets.
While it won’t be the perfect solution for every school, those that need a lightweight LMS-like solution could benefit greatly from Google Classroom.
Check out the major benefits of Google Classroom:
Schoology is an LMS platform from the folks behind PowerSchool. Unlike Canvas, Schoology has a narrow focus on K-12 education. As a result, the platform is heavily invested in supporting distance learning. These tools can easily adapt to flipped and interactive classes, whether your regular class days are in person or virtual (or a mix of the two).
Here are the top reasons to add Schoology to your educational toolkit:
Screencastify is one of the easiest ways around for teachers to record, edit, and share content from their favorite device. It functions as a lightweight extension to your Chrome browser (or Chrome OS if you’re using a Chromebook) and allows you to start screencasting in seconds.
With Screencastify, creating videos for your flipped classroom is as simple as clicking a few buttons and then talking and clicking or scrolling through your course content.
You can tackle your entire workflow with Screencastify. Use Record to toggle between recording your entire desktop, a single web page, your webcam, or a mix of the three.
The browser-based Edit tool means you don’t have to rely on getting everything right in one “take”. Edit footage, add helpful text and visuals, and more (and Edit works with nearly any video). And with Submit, students can create and turn in their video projects with ease.
Top reasons to use Screencastify:
As an educator, you’re always learning — sometimes while you’re preparing course content. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you found the perfect resource some weeks back, but now that you need it, you can’t find it or it’s buried in your notes somewhere.
That’s where Wakelet comes in. It’s like Pinterest for education, allowing you to save and store just about anything you discover on the internet (links, images, text, past work, and more) so you can find it again when you need it. You can also create collaborative spaces, perfect for your flipped classroom.
Key reasons that educators choose Wakelet:
Remind is an education-focused communication tool that relies on two-way text messages. Teachers can quickly and conveniently connect with their students or families wherever they are and share classroom updates.
It’s a great tool for checking in on students who aren’t keeping up with video content, for example, or encouraging parent-student conversations by sharing which topics you covered that day.
How Remind enhances the flipped classroom:
Google Forms started as a simple survey tool, but it has evolved into a surprisingly powerful education-focused tool. Teachers use it to create quizzes, custom surveys, sign-up forms, and more.
Top ways to use Google Forms in your flipped classroom:
As you look for the next app to add to your flipped classroom toolkit, Screencastify should be at the top of your list! You’re busy enough as it is, and you don’t need a complex new piece of software that adds new layers of work and planning.
With Screencastify, you simply click, teach, and click again — that’s it. (See how the role of video will grow and evolve in our latest webinar below.)
Screencastify is already transforming workflows for teachers across the country. Read about our partnership with the Nebraska Educational Technology Association and how Screencastify has transformed in-person and remote learning at Tippecanoe schools.
Ready to see what Screencastify can do for you? See how you can use it to personalize learning in your classroom.
Lisle
Kindlon Hall
5700 College Rd.
Lisle, IL 60532
(630) 829-6050
Mesa
Gillett Hall
225 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 878-7514
