Communication  Tools

(F) - Free           (FPU) - Free & Paid Upgrades          (LFT) - Limited Free Trial           (P) - Paid
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Backchannel​
  • Chatzy - (F) Set up a virtual chat room with many options, invite students with email or provide a link to the chat site; can be password-protected.
  • ​Google Groups - (F) Create a group and begin a discussion thread. You can access your group from anywhere using your mobile device with the Google Group optimized website.
  • Twitter - (F) a free social networking microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets. Try using hashtags (#) to search for different content with that same hashtag.
  • YoTeach by PALMS - (F)  Allows students to join a chat via a URL and can contribute text or even share drawings via a scratchboard. Chat administrators can set privacy settings and moderate users. 
​Note - A backchannel might be created in any collaborative document such as a Google Doc. Students might vary the color of text they use to designate their posts. You might start the chat as a bulleted list. In addition, a virtual cork board, collaborative whiteboard, collaborative concept map, blot, wiki, or learning management system discussion thread could be used as a backchannel.
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Blog & Web Creation​
  • Blogger - (F) easy way to share your thoughts — about current events, what's going on in your life, or anything else you'd care to discuss — with the world.
  • Edublogs - (FPU) Teacher-friendly, student safe, learning-centered, WordPress powered blog creation tool
  • EZ Class Sites - (F) Create a website that includes a calendar, photo gallery, whiteboard and additional pages. 
  • Fanschool - (LFT) Social learning network where students build lifelong learning blogs
  • Google Sites  - (F) With Google Sites, you can create a website from scratch or use a template to establish the layout, color and navigation features. Published websites can be public or private.
  • PB Works - (F) Create a free classroom wiki where all students can create, collaborate and share ideas.
  • Teach-nology WebQuest Maker - (F) Online guide for the creation of a WebQuest
  • Weebly - (FPU) Choose from a wide variety of template themes with different layout options to create your website structure. 
  • Wix - (LFT) (P) Choose a website design from the huge library of options available in Wix. Navigation options include creating main categories, sub-categories and excluding pages from the main menu.
  • WordPress - (LFT) (P) An easy to use website editor that includes webpages and blogs. You can password protect pages and blogs to control audience access. Content is added to blogs or pages using the built-in editor.
  • Yola - (FPU) Create a three-page website by first selecting a website template from the Yola template gallery. Password protection can be included for the entire website or specific pages.​
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eBooks​
  • ​Book Creator - (FPU) a simple and inclusive way to create content in the classroom.
  • Little Bird Tales - (F) iPad / iPhone users can create digital stories that include original artwork or photos. Voice recording option included.
  • Pages - (F) With Pages, you can create and collaborate on books from your Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iCloud.com.
  • PeKay's Little Author for iPad - (P) Create your own storybook to enrich learning through the creation and sharing of original storybooks.
  • ​Story Creator - (F) iPad application that allows you to easily create beautiful story books containing photos, videos, text, and audio all in one gorgeous collection.
  • Story Jumper - (FPU) ​Create, collaborate, illustrate, and narrate online books online for free. There is a fee to publish hardcover, and paperback books.
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Infographics
  • ​Adobe Express - (F) Communicate information visually by creating infographics with Adobe Spark's free templates. Include diagrams, images, and illustrations.
  • Animaker - (FPU) Create video infographics that really tell the story behind your data.
  • BeFunky - (FPU) Easy-to-use design templates that help in creating attention grabbing visuals.
  • Canva - (FPU) Create graphical designs individually or collaboratively for the Web or print using Canva's drag-and-drop tool. 
  • Easel.ly - (P) Provides a canvas on which you can build your own infographic by dragging and dropping pre-made design elements. Use a blank canvas or build on one of Easel.ly's themes. 
  • Google Drawings - (F) Choose from a wide variety of shapes to create diagrams and charts. Free from Google.
  • Infogram - (FPU) Create interactive charts, graphs and interactive posters.
  • Mind the Graph - (FPU) Online infographic maker for scientific papers and presentations.
  • Piktochart - (FPU) Chose from nearly 300 premade templates to quickly generate great looking infographic, or build your own from scratch. 
  • Snappa - (FPU) Easily customize free infographic templates with Snappa's built-in photos and graphics. 
  • Venngage - (FPU) Create beautiful infographics, reports, or data visualizations. Thousands of ways to customize; infinite possibilities.
  • Visme - (FPU) Use templates or premade blocks to display your data to develop engaging infographics.
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Teacher / Parent 
  • ​Along - (F) Along is the Teacher-Student Connection Builder —because better conversations make thriving classrooms.
  • ​​Bloomz - (F) Easily connect and keep parents informed with a snapshot or quick note. Share class calendars or reminders instantly from any device.
  • Calendly - (FPU) Schedule individual conferences with students with one message.
  • Class Dojo - (FPU) Build a positive classroom culture, provide learners with their own voice, and bring parents in the loop as active participants.
  • Doodle - (FPU) Simplifies the process of scheduling, meetings, events and appointments.
  • Google Meet - (F) Secure video conferencing for everyone. Connect, collaborate and celebrate from anywhere.
  • GroupMe - (F) Create group messages for any device to share videos, photos, direct messages and more.
  • Remind - (F) Send quick simple messages to any device. Schedule reminders, send text messages, and more without sharing any personal information.
  • Seesaw - (FPU) Share student work, school notes, celebrate class accomplishments, and more. Parents can comment with text or audio to show support and encouragement to their student.
  • SignUp - (F) ​Online scheduling tool for planning events, scheduling conferences, snack sign-ups, gathering volunteers and more. Sends reminders and event management.
  • SignUpGenius - (F) Coordinate and organize any classroom event with ease using this simple communication tool.
  • Skype - (F) Send messages, communicate with video (optional), exchange digital documents, and more from any device. 
  • Zoom - (FPU) ​One solution for meetings, chat, whiteboard, phone, and more so you can connect with anyone from anywhere.
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Word Processing
  • Evernote - (FPU) Evernote apps and products make modern life manageable, by letting you easily collect and find everything that matters.
  • Google Docs - (F) Create and share your work online and access your documents from anywhere. Manage documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, and more.
  • Google Keep - (F) Keep lists for everything from your groceries to making checklists. It's simple to add pictures, drawings, or recordings; and you can easily organize and color-code the notes.
  • Grammarly - (FPU) A tool to help you identify spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, delivery, and tone mistakes in your writing.
  • ​Microsoft Word - (FPU) An online version of Microsoft Word that can be used collaboratively. Includes Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Many organizations pay for this subscription for employees.
  • Moment Diary - (F) This is a private diary that makes notes with timestamps! You can take a short note, and/or use it as a private diary.
  • OnlyOfficePersonal - (F) Can import a variety of objects (charts, pictures, tables, shapes, etc.), and lets you co-edit and chat with others, even the public. 
  • Open Live Writer - (F) ​Word processor for authoring, editing and publishing blog posts. Add photos and videos to publish to your website/blog.
  • Pages - (F) ​A powerful word processor that can be used to create a variety of documents.
  • Penzu - (F) ​Your own personal (and private) journal and online diary.
  • Private Diary - (F) ​Journal and diary online privately.
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Presentations
  • Animoto - (FPU) create movies quickly with your images and short video clips.
  • Big Huge Labs - (F) Create, print and personalize using a variety of presentation tools. 
  • Canva - (FPU) Use Canva's photo editor to add filters, frames, text, and effects. Also create engaging and interactive presentations.​
  • ​Fakebook - (F) Create fake Facebook pages for school assignments.
  • Google Slides - (F) Create presentations online, collaborate and share with others.
  • Haiku Deck - (LFT) Presentation and slideshow app with beautiful features and images.
  • Keynote - (F) Powerful presentation app for iOS.  Keynote has amazing features such as animated charts, transitions, inserting images, shapes, tables and much more.
  • Mematic - (F) Add funny captions to popular images or your own photos. Create your own memes!
  • Meme Generator - (F) From the Google Play Store: Add funny captions to popular images or your own photos. Create your own memes!
  • Microsoft Office Online - (FPU) An online version of office that can be used collaboratively. Includes Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Many organizations pay for this subscription for employees.
  • Nearpod - (FPU) Create interactive classroom presentations in which a device works like a student response system. 
  • Popplet - (FPU) Collaborative concept-mapping made easy.
  • Prezi - (FPU) Create visually stunning presentations with motion! Collaborate with others, present from any device, and so much more.
  • Puppet Pals - (F) An Apple iPad application with variety of characters and backgrounds to create, present, and tell stories.
  • Puppet Pals 2 - (F) An Apple iPad application with variety of characters and backgrounds to create, present, and tell stories and create animated cartoons.
  • Slidebean - (P) You enter content and choose a design; Slidebean creates the presentation.
  • SlideShare - (F) Upload PowerPoint and other presentations to the web.
  • ​ThingLink - (LFT) Create interactive images and videos that engage your audience.
  • VoiceThread - (P) Combine products with conversational practice when students use this tool collaboratively on documents, presentations, images, and audio/video files.
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Social Networking
  • ​​Chatzy - (F) Set up a virtual chat room with many options, invite students with email or provide a link to the chat site; can be password-protected.
  • Facebook - (F) A popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch.
  • ​LinkedIn - (FPU) Professional networking tool to find connections, make recommendations with industry experts and business partners.
  • Twitter - (F) A free social networking microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets.

Tech Tool Category Quick LInks