Apps can be a powerful tool for teachers and students. But with new apps emerging constantly, it can be challenging to discern which ones are most effective. Here’s a roundup of some of the best educational apps for the 2023-2024 school year. We’ve included some old standbys as well as some new favorites.
Google Classroom
You’re likely already using Google Classroom, and if you're not you should be.Teachers can use this app as a home base for storing lesson plans, assignments and tracking student progress. The messaging feature allows for easy communication between students and teachers.
Pear Deck
Pear Deck, which was designed to work as an add-on to both Google and Microsoft Education apps, is an interactive lesson and assessment platform. Tech-savvy teachers can create custom presentations or choose from Pear Deck’s library of existing templates. The app is designed to increase student engagement while also giving educators important and immediate information on how well students are taking in the lesson.
Brilliant
Brilliant delivers short, digestible lessons in math, science and engineering. The app was created for students aged 13 and older, with the goal of helping users strengthen and expand their problem-solving abilities. Brilliant’s course offerings include statistics and finance, foundational logic and high school math. Educators can enjoy free access to Brilliant’s bank of interactive lessons.
Duolingo
When it comes to language learning apps, Duolingo remains at the top of its class. The app uses research-backed methods of teaching and adds elements like gamification, personalized learning while also aiming to delight its users. A few new features to note– users can now create a fun, unique Duolingo avatar. Duolingo also just added a new subscription tier, Duolingo Max, which harnesses AI technology.
BrainPOP
BrainPOP is a popular educational app that aims to help students to better understand the world. BrainPOP Jr. supports kids in grades K-3, while BrainPOP is designed for upper elementary and middle school aged kids. BrainPOP also offers BrainPOP ELL to support those learning English. The app features a bevy of resources on topics around digital citizenship, including lessons on topics such as conflict resolution and information privacy.
In addition, BrainPOP for educators offers lesson planning tools and professional development.
Quizlet
Quizlet delivers tools that help students learn to study. Students can customize digital flashcards and take quizzes to boost and test memory retention and retrieval. Quizlet has also introduced a beta version of Q-Chat, which employs AI to help students learn.
Writelike
This free app helps students expand their advanced writing skills. Writelike teaches skills like deconstructing text, spotting the patterns found in good writing and then practicing using those patterns in their own prose.
Writelike’s sister product, Frankenstories, engages students in collaborative writing projects, encouraging students to work together while developing their writing skills.