I tested 200 edtech tools. These are the ones worth using

From AI study assistants to presentation builders, these free tools can help teachers, students, and parents work smarter.

[Source Photo: Freepik]

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.

I tested more than 200 educational sites, apps, and services last year. Some were so confusing that I quickly gave up. Others were too costly. A few went out of business. Many were narrowly useful, e.g., for 3D modeling, math, or music.

The top-tier tools have consistently been super valuable for me—in my teaching, in my job at the City University of New York, and as a dad of two daughters. To save you the time and effort of sifting through the chaff, I’m sharing the ones I find most useful. Even if you’re not a teacher, these tools may help you gather, organize, share, and present material creatively.

For context, the huge number of teaching tools clamoring for attention can be exhausting. School districts access 2,739 edtech tools a year, according to Instructure research and the 74, a nonprofit news organization that covers America’s education system, where I wrote recently about today’s tools.

Below you’ll find my first batch of recommendations, whether you teach once in a while or every day, children or adults. The services are all free to try, with paid upgrades available. I don’t work for any of these companies, I’m just a prof and writer who appreciates and shares helpful teaching tools.

My list—starting with part one today—is designed to support teaching and learning at any level. I’d love to hear about the tools you find most useful for teaching and learning. Add a comment to share here, or join the new chat thread about top teaching tools.

Pathwright: Design a learning path

Pathwright is one of the best-kept secrets among teaching tools. Launched by a nimble South Carolina startup, it’s a simpler, sleeker alternative to complicated learning management systems like Blackboard or D2L. It’s more elegant and flexible than Google Classroom.

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