With COVID-19, virtual/remote learning has become a standard within education. Whether the student is 100% virtual or face-to-face with virtual elements, it is important to find new, engaging ways to capture students’ attention. There are several educational technology apps that benefit teachers and students. The students’ engagement levels will quickly rise with these sites or apps: 

1. GimKit is a newer site where students are highly involved in a competition of wits. GimKit allows educators to ask students questions, and students earn “money” to use for special upgrades or power-ups against other students. However, wrong answers cost them money! GimKit was created by a student for students, which is what makes this site so successful. Students know best what they want and how they are engaged. Although this team and site are continuously growing, no one can deny that this site has an amazing start!

2. Kahoot is another competitive site and app in which students compete for a place on the podium. The faster your answer is correct, the more points you receive. If you have an answer streak, you also gain additional points. If the student chooses the wrong answer, they neither gain nor lose points. This site and app allow students to answer questions about shapes or colors. One positive aspect of this site is the pre-made quizzes educators can choose from, or they can create their own. Kahoot has made many developments over the years, focusing on areas beyond education as well. 

3. Nearpod is a popular site and app that educators enjoy. Nearpod offers a variety of activities for educators to use, including matching cards, virtual field trips, race games, interactive drawing, interactive response boards, interactive polls, and more. Over the years, Nearpod has developed its system to include additional features and engaging activities for educators to use in their classrooms. The great benefit of Nearpod is that the site or app can be teacher-led and controlled or student-led and controlled. Teacher-led presentations allow results to be seen in real time, whereas student-led presentations can be set for students to complete on their own time. 

4. Flipgrid is a great tool for virtual and remote learning, especially for connecting a classroom locally or from a distance. Teachers present a prompt for students to answer, and students can record their responses. This is great for students who may be shy, used for practicing speeches, or presenting information in general. Another benefit of Flipgrid is that students can connect with people around the world, which is great for learning about cultures, education in other countries, and more. 

5. Socrative is a great resource for quick quizzes and tests, exit tickets, and reflections. Educators can keep students engaged while limiting paper use. With options such as multiple-choice, short-answer, or true/false, students can race each other in a competition of wits. 

6. Quizlet: a tool where students can create or use flashcards. This is great for implementing new vocabulary within the classroom. Educators may search for already created sets of vocabulary. Educators can have students compete in groups using the Quizlet Live feature. In this feature, students compete to be the first to get the correct answers. Other options include a game and a matching set for vocabulary terms. 

With so many tools available to educators, it can be overwhelming to know where to start or what to use. The best way to determine what works in the classroom is to try some of the sites and apps. Many of these sites and apps you can share with coworkers and collaborate together on the project.