isa bookworm

SORA

Sora is a favorite of mine. Students can download audiobooks, ebooks, and magazines. 

In my district all students have access to Sora on their Chromebooks. As part of my Intro to the Library I teach students how to access Sora and begin to download books. 

I recommend Sora to students when a book they want isn’t available in the library. Also, for students who want the audiobook of a book they are reading in class. 

It’s free and very easy to use. 

KAHOOT

Students learn by playing games! Use in class to review for quizzes, tests, and as in-class assessments.  

Students can work alone or encourage students to work with their peers by creating teams! 

SMILING MIND

Students’ mental health is an important part of student development. We need to find ways to support our students’ wellbeing. 

Smiling Mind is a free meditation app. Students can use it on their own, or teachers can use it in their classrooms. 

A great tool that teachers can use in an Advisory Block, Homeroom, or during a class period. I did a 3 minute meditation using the app!

EVERNOTE

Get and stay organized. Evernote teaches teens how to organize information. Students can create to-do lists, take notes, they can use their camera to upload notes, drawings and more. Additional features like calendars, meeting notes, and much more. 

A great tool for students that struggle with organization and task completion. I would recommend specifically for teachers who teach in a Resource Room with students with executive functioning goals.  

GOODREADS 

Show your students how to keep track of all the books they have read; books they are currently reading; and books they want to read. Also, read book reviews, find book recommendations, and set a reading goal. 

There are other apps for books, but Goodreads is the widest used. It’s a great bookish community, and students will love a visual of all their books. 

Teachers can ask students to write their book review in Goodreads and follow their account!

DUOLINGO

Learn a language. Duolingo is a free app that offers 30+ languages. It’s designed to encourage learners to practice a language for minutes per day.  Students will take an assessment and then lesson will be targeted to their level. Great for language teachers to incorporate in their curriculum. Teachers can set minimum times for use per day. It allows for students to set their own goals, and “streaks”.  Students collect badges and prizes.  

TYPING.COM

Typing skills are considered a necessary skill for school and in most professional jobs. Typing.com is a free learning tool that can be incorporated in technology or library class.  

The platform offers lessons at three different levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. The program captures the typing speed. Students or the teacher can set a Daily Goal. It also incorporates tests, and achievement levels. It’s easy to use and students will see improvement over time. 

BRAINPOP 

BrainPOP Science. Students can watch videos that teach science concepts; have access to investigations and simulations; manipulate models; review related readings; vocabulary; and many more resources. 

The platform is colorful and well-designed.