Educational Technology
Educational technologies can be exploited in our English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms for a variety of purposes. The below section gives an overview of the web tools and how they can be used. Some web tools have many functions. Therefore, they are included in more than one categories specified below.
Padlet
As an online bulletin board, Padlet allows users to post texts, images, links etc. Please click for a detailed review: https://padlet.com/
Free, paid
AnswerGarden
This tool allows teachers to post questions and ask students to answer them without the need for logging in. For more details, please click: https://answergarden.ch/
Free
Jamboard
Jamboard is Google’s creative collaboration space that allows students to brainstorm and share ideas. Click for a more detailed review: https://jamboard.google.com/
Free
Parlay
This online discussion platform allows students to interact with each other and with the teacher in written and spoken form, offering a library with thousands of discussion topics. For more details, please click: https://parlayideas.com/
Free up to 12 round tables, paid
MindMeister
This tool helps teachers to create mind maps collaboratively with the students. The free version is limited to three maps. Please click to check: https://www.mindmeister.com/
Free, paid
Popplet
A simplistic mind mapping and idea organizer, popplet limits you with one mind map in the free version. Please click to check: https://www.popplet.com/
Free, paid
ZenGengo
Formerly known as TeacherTools, the website allows teachers to create assignments for all language skills. Click for a detailed review: https://www.zengengo.com/
Paid, 30-day free trial
Liveworksheets
The website helps teachers create online worksheets or use ready-made ones prepared by other community members. Click for a detailed review: liveworksheets.com
Free
Wizer
It is an education platform which enables teachers to create digital worksheets quickly. For more information, please click: wizer.me
Free, 14-day free trial for premium version
Socrative
Socrative is a platform to give students quizzes and formative assessment. Click for a detailed review: https://www.socrative.com/
Paid, free
Google Forms
Google Forms can be used to create quizzes or assignments. https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/
Free
iSLCollective
A publishing and sharing platform with different types of resources such as worksheets, PowerPoint presentations etc. For a more detailed review, please click: https://en.islcollective.com/
Free
Classroomscreen
This web tool helps teachers for clearer instructions offering features such as timers and random name pickers. Click for a detailed review: https://www.classroomscreen.com/
Free
ThingLink
This interactive media platform makes it possible to use and share multimedia content, allowing teachers to create audio-visual materials such as videos, graphic organizers etc. The free version allows teachers to create content and share it with the students, yet students are not allowed to create anything. For more details, please click: https://www.thinglink.com/
Free, paid
Mentimeter
Mentimeter allows users to create quick polls in different forms such as multiple choice, ranking and word cloud with no user log-in required. In its free version, up to two slides can be created, whereas the paid version lets users create interactive presentations. Please click to check: https://www.mentimeter.com/
Free, paid
AnswerGarden
The website is primarily used for quick polls with no user log-in required. For more details, please click: https://answergarden.ch/
Free
Nearpod
Mainly an interactive presentation platform, Nearpod can also be used for quick polls. For a detailed review, please click: https://nearpod.com/
Free, paid
Google Forms
For the teachers familiar with Google education products, Google Forms can be the best polling tool. Unlike other tools, many questions can be formed on the forms for free. For a detailed review, please click: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0
Free
Pear Deck
A Google Chrome extension, or add-on, Pear Deck turns Google Slides into interactive lessons. Click for a detailed review: https://www.peardeck.com/
Free, Paid
Nearpod
Besides offering lesson presentations, this versatile tool has many features such as competitions and quizzes and can be easily integrated into both online and face-to-face teaching. Please click to check:https://nearpod.com/
Free, paid
Padlet
As an online bulletin board, Padlet allows users to post text, images, links etc. Please click for a detailed review: https://padlet.com/
Free, paid
Jamboard
Jamboard is Google’s creative collaboration space that allows students to brainstorm and share ideas. Click for a more detailed review: https://jamboard.google.com/
Free
Google Docs
For the teachers familiar with Google education products, Google Docs can be easily integrated into a writing lesson in both face-to-face and online education. For a more detailed review, please click: docs.google.com
Free
Vocaroo
If the goal is simply voice recording on a device, Vocaroo can be used for that purpose. The recorded audio can be downloaded and later uploaded on any platform. https://vocaroo.com/
Free
Padlet
Among its many features, Padlet also allows teachers to assign speaking topics and collect the student responses in audio recordings. In addition to recording their voices, students can also upload their videos or audio. Please click to check: https://padlet.com/
Free, paid
Flipgrid
This webtool and mobile application allows teachers to create classrooms and open discussion topics for students to record their answers in the form of a video. For more details, please click: https://info.flipgrid.com/
Free
Parlay
This online discussion platform allows students to interact with each other and with the teacher in written and spoken form, offering a library with thousands of discussion topics. For more details, please click: https://parlayideas.com/
Free up to 12 round tables, paid
Below websites can be explored to enrich the reading lessons or to reach extra reading materials for in and outside the classroom use:
LearnEnglish: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading
Rewordify: https://rewordify.com/ (to simplify the language of a reading passage)
Loyal Books: http://www.loyalbooks.com/ (audio books, not graded)
Free Classic Audiobooks: https://freeclassicaudiobooks.com/
Read Write Think: https://www.readwritethink.org/ (provides lesson plans centered around a reading passage and involves responding to a text through writing)
Voscreen
Both a website and an application, Voscreen offers aid to improve listening skills. Click for more details: https://voscreen.com/
Free
VOA Learning English
The website is a multimedia source of news and information for English learners. Click for more information: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/
Free
Edpuzzle
This website and mobile application turns YouTube videos into video lessons by allowing users to insert questions at any point during the video. Please click to check: edpuzzle.com
Free up to 20 videos, paid
For extra listening practice with activities, please visit the following websites:
ESL Lab: https://www.esl-lab.com/
ELLO: https://www.elllo.org/
Bamboozle
Bamboozle offers many types of games that can be selected from the library or users can add their own quiz questions to create a game tailored for their needs. Free version is typically sufficient for EFL classroom use while in paid version, up to eight teams can be created and more images can be uploaded. https://www.baamboozle.com/
Free, paid
ClassTools
The website offers a wide variety of tools for games such as Treasure Hunt, Arcade Game Generator etc. Please click to check: https://www.classtools.net/
Free
Wordwall
The web tool offers a wide variety of templates to create gamified quizzes. Please click to check: https://wordwall.net/
Free, paid
Educaplay
The web tool lets teachers create online educational games. Click for more information: https://www.educaplay.com/
Free, paid for ad-free experience
Edmodo
It allows teachers to create a web-based learning environment. For a more detailed review, please click: https://new.edmodo.com/
Free
Canva
Teachers who sign up with their institutional emails can use the platform for free with their students for purposes such as designing posters, keeping in touch etc. For more details, please click: https://www.canva.com/
Free for approved educators
Wakelet
Wakelet is a content curation platform where you can create your classroom and invite them to share and organize any digital content. Click for more information: https://wakelet.com/
Free
Padlet
This bulletin board makes it possible for students and teachers to collaborate for the tasks, such as collaborative brainstorming, writing texts in groups, responding to each other etc. Please click to check: https://padlet.com/
Free, paid
Google Docs
Google Docs functions as an online document where anybody could be invited to collaborate. It could be especially useful in collaborative writing tasks. Please click to check: https://docs.google.com/
Free
Flipgrid
This video tool allows students to post videos on the page of their classroom after the teacher starts a discussion topic. From the settings, teachers can enable students to react to and comment on their friends’ work. It is also possible for teachers to give feedback to their students’ video assignments. For more details, please click: https://info.flipgrid.com/
Free
Jamboard
This creative collaboration space allows students to collaborate on an online white board. See the detailed review: https://jamboard.google.com/
Free
Mural
The platform is a giant whiteboard where teams can collaborate using visuals and sticky notes. For a detailed overview, please watch the tutorial on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WF6lnDzdQI and click to visit: https://mural.co/
Free up to five murals, paid for more advanced features
*Free, paid refers to the fact that the web tool can be used free of charge; however, advanced features require payment.