2. Identify EdTech

Teachers must regularly make decisions about which technologies to use in their classrooms. New technologies can include a wide range of tools from classroom management systems to screen reader technologies to interactive quiz apps. Educators may rely on recommendations from colleagues or their own trial and error, but on this page we turn to websites that offer reviews of educational technologies. None of these sites’ recommendations are full proof and educators should always be wary of conflicts of interest. However, these sites can offer starting points to find new technologies, read reviews, and make decisions for your classroom or district.

Recommended sites

  • Common Sense Education

    Common Sense Education is a branch of Common Sense Media—a nonprofit company that provides reviews and advice for teachers and parents for digital and entertainment choices.
    They feature a filterable list of many EdTech applications and websites that is useful in learning more about particular EdTech tools.

    Find Tech

  • Practical Ed Tech

    Practical Ed Tech is a website operated by EdTech blogger and computer science teacher Richard Byrne. He reviews EdTech with the aim of helping teachers discover information, discuss information, and demonstrate knowledge.

    This site offers a free PDF book that organizes by task and purpose. It provides more detailed explanations of apps to use and how to use them.

    Find Tech

  • Cult of Pedagogy

    Cult of Pedagogy is a website and podcast headed by Jennifer Gonzalez that aims to support teachers developing their craft.

    This section of the website has multiple articles that highlight 6 EdTech tools from multiple years.

    Make It

  • Edutopia

    Edutopia is an educational foundation founded by George Lucas in 1991 that focuses on K–12 education.

    Here, they provide a straightforward list about various EdTech with short commentary about each one.

    Find Tech

  • TeachThought

    TeachThought started as a blog in 2012 that explores thought leadership, curriculum development, and learning models. They have expanded to offer professional development and other courses for teachers.

    Here they provide a list with short explanations of multiple EdTech tools.

    Find Tech

Background reading

There are far more topics to address about which educational technologies to use in classes than we address in these activities. For further reading, we recommend Dr. Torrey Trust’s open access ebook, “Teaching with Digital Tools & Apps.” Her “Finding Digital Tools and Apps” chapter informed our recommendations on this page. Other chapters address:

  • “Evaluating the Use Experience”

  • “Evaluating the User Experience”

  • “Evaluating the Learning Experience”

  • “Evaluating Cost, Privacy, and Data”

  • “Evaluating Accessibility”

  • “Teaching with Digital Tools and Apps”

This easy-to-read and regularly updated ebook would be an excellent resource for any edtech course, school, or district seeking to make wise decisions about their use of digital technologies.

Read It