The field of education has undergone a major transformation, and technology has played a crucial role in shaping the future of learning. It has changed the way we learn and educate in classroom settings. 

While the pandemic is still lingering in the background, ed-tech tools have become a part of remote and hybrid learning models. 

Technology has changed teaching in classrooms today, and to keep up with the ever-evolving times, it is important to keep track of what tools are working and what are not.

To make things easier, we have compiled a list of the top EdTech tools for students and teachers in 2023.

ChatGPT

Image Credit: Levart_Photographer on Unsplash

ChatGPT took the internet by storm when it was released in November 2022, and even now, everyone seems to be talking about it with similar enthusiasm. It is an AI-powered learning assistant that can produce any piece of writing with the given prompts. 

Be it an academic essay, a script, a social media post, or an answer to a question that’s lingering in your head, you can ask ChatGPT, and the AI-powered tool will give you a result for it. The tool is programmed to answer questions conversationally. 

Features of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has the following features for teachers and students to use for their benefit:

1. Assistance in Research

ChatGPT has reduced the research time for students, and they no longer have to go through hundreds of blogs and articles to look for answers to their questions. The chatbot does it for them in seconds. This saves them a lot of time and helps them focus on the most important information.

2. Personalized Learning

For better or for worse, it sent educators into panic mode because they thought not a single student would produce original pieces of content anymore. It is like a surrogate student.

However, the tool has its limitations, and it still needs human input to produce desired results. ChatGPT is prone to error and has been tested for giving factually incorrect information. 

The knowledge compiled in it is also from events before 2021, so it cannot comment on current events. 

The educator can leverage the tool to break down complex concepts into easily digestible ones for students and use them as part of their lessons. 

Machine learning technology will only get more advanced in the coming years, and the best teachers can do is to use it to make their lives easier.  

Wakelet

Image Credit: Wakelet

Wakelet is another amazing tool that allows teachers and students to easily save, organize, and share online content such as articles, images, videos, and social media posts. It is also a great collaboration platform that keeps content organized in a visually appealing way.

Since all the resources are saved on the web, they can be easily shared with an online community, which is what makes the platform more engaging and fun. 

It has helped teachers keep all their resources organized in one place and share them with their students for easy access. They use it to organize their lessons, assignments, and tests. 

Wakelet has been a game-changer in multiple ways, and it has already built a community of raving students and teachers who speak highly of it.

Features of Wakelet

The following are the different features of Wakelet:

1. Saves Time

Wakelet saves teachers and students time by allowing them to quickly find and organize online resources for their classwork or research projects. Instead of spending hours searching for relevant content or saved items on their laptops, they can easily share and organize resources with the tool.

Additionally, there’s no fear of losing the saved resources in case of a virus attack or if their system crashes. 

2. Collaborative

Wakelet is a collaborative platform that allows students and teachers to share resources and also helps them work in teams. With the classrooms shifting to hybrid and online models, the resources can be easily shared with the public. Or you can share it with specific people via a clickable link.

It even gives you the option to copy a QR code and embed it in an LMS (learning management system) or share it across Microsoft teams, etc. 

Wakelet even gives you the option to add specific people (by entering their email addresses) that you wish to collaborate with to your collection. 

However, the downsides to Wakelet are that it doesn’t let students tag one another on the platform, and there are chances of students stumbling upon inappropriate content. 

Apart from that, it is a great tool for learning with visuals. 

3. Personalized Learning

The tool is easy to use, engaging, and visually appealing. It even gives you multiple options to select a layout and present the resources in the most fitting way possible. 

Students and teachers can add different kinds of resources (GIFs, YouTube videos, podcasts, PDFs, etc.) all in one place, and that too in an organized manner.

4. Accessible

Wakelet can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it ideal for remote learning. 

Students can access their collections from home or on the go, and teachers can easily share their collections with students who are learning from a distance.

Kahoot

Image Credit: Kahoot

Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that is used by millions of people around the world, including students and teachers. The tool allows you to make trivia quizzes and games in minutes to make learning fun, easy, and interactive. 

These games are called Kahoots. Not only can you make your own Kahoots, but you can also use the existing ones. They can be made for all the subjects and all the languages that you want, anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Teachers can add images, audio, and video to make the games, quizzes, and surveys more exciting. 

This collaborative learning tool allows users to play games during school activities, events, and parties. The games can be played on large screens and mobile devices. 

Once a Kahoot is ready, the teachers can share a unique game PIN with their students, which allows them to join the game on their own devices.

Once the game begins, students can see the questions on their devices, where they have a fixed time to answer each question. The students who answer quickly and correctly get the most points. 

This keeps the competitive spirit alive in students as their scores are displayed on a leaderboard throughout the game.

By the end of the game, teachers can review the results and use the data to identify areas where students may need more improvement and extra guidance. Kahoot also offers a variety of reports and analytics that teachers can use to track student progress over time.

However, keeping track of student progress is a complex process, and the tool requires a strong WiFi connection to function properly.

Features of Kahoot

Apart from some minor issues, several features make Kahoot a hot favorite among educators and learners.

1. Engagement

Kahoot is a highly engaging and interactive platform that uses gamification techniques to motivate and excite students about learning. The games, quizzes, and surveys feel more like enjoyable activities than something daunting.

2. Active Learning

The tool promotes active learning, where students actively participate in the learning process by answering questions and discussing the content with their peers. 

3. Personalization

It allows teachers to customize quizzes and surveys to meet the specific needs and interests of their students. There’s flexibility in the tool, which helps teachers cater to specific needs. 

4. Assessment Tracking

Kahoot provides teachers with real-time feedback on student understanding, allowing them to adjust their instruction and provide targeted feedback to individual students. 

5. Collaboration

It encourages collaboration and teamwork among students, promoting a positive classroom culture. 

Nearpod

Image Credit: Nearpod

Nearpod is an online tool that teachers use to create lessons (multimedia presentations, quizzes, and interactive learning experiences) that engage their students. 

Teachers can add interactive features to the slide decks, including open-ended questions, collaborative boards, draw-it boards, and lots of other activities to make the lessons come to life, be it in remote or classroom settings.

Nearpod has both free and paid versions, but the free one has enough features to help teachers create interactive lessons.

The setup is super easy for both students and teachers. Teachers can use an existing account to sign up or use an email assigned by the school.

Once you’ve signed up, you can click on the create button, select the lesson, and you’re all set to customize your new lesson for the subject you teach.

There are lots of options to choose from, and teachers can customize it according to their subject’s requirements and students’ needs.

Once the presentation or lesson is ready, teachers can share a unique code or link with their students, who can then access the content on their own devices. 

During the presentation, students can interact with the content and respond to questions in real time, allowing teachers to track student progress and adjust their instruction as needed. 

Features of Nearpod

Some of the features of Nearpod include:

1. Engaging

Its interactive features and multimedia content help students stay engaged and motivated during lessons. 

2. Student-Centered

Nearpod allows students to interact with the content and take an active role in their own learning, promoting a student-centered approach to education. 

3. Assessment

Its quizzes and polls allow teachers to assess student learning and adjust their instruction accordingly. 

4. Customization

Teachers can create custom lessons and presentations that meet the specific needs and interests of their students. 

5. Remote Learning

Nearpod is designed to work seamlessly in a remote learning environment, allowing teachers to continue engaging their students even when they can’t be in the same physical space.

One of the disadvantages of Nearpod is that it mostly has US-based lessons and it takes a lot of time to modify the lessons country-wise. 

Edpuzzle

Image Credit: Edpuzzle

Edpuzzle is an amazing tool where teachers can turn video content into interactive lessons for their students and make them pay attention at all times.

What’s amazing about this platform is that it allows teachers to make their own lessons using videos. And if they’re running out of time, then they can easily scroll through the content library and use existing lessons for their class.

It can be used during class and in remote settings as well. Video is also a great way to make students learn a new topic and help them digest complex lessons through visuals.

Sometimes, it can be a challenge to understand whether your students are following the video content or not. Edpuzzle has even addressed this issue by allowing teachers to add questions to lessons that students have to answer. They can only proceed forward once they’ve answered the question.

The tool is highly customizable and allows teachers to cut out video parts they deem unnecessary and add their own voiceovers too. 

The educators can select videos from a variety of sources, including YouTube, Khan Academy, and TED Talks, or upload their own videos. 

They can then add interactive elements such as multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and comments to the video, providing students with the opportunity to engage with the content and receive instant feedback. 

Features of Edpuzzle

Several features of Edpuzzle make it a must-have in every teacher’s toolkit.

1. Customizable

One of the benefits of using Edpuzzle is that it enhances video content by allowing educators to add contextual information and assess students’ understanding of the material. 

2. Personalized Learning

Another benefit is that it allows for personalized learning experiences by enabling students to move at their own pace and receive targeted feedback based on their responses. 

3. Interactive

Edpuzzle can be used in various classroom settings, including flipped classrooms, where students watch instructional videos at home and use class time to apply what they’ve learned. 

In a traditional classroom, educators can use Edpuzzle to engage students during lectures, reinforce key concepts, and provide additional support for struggling learners. 

4. Teacher Assistant

Edpuzzle can also be used for formative assessment, as teachers can track student progress and identify areas where students may need additional support. 

Even though it is a great free tool and the resources in the free version are sufficient for teachers, finding videos for individual needs can be exhaustive. 

There are tons of similar videos available in the content library and filtering out content can be quite a task.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the latest technologies being used in education?

There are many emerging technologies being used in education to enhance teaching and learning experiences, including:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Gamification.
• Augmented and Virtual reality.
• Mobile learning.
• 3D printing.
• Learning Management Systems (LMS).
• Blockchain technologies.

What is the future of EdTech in 2023?

The use of EdTech in education has expanded the reach of educators to a greater number of students by providing the ability to deliver content that transcends language barriers. 

As 2023 began, teachers across the globe rushed to update their lesson plans and move away from conventional writing tasks. 

The pervasive influence of ChatGPT and AI technology, in general, is evidently the predominant trend in EdTech and will continue to dominate in the coming years.

Parting Thoughts

The world of education is constantly evolving, and the integration of technology has brought about new possibilities for teachers and students. 

With a myriad of tools available to choose from, it can be challenging to identify the most suitable ones for the classroom. However, by embracing the best tools, teachers can create an environment that is conducive to active learning, collaboration, and engagement. 

The benefit of using technology extends beyond the classroom, as students develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. Educators can save valuable time, streamline their workflows, and effectively manage their classrooms. 

As we look to the future, it is important to recognize that technology will continue to transform the educational landscape, and keeping up with the latest tools and trends will be crucial to providing the best learning experiences for students. 

Whether it’s AI-powered chatbots, immersive virtual reality experiences, or gamified learning platforms, the possibilities are endless. Ultimately, the best tools are those that are most effective in achieving learning objectives, so it is important to evaluate and choose wisely. 

Lastly, by embracing the best tools, we can empower students, enhance learning experiences, and revolutionize the way we teach and learn in 2023 and beyond.