10 Best Free Apps for Teachers to Enhance Learning

You don’t need a massive budget to make a significant impact in your classroom. The world of educational technology offers an abundance of free tools designed to transform the way you teach, engage students, and save time. Whether you’re looking to gamify lessons, organise resources, or foster collaboration, these apps are accessible, versatile, and ready to use.

Here’s a detailed look at 10 of the best free apps every teacher should know about.

1. Kahoot!

🎮 Why use it?
Kahoot! turns learning into a fun, competitive experience with interactive quizzes and games. Its engaging format motivates students and reinforces key concepts.

📋 Key features:

• Customisable quizzes tailored to your lessons.

• Access to thousands of pre-made quizzes.

• Live gameplay for classroom fun or self-paced challenges for homework.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Kahoot! as a quick warm-up or review activity to kickstart student engagement.

2. Canva for Education

🎨 Why use it?
Canva for Education empowers teachers to create visually stunning resources without needing advanced design skills. It’s perfect for creating professional-quality materials in minutes.

📋 Key features:

• Templates for worksheets, posters, and presentations.

• Collaborative features for student projects.

• Easy drag-and-drop design tools.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Canva’s infographic templates to present complex ideas in a visually engaging way.

3. Padlet

🌟 Why use it?
Padlet is a versatile collaboration tool that allows students and teachers to share ideas, resources, and feedback on a digital board.

📋 Key features:

• Multiple layouts, including wall, grid, and timeline views.

• Real-time collaboration with multimedia support (images, links, and videos).

• Secure sharing options for private or public boards.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Padlet for brainstorming, exit tickets, or group project organisation.

4. Google Workspace for Education

📂 Why use it?
Google Workspace provides a suite of free tools to streamline communication, collaboration, and lesson organisation.

📋 Key features:

• Google Docs for collaborative writing and editing.

• Google Slides for engaging presentations.

• Google Forms for quizzes and surveys with auto-grading capabilities.

• Seamless integration across tools and platforms.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Google Drive to organise and share resources with your students and colleagues.

5. Quizizz

📊 Why use it?
Quizizz combines learning and fun by gamifying quizzes while offering insights into student performance.

📋 Key features:

• Pre-made quizzes or customisable questions.

• Homework mode for self-paced activities.

• Detailed reports on student progress and comprehension.

✨ Pro Tip: Add memes or fun visuals to quizzes to keep students engaged and entertained.

6. ClassDojo

📱 Why use it?
ClassDojo helps teachers build classroom communities by connecting students, parents, and teachers through communication and positive reinforcement.

📋 Key features:

• Share updates and photos with parents.

• Track and reward student behaviour.

• Encourage collaboration and communication with a safe messaging system.

✨ Pro Tip: Use ClassDojo to celebrate student achievements and create a stronger home-school connection.

7. Socrative

💬 Why use it?
Socrative helps teachers assess understanding in real time through quizzes, polls, and quick-response activities.

📋 Key features:

• Real-time feedback on student progress.

• Exit tickets to gauge comprehension after lessons.

• A variety of question formats, including multiple-choice, short answer, and true/false.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Socrative for instant feedback to adapt your lessons on the go.

8. Wakelet

📖 Why use it?
Wakelet is an excellent tool for curating resources and showcasing student work. It allows you to organise content into visually appealing collections.

📋 Key features:

• Collect and share links, videos, and images in one place.

• Collaborative collections for group projects.

• A user-friendly interface for creating professional-looking resources.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Wakelet to create lesson resource hubs or showcase class achievements.

9. Microsoft OneNote

📝 Why use it?
OneNote serves as a digital notebook, helping you keep lesson plans, resources, and student notes organised.

📋 Key features:

• Sectioned notebooks for easy categorisation.

• Collaborative features for shared projects.

• Integration with other Microsoft tools, like Teams and Word.

✨ Pro Tip: Use OneNote to create a year-long teaching journal with lessons, reflections, and ideas.

10. Tinkercad

🛠️ Why use it?
Tinkercad introduces students to 3D design and coding in an interactive, hands-on way. It’s perfect for STEM activities that encourage creativity and critical thinking.

📋 Key features:

• User-friendly 3D modelling tools.

• Circuit simulation for exploring electronics.

• Easy integration into STEM or maker education programmes.

✨ Pro Tip: Use Tinkercad for creative design challenges or cross-curricular STEM projects.

How to Get Started with Free EdTech Tools

With so many incredible free tools available, it’s tempting to dive in and try them all. However, starting small is the key to success.

🛠️ Quick tips for getting started:

• Focus on one tool: Choose the app that addresses your most immediate classroom need.

• Explore features: Spend time familiarising yourself with its capabilities.

• Gather feedback: Ask students how the tool impacts their learning experience.

• Build gradually: Once you’re confident, expand your toolkit to include additional apps.

Final Thoughts

Free edtech tools provide endless opportunities to transform your teaching and enhance student learning. From gamified quizzes to collaborative platforms, these apps are accessible, intuitive, and impactful.

👉 Ready to integrate these tools into your teaching? Check out the 2024 episodes from Evolve EdTech's free workshop Innovative EdTech. In Innovative EdTech we share a range of edtech tips, tricks and tools to help you get start with edtech and have fun using it in the classroom.