Free Tech for ELA Units

Now that many of our schools have gone 1:1 in terms of students and devices, many are looking for ways to make better use of all that technology. There are lots of great apps, but they come with privacy issues, and there are some great online programs, but they come with hefty costs. If you're a techie teacher (like me) with no tech budget (like me), try these wallet-friendly sites to get your students engaged in tech-friendly projects!

 Edit Videos in Canva

 You've probably already heard about creating presentations with Canva, but did you know that you can invite students to collaborate on video projects with the free Canva for Education license? With this access, you can assign projects through Google Classroom, and students can record, edit, and publish videos right from their browser devices. This makes it a great option for projects like PSAs, book talks, poetry readings, and more.

Create Websites with Google Sites

If you want a website builder that is safe, free, and easy for beginners, Google Sites has a simple drag-and-drop interface. Students can also collaborate on the same site, which makes it perfect for group projects. Another user-friendly aspect is the ability to seamlessly embed other Google app projects into the website with a simple click. I've used Sites for students blogs, novel-inspired cause websites, and unit background class collaborations.

Publish Writing at Teen Ink

For those advanced students who always seem to be craving extra enrichment, I highly recommend Teen Ink! This website is created by teens for teens.  Every bit of it has been designed, written, edited, and published by teens. Your students can follow other teen authors they identify with and publish their own content. It's a great way to give your students a voice and an audience that can relate.

Host Book Clubs on Goodreads

If your students seem a little too quiet during book club discussions, you might want to try turning it into a social media project and let them chat it out online. For this, Goodreads is perfect! Not only can students get book recommendations, make book lists, and follow their favorite authors, but they can also host book clubs and invite their friends (and teacher). This offers a safe place to exchange opinions as well as an easy way to track participation.

Produce Podcasts with Soundtrap

I've been hearing a lot of questions about podcasting with students, and it looks like Soundtrap might be the solution. It gives students an online platform to record, edit, and publish podcasts no matter their device or browser. It also offers the ability for student collaboration, even remotely. However, there is a catch. You'll need to be able to set up and complete your podcast unit within the 30-day free trial. If you're not willing to risk this timeline, I recommend using the Canva video editor instead. Simply have students show a title slide and record their screen.

Have you used these sites in your class? Have you found something better? Share your ideas with other teachers by commenting below!

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