Top 10 EdTech Tools Every Teacher Should Know About for the New Academic Year

A Guide for Senior Leadership Teams

As schools continue to juggle more challenges than ever and prepare for the new academic year, one great way to support teaching staff is by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) embracing EdTech and helping staff to get comfortable with EdTech tools. 

EdTech tools can help teachers to:

• • Streamline lesson planning
  • Save time in assessment
  • Personalise learning for pupils
  • Engage pupils more effectively

As a member of the SLT team you play an important role in helping teachers to feel secure and supported, by advocating for and promoting EdTech during INSET days and staff meetings, also by using the tools within your teaching – you will be leading from the front.

In this article, I will explore 10 EdTech tools that senior leadership teams can introduce to lead EdTech integration, boost staff skills and improve the learning experience for pupils.

The Top 10 EdTech Tools 

1. 1. Canva for Education
      Canva provides free, professionally designed templates for lesson visuals, worksheets and pupil projects. Canva has AI-powered design suggestions with which teachers can quickly create engaging and polished materials, saving valuable preparation time and enhancing lesson quality.
   2. Edpuzzle
      Edpuzzle enables teachers to embed questions into videos from popular sources such as YouTube. It tracks pupil engagement and understanding, supporting active learning and formative assessment through multimedia content.
   3. Book Creator
      Book Creator allows pupils and teachers to craft interactive digital books incorporating multimedia elements. This tool encourages creativity and supports cross-curricular projects and storytelling.
   4. Kahoot!
      Kahoot! offers fun, game-based quizzes and surveys designed to check understanding in real time. Its interactive and competitive format motivates pupils and promotes active participation during lessons.
   5. Quizizz
      Quizizz offers gamified quizzes that can be done live or assigned as homework. It has an in-built lesson builder and provides instant feedback, making it a flexible tool for classroom use, it can be used synchronously or asynchronously.
   6. Wakelet
      Wakelet is a content curation platform where teachers and pupils can organise and share resources, links, videos and notes in one visually appealing space. It simplifies lesson material sharing and supports flipped learning or revision by gathering all relevant content in a single location.
   7. Padlet
      Padlet functions as a virtual bulletin board, ideal for collaborative brainstorming, sharing multimedia ideas and reflection. It supports pupil creativity and collaboration across multiple formats.
   8. MagicSchool AI
      MagicSchool AI is an AI-powered assistant that helps teachers to plan lessons, create personalised learning plans and assessment rubrics. It saves planning time and helps tailor learning approaches to pupil needs.
   9. Plickers
      Plickers is a low-tech formative assessment tool that uses printable cards and a single scanning device. It provides instant feedback without requiring pupils to have their own devices, making it an accessible option for quick knowledge checks.
   10. Socrative
       Socrative is a classroom app that facilitates quizzes, exit tickets and polls with immediate feedback. It delivers quick, data-driven insights into pupil understanding, enabling teachers to adjust instruction promptly.

Implementing These Tools in Your Setting

To maximise the impact of these EdTech tools in the upcoming academic year, my recommendations are:

• • Present and demonstrate these tools during INSET days or staff meetings to build teacher confidence.
  • Assist peer led professional development by assigning teams or departments to test specific tools and share their experiences.
  • Encourage the investigation and exploration of accessibility features to support diverse learner needs.
  • Use platforms like Padlet to gather ongoing teacher feedback and suggestions on EdTech adoption.

These tips should help you on the road toward full EdTech integration and staff buy in, leading to enriched teaching and learning experiences for everyone.