Winners Unveiled for Top Picks of the 2024 Academic Year by Tech & Learning

Tech & Learning has announced the winners of their 2024 "Best Tools for Back to School," a list that spans both primary and higher education and includes a range of classroom tech solutions, learning management systems (LMS), and interactive apps designed to boost engagement, collaboration, and productivity.

The selected products were chosen based on criteria including versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems. Here are some key recommendations:

Interactive Learning Platforms

Kahoot!: A popular gamified quiz platform to encourage active student participation across all ages.
Canva for Education: An easy design tool to unleash creativity, useful for various education levels.
EdPuzzle and Quizlet: Both offer interactive video lessons and AI-powered flashcards with adaptive learning modes; Quizlet also integrates augmented reality for immersive study experiences.

Classroom Management and Communication

ClassDojo: Primarily for primary education, it streamlines classroom management and parent communication, promoting social-emotional learning.
ClassDojo for Districts: A more advanced version of ClassDojo, designed for larger school districts.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Google Classroom, Schoology, Moodle, Toddle, and Canvas (Free-for-Teacher) provide centralized assignment management, grading, and communication for all education levels.

Collaborative Platforms

Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and Padlet facilitate real-time team projects and feedback.

Educational Apps

Duolingo and Khan Academy offer personalized learning opportunities to supplement curricula.

For hardware, tech essentials for students include reliable laptops or tablets (e.g., Chromebooks for younger students, MacBooks/Windows laptops for older students) with good battery life and processing power, along with noise-cancelling headphones to support focus in hybrid learning environments.

Collectively, these tools were highlighted by Tech & Learning and other expert sources for effectively supporting both primary and higher education teachers and students in the 2024-2025 school year.

Education Products in the Primary Education Category

Curriculum Associates' i-Ready
95 Percent Group's 95 RAP, 95 Literacy Intervention System, and Top 10 Tools by 95 Percent Group
Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College offers the Community Educator Learning Hub
MobileMind
Science Interactive Group's Starlab
Benchmark Education Company's Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Adelante, eBook Library, and Foundational Skills Assessment
Discovery Education's Mystery Writing and DreamBox Math
OxEd & Assessment's LanguageScreen
Reading Horizons' Discovery Product Suite
n2y's Unique Learning System (ULS)
Clear Digital's The Müv
My Reading Academy Espanol, My Reading Academy, and My Math Academy from Age of Learning
AVer Information's AmpliWave and M15W
myBlueprint's SpacesEDU
William H. Sadlier's From Phonics to Reading
Clear Touch's NEXT Hub
Play Piper's Piper Make
AVID Products' WonderEars Early Learning Headset
Edmentum's EdOptions Academy, Exact Path, and Edmentum Courseware
Amplify Desmos Math from Amplify Education
Follett Software's LLC Destiny Library Manager
Lightbox Learning Inc.'s AV2 Nonfiction Subscriptions

Education Products in the Secondary Education Category

Instructure's Mastery Connect
Mynd.ai Promethean, Inc.'s Explain Everything Advanced
Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve and ATEM Mini live production switchers
Gale's Literature Resource Center, Gale Digital Scholar Lab, and Gale In Context: For Educators, Gale In Context: Literature
Voyager Sopris Learning's LANGUAGE! Live
Presence Teletherapy Services
Viewsonic Corp.'s LDC031 DirectView LED Display
Sphero's BOLT+ programmable robot
Niche's Direct Admissions
Boxlight's Xploris, Robo E4/E4 Pro 3D Printers, MimioPro G, and FrontRow Unity
VitalSource's Bookshelf CoachMe
PSNI's SNAP Health Center
Turnitin's Paper to Digital Add-On for Feedback Studio
Logitech's Reach
Kiddom
MIND Education's ST Math
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
BM Technologies (BMTX)'s BankMobile Disbursements and BankMobile Vibe
Copyleaks' AI Detector
Rise Vision's Digital Signage
Vivi's Wireless Presentation and School Communication Solution
ECS Learning Systems' STAAR MASTER Interactive
Pocketalk Plus
Capstone's The PebbleGo suite
Incident IQ
MobyMax
NetSupport's NetSupport School
D2L's D2L Lumi
Pikmykid's Messenger
ESSER funds are dwindling in schools nationwide, and Tech & Learning's list aims to help readers find affordable solutions.

Education Products in Both the Primary and Secondary Education Categories

Otus
Lenovo's LanSchool
HUE's HUE Animation Studio
SMART Technologies' Lumio
Newline's 75" Q Pro (with Merlyn Mind)
Read Naturally's Read Live
IXL Learning's Rosetta Stone for Schools
myBlueprint's SpacesEDU
BenQ, BenQ LH650, and BenQ RP04
D2L's D2L Lumi
AVer Information's AmpliWave and M15W
Rise Vision's Digital Signage
Vivi's Wireless Presentation and School Communication Solution

Christine Weiser, Tech & Learning's Content Director, stated that the winning products met the evaluation criteria to qualify for the prestigious list.

[1] Source: Tech & Learning (www.techlearning.com) [2] Source: EdTech Magazine (www.edtechmagazine.com) [3] Source: eSchool News (www.eschoolnews.com) [4] Source: District Administration (www.districtadministration.com) [5] Source: eSchool News (www.eschoolnews.com)

The Education Products in the Primary Education Category, such as Curriculum Associates' i-Ready, provide interactive learning opportunities tailored for young students.
Science Interactive Group's Starlab offers digital resources for teachers to enhance primary education science lessons.
Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College offers the Community Educator Learning Hub, a resource for primary education teachers to further their education and self-development.
For secondary education, Instructure's Mastery Connect provides an adaptive learning platform that assesses student progress to improve education outcomes.
Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve is a versatile tool for advanced video editing, useful for secondary education media production classes.
MIND Education's ST Math offers an interactive curriculum for secondary education to help students develop mathematical skills.
Voyager Sopris Learning's LANGUAGE! Live is a supportive solution for educators and students in both primary and secondary education, focusing on improving language skills.