Teachers, rejoice! In today’s article, we will be going through 5 of the best digital planning apps for teachers that are feature-packed and will help you quickly get your ducks in a row.
We all know how creative some teachers can be, and it’s because they have to since they’re always required to create engaging lesson plans for every subject they teach.
But that doesn’t mean they have the time to waste on an inefficient planner that doesn’t work with their existing curriculum and teaching style.
Luckily, there are a bunch of digital planning apps out there that are designed solely for teachers who need help with organizing without the use of the old pen and paper (because almost everything is already digitized nowadays).
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<<<You might be looking for the best iPad apps? Look at our favorites below!
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So without further ado, let’s dive into our list of superb digital planning apps for teachers!
5 Best Digital Planning Apps For Teachers 2022
1.) Planboard: Best Easy-to-use interface
Teaching is an all-consuming profession. It’s no wonder why teachers are always looking for new ways to make their jobs a bit easier.
And one of the most time-consuming parts of any teacher’s job is planning lessons. And it can be easy to get lost in making sure that you have everything covered when hundreds of things are going through your mind all at once.
The first highly recommended digital planner app for teachers is Planboard. Planboard is a great option for teachers who are looking for a digital planning tool that can be used across multiple devices and can also integrate with other apps as well. It saves you time and provides easy access as well.
The interface of Planboard is quite simple and is easy to navigate as well. You’ll be able to set up schedules and activities in just a couple of clicks here and there.
Whether you want to access your digital planner on your desktop or on mobile, the user interface will always be accessible and flawless, so you don’t have to worry about switching devices when you’re on the go!
You can also use Planboard jointly with other popular educational apps such as Google Classroom or Microsoft Planner. And if you need an extra layer of organization, you can also easily share your plans with other people within your school or district by creating a link that will allow them access from anywhere as long as they’re connected online.
If all of this sounds like what you’re looking for in a digital planner app then check out Planboard Pro which will allow you access to more in-depth features than the free version (which is already quite good) but only costs more or less than 10$ USD/month!
Devices: iOS, Android, Website
2.) ClassDojo: Best for communicating with parents
ClassDojo is an amazing communication app that allows teachers to send messages, announcements, and even rewards to parents. And the best part about it is that it’s 100% free!
It focuses on helping teachers connect one-on-one with students and parents through communication features as you’ll be able to share in real-time photos and videos from activities and tasks that your students did during the school day.
In addition to that, the messaging feature can also be translated up to ClassDojo’s 35+ languages.
The app also makes it easy for teachers to build a positive student-teacher relationship as students will be able to earn points for completing assignments and tasks or for behaving well in class—points that they earn in the ClassDojo app can be converted into rewards like sticker or candy bar coupons that you can let them redeem any time they would like to.
And the best part about this app is that you can stay updated about your students’ behaviors without having to sit down in front of your computer every day! Just simply open up the app on your phone or tablet whenever you please.
Another great thing about ClassDojo is that the app will let you see how well your students are learning new information and skills, and this is done through short quizzes that you can instigate through the app.
You’ll get immediate feedback on which areas need more practice so that your entire class will be ready and steady for state testing by the end of the year!
Devices: iOS, Android, Website
3.) Google Classroom: Best for real-time interaction with students
If you haven’t tried using Google Classroom up to its full potential yet, then this is a sign for you to give it a try.
Google classroom is easy to get up and running. It’s a web-based application that allows teachers like you to create and collect assignments digitally, the interface is quite simple and intuitive, even if you have never used an app like it before, you’ll have no trouble figuring out how to efficiently use it in just a short amount of time.
It also supports multiple classes under one account, so it’s quite useful if you teach multiple subjects and handle a couple of classes here and there. It’s also an all-in-one place where you can store the information of all the students you currently handle.
The best thing about Google Classroom is that it can easily work in conjunction with other Google Tools as well such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, and calendar. So if you’re mostly using G-suite apps for most of your teacher work, then you’ll definitely love this tool.
It can also work with other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Dropbox, and even Adobe Acrobat).
You can also customize how assignments are graded and returned, and Google Classroom will automatically color-code grades according to percentage.
You also have the option to set deadlines on their assignments and students will be notified about it.
You can also add comments to students’ work in real-time with the Comment tool, this will allow you to engage with students in real-time even while they’re still working on projects or responding to homework questions.
Devices: iOS, Android, Website
4.) PlanBookEdu: Best All-in-one digital planner app
Another great free app names PlanBookEdu will make all your digital planning dreams come true. It’s a great app that provides you with a neat interface that’s easy to understand and access as well.
The app also makes it easy to add assignments with its “Quick Add” features that will allow you to quickly add and enter assignments that will be automatically sorted by date and type and you can also easily view your plans for the week at a glance!
It also offers easy integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage apps so you’ll be able to easily access files you need from the get-go. Both compatible with iOS and Android devices and even with Windows computers, you’ll have no trouble checking in with your plans and keeping yourself up to date with important matters in your class.
There’s a free trial and a paid version for the PlanBookEdu app. In the free version, you’ll be able to create an unlimited number of lesson plans with up to 50 students per class at no cost whatsoever.
For the paid subscription, you’ll be able to enjoy personalized support, the ability to fully customize your planner, daily reminders of upcoming lessons, group parent email, collaboration tools, and much more!
I would suggest trying out the free version first, and see if it would fit your current routine. Moreover, I think you would really love PlanBookEdu’s valuable extras; an attendance tracker that also features an import and export capability, integrated seating charts, and also a calendar that easily synchronizes with Google Calendar, iCalendar, and Outlook as well.
5.) Notability: Best for transitioning from paper planner to digital planner
If you’re still a bit hesitant about going hesitant because you believe in the power of pen and paper, then Notability is a solid choice for you. This is a great app for teachers who still wants to handwrite their lesson plans.
The app will let you take notes, annotate PDFs, record audio, and share your work with others as well. It’s also highly reliable at saving your data so you won’t lose it if you accidentally lost your phone or deleted the app.
The feature that you will love most in Notability is how easy it is to organize all your files within the app. You can create notebooks by topic and also input subcategories within the notebook itself. Think of it as a digital binder with one or multiple notebooks for each subject!
Notability is your go-to app if you want to make your teaching life easier and more accessible. It’s very easy to use and it can help you keep track of all your important notes in one place while giving you access to recordings of your lecture across multiple devices.
Also, with one click you’ll be able to share those recordings with parents and even your colleagues who may want more information on a particular lesson or activity that you and your students are tackling in class.
In Closing,
Going digital, especially for classroom planning can make you hesitate at some point because for the longest time we’ve been so used to the idea that planning should be done the old-fashioned way which is with pen and paper.
But if you think that going digital will help you save time and get you organized far better than with paper planning, then these apps are definitely worth checking out!
You can try out working with both in the meantime and see what sticks with you and your routine. Go with whatever works for you and what makes you feel best for your planning and preparations in the classroom.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to what you’re comfortable with and what works best for you.
