Last Updated on September 28, 2024 by Uncle Pat Ugwu

Technology has continued to change the world we live in, and we do not have any other option than to change with it. The education sector should catch up with these technological advances. In this article, I am going to list and discuss basic technological tools for teaching and learning.

Most often, teachers are faced with so many options in educational technology tools. There are too many that one can get confused about what to use. Choosing the right tool for a job is always key in achieving quality production. The inability of this can even ruin a teacher’s idea and objective.

Technological Tools for Teaching

Let us now dive in and discuss. This article is divided into 5 major categories. Each of them has about 3 tools that can be used for teaching and learning. Moreover, some of these tools can be used solely, while others may require that you combine them with other technological tools for teaching in order to achieve your aim.

1. Presentation

Presentation Package is computer software that is used for speech presentation and e-learning. Its features include a text editor, adding graphical images, and other multimedia features. These features help in teaching and learning activities and can be used to prepare lesson notes.

The most commonly used presentation packages are:

• Microsoft PowerPoint: This is presentation software from Microsoft Corporation. Meanwhile, it was initially designed for speech presentation only. But the software package is a vital tool for teaching and learning. It can be used to present lessons and presented in a variety of ways. Starting and using PowerPoint can be easy to learn.
• Google Slides: This is a free alternative for Microsoft PowerPoint. Google Slides helps you to bring out your ideas with a variety of presentation templates and other numerous features. The software is cloud-based, all you need to have is a Gmail account.
• Adobe Spark: It is an online web application that enables you to easily create stunning graphics, short videos, and web pages. Teachers can utilize the features in Adobe Spark to create and enhance lessons for both online and offline use. In fact, there is Adobe Spark for Education.

Teachers can use these presentation tools (and many not mentioned here) to create beautiful lessons for their classroom and online lectures. Graphics and Animation features help students to understand concepts faster and also facilitate information retention.

2. Audio Recording

Audio Recording and Production is a way of using digital equipment to create sound waves like songs, spoken voices, sound effects, and so on. In the past, analog recording was majorly used, but today’s type of recording is done with digital devices.

• Audacity: This is a Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) used in recording and editing audio sounds. The application can run in Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems. It is packed with a lot of features for audio lessons and the production of audiobooks.
• Balabolka: Balabolka is a free Text-To-Speech (TTS) software based on Microsoft’s native speech API known as SAPI. The software converts your written text into sound. This is a great tool for teachers who may not have other recording devices.

Audio lessons are a good learning tool, students with visual disabilities largely depend on audio for their academic pursuits. Teachers can as well use these tools mentioned above to start podcast channels to reach more people. Check out our Introduction to Computer Audio Book.

3. Video Editing

• OpenShot: This is a free video editor that can be used by teachers to create quality video content. OpenShot is user-friendly and light-weighted. In this era of visual courses, teachers can use this open-source software to begin their video productions.
• Adobe Premiere Pro: This is a premium software for video editing, the application is owned by Adobe Corporation. With this professional video editing software, teachers can create high-quality cinematic video lessons.

Video tutorials will continue to be the choice of many learners for a long time. This is one of the reasons why YouTube is the second most visited website in the world. People go there to learn different things, and teachers can join the content creation community to contribute to their quarter.

4. Infographics

• Paint.Net: This software is used for graphics editing in the Windows operating system. It is designed for less tech-savvy graphic designers, but good enough for teachers to produce quality infographics. It can also be used to create other images for teaching and other purposes.
• Canva: This is another easy-to-use graphic program that runs through the web. There are so many templates that can be utilized for teaching and other activities. Just go to the Canva website, and you will be amazed at what you can do with a few mouse clicks.

Certainly, there are premium graphic packages like Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW, and the rest. But those who are not professional graphic editors can use the tools mentioned above. In fact, social media content creators largely depend on this type of tool to create their content.

5. Others

• Google Classroom: This is a free digital classroom developed by Google Corporation for schools. It is aimed to simplify the creation, distribution, and grading of students’ assignments. The online software streamlines the process of file sharing between teachers and students.
• Zoom:  This is a secure and reliable video conferencing platform where teachers can deliver lessons to their students in real time. This means that the teacher will be able to receive feedback from the students and also respond to them immediately. There is other video conference software for teaching and learning.
• FreeCam: FreeCam is a free software for screen recording. Teachers can use this software to record their PowerPoint presentations, send them to their students, or keep them for future use. It can also be used to do software simulations or tutorial steps.

There are other numerous technological tools that can be used for teaching and learning. We shall continue to unveil them, all you have to do is to scroll down and subscribe to this blog by submitting your email. This way, you will get notified each time we publish a new article. There are a number of reasons why technology is important in education.

Final Thoughts

There may not be a tool that is better than the other, rather, each of them has its advantages and its weaknesses. Combining one or two of these technological tools for teaching can help you perform excellently in your teaching career. Do not forget that some tools continue to get better with newer releases.

You should also consider your students or learners and know the best teaching strategy each time you are choosing a technological tool for teaching. Try to know what works best for them and how they can maximize its features. However, Government and Education Stakeholders should also help teachers by organizing workshops where these tools will be taught to teachers from time to time.

Please use the comment section below to ask your question or share your view. Consider joining our Facebook Group to meet with other great teachers who are interested in EdTech. Also, subscribe to this blog by email and through our YouTube and Telegram Channels to receive regular EdTech and DigiLit updates.