New ed tech platforms unveiled

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The 14th Annual Education Industry Days Summit's ed tech demo unveiled some newcomers to the scene. We thought these tools were particularly interesting as they are geared towards educator's implementation of Common Core standards. Here are a few that stood out to us:

Pear Deck offers an interactive lesson builder for classrooms with 1:1 device deployments. The platform allows teachers to plan and build lessons from Google Drive or import a PowerPoint presentation. The lesson is then delivered directly to student devices, encouraging active learning in the classroom. As students interact with the lesson, real-time data provides educators the feedback they need to adapt to their students' needs.

Nutmeg is a free platform that lets teachers build Common Core tests and quizzes from a shared question bank. The assessments can be sent digitally to students and can connect them with free online resources to strengthen their understanding.  Educators and students receive immediate feedback on students' mastery of the Common Core standards.

Common Curriculum provides an easy way for teachers to plan lessons and curriculum that are aligned to Common Core standards.  The platform is a type of 'online plan book,' allowing teachers to share the lessons with their colleagues.

Mari, a project of Carney Labs, is still in the beta-testing phase. The platform helps educators map students' learning progress against Common Core standards, thus allowing them to personalize instruction based on where a student is versus where they want to go. Additionally, the platform integrates with other tools like Khan Academy and collects data from all of those sources in one place.

LearnZillion provides teachers in grades 2 through 12 with a free and growing set of Math and English language arts lessons aligned to the Common Core designed by other teachers. A premium version is also available and claims to provide ways to address needs for differentiated learning, foster parent collaboration, and helps teachers build their knowledge and skills.

For now, all of these applications are free, but if you're interested, act now! Most of these platforms plan to implement subscription plans in the coming months.