We can all get by with a little help from our friends. In this case, your smart device is your best friend. Trying to manage your homework, social life, extracurricular activities, and more can be rather daunting. That’s why there are numerous online resources, tech tools, and apps available to assist you. We believe that using the resources and tools at your disposal is just as important to your success as the knowledge you learn.  That’s why we want to provide you with the best arsenal to achieve your goals. Check out these tech tools to see how they can help you focus, get organized, and learn better:

Cold Turkey

As mentioned in one of our previous articles on procrastination, staying focused on the task at hand is about eliminating distractions. These days, we are so used to instant gratification and scrolling through our newsfeeds on social media platforms. When you make use of the internet to study, you will be bombarded with links to targeted ads and Youtube videos – that’s where Cold Turkey comes in. This tech tool allows you to block certain websites that might be distracting you from your studies. Apart from preventing “multi-tasking,” it allows you to streamline your focus by literally limiting your options. There are various blocking settings you can activate. Try it during one of your study sessions and see if it makes a difference. 

Trello

Trello is a project management tool that really simplifies the planning process. Think of it as your online whiteboard where you can list the task you have to do and track your progress. For instance, you can create a timeline to prepare for an exam. The “boards” featured will help you categorize the work that needs to be done. Move the tasks to a completed folder once you’re done. This is the ideal platform for those struggling with task management and planning their learning process. It’s also great for group projects as you can add members to a board to collaborate easily and keep track of who is doing what. We use Trello to share information between our team members and coordinate on projects, like this blog post!

Check out the video below to see how Trello works.

Noisli

While some of us can cancel out noises in the background, others are completely distracted by it. Noisli helps students looking for only one audio influence while studying. This white-noise generator offers a variety of sounds such as “rain”, “coffee shop” or even “fireplace” to suit your sensory needs. The background sounds help you focus on the task at hand, and it’s customizable, so you can adjust the volume and combination of sounds to your liking. For best results, we recommend getting a pair of over-ear headphones so that you can really drown out the other noises in the background. 

Grammarly

It can be difficult to keep track of all the grammar and punctuation rules of English. Grammarly is a plugin for your web browser and Microsoft Office which helps you write better. As you write, the app checks your writing for punctuation errors, stylistic mistakes, and many other errors. It’s also customizable – you can change Grammarly’s settings based on the type of writing you are doing, whether it’s an essay for a class assignment or polishing your resume. The premium version includes more features such as a plagiarism checker and offers vocabulary suggestions to make your writing clearer.

Being able to write well is important at all stages of life. If your writing isn’t clear, it can lead to unwanted confusion. Even we use Grammarly to double- and triple-check what we write.

IXL

IXL is a membership service that allows students to practice while they play. It’s customized to the common core standards as well as each state’s individual standards and has a variety of activities for the learner to engage in. IXL aims to reshape the way in which we learn, providing students with an innovative approach that’s interactive, yet educational. It offers an unlimited amount of questions that are generated by algorithms. Once a student answers a question, they see real-time reports on the platform’s scoring system, which motivates users to succeed by gamifying the experience. How it Works: You don’t need an account to get started with IXL. Simply visit the site and search for the topic you want to practice in their search bar. The site will then start generating problems for you and will give you instant feedback. Those who sign up for one of their plans get additional benefits such as the ability to save your progress on lessons. We are passionate about helping you learn. We’d love to hear if you are currently using any tech tools, software, websites, or apps to help with your education. Share these in the comment section below!

View our resources

Strive Resources | TpT | Made By Teachers | Classful | Etsy