Written by Kate Durocher

We live in a world where the influence of technology cannot be ignored. In health, everyday communication and education, tech plays a huge role in shaping and creating the narrative.

While technology continues to grow and improve, why not embrace the benefits it offers?

The effect of technology on education is one of the clearest examples of how tech can better lives.

From providing students with laptops, to providing tools for teaching in science and math classes, tech has helped teachers. In that spirit, here is a list of must have Google Education apps that improve the lives of teachers, and students, too.

To begin with, let’s take a look at the apps that teachers can use:

Google Classroom
You’ve heard of Google Docs and Google Sheets. Now, behold, Google Classroom, the platform that connects all of that and more in one easy to use place for teachers. This app will be any teacher’s best friend!

By integrating your Google Apps for Education account with all your Google Apps services, Classroom will be a handy tool for any school. By creating classes, distributing assignments and keeping teachers as organized as possible, the classroom will never look the same. From giving feedback to monitoring which students are doing their work, Classroom has it all.

Google Expeditions
If your students need visuals and hands on tools to really learn, then Google Expedition is made for you. This virtual reality platform is a thing of the future as it allows teachers to take their students on virtual field trips. Machu Picchu, the Antarctic Ocean and much more can be explored in a more in depth way than what a textbook can provide, all thanks to Expedition.

As students are whisked through the amazing sights, extra add ons will teach them all they need to know about each spot. No longer will students have to rely on just textbooks to fuel their imaginations. Use Expedition to show them all the exciting things that the world holds!

Google Maps
If you have a smartphone, you know what Google Maps is. Some of us rely on it. Others would be lost without it. While Google Maps prevents people from wandering aimlessly for hours, it can also serve a greater purpose. Google Maps for education helps teachers and students explore the world around them with mapping tools.

Geography lessons are getting a makeover with the tool that shows learners how to navigate maps and use the information around them to make decisions and interact.

Now, let’s focus on the students! Below is a list of technologies that use Chrome, Google’s browser, to benefit students everywhere.

Stackup
There’s a saying that you should never go to bed at night before learning something new that day. Stackup allows people to keep track of just how much they are learning so they can always rest easy!

The Google Chrome extension and web app makes sure all learning counts by measuring the time a person spends anywhere on the web and then scoring and categorizing that time into 60 subject areas.

Have you recently spent some a few hours googling the history of American politics to prepare for the upcoming election? That time counts! Done some light reading on a weird cold you’ve suddenly developed? That’s learning too! All of your web searching is translated into learning, and now you can track it thanks to Stackup!

Teachers and students use Stackup to track reading both in and out of the classroom. This technological feature not only guides students into desiring to become life learners, but it will also help them earn better grades, head off to a top notch university after graduating and someday, land a job!

Kudzoo App

This one’s for the students! Do you ever feel like you don’t get the reward you deserve for all your hard work and great grades? Kudzoo gets it.

This app allows students to submit their report cards for Kudzoo cash, which can be used for deals and discounts to a number of brands, scholarship opportunities and giveaways. Simply spend a few extra hours working at night, score some impressive grades, take a picture of your report card to prove it and start earning that cash! Getting into a good college doesn’t have to be the only reason you ditch your friends to study.

Kaizena
One of the most important jobs of a teacher is to guide their students towards success. When a student struggles or falls behind in a subject, it’s the teacher’s job to give them the feedback and attention they deserve to learn. That is where Kaizena steps in.

This Chrome browser extension helps teachers give the best feedback possible to their students. A document is pulled into Kaizena and then the teacher can easily add voice comments and thoughts on a student’s work. Say goodbye to the days where students could barely make out the handwritten notes teachers left on the sides of papers.

No longer will students be left questioning what exactly they did wrong on their homework. Kaizena allows the value of feedback to better benefit all learners.

Kate Durocher has written for publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, AARP The Magazine and more. She is the author of a series of profile pieces for the “Her Story” blog written for OptIn, and also blogs for Red Cup Agency. In addition, she is an editorial assistant at LA Weekly.