I’m so excited to be diving into a topic that is near and dear to my heart: saving time with the right EdTech tools! As teachers, our plates are overflowing.We’re juggling lesson plans, grading, parent communication, and, let’s be real, a million open browser tabs.That’s why I’m sharing some of my absolute favorite, free Chrome extensions from Episode 239 of the Shake Up Learning Show.
These tools are game-changers.They are designed to streamline your workflow and help you work smarter, not harder.Because when you simplify your systems, you’re creating more time and energy for the truly meaningful work of dynamic learning in your classroom! Ready to get organized and make your teaching life a whole lot easier? Let’s shake things up! Listen to this podcast episode: The Best Chrome Extensions for Teachers 1.
OneTab: Tame the Tab Monster If you’re like me, your browser window looks like a digital hoarder’s paradise.I’m talking 50, 60, sometimes 100 tabs open at once! It slows down your computer, kills your focus, and makes you feel instantly overwhelmed.Why you need it: OneTab is a simple but mighty tool that solves the “too many tabs” problem.
With a single click of the icon, it converts all your open tabs into a clean, easy-to-read list in one tab.Teacher Benefit: It saves up to 95% of your computer’s memory, so your machine runs faster, and it forces you to focus on one task at a time.When you need to get back to your research or lesson links, you can restore them all at once or individually.
️ Install OneTab here: OneTab – Chrome Web Store 2.Grammarly: Your Professional Polish Partner We are constantly communicating: emails to parents, announcements on Google Classroom, quick notes to administration.And let’s face it, nobody has time to proofread everything three times! Why you need it: Grammarly is a real-time writing assistant that goes way beyond basic spell check.
It checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and also provides suggestions for clarity and tone.It works where you do, so you can improve your writing just about anywhere–Gmail, Google Docs, social media, and so much more! Teacher Benefit: You can ensure every piece of communication you send out—from a parent email to a staff memo—is professional, polished, and mistake-free.No more worrying about that misplaced comma when you’re rushing out the door! ️ Install Grammarly here: Grammarly: AI Writing Assistant and Grammar Checker App – Chrome Web Store *Related: Top 15+ AI Tools for Teachers 3.
Brisk Teaching: An AI Assistant Built for Your Classroom If you’re looking for a serious time-saver for planning and differentiation, this one’s for you.Brisk Teaching is an AI-powered assistant built specifically to tackle the common tasks that drain a teacher’s time.Why you need it: It integrates right into your existing Google tools (like Docs and Slides) and allows you to do in seconds what used to take twenty minutes.
Teacher Benefit: You can adjust the reading level of any document or web article for differentiation, translate content instantly, generate an entire rubric, or create customized feedback for student work—all with the click of a button.Think of the time saved on lesson planning and grading! ️ Install Brisk Teaching here: Install Brisk Teaching *Related: AI Tools for Overwhelmed Teachers 4.Screencastify: Say it with Video Video is a fantastic tool for blended learning, flipped classrooms, and just plain clear communication.
But who has time for complicated video software? Why You Need It: Screencastify makes video creation effortless for teachers.Whether you’re flipping your classroom, giving feedback, or recording sub plans, this Chrome extension lets you record your screen, webcam, and voice—all from inside your browser.But it’s more than just a screen recorder.
Key Features Teachers Love: Record your desktop, browser tab, and/or webcam with ease Edit your videos directly in the browser—no extra software needed Add voiceovers or translated audio in 90+ languages Embed interactive questions to check understanding and track engagement View analytics to see who watched and how they responded Collect video responses from students using the built-in Submit tool Even edit YouTube videos for class use! Perfect for flipped lessons, student tutorials, reflection assignments, and more! Teacher Benefit: Use it to create quick, personalized tutorials for students, record a flipped lesson for homework, or send a fast video walkthrough to a parent explaining a tricky assignment.The best part? Your videos are automatically saved to your Google Drive for easy sharing and organization.️ Install Screencastify here: Screencastify – Screen Video Recorder – Chrome Web Store *Related: 20 Ways to Use Screencasting in the Classroom 5.
MOTE: Human-Centered Feedback in a Click ️ When it comes to feedback and accessibility, how you communicate matters just as much as what you teach.Sometimes, a voice note is simply more personal and faster than typing.Why you need it: MOTE allows you to insert voice notes into Google Docs, Slides, Forms, and Classroom comments.
Teacher Benefit: You can give feedback faster and make it more personal—”Hey, Sarah, loved your connection here.Let’s push further into this idea!” Voice feedback saves time because we can almost always speak faster than we type.Plus, it has amazing accessibility features like read-aloud and text prediction for your students.
️ Install MOTE here: Mote for Google Chrome – Chrome Web Store *Related: 15 Ways to Use Mote in the Classroom 6.InsertLearning: Transform Any Webpage into a Lesson Why you need it: InsertLearning is all about transformation: you take any webpage and turn it into a custom instructional experience.It lets you highlight text, add sticky notes, embed questions or videos onto any web page.
You design the lesson, and students interact with what you’ve built.Teacher Benefit: Prep time is reduced because you overlay your teaching onto existing web content instead of building from scratch.You can build in differentiation by embedding scaffolded questions or extension tasks.
Plus, you can reuse it year after year—just update a link or tweak a note.️ Install InsertLearning here: Add InsertLearning to Chrome 7.QR Code Generator: Sharing Links, Effortlessly Sharing links in your LMS or Google Classroom is easy—but what about when you need to post a link at a learning station, during a gallery walk, or for parent night? That’s where QR codes come in handy! QR codes offer a quick, contactless way to get everyone on the same page—no typing required.
Quick Tip: Chrome has a built-in QR code generator (just right-click on a webpage and select “Create QR Code”).Want more customization and tracking features? Try a QR Code Generator extension for extra flexibility! Why you need it: In a classroom, at parent night, or during PD, sharing links doesn’t have to be tedious.This simple but effective tool generates a QR code for the current webpage with a single click.
It’s traceable, handy, and device friendly.Teacher Benefit: It means less typing for students and parents—they just scan the code.Use it for quick station rotations, linking to videos or submitted forms.
Display one QR code at parent night or PD, and your audience is instantly connected without typos or waiting on long URLs.(Note: There are hundreds of QR Code Generators to choose from.The one linked below is a simple and easy option!) ️ Install QR Code Generator here: Add QR Code Generator to Chrome 8.
Read&Write for Google Chrome: Dedicated to Accessibility Why you need it: This is more than just another tool—it supports reading, writing, vocabulary, and text-to-speech.It offers features like read-aloud, picture dictionary, highlighting, and simplified view.The best part: Premium access is free for teachers.
Teacher Benefit: When you craft instruction, you can preview it as a student might engage (using read-aloud or simplified text).This allows you to design for equity and inclusion and ensure your materials reach readers of different abilities.You can literally listen to your article before publishing to catch an awkward sentence your eyes missed.
️ Install Read&Write for Google Chrome here: Add Read&Write for Google to Chrome Ready to Simplify Your Teaching Life? These five extensions are just a few of the eight amazing tools we covered in the podcast.They are all about reducing teacher overwhelm and helping you create a more efficient and dynamic learning environment for your students.Every click you save is more time you get back in your day! Go install one or two today and let me know how they shake up your classroom! And for the full list of eight tools, don’t forget to listen to the complete episode of The Shake Up Learning Show! Shake Up Learning 2025.
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