What are Chrome Extensions?
Google Chrome extensions are programs built on web technology like HTML, CSS, and Javascript that can be installed into Chrome to change the browser’s functionality. Chrome extensions include adding new features to your Chrome or modifying the existing features of the program on your browser to make it more suitable to your need as a user.
Chrome extensions differ in use, functionality, and compatibility but not if you find the right one for your needs.
For example, here are some functionalities you can derive from adding Google Chrome extension to your Chrome browser:
- Password Management
- Easy copy and paste from sites feature.
- Blocking ads from being displayed
- Optimizing memory usage for Chrome’s efficiency.
- Privacy protection and web security.
- Addition of to-do lists or notes to Chrome.
These are a few benefits of installing Google Chrome extensions into your browser. However, adding extensions offer you a wide range of extra functionality so that you can get more out of the websites you visit and perform tasks seamlessly.
Why Teachers Need Chrome Extensions
We have established that Chrome extensions are a must-have for everyone. But how are Chrome extensions useful to teachers?
As a teacher, you need Chrome extensions not only for yourself but for your students. This is because Chrome extensions help to boost:
- Creativity
- Productivity
- Engagement/ interaction
- Deliverables
1. Creativity: It has been proven over time that Chrome extensions encourage creativity among students. This is no surprise as Chrome extensions are a byproduct of technology and technology attracts people especially students. Students can make use of some of these extensions to create new ideas that may influence their careers and they can also have fun with them.
2. Productivity: Teaching is a very demanding profession in the world. Therefore, teachers need to find a balance between their high volume of tasks and helping students so that they can have better grades.
Chrome extensions allow you to automate some tasks which can help to improve your productivity.
3. Engagement/ Interaction: According to multiple studies, students are more engaged through active learning. Introducing fun into studies boosts interaction with the students and brings better results.
4. Improve deliverability: The true aim of teaching is to ensure learning has taken place and all teachers want to bring the best out of their students.
Therefore, every teacher needs Chrome extensions to facilitate their teaching and help minimize mistakes. All teachers’ deliverability can be high with the right Chrome extensions.
Explore: Teacher Evaluation Survey Template
What Teachers Should Look Out for in Chrome Extensions
How you make use of Google Chrome extensions depends on the particular extension you choose and what purpose you want it to serve. There are extensions that work in the background and automatically perform some specific tasks.
In the same way, there are other extensions that add menu options to the menu when you right-click on a web page.
These are some a few things you should look out for in Chrome extensions.
1. Ease of use: In most cases, you will recommend your Chrome extensions to your students for one task or the other. It is in the best interest of everyone that you get a tool that’s easy to install and use.
2. Access from your institution: It is important to confirm if the Chrome extension you want to introduce is accepted in your institution. This is because every school has its preference, and your school may not support the chrome extensions for a number of reasons.
To avoid downloading an extension from the Chrome web store only to find that it’s blocked, reach out to your administrator first to get clearance on your proposed extension.
3. Price: Also confirm the price or cost of your proposed extension. Ensure that it is within budget and that the selected tool can give you and the students your money’s value.
Best Chrome Extensions for Teachers
Pricing: Free
ClassTag Parent Engagement is a free Parent-Teacher communication App that allows a connection between the teachers and families. ClassTag app has so many features such as videos, messages, announcements, pictures, library, calendar, and it also allows parent-teacher conferences. ClassTag has huge engagement stats and it is one of the best extensions every teacher must-have.
Pricing: Free
Google Classroom is a free service offered to schools and available to anyone who has a personal Google account. Google classroom shows that there is an easy flow of teaching and learning between the students and instructor.
Teachers can introduce Google classroom to the students so that they can streamline assignments. Google classroom also improve collaboration and communication between the students and the teacher. It can also be used with all the tools such as Gmail, Google docs e.t.c
Explore: Teacher Feedback Form Template
Teachers can use Google similar pages to find other great apps that can enhance the teaching and learning experience. Google similar pages have a button to the toolbars so Google search algorithm will find other similar apps that are useful. This is why it is important to install it as an extension.
Pricing: Free
This is a great extension for teachers as it allows them to easily create formulas, quizzes, and mathematical equations. It helps to make maths or STEM classes more engaging and more accessible digitally.
Read aloud is a text-to-speech technology that helps to convert webpage text to audio. It is a very useful extension that works on multiple websites including news sites, textbooks, school, and class websites, University course materials, and blogs.
It has a feature where you can select from the list of text to speech voices that you prefer and the extension can read several documents such as PDF Google docs, Google Playbooks, and EPUB. This extension is designed to help students or anyone who prefers to listen instead of reading. It is also very useful for people with dyslexia or some other learning disabilities.
Pricing: Free
Formplus is a perfect tool that helps you connect to apps such as Google sheets Microsoft Onedrive Dropbox and Google drive. Teachers can use Formplus to create different kinds of forms as it offers over 1,000 form templates. It also has a chef feature that allows you to share your forms on social media and through emails. Teachers can use Formplus to design questionnaires, collect data and build forms. Plus, it is totally free.
Pricing: Free
This tool works with your library to bring you instant links to articles from journals that you have subscribed to. Teachers and students can use this tool to find resources for their assignments and school work. LibKey Nomad extension is only available for Google Chrome at the moment and it doesn’t collect personal information. So it is safe to use by teachers and students.
Read: Types of Student’s Intelligence Every Teacher Should Know
Pricing: It has 3 plans. Free, Pro and Team. Pro costs $6/month while Team costs $14/month.
Teachers can use Taqtiq to take notes in online classes. It is a browser extension that automatically takes live captures on Google meet and zoom and stores them in Notion, Google drive, and Quip.
Crafty text is an extension that can be added to the Google Chrome browser. It allows the teacher or the user typed text to be displayed in a larger or bigger font on the screens on top of the web page.
Pricing: Free
This tool or extension was created by two teachers to increase the learning experience of their students. It’s improved engagement between the teacher and the students by offering features that monitor real-time assessments responded to by the students. It also ensures that all the students are able to express themself and interact well with their teacher.
This extension is useful in speeding up the types of digitally commenting on students’ files. So it is used as a means to quickly resolve comments or reply to them by check-marking it as a means of approval. This feature has however been removed from the Chrome Web store by the EdTechTeam.
Conclusion
There are many Chrome extensions that teachers can use to facilitate the learning between them and the students. Many of them come free of charge. It is important for all teachers to conduct proper research on the extension that best suits their needs and the needs of their students.
Also, teachers should not forget that extensions are developed to facilitate learning and not take their place.