Tools that open more doors.

Working as a virtual speech therapy aide taught me quickly how much the right tool matters. A student who could not sit through a worksheet would stay focused through an interactive video. A student who struggled to speak up in a group would light up on Boom Cards, working independently. Technology, at its best, gives students more ways in.

Tools I use and would bring into my classroom

• Edpuzzle. Turns videos into interactive lessons — great for social skills, comprehension, and speech review because students stay engaged longer than with a plain video.
• MagicSchool AI. Helps me draft lesson plans, rubrics, accommodations, and modified activities much faster, so lessons can still be individualized for every student.
• Kahoot!. Game-based review that lowers the pressure. Students who normally struggle to focus in a virtual session will jump in when it feels like a game.
• Wordwall. Custom matching games, quizzes, and word activities — I would use it for articulation, vocabulary, and emotional regulation practice.
• Boom Learning. Interactive digital task cards with instant feedback. In virtual speech I saw how well these work for independent practice and keeping students motivated.
• Canva for Education. For visual schedules, social stories, speech visuals, and behavior charts. Many students respond much better to organized visuals than plain worksheets.
• MindMeister. Mind mapping for emotional regulation, social skills, and brainstorming — visual organization keeps students from getting overwhelmed.
• NotebookLM. An AI note-taking tool I use as a teacher to organize sources and simplify information. I like that I can see the sources it pulls from and fact-check.
• Quick, Draw!. A Google AI activity I would use for tech lessons and brain breaks — visual, interactive, and a fun way to introduce how AI actually works.
• STAR Assessments. Online reading and math assessments I would use to monitor progress and identify where students need extra support.
• Seesaw. Digital portfolio and family communication — students can respond with pictures, videos, and voice recordings, not just writing.
• Prodigy. Game-based math practice for centers, review, and individualized learning.
• Google Forms. Quick assessments, exit tickets, and progress checks — automatic response organization makes it easy to see where students are.
• ABCmouse. Reading, math, science, and art activities for younger students at learning centers or during independent practice.
• Socrative. Real-time quizzes, polls, and comprehension checks with immediate feedback during lessons.
• Zoom. Virtual instruction, family meetings, and speech services when students cannot attend in person — essential during my work as a virtual speech aide.

How I decide what belongs

Every tool I use is chosen with accessibility in mind. I ask three questions: Does this give students more ways to engage? More ways to understand? More ways to show what they know? If the answer is yes, it earns a place in our routine. If it only adds a screen without adding access, I set it aside.

AI, honestly

I recently attended an AI conference through Sault Schools, and it changed how I see this work. AI is not a replacement for teachers or therapists — it is another tool. I want my students to be comfortable with it and also to know its limits: it can be wrong, it can be out of date, and it should never do all their thinking for them. Used responsibly, it gives every student another chance to succeed.