354: New Year, New Tools

 

Episode Goal

Choose one tech tool from this list to explore intentionally in 2026.

The 10 Tools Featured

 

1. ChatGPT and Gemini

AI assistants that homeschool parents can use for planning, teaching, and daily life.

Ways to use them include:

• Rewriting articles at a child’s reading level

• Creating lesson extensions and outdoor activities

• Planning school schedules around sports and activities

• Generating games, recipes, and choose-your-own-adventure stories

A free PDF with 20 starter prompts is available through the FundaFunda Academy newsletter.

2. PhET Interactive Simulations

Free, interactive math and science simulations from the University of Colorado.

Great for:

• Physics (circuits, forces, motion)

• Chemistry (molecules, states of matter)

• Math (fractions, number lines, density)

Especially useful for middle and high school students and visual learners.

3. Concord Consortium

A collection of free STEM lessons and simulations at learn.concord.org.

Highlights include:

• Filters by grade level and subject

• Earth science, engineering, and data science resources

• Project-based activities that work well alongside existing curriculum

4. Canva

A versatile design tool for students and parents.

Canva can be used to:

• Create reports, presentations, planners, and calendars

• Design invitations, worksheets, and printables

• Explore built-in AI design tools

FundaFunda Academy offers both teacher-graded and self-paced Canva classes.

5. NotebookLM

A free AI study tool that works only from sources you upload, reducing hallucinations.

NotebookLM can:

• Create quizzes, tests, and answer keys

• Generate study notes and timelines

• Produce short audio summaries

• Work directly from PDFs, videos, and websites

A strong option for teaching teens effective study skills.

6. Brisk Teaching

A Chrome extension designed for teachers and homeschool parents.

Key features:

• Inspect Google Docs to see how writing was created

• Generate quizzes from articles or videos

7. Edpuzzle

A tool that turns videos into interactive lessons.

With Edpuzzle you can:

• Pause videos to ask comprehension questions

• Prevent skipping ahead

• Track whether the entire video was watched

• Use thousands of pre-made lessons for free

8. Google Arts & Culture

A rich resource for geography, history, art, and culture.

Includes:

• Virtual museum tours

• Interactive explorations of historical sites

• Games connected to art and culture

Previously discussed in Episodes 314 and 315.

9. Google Applied Digital Skills

A large library of free, self-paced technology lessons.

Topics include:

• Google Docs, Sheets, and Calendar

• Digital citizenship and online safety

• Career skills and portfolio building

• Creative projects like comics and digital postcards

10. Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF)

One of the most comprehensive free personal finance resources available.

Covers:

• Budgeting, banking, and credit

• Paying for college

• Investing and financial math

• Interactive games such as Payback, Spent, and Stax

FundaFunda Academy Notes

• Teacher-graded semester classes began January 5

• Self-paced classes are available at a lower cost

• Subjects include Canva, AI, personal finance, and more

Join the Conversation

Pick one tool from this list and commit to learning it this year. Then join the Homeschooling with Technology Facebook group and share which tool you chose and why.