The 10 Best FREE Apps for Teachers While Traveling
My first international trip was pre-smartphone. Now I think back on that and wonder how I ever survived. Just kidding, kinda. Cell phones pretty much do everything at this point, so take advantage of these best apps for teachers to make your travel easier (and they’re all FREE).
Google Translate
Download Here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
Google Translate was a lifesaver when I recently traveled to Colombia. I speak Spanish…poorly, so having this app prevented me from accidentally ordering tongue for lunch. Google Translate is the best app for language versatility; it provides quick and easy access to more than 100 languages.
If you’re not planning to use data when you travel, simply download the language(s) you need to access offline. Google Translate has 59 languages available for use offline.
Once you open the app, select the provided and target language. There’s a simple option to toggle between languages, so it is convenient to use in a conversation. Since smartphones are pretty-well ubiquitous at this point, everyone I encountered had no trouble using the app to aid in our communication.
Google Translate works with spoken language (select the voice option), printed text (signs, menus, etc.), handwritten text, and any message you type into the app.
It’s not always a perfect translation, but in my experience, the app translates well enough to understand the gist of the message.
Maps.me
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
Paper maps are old school and a thing of the past. Before you head to your travel destination, download this app that is the best for finding your way around. You’ll need internet access to download the required maps, but then they’re stored on your phone.
Any map you downloaded can be accessed offline. It even indicates where you are on the map through your phone’s GPS system. The details on the map are superb. Zoom in or search to view street names, find restaurants, accommodations, cafes, grocery stores, and more. Use Maps.me to get directions to specific destinations while offline.
Maps.me was the best app for navigation when traveling; it outperformed iMaps and Google Maps while out of the country.
XE Currency
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
XE Currency is hands down the best app for teachers sticking to a budget while traveling. Easily keep track of currency conversion rates for any country you visit on your trip.
When connected to the internet, save your preferred countries to the app and you can access them offline. Simply enter the price in the current currency and the value in your home currency is displayed.
Some conversion rates are so simple, you won’t really need the app. For example, two Belize dollars is equal to one U.S. dollar. Just divide every price by two, so taking our your phone isn’t necessary. However, countries like Colombia are much more difficult to convert in your head. At the time I traveled to Colombia, 3,200 Colombian pesos equaled one U.S. dollar, not so easy to convert in your head.
Jetto
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
I’ll let you in on a secret: travel doesn’t have to be expensive! Jetto is the best app for scoring flight deals. I booked $357 round trip tickets from Chicago to Spain for a mother/daughter spring break trip. Jetto has a free version, but it is more limited in terms of selecting departure airlines and the number of deals your receive in a day. The savings from booking one trip located by Jetto makes the subscription cost worth it, though.
Technically, you’ll use this app before you book a trip, but it will quickly become your travel BFF. Jetto was designed by travel hackers, Travis Sherry and Nicky Hajal, to send out alerts for remarkable travel deals.
Notifications of outstanding flight deals are sent directly to your phone. Deals like this don’t last long, so Jetto makes sure you can book your travel quickly and on the cheap. Receiving notifications helps build baseline knowledge for what different flights costs, then you really know when you’re getting a killer deal.
Savings from booking just one trip located by Jetto covers the cost of the subscription.
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of this app, it is not very popular in the United States. I debated whether or not to include this and then a traveler from Austria asked to connect through WhatsApp to meet for a tour tomorrow. It’s free and you probably won’t use it often in the United States, but it is a great communication tool to stay in touch with people from different countries.
WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used communication apps by, well, pretty much everyone I’ve met that is not from the United States. Businesses will advertise their WhatsApp number and may want to respond to you through WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook and it works as a messaging/calling app using a WiFi (or data connection). Let your friends know about it too and you can send messages using WiFi and not worry about using in data or calling/messaging while abroad.
Having WhatsApp will help you keep in touch with tour companies, locals, and other travelers that you meet on your trip. I’ve used WhatsApp to meet up with people on future trips or to use as a resource in my classroom.
Adobe Lightroom
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
Edit your travel pics with the best free app for making amateur teacher photographs look like they paid big bucks for (semi-)professional photos. I’m on a quest to incorporate 100% of my own pictures into class notes and activities.
The mobile version of Adobe Lightroom is free to use and is perfectly sufficient to edit pictures for classroom use. If you’re feeling fancy you can update to the paid version or subscribe to Adobe Lightroom for desktops. I have never felt the need to pay for the editing extras.
Office Lens
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
Office Lens is the best app for teachers to create classroom resources as digital files. All of the paper resources (pamphlets, flyers, etc.) can easily be captured as a clean image, stored on your phone as a photo or PDF, and later added to notes and assignments, or shared with students. Don’t attempt shoving resources in your bag only to arrive home with crumpled and torn pamphlets.
Create Travel-Inspired Classroom Resources
It’s better than taking a picture because Office Lens recognizes the edges of a document and creates a clean digital file. If you’re a perfectionist like me, it may take a couple of attempts before it meets your standards.
Don’t limit your use of Office Lens to travel. If I don’t have a class set of an article, I simply scan it with Office Lens and uploaded a PDF for students to read. It’s great for posting in-class materials for absent students too.
Google Drive
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
If you’re not using Google Drive in your classroom already, your life is about to change. Download the app to your phone for quick and easy organization of travel photos and resources that are accessible anywhere you have internet. The entire Google Suite enables creating, sharing, and storing almost everything you could need for your classroom.
Google Photos
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
I could really just make a post about why you should have every Google Suite app, but Google Drive and Google Photos are a must while traveling.
Have you ever lost irreplaceable pictures from your phone? I have and will never let it happen again. Connect Google Photos to your phone before you leave and Google Photos will automatically back up your pictures to the cloud whenever you connect to WiFi.
If you’re traveling with others, make a shared Google Photos album where you can all upload your pictures. All you need is a Gmail account.
Polarsteps
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
I just learned about this app and am so intrigued by it I couldn’t keep it to myself! Keep track of all of your travels, share your journey with friends, family, and students, record summaries of your adventures, and create a photo album all from one app.
Flashlight
Download here: (Apple Store or Google Play)
This is obvious and you probably already have a flashlight app on your phone. I included it on the best apps for teachers list because it is so valuable while traveling. Use the flashlight so as not to disturb other travelers when searching around for something in the dark, light the path back to your accommodations at night, see to unlock the door, and more.
Best Apps Wrap-Up
There you have it! The best apps for teachers who travel all listed in one place. Every app you see here, you will find on my phone. Do you have an app that should be included in the best apps for teachers? Let me know!
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