Tech Tools by Subject and Skills Every year, so many new technology tools for teachers are launched into the market that it can be nearly impossible to keep up with them all. In order to keep you up-to-date with the latest and greatest educational tech tools, our team of edtech specialists has put together this list of the best edtech resources and technology tools for teachers. Clicking on the links below will take you to hundreds of apps, websites, extensions, and more. Whether you're looking for a specific tech tool or just trying to find something new and interesting for your class, we encourage you to browse around all of the different categories to see how many wonderful resources are available for your students. Also, if you have a tool that you'd like to see added to the list, please feel free to contact us at admin@edtechteacher.org. The following technology tools for teachers have been organized by academic subjects, topics, and learning activity.
10 Essential Online Tools For Distance Learning - eLearning Industry Let’s begin by allaying your fears. Online tools for distance learning will not replace you as the teacher. At least, not yet. Instead, they offer unique opportunities to teach in different ways that aren’t possible in traditional classrooms. And that is something that should always be embraced. But rather than replacing normal teachers, they seem to enhance their lessons. So don’t be afraid of the new online tools for distance learning that are out there. 1. The modern classroom isn’t complete without a collaborative website that allows you to put together videos as a group. 2. Scribble might not be the most complex of tools, but I personally see that as a bonus rather than a hindrance, as it means it’s in everybody’s reach. 3. Need something with a bit more oomph than Scribble? 4. If one of your constant fears is to be accused of unconscious plagiarism (that one you commit without even notice it), Ghost Professors can help you with that. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Get 3 Free eBooks
Keeping it Simple with Wikispaces Classroom A big part of our focus for Wikispaces Classroom was making things easier. We removed features people weren’t using or got in the way. We made the layout cleaner, simpler, and harder to break. There are many different ways for a teacher to organize their digital classroom these days, from the bare minimum to intricate learning management systems. Organizer Bar The Organizer Bar lets you access Members, Settings, Projects, and Assessments. We’ve taken the settings you most care about as a teacher and put them at the top of each Wikispaces Classroom page so you can access these controls whenever you need them. Navigation Bar The Navigation Bar has always been the hub for access to all of your Wiki pages. The Navigation Bar now only features News Feed, Pages, and Tags. Settings We’ve taken all the functionality of the old Manage Wiki area and renamed it Settings with a whole new look and feel that’s cleaner and more intuitive. Settings is now more streamlined and easier to use.
Google Search Tip - Use the Dialect of the Community | Free Technology for Teachers #edtechbc #bctla In a few weeks I will be flying to Australia to speak at the Future Schools Expo in Sydney. This will be the first time I have flown to Australia. Since Sydney is just about as far away from Portland, Maine as I could go and stay in the planet, I did a bit of research to find the most comfortable (by relative airline standards) plane and seat to choose to fly to Australia. (Yes, I realize that is the definition of first world problem). To do my research I turned to the message board community on FlyerTalk.com (it's kind of like Consumer Reports meets Trip Advisor for airlines). How this applies to students: A few years ago I heard my friend Tom Daccord at EdTechTeacher.org (an advertiser on this blog) give an example of social studies students researching films of the early 20th Century. For students to understand the dialect of the topics that they are researching, they will have to do some prior reading and learning on the topic.
10 Mobile Apps Instructional Designers Should Be Familiar With - eLearning Industry Many Instructional Designers already use mobile devices in their eLearning strategy. They give online learners the power to access valuable online resources and improve their skills from anywhere in the world. However, we can also use mobile apps to our advantage. 1. Keynote is a mobile app for the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone. 2. Blackboard is one of the popular Learning Management Systems, and their mobile app takes online collaboration one step further. 3. This mobile app is actually intended for Instructional Designers and online trainers. 4. iTunes U Most people have heard of iTunes, but few know about the knowledge-packed iTunes U app. 5. Microsoft Outlook version for Android and iOS. 6. This productivity mobile app allows you to draw, jot down notes, and sketch out your eLearning course design. 7. This is another Android/iOS mobile app that Instructional Designers may find beneficial. 8. 9. 10. All of these mobile apps have one thing in common: They make your life easier.
eLearning Press Release Do's and Don'ts - eLearning Industry An eLearning press release tells a story. That story may be fact-filled and to the point, but it’s a story all the same. As such, every eLearning press release writer needs to know how to craft a marketing tale with a newsworthy twist. When You Write An eLearning Press Release DO… 1. Keep your eLearning press release as brief as possible, while still offering your readers the necessary information. 2. Facts are the foundation of your eLearning press release. 3. Incorporate at least one image that ties into your topic. 4. Members of the media don't have time to track down your contact details before publication. 5. Never underestimate the importance of proofreading and editing your eLearning press release before you submit. When You Write An eLearning Press Release DO NOT… 1. Think of an eLearning press release as a story that provides need-to-know information. eLearning press releases should have a cohesive flow, but they should also be as brief and succinct as possible. 2. 3. 4. 5.
25 Tips For Teaching With Apps 25 Tips For Teaching With Apps by Terry Heick We’ve done tips in the past for teaching with tablets. 1. If you’re going to use something important, interdependent, and new, you’re going to need some kind of model or framework to contextualize it. “Despite the rhetoric around m-learning virtually guaranteeing contextualised learning, very few of these scenarios rated highly in the scales for authenticity. It is mobility and access that underscores learning through apps, and using this technology without adjusting the design of learning experiences could yield underwhelming results. 2. There are a lot of apps, tools, and platforms out there. They call themselves a “discovery engine,” and that’s exactly how they function. You can create your own app collection, or see other collections created by other teachers, along with comments and feedback, which apps are trending, how many collections certain apps are included in, and so on. 3. You can’t download everything at once. 4. 5. 6. Not magic.
TOZZL: Free Online Message Board With Lots Of Features | Free Technology for Teachers #edtechbc Tozzl is a message board platform that I just learned about this afternoon when its lead developer emailed me. My initial thought was, "I don't know that the world needs another message board tool." But as I explored it a bit I changed my mind. Tozzl allows you to quickly create private, password-protected message boards as well as public boards. To get started visit Tozzl and select "create a new Tozzl." Then you can name your message board and set a privacy password (optional). Applications for Education The many facets of Tozzl open it up to a bunch of possible classroom uses. Tozzl is a message board platform that I just learned about this afternoon when its lead developer emailed me. Tozzl allows you to quickly create private, password-protected message boards as well as public boards. Applications for Education The many facets of Tozzl open it up to a bunch of possible classroom uses.