The 30 Best Web 2.0 Tools For Teachers (2012 Edition)

 A cross-post from edudemic.com

Looking for the best cloud computing software for your school? What about a way to remotely store homework and other assignments? It’s time to figure out which web 2.0 tool is right for you!
The following presentation contains dozens of the most popular tools being used in classrooms right now. In fact, I’ve personally used more than 90% of these tools in higher education. They’re useful, most are free (some are freemium), and true time-savers. You’ve probably heard of some but I can almost guarantee there’s something new here for you.
See Also: The 100 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You
Each slide in the below presentation by Rafael Scapin contains the name, description, link, and screenshot of what each tool looks like and does. What else could you need? Enjoy!

Edudemic’s Recommendations

If you’re looking to try out some of these tools, here are the top 5 tools we recommend you try out (if you haven’t already).
Slideshare - Get the credit and audience you deserve for your presentations! They may be embedded in a website just like this one or even on a fancier site like the NYTimes, etc.
Scoop.it - A stellar social bookmarking service that is being used by a ton of teachers right now. We try our best to keep the Edudemic Scoop.it feed updated!
PlanBoard - It’s an online lesson planner made for teachers. Create, share, and manage lesson plans with simple and easy to use lesson plan templates.
Evernote - Featured in Edudemic Magazine numerous times, we love all things Evernote. It’s insanely popular in education and useful for teachers, students, parents, and just about anyone who wants to remember what they’ve done.
Dropbox - I use Dropbox every day. I had to up to the 100GB size and feel like I’ll never fill it up. Great for backing up everything, accessing files remotely (even from your smartphone and tablet) and sharing things. I’ve seen it used for handing in homework on a regular basis. Also, you can get an extra 3GB free if you have a .edu address!

The Best Web 2.0 Tools For Teachers

1. Google Drive
2. Dropbox
3. CloudMagic
4. Jumpshare
5. Weebly
6. Issuu
7. ePubBud
8. Infogr.am
9. Text2MindMap
10. EdCanvas
11. KeepVid
12. TubeChop
13. GoAnimate
14. TodaysMeet
15. Slideshare
16. Voki
17. Prezi
18. Record MP3
19. Delicious
20. Jing
21. Pixlr
22. Loopster
23. Evernote
24. Scoop.it
25. Paper.li
26. LiveBinders
27. Join.me
28. Zamzar
29. Poll Everywhere
30. VoiceThread
31. PlanBoard
32. TeachersPayTeachers (TPT)
33. Gnowledge

Study: Students Want Teachers To Use Technology ASAP

A cross post from edudemic.com

One of my favorite comments ever was from a teacher who was talking about her journey bringing technology into her classroom and developing activities around the tools she had found.
She was enjoying herself, the students loved the activities and were learning the material – so what could be going wrong?
She was basically berated by another teacher because their shared students were complaining that they liked the technology-based classroom learning better, and that the other teacher’s stuff was boring.
So while it stinks to have your colleagues annoyed with you for being more innovative than they are (does the term ‘Too Cool For School” come to anyone else’s mind?), there’s an important lesson somewhere in there: students like technology. Which many of us already knew. But how much do students really like technology, and how much more does it help them learn than a traditional lecture based class?
A lot.
An annual study conducted by the research arm of Educause (ECAR – Educause Center for Applied Research), a nonprofit that advocates for technology in higher education, found that more students than ever gave the thumbs up to their professors’ use of technology in the classroom.

A Few Numbers

68% of students reported that their teachers were effectively using technology, up from 47% in 2010.
75% of students said that technology helped them achieve their academic goals, but only 66% felt prepared to use that needed technology when they entered college.
70% of students report that they learn best in a blended learning environment.
50+% of students responded that they are more actively engaged in classes that use technology, but they wish their instructors used more open educational resources, simulations, and games.
Between 2008 and 2012, there was a 107% increase in the number of students who took a class completely online.

The Takeaways

So what happens when studies like this show good things? Teachers are using technology, and students like it, right? The satisfaction of students with current technology trends will probably just spur demand for more technology and more adaptations of using this technology in the classroom.
So teachers, take note: keep learning along with your students – they’re more engaged and they like it, which is pretty much all we can ask for!

Ключевые технологические компетенции