Volume 27, Number 2
March/April 2011

Top 10 Web Tools for Teachers

by Dave Saltman

 

In the quest to work smarter, not harder, teachers are flocking to an ever-expanding galaxy of web-based tools for help with everything from classroom management to classroom discussions. Here are some tools that are now grabbing teachers’ attention—and the attention of their students. Virtually all are free, with a few offering paid upgrades that add some technological bling.

Managing for Efficiency
Education’s not-so-little secret is the enormity of the management task. Addressing this reality, many teachers have set up class websites using purveyors like Google Sites and Weebly (at top) to provide a place to post assignments, class documents, and announcements. And why not? They’re free and easy to create. Now, Edmodo (below) is getting kudos as an all-in-one organizational solution with its simple Facebook-like interface. It provides teachers with a central place to present assignments and associated materials, grade student work, and communicate with students (as a class or privately), while also offering them a place to upload work and communicate with peers.