8.5 Online Classroom Tools

How can on-line tools facilitate your teaching tasks?

Dictionary definitions of the word tool all refer to a tool as an implement for facilitating an operation or task, that is, an instrument for doing work. Online classroom tools are no different in general purpose from a hammer or a saw. They are a means for assisting in the work of being a teacher, rather than a carpenter or a plumber. Such tasks as figuring grades, creating presentation materials, making a seating chart, or sending messages to parents are all made easier by the use of on-line classroom tools.

Many education websites offer these tools for free to educators. Others offer them as downloadable shareware or freeware. Whether working with them online or downloading them to your computer, these tools are a valuable asset and worth the effort to find and evaluate.

Activity:

Search and find five on-line programs that you would find useful as academic tools. Word process an annotated list of your finds that includes a brief summary of the features of each online tool as well as its source. Share your list with your peers.

Want to know more? Check out these sites:

Google Education Tools

http://www.osc.edu/education/webed/Tools/education.shtml

http://www.education-world.com/tools_templates/index.shtml

http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html

http://www.intel.com/education/tools/index.htm

http://downloads-zdnet.com.com

http://www.winsite.com/edu/