Smart Tools

Teachers and Web-based Resources for Learning

The trend among students these days is “online,” where most of research and collaboration is done. This preference for new and emerging applications means that technology should be maximized for the classroom. It’s a heads up to the teacher.

As more and more teachers and students become comfortable with using online resources and web applications for teaching and learning, there became a notable increase in the use of web-based resources. Be it online newspapers, journals, government or organization websites, the click count is moving upward.

Growing numbers reveal technology preferences

Back in 2006, when LearningStation monitored students, it was found out that 83% of all their website usage can be accounted to students. This number climbs every year—proof that now more than ever, students depend on online resources for their supplementary learning.

One major force in the growth of web applications is its ease-of-use, its simplicity. There are no more software installations or access issues when outside school premises. Web-based resources are easier, more accessible and less expensive.

Top applications for teachers

Here are several teacher resources and web applications that can be really helpful in the classroom:

  1. SchoolRack – a free application. Teachers can create classroom websites and interact with students and parents. They can also post, collect and grade assignments, send out emails using mailing lists, and manage private discussion boards.
  2. SchoolTool – a downloadable, open source application for school administrators. It is useful since it offers a grade book, can track attendance, can update calendars and manage content. Engrade is also a grading tool, with a built-in attendance tracker and assignment calendar.
  3. Curriki – lets teachers collaborate with each other and share curricula, lesson plans, handouts, templates and study guides. It is a great resource for teachers who need ideas for classroom activities.
  4. Edmodo – is similar to Twitter, but designed for use in the classroom. This means it is safer, more secure, offers fewer distractions and is more useful to teachers in general. Edmodo offers microblogging, link and file sharing, inline replies, class calendar, grading functions and assignments.
  5. Shmoop – a useful tool for Liberal Arts teachers. It has study guides for literature, US history and poetry, and has biographies of notable people. Each guide is filled with pop culture references, and written in a down-to-earth, witty manner.
  6. Footnote – is a collection of more than 58 million historical documents to make history come alive for students. Flickr: The Commons is also a vast and growing collection of public photography archives from The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian, the Powerhouse Museum, the George Eastman House, Oregon State University, the National Galleries of Scotland, and many more.
  7. ClassMarker – is a full-featured online test and quiz maker using multiple choice, true of false, short answer, fill in the blank, or essay questions, or a combination of these. Results are given to students immediately, and the report is emailed to the teachers.
  8. Bookgoo – is a document sharing site like Scribd. However, users can mark up and annotate uploaded documents here. It’s a great tool for teachers who want to give feedback to students regarding any document.
  9. DOC Cop – is the heaven-sent tool to prevent plagiarism. This free web-based tool lets teachers test for plagiarism, by emailing a report on how much of a document has been copied, and where the copied lines could have come from. For more active detection, check Plagiarism Detect and WriteCheck.
  10. TeacherTube – began as the YouTube for teachers, as a great resource for classroom use. But the site now includes document, photo and audio sharing features. This is a great resource for educational videos, lesson plan ideas and tutorials from other teachers.

Sources:

Catone, Josh. “Back to School: 10 Terrific Web Apps for Teachers.” Retrieved October 14, 2009 from
http://mashable.com/2009/09/07/web-apps-teachers/
 “Teachers and Students Depend on Web-based Resources for Learning.” Retrieved October 14, 2009 from
http://www.learningstation.com/about_us/press_room/teachers_and_students_depend_on_webbased_resources.html

(Published 26 October 2009, Smart Communications Inc.)