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Cloud applications have redefined how we access and share information online. The tools below are designed to make teaching a little easier. From Chrome Apps that allow you to create your own collaborative Whiteboards to quick quiz makers and flashcard apps, there is something for everyone. If you have a favorite tool you would like to share with your peers, please share here.
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- Google for Education Learning Center, and Google App Tool Training are great resources to learn about Google Apps for Education and how they can be used in the classroom. For first time users, you can find some wonderful Google cheat sheets here to get you started. And for those interested in an amazing research tool for themselves and their students, try Google Scholar or for the ultimate in world adventures try Google's Expeditions that provides state-of -the-art virtual field trips for students to explore. And if you want to learn even more, check out Google's own blog to learn the latest and greatest happening in the Google sphere.
- Chrome Apps: The Chrome Web Store has apps that you can run right on your desktop and many are free.
- Explain Everything - Interactive Whiteboards never looked so cool as this tool that easily can be used on your phone, tablet or computer.
- Flash Card Tools: From Study Blue to Study Stack and Flashcard Machine to Cramberry, there are lots of cool ways to make flashcards for your students.
- Quizlet: An easy way to make study quiz sets, from US History to English 101.
- Are your students tired of stale statistics that look like a bunch of unimportant numbers. Wow them with a cool Infograph and watch your students Ohhh and Ahhh. Here is a list of several free Infograph resource as well as one, Piktochart, that offers a great tool at a discount for teachers and students alike. And if you just want to pack a punch in your next word challenge, there is nothing better than Wordle to mix things up.
- Whether using Classroom Architect for detailed room design or Class Charts for the ultimate in seating arrangements (including student behavior tracking), designing the perfect classroom has never been easier.
- File Sharing: Want to share files more easily and collaborate more freely. Though Google Drive is a favorite of mine, there are a few other document sharing sites that are worth a gander and include: Dropbox, Skydrive and ICloud (especially useful if you are a heavy Apple user) . And here is a full list of doc sharing sites specifically designed for teachers. Scribd is a favorite of mine but for the full range of services, it does have a slight fee.
- Build a Website: Want to make a classroom website to help streamline communications but intimidated by the process. Look no further than Weebly. Weebly is easy to use while still offering all the bells and whistles people want in a website. And Weebly is supported by the Didion PTA Tech Committee so any questions you may have can be easily answered by an actual person. For a list of tools to help you start your own Weebly site, click here. The article found here lists several other website tools for educators as well.