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Useful tools for secondary teachers are sites that allow for more access to resources, videos,embedding tools, and printables. I enjoy using Edhelper.com which allows for the creation of content-based puzzles and printable worksheets. Unitedstreaming.com is also a website that provides access to SOL based videos and curriculum units. Though these two websites are not free, edhelper allow teachers to create minimal activities for free and unitedstreaming is often purchased by school districts who receive a site license. Last but not least, I recommend Zamzar.com, which allows teachers to embed YouTube or other videos into PowerPoint presentations that may otherwise be blocked by district internet screening tools.

Top learning tools for Learning

If you haven't seen a glog, check this out. This one is on Web 2.0 tools. The key to remember is that you must scroll over each item in the glog. If a pink circle apears, then you should click the image and something else (video, website, audio etc.) will apear. Great example for how to use this tool!

This tool can be used in a variety of ways to store, reference and share bookmarks. I have also heard really great comments from other teachers on how they use it a lot.

Delicious is the "old " style social bookmarking tool replaced by our friend here Diigo~ Diigo should be more powerful than Delicious. Interesting if you find somethings that Delicous does that Diigo does not.

This tool will allow you to create image and photo galleries of a variety of resources for class activities. It also has a very thorough and rich help/support feature.

Zoho is a suite of 20 office tools similar to Microsoft that are a form of cloud computing...no need to download software. Just open any computer, log in, and all your software and documents are there. The programs include writing, presentation, spreadsheet, money, email, chat, etc. software and allow for you to share documents for collaboration.

Scribblar is an online collaborative tool that empowers users to develop and maintain a conversation via online whiteboard, audio and text messaging features. This is an ideal tool for groups of students and teachers to brainstorm and plan outside of class hours. This is great!

Scribblar is a free multi-user whiteboard that allows for brainstorming and collaboration. It has text-chat and works in all browsers. I plan to use it to have students create a review for the properties of quadrilaterals.

This is a great collaborative brainstorming tool that will allow all students to contribute, not just those who are willing to put their voice out there. If you like post-it notes, you'll love it! -I'm using it as a brainstorming activity for my students to set up their class goals and "laws" for the class constitution in the first days of school. It's also private in that the students need to have the specific link in order to find the site. I would post that on blackboard.

A easy site to communicate quick bits of information and allowing others to add notes to share on the wall.

Use this web tool to have students manage classroom based projects online.

I think this tool gives a voice to all of those students who are being bullied (and cyberbullied) and feeling that they are alone in this world. It engages the students so that they can make their own creative submissions to help cope with the isolation they are experiencing and to take control of their situation. There is even a game called "Bully Busters" that allows students to create their own heroes and personalize their experience. Furthermore, there is a section that talks about "Peer Power Presenters", a program that coaches and empowers students to make presentations during Bullying Awareness Week, asserting that presentations will only be made by youth to youth. Finally, there is an option to submit and access helpful resources that include multimedia, books, articles, laws and policies, projects, research, and lesson plans. This site is packed with information and hands on materials.

Glogster allows you to create online posters. Everything you insert onto your poster can be hyperlinked to another site, video, music, etc. You can then publish your Glogster and provide others with the web address so they can view it.

Glogster is a private and safe student environment where students create interactive posters. The Free Basic account allows students to create and share glogs but lacks many tools in the premium level. The Teacher's premium licence for 200 students costs $99 per year.

Teacher created templates for a fake version of "twitter" and there's also a "fakebook" one...

Voki for Education

This is a great website for ear training. One of the downsides is that it does have a cost to get the full benefit of the tool but anyone can sample the activities for free. Teachers can track student progress as well.

This is free and there's no need for an email address. I think I would create the site for each group of students so that I'm in control of the user name and passwords. I can enroll them in an "author" role so they can be in control of the pertinent areas of the page. I think this would be an awesome thing to incorporate into my political parties and election simulation for my class "parties" to create a fake blog for their candidate on the campaign trail. After spending too long trying to create a sample, I realized I'll need more direction with this one. It's not as intuitive as I thought it would be. If anyone has any hints or tips, I'm open.

General listing of types of tools and several venues to use for each. Thought is was worth a post.