In the twenty-first century, online tools for online teaching have become increasingly popular. Face-to-face instruction is still considered a very valuable approach to education, but there are specific objectives which are not met satisfactorily by in-person learning only. Online teaching tools are useful as they help to bridge this gap and to expand the learning experience.
Online Teaching Tools for Writing is an educational program that helps you teach writing online. You can write with flexible text and drawing tools and even add sounds or images. The program includes a smart whiteboard, pen, redo and undo functions, video annotation tools and more.
Teach online by writing directly on your screen and enhancing your lecture using colour and annotation. Online Teaching Tools for Writing allows you to concentrate on teaching rather than on the computer.
If you are a teacher or a tutor, you most likely need to create documents and slideshows that will be presented to the class. There are various free online writing tools available where you can edit text, pictures and videos anytime, while collaborating with your students.
How Online Tools Can Make Teaching Writing Easier
1. Alignment with writing standards
This might seem like a no-brainer, but not all tools keep standards alignment in mind in their design. Learning doesn’t happen unless students have specific skills improvement goals they are trying to achieve—and teachers and students should be able to measure progress against those goals.
The Common Core standards identify the writing skills that students should be refining at each grade level. For example, students should be able to shift their writing mode from expository, to argumentative, to narrative. Revision Assistant aligns very well with this particular skill, as well as with the other Common Core writing standards.
2. Timely, relevant feedback
One of the biggest challenges for me as an English teacher is giving students both timely and meaningful feedback. While I would never use an online writing tool as a replacement of my role, I cannot possibly give all my students as much feedback as I would like.
With Revision Assistant, students can request feedback as frequently as they want, and the feedback is both positive and constructive. With a limited amount of time in the day, I might write “awkward” on a student’s paper, but he might not know how to revise the sentence to make it more fluid. Revision Assistant offers specific suggestions so that students know what they can do to improve.
For example, my students recently responded to one of the software’s narrative prompts, and one of my students received this comment to help him improve his narrative techniques: “Look at some of your favorite books and see how those writers write dialogue.”
As a suggestion to help him improve his style, he received this comment: “The details are a little fuzzy here. Your intro needs to paint the picture of the setting or characters with strong and specific details.”
In total, he received 8-10 specific comments like this on his paper. With 150 students, I just don’t have the time to write this many detailed comments on every paper.
3. Opportunities to differentiate instruction
Teachers should have an easy way to differentiate instruction for every student, and online writing tools are no exception. With Revision Assistant, for example, I can assign a prompt for students who need some intervention or additional practice, and I can assign a different prompt to students who are ready for enrichment.
Cliché Finder
As the name suggests, this tool helps you find clichés in your writing. In order to be able to attract readers, your content must be unique and attractive. What sets your work apart from that of others is its originality. Using words or phrases that are too commonly used could by writers could reduce the readers’ interest in your work. Thus, this tool helps you find out clichés so that you can edit them. Use this tool to create content that garners readership.
Source: https://www.guidingtech.com/22968/free-online-tools-writers/
Todoist
This tool is like a project manager. It creates to-do lists with expected date and time of accomplishment specified clearly. Todoist can be used to create customized schedules for each day. Thus, writers use this app extensively to monitor their daily writing goals. Todoist acts as the perfect task manager that lets you schedule your writing regime as per your convenience. It also keeps track of progress of the write-ups that you are currently working on.
Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.todoist
 Writing Schedule Calculator
This tool requires you to answer certain questions. Based on your answers, writing Schedule Calculator estimates the number of hours or days you would need to finish your writing assignment. Whether you wish to write a book or start a blog, this tool helps you plan your project well. The tool takes into account the number of hours you can devote to writing a day and your writing speed as well. The estimate is accurate and lets you decide on a reasonable deadline.
Source: https://www.jerryjenkins.com/schedule-calculator/
Grammarly
A proofreading tool is a must-have for all writers. Grammarly is one such multipurpose writing tool. It helps you find grammatical errors and also incorrect spellings. Its web extension corrects everything written in your web browser, including social media posts. The tool is user-friendly and is a fast method to rid your work of any errors. This one is highly recommended to budding writers.
Microsoft Whiteboard
One can download this app from here. This app provides a seamless experience for writing and creating content. It fully supports the Apple Pencil or Stylus. Please check the following video which gives the demo of this app.
The best part of this app is, it is freely available across all platforms such as windows, android and on iOS. It can be used for live teaching as well using Google Meet (Free), zoom and Webex platforms.
jamboard (Google)
jamboard is an ambitious project of google, and it comes in two forms, software which can be installed on iPad or tables and an integrated hardware system which supports jamboard. The primary version of jamboard is available on Google Playstore and free to download. It has cloud support along with the live streaming option, which might be very useful if you wish to teach your students online or collaborate to work on any project. It is available for both Android and iOS platform.
Paper (WeTransfer)
Paper by WeTransfer is another amazing app for writing and drawing, and it has amazing options to convert your imagination into reality. If you are a person who loves to sketch and draw, this is definitely for you. Its limited version is freely available on Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Nebo
Nebo is another app which has many rich features; especially it recognises the text and number you write on it and on double-tap it converts them into typed characters. This feature makes it very fascinating. It works on three frames diagram, math, image and sketch. It is kind of bundled app which provides notes taking options along with rich drawing facilities. Unfortunately, you need to purchase as it is not free to use.
Pear Deck
This remote teaching tool is regarded as an easy way to make google slides presentation. Pear Deck allows teachers to take control of their presentation in new ways. Teachers can pace the class at their liking, insert additional slides for clarity, discussion, surveys, ranking, and interaction with the whole class. Pear Deck is a nice add-on to google slides and has the potential to transform any ordinary presentation and enhance learning for students.
It may take some moving around of pieces, but you can even perform a Pear Deck remotely. Spend some time creating one and playing around with features like screen locking, lock responses, and share responses before trying. This remote teaching app has been used by some of the teacher’s friend and a fair number of them have really enjoyed the experience it creates for students to interact with the content and then with one another.
. Draft
Draft is an alternative to Microsoft Word and Google Docs. It is a web-based word processor that offers a distraction free interface to its users. It has many likeable features which include sharing your work with others and accepting or rejecting edits made by them. You need not worry about losing data on Draft. Your work is backed up online. Draft also keeps a track of your daily word count goal. It calculates the number of words you write in a day. In case the word count for the day is lesser than needed, it sends helpful reminders urging you to meet your goal. Isn’t that amazing?
Source: https://draftin.com/
 Hemingway
Hemingway is one of the most widely used tools in the world of writing. This tool helps you to learn to write effectively. It highlights complex sentences, based on the level of complexity. It also lets you know the number of adverbs used in your content as compared to ideal number of adverbs to be used. It studies the use of passive voice in your writing to suggest paraphrasing sentences, if need be. Hemingway is the one-stop solution for novices. It helps you make your writing more readable.
Plagiarism Checker
Original content is most valued. While you may seek inspiration from the work of other writers, it is important that you produce original content. Plagiarism is considered as a grave offence in the world of writing. Duplicating someone else’s work without giving due credit is unacceptable. Thus, make sure you run a plagiarism check before posting your work online. This tool helps you identify plagiarized portions in your writing, within seconds. You can then paraphrase those sentences and replace them with your own words. 100% originality means that no plagiarism was detected in your work. This is what you must aim at, as a writer.
 Hipster Sound
This is one of my personal favorites. Writing is an art. And every artist needs a specific type of environment to be able to function efficiently. If you are the type of writer who likes to write with ambient noise playing in the background, you will love this tool. Hipster sound recreates the noise in cafes. It gives you the feel and experience of working in a café, even on days you’re unable to step out of your home. This helps in increasing efficiency. Wait no longer. Check this cool website out now.
Bamboo Paper (WaCom)
Bamboo paper is another app which is quite popular among the users. This app is specifically designed for low-cost graphic tablets. But you will find an amazing experience like writing on a paper. This application is available freely on Microsoft Store, Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Notes Writer
Notes Writer is an iOS-based application which works on iPad. It is again a fantastic platform to give a new dimension to your creativity and your thoughts. To use the full features of this application, you need to buy it. Very limited access is available for the free version. This app provides its integration with google drive, dropbox and onedrive.
Zoom
Zoom is a hearty video-conferencing application. Zoom integrates gatherings, video online classes, calls, meeting rooms, and texting devices. Zoom as a remote teaching tool, teachers and students can associate by using sound and video instruments—for synchronous remote talks, nonconcurrent video assignments, or even virtual available time. Students can visit with each other continuously, insecure secret word ensured virtual rooms. Breakout rooms can likewise be utilized for various instructional exercise segments or for bunch based learning.
To me, the Zoom is also one of the best remote teaching tools because students love connecting with one another. It has a lot of cool toys that make teaching a group of teenagers, very practical. Students can raise their hands, hosts, and students can share their screen with viewers, hosts can mute all participants and can create breakout rooms, manually or automatically generated. This enables the teacher to place students in small groups without distractions of other groups, and allows the host (teacher), to pop in and out of each to check-in.
Tips
If you are facing the daunting task of teaching online due to the coronavirus, I want to help. But before I add to overwhelming amount of information and ideas already out there, I want to remind you of a few things as you prepare for remote learning:
- YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL: You’re not an online teacher. You were not trained or prepared for this. There is no way that you can design an entire online curriculum in a matter of hours or days. Pretending like that is possible is insulting to the virtual teachers among us.
- YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR PRIORITY: You’re probably overwhelmed and stressed during this pandemic, and that is normal. Do not let online teaching consume your life and add to your anxiety. Keep your mental and physical health at the top of your priority list.
- SUPPORT YOUR STUDENTS: Don’t overwhelm them with work. Students need flexibility and grace, just like you do. As long as your district is not requiring live lessons, plan asynchronous work that students can complete at their own pace and on their own time. Remember that students will be worried about other things: their health and their family members’, an unpredictable schedule, taking care of younger siblings, the reliability of their devices and internet connection, etc.
- DO THE BEST YOU CAN, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE REST: This is not going to perfect…it’s going to be far from it. But do the best you can during this tumultuous time, and don’t worry about the rest. Give your students resources, lessons, and guidance, and hope for the best.
Conclusion
I believe teachers are helping kids to be more successful in college. I am a retired teacher who worked with teenagers. I used to teach online through online classes, white board hosts and web based educational software. Kids love to talk and ask questions. And as a teacher I am happy to engage with them online using tools that help enhance communication and collaboration between educators like me and my students. Online tools are easy to use, affordable and help teachers reduce stress levels while improving productivity
Online teaching is a fast-growing phenomenon and a potential alternative to face-to-face teaching. Online classes allow students to study from home (or from wherever they may be) but this does not come without its own challenges. When students are not physically in the same room, it can become difficult to maintain the special rapport that is required between a teacher and student who are in the same space. Some studies have shown that online lecturers deal with issues such as self-esteem, low attendance at lectures and misconceptions of their teaching quality.