There is no need to question the fact that online education has settled in pretty tight and is here to stay: it is the new normal of the global education, and it is most probably the future of education in general. Every second college and university has already introduced several online learning programs or even complete online degrees. In no time, distance learning might become the safest, most relevant moneywise, and most reasonable option on the education market as it promises to give better life opportunities even to children with special needs and those coming from underprivileged backgrounds and locations.
Online education is the flexible “always there” option that has saved the day, saved the global learning process from a rapid collapse. In times of uncertainty, it helped people continue their routine life with several adjustments. To keep it rolling and to use everything online education has to offer, it is important to use the tools that enhance the process of digital learning. Here are some of the most recognized tech tools that will help you enjoy distance education and use its potential to the fullest.
TED-Ed
TED is already known all around the globe as a platform that offers “ideas worth sharing.” It is a goldmine of innovative ideas and impressive discoveries. In its own right, TED can be used to make online education a better version of the traditional education everyone is used to. However, the platform offers even more than that: TED-Ed. The latter is a project TED has developed to celebrate the ideas students and teachers come up with all around the world. With the help of this platform, teachers can create engaging, interactive lessons to keep their students busy and interested in education despite the lack of face-to-face communication they usually get in class. Teachers can use the platform to create video lessons, much like the talks that get delivered on TED. This innovative tool is what makes online education an equally good alternative, rather than a questionable substitution for regular education.
Canva
Canva is an excellent design platform that empowers both students and teachers when it comes to online education. There are hundreds of designs and templates on the platform, all of which can be used for free to create digital learning materials and engaging content pieces. Teachers can use it to create visually appealing and well-structured lesson plans, worksheets, and class schedules. At the same time, students can use the platform when coming up with creative presentations, leaflets, booklets, storyboards, and other pieces that can earn them extra points in the classroom. Suppose you have a project to deliver, some ideas you need to present and prove in front of the class. Using Canva for this will help you make your content engaging and entertaining, especially if you have to present the project online with all of your fellow students, not even being able to see you properly.
Trello
This one is a great planning tool that can be of great help in distance education. The transition from regular class education to online education has been quite a challenge in the midst of a global pandemic. Many people found it hard to get organized and structured in their work and studies. After all, everything comes down to self-discipline with the current situation. Luckily, Trello is one of the tools that have empowered online education by bringing structure and clarity into the process. It also gives a chance to prioritize tasks, see how many things are still left to do, and have many things that have already been taken care of. Trello is a little helper in the world of academia, much like academic writing services where one can say, do my paper and have a professional writer help them out with their assignments.
Calm
Mental health and its impact on education, students, and educators have been underestimated for a long time. However, recent events have proved just how important but, at the same time, fragile it is. That is why it is crucial to use technology to improve the mental health of everyone who is involved in online education. Calm is a great option for that. It is a mindfulness tool that offers meditation sessions and exercises to people of different ages as well as special programs tailored for students from pre-K through high school. What makes this tool even better is that it is free for teachers when using it in their educational process. Mindfulness has proved itself to be life-saving in uncertain times, and this tool does just that. It teaches people how to understand and use mindfulness to be more productive and relaxed in their daily life.
Pocket
Pocket is a real find for online learners. It is even more relevant if you are in the middle of some research and need a storage platform to save all the interesting and useful articles you manage to dig up. With this tool, you can make something like bookmarks, save links, and categorize them by keywords to be able to find them when you actually have some free time to read. It is an excellent option if you tend to stumble upon some interesting books and articles and don’t have the time to read them but don’t want to lose them either. It is one of the tools that can make distance learning structured and organized.
