Online Tools: Altering the Landscape of Teacher Education

We are beginning to see an increasing number of online tools designed for use by teacher educators and others. The Web 2.0 era in computing is providing opportunities for us to use dynamic Web sites as part of our instructional programs. Online tools such as WriteWith, del.iciou.us, Flicker, pic2color, Swivel, and Gliffy are quickly migrating into our classrooms for instructional purposes (see www.go2web20.net for more resources). We must also remember that many of us have been involved in grant projects and program initiatives where online tools have been developed specifically for use in teacher education programs and K-12 schools. Online tools and resources that emerge from such efforts are usually extremely helpful, but it is often difficult to disseminate information about these tools to a broader audience. One such new online tool that teacher educators might be interested in knowing more about is PBL-Online (www.pbl-online.org).