sharon's share: Tools to Communicate and Collaborate Online

A huge thank you to Karen Schweitzer for this guest post.

Where to Find Free Tools to Communicate and Collaborate Online

Communicating and collaborating online is easier than ever before. The web is full of tools that are specifically designed to help teachers collaborate with each other and communicate with students, parents, and other teachers. Here is a list of 15 free tools that can be used to communicate and collaborate online.

Edmodo - Designed specifically for the K-12 classroom, this free private platform can be used by teachers and students who want to communicate with each other. Edmodo can also be used to share notes and files, send alerts, and assign homework.

Engrade - This free online classroom community is used by thousands of teachers around the world. Engrade is a secure site that manages grades, attendance calendars, and homework assignments. It can also be used to safely and privately communicate with parents and students.

Classroom 2.0 - Classroom 2.0 is a social networking site for teachers who want to share tech resources over the web. Members can communicate with each other and attend online events.

ClassWiki - This site can be used to set up a wiki for your classroom. The wiki can be updated by you or the students in your class.

Group Tweet - Group Tweet is a free app that can be used to send private messages via Twitter. It works well for teachers who want to communicate with a select group of students or colleagues.

Fuze Meeting - Fuze can be used to host meetings and collaborate from a PC, Mac, iPhone, or Blackberry. This free online meeting app also works well for sharing documents, hi-def videos, and other files.

Yugma - This free web conferencing system is great for online parent-teacher conferences. It can also be used to collaborate and instantly share your desktop with online friends.

Vyew - Vyew is a free web app that requires no installations or downloads. It works well for teachers who want to host webinars, conferences, meetings, and other online gatherings.

WriteWith - WriteWith makes it easy for multiple people to write and collaborate together online. This free app can be used to share documents, assign tasks, and track actions.

NoteMesh - NoteMesh is an app for college students but it can also be used by educators who want to collaborate, share notes, and create wikis.

Zoho - This free suite of collaboration tools offers a full-feature wiki, online presentation tools, a centralized public repository, online organizers, chat tools, and many other resources that would be useful to teachers.

Mikogo - Mikogo is a free screen sharing tool that works across multiple platforms. It can be used for online meeting, conferencing, collaboration, and more.

Stixy - Stixy is an online bulletin board that makes it easy to collaborate online. Teachers can use it to share links, files, photos, and more.

TeacherTube - Teachers can share videos with each other or with students on TeacherTube. Other site features include a community, blogs, and more.

CrossLoop - CrossLoop is a unique web app for people who need free or affordable help with computer problems. It can be used to share your screen with special helpers who offer advice on fixing a problem.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online colleges and universities for OnlineColleges.net.