Team work has never been as easier as it is now in the digital era. You can collaborate with your team mates, manage your group projects, hold synchronous live discussions and webinars, and work together on the same document or project and in real time. You can do all of these tasks right from the comfort of your own place thanks to web 2.0 technologies. In today’s post, we have curated this list of web tools specifically for teachers and educators. It contains a wide variety of web applications that facilitate team communication and collaborative project management. We have divided them into the following categories: file storage and sharing tools, project management and team communication tools, video conferencing tools, and collaborative whiteboard tools. We invite you to check them out and share with us your feedback on our social media profiles.
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I- File storage and sharing tools
1- Google Drive
Store, access, edit and share your files. It provides secure file back-up for your videos, documents, presentations and photos.
2- Microsoft OneDrive
‘Store photos and docs online. Access them from any PC, Mac or phone. Create and work together on Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents.’
3- Dropbox
‘Dropbox is a creative collaboration space designed to reduce busywork, bring your files together in one central place, and safely sync them across all your devices—so you can access them anytime, anywhere. And sending large files is easy, even to people who don’t have a Dropbox account. Features like the doc scanner, shared folders, offline access, and more make collaborating with others simple.’
4- Box
‘Securely store, manage and share all your files, photos and documents with 10GB of free cloud storage from Box.’
II- Project management and team Communication tools
1- Trello
‘Trello gives you perspective over all your projects, at work and at home. Some of its features include: Create boards to organize anything you’re working on; use them solo or invite coworkers, friends and family to collaborate; customize workflows for different projects; add checklists of “To-Dos” on cards; assign tasks to yourself and coworkers; comment on items with your friends…’
2- G-Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
G-Suite provides you with an arsenal of tools to enhance your collaborative team work drawing on features that support real-time collaboration, instant editing, chat and many more.
3- Evernote
Evernote offers a number of interesting collaborative features that allow you to ‘share, discuss and collaborate productively with other. You can use it to : Create, share and discuss with the people who help get your work done, all in one app; search within pictures and annotate images to give quick feedback; develop your projects faster and let multiple participants work on different aspects.’
4- Smarsheet
A good project management tool that provides you with a helpful features such as the ability to: create, edit and share work with your team so that everyone has the latest information; add pictures and view attachments to keep work organized; stay up to date with notifications and complete approvals with a tap of the finger.’
5- Slack
‘Slack brings team communication and collaboration into one place so you can get more work done, whether you belong to a large enterprise or a small business. Check off your to-do list and move your projects forward by bringing the right people, conversations, tools, and information you need together. Slack is available on any device, so you can find and access your team and your work, whether you’re at your desk or on the go.’
6- Microsoft Teams
‘Communicate in the moment and keep everyone in the know. Stay connected with chat, calls, and meetings within your team and in private or small group conversations. Schedule and join online Skype meetings with HD video, VoIP, and dial-in audio conferencing options. Share your files, apps or desktop in online meetings and review the important moments later with transcriptions of recorded content.’
7- Asana
‘Use Asana to quickly capture tasks, to-dos, reminders, and ideas. Get updates from coworkers, organize tasks and projects for work, or manage your to-do list for the day.’
III- Video conferencing tools
1- Skype
Using Skype group calling feature, you can organize video calls and conference calls that include group chats with your collaborators wherever they are with Internet connection.
2- Google Hangouts
You can use Google Hangouts to start free video or voice calls with a group of friends (up to 150 people). For a one-to-one video calling you may want to check Google Duo.
3- Zoom
If you are looking for video conferences tools with more sophisticated features, Zoom is a good option. It supports online meetings, video webinars, collaboration-enabled conference rooms and many more.
VI- Collaborative Whiteboards
1- Web Whiteboard
‘Web Whiteboard is the simplest way to instantly draw and write together online. Nothing to install or learn. Passwords and accounts are entirely optional. Just create an online whiteboard with one click, and share it live by sending the link to people.’
2- Witeboard
‘Witeboard is an excellent collaborative whiteboard tool you can use to collaborate with your team and brainstorm ideas in realtime…The great thing about this whiteboard tool is that it does not require a sign up and is available on desktop, tablet, and smartphones.’
3- RealtimeBoard
Capture ideas, share feedback on projects, wireframes and designs and visually collaborate in real time with your.
4- Twiddla
A simple and easy to use real-time online collaboration tool to use in your team work. No plug-ins or downloads are required.
Sources:
1- https://www.producthunt.com/ask/7320-what-are-your-favourite-tools-for-managing-remote-teams
2- https://getvoip.com/blog/2016/09/14/online-whiteboard-collaboration/
3- https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/collaboration-tools
4- https://www.chanty.com/blog/team-communication-tools/
