Best Online Teaching Tools and Software for Tutors

2020 has been a transformative year for everyone, and education is one of the most affected industries amongst all. Everything has changed, including the way teachers and students complete their syllabus. It would be an understatement to say it affected how teachers and students interact.

During the initial months of the pandemic, the educator had to find the best ways to set up a virtual classroom, and online teaching tools came to their rescue.

Even now, as we are entering the post-pandemic phase, online teaching is turning out to be a great side hustle for tutors to establish their own tutoring businesses to make money.

But getting to grips with the best online teaching tools can be challenging, especially when you are new to this whole online environment.

There are N number of tools, apps, and software solutions appropriate for simplifying online teaching.

In this blog, we will be talking about some of the best online tools for teaching to enrich your virtual classroom.

Zoom- Video conferencing tool

If there is one tool that is used by most people, not just educators, during the pandemic, it has to be Zoom. Being a free, simple to use, and efficient video conferencing platform, Zoom is one of the best online teaching tools teachers use to connect with students during their live classes.

Zoom meetings have practical features that simplify online teaching, like a breakout room. It helps educators separate learners into groups, just like you do in a normal classroom. Each group can communicate with each other, and the tutor can be notified when to step in if required. As Zoom became a popular choice for remote learning, many online software tools have incorporated seamless integrations.

Google docs- File sharing services

Google docs is one of the popular online teaching tools teachers use to share files. Most file-sharing tools are cloud-based, meaning the files are stored over the Internet. File sharing services are used when it is difficult to share the files by email due to its large size. Some of the commonly used file-sharing services other than gdocs are Amazon Drive, Dropbox, etc.

There are other services like We Transfer, Evernote, and Padlet. Padlet is an online tool for creating boards and sharing them with people. Educators can collaborate with learners online and add texts, images, audio, web links, and videos with students.

Virtual whiteboards- Real-time collaboration

An online whiteboard is an essential interactive teaching tool that helps teams to interact online smoothly. It allows teachers to share files and display presentations to explain concepts.

An interactive whiteboard is just like a white screen that is connected to a computer. Educators can easily control the whiteboard and help with brainstorming online sessions.

Some of the features to look for in a whiteboard are:

• Messaging and demonstration.
• Sticky notes.
• Audio and video calling features.
• Uploading images and files.
• Pre-made templates.
• Smart shapes and images.
• Multiple file formats.
• Revision history and various boards

Some of the best online whiteboards used by tutors are Lucidspark, Ziteboard, Miro, etc.

Remind- Communication facilitator with students and parents

A big part of online tutoring is communicating efficiently with not just students but also parents. Remind is one of the online tools for teachers that work and an advanced messaging system for:

• Setting reminders for upcoming classes or tests.
• Direct and email messaging with students and parents.

The notifications will be sent to mobile devices, making it easier for tutors to communicate with learners and parents directly. The app can be integrated with google drive. Tutors can also set up their available hours, which will help in timely messaging.

Work planning tools

Creating and maintaining a word schedule for online teachers is more significant when working from home, especially during the pandemic. A solid routine can help educators improve the use of their time. One of the best online for teaching during such scenarios is work scheduling and management apps like Google Calendar and Calendy to streamline the following.

• Create schedules for online classes.
• Scheduling appointments with students and parents to avoid double-booking of slots.
• Creating lesson plans and sharing with students.

Social media platforms

Social media is one of the best platforms for teachers, making it a great online teaching tool. Social platforms like WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc allow building exclusive communities which teachers can use to:

• Establish their online presence.
• Communicate with students after online class hours. Share important information and resources.
• Conduct Q& A sessions and polls.
• Conduct live events like webinars using Facebook live, YouTube Live, or even Instagram live.

Online tutoring software- All in one software solution

While online tutoring software isn’t software tools to help you just conduct classes, instead it helps you build online tutoring platforms to establish your online presence and simplify the entire process of scheduling classes and processing payments.

Instead of relying on multiple software to carry out each function like class scheduling, creating lessons, uploading courses, processing payments, managing tutors, etc., invest in one of the best eLearning software available in the market. Pinlearn is one such tutoring software that packs all the features and tools you need to build your online tutoring marketplaces like Udemy.

The software is a white label solution that can be customized according to your business requirements and is available at an affordable one-time fee. There aren’t absolutely any recurring payments or hidden costs associated.

Conclusion

Online teaching tools are an essential addition to the tool kit of every teacher. Having the right tools is a necessity in modern times when online tutoring is gaining momentum. If you are not adopted online teaching yet, you are lagging behind the competition. And when embracing online teaching, make sure you use the right tools to provide the best learning experience to your students.

Most of the online teaching tools for teachers mentioned in the post are free, or there are free options available in the category. Did we miss any of your favorite digital tools to simplify online teaching? What other teaching tools do you recommend? We would like to know, do comment below.