Top 100 Tools for 2014

Not really sure how we’ve come up with the Top 100 Tools of 2014 when we’ve still got three months to go. Don’t these sorts of things usually come out in December?

But I have to admit, the title did suck me in and it should you too. There’s some great stuff on the list. I learned about a few new tools such as Moolvy and Mahara. And was a bit surprised that certain tools are still on the list. (I’m looking at you Voki. And what’s the deal with Delicious? I thought that was dead and gone. Weirder still – my account was active and there were additions from just yesterday. It’s like black helicopters are following my computer around adding things to my Delicious account. Mmm . . . )

The problem?

We can get so sucked into the shiny aspects of a specific tool, of the gadgety coolness of things that we end up designing lessons just so we can use the tool. Instead of planning for the end in mind – specific content or historical thinking skill or whatever – we use a tool like Wordle or some iPad app or Kahoot just because it’s a lot of fun.

So use the list. It’s pretty handy. But don’t forget to start with the end in the mind and make tool / tech choices based on the needs of the lesson, not the other way around.

A good way to stay on task? Use the equally as handy chart from the Ed Tech and Mobile Learning folks. Use the chart to align your end in mind with appropriate tech tools.

EdTechTeacher has a similar list that focuses on Apple mobile devices for you iPad users.