THE Journal (4/16, Nagel) reported that teachers are increasingly using "web-based collaboration tools" in order "to supplement instruction, engage learners, and encourage their students to become producers of information, as well as consumers of it."

The article explores some of the more popular free tools being used, dividing them into three categories. Regarding the first type, digital media sharing tools, THE Journal noted TeacherTube and SchoolTube, as they allow the posting of educational content but are regulated, thereby avoiding student access to inappropriate content contained in sites such as YouTube. Such sites also help teachers avoid "potential copyright issues." The second type of collaborative tool is the online learning community, sites that "focus not so much on digital media as on education tools in general -- including assessments, learning/course management, textual materials, and other resources."

The article lists a number of communities providing different types of content. The third tool is Wikispaces, which "offers free services for teachers who want to host classroom wikis, including the ability to create private wikis viewable and editable only by members of the teacher's group."