Management

28 Google+ Ed-Tech Communities for Educators, Instructional Designers and Technologists

Education professionals are using social media to share, collaborate and network.

Twitter

Jimmy is a writer and editor who publishes a weekly newsletter. You can find him on Twitter.

Google+ has become one of the best resources for educators. Just like Facebook and Twitter, Google+ offers the ability to easily share content and connect with friends, peers and thought leaders. One key difference when compared with other social sites is that Google+ has robust tools for creating and maintaining communities. Any user can create, moderate and join communities. Many educators, instructional designers and technologists have done just that, creating public repositories of quality information and forums for addressing ed-tech topics.

A quick search for “edtech communities” returns thousands of results. Here’s a helpful list of some of the best communities for professors, administrators and IT workers. But the list is incomplete without your feedback. Let us know of other great communities that we can add.

And don’t forget to circle EdTech on Google+!

EdTech

Educational Technology

Members: 7,900

Topics: Leadership and Design, Emerging Technologies, EdTech Success Stories

Technology in Education

Pedagogy eats Technology for Lunch!

Members: 3,500

Topics: Mobile Learning, MOOCs, Learning Management Systems

Gamification in Education

Exploring game mechanics in education

Members: 1,300

Topics: Strategies, Examples

Education Revolution

We Are the Future of Learning

Members: 21,000

Topics: Pedagogy, Self-Directed Learning, Common Core, Student Bill of Rights

MOOC

Massive Open Online Courses AKA free online courses

Members: 2,200

Topics: MOOCs, Distance Learning

Higher Education Innovation

A Global Community of Educational Innovators

Members: 130

Topics: Faculty Development, Student Engagement, Industry Partnerships

Edusocmedia

A community based around the use of social media in higher education

Members: 115

Topics: Social Media

Higher Education & Technology

The next wave of technology in higher education

Members: 190

Topics: MOOCs, Flipped Classroom, Social Media

Higher EdTech

Innovation at the edge of technology for universities & colleges

Members: 200

Topics: Innovation, Online Learning, Flipped Classroom

Technology & Innovation in Education

Creating change

Members: 1,100

Topics: Connected Learning, Innovation

Learn with Michelle

From Teaching to Learning

Members: 130

Topics: Tools with Potential, Innovation, Professional Development

Transformative Technologies

Emerging Technology in Education

Members: 250

Topics: Game-Based Learning, Learning Analytics, Mobile Learning

Educators on Google+

Discussing Education, Edtech, K-12, Higher Ed, Teaching, and Learning

Members: 1,200

Topics: Programming, Professional Development, STEM

Interaction Design Education

From Lower Ed to Higher Ed and Beyond

Members: 33

Topics: Continuing Education, Curriculum, Research

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)

MOOCs - The Future of Learning

Members: 820

Topics: Resources, News, Opinions

Google Hangouts in Education

Google+ in the classroom

Members: 575

Topics: Google+ Hangouts, Collaboration

Open Education

Free and Open Education

Members: 330

Topics: Open Educational Resources, Policy

Adult Education

For Educators and Trainers of Lifelong Learning

Members: 145

Topics: Continuing Education, Adult Education, Community College

Technology in Health Education

T.H.E. Nexus for technology in health education

Members: 140

Topics: Augmented Reality, Learning Spaces, MOOCs

Hacking Education

Jailbreak Your Degree

Members: 110

Topics: MOOCs, Online Resources,

Mobile Technology in Education

Mobile technologies to inform and communicate

Members: 75

Topics: Apps, Mobile Learning

Social Media - Higher Ed

All things social media in higher ed

Members: 240

Topics: Social Media in the Classroom, Jobs, Events

Google Apps in Education

Members: 12,500

Topics: Drive, Chrome, Youtube, Extensions

Instructional Technology Integrators & Coaches

This community is a place for educators who model, coach, teach, and learn with teachers and students to share ideas related to instructional technology integration.

Members: 630

Topics: BYOD, Blended Learning, One-to-One Programs