Web 2.0

Top 20 Web 2.0 Must Haves for Every 21st Century Classroom

This has gone from 10 to 20 in less than a year. I have more, but wanted to share some of my favorites here!

  1. Class Blogs - Wordpress or Blogger
  2. Class Wiki or Website - Wikispaces, Wetpaint, Webnode, Wix, Glogster WikiMatrix - compare and contrast
  3. Virtual or a Cloud Office - Docs, Google Docs, Office Live , Zoho, Thinkfree >
  4. Online Classroom Environments/Networks/Forums - Wikispaces, Collaborize Classroom, Edmodo,
  5. Backchannels - tinychat, backnoise, coveritlive todaysmeet
  6. Audio Channel - Podcasts or recordings - evoca,podbean, gcast, odeo
  7. The Tubes - Youtube EDU, Teacher Tube Kidstube - create a free account for uploading demonstrations
  8. Private Videocast or TV Channel - Ustream livestre., Youcastr
  9. Online Assessment tools - Thatquiz. , Rubrics- Tech4Learning
  10. Online Grade book -Engrade
  11. Online storage - file storage - Dropbox, Google, Office Live, Box.net Adrive , 4shared, Flickr Google Docs - for docs, pics and more
  12. Social Learning - Facebook, Twitter, Youtube P2PU
  13. Open Learning - Khan Academy Watch Know Learn
  14. Global Learning Experiences - ePals Classroom 2.0
  15. QR Codes for Learning - Cool QRs for class - QRstuff Creators - Kaywa zxing Readers - Percent Mobile
  16. Got an App for Dat? - Appolicious, Google App Inventor
  17. Get Published! - Mixbook, Lulu, Epubbud
  18. RSS in Education - keep up with the latest news Google Reader, Google Alerts, Netflakes, Facebook, Twitter
  19. Bookmarking for Bibs and More - Diigo, Bibme, Easybib, Purdue Owl
  20. Annotation for All Resources - Diigo, Zotero, Yolink

Animation

Create some fun activities to review and create projects for specific concepts and content. Use these sites to engage your students for creating fun and engaging animations.
  • Doink - create fun animations with this incredible free animation / drawing tool
  • Pencil Animation - -Download Only
  • Blender - create amazing 3D renderings and gaming platforms as well
  • Dfilm - easily create fun films
  • Fluxtime -more animation fun
  • Goanimate -animate easily Domo - more from Goanimate - easy to create original animations
  • Flipbook -create fun flipbooks with this tools
  • Xtranormal -create movies with real characters
  • Canvastic - create simple animations on this free canvas
  • Zimmer Twins - creating animations for elementary kids
  • Anim8tor - create 3D animations while using algebraic and calculus functions


Assessment and Evaluation

Online assessment is optimal for a more paperless classroom environment. Students enjoy the chance for interactive online assessments. There are sites that allow you to make review flashcards and asses student learning. Sites where you can make and download rubrics are also available. These can then be linked or embedded.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics. Creating something like this with concepts in the classroom would be amazing!!
  • ArtToolkit - Washington Univ. download and develop augmented graphic arts.
  • Magic Online - trade cards and plan online

Blogging

Some of my favorite tools for blogs in the classroom. Create a classroom blog so that students can share and discuss topics inside and outside of class. Believe it or not, kids will actually visit back often to see who is reading and responding. Reluctant classroom participants usually love this outlet to share ideas and new concepts. I actually heard one of my teachers say that her non-writers posted more than anyone on her reading blog. Sample Blogs - Academic Examples
  • Wordpress- Easy to set up and monitor the comments on your blog. One of the best out there.
  • 21Classes - free and education safe
  • CoveritLive- Live Blogging embed in a web page
  • Blogger- Blogger, another easy way to create your classroom blog. Allows for moderation as well.
  • ePals- Free school or classroom blogs. A great way to start an entire school with blogs that they can monitor in one location.
  • Global Teacher / Student- create a safe blog environment for your class and students
  • And if these aren't good enough for you, try this list of 40 Blog Hosts.
  • Kidblog - create a free and safe school blog with this site.
  • Zooblogs - free online blogging for kids
  • Phlog - create an easy web phone blog
  • Edublogger
  • Class Blogmeister


Charts and Spreadsheets

Creating charts in many classes can be a chore and if you don't have Excel or know how to design a simple chart these tools can help you!
See what you think.
  • Editgrid - free online spreadsheet creator
  • Google Docs share and collaborate
  • Lucidchart - try this free chart tool an easy way to diagram and map ideas
  • irows - create and upload excel sheets online, share and collaborate
  • Swivel - Data sets, graphs, charts, etc. All can be embedded and manipulated.
  • Zoho - share and collaborate
  • ChartGizmo- create charts to share and embed on your sites
  • Tableizer- create free html charts or spreadsheets
  • LovelyCharts - great online diagramming
  • Chartle - create interactive charts and tables
  • Many Eyes - upload data sets and create amazing looking data representations

Collaboration

Collaboration experiences assist with opening up the lines of communication for students, teachers, parents and communities. Students love to share with each other and others from outside of the class. They thrive on sharing their expertise and knowledge to people who are interested. Try using these tools when students are expected to work in groups and communicate to complete group projects. They will thank you for the experience. The great thing is that kids will have the 24/7 access to their work. They will not need to be sitting at a specific computer or network since all of these sites offer storage and interactivity.
  • Google Docs share and collaborate
  • Writeboard- create collaborative docs in your browser
  • Zoho share and collaborate
  • Scriblink - create instant collaborative workspace areas save, print and more
  • AWW - an instant shared whiteboard that can be saved
  • Dabbleboard - instant collaboration online - create great graphic organizers and flow charts
  • Etherpad now also Titanpad - online text editing no registration instant collaborative whiteboard
  • Editstorm - brainstorm easily with this real time collaboration tool
  • Showdocument - create a document together, edit, discuss hold a web meeting for free
  • Sync.in - online text editor
  • Skrbl - instant notes and collaboration
  • Doing Text- online collaborative work spaces
  • Crocdoc
  • Nota create interactive note pages that allow you to post docs, video, audio, maps and comments. edit together.
  • Notesake take notes together share and collaborate
  • Browzmi - browse the internet together. Great for collaboration and research!!! What a great tool!!
  • Weblin - download and install this simple app to create an avatar and search the web with others
  • Yoowalk - browse the internet with others, fun and interactive.
  • Kaltura - collaborate with this video tool. Create a video together.
  • A.nnotate- publish files and annotate them online.
  • Lefora- create a public or private discussion forum network
  • Collaborizeclassroom - a great networking resource for teachers to create a safe learning env. for kids
  • Twiddla- instant canvas for sharing, creating, chatting and more. Get started instantly!
  • Show Document - instantly collaborate on any document. Original doc is not altered just annotated.
  • Collanos - keep all of your files in one desktop area
  • Mixedink - create collaborative arguments or with your opinions and facts
  • flockdraw - draw and create together -invite and share on twitter
  • Thumbscribes - create collaborative poems, haiku, stories songs and more with this simple tool
  • Justbeamit - beam anything over the web simple drag and drop.

Communication

Allowing students to communicate and or chat during class or outside of class will open up the lines of communication between you and your students. Many of these resources allow for monitored chat rooms, quick webcam communications, and more. The nice thing is that you can create and open a room during class and then close it outside of class if you are worried about posts outside of class.
  • Skype in Education - download and install for quick video conf. purchase a webcam for about $35. Kids love showing off when doing reports, labs plays, demonstrations. http://education.skype.com/
  • Wetoku - create online interviews with people from anywhere in the world, share and publish
  • Anymeeting - create free online meetings or webinars for up to 200 participants. They say it's always free.
  • dimdim - online synchronized meetings
  • Anymeeting - create free online meetings or webinars for up to 200 participants. They say it's always free.
  • Palbe embeddable virtual conf. room free 3 people
  • Presentonlinenow - a free webinar based room for anything
  • Geesee - embeddable chat gadget
  • Yaplet embeddable chat gadget
  • ooVoo - download and video chat with anyone around the world.
  • MeBeam- instant chat rooms
  • Meeboo- create free chat rooms
  • VoxOx - free download for all of you online collaborations and communications
  • ChatMaker - Free instant Chat rooms
  • Backnoise - back channel chats that you can embed
  • Tinychat - create a free room, embed into a website, save chats
  • Babelwithme - create collaborative chats that translate while you type
  • Talki - Embeddable forums for any site
  • Nurph - Chat anywhere on any website using your twitter account
  • Voxopop - discuss topics with your real voice... create discussion groups

Conversion Tools

Convert Text to Audio
  • iSpeech - convert your blog, docs, rtf, rss and more to audio. Sound quality is pretty good.
  • Online Conversion - convert anything
  • Koyote - freeware for converting audio files and more
Convert Video and Audio Files

Convert Word to PDF and Vise Versa


Celebration of Success - Award and Certificate Makers

Desktop Publishing

  • Open Office - alternative to Microsoft
  • Thinkfree - Office bundle
  • Windows Live Skydrive - Microsoft Office live or virtual office apps
  • Letterpop- create free incredible looking newsletters here!
  • Beeclip Edu - create photo, digital scrapbooks or ebooks. FREE
  • Nanoogo- create a free picture blog like page
  • Simplebooklet - create a free online book with text, images, audio, video and more! A+++
  • TweenTribune - teens and tweens writing the news and current events! A++
  • Story Jumper - create free online childrens' books then print them out.
  • PowToon - create fun animated presentations A++
  • Zooburst - create 3D digital ebooks - pop up books and ecards can be created. Fun for all ages
  • Inklewriter - write free collaborative stories with this fun and simple tool
  • Story Maker - from Carnegie, create fun story books
  • Zinepal - create great looking magazines or newsletters with web site links or rss feeds. A great way to read what you want!
  • Kerpoof - create pictures, stories, and movies here. Fun and interactive.
  • Toondoo - create great looking comics here. Even use your own photo.
  • Pikikids - create fun looking comics with this site for kids
  • Bitstrips - create fun comic strips for writing
  • Make Beliefs Comix- great comic tool for kids to write graphic novels or stories
  • Mutapic- design artwork in a free online graphics generator. Great for Art students or designing logos.
  • Ebooks - create great looking ebooks with mixbook ,myebook , storyjumper, tikatok. Book Builder - Read Write Web Flipbook Create Free eBooks - anyone can write and publish for free!!
  • Flipsnack - create ebooks from your pdf files. simple, free and easy
  • Read Write Think interactive tools for writing
  • Suessville Storybook creator, fun and easy
  • CK-12 Textbooks - create your very own textbook!!
  • Lulu - publish and sell your writings
  • Book Builder - Create Free eBooks - anyone can write and publish for free!!
  • Project Poster - kids can create simple web sites in a snap. Great for quick and easy projects.
  • Scribbls- Draw and collaborate
  • Postalz - create engaging digital postcards
  • Issuu- create your own online magazine issue.
  • It's Our Tree - create a free online family tree.
  • Scribus- create great looking desktop documents for free!! Download and install for free.
  • Openzine - create online collaborative interactive magazines
  • Awesome Clipart for Educators free clipart resources
  • Museum Box - Create a 3D interactive learning cube or collection of video, audio, images, text and links AWESOME!
  • PocketMod - Create a free fold-able with so many options. Create note cards and reminders.... Excellent tool!!
  • Kids on the Net -creative writing and interactive activities
  • Calameo- create, publish and share your work
  • Atlantis Word Processor - free word processor download... great application
  • Ajax13 - create docs and flow charts instantly in the browser based ajax app
  • Plasq aps - download and create fun comics
  • Wordle , Tagul TagCrowd- Create cool looking word and tag clouds - tagul offers hyperlinks to words in cloud.
  • Word it Out - just like wordle almost seems like too close to wordle
  • Tagxedo - turns words, speeches, documents into stunning word clouds save the cloud as an image
  • Magnoto - very similar to Glogster create fun looking interactive pages
  • Pekay- an application for the little ones who want to write - even play it on Facebook!!
  • Thesis Builder - Tom March's online thesis builder for kids
  • Twisty Noodle - find coloring pages and handwriting pages to print and use with your students
  • Pen.io - a very simple page creator, no sign in required bare bones

Dictionaries/Glossaries/Data


Digital Storytelling

  • Animoto - create free 30 second videos with your photos tell a story with pictures text and audio
  • Notawow talk about an AWESOME Educational tool, you have to see this site, create a web page by adding just about anything!! Embeddable
  • Ourstory - a time line based photo story option .
  • OneTrueMedia and Tel.A.Vision - create great looking videos with this simple online tool, A+++++ Add images, video, audio and more
  • PhotoPeach - easy photo sharing and captions. Allow for comments, keep private or public. Embeddable
  • Photoshow - simple easy to add photos, captions and templates
  • Slide - create fun and embeddable stories with this fun free tool
  • Voicethread - upload images and presentations to share and get feedback in the form of test or audio
  • Vuvox - great for creating eye catching photo stories
  • Fotobabble - upload images and record your voice to tell simple digital stories
  • Digistory - resources and examples of digital story telling in edu.
  • Beeclip Edu - create photo, digital scrapbooks or ebooks. FREE
  • Nanoogo- create a free picture blog like page
  • Meograph - a new way to create 4 demensional stories, maps, pics, vids, audio, timelines

Disposable Email Accounts - Use for New App Site Registrations

Create an account for these tools. No email... No problem. Use disposable email accounts to create your accounts.

Ebooks or Audio Books

Great resources for listening to royalty free and public domain publications. Excellent resources!

Games for Education

Try some of these sites for reinforcing the specific skills and content. MORE About GAMES for ED and LEARNING
  • Purpose Games - create and play games for topics that you study and teach
  • Immune Attack an amazing reality tour and game into the human body. Kids will never want to stop playing and learning!
  • Games4Change or G4C - a great network of experts and professionals passionate about learning through purposeful games. Join and learn about some amazing game platforms.
  • Deal or No Deal - play online Deal or No Deal games for reviewing fun information
  • Kodu - create and play your own virtual games with this Microsoft open source software
  • ClassTools - Create interactive flash games for class review.
  • Bunge Labs - Research based Brain Games
  • Karooba - play and create tons of educational games fun, free and easy
  • Game-O-Matic - create fun review games for new concepts
  • What2Learn - join and play or create some fun games! Games in Education work with kids!
  • Whizkids Games - kids can play online games for learning
  • Gameclassroom- great games for all levels of kids K-6
  • NeoK-12 - games and interactives for all subjects
  • I Know That- wow a great site for games, but you then get a printout of the assessment of the concepts played
  • ELearning- games for the younger students
  • Gameclassroom - K-6 games for learning in all subjects
  • Smarty Card - a great fun way to learn and earn real rewards. Join for free parents and kids
  • Kidyos - a safe website for young kids, play games, watch videos and more
  • The Last Brain Game- Great brain games in single or multiplayer game studios. FUN!!
  • IMMEX create a free online science environment with interactive scientific experiments and problem solving modules
  • Math Playground fun interactive games
  • Hot Math fun interactive games
  • Club Penguin and Webkinz - introduce your students to virtual worlds with these kid friendly environments. Allows for digital skill literacy and students can beging managing $, time, and pet responsibility. Writing prompts can be used with these worlds.
  • Java Math- interactive java base math simulations and examples
  • Tutpup- play simple math and spelling games for reinforcement, challenge other global players and beat the clock
  • Games That Change the World - online games that help the world!
  • Simulations for Learning - a great list of online simulations for student learning.
  • Bitesize Games by BBC - Interactive learning and fun Science, Math Etc.
  • Power Point Game Templates- an incredible site for playing interactive PPT Games
  • Mr Nussbaums -Games for Math, Language Arts, Spelling, Science and more
  • Chiltopia- online learning games for young kids.
  • Secret Builders - awesome virtual game for learning and building!!
  • PlayCrafter - create your own games
  • Stop Watch - time yourself
  • Sploder - create and your own virtual games for others to play
  • Roblox - create your very own virtual world great designing for kids
  • Tweegee is a virtual world that mixes e-mail, personal organization, and Flash gaming. It centers on an anime-like avatar that users build part by part. kids can use similar building tools to make their own hosted site that comes ready-made with templates based on what the kids are interested.
  • Wumpa's World - a fun site for young students to learn about the arctic
  • Fusion Fall - Cartoon Network a virtual game where kids can be avatars and play in virtual environments - PG13
  • Free Realms - a virtual game where kids can play games, buy pets and more A++ Problem Solving
  • Game Classroom - free fun games for K-6 students, review math, spelling, grammar and more!
  • Chess for Kids - kids can play chess online for free
  • CLEAR - a series of games and apps for teachers and students to create fun quizzes and more
  • Vanished - another MIT creation! get kids into science, problem solving and critical thinking
  • InterroBang - Microsoft's best gaming offer ever. Create a free classroom account and get your students completing fun real world missions and deeds.

Virtual Type Games in Education

Create Your Own Games From Scratch

  • Python - a free download for programing and creating your own games.
  • MyGamebuiilder - an amazing free online game generator. A+++ kids will love it.
  • Scirra/Construct - free download for enhanced game design
  • Kodu - one of my favorites - kids can download and begin creating a 3D world and program all objects and more a great way to teacher programing
  • Alice - from Carnegie Mellon - create a story, interactive games and more with this fun application, kids will love it
  • Scratch - an MIT basic programing site for learning the basics fun and interactive
  • Sploder - create fun online games with this gaming site
  • Playcrafter - create more fun games with this tool, high levels of thinking involved
  • Fyrebug - simple and fun, choose a type of game, choose or upload the objects and have fun
  • Greenfoot - a programing ap from Kent Univ. create, play and share download and join the forum
  • Blender - create and build with this amazing rendering tool
  • GameMaker from Sonic - free download
  • Adventure Maker - create games for windows of PSP
  • Engine001 Create games for free, fun and no coding
  • Cylog - download free games for complex thinking
  • Play My Code - amazing fun with html5, create, share, play Studio Fortress

Games with Purpose - Purposeful Gaming

  • Natron Baxter - Nathan Verrill an avid games with purpose developer shares his latest work in gaming! A+++
  • SIMCEO- kids create a company
  • Danger Zone - students find a solution to a serious global issue
  • GWAP - games with a Purpose - amazing fun and purposeful
  • EVOKE is a ten-week crash course in changing the world.

Global Connections in the Classroom

Create connections with other classrooms from around the world. By joining these networks, you can search for global partners to connect and share lessons and experiences with. Create valuable international learning experiences for your students.

Keyboarding

Learn how to type online with these free online interactives.

Mobile Tools for Learning

  • Dial2do- create a free account and post directly to your blog and twitter right from your cell phone.
  • Abbyme- create a free account and send voice messages to phone #'s and groups of people.
  • Sendible- send text messages from the internet to cell phones
  • Cellphedia- an online encyclopedia that's created by cell phone uses
  • Moblr and Qik- stream live media from your cell phone to the internet
  • Poll Everywhere - vote on issues and take polls with cell phones as well as Polldaddy and MobcastGabcast
  • GcastGabcast - call and record audio for podcasts
  • Quipit- take a snapshot of your notes and create a pdf to print out.
  • Pollanywhere- create polls for kids to vote via cell phone.

Multimedia

Video, Audio, and Image editing at your fingertips.
Audio Production and Editing

Downloadable Video/Audio Resources
  • Discovery Education
  • Merlot Multimedia resources an amazing resource for tons of ed. resources
  • Golden Classics Kiddie Records - an amazing collection of musical classics for public domain books.
  • PBS Videos
  • NeoK12 - a wealth of k-12 online educational videos
  • Audacity - download and install a free audio mixing tool
  • Animoto - create photo stories with audio
  • Evoca- a free audio podcast channel
  • Ujam - create your own free music in the cloud
  • Vocaroo- record audio for free and send as email or embed on the net
  • Vuvox- create an online audio channel
  • Jaycut - create videos easily with your photos and video
  • Jamstudio- create your own music and download it.
  • Pinnacleshare- upload, edit and share your video
  • Open Cast - a open soure free college lecture capture tool A++
  • Snag Films - documentaries and a full collection of incredible life stories
  • Splicd - snag and download only sections of youtube videos
  • Keepvid - download the youtube vids for local playing
  • Snagit - snag vids by techsmith

Free Audio Resources and Clips

Video Production and Editing / Screen Recorders
  • Jing - create video training as you record your desktop!
  • VidiNotes - create notes for your video files
  • Screen Toaster - instant screen recording tool
  • Wetoku - meet, record, interview from anywhere share on twitter
  • Capzles - wow a great tool for creating amazing multimedia timelines
  • GoView - excellent and easy ap for screen recorders
  • Eyespot / Jumpcut / Cuts - Online video editors
  • Video Toolbox - edit your video collections for free
  • Pixorial - create and share your videos socially
  • Flixtime - create video with photos, it's so easy!
  • Viddler- upload, edit and share your videos.
  • Climgenerator - create fun movie clips with your photos
  • Jumpcut - create your own videos
  • Kaltura - create and collaborate on your videos
  • One True Media - share your photos in a video montage
  • Masher - an easy way to mash it all, audio, video, photos and then share
  • Voicethread - upload ppt. images and video and respond with comments
  • Ustream.tv - broadcast live and record to your own free online channel
  • Fliggo - create your own video site
  • Seesmic - create online videos and share
  • Mogulus - create a free online video channel and share
  • Youcastr - create a free online sports channel - great for kids to write and share about their favorite sports!!
  • My Studio - Free educational videos for download or streaming
  • 5minutes - create a 5 minute demo or instruction
  • VistaZoo- create free virtual tours on your own map portal!
  • Screencast-O-Matic - record your desktop screen to create a demonstration
  • Freescreencast- capture your desktop and share online
  • Qik- video streaming from your cell phone
  • Molv- video streaming from your cell phone
  • Nimbb - create 30 second videos with your webcam download and embed
  • WingClips- movie clips and trailers for inspiration and discussions
  • Animation Resources for creating movies and more!
  • Video Search Resources
  • DoInk create free fun animations
  • Xtranormal - create animated movies with this fun tool.
  • Superflix Studio - add pictures and make movies easily with this tool
  • Smilebox - create movies, photo stories and more with your pictures and video

Image Editors
  • Blender- free open source 3D content creation suite.
  • Drawto - create a share quick drawings.
  • Cloud Canvas - instant image editor and creator in the web cloud
  • Aviary - online image and vector graphics editing suite A+++ Now Audio is included.
  • Picjuice- easily edit images
  • Pixer - quickly fix and enhance images online
  • Sumopaint- easily edit and create original images no installation or download
  • Splashup - edit your photos, create new images - just like adobe photoshop!
  • Picnik - edit your photos
  • Offtype - create online hand drawn pictures, save and share. Embed the widget to use on your site.
  • Pixn8- online photo editor
  • Flashpaint - instant drawing board... great for creating and downloading
  • Pixlr- edit pictures easily
  • Paint.net - a freeware app that works on Windows a great alternative
  • Flash Face - create sketch like images with this java based site
  • PiZap free no registration - upload and create new images with call outs, graphics, text and more really fun!!
  • Vector Magic - Convert Bitmap images to Vector Graphics
  • Imaginationcubed - create drawings with friends, share and replay for instant playback
  • Lightbox Image Editor- free download for great image editing
  • Tag Galaxy - millions of photos categorized by tag, an interactive 3D world of photos.
  • Spell With Flickr - spell words to flickr images
  • Odosketch - create fun looking sketches and share them
  • Tuxpi - Cool image effects
  • Kidopo - create and draw with kids a coloring application for coloring pages, which simulates a real coloring experience
  • CB Model Pro - download for free and create 3D Models with an advanced look

Networking and Online Learning Communities

I will put some sites here that may overlap into other areas, but for the most part they are networking sites. Students can use these to communicate and network with peers and their teachers. Even professionals from around the world.
  • Collaborize Classroom - create a free safe online classroom in seconds, is free and will always be free!
  • Grouply - a better free alternative to social learning networks
  • Bloust - an exciting new networking tool for teaches who want an online classroom environment
  • Edmodo - create class microblogging networks for your students.
  • Everloop - create a free and very safe social network for kids!
  • Schoology - a great alternative to social networking with your students. Free and easy to set up.
  • MybigCampus - free site for learning and more! Check it out!
  • RCampus - an online learning management system for teachers and students
  • Dweeber - totally cool site for students to join to connect, learn and become gurus A++++
  • Twitter (use Tweet Cube to upload files to twitter)
  • Neeetz - another social network that allows so much more!
  • Twitter for Librarians - great ideas for librarians who are interested in networking, collaborating and sharing.
  • Imbee- free social network for kids
  • Koinup - network with others and upload your work. allow others to comment.
  • Mixxt- create a private classroom network. Great for online classroom environments.
  • Grou.PS - create free private social learning networks now migrate your NING to Grou.ps
  • iCue - NBC's online networking site where kids can learn, share, watch videos and collaborate and discuss content and topics
  • PBS Teachers - a great opportunity to connect with educators from all over the world
  • Twibes - join or create your own twitter twibes or groups. Follow everyone who joins.
  • Togetherville - online social networks for kids!
  • Muchenough - create free online learning platforms with a webcam and a shared writeboard


Note Taking, Graphic Organizers, Concept Mapping and Flow Chart Tools

Have your students take notes, create concept maps, and time lines online. Simple tools to use with computers in the room. A great way to engage your learners and share the information together.
  • Writeboard - create a board to write and collaborate. So simple and no strings. Check with RSS feeds.
  • Webnote - create an instant web page for class notes. An RSS feed is provided for keeping track of updates. Share the url to allow others to add information and notes.
  • Dabbleboard - instant collaboration in real time!! No registration required, simply share the link.
  • Scriblink– an instant interactive whiteboard, invite and use.
  • Evernote - download the apps for any platform and use it interchangeably
  • Popplet - create interactive concept maps for brainstorming
  • Slatebox - create a collaborative concept map and notes during your learning
  • Wallwisher- drop post-its on the page to discuss and share
  • Postica - create post-it notes and share easliy... twitter
  • Stickr - create post-its in your browser, annotate the web and shareStixy - create sticky notes in a collaborative way
  • Print What You Like - print only the information that you want on any website use the bookmarklet
  • Writtn - an instant note taking site that can be shared
  • Linoit - create stickies and share them.
  • Thoughtboxes - a fun way to create stickies and notes collaboratively
  • The Awesome Highlighter - highlight and share any website. Save annotations.
  • Skrbl_- a web whiteboard instant collaboration
  • Notesake_– create individual and group notes to share, revise independently of your own notes.
  • Study Blue - create flash cards with images, text and audio.
  • Notecentric - take notes for any class
  • Notemesh - create group class notes
  • Notepub take notes and publish easily
  • Nota - create notebooks that allow comments as stickies
  • Penzu - free instant note taking resource.
  • Zoho Notebook - great for creating notes and embedding video and audio
  • Helipad_– share notes with a url link access from phone and even your psp
  • MindMeister / Gliffy Drawanywhere, Mind42 , Exploretree- Thinkature Mindomo Creately Create and collaborate in real time or asynchronously on mind maps and graphic organizers.
  • VUE - Visual Understanding Environment from Tufts - one of the best free downloadable apps that allows you to create interactive concept maps. A+++
  • Graphsy - create animated graphs and concept maps
  • DropMind - great mind mapping tool with sharing and chatting
  • The Brain - download and create mind maps
  • Scriblink - wow, collaborate and share, work with anyone, anytime for free!!
  • Time Line Generators - MIT Timeliner , xtimeline , dipity timetoast Timeglider whenitime - create free online timelines
  • A.nnotate- publish files and annotate them online.
  • Wizlite - annotate the web together, highlight and share
  • Jotcloud- take notes on sticky online notes
  • Yourdraft- create an instant document without any account registration.
  • ShortText- instant notes and url for notes
  • Dia Gnome - create diagrams just like Visio
  • ArgoUML- create great looking flow charts with the this stable Java application
  • Open Office Draw - create great looking diagrams and flow charts
  • Websketch - instant web sketch pad. draw, save and print drawings.
  • Bubbl.us - great tools for collaborative flow charts and concept maps
  • Dia - just like Visio, complete diagrams for projects
  • MyWebspiration - beta online version of inspiration
  • Wisdomap - simple mind mapping tool
  • Visual Thesaurus - build visual thesaurus for vocabulary
  • WebNotes- annotate any website and share it via email or links
  • Awesome Highlighter - highlight and take notes on any site
  • JHotDraw7 - Create an instant concept map
  • UberNote - create online notes and share them
  • aMap - argue your point - create an online argument...take a stand and get the juices and replies flowing
  • Shutterborg - create instant documents no sign up at all
  • Xmind - create and collaborate on projects and concept maps
  • VUE - Visual Understanding Environment - created by Tufts Univ. open source
  • Sketch Swap - create online notes or drawings in an instant
  • Primarypad a great site for kids who are brainstorming together
  • Crocdoc - upload files, edit, collaborate and discuss
  • Edistorm - a free online mapping or brainstorming tool for learning
  • Thinkfold - an online collaborative environment for thinking with others
  • Edhelper - printables for great graphic organizers
  • Simple Diagrams - a simple app for download, create diagrams easily with this tool
  • Yolink - plug in for your browser, collect and create citations for your online resources
  • Minutes.io - a great way to take notes and minutes for classes and meetings

Online Interactive Classroom Environments

Online classroom environments allow you to extend your classes beyond its walls. These environments are free, interactive and available for free. They provide extended content, communications and collaboration opportunities for teachers and students. See if you can use any of these.

Personalized Web Browser Pages

Make your home page for your browser look and do what you want it to do. Customize your home page!! Put the content that you want at your fingertips...as soon as you open your browser!!

Podcasting

Podcasting can really assist students with more audio and verbal outlets for learning. Students can record learned content to a podcast site or store readings of text passages for a later time. Oral reports can also be recorded, stored and shared at later times outside of the class. Students who are often reluctant to participate in front of peers will create podcasts and audio recordings more readily than participating live in class discussions. Give these sites a try and see who participates. Allow students to share by writing or verbally relaying specific answers or reactions. They will really enjoy the experience.

  • Evoca- create a classroom channel and record or upload media files. Embed into sites or play directly from the channel.
  • MyPodcast - create a free online podcast channel.
  • Podbean- create a free podcast channel
  • Odeo - create free online podcasts
  • Talkshoe - create a live podcast channel for free call in from a phone or use a mic on your computer
  • Clickcaster - create free blog like podcast channels
  • SpokenWord - Podcast Resources - listen and learn to some of the best podcasts on the net
  • Talkr - listen to any blog - creates audio podcasts for blogs
  • Audiotool - create audio files right in your browser

Polls/Surveys

Create classroom polls and surveys for students to respond. Assess student learning and concept attainment.
  • SurveyMonkey - create online forms, surveys, assessments, free up to 10 surveys and 100 respondents
  • Zoomerang - create online forms, surveys for students
  • Google Sheets/Forms - create forms and build a spreadsheet database.
  • PollDaddy - free online polls for your class
  • Polleverywhere - create simple fast and free polls
  • Free Website Polls - create free polls for your website or blog
  • 99Polls - free online embeddable polls
  • Wufoo - create free surveys and forms
  • Questionform - create free online forms
  • SMSPolls - engage your audience with text polls
  • Pollcode - free and easy polls

Portfolios - Digital/Online

  • Vfolio - create free online e portfolios for professional use
  • Wix - a website tool that allows for amazing digital portfolios
  • Backpack - create a free online class and get your students their own eportfolios

Presentation Tools

When creating presentations it is not necessary to purchase Microsoft Power Point. Create great looking presentations and gain 24/7 access to edit and share them. No need to use a thumb drive to bring your presentation to and from school. Give these sites a try. These are great tools for creating, sharing and collaborating on presentations.

Professional Learning Networks

These networks are ones worth joining to learn, share and build collegial relationships. Connect your classrooms and students for global connections and real world learning.

QR Codes Generators and More

QR Codes are a fun way to display information and have students use creative ways to display information. A great way to model responsible mobile use in the classroom.
  • QR Stuff - the best QR Code generator site, build, share and buy cool products
  • Kaywa - create QR codes for just about anything.
  • zxing - free and easy QR code generator for maps and more
  • Tingiz - create a site to connect to products and more

Research

Check some of the online resources to assist with factual information. Also find out if urban legends are really truth or legend.

RSS Aggregators

Collect your favorite Headline RSS feeds and store and share them online.

Search Engines

  • Google- Serious searching with new Google search options.
  • WolframAlpha - a computational information engine
  • iPL2 - a safe resource for kids looking for important information
  • Ujiko - an organizational visual search engine
  • Kigose- educational search engine, build citations as your search
  • KidZui - turns Firefox into fun, kid-safe browser with over a million kids games, YouTube videos, and websites.A++++
  • Quintura and Quintura for Kids a visual web search engine
  • Kidrocket- download a kid safe browser for all children
  • KartOO - a more visual search engine
  • KidsClick- a librarians web search for kids
  • netTrekker- educational search engine
  • Pixolu - search for images with ease
  • iseek- safe surfing for kids
  • Browsmi- surf the net together
  • Kido'z - a free kidsafe browser!!
  • Twoogle - search it all here... twitter, google, wolfram, flickr
  • Weblin - create an avatar and walk and talk the internet together. For the older kids download
  • Webkruz - search the web and get thumbnail and multimedia results
  • SweetSearch - a student search engine

Social Bookmarking

Save and share your favorite web sites.

Social Platforms in Education

  • Facebook - create private groups and pages to share and post responsible and useful school information.
  • Google Groups - create free open or private groups to share, produce, discuss and more
  • Frid.ge - meet and build together online, simple free and fun.
  • Wordpress - download and install on a server to get started with a fully customizable social platform


Storage - online storage and for files

  • Dropbox - search no more with this amazing resource, store, share where ever!
  • adrive- 50 gigs free
  • flickr- store and share photos
  • ScanR - take photos of white boards and more and send them to your email.
  • Box.net - gig of online storage
  • Hordit - add and share files... find similar files
  • Mozy: Up to 2GB free storage. Requires a free download of the Mozy software; this helps you figure out which files to back up.
  • Omemo: Still in beta at the time of this writing. Works as a peer to peer network to create an immense virtual hard drive.
  • Box: Up to 1 GB free storage; pricing plans available.
  • DropBoks: Incredibly easy and simple to use - can upload up to 1 GB of your files here.
  • MediaFire: Probably one of the best free online storage sites out there. Not only can you upload files here, but they give you lots of extra options (MySpace help, folders, galleries, etc.).
  • in.solit.us: Requires free registration; lots of online storage plus neat features such as public file sharing.
  • divShare: Upload all kinds of files here, including multimedia. Includes integration with Facebook and WordPress.
  • Omnidrive: Up to 1 GB free online storage; integrates with Zoho and Snipshot.
  • Yuntaa: Free up to 1 GB; also offers blogging.
  • YouSendIt: Need to send a really big file? Use YouSendIt to send files up to 2 GB.
  • MediaMax: Up to 25 GBs completely free; this includes video hosting as well.
  • Senduit: Need to share a large file with someone? Try Senduit - just upload your file, share a secure URL, and you're all set.
  • FileHo: Upload, host, and share files for free - with unlimited storage available.
  • Megashares: Up to 10GB available for upload storage; you get a URL where your files can either be privately or publicly accessed.
  • Badongo: Free file hosting that allows you unlimited files, photos, etc. to share.
  • Up-File: Unlimited file size; you can upload pretty much anything here to share with others.
  • Drop.io - drop and share any file privately online
  • File Shaker - 10 gigs of free file storage


Studying and Help

  • Study Beat - get help with just about any topic under the sun... video tutorials for any topic


Text <>Speech

  • TTS Dialog Wizard - Text to speech dialogue wizard, create dialogues with more than one speaker with this fun tool
  • Natural Reader - T2S freeware!!
  • Subply - create captions for online videos


Texting Tools for Social Learning



The "Tubes"

I call them the Tubes, you know "YOU" and "TEACHER". They are the rage in society and schools so why not utilize them for learning? Truetube is something a little different. A site where people share contriversial news events and where older students can discuss the nature of the video. Great for debates in class.
  • Youtube- upload and share videos made for class. Youtube Editor - edit and splice youtube vids
  • Teachertube- upload, share and watch education based videos only. Students could build demonstrations and more.
  • Truetube- watch and discuss real world contriversial news. Discuss and share thoughts!! Teen content not suitable for young ones.
  • Schooltube- upload and watch school related video and tutorials.
  • Studio 4 Learning - Learn and share about almost anything Amazing site!!!!
  • Grab-Tube - grab any youtube video and convert it.
  • Open Video Project - a shared video project, free and easy to use
  • Tubechop - cut only portions of videos that you want to share

Tutorials for Everything

  • Woopid - videos for just about any technology
  • Tutorialized - tutorials for just about any application

Virtual Field Trips

  • Google Earth - allow students to explore the world and create interactive GE field trips and vacations. This is one of the best strategies and works well. I personally used this in the classroom and students didn't want to miss class.
  • Gigapan - create or explore panorama images from around the world. Similar to a virtual field trip.
  • Virtual Field Trips - View and create virtual field trips
  • NPS - National Park Service virtual tours
  • Opentopia- live webcams from all over the world
  • Wrapr- create and visit some amazing places, virtually!! Use your flickr photos to create your own virtual tours.
  • Mapwing-r create and share your own virtual tours
  • CommunityWalk - create maps, save and share specific locations A+++

Virtual Worlds in Education

I do not always reccommend the use of virtual worlds with students under 18. There are many of these sites that are not safe for kids. Just be careful introducing these to young students.

Vodcasting - Video Broadcasting

Also a nifty name for video podcasting. A great way to get students to share and present live. Create private classroom channels where students can broadcast content via a webcam and mic. Only share it with people you want. A great way to motivate kids to write, collaborate and communicate effectively.
  • SplashCast - Create your own media channels and shows by incorporating video,images, podcasts, blogs, and other web resources.
  • Ustream.tv- create a live public or private video broadcast channel. They can be recorded, embedded, for later viewing.
  • Mogulus- very similar to ustream ... create a free online video channel protect it with a password
  • Youcastr- create a live sports channel. Allow you students to cover, write about and broadcast their favorite sports online.
  • WizIQ- train and share in an open envrionment.
  • Bubbleguru- add a video bubble to your website to let viewers know about changes.
  • Thinkature- free online interactive workspaces for teaching and sharing
  • MindBites- create online training tutorials and make a profit. Share and earn.
  • qik- online live streaming with mapping
  • Wetoku - interviews in video format, share easily

Web Design

So you want students to create a website and you don't have Dreamweaver, Front Page or iWeb. No worries. These tools are so simple to use and easy for students to understand. They can build excellent looking web sites without knowing a thing about stand alone applications and code. A great way to start them on a web presence.
  • Google Sites- Easy and great for site collaboration and building.
  • Webnode- great design, easy to use and deveolop nice looking web sites.
  • Nota- free website builder, only a single page
  • Dotemplate - create and save CSS templates for any website
  • Easysite- free and easy website creator
  • Edicy- fun and free website builder
  • Comfypage- free easy and great looking websites
  • Weebly- very easy, nice templates and format.
  • Freewebs- totally free, simple to use.
  • Glogster - very nice for a graffiti looking page.
  • Doodlekit- one of the easiest to use.
  • Roxer- simple tool for nice looking web sites.
  • Bravenet- very nice free tool, can add game widgets for fun.
  • Wix- drag and drop great simple tool for interactive free sites.
  • Project Poster - kids can create simple web sites in a snap. Great for quick and easy projects.
  • Gogofrog- 3D website creation tool. Very interactive
  • TweeGee Zone - free online resources for web page develpment and more
  • Jimdo- create free online websites no cost!
  • Synthasite- create a free great looking website in seconds
  • Wirenode- Build a mobile website in 5 minutes
  • Bloust - create a free online teacher web site
  • Stripemedia - create free online backgrounds with stripes for any media
  • CodingBat - learn how to code Java for free

Webinars

Create online virtual classrooms for before, during and after classroom hours. Kids will love this opportunity for the time!
  • Vyew- use for online webinar share files and your desktop.
  • WizIQ - live meeting, schedule dates and times, can only share files no desktop sharing included.
  • Zoho Meeting - create live online learning environments
  • Liveperson - online training
  • DimDim - online video conf. and communication
  • Yugma - free video conferencing
  • Thinkature- free online interactive workspaces for teaching and sharing
  • Scribblar - instant free online webinar tools
  • Yuuguu- online meetings and collaboration

WebQuests

Create engaging project or inquiry based activities with webquests. Constructivism in practice!

Wikis

Build and collaborate with these wiki tools. Allow students to create and share content. A great resource for building online information together. Create it together!
  • Wikispaces - the best wiki tools aound!!
  • Wetpaint- free wiki tool great for educators provieds the navigtion and page set up.
  • Pbwiki- free wiki for anyone
  • Bluwiki- another great wiki resource
  • Wikimatrix - compare all the wikis
How to use wikis...

Word Processing

Create share and collaborate at these sites. Build documents on the go. 24/7 access.

Other Collections of Free Open Source Software
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