Photo credit: mantasmagorical from morguefile.com
Discovery Exercise
Explore the list below. Pick a tool (or two, or more if you are so inclined), see what it does and see what you can do with it. While you are exploring and experimenting, consider whether the tool may have a practical application for personal, classroom or professional learning or productivity. Also pay attention to any social aspects of the tool -- is it collaborative, sharable, does it allow comments, discussions, ratings?
Many of these tools are completely free, and all offer at least a free version. Also, most are embeddable in a blog, wiki or webpage. Feel free to experiment with embedding them in your blog.
The Tools
- BeFunky - http://www.befunky.com/
"Turn your photos into incredible artwork with one click." - Blabberize - http://blabberize.com
Turn any photo into a talking cartoon. - Box.net - http://www.box.net
Free online file storage. Organize and share files. Access from anywhere. Embed "box of files" into any website. - Doodle - http://www.doodle.com/main.html
Doodle helps scheduling meetings and other appointments. Doodle is simple, quick, free, and requires no registration. - Gliffy - http://www.gliffy.com/
Collaborative concept mapping tool (like an online version of Inspiration). - Glogster EDU - http://www.glogster.com/edu/
Create a digital "poster wall" to share images, text, music, video and links. This is not your Mama's book report! - JigZone - http://www.jigzone.com/
Digital jigsaw puzzles - upload your own photos, graphics or scanned artwork. - MixBook - http://www.mixbook.com
Create interactive books using original photos or artwork. - Picnik - http://www.picnik.com/
Edit digital photos in your browser. - Pikistrips - http://pikistrips.com
Create custom comic strips using your own or Flickr Creative Commons photos. - PollDaddy - http://polldaddy.com
Create custom polls and surveys to embed in any web page. Results displayed in a graph. - Quizlet - http://quizlet.com/
Create and share interactive study materials. Keep track of your progress automatically. - SimplyBox - http://simplybox.com/
Clip and share portions of web pages in an easy-to-use visual format. Great for collecting, organizing and sharing resources on specific topics. - Ta-da List - http://www.tadalist.com/
Easy to use to-do list. Add items, sort them, share them, check them off as you complete them. - Timetoast - http://www.timetoast.com
Use text, images and links to easily quickly create a dynamic timeline. - ToonDoo - http://www.toondoo.com/
Create and share your own comic strips using an array of characters, settings and custom speech balloons. - Weebly - http://weebly.com
Create a drag-and-drop website in minutes -- no technical expertise necessary! - Wordle - http://wordle.net/
Create colorful, graphical 'word clouds' from text that you provide. Apply custom layouts, fonts and colors. Super cool. - Writeboard - http://www.writeboard.com/
Create a collaborative document that you can share with anyone by sending them the URL and password. - Xtranormal - http://www.xtranormal.com/
"If you can type, you can make a movie!" Use characters, backgrounds, props, sound effects and animation tools to turn your script into an animated movie. Some content may not be appropriate for K12 education. - Find Your Own -
Find your own Web 2.0 Tool to share on your blog. Perhaps you are using a Web 2.0 tool that you think people should know about.
For Your Blog Post
Create a blog post discussing the Web 2.0 tool you selected. Provide a link to the tool and include any ideas you have for using the tool to support learning or productivity. Also comment on any "social" features you may have noticed and your thoughts about their value. Include "Thing 12" in your post title if you like.
