Ten Web 2.0 Tools to Geek-out Your Summer Vacation

Are you an educator wanting to learn some tech tools over the summer?   At a recent district professional development session, I presented to my colleagues  a “Top Ten List” of web 2.0 tools that they could “Geek-out” their summer vacation with.  Regardless of a teacher’s content area or grade level, there is something here for every teacher!  The “Top Ten List” is below, the SlideRocket presentation is here.

10) Wordle

Wordle is a popular word cloud program.  Using a word cloud program takes all of about 30 seconds to learn.  A teacher could use word clouds for a wide variety of reasons – a few being:

1. Analysis
2. Introducing Content
3. Reviewing Content

Other word cloud programs include

• Image Chef
• Tagedo
• Tagul
• Word It Out
• Wordle
• Wordsift

9) Bitly, Goo.gl, Fur.ly

Bitly, Goo.gl, and Fur.ly are examples of url shorteners.  The reasons a teacher would want to use one or more of these tools include:

1. Accuracy – Students and teachers are less likely to make mistakes in writing down a short url than a lengthy one.
2. Statistics – These url shorteners offer analytics on the shortened url.
3.  QR Codes – Everyone of these url shorteners generates a QR code.

Fur.ly creates one short url for  multiple urls.  Check it Fur.ly in this eduTecher video.

8) Crocodoc

The free “personal” vesion of Crocodoc allows you to upload and annotate documents (including images). Easy and simple to use Crocodoc also allows a user to share folders for collaboration.

7) Socrative

Socrative is an example of online polling that teachers are using in their classrooms.  Teachers can easily create a variety of test questions (i.e. true/false, multiple choice, short answer) for students to answer online via any internet connected device (computer, smartphone, iPod, tablet).  Socrative offers a variety of well-designed mobile apps.

6) Skype

Skype, the popular VoIP program, has been around since 2003.  Why every teacher doesn’t use Skype in their classroom is beyond me!   Teachers looking to collaborate with other teachers/classrooms via Skype should take advantage of “Skype in the Classroom”, located at http://education.skype.com/.

Apps are available to record (audio & video) Skype sessions.

5) Study Blue

Study Blue is an online flashcard tool that offers social collaboration. Students can create their own flashcards or download flashcards made by others.  Study Blue goes beyond the basic flashcard.  Students will appreciate the ease that the mobile applications offer.

Other online flashcard tools include:

• Anki
• Cramberry
• Evernote Peek
• Quizlet

4) Vocaroo

Vocaroo is a convenient flash based audio recorder that is amazingly simple to use.  Recordings can downloaded, emailed, or embedded.

3) Sumo Paint

Sumo paint is often referred as a free online version of Photoshop.  It doesn’t have all the abilities of Photoshop, but it does offer many of the same features and the layout is almost identical.

2) SlideRocket

SlideRocket is an online slide presentation tool. SlideRocket has a variety of pricing options, but if your school is a Google App school, SlideRocket is free. The main advantages of SlideRocket over traditional slide presentation tools, is that everything is stored online making collaboration very simple to do.  Because it’s online, embedding  a SlideRocket presentation (example) to a website is a snap.

1) Twitter

Twitter is a powerful micro blog that many teachers use for their professional learning network.   However, many teachers are finding that Twitter can used in the classroom also.  Teachers new to Twitter should become familiar with educational hashtags and educational Twitterchats.

Want more?

For more free Web 2.0 tools that will complement your school’s BYOT / BYOD program, visit RB60 BYOT Resources.  If you have a favorite web 2.0 tool not listed, please share them within a comment.  Thank you!