It never ceases to amaze me the number of tools one can come across everyday. Be it through total serendipity or the advise of a colleague or friend, there's always something new to discover. I'll admit I behave like a kid in a candy store sometimes, bookmarking like there's no tomorrow.
Here is a (vastly edited) list of some of the apps I like. They are roughly in order of preference.
- Google Apps: this one should get its own post. If the length of the post reflects my use of the app, then dedicating just a few lines would be unfair and illogical. Note to self: next post - Google Apps. All I have to say is for now that if you haven't got a Gmail account, stop whatever it is you are doing and create one asap.
- Dropbox: what a find! I can't take the credit myself, because I learnt about this tool on a course, but I love it and have shared it with everyone. In case you have never heard of it, Dropbox allows you to access your files from any computer. Once you have created your account, you can upload files on Dropbox's cloud or install their software, which will create a Dropbox folder on your computer. Whatever you save there, will automatically be stored in your Dropbox account. So, if you find yourself at school, a friend's house or a cybercafe and your computer is nowhere near, you can still work on that Word document or Powerpoint presentation. And, yes, you can share files with other "dropboxers" Collaboration needs to become a top-five-most-used word for us.
Now, Dropbox is a great tool for accessing all those files that you regularly use and update. But everything in life comes with a price. Dropbox is free - to a certain extent. The website provides you with 2 GB of storage for free. Need more, got to pay. So when it comes to storing all those files that will not need to be edited or accessed frequently, there are other web tools we can use. One of those is ifile.it. You can upload and share files as big as 1000 MB for free! But mind you, files are kept on the system for up to 6 months after the last download.
I'm more of a visual person, so whatever I see will be stored in my brain with images. For all those visual learners out there, here's a simple video that illustrates the uses of Dropbox.
- Delicious: even if you are blessed with an incredible memory (in which case, I completely envy you) you need to bookmark the different sites you come across with. This way, you can access them whenever you want, wherever you are. This is what Delicious (among other social bookmarkers) offers. All you need to do to get started is to create your account. In the Home section, you can browse through other popular bookmarks that you may want to add to your list. And this being a Social Bookmarking site, you can also share your findings with other members on the site. Yes, I'm obssessed with sharing, I know.
Mark my words, he who does not tag will get an ulcer. OK, maybe not an ulcer, but a headache for sure. Tag your bookmarks for future access. The key to a successful browsing is definitely organisation.
Lately, I've been obssessing with Pinterest. The tool's great and it keeps me online for longer than I need to. Although I'm not sure its teaching potential matches my enthusiasm.
Here's a short and sweet video on Delicious:
- Edmodo: it doesn't get more educational than with this tool. This app offers a virtual space to use as your classroom. This one deserves its own post as well. Straight to the to-do list.
- Picresize: with this tool, pictures can be cropped or given different effects, which can be previewed before you are done. What's more, they can be saved in your computer in different formats or posted on the web, whatever suits your needs.
- Wordle: I don't use this one as much as the others, but I find it really helpful when in need to convey a strong message in few words. The tool is pretty intuitive and user-friendly. Just type your words and Wordle does all the work for you.
- Blabberize: this is my kid-in-the-candy-store website. I just love it. It's easy and fun to use.
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