25 tools to entertain, educate, enthrall

Post on 08-May-2015

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25 tools that I think are fun, interesting and helpful. All are free, and quick to learn. Try a new tool today!

Transcript of 25 tools to entertain, educate, enthrall

25 tools to entertain, educate, enthrall and excite!

Phil Bradleyhttp://www.philb.com

Tagxedo

• Next generation Wordle product

• Simple and easy to use

• Flexible

• You can add your own images to create your own wordcloud shapes

Vuvox

• Media Creation, made easy, and Incorporate images, videos

• Create embedded content and hotspots

• Use photographs as frames for slideshows

• A nice alternative to Powerpoint

Voxopop

• Discuss interests with others

• Interact quickly and easily

• Using your own voice

• Start your own talk groups

Readability

• Readability makes it easier to read webpages

• It removes the clutter around what you’re reading

• Great for printing as well

• Install as a browser bar button

Before/after BBC news story

Wallwisher

• Online bulletin board with post-it notes

• Easy to create, maintain, and involve others

• Great for group use

• Embed video and image links too

Trailmeme

• Create a ‘trail’ of websites/pages for people to explore

• Good way to introduce a subject

• Assisted learning, explored at own pace

• Easy to create

Animoto

• Create video compliations from images

• Produce professional looking products

• Free accounts limited to 30 second clips

Whichbook

• Choose a book to read based on various criteria

• Use a simple sliding scale to emphasis elements

• Then choose your book and borrow from your library

Whichbook in action

YouSendIt

• Send large files easily

• Browser based

• Overcome email limitations

• Free and commercial versions

YouSendIt home page

Plugoo

• Plug a chatbox into your site/blog

• Links directly into your messenger

• Excellent for ‘Ask a librarian’ type service

• You have complete control over it

Me chatting to.... Me!

CopyTaste

• Create your own private URL with data

• Share with friends, colleagues, the world

• Include photos, video etc

• Easy way to collate data

Copytaste public pages

Flame

• Create wonderful flame/smoke type images

• Simple, easy and quick to create

• Beautiful!

• Sometimes just having fun is enough!

Netvibes for home/start pages

• Pull all your links and content together in one place

• Save time as data flows to you

• Add RSS feeds, create dashboards,

• Share, or keep private

An example Web 2.0 subject dashboard

Google searchstories

• Create 30 second stories around Google search

• Choose 7 searches, add music, you’re done

• Upload to YouTube

• Simple and easy to use

My UK General Election example

Slideshare

• Add your presentations

• Keep them private, make them public

• Create your own network

• Excellent for training, distributing

Tizmos

• Create a page of large thumbnails of resources

• Use as a start page, subject guide or trail

• Simple and easy to use

Search engines page example

Star Wars weather forecast

• Great fun if you like Star Wars, not so much if you don’t.

• A different answer to an obvious question

• Sometimes things are just fun

London weather, April 17

Tinychat

• Create a real time chat room in seconds

• Add video functionality to it

• Stream up to 12 people at once

• Make private video calls

Simple screenshot

TitsUp

• Checks to see if a site is down for everyone, or just a local problem

• Quick and easy

• It does what it does!

What it looks like:

Krunchd

• Quick way to share a lot of URLs

• Great for teaching, subject guidance, training

• Generate your own link

A worked example

ScreenToaster

• Free online screen recorder

• Works with a single click

• Add voice over

• Embed anywhere

What do you suggest?

• Takes an idea from you

• Uses Google to make suggestions on improving the search

• Interesting concept – useful for teaching search

Web 2.0 worked example

Web Seer to compare suggestions

• Choose two different things

• Compare the Google suggestions

• Quickly see similarities/differences

• Fun and educational all at once!

Zinepal

• Create printable PDFs and eBooks from any online content

• Quickly, easily produce your own material in a different format

• From blog, search results, website

UK General Election worked example

Glogster

• Poster yourself!

• Create online posters

• Incorporate text, images, music and video

Glogs related to ‘books’

Even more!

• If you found these interesting, you’ll probably find my other resources helpful:

• “I want to” is a collection of over 1,100 applications that help you do different things

• My “Web 2.0 weblog” which is updated most days with new resources.

Thanks

• You can contact me at philipbradley@gmail.com

• Or via my website at http://www.philb.com

• I’m happy to discuss working with you to update your staff or colleagues with tailor made courses on social media or internet search, from an hour to a day.