Documentation:Digital Toolbox
Digital Toolbox
This wiki is intended to be a instructor/student resource for innovative learning activities and assessments. The following are brief descriptions of digital tools that can be used to facilitate communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity for students. There are also links for instructors to aid in assessment and content dissemination.
- Note that some of the categories overlap (e.g. project management tools are used for collaboration and communication).
- Most of the links are free, however some require signing up to use the tool.
- Also note that some of the technology may be a barrier for digital immigrants, so it is suggested that many of the tools can be used as options for assignments.
Please feel free to add to this list, or email Kelly Warnock for any comments/questions: kwarnock@tru.ca
COMMUNICATION
Instructor and student and student and student communication tools.
• BlueJeans: video conferencing via any application. http://bluejeans.com/ ($)
• VoiceThread: Discussion board about images, where you can upload, share and discuss documents, presentations, images, audio files and videos. It is a cloud application, so there is no software to install. http://voicethread.com/ Here's an example: http://voicethread.com/#q+.b67978.i350123
• Skype: Video conferencing system. http://www.skype.com/en/.
• ooVoo: Online video chat for up to 12 people: http://www.oovoo.com/home.aspx
• Edmodo: Create an online classroom where students can connect, collaborate, share content, and access homework, grades and notices. http://www.edmodo.com/
• Group Tweet: Allow any number of contributors to Tweet from a group account safely and securely http://www.grouptweet.com/ ($)
COLLABORATION
Tools to facilitate co-construction of knowledge.
Project Management
• SharePoint: A project and team management tool. http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx
• Elluminate Live: A platform that includes video confere3ncing, chat, file transfer, notes, polling, screen capture, and whiteboard. http://www.elluminate.com/Services/Training/Elluminate_Live!/?id=418
• Blackboard Collaborate: A collaboration platform for virtual classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces. https://www.blackboard.com/platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx ($)
• Padlet (aka Wallwisher). An online group message board where you can post messages, videos, images, etc. http://padlet.com/
• Twiddla: Team whiteboarding: Browse websites in a shared, real-time whiteboard, while marking them up, sharing files, and chatting along. http://www.twiddla.com/ ($)
• Wiffiti: Interactive message board (via twitter, texting, or wiffiti.com). http://wiffiti.locamoda.com/ ($)
• Stormboard: Add ideas, photos, and videos to a shared online whiteboard. https://www.stormboard.com/
• Diigo: bookmark websites: https://www.diigo.com/
Social Networking:
• Ning: A customized platform for social networking. http://ca.ning.com ($)
• LinkedIn: A professional networking tool. http://ca.linkedin.com/
• Facebook: A social utility that connects people with friends and others who work , study and live around them. www.facebook.com/
• Elgg: A social networking engine for businesses, schools, universities and associations to create their own fully-featured social networks and applications. http://elgg.org
Wikis
• Wikispaces: http://www.wikispaces.com
• Mediawiki: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
• Wikia: http://www.wikia.com/Special:CreateNewWiki
• Wiki Spot: http://wikispot.org/create_a_wiki
Blogs / Websites:
• Wordpress: http://wordpress.com
• Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/
• Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
• Weebly: http://www.weebly.com
• Square Space: http://www.squarespace.com/#/ ($)
Research & Notes
• Open Study: A social learning network where students ask questions, give help, and connect with other students studying the same things. http://openstudy.com/
• Diigo: Collecting and organizing web notes. https://www.diigo.com/index ($)
• Google Keep: Note-taking system. http://googledrive.blogspot.ca
• Evernote: Jot down text, photos, web pages, etc.
• Delicious: A bookmarking application. https://delicious.com/
• Jog the Web: Allows anyone to create a synchronous guide to a series of web sites. http://www.jogtheweb.com/
• Corkboard It: Online collaborative message board. http://www.corkboard.it/
• Lino: Online sticky note / corkboard. http://en.linoit.com/
• NoteApp: Online message board. https://noteapp.com/
• Bibme: an online bibliography maker. Includes search engine and personal reference list. http://www.bibme.org/
Study Tools:
• Quizlet: Includes flashcards, speller, tests, matching, and other review games. Find topics or create your own material. http://quizlet.com/
• Flashcards: All of these sites allow users to create unlimited flashcards
o Flashcard Exchange: http://www.flashcardexchange.com/
o The Flashcard Machine http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
o Course Hero: http://www.coursehero.com/
o Study Blue: http://www.studyblue.com/
o Study Stack: http://www.studystack.com/
Ebooks:
• Read Print: Read and discuss books. http://www.readprint.com/
• My Ebook: Read or create your own ebooks. http://www.myebook.com/
CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM-SOLVING
Forums / Discussions
• Today’s Meet: Users create a room and present topics of discussion. http://todaysmeet.com/
• Canadian Content: A discussion forum to talk about Canadian politics. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/canadian-politics/
• Fresh Brain: Ask any question and get feedback. http://www.a.freshbrain.com/solvr/
Polls / Surveys
• Poll Everywhere: text a free poll and get instant feedback. http://www.polleverywhere.com/
• Survey Monkey: tools to create surveys, collect data, and analyze the results. https://www.surveymonkey.com/
• Flisti: Create a poll. No sign-up required. http://flisti.com/
• Dotvoting: Create a poll. No sign-up required.http://www.dotvoting.org/#HOME
• Socrative: Create a poll. Students can respond via any device with Internet. http://www.socrative.com/
• Fluid Surveys: http://fluidsurveys.com/
Timelines
• When in Time: Create, view, share interactive digital timelines. http://whenintime.com/
• Capzles: Timeline creation site with a great user interface as well as the ability to embed into a site.
• Time Rime: An excellent site with educational instance (great for teachers) that allows users to create multimedia timelines.
• TimeGlider : Great site that not only lets users create multimedia timelines butlegends as well. There is a "plus upgrade" in the works specifically for education. (FREE)
• Dipity: Create beautiful timelines with the ability to add video/pictures. http://www.dipity.com/
• Time Toast: A bullet point centered timeline w/ text and pictures.
• Preceden: A fun easy site to use to create interactive timelines. http://www.preceden.com/
• Office Timeline: To integrate into PowerPoint. http://www.officetimeline.com/
• Tiki-Toki: Create beautiful timelines. http://www.tiki-toki.com/ ($)
CREATIVITY
Student-generated content
Screen Recording, Video Recording, Presentation Development and Sharing
• Myspace: a social entertainment platform that allows users to share music, videos, etc. http://ca.myspace.com/#
• Creaza: create online mindmaps that include video and audio features. http://www.creazaeducation.com/this-is-creaza/Mindomo ($)
• Animoto: Share photos and videos online. http://animoto.com/ ($)
• Camtasia: record, edit and share high-quality screen video on the Web. http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html ($)
• Pachyderm: A web-based rich-media interactive presentation authoring and publishing system that focuses on nonlinear digital storytelling. http://pachyderm.nmc.org/ http://extension.oregonstate.edu/help/training/pachyderm
Slideshows
• Prezi: a non-linear presentation tool. http://prezi.com/
• Articluate: Interactive PowerPoints: http://www.articulate.com/ ($)
• Photopeach: A slideshow application that can be shared or embedded. http://photopeach.com/
Graphic Organizers
• Visio: a tool to create diagrams. http://visio.microsoft.com/en-us/pages/default.aspx ($)
• Cacoo: Create diagrams online real time collaboration. https://cacoo.com/
Photos / Graphics
• Gyazo: Grabs your screen shot for embedding and sharing. http://gyazo.com/
• Photoscape: http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php
• Photosynth (Microsoft) http://photosynth.net/
• Skitch: Can take notes or draw shapes on pictures. http://evernote.com/skitch/
• Pintrest: allows users to ‘pin’ or ‘like’ images that interest them http://m.pinterest.com/
• Letter Pop: Design & Publishing: http://www.letterpop.com/ ($)
• Gimp 2.8. A graphic and image editing application. http://www.gimp.org/
• Sumopaint. A graphics editing and production application. http://www.sumopaint.com/app/
• Paint.NET. A free image and photo editing application. http://www.getpaint.net/
Audio Tools
• Audacity: a free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds. http://audacity.sourceforge.net
• Soungle: A search engine for sound files http://www.soungle.com/
• Freesound: A database for Creative Commons Licensed sounds. http://www.freesound.org/
AV:
• Windows Movie Maker 2.6. The older version of Windows Movie Maker http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34
• iMovie 11. This application usually comes with your Mac OS 10 software. If your Mac does not have it you can purchase it at the link below ($14.99). http://www.apple.com/ca/ilife/imovie/
• YouTube Video Editor. YouTube provides an online video editor.http://www.youtube.com/editor
• HandBrake 0.9.8. This free software will transfer almost any video file type to the popular MP4 or M4V formats. http://handbrake.fr/
Review Games:
• Jeopardy: create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint. https://jeopardylabs.com/
Digital Storytelling:
• StoryBird: create, read, and share visual stories. http://storybird.com/
• Go! Animate: Make animated videos (school & business $$). http://goanimate.com/ ($)
• Comic Creators: o http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/ o http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
Mindmaps/Word Clusters:
• Word It Out: Generates word clouds. http://worditout.com/
• Wordle: Generates word clouds. http://www.wordle.net/
• Tagul: make a world cloud that highlights words http://tagul.com/