CMC Tools

There are a HUGE number of online tools that are potentially useful for us as language educators.  Some (e.g. websites like mylanguageexchange.com) are specifically designed for aiding language learning.  However, the vast majority are "neutral" online tools that we, as teachers, may use to enhance language learning if we are creative.   Professors Sadler and Dooly provide a PARTIAL list below of some tools that may be useful.

Some of you might select one of these tools for your Technical Review assignment as part of this course.  However, keep in mind that this is just a small selection.  We STRONGLY encourage you to explore--go beyond this list and discover a new tool that you can share with your classmates (and professors!).  These tools are listed in no particular order, and you'll notice that we give no hints as to how you might use them.   Many of them are free, and some have free trials.  Explore and consider the possibilities!
Please note:  I don't have any apps on this list (though some of these have apps) so feel free to check out your favorite phone/pad app store as well!!

Planning

  • Bubbl.us:  http://www.bubbl.us  Create  mind-­‐maps    either    on    your    own    or    collaborating    with    others    (free)    
  • Evernote: http://www.evernote.com  Collect  all    of    your    ideas,    experiences,    thoughts    and    memories    into    an    always-­‐accessible    place    (free)  
  • Gliffy: http://www.gliffy.com/  Online  diagram    software.    Create    professional-­‐looking    flowcharts, diagrams,  floor    plans    and    technical    drawings    (free)
  • Scribblar: http://www.scribblar.com/  Designed    for    creative,    real-­‐time    collaboration.    Users    can    collaborate    on the  creation    and    editing    of    images,    drawings    or    even    mathematical equations  (free)
  • Spicynodes: http://www.spicynodes.org/  Allows  you    to    create    mindmaps    or    organizational    charts    with    bits    of    information    —    such    as    text,    links,    photos,    and    other    media    —    placed    into    “nodes,”    which    are    then    linked    together.    You    can    then    embed    them    into    websites,    blogs    and  wikis    (free)
  •  Titanpad:  http://titanpad.com  Lets  people    work    on    one    document    simultaneously.    Good for collaborative    teaching   and   learning     tasks  (free)    
Sharing information

  • 4Shared:  http://www.4shared.com/    
  • An online storage site allowing you to upload and share music, photos, video and documents (free 10GB)
  • Dropbox :  http://www.getdropbox.com/    
  • An easy way to store, sync, and, share files online.        
  • Box.net:  https://www.box.net
  • Online file storage where you can manage and share content with your colleagues or students (free 5GB)  
  • Piratepad   –  http://piratepad.net/    
  • Work  collaboratively online via a simple text editor updated and shared in real time    
  • DivShare:  http://www.divshare.com/
  • A tool on the web for storing and sharing your media and documents (free 5GB)    
Communicating
  • Padlet:  http://padlet.com  
  • An online noticeboard maker where anyone can place messages or other media on the screen.  Good for group instructions and collaboration (free)
  • Tinychat:  http://tinychat.com    
  • Allows you to videochat online with up to 12 people in a room with HQ video at once.  Protected by passwords and moderators, you can even share your desktop or record the conference and embed it in your website or wiki (free)
  • Vocaroo:  http://vocaroo.com/  
  • This simple website allows you to record your voice and email it or post it online for others to listen to. (free)
  • Voxopop:  http://www.voxopop.com  
  • A bit like a messageboard, but using voice rather than text.  You can set up a private talk group and help students develop their speaking skills.  Great for language activities (free)
Presentations (e.g. get to know each other)

  • 280 Slides:  http://280slides.com    Create PowerPoint-style presentations online (free)
  • Animoto:  http://animoto.com/business/education Creates a quality slideshow from your uploaded photos and videos (free education license available)   
  • AuthorSTREAM:  http://www.authorstream.com Allows you to publish and share your PowerPoint presentations as video.
  • Capzles:  http://www.capzles.com/    Create rich multimedia storylines by combining your photos, videos, blogs, and audio (free)
  • mailVU:  http://mailvu.com/    Provides the ability to record a video email at any time and send it to recipients where they can open it at any time (free)
  • Prezi:  http://prezi.com  A web 2.0 applications that allows you to create stunning visual presentations by zooming in, out, and around a large, flat canvas or workspace (free)
  • Voki:  http://www.voki.com Allows you to create personalized speaking avatar and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages.  Great for teaching languages.
Manipulating Images

  • Pixlr:  http://apps.pixlr.com/editor An online tool (and now downloadable program) that allows for excellent photo editing and manipulation.  Strongly recommended if you don’t to spend the money on Adobe Photoshop (the gold (expensive!) standard in photo editing) (Pixlr = free)
  • BeFunky:  http://www.befunky.com   Get creative with your photos using many fun and simple photo editing effects (free)
  • Big Huge Labs:  http://bighugelabs.com/flickr  Create puzzles, movie posters, magazine covers, calendars, badges and more from your photos.
  • Fotobabble:  http://www.fotobabble.com  Add your voice to photos and customized slide-shows.  
  • ImageChef:  http://www.imagechef.com  Allows you to create custom images by combining text, symbols, and photos using a variety of online templates (free)   
  • PhotoPeach:  http://www.photopeach.com Easy to use slideshow creator. Supports background music, captions, and comments (free)
  • PhotoSynth:  http://photosynth.net  A Microsoft web application that takes your photos, mashes them together, and recreates a 3D scene out of them that anyone can view and move around in.  Windows only.  (free)
  • Picture2Life:  http://www.picture2life.com Online image editor which also  allows you to edit photos, create collages, and animated gifs (free)  
  • Slideshare:  http://www.slideshare.net Upload and share your PowerPoint presentations (free)
  • Tagul:  http://www.tagul.com A follow-on from Wordle (http://www.wordle.net) that allows you to create customizable word or tag clouds which can be embedded into blogs and wikis (free)
  • Tagxedo:  http://www.tagxedo.com Following Wordle’s idea of creating visually stunning, customizable word clouds.  Tagxedo, however, allows for greater customization of the final cloud—shape, and file format output (free)
  • Tumblr:  http://www.tumblr.com   A simplified blogging platform that allows you to share anything online.  Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from your browser, desktop, email, or phone.

Technology enhancers
  • Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net Excellent audio software to record or install sounds to your computer and edit them afterwards.  (free)
  • Audio Expert:  http://www.audioexpert.com A free and simple online audio editor, file converter, and sound recorder.
  • Camtasia Studio:  http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html A professional-level screen recorder with a full complement of editing tools.   Allows for the creation of seamless and professional tutorials and movies, complete with quizzes.
  • Camstudio:  http://camstudio.org  A  desktop application that allows you to record your computer screen (free for limited recordings)
  • Gimp: http://www.gimp.org An excellent open source image manipulation tool   
  • Jamendo: http://www.jamendo.com/en  A community of free, legal, and unlimited music published under Creative Commons Licenses.
  • Screenr:  http://screenr.com An online tool that allows you to record what is happening on your screen and share it other via twitter, blogs, or embed it on your website.  Great for online tutorials.  (free) 
  • Screentoaster:  http://www.screentoaster.com Another online screen recorder that allows you to capture and share what is happening on your computer screen (free)
  • Voicethread:  http://voicethread.com A collaborative, multimedia slide show where people can add comments online.  Store images, documents, videos, and audio files (limited free educator account)
Creating together
  • Bitstrips:  http://www.bitstrips.com Make your own comic with this web 2.0 tool (free)      
  • Domo:  http://domo.goanimate.com  Create animations which can be embedded into blogs, wikis, and other websites.  Primary aged.  (free)
  • Embedit.in:  http://embedit.in  Upload and embed documents into blogs or other websites.   
  • Facebook:  http://facebook.com   Yup, you know this one.  Should it be used in the classroom? (free)
  • Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com   Popular online photo management and sharing application (free)
  • Flipsnack:  http://www.flipsnack.com    Will quickly convert uploaded PDF documents into a cool virtual magazine with flipping pages.
  • Issuu:  http://issuu.com  Issuu is another tool where students can upload almost any document format and create a virtual flip book.
  • Glogster:  http://www.glogster.com Create unique media-rich interactive posters which can be shared online or embedded into wikis (free)  
  • Go!Animate:  http://goanimate.com   Make your own animated characters and create animated comic strips and cartoons (free).
  • iPadio:  http://www.ipadio.com/default.asp    Broadcast from any phone to the Internet live.  Create phone blogs and let others know what you are thinking (free)
  • Kerpoof:  http://www.kerpoof.com Owned by Disney, Kerpoof allows children to draw, tell stories, create cartoon and animations, and much more (free)
  • Make Beliefs Comix:  http://makebeliefscomix.com   Create comic strips online (free) 
  • Museum Box:  http://museumbox.e2bn.org Tools to build up an argument or description of an event, person, or historical period by placing items in a virtual box. (free)
  • My Award Maker:  http://www.myawardmaker.com/templates/education.html     Create your own awards to hand out to your students (free)
  • Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com  An online pin board.  Organize and share things you love.
  • Scratch:  http://scratch.mit.edu Create and share your own interactive stories, games, music, and art
  • SketchUp:  http://sketchup.google.com  A desktop application from Google that allows teachers or students to create and share stunning 3D models.
  • Smilebox:  http://www.smilebox.com Create e-cards, scrapbooks, slideshows, invitations, photo albums and more.  Over 1,000 templates (free premium subscription for teachers)
  • Stripgenerator:  http://stripgenerator.com A cartoon strip generator (manga)
  • Storyjumper:  http://www.storyjumper.com    Create stories and books which can be printed as hardback..    
  • TikaTock:  http://www.tikatok.com    Let’s you make online books. 
  • Timeglider:  http://timeglider.com    Allows you to create timelines which you can zoom in and out from and span from hours to centuries.  Interesting for looking at the history of a country or language.
  • Toondoo:  http://www.toondoo.com    Create your own comic characters and comic strips (free for basic features only)
  • UJAM:  http://www.ujam.com  A cloud-based platform that empowers you to easily create new music and share it with friends (free)  
  • Wordle:  http://www.wordle.net  The original tag cloud creator.  Allows users to create customizable word clouds from any text with the most prominent words highlighted via size.  (free)
  • Zimmer Twins:  http://www.zimmertwins.com A website devoted to children and creative storytelling.  Children can create and share their own animated stories.  (free)    
More tools:  Uncategorized

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