Video Creation/Editing--Animoto

Animoto claims to "turn your photos, video clips, and music into stunning video masterpieces to share with everyone. Fast, free, and shockingly easy!"  It's true!!

I used Animoto with 3rd-5th grade students for a booktrailer contest.  Students chose their favorite works of literature and created a short video enticing peers to checkout the books for a summer read.  Using Animoto was easy, and the kids did a great job.  It even gave us the chance to talk about copyright/fair use.  

The best booktrailers are linked to the district's book catalog so technically, these booktrailers could be seen by anyone in the world that has Internet access.  I highly recommend Animoto.  Of course, if you publish student work to the Internet, you must have parents/students sign a release.  

Wikis-Wikispaces

I just joined Wikispaces, followed the tutorial and began the first steps of setting up my educational wiki page.  The tutorial was easy to follow, and YouTube video instructions were helpful.  I still need to explore Wikispaces, but it seems like a great educational tool for students and teachers.

Website Creation--Jimdo

Jimdo is awesome.  I have tried other website creation pages, and Jimdo is by far the easiest.  After signing up for a free account, Jimdo sent emailed me my password within seconds. I went through a simple seven-step tutorial that allowed me to choose a custom design, add text, add photos and practice using the navigation tools.  I think students would find this site easy to navigate.  Give Jimdo a try: http://www.jimdo.com/index.php

Surveys and Polling--SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey( http://www.surveymonkey.com/) is free website that allows users to create surveys, collect responses and analyze results.  Of course users can also sign up for more complex plans that range from $17/month to $65/month.  People in our district use it all the time.  Other survey sites include PollDaddy and Pinnion.

Presentations--Sliderocket

Sliderocket is a quick and easy way to make an online presentation.  The basic version is free, and it didn't take long to figure it out.  If you're new to Sliderocket, make sure you check out "Get Inspiration" on the top tool bar.  Preview "Top Ten Presentations". The Girl Effect, a very powerful slide with embedded video, was my favorite.  Play around with Sliderocket.  You'll be using it for fun, school or work before you know it!

http://www.sliderocket.com

Presentation Sharing-SlideShare

SlideShare allows users to share presentations via the Internet.  Your published work can be viewed by the public or you can mark it as private. You can also share your presentation via email, Facebook or Twitter.  Many non-profit organizations use SlideShare.  In fact, I noticed that The PEW Research Center has SlideShare presentations embedded into many of their published studies.  SlideShare is also a great tool for teachers and students.

Phone-Apps--Appolicious

Appolicious is DELICIOUS!  Appolicious is a website that allows users to find and suggest the best apps out there.  Site users can browse apps by category.  You can also see recommendations, Apps in the news, Hot Apps and Apps that are on sale.  If you join Appolicious, you can write reviews and connect with people that share your interests.  Check it out!

http://www.appolicious.com/