Tools and Resources relating to: Raise Awareness

  • XR Access: Virtual, Augmented, & Mixed Reality for People with Disabilities - XR Access is a research consortium dedicated to fostering and leading a community that prioritizes creating, sharing, and learning about XR and accessibility endeavors. Their mission is to adapt current technologies and envision future technologies that put accessibility first while sharing informative resources to bring awareness to the lack of accessibility in the XR field. On their site, you will find a plethora of projects, research, and resources related to their goals, as well as information about upcoming events hosted by the organization.   XR Access: Virtual, Augmented, & Mixed Reality for People with Disabilities
  • SUNY Create - SUNY provides students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to register a domain name and create a digital presence through various mediums such as blogs, portfolios, and wikis. You can easily install open source applications such as WordPress, MediaWiki, Drupal, Scalar, and Omeka to your own domain, and use this space to create your digital identity and express your creativity. (Note: SUNY Create is only available to SUNY students, faculty, and staff. Check with your own institution to determine if similar platforms might exist that you can take advantage of if you are not affiliated with SUNY.)   SUNY Create Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Qualtrics - Qualtrics is web-based software that allows the user to create surveys and generate reports. Qualtrics enables you to do using a variety of distribution means.   Qualtrics Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Survey Monkey - Surveymonkey is an online survey site that simplifies the survey process considerably. In the survey design phase, Surveymonkey offers 17 formats for asking questions (multiple choice, true false, open-ended, etc).   Survey Monkey Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Active Learning Immersive Scenario Games in Teaching & Learning: Escape Rooms – College of Charleston - Escape rooms represent the lion's share of these types of games that are currently being deployed in education, corporate training, and libraries.  An escape room is part theater, part team-building exercise, and all about solving puzzles and interpreting clues within the context of a theme or subject area. “The most literal definition of an escape room is a game which requires players to escape from imprisonment by exploiting their surroundings.”1 Educational escape rooms or games have applied this concept to engage students within a particular subject matter. The educational escape room concept is basically an organized form of problem-based learning that uses aspects of the curriculum within the context of an engaging scenario or theme. The format of most educational escape rooms takes the form of students trying to get into a series of locked boxes rather than necessarily trying ...
  • TED-Ed - TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning — from producing a growing library of original animated videos, to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 650,000 teachers. TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students around the world every week.   Ted-Ed
  • Equity Unbound - Equity Unbound is an emergent, collaborative curriculum which aims to create equity-focused, open, connected, intercultural learning experiences across classes, countries and contexts. Equity Unbound is for learners and/or educators at all levels (e.g. undergraduate, postgraduate, professional development) who are interested in exploring digital literacies with an equity and intercultural learning focus, in an open and connected learning environment.   Equity Unbound
  • List of image galleries to promote accurate and equitable representation - This downloadable document contains a list of image galleries that promote accurate and equitable representation. On the list, you will find some galleries dedicated to specific populations (or combinations of populations), such as women, people of color, people from LGBTQIA+ communities, people with diverse abilities, people of different ages, and more! Created by Kevin Kelly, EdD, in support of the Peralta Community College District Equity Initiative. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA)   List of image galleries to promote accurate and equitable representation   Keywords: Diversity, Inclusion
  • Moovly | Online Video Editor - Moovly is an easy-to-use solution for the creation of videos. This online platform can be used to create animated videos, video presentations, and other multimedia content without being an expert. Create your own videos using a simple, library-based drag and drop interface.   Moovly | Online Video Editor
  • Lumen5 - Lumen5 is a video creation platform powered by A.I. that enables anyone without training or experience to easily create engaging video content.   Lumen5
  • Spot-the-Troll Quiz - The Spot-The-Troll quiz is an educational tool created by Clemson University Media Forensics Hub to help the public learn to spot the markers of inauthenticity in social media accounts. Can you spot a troll?   Spot-the-Troll Quiz
  • Wideo - Create stunning videos and presentations using templates. Templates are a great way to craft fast and awesome videos and we thought up a very simple editor that you can use to create videos for your company quickly. Wideo
  • Guide to Digital Security & Privacy – Consumer Reports - Consumer Reports believes digital innovation brings many benefits to consumers. But that innovation also carries new threats to personal privacy and data security. In our nationally representative CR Consumer Voices Survey, 65 percent of Americans told us they are either slightly or not at all confident that their personal data is private and not distributed without their knowledge. To help you navigate the complexities, this guide highlights risks, solutions—and easy-to-follow tips to protect you and your family.\   Guide to Digital Security & Privacy - Consumer Reports
  • NASA Citizen Science Project - NASA has many numbers of projects that require the collaboration of the citizens to solve the various problems lying under the various projects. The projects comprise the various types of participation depends on the given problem. Some projects require only analytical skills and you can collaborate on those projects by just sitting at your home, whereas some projects require your experimental skill through some outdoor activities. The projects are categorized under the various topics given below: 1.) Universe – Planet hunting, Planet patrol, Backyard planet detection, etc. 2.) Solar system – Astronomical search, Targeting asteroids, Detecting stardust, Detecting disks, etc. 3.) Space experiment – Going beyond earth 4.) Sun – Sungrazer project, Aurorasourus, etc. 5.) Earth – Floating forest, Landslide reporter, Community snow observation, etc. In most of the projects, you just require to join the project and collaborate with the other participants in the project by following some instructions and help the community to achieve the aim ...
  • IT Security Basics Course – Indiana University - Everyone should have a clear understanding of IT security basic skills, in today's world where our digital lives and connections are increasing constantly. Enroll in the IT Security Basics online course to learn 10 simple and effective skills, habits, and tools to stay safe online. This short, user-friendly course also includes an opportunity to earn an achievement certificate by passing the course's Final Exam.   IT Security Basics Course - Indiana University
  • Checkology | The News Literacy Project - Checkology® Virtual Classroom can help educators, students, and anyone learn how to tell the difference between fact and fiction. Checkology | The News Literacy Project
  • Critical Media Literacy Library Guide – UCLA Libraries - This guide has many free resources to help learn skills to become a critical media literacy consumer and is created and maintained by the  University of California Libraries. Critical Media Literacy Library Guide - UCLA Libraries  
  • COPING WITH COVID: Mental Health and Coping Support – Center for Wellness and Counseling, Augsburg University - This site has a large collection of resources to help you cope with difficult times. Topics include: Understanding How the Pandemic is Affecting You Free Coping Resources Coping Skills for the Pandemic Social Support During the Pandemic Mental Health and the Pandemic Resources for Working from Home Other Resources Counseling Phone / Text SupportCOVID Health Information Health Care Further resources for the uninsured Financial Support Resources   COPING WITH COVID: Mental Health and Coping Support - Center for Wellness and Counseling, Augsburg University
  • GCF LearnFree.org – Internet Safety Course - Staying safe online is essential in today's world. Use these Internet safety tips to keep yourself and your loved ones protected. This site shares a number of Google search strategies and tips created by the Goodwill Community Foundation (GFC) Global to get you started on your quest to find new things to learn about.  This link connects you with a brief tutorial on searching better with Google. Exploring the site will bring you to multiple resources. For example: Internet safety is the focus @ Internet Safety - GCFLearnFree.org The dashboard presents many topical choices beyond searching @ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/search-better-2018/ A YouTube Playlist of the videos in this course is also available. Topics include: Creating Strong Passwords Spam and Phishing How to Avoid Malware Understanding Browser Tracking Social Media Privacy Basics What To Do if Your Computer Gets a Virus   GCF LearnFree.org - Internet Safety Course Keywords: digital literacy, lifelong learning
  • How To Start A Podcast: A Complete Step-By-Step Tutorial - This guide from PodcastInsights walks you through how to start a podcast. Starting a podcast isn’t difficult, but there are a number of steps you’ll need to go through in order to get it launched. This podcasting tutorial walks you through every step of the process including: Choosing a topic & name Show and episode format Cover art creation Intro & outro music Equipment selection Audio recording & editing Submission to Apple Podcasts (iTunes) Promotion tips And much more…   How To Start A Podcast: A Complete Step-By-Step Tutorial
  • ResearchGate - ResearchGate is a collaboration tool you can use to connect with other researchers. You can learn about new research and post your new research by following and being followed by other researchers in your field. It a good way to know about recent publications and who is working in your field. You can also ask questions and experts can post answers to questions.   ResearchGate
  • Medium - Medium is a publishing platform with a social twist. The platform has 120 million readers that are able to directly follow the publisher or the writer they want and read their articles. The platform encourages writers from all over the world to become a member and publish on its platform. The social aspect of the platform makes it easy for readers to follow the writers. The more followers you have, more widely your work will get published. The writers can also choose to publish freely or for a fee. This management is done by the Medium platform that has either free membership of paid membership with only the paid members able to view materials that demand fees.   Medium
  • Testmoz - Testmoz is a tool for creating online tests. It is easy to use and has a free version. You can create a test without logging in. The paid version gives you the opportunity to create a bank of items from which to automatically generated individual tests for each student.   Testmoz Testmoz Introduction Video  
  • Hoax or Fact - Hoax or Fact is an attempt to spread knowledge and wisdom. To bring out the truths and facts behind all kinds of online rumors and hoax messages. The people, at Hoax or Fact, research, and analysis of various online issues in-depth, so as to put a check on all kinds of online spammers, thus preventing their unfair motives. They thrive to encourage healthy wisdom. Their main goal is to educate Internet users by exposing all kinds of scams, viruses, deceptions, misconceptions, misbeliefs, and unfair hoaxes and rumors. This way, they educate, alert, and save the internet users from unwanted dangers and frauds online. They also provide necessary safety measures and tips to avoid any kind of damage from these online hoax messages.   Hoax or Fact
  • OpenWHO - OpenWHO is the World Health Organization's new interactive platform that offers online courses to people preparing to work in epidemics, pandemics and health emergencies or already doing so. The OpenWHO platform delivers WHO’s and partners’ expertise closer to where it is needed and provides information in user-friendly formats for frontline responders and decision-makers. The platform is managed by the Learning and Capacity Development unit in the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. Users take part in a worldwide, social learning network that is based on interactive, online courses and materials covering a variety of subjects. OpenWHO also serves as a forum for the fast sharing of public health expertise and in-depth discussion and feedback on key issues.   OpenWho
  • Google Analytics - Google Analytics is one of the most popular digital analytics software. It is Google’s free web analytics service that allows you to analyze in-depth detail about the visitors on your website which provides valuable insights that can help you to shape the success strategy of your business. Today, almost all the businesses have an online presence through a website. Therefore, it becomes very important for you to learn the inner structure of your site to see whether it is accomplishing its purpose or not. For this, you need to know the details of what people do when they visit your website, how long they stay and what all pages do they visit on your website. Irrespective of whether you are e-commerce website or an informative blog, you would definitely want to understand and study the behavior of your visitors to deliver better results. Google Analytics
  • Animaker - Animaker is an online do-it-yourself (#DIY) animation video maker that brings studio quality presentations within everyone's reach. The software is cloud-based, and was launched in 2014. It allows users to create animated videos using pre-built characters and templates. In 2017, Animaker became the first tool to launch an animated vertical video creator. In February 2015 the software was officially launched based on a freemium model that allowed users a free account option.   Animaker
  • GraphicSprings - A logo maker application that enables non-designers to create beautiful logos, whether that's for an entrepreneurial venture, school project, presentation or charitable cause. Another element available in the online interface is the ability to design graphics to use for digital badges (like the badges used in #EmTechMOOC).   GraphicSprings How to Edit Logo Graphic - this how-to video shows how users can easily edit graphics How to Edit Logo Text - this how-to video shows how users can customize their name and slogan        
  • Teachly - Teachly, developed at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS),  is a platform designed to help educators create a more effective and inclusive classroom to provide insight into teaching to be able to work towards providing an equitable learning space for all.   Teachly
  • Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) - The Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) is a web-based program designed for use in higher education to promote SMARTER Teamwork prepares students to function effectively in teams and supports faculty as they manage their students' group and team experiences. As an instructor, CATME can help you to: Gather information from students and provide feedback to students. Understand their student teams’ processes, team-members’ contributions, and students’ perspectives on their experience. Be aware of problems occurring in their students’ teams. Hold students accountable for contributing to their teams. Use best practices when managing student team experiences. Note: Creating a CATME account and testing the system is free for all users. Otherwise, there is a licensing fee for using this service. Instructors can create and modify surveys for free using CATME's Student Test Files.    Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME)
  • What is a Cognitive Tool for Learning? - The idea of a cognitive tool or 'mind tool' was popularized in the 1990s by David Jonassen. It explains that not all educational technologies are beneficial for learning. According to this concept, only educational technologies that help us learn more deeply than before are beneficial. Definition We usually think of an educational technology as a cognitive tool if it supports higher-order cognition. It is contrasted to an educational technology that does not do anything to support higher-order cognition. Examples For example, a calculator might take the full cognitive load of a multiplication task from a student, thereby not supporting cognition but rather making us 'think less'. By contrast, a spreadsheet or mind map may be a tool that helps us think more deeply about a topic. It will help us sort and organize our thoughts so that we can develop theories and deeper understandings ...
  • Survey Anyplace - Free online survey tool for students and teachers. Also build quizzes, assessments, and calculators. There are plenty of survey tools out there. But to really make the most out of those tools, you’ll need a paying version. Not with Survey Anyplace, students and teachers are offered a professional license.   Survey Anyplace
  • Paywall: The Business of Scholarship - This full-length (1 hr.) documentary focuses on the need for open access to research and science, questions the rationale behind the $25.2 billion a year that flows into for-profit academic publishers, examines the 35-40% profit margin associated with the top academic publisher Elsevier and looks at how that profit margin is often greater than some of the most profitable tech companies like Apple, Facebook and Google. This film is free to view both in personal and public venues with a CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons license.   Paywall: The Business of Scholarship   Keywords: Creative Commons, Copyright, Open Educational Resource (OER)
  • VEED - VEED is a simple video editor with a bunch of great features such as Trim, Crop, Add Text, Add Subtitles/Captions, Add Stickers, and much more. VEED works directly in the browser and does not require download any software. An additional feature is that VEED can turn a podcast into a video by simply adding artwork to the podcast. VEED also adds an animated waveform as well. This function allows you to share podcasts on social media since most social media channels are not able to natively share audio-only podcasts.   VEED
  • HitFilm - Video editing and all the power you need to make something cool. Free starter software, HitFilm, is perfect for beginners, film students, and YouTubers.   HitFilm   Keywords: video editing
  • A Rising Tide: How Closed Captions Can Benefit All Students - Closed captioning is higher education is generally geared toward students with some kind of disabilities. However, regardless of having any disability, studies suggest that most students in today's colleges and universities use closed captions at least some of the time, among whom about 90 percent find them at least moderately helpful for learning. Specific ways in which closed captions can aid learning include comprehension, accuracy, engagement, and retention.   A Rising Tide: How Closed Captions Can Benefit All Students   Keywords: accessibility, captions
  • 7 Things You Should Know About Open Textbook Publishing – EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) - With the ever rising cost of education, the textbook price is also rising. The open educational resources model has surfaced as a response to this problem and to meet the increasing demand of high-quality learning materials. Open textbooks can be offered by commercial publishers or found in open repositories. Open resources can promote active learning through student interaction with the text, particularly when they contribute to authorship. Although open textbooks face questions about the accuracy and reliability of their content, they allow higher education instructors to design content for their courses on an as-needed basis, choosing from an array of books, articles, videos, audio recordings, and readings. This EDUCAUSE resource provides concise information about OERs. The 7 Things You Should Know About... series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and ...
  • Populr.me - Populr.me can be used for social media, business, education, or many other uses. Build websites with templates for networking, sales, marketing, etc. Drop in text, video, pictures, embeds.  Upgrade for additional features, or keep it free.  Great for building interactive syllabi, professional profiles, ePortfolios, and other online information.   Populr.me   Keywords: web editing, websites
  • Answer Garden - A tool that can be used for real-time classroom brainstorming or online homework. Can be used in the classroom, for professional development, creativity and more. Results can be displayed in a visual Wordcloud format with the most often used responses showing in relatively larger text-size. AnswerGarden   Keywords: response, polling, wordcloud, audience response, classroom response
  • SurfSafe - Defend the internet. Bring the world to the Internet without false news. If you see something that is false, report it! Supercharge your browser to catch fake news! SurfSafe is protecting users from misleading, photoshopped, and fake news throughout the Internet. The extension marks the level of safety of an image or article on the corners. Never again will you be misled by photoshopped images scattered throughout the Internet. You can also decide which organizations to base the truth off of. Add the extension to Chrome for free!   SurfSafe
  • Open Education Group - The Open Education Research Group is supported by a group at Bringham Young University conducts research to measure the impact of OER use. The Open Education Group site's tagline is, "socially responsive research that concretely improves society." The site also shares stories about how OERs are used in the "real world." The scenarios are great starting points for faculty to think of ways to integrate OERs into their courses, going beyond providing a catalog of OER materials. Ideas are presented through this site as concrete examples of how OER-enabled pedagogy can be implemented in real-world instructional scenarios. The OER Adoption Impact Calculator is another great resource available through this site to calculate how much an individual course, program, or institution might potentially save by adopting OER.   Open Education Group   Keywords: lessons
  • RealtimeBoard - A simple whiteboard platform for cross-functional team collaboration. Data, images, spreadsheets, tasks, graphics, videos and more. The Realtime Board combines all of these parts in one place to allow teams or the entire organization to collaborate with each other. There are plenty of collaboration possibilities. Agile & Lean, Action plan, Strategy & Management, Kanban board, Meeting organizer, User story mapping, Gantt chart, Milestone chart, Retrospective, Product Management, Business model canvas, Persona, Product backlog, Six thinking hats, Random words, Empathy map, Timeline, Mindmap, UX & Design, Sitemap, Affinity diagram, Ideation, Wireframing, Lean UX. The image below visually shows just a few of the examples of how this tool can help to visually organize your ideas and processes. RealtimeBoard    Keywords: whiteboard
  • Med-Tech Innovation News - This website is the UK and Ireland leading publication for medical design and manufacturing technology and innovation. Their expert editorial team brings together daily news, technical content, analysis, case studies and high-profile interviews with industry experts and thought leaders. Med-Tech Innovation News provides intelligence for professionals involved in the design and production of Class I, II & III medical engineering and manufacturing community with the latest innovations in technology, materials, processes, digital health, and R&D.   Med-Tech Innovation News   Keywords: Blogs, Digital Literacy, Lifelong Learning, Resource Library  
  • SAMR Model - The SAMR model, developed by Ruben Puentedura, is a theoretical framework for scaffolding technology integration into education. The video below describes SAMR (Substitution - Augmentation - Modification - Redefinition) and introduces you to the model. The Emerging Ed Tech website provides a few Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle. This SAMR Wakelet collection created by Nell Eckersley is another great resource to learn more. SAMR Model   (Video length: 2 minutes)   Keywords: 3D, Audio, Collaboration, Mobile Apps
  • AllTrails - Use the AllTrails App to record the trails you explore. It's a hiking/walking/exploring community which use the App module to connect people together and helping people record their exploring experience. In addition, there are over 50,000 trails that already exist that have photos and reviews which have been added by the community of users.   AllTrails Keywords: Mobile Apps
  • TED Talks - TED Talks: ideas worth spreading include talks from speakers from a variety of backgrounds who provide thought-provoking presentations about a wide variety of topics. The short TED Talk videos average 10 to 18 minutes. This is a powerful tool for life long learning. The talks are given by people from all walks of life who share insights about a wide variety of topics.   TED Talks   5 Benefits Of Watching Ted Talks   Keywords: Lifelong Learning, Video  
  • Blogger - Blogger is a popular blogging platform run by Google. It is a blog-publishing service that allows multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. Although there are more complex blogging tools available, the combination of cost (free) and flexibility makes Blogger an attractive option, whether you’re updating friends and family about your life, hosting your own advice column, or discussing political views. Your blog can have multiple contributors or you only. Generally, the blogs are hosted by Google at a subdomain of blogspot.com. You can also use Blogger to make podcast feeds.   Blogger   Blogger Help Page - This is the Blogger Help page put together by Google.   Keywords: Blogs, ePortfolios, Websites Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers - This electronic book helps readers learn how to fact-check claims made on the Internet on a variety of topics. Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers   The author, Michael Caulfield, also has a companion blog: Four moves   Keywords: Copyright, Creative Commons, Digital Literacy, Lifelong Learning, Media, Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access, Searching
  • YouTube - Get started with YouTube, playing, watching, and creating videos. YouTube is a video-sharing site available in nearly every country and over fifty different languages. Anyone with an Internet connection can share content, whether they are organizations with large budgets or an individual with a video camera. The material is organized into channels and users can create their own private channels. YouTube is an extremely large platform that allows people to upload videos to the internet to inform, entertain, and share things with people around the world. Although many people think of YouTube as an entertainment-based website, the number of educational videos are innumerable. You can teach yourself almost any skill by watching Youtube videos. Youtube is a very useful tool to not only learn things but also to network with other people. So many people have connected through similar interests on Youtube. ...
  • Vimeo - Vimeo is a popular video sharing site. Anyone can upload a video to this site for free, by signing up for the Vimeo basic membership package that offers video storage and privacy settings. Vimeo hosts videos in the highest quality possible. You can upload 4K Ultra HD quality, video management tools, no ads before, during, or after your videos, and professional live streaming plans. With Vimeo, you can use powerful editing tools made for creators and brands, review videos with collaborators, drive engagement, and embed anywhere. It is possible to easily see how your videos are performing. You can also find quality videos created by others.   Vimeo   Vimeo Help Center - Help in several main areas and a search bar. Vimeo help on Uploading your videos 5 Reasons to Host Videos on Vimeo Instead of YouTube - Compares Vimeo and youtube for hosting videos.   Keywords: Audio, ...
  • Windows Movie Maker - If you are using Windows 10, you can use this free video editor and slideshow maker app. Use it to easily create video stories and share them with your colleagues, students, friends, and family. Transform everyday moments into works of art as you want. There is easy to use professional editing tools. Users can trim and merge video, write subtitles, add stickers, choose a theme, and insert transitions between videos. .MOV and .MP4 support is now available. NOTE: Microsoft no longer supports MovieMaker; however, you can still download software that works similarly to the original. The version linked to below is a free version but there are advanced features only after paying for the Pro version. There are sites that provide non-free versions and also versions that pass along viruses. Proceed with caution!    Windows Movie Maker   Windows Movie Maker Software Tutorials - Tutorials for ...
  • WeVideo – Collaborative Online Video Editor in the Cloud - WeVideo is the online video editor that makes it easy to capture, create, view and share your movies at up to 4K resolution for playback anywhere. Videos can be uploaded easily from DropBox, and edited online from multiple devices.   WeVideo   Review: WeVideo is a cloud-based video editor that makes editing in your browser fun and simple - An easy-to-read description of how this tool works. The Video Marketing Best Practices You Need To Know - This site offers a free download for the book, "Tips For Creating The 6 Most Common Business Videos"   Keywords: Presentations, Productivity Tools, Recording, Social Media, Video
  • iNaturalist - The iNaturalist app helps you upload citizen science observations of plants and animals to the iNaturalist.org online community for naturalists as well as other members of the iNaturalist network such as NaturaLista.mx in Mexico. You can: record observations with photos and GPS locations; explore observations from around the world; keep track of updates from people you follow.   iNaturalist   Getting started with iNaturalist - This page explains how to get started with iNaturalist and offers a wealth of resources, including video tutorials and a teacher's guide.   Keywords: Virtual Labs
  • Facebook - Facebook is a well-known and free to use social networking platform. Utilizing Facebook can help you connect, share and market to people. User groups based on common interests, workplace, and more can provide you new methods to communicate. Now very often seen in news media, Facebook and other social media platforms are commonly used to give voice to social issues, customize marketing on an individual level, and further the spread of both news and fake news.   Facebook   Facebook tutorial - This tutorial will walk you through the set-up process, available features through the privacy settings and controls, essential to any social media platform. Branding in the age of social media - Learn more about branding yourself via social media from this Harvard Business Review article.   Keywords: Collaboration, Digital Footprint/Identity, Media, Social Media
  • Twitter - Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Users access Twitter through its website interface or its mobile-device application software ("app"), though the service could also be accessed via SMS before April 2020. Tweets were originally restricted to 140 characters but was doubled to 280 in November 2017. Audio and video tweets remain limited to 140 seconds for most accounts. Twitter is a some-to-many microblogging service, given that the vast majority of tweets are written by a small minority of users. - from Wikipedia First reactions and breaking news flood Twitter as soon as they happen. With only a limited number of characters per tweet, Twitter users need to be brief and meaningful when composing. Official hashtags make conference tweeting is yet another ...
  • Google Sites - Google Sites is a structured wiki- and Web page-creation tool offered by Google as part of the G Suite productivity suite. The goal of Google Sites is for anyone to be able to create a team-oriented site where multiple people can collaborate and share files.   Google Sites   Sites Help - Information on creating, editing, previewing, sharing, publishing, and managing your Google site. 20/20 HindSITE: Best Practices for Google Sites - This site illustrates how organizations are using Google Sites, and includes a wealth of resources and tools.   Keywords: GoogleSites, Digital Footprint/Identity, Publishing, Websites, Wikis Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Wix - Wix.com is a cloud-based web development platform that was first developed and popularized by the Israeli company also called Wix. It allows users to create HTML5 web sites and mobile sites through the use of online drag and drop tools.   Wix   Wix Help Center - This site has many articles organized into twenty topics plus several trending topics. There is also an opportunity to search. Landing pages 101 - Landing pages are an important marketing tool. This site focuses on creating effective landing pages.   Keywords: ePortfolios, Productivity Tools, Publishing, Websites
  • Zoho - Zoho is a suite of online services developed and provided by the company with the same name. They offer a variety of products related to productivity and online services (such as a sites builder -Zoho Sites-, corporate emails, an online office suite, among many others). While their portfolio of products is very wide, most of them are offered for free through a free trial version with limited functionalities, some of them are for a limited time only. Their various products have different pricing alternatives according to the needs of the user.   While most of the tools are office-focused, they also have services aimed at non-profit organizations, educators, and individuals.   Zoho   Zoho Sites- Beginner's Guide - A video plus Instructions for how to set up your Zoho site. More advanced features are also covered.   Keywords: Productivity Tools, Publishing, Websites Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Canva – A powerful online graphic design platform - Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, and other visual content. It is available on web and mobile and integrates millions of images, fonts, templates, and illustrations. Users can choose from many professionally designed templates, and edit the designs and upload their own photos through a drag and drop interface. The platform is free to use, and paid subscriptions like Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise offer additional functionality. Users can also pay for physical products to be printed and shipped. This free presentation software gives you access to hundreds of beautifully designed layouts to create presentations on any topic. There are other online design tools like Canva but when it comes to creating high-quality graphics and designs quickly, easily, and for free there are few tools that can match Canva's offering. Whether you're ...
  • Piktochart - An easy infographic design app that requires very little effort to produce beautiful, high-quality graphics. Infographics can be presented on slideshows with Presentation Mode.   Piktochart   Piktochart Support Page - This site provides a wide array of help for Piktochart users, from initial design to troubleshooting problems. Piktochart: Using Infographics in the Classroom - A blog post detailing the reasons why infographics can make learning for students more interesting, involving, and visual.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • Easel.ly - Easel.ly is a simple web tool that empowers anyone to create and share powerful visuals (infographics, posters)... no design experience needed. How to Easel.ly Create Your First Infographic - A recording of a live training session for Easel.ly beginners.   Easel.ly Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Timetoast - Free timeline maker lets you create timelines online. Make educational timelines or create a timeline for your company website.   Timetoast   How to Create an Interactive Timeline with Timetoast - This YouTube video describes the ins and outs of how to make a timeline with this technological tool.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Slideshare - A service that allows you to create an online library and upload presentations that you've created elsewhere.   SlideShare   Getting Started with SlideShare - Designed with commercial users in mind (but also useful for educators and students), this site provides useful tips for all levels of users.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Microsoft PowerPoint - PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation program that's part of the Microsoft Office suite of tools. PowerPoint makes it easy to create, collaborate, and present your ideas in dynamic, visually compelling ways. Powerpoint is not freely available except as a mobile app. However, this is a standard application used in education and business. Many companies and campus have enterprise-wide licensing for the Office suite of tools.   PowerPoint   Basic Tasks for Creating a Powerpoint Presentation - Step-by-step instructions from Microsoft about how to design a slide show.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Prezi Classic and Prezi Next - A "zooming presentation tool" that presents information non-linearly. It is an infinite whiteboard where the audience can see and interact with an overview of a topic or zoom in to see the relationship between topics. Prezi allows presenters to provide not only the big picture but takes it a step further to allow viewers to dissect each component. this web-based presentation tool allows you to edit, collaborate, and present online. Prezi is a Hungarian presentation software company founded in 2009, with offices in Budapest, Berlin, San Francisco, and Riga.   Prezi   Prezi Next Vs. Classic: Your Questions Answered - Because Prezi has debuted a new version---Prezi Next---current users should compare the Next with what is being called Prezi Classic. Both versions have educational plans. 7 Alternative Technology in the Classroom Presentation Tools - This blog entry from TeachHub touches upon Prezi in the list of ...
  • Emaze - Caters to the current PowerPoint user, using slide-by-slide presentation, but offers some spectacular results with very little effort. Emaze allows the user to choose from a variety of 3-D templates which are pre-formatted and not highly editable, allowing the user to concentrate on the content and not the bells and whistles.   Emaze   Emaze - Getting Started Tutorial - An easy-to-follow tutorial about using Emaze to create a new presentation from scratch or import a PowerPoint.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Haiku Deck - Haiku Deck is a free app that makes presentations simple, beautiful, and fun.   Haiku   Haiku Deck - Editing and Creating Decks - An instructional video about getting started with Haiku Deck. 7 Alternative Technology in the Classroom Presentation Tools - This blog entry from TeachHub touches upon Haiku Deck in the list of alternative technology in the classroom.   Keywords: Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Google Slides - Google Slides is Google's free presentation editor. Because it is included in the Google Docs/Drive suite, you can readily use it to collaborate on presentations with colleagues or students no matter where you are. Google Slides is very similar to Microsoft's PowerPoint (PPT). Like many online tools, it allows groups to work together to create and edit online presentations. Google Slides is web-based - it is easy to access it from various mobile devices.   Google Slides   Get Started with Google Slide - Getting Started with Google Slides provides tips for the beginner. 2017 Updates to Google Slides - Youtube Video - Created by TeacherCast, this YouTube video details the new updates and functionality of Google Slides.   Keywords: Collaboration, Flipped Learning, Presentations
  • Weebly - Weebly is a complete platform that allows anyone to start and grow an online business with curated website templates, powerful e-commerce and integrated marketing. More than 40 million entrepreneurs around the world use Weebly to grow their customer base, fuel sales, and market their idea. Designed for any entrepreneur who wants to reach a global audience, Weebly gives everyone the freedom to create a high-quality site and store that works brilliantly on any device.   Weebly   Weebly Website Builder: Get a Pro Website in 60 Minutes or Less - A short tutorial on how to build an effective website through Weebly.   Keywords: Blogs, Collaboration, ePortfolios, Productivity Tools, Publishing, Websites Review Accessibility/Security Info
  • WordPress - WordPress is an open-source blogging and a website creation platform. WordPress (often referred to as WP) is very widely used and makes up about 30% of all published websites.  There is a subtle but important difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. WordPress.org gives lots of freedom, but you need a self-hosted platform to deliver your site. This involves additional steps to set up a server and install the WordPress software or payment for a hosting service. WordPress.com allows free pages that are hosted directly on the WordPress.com site. Both versions of WordPress are user-friendly but some of the advanced themes are not an option that is available on WordPress.com. This is only available when you have your own server space to install your own version of WordPress. Themes and plugins are similar to webpage templates and provide advanced functionality for WordPress websites.   WordPress.com and WordPress.org   Beginner's Guide for WordPress - How to ...
  • Zoho Wiki - Zoho Wiki is a free online tool to create collaborative web portals. No downloads, no installation, no special IT infrastructure, no need for IT experts, no webmasters. You can access your wiki anywhere, anytime. Wikis are offered as a knowledge management tool, for which multiple users can be added as collaborators. These wikis are ideal for small teams, closed groups, intranets, etc.   Zoho Wiki   FAQ and Help Page for Zoho Wiki - This is the ZohoWiki help and FAQ page.   Keywords: Collaboration, ePortfolios, Productivity Tools, Publishing, Websites, Wikis