Amazing Web-Based Tools For Free

 So Thursday this week has come and gone. I still have no topic in mind to write about for this week's blog. This week seems to be my busiest, time to wrap up everything in the laboratory and to tie up loose ends in the lectures in time for next week's  final examinations. I got so caught up with the preparation and grading of laboratory exams, and giving the semester's last lectures. Despite of the apparently hectic schedule, though, I decided to attend a 3-hour hands-on training for Web 2.0, a faculty development activity which was scheduled this morning.  I thought is a good thing to share  some Web 2.0 tools!

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Web 2.0 is a collection of a variety of web-based tools with seemingly unlimited functionalities. These interactive tools allow social networking, chatting,  data storage (information, pictures, or other forms of data), sharing of  photos and links,  regular information/news feeding, computing, to name a few. There is always a tool for people for all ages to use, if not, just  to enjoy.

To many, Web 2.0 may sound unfamiliar. Yet I am quite certain that they are, one way or another,  using one or many of these tools. And who does not have a Face book (facebook.com) account? Even the caveman has one, am sure! Planting and harvesting in Farmville? There is netvibes (netvibes.com) for that! Then, there is twitter (twitter.com)  for the man on the go; skype (skype.com) for unlimited hours of  free videoconference; goodreads (goodreads.com) for the booklovers out there! Before Face book, there were instant messaging tools like yahoo messenger, windows live, chats, etc.

Even this new pastime of mine, blogging, involves a Web 2.0 tool. Blogs (blogger.com) and Wikis (wikispaces.com; pworks.com) provide good sites for interaction between and collaborations among individuals. Of course, the first hit that comes out when one ‘googles’ something is from Wikipedia! And who has not heard about Wiki leaks? It’s pretty much in the news lately.

In addition to being a powerful tool to reconnect with friends and families who have been separated by space and time,  Face book also provides a place to store pictures or videos  for friends and families to enjoy. Also, there is  flickr (flickr.com) and Picasa (Picasa.com), to name a couple, for photo sharing!  Speaking of videos, you tube has it all! Many times, I watched and listened to great lectures given by professors from topnotch universities in you tube.   Great talks can also be heard and watched at TED.com, or can be downloaded from iTunes (iTunes.com) as PODcasts.

Instinct makes us bookmark every URL or site we frequently visit. Chances are, we got favorited sites in our home computer and in our office computer as well. And the list is getting bottomless (for lack of organization, lol!)  Using delicious (delicious.com), it is possible to consolidate these bookmarked sites, making the best of both worlds, home and work! Have you done cloud computing lately? Google docs (docs.google.com) allows collaboration of multiple users. You can have one document edited by many at the same time! It also has a functionality to create an interactive webform for, say, to sign up for a registration or a survey. Things to do... or stuff to buy in the next grocery visit. Got the list? Have it written on evernote (evernote.com)! 

I got so interested with Prezi (prezi.com), a presention software! It seems to have some unique functionalities compared to PowerPoint (I thought!). Will see.  

This list is NO WAY complete!!  There's a gazillion of them out there. These tools are user-friendly, easy to follow and best of all, they are available for free - major criteria for choosing any tool according to the facilitator of the workshop, Mr. Edwards Smith (edwards@alc.org).

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I was so glad I attended the training!  Have a good weekend everyone!