Tech Creation & Presentation Tools

On President's Day, I had the privilege to lead four district-wide professional development sessions over technology apps and websites. I chose to focus the sessions on tech creation and presentation tools for teachers and students. I created the following Symbaloo Webmix to share with attendees so they could check out the websites as I introduced them and have the Webmix as a future resource.

Almost all of the websites on the Webmix offer a free version of their product(s) or at least offer a free trial period. I know most teachers don't have a ton of personal money to spend on additional classroom resources and tech tools!

In my original presentation, I introduced the websites in six categories: slideshows, posters & infographics, timelines, videos, website & portfolio builders, and others. In the Webmix, they are not delineated by category, but they do follow the listed category order. (For example, the websites in the top row are all slideshow resources. The next two websites are excellent for creating posters and flyers, and the following three websites can be used to create infographics.)

So far I have only used a handful of these websites personally, but I have my students create presentations and timelines using several of these tech tools. I enjoy showing them free, creative, web-based alternatives to Microsoft Office products. In addition, I like for them to figure out how to use the websites on their own. Most of these tools are simple to use and allow students to learn a new skill without step-by-step instructions. If a student does run into an issue, I'll often ask another student to help them solve it. Sometimes we run into non-fixable problems (such as how they can save their projects in a format to turn in to Edmodo), but I remain flexible and give them plenty of latitude as long as they show effort. Ultimately, it is a lot of fun to look at final projects created with many different tools.

What are your favorite edtech creation and presentation tools? What websites do I need to add to the Webmix? Please comment below!

P.S. I added Common Sense Media, Twitter, and this website to the Webmix as resources for additional edtech information. I also added a link to a survey to gauge the impact of Monday's presentation and Tech Tip Tuesday.