Thing #17 – Online Productivity Tools

How can we learn how to use all the Web 2.0 tools out there? It seems a new tool pops up every day. Who can ever keep up? Using Web 2.0 tools means having a spirit of adventure and a willingness to do some exploration, often with little or no instruction.

There are so many Web 2.0 tools that are designed to help us get organized, create, and share with others. Some work well, some not so much. We have to play around with the tools and make decisions about which ones we will incorporate into our work. No one uses ALL of these tools, just the ones that make sense for what they want to do.

This Thing is designed to give you some choices and a chance to try out some productivity tools on your own.

Select one or two of the following tools to explore – or find one on your own. Set-up your account (if necessary) and play around with the tool. Be prepared to offer a review on your blog.

bubbl.us brainstorm online with this free, concept mapping tool
Zoho Show create, edit and share your presentations online
Remember the Milk create task list, share it, get reminders
30 Boxes online calendar
LibraryThing personal online bookshelf
Trailfire create a “trail”of annotated web pages on any subject
Knowtes create a deck of virtual flashcards for study
Blabberize animate photos with a recorded voice track
Gliffy web based diagram software
PicLits – Inspired Picture Writing
Writeboard – sharable, web-based text documents

For Thing #17, you must:

• Explore two tools from the list above or of your own choice.
• Give a review of each tool – what worked, what didn’t work, how might this tool be used in your personal or professional life? (Be sure to include the name of the tools in your post and Thing #17 in your post title.)

Extension Activity

Pick one of the tools from the 2008 Web 2.0 Awards to try out. Write a review for your blog post. If you already use one of the tools on the list, write a blog post and tell us why and how you use it.