Tools

Included in this list are tools that you may find useful in teaching or for your own professional / personal development. All of these tools are free or have free versions unless otherwise noted.
 * Blogging
 * Communication
 * Images
 * Mind Maps
 * Podcasts and Podcasting
 * Presentations
 * RSS Readers
 * Videos
 * Wikis
 * Word Processing and Spreadsheets

Blogging
You can have your own, free blog.
 * Blogger - Google owned so if you have a Google account you're ready to go.
 * Wordpress.com - Wordpress is easy to use and the blog is hosted on their server so you don't have to download anything.

Communication

 * Skype - Free text, audio or video chat with one or more people also using Twitter. You can also call telephones for a charge.
 * [|Twitter] - Connect with a larger network, learn from others, all in 140 characters or less.

Images

 * CreativeCommons - Use this site for free graphics to use in presentations. Learn more about Creative Commons.
 * [|Flickr] - Share your pictures with friends, family or the world. Owned by Yahoo so if you already have an account, you're ready to go.
 * Picassa - Free desk-top photo editing software from Google.
 * Picassa Web Albums - Online photo storage and sharing from Google.
 * Picnik - Free online photo editing software.

Mind Maps

 * [|bubbl.us] - Free, online collaborative tools for building mind maps.
 * Freemind - Free, desktop software for building mind maps.
 * MindMeister - Free, online collaborative tool for building mind maps.

Podcasts and Podcasting

 * [|Audacity] - "Free, cross-platform sound editor"

Presentations
Also see Google Docs under Word Processing and Spreadsheets and Ustream under Videos.
 * Slideshare - Post your PowerPoint or Keynote presentations for others to see.
 * VoiceThread - Post a presentation or just a single image and let others leave comment (text or audio) or individual slides.

RSS Readers
Keep track of your favorite blogs, news sites, podcasts, etc. from one page. Using an RSS reader will help turn the fire hose of information into a garden hose.
 * [|Bloglines] -
 * Google Reader

Videos

 * TeacherTube - YouTube for Teachers
 * Ustream - Live and recorded videos including many educational presentations. Includes IRC chat function.
 * YouTube - Videos of just about everything.

Wikis
Wikis are Web sites that are you usually collaborative in creation / editing, but the don't have to be. Wikipedia is an example of a wiki.


 * PBworks (Academic Edition) - you can get additional features if you pay, but there is a free option. This was formerly called PBWiki.
 * Wikispaces (which is what this site is)

Word Processing and Spreadsheets

 * Google Docs - Online word processing, spreadsheet and presentation application. Allows for collaborative creation and editing without worrying about which emailed version is the one that's current. See the tutorials on using Google Docs on how to do great things with this application.
 * Open Office - Open source package of applications that work much like Microsoft Office. Run on your computer.