The resource handout that accompanies the "Virtual Backpack" presentation

1. Your Virtual Backpack:
Web 2.0 Tools to Help you Succeed in College
Maegan E. Slaten
Tools for Storage & Backup:
 Box.net – http://www.box.net
 SugarSync – http://www.sugarsync.com
 DropBox – http://www.dropbox.com
Tools for Research & Organization:
 RefWorks – This online citation manager allows you to collect and organize all of your
bibliographic information. Offered through the University’s Libraries (http://www.lib.ua.edu)
 Delicious – A social bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark favorite websites, tag
them, share with others, and access them from any computer http://www.delicious.com
 Awesome Highlighter – Allows you to highlight sections of web pages and save them for
later reference or send them to others http://www.awesomehighlighter.com/
 Bubbl.us – Application for online brainstorming and “mind-mapping” http://bubbl.us/
 Soshiku – This is a assignment management tool that helps you keep track of assignment
due dates (it can even send you a text to remind you!) http://soshiku.com/
 Evernote – Allows you to collect your thoughts and ideas (even handwritten ones) into a
searchable database. http://www.evernote.com/
 SpringPad – A wonderful “virtual notebook” where you can collect web clippings
http://www.springpadit.com
 Remember the Milk – An interactive task list application
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
Tools for Collaboration & Sharing
 Google Docs –collaborate and make changes to documents in real time
http://docs.google.com
 Office Live – Upload your documents and allow others to make changes
http://www.officelive.com
 Zoho – a suite very similar to Google Docs http://www.zoho.com/
 Stixy – An online “bulletin board” where users can post sticky notes, photos, etc.
http://www.stixy.com/
 Skype –Text chat, audio and video phone calls http://www.skype.com
 Wiggio –group calendar, task list, chat room, messaging system, etc http://wiggio.com/
 Wikis
o PBWiki – http://www.pbwiki.com
o Wiki Spaces – http://www.wikispaces.com
 Media Sharing
o Picasa – Photo editing and sharing http://www.picasa.com
o Flickr – Photo sharing http://www.flickr.com
© Maegan E. Slaten, 2010 1

2. Your Virtual Backpack:
Web 2.0 Tools to Help you Succeed in College
Maegan E. Slaten
o YouTube – Video sharing http://www.youtube.com
o Vimeo – Video Sharing http://www.vimeo.com
 Social Networking Sites
o Twitter – Your thoughts in under 140 characters http://www.twitter.com
o Facebook – Connect and collaborate with friends http://www.facebook.com
o Nings – Create your own social network http://www.ning.com
 Websites (Build Your Own)
o Weebly – http://www.weebly.com
o Webs – http://www.webs.com
o Google Sites – https://sites.google.com/
o Posterous - https://posterous.com/
 Blogging
o Blogger – http://www.blogger.com
o WordPad – http://www.wordpad.com
o TypePad – http://www.typepad.com
Tools for Projects & Presentations
 Animoto – Produces videos from user selected photos, videos, and music
http://www.animoto.com
 Prezi – Web-based presentation software that allows you to create non-linear
presentations http://www.prezi.com
 One True Media – Create animated slide shows with music and video elements
http://www.onetruemedia.com
 SlideShare – Publish and share your PowerPoint presentations online
http://www.slideshare.com
 Survey Monkey – Collect data through custom surveys http://www.surveymonkey.com
 Poll Everywhere – create live, interactive polls in which participants can send in their
responses using mobile devices http://www.polleverywhere.com
 Wordle – Create tag clouds using any text passage http://www.wordle.com
 Glogster – Create virtual interactive posters http://www.glogster.com/
For More Tools:
 UA Technology in Motion’s Delicious Account http://www.delicious.com/uatim
 Go2Web20 http://www.go2web20.net/
 Digital Research Tools http://digitalresearchtools.pbworks.com/
© Maegan E. Slaten, 2010 2