Since this is the end of the first full month of school for many, I thought now would be a good time to share a list of the apps that are currently my favorites. Let’s take a look!
1. Piktochart
An Infographic showing the types of languages (other than English) spoken in the US.
A great site for creating infographics. In fact, the image above is an infographic I created using Piktochart for incorporation into an educational technology conference proposal. There are several basic templates to choose from if you register to use the site for free. You are allowed to upload up to five of your own images to incorporate into your infographic. You can customize your infographic by changing fonts, color themes, shapes, etc. Even more templates and options for customization are available for paid members.
2. Popplet
A “Popplet” of an instructional design case story map.
Popplet is a terrific app for mind mapping activities. You can even incorporate multimedia features such as images and video clips. This tool also allows you to brainstorm with others by adding them as collaborators to your popplet. You can work either synchronously or asynchronously. Once you’ve finished, you can also share your completed popplet by sharing a public link on Facebook and Twitter, or link it to an existing web page or blog. You can also export as a jpeg or pdf document, or go “old school” style and print it out.
3. Lucidchart
This is a Venn Diagram created with Lucidchart.
Lucidchart allows users to create flow charts, Venn diagrams, mind maps, wireframes, etc. quickly and easily. You can sign up for a free account, which is sufficient for anyone who has an occasional need to create diagrams. Also, all documents created are easily shared through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, via e-mail, by exporting as a PDF or png file, or even by printing. And, the really great thing about this app is that it allows users to collaborate in real-time on diagrams.
4. Go!Animate
Go!Animate is a fun site that allows users to create their own animated videos using character collections and backgrounds. Users can choose to select a computer synthesized voice for their characters (simply type in the dialogue and the selected voice will say them), or they can even record their own voices! The process for creating videos is quick and easy, and the user interface for this app is quite intuitive. Your finished video can be shared via a link, embed code, or can be uploaded to YouTube as well as shared on Facebook and Twitter. You can also download and save your video for viewing offline. Here’s a short Star Trek themed video I made. Simply click on the “Return of the Gorn” link below to view.
GoAnimate.com: Return+of+the+Gorn by jamersontd
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It’s free and fun!
5. Dipity
Dipity is a timeline creation tool that allows users to incorporate multimedia features such as images and video clips. So, instead of a timeline that contains just words, a Dipity timeline can show images and clips as well. You can view your finished timeline in the timeline format, or you can choose to view it as a flip book or as a chronological list of events. Dipity also has a social aspect in that you can follow others’ timelines, you can “like” timelines, leave comments, as well as share your timeline on Twitter and Facebook. Check out this timeline I’ve created by clicking on “Star Trek”:
ClassApps 