|
|
TOP 10 TOOLS 2008 & 2009
Brian Mulligan

Brian Mulligan is the
Open Learning Project Coordinator at the Institute of
Technology Sligo where he has lectured since 1984. He
is responsible for the rapid growth in
online learning in IT Sligo
since 2002 and significantly involved in the growth of
e-learning in Ireland since 1999, organising the EdTech
series of conferences since 2000 and as a founder of the
Irish Learning Technology Association. His website is
here.Brian's Top 10 Tools
as at 3 May 2009
-
I live in
Gmail
- most of my work comes in via Gmail and I organise
and prioritise my work there. Large storage,
powerful search, conversations, tagging. I have
stopped using the GTDinbox Gmail add-on for Firefox
as it is too slow and many of the improvements in
GMail allow you to implement this easily yourself
using tags.
-
I use
Google Docs
for documents and spreadsheets, which I can easily
share or publish. I use Forms to easily create
surveys and bring the data into the spreadsheets. I
also use it to get distance learners to collaborate.
-
I'm using
Google Chrome more and
more as I need Firefox add-ons less and less. It is
fast and works well with Gmail and Docs.
-
Moodle
is the CMS in our Institute, but I also use
it to organise groups and provide support.
-
Google Search
should probably be higher up the list, but I tend to
take it for granted. It seems you can easily find
anything with it.
-
Having used
PowerPoint
for years, I can do it with my eyes closed. It may
be a while before I move to Google presentation
software. This is the only tool I have listed that
does not operate via Firefox. I think all I need is
a machine that runs Firefox.
-
We acquired
Adobe
Connect in our Institute for live online
classes. However, it is so easy to use, I can can
use it for online meetings with people who have
never used it before.
-
Camtasia is really easy to use for
screen capture and fast generation of content.
-
When I'm a bit muddled, I use
Freemind to organise my ideas.
-
Linkedin is the first social
networking tool I have found that is useful and
relevant and not intrusive.
Brian's Top 10 Tools
as at 2 January 2008
-
I live in
Gmail - most
of my work comes in via Gmail and I organise and
prioritise my work there. Large storage, powerful
search, conversations, tagging and my GTDinbox
add-in (see below).
-
Of course Gmail and most of the
tools I use live in
Firefox
-
GTDinbox is the Firefox add-in that I use to
organise my work in Gmail - as you might guess it
allows you to implement the GTD system in Gmail
-
Moodle
is the CMS in our Institute, but I
also use it to organise groups and provide support.
-
Originally I thought that I just
wanted the 'edit from anywhere' feature in
Google Docs
(and Spreadsheets). However, with a laptop that is
not often an issue. What I really like is the easy
of distribution and updating as well as the
collaborative features. It is now part of my Online
Learning Study Skills course.
-
del.icio.us is great for bookmarking
links in a way that you can actually find them again
and I have not even tried it on a collaborative
basis yet.
-
Google Search should probably be higher up
the list, but I tend to take it for granted. It
seems you can easily find anything with it.
-
Having used
PowerPoint
for years, I can do it with my eyes closed. It may
be a while before I move to Google presentation
software. This is the only tool I have listed that
does not operate via Firefox. I think all I need is
a machine that runs Firefox.
-
Clippings is a Firefox add-in for
boilerplate text. Great for answering the same
questions over and over again in staff support (even
if you do post it in the FAQs)
-
We acquired
Adobe
Connect
in our Institute for live online classes. However,
it is so easy to use, I can can use it for online
meetings with people who have never used it before.
|
Advertisements
|
|