For even more technology recommendations, a collaborative list of technologies recommended by other Canvas users can be found here: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-5037-course-design-resource-index-collaboration
For any technology tool you use when writing a global course, you are required to provide instructions for students. We have included some resources below to help you with creating these instructions.
STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR TOOLS
The following are tools that can be utilized either by instructors during a course's creation or by students as part of an assessment.
The tools with our highest recommendations are marked with a ★ for quick reference.
Graphics Tools
These tools allow students to create summative projects such as brochures, posters, infographics, newsletters, and wordclouds.
★ Adobe Spark - https://spark.adobe.com/
★ Canva - https://www.canva.com
Coggle - https://coggle.it/
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- An online tool for creating and sharing mindmaps.
- Maps can be private, shared among a small group, or made public.
- Free account allows 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams.
- Intro video: https://youtu.be/iL40u0uNYa8
Dia- http://dia-installer.de/
Genially - https://www.genial.ly/
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- Create interactive educational resources such as interactive images, presentations, games, infographics, maps, illustrated processes, and more.
- Intro video: https://youtu.be/Br1CBcoK-KE
GIMP - https://www.gimp.org/
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- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
- Allows for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image manipulation.
- Recommended for advanced users only.
- Quick tutorial: https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/GIMP_Quickies/
Google Drawings - https://docs.google.com/drawings/
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- Choose from a wide variety of shapes to create diagrams and charts.
- Free, but does require a Google account.
Popplet - http://popplet.com/
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Popplet is a tool for the iPad and web to capture and organize your ideas.
- In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.
- Up to five Popplets are allowed on the free account.
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For help with using Popplet, see the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdGbELqaIYk
SmartDraw - https://www.smartdraw.com/
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- SmartDraw runs on any computer or tablet. It includes quick-start diagram templates for over 70 different diagram types from flowcharts to floor plans. Powerful automatic formatting means perfect layouts in minutes.
★ Smore - https://www.smore.com
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- Quickly create stylish flyers and newsletters with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.
- Free plan limited to 3 flyers.
★ Sway - https://sway.com
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- “Create visually striking newsletters, presentations, and documentation in minutes.”
- Part of Microsoft Office OneDrive, so it is available to all LeTourneau students and employees.
- Intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw-g6IuBVJE
★ Thinglink - https://www.thinglink.com
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- A free and user friendly digital tool that provides users with the ability to turn any image into an interactive graphic.
- Created images can be shared via a link or embedded into a Canvas page (using provided embed code).
- View intro video: https://www.thinglink.com/welcome# (click on "Watch intro workshop").
Visme - https://www.visme.co/
Wordclouds - https://www.wordclouds.com/
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- A free online word cloud generator and tag cloud creator.
- Wordclouds.com works on your PC, Tablet, or smartphone.
Wordle - http://www.wordle.net/
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- Generates word clouds from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.
Presentation Tools
As alternatives to PowerPoint, these tools allow students to create unique and good-looking presentations.
★ Emaze - https://emaze.com
Glogster - http://edu.glogster.com/
Google Earth Tool Builder - https://tourbuilder.withgoogle.com/
Google Slides - https://www.google.com/slides
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- With Google Slides, students can create, edit, and collaborate together on presentations.
- Functionality is fairly similar to PowerPoint (which all LETU students have access to).
- Free, but does require a Google account.
Nearpod- https://nearpod.com/
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- Interactive presentation and assessment tool. You can create presentations that can contain Quiz's, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content and so on.
- Can import pdfs, jpegs, ppts, and other files as well as add interactive features.
- Basic level is free.
- Intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3GVkM_GVa4
★ Prezi - https://prezi.com/
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- Create interactive animated presentations.
- Basic version of Prezi is free for all users, but does not allow for private presentations. Note that Prezi has discontinued the free education version they previously offered that allowed for private presentations.
- Intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fAY_h__kc8
- Prezi guide: Prezi Course Guide
StoryBird - https://storybird.com/about/
Zoom- https://zoom.us/
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- A video conferencing product. Can also be used to record yourself and your screen at the same time.
- Can be used for student online presentations where the student is required to record themselves and their screen.
- How to videos: https://zoom.us/resources
Video and Video Editing Tools
These tools allow students to create engaging videos and screencasts.
★ TechSmith Capture (formerly Jing) – https://www.techsmith.com/jing-tool.html
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- Free screen capture and screen recording tool.
Flip Grid - https://info.flipgrid.com/
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- Flipgrid is a social learning platform that allows educators to ask a question, then the students respond in a video. Students are then able to respond to one another, creating a “web” of discussion.
Free Cam- https://www.freescreenrecording.com/
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- Free Cam is a simple, no-cost screen recorder with a built-in audio/video editor.
- No watermark, time limits, or ads.
- Allows for voice-over recording and computer sounds, but does not allow for webcam recording.
★ Loom - https://www.loom.com/screen-recorder
Powtoon - https://www.powtoon.com/edu-home/
Screencast-O-Matic - https://screencast-o-matic.com/
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- A free screen recorder that allows users to create up to 15-minute recordings for free.
- Users can upload recordings to YouTube or download them as an MP4 file.
Voicethread - https://voicethread.com
★ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/
Audio Tools
These tools allow students to create, edit, and host audio files, sound recordings, and podcasts.
Audacity - https://www.audacityteam.org/
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/upload
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- Website where students can share and host podcasts or other audio files.
Podbean - https://www.podbean.com
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- Podbean allows students to upload, publish, manage, and promote their podcasts without any programming language.
- For help uploading a pre-recorded audio file to Podbean on a computer, please see https://youtu.be/1NmybFhbM0k.
- In addition, the Podbean app (available for iphones and android phones) also allows students to easily record and publish their podcasts.
Collaboration Tools
These tools help students share information and better collaborate with one another on projects and presentations.
Diigo - https://www.diigo.com/
Doodle - http://www.doodle.com
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- Provides a simple way for students to decide on dates, places, and more.
- Can be used to create quick and simple text polls.
Padlet - https://padlet.com
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- Create virtual pinboards that anyone can read and contribute to.
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/
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- Allows users to visually share and discover ideas by posting ('pinning') images or videos to their own or others' boards.
Screenr - https://www.screenr.co/
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- This Chrome extention allows users to quickly and easily make comments on a screenshot, then share those comments with others via a provided link.
- Intro video: https://vimeo.com/246917501
Website Tools
These tools help students easily create websites and blogs.
Blogger - https://www.blogger.com
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- Create a unique and beautiful blog. It's easy and free.
Weebly - https://www.weebly.com/
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- Easily create polished and professional-looking websites.
Wordpress - https://wordpress.com/
Other Tools
These miscellaneous resources offer tools in other areas not listed above.
★ GeoGebra - https://www.geogebra.org/
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- This site has free math tools and calculators for graphing, geometry, 3D, and more!
Kahoot! - https://kahoot.com
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- Kahoot allows you or your students to create, share, and play interactive games and quizzes.
Make Beliefs Comix - https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
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- Create and download comic strips.
Quizlet - https://quizlet.com/
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- Keep students engaged and motivated with Quizlet. Create your own classroom sets, collaborate with other teachers, play Quizlet Live, and give your students materials to help them learn in a more fun and more efficient way.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
While the resources below do not fulfill the technology integration element required for Global courses, they may provide helpful information for you as you develop the course, or for your students and their research needs.
Instructor-Only Tools
These resources are not available for students to use, but can be utilized by instructors.
★ BigBlueButton - https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12848
★ CDT YouTube Channel - LETU CDT on YouTube
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- This channel was created and will be used to showcase faculty development videos for faculty as well as other instructional technology training materials.
- This channel can also be used to host videos in order to embed them into courses. In order to have a video hosted, please email the mp4 file to CDT@letu.edu and CDT will upload and render the video and return the YouTube link.
★ Doceri - https://www.doceri.com/
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- Doceri is an interactive whiteboard and screencast recorder for iPads and Windows tablets.
- The screen capture can be used with PowerPoint slides so handwritten formulas and calculations can be presented.
- Doceri has been adopted by instructors in Engineering, Aviation, Computer Science and Mathematics.
- Currently a site license is not available for Doceri and individual one-time licenses must be purchased.
EDpuzzle – https://edpuzzle.com
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- Video editing, with similar functionality to Panopto.
- Allows users to select a video and customize it by editing, cropping, recording audio, and adding questions to make an engaging presentation or lesson.
- Intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQpvkQdQOw
- NOTE: Requires a school plan for more than 10 lessons per university.
★ Panopto - https://letu.hosted.panopto.com
TESTeach - https://www.tes.com/en-us/teaching-resources
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- Use TES teach to create multimedia presentations, find and download others lessons, and share resources with other teachers.
Information Repositories
Collaborize Classroom Topic Library - http://library.collaborizeclassroom.com/
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- A free resource where you can create, share, and/or download inquiry-based discussions on any topic.
KHANAcademy - https://www.khanacademy.org/
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- Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.
National Geographic Education - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/
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- Offers a number of resources on a variety of subjects.
NEWSEUMed - https://newseumed.org/
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- Free learning tools on media literacy and our First Amendment freedoms.
Project Gutenberg - https://www.gutenberg.org/
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- Offers over 56,000 free eBooks: Choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online.
TEDed - https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation