Text 2 Mind Map - Visualize Your Outline

Today I had the chance to check out Text 2 Mind Map (text2mindmap.com).  This is a website where you can create a visual representation of an outline.  I am honestly not sure when I would want to do this personally, but I can see how a student could have fun creating a mind map to outline a research paper or project.  It seems like a fun way to organize your thoughts.  I decided to make an example out of all the things that I still have left to do this semester, and then to cheer myself up I added a couple of things that I am looking forward to (see category: Fun).  Here is the map:

Wow!  Fortunately I still have a lot to do so that I could create this impressive looking mind map.  However, I really can't wait until all that is left is the fun.

Chartgo.com - Pretty charts and graphs made easy

If you need to make a pretty chart to use in your powerpoint presentations or in a class project, chartgo.com is the place for you!  I put in some data to make this beautiful demonstration chart and it took me all of one minute to do so.  Check it out:



Graphing

Depending on your needs, you can create a pie chart, a line chart, a bar graph (as seen above) or an area chart (even in 3D!).  Chart Go even includes some helpful demo videos to get you started.  Here is an introduction to the site:





The website (chartgo.com) was developed by a guy who had been creating a bunch of charts for personal projects he was working on - he developed a web application to make his life simpler and eventually put the application on line for free.  It is recommended often by educators, probably because it is so easy to use and the charts look professional.

Scoop.it - What's your passion?

Are you passionate about something?  Have a favorite topic that you would like to get up-to-date information about but don't have to time to surf the web looking for the latest and greatest content?  Want to connect with other people who are passionate about the same things that you are?  Scoop.it might be a great website for you to check out. Here's a little video about scoop.it that you can watch:
You can create a free scoop.it account and you become the curator of a magazine on your chosen topic. Scoop.it scours the web to find exciting, relevant content that you can "scoop" and add to your magazine. You can also connect with curators that have magazines that are focused on similar topics. I did a quick search for Biology Teaching content and found a magazine that appears to be curated by a college biology class. Here is a screen shot:

And here is the link: http://www.scoop.it/t/biology-class-101

There are scoop.it pages on tons of topics and more are being added every day. It would be a fun way for a class to keep up to date on current events and trends in your subject area if you're an educator.

Evernote - it's like your digital brain

Ever have a great meal and then a month later forget where you ate it?  Ever met somebody and see them a few months down the line and think to yourself, "That person looks familiar, but I have no idea where I know him/her from"?  Ever read a great article and then spend hours on google searching for it again only to turn up empty?  Well, Evernote (www.evernote.com) can be your digital memory banks.  You can store text documents, audio files, and pictures in one place, and all of those files are synced across all of your digital devices.  The best part is that you can organize Evernote in a way that makes sense to YOUR brain.  Plus, you can share your evernote files with other users.  Evernote can be used to keep track of delicious meals you cook or eat (Evernote Food), people you meet (Evernote Hello), or to plan a trip.

From an educational standpoint, you can use Evernote to organize your lesson plans and any cool videos/pictures that you come across to use in your powerpoints or on your class blog (with sources cited, of course).  You can also share this information with colleagues.  Evernote Hello sounds like a great tool to use to remember all of the people you will meet when you attend conferences, meetings, or staff development programs.  I have downloaded Evernote to my iPhone and plan to do a bit more exploring if I ever have spare time again.  :)