The following technology tools are favorites from participants in Choosing and Using Media Effectively:

Remind 101 is a service for sending text messages to groups of students (and/or parents).  Remind 101 is an opt-in service; students and parents have to enter a confirmation code to state that they do want to be contacted by their professor through the service.  Additionally, Remind 101 keeps phone numbers hidden so that teachers cannot see their students’ phone numbers, or vice versa.  You do not need to own a smart phone in order to use Remind 101.

Slideshare is the world’s largest slide-sharing site.  Often referred to as “YouTube for PowerPoint,” users can share more than just PowerPoint files; they can also share webinars, PDFs, and videos.  You can find a presentation on virtually any topic.  Further, presentations can be embedded on Web sites, blogs, and social media pages (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

Pinterest – a virtual bulletin board – is a photo-sharing Web site.  The site allows users to “pin” photos based on theme (e.g., events, interests, hobbies).  You can also browse other users’ pinboards and “re-pin” images to your own pinboard.  Users can follow one another’s boards if they have common interests.

GlogsterEDU: “Glogs” are online multimedia posters that may include text, photos, videos, graphics, animations, sounds, data attachments, and more.  In this social networking site, users can create and share these free interactive posters.  “Glogs” can also be embedded into Web sites, blogs, wikis, and social media networks.  Glogster EDU enables teachers to use “glogs” as instructional tools, and students can share their “glogs” within their private virtual classroom.

VoiceThread is a completely Web-based application (i.e., it runs inside your Web browser), so there is no software to install.  This program enables users to place collections of media (e.g., images, videos, documents, and presentations) at the center of an asynchronous conversation.  In educational settings, faculty may present students with an image or video as part of an assignment, ask a question about it, and have the students respond in VoiceThread.  Users can add voice or text annotation to visual media, which may include audio clips or text balloons.