1,010 Favorite Tools

When you have a few favorite technology tools you rely on every day, it's easy to forget that there are other good options you might be missing out on. Oftentimes, some insight into what other professionals are using can help you discover something that might work for you, too.

Since you can't travel around the world hacking into people's computers, the Centre for Learning & Performance did the next best thing, asking 101 technology consultants, developers, and teachers around the world to share their Top 10 Tools — and why they find them indispensable.

Below are some of the many favorites mentioned; you can also check out the Centre's own Top 100 Tools for Learning Toolbox, which offers recommendations on tools you can use to communicate, create online content, and more.

• "Number one spot has to go to Firefox. It's my window on the Web. It's becoming the main place where I find information, create materials and ideas, and collaborate with other people."
• "Dreamweaver. I've used this since version 1 and it only gets better. Once you have designed a CSS-driven template, it's a breeze to manage your e-learning content with integrated workflow between Fireworks and Flash."
• "dotSub: video clips which can be collaboratively translated."
• "Microsoft OneNote. This is easily the most important application I use. It is so simple, yet so versatile — I have completely eliminated the need for post-it notes, scraps of paper, short text files, word docs, etc., to keep track of ideas, projects, goals, research, Web sites to investigate, and much more."
• "Twango — I use Twango for media sharing. The service is great: fast and very easy to use.
• "The Flock browser. Easily integrates into all my other Web-based services helping me to capture information, store, and recall so well. Can't be beat."
• "Slideshare — This is a tool that I started using in a shy way, but that I am growing fonder and fonder of. I especially like it because it is easy to upload and to link/embed the slide presentation to Web pages and/or blogs. I am also impressed with the networking feature, which I find very interesting and inspiring. I am now starting to get interested in their new voice feature. It’s a tool to consider!"
• "SSH File Transfer, especially for syncing office and home materials."
• "Second Life — for learning foreign language (French or English) and having fun experiences in a virtual world 3-D."

And not to be outdone:

• "Pen and paper. Perhaps not the most current technology, but vital for brainstorming and planning. There’s something about the feel of pen on paper…"

Thanks Beth!

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