This document lists 15 things for educators to try in the upcoming year related to technology integration and online tools. Some suggestions include starting or improving a blog, making screencasts, using a backchannel during events, taking free webinars, finding creative commons media, collaborating via wikis, making word clouds, setting up alerts on topics, trying new Google tools, joining a free online community for educators, using alternative browsers like Firefox, and storing documents and photos in the cloud.

1. 15 Things to Try This YearMetronetAugust 2010

2. Start or improve your blogBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/homeEdubloghttp://edublogs.org/Embed photos, videosTagsNew templatesAdd widgets—Twitter feed, blog roll…

3. Make a ScreencastScreen-cast-o-matichttp://www.screencast-o-matic.com/Capture screen for explanations, demos, teaching

4. Try the BackchannelMake distraction into a contributionTodaysMeethttp://todaysmeet.com/Edmodohttp://www.edmodo.com/

5. Take a webinarMinitexhttp://www.minitex.umn.edu/events/WebJunction/WebJunction Minnesotahttp://mn.webjunction.org/catalogEdutopiahttp://www.edutopia.org/webinarTech Souphttp://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/events

6. Subscribe to Keep UpMetroBriefsNews & information for Twin Cities library staffBi-weeklyhttp://tiny.cc/metrobriefsThings On a Stick NewsWeb 2.0 tools in monthly newsletterhttp://tiny.cc/thingsonastick

7. Find & Use Creative Commons MediaPhotosFlickrcchttp://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/Flickr Advanced SearchGoogle Image Advanced searchMusichttp://creativecommons.org/legalmusicforvideosVarious mediahttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

8. Make a Book Trailer with AnimotoAnimotohttp://animoto.com/Photos, video clips, music automatically put in animated slide show

9. Collaborate via a wikiLesson plansConference planningClassroom projectsWiki sitesPbworks.comhttp://pbworks.com/Wikispaceshttp://www.wikispaces.com/Wetpainthttp://www.wetpaint.com/

10. Share what you findShare bookmarks Diigohttp://www.diigo.com/ Delicious http://delicious.com/Networks, in box..Google Reader Share http://www.google.com/reader

11. Make a word cloudText from papers, web site, spelling words…Wordlehttp://www.wordle.net/Image chefhttp://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/

12. Stay “alert”Set up a Google Alertshttp://www.google.com/alertsTopic or journal alert in Gale Educator’s Reference Complete or Ebsco Professional Collectionhttp://elm4you.org/

13. Try something new in GoogleiGoogleCustom SearchGoogleDoc FormsGoogle VoiceGoogle SitesGoogle Labs

14. Join WebJunction MinnesotaFree online classesGroupsShare documentsFind “friends”http://mn.webjunction.org

15. Branch out from IEInstall Firefox Explore Add Onshttps://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/Easy YouTube DownloaderColorful TabsAd BlockerDelicious/Diigo buttonsDownload status bar….. https://www.mozilla.com

16. Store & Share in the CloudDocumentsDropiohttp://drop.io/GoogleDocs http://docs.google.comPhotosFlickrhttp://www.flickr.com/Picasa Web http://picasaweb.google.com