This document discusses various web 2.0 tools that can help students succeed in college. It separates the tools into categories for storage and backup, research and organization, collaboration and sharing, and projects and presentations. Some of the highlighted tools include Dropbox and Box.net for storage, RefWorks and Evernote for organization, Google Docs and Wikis for collaboration, and Prezi and Animoto for presentations. The document provides the URLs for these free web-based tools.

1. Your Virtual Backpack:
Web 2.0 Tools to Help you Succeed in College
Maegan E. Slaten
Tools for Storage & Backup:
 Box.net – http://www.box.net
 SugarSync – http://www.sugarsync.com
 DropBox – http://www.dropbox.com
Tools for Research & Organization:
 RefWorks – This online citation manager allows you to collect and organize all of your
bibliographic information. Offered through the University’s Libraries (http://www.lib.ua.edu)
 Delicious – A social bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark favorite websites, tag
them, share with others, and access them from any computer http://www.delicious.com
 Awesome Highlighter – Allows you to highlight sections of web pages and save them for
later reference or send them to others http://www.awesomehighlighter.com/
 Bubbl.us – Application for online brainstorming and “mind-mapping” http://bubbl.us/
 Soshiku – This is a assignment management tool that helps you keep track of assignment
due dates (it can even send you a text to remind you!) http://soshiku.com/
 Evernote – Allows you to collect your thoughts and ideas (even handwritten ones) into a
searchable database. http://www.evernote.com/
 SpringPad – A wonderful “virtual notebook” where you can collect web clippings
http://www.springpadit.com
 Remember the Milk – An interactive task list application
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
Tools for Collaboration & Sharing
 Google Docs –collaborate and make changes to documents in real time
http://docs.google.com
 Office Live – Upload your documents and allow others to make changes
http://www.officelive.com
 Zoho – a suite very similar to Google Docs http://www.zoho.com/
 Stixy – An online “bulletin board” where users can post sticky notes, photos, etc.
http://www.stixy.com/
 Skype –Text chat, audio and video phone calls http://www.skype.com
 Wiggio –group calendar, task list, chat room, messaging system, etc http://wiggio.com/
 Wikis
o PBWiki – http://www.pbwiki.com
o Wiki Spaces – http://www.wikispaces.com
 Media Sharing
o Picasa – Photo editing and sharing http://www.picasa.com
o Flickr – Photo sharing http://www.flickr.com
© Maegan E. Slaten, 2010 1

2. Your Virtual Backpack:
Web 2.0 Tools to Help you Succeed in College
Maegan E. Slaten
o YouTube – Video sharing http://www.youtube.com
o Vimeo – Video Sharing http://www.vimeo.com
 Social Networking Sites
o Twitter – Your thoughts in under 140 characters http://www.twitter.com
o Facebook – Connect and collaborate with friends http://www.facebook.com
o Nings – Create your own social network http://www.ning.com
 Websites (Build Your Own)
o Weebly – http://www.weebly.com
o Webs – http://www.webs.com
o Google Sites – https://sites.google.com/
o Posterous - https://posterous.com/
 Blogging
o Blogger – http://www.blogger.com
o WordPad – http://www.wordpad.com
o TypePad – http://www.typepad.com
Tools for Projects & Presentations
 Animoto – Produces videos from user selected photos, videos, and music
http://www.animoto.com
 Prezi – Web-based presentation software that allows you to create non-linear
presentations http://www.prezi.com
 One True Media – Create animated slide shows with music and video elements
http://www.onetruemedia.com
 SlideShare – Publish and share your PowerPoint presentations online
http://www.slideshare.com
 Survey Monkey – Collect data through custom surveys http://www.surveymonkey.com
 Poll Everywhere – create live, interactive polls in which participants can send in their
responses using mobile devices http://www.polleverywhere.com
 Wordle – Create tag clouds using any text passage http://www.wordle.com
 Glogster – Create virtual interactive posters http://www.glogster.com/
For More Tools:
 UA Technology in Motion’s Delicious Account http://www.delicious.com/uatim
 Go2Web20 http://www.go2web20.net/
 Digital Research Tools http://digitalresearchtools.pbworks.com/
© Maegan E. Slaten, 2010 2