TOP TOOLS
TOP 10 TOOLS 2007 & 2008
Janet Clarey

1. WordPress: I use WordPress for educational blogging and as a personal content management tool.
2. iGoogle: I use iGoogle to manage my personal learning and work environment. On my home page, I have Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Bookmarks, Google Reader, Google Docs, and of course Search and use each daily.
3. Skype: I use Skype to IM, video chat, and collaborate with others.
4. Facebook: I have been using Facebook as my primary social networking tool and aggregator for other web-based services like FriendFeed
5. Wikispaces: I am using Wikispaces to manage content from multiple facilitators for our upcoming conference.
6. Ning: I am using Ning as a social network for our upcoming conference. I am using it to mashup and create a Web 2.0 platform that incorporate widgets for Twitter, Google calendar, social tagging links, LinkedIn group, Facebook group, badges, blog, wiki, etc.
7. MS PowerPoint:: (Still) my primary tool for presenting information at educational workshops both face-to-face and online is PowerPoint
8. SnagIt: Screen capture tool and photo editor for blogging, wiki, Ning, documents
9. Twhirl: Microblogging desktop client to collaborate and communicate
10. Blackberry: For mobile learning and working

Janet's Top 10 Tools as at 14 January 2008

1. WordPress: I use WordPress for educational blogging and as a personal content management tool.
2. iGoogle: I use iGoogle to manage my personal learning and work environment. On my home page, I have Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Bookmarks, Google Reader, and Google Docs and use each daily.
3. Mozilla Firefox: After years of using IE, I recently switched to Firefox. Browsing is efficient which make me more productive.
4. MS Outlook: The email platform I use for corporate communication.
5. Skype: I use Skype to IM, video chat, and conference with others.
6. Facebook: I have been using Facebook as my primary social networking tool.
7. Wikipedia: A starting point and ending point for most of the things I research.
8. MS PowerPoint: My primary tool for presenting information at educational workshops both face-to-face and online is PowerPoint
9. Blackboard: The LMS that Syracuse University uses. This is my “formal” learning environment.
10. SecondLife: My 3D online virtual environment

Janet's Top 10 Tools as at 23 July 2007

1. WordPress: Why I like this blogging tool over others: It works and it's easy to use. That's it. If something's not easy to use, I just don't use it.

2. Google: I like the Google Reader because I can get through a lot of reading quickly and usefully tag blog posts for future use. I like Gmail because it groups my mail and catches a lot of spam. I like Google Mobile (chat, mail, maps, search) because it works well (quick, easy) on my device. I like the search options Google:  offers (Scholar, Images, etc.). I also like Google Talk because it just sits in the background quietly waiting to do its job. Oh, and I like iGoogle and tabs. I also use Alerts to keep me informed about a topic I'm researching or interested in

3. HTML: Still using it as a tool to make things more readable...10 years later.

4. SmartFTP:  I like SmartFTP for transferring files from my computer to the server. It's been reliable for a couple of years now

5. SnagIt: Simple way to capture anything on the screen.

6. Adobe Acrobat Professional:  I work with a lot of large documents in other formats. I like the Search capability and it's an easy way to read and organize large documents.

7. Skype: It's cheap and has worked well so far...although this is a relatively new tool for me.

8. Inspiration: I like this simple tool for brainstorming.

9. Dreamweaver: I use DW for Web site creation and management

10. Social networking tools: Explode, Facebook, and LinkedIn have been the most useful social networking tools I've used to date.