Every year (since 2007), Jane Hart from the Center for Learning & Performance Technologies (or C4LPT) is getting all of us on board to get our top 10 learning list together.
It is a wonderful list created by inputs from all of us, so add your tools to it. It gives you a moment to reflect on which tools you use most, or with the utmost enthusiasm. Feel free to add your top ten learning tools via this link, or simply go through the list as it grows here.
These are my top 10 learning tools, they are all connected to mobile learning in some way and I linked them to the possible learning surplus they offer:
Twitter: it is the easiest tool to use, cross devices (mobile or not) and it enables both networking, learning, and activism. In one of the latest twitter related applications, you can now even publish (in just three clicks) your own newspaper with paper.li (if you have not tried it, but you have a twitter account, do it, you will love it. Here is my daily newspaper: Ignatia Webs Daily.
Learning bonus: getting answers, sharing knowledge, creating interactivity in class/conference/event.
Posterous: a really amazing tool that enables you to add content (any content) via email (from any device, mobile or computer). Once I have added your e-mail, you will get an e-mail send to you to confirm this is indeed something you want to register to. After you have confirmed that e-mail, you can start mailing any text/multimedia content you have (well almost any). You can attach any type of file and Posterous will post it along with the text of your email.
Posterous will do smart things for photos, audio files and links, documents and video (both links AND files). And you can even filter on the type of files, enabling them to be send to specific areas as well (e.g. flickr) depending on the file type. Learning bonus: sharing content with peers and group work on-the-go (you can add your friends, colleagues or family’s email addresses to any Posterous site you control. Then they email to a designated mail to post to it. They don't even need to create an account.All posts and comments on that site will be emailed to all contributors instantly. It's works just like an e-mail list.)
Learning bonus: combine group/team work and resources in a central portal/website via one single type of uploading mechanism: e-mail.
Skype: simply the best tool which can be used across devices (mobile or computer).
Learning bonus: peer discussions.
SurveyGizmo: a really easy survey building tool, which also enables you to take surveys with you mobile. There is a free version, which allows you to create an unlimited amount of questions, but only 250 responses per month. The great thing is, you can get real time results. Why is this great? For the learning bonus: use it in a real time classroom or online course: it will allow you to immediately tailor your presentation, depending on the real-time feedback of your surveys.
Blogger: central to my PLE (personal learning environment).
Learning bonus: reflective process which proceeds the actual writing, content discussions, team posting.
Slideshare: which is available mobile devices as well. Slideshare enables anyone to share documents, mostly powerpoints, with others.
Learning bonus: sharing knowledge and content repository.
Picasa: this easy to use picture sharing software is also available for mobile. Downside if you upload from your mobile is: even if you geo-tag the pictures you take, the GPS data is deleted from the EXIF data, so you still have to manually geo-tag any pictures you upload via your mobile. If you upload any pictures from a desk/laptop or net-book, be sure to check the option "Actual Size (slowest upload)", that way your GPS data stays with the picture.
Learning bonus: sharing stories via pictures, sharing medical cases, ...
Camtasia studio: great screen and live recording tool to create podcast's or other movies. The surplus of Camtasia is the wide variety of formats it can publish in (including mobile) and its really stunning way (= easy) to add subtitles to the movies you make.
Learning bonus: multimedia content learning.
Facebook: a tool that allows you to discuss, share resources, embed other social media...
Learning bonus: staying on top of your PLN (personal learning network), also for group work.
Audacity: any quick audio editing will become easy with this free and open source tool. Learning bonus: great for any podcast, also usable to upload to iTunes.
Let me know your list as well!