Let’s explore the idea that there is at least one excellent free learning tool (or site) for every learning problem (or issue)!

I want a FREE:

1. Easy-to-use and secure Internet browser? Firefox
2. e-Mail system? Gmail
3. Social bookmarking tool? del.icio.us
4. Tool to aggregate all my resources, mail, RSS feeds, etc, in one place? iGoogle
5. Tool to translate text or a webpage? Google Language Tools
6. Online RSS reader? Google Reader
7. Online Calendar? Google Calendar
8. Learning Management System (LMS)? Easy, Moodle
9. Hosted LMS? Here are SEVEN!
10. Tool to assist me in evaluating and selecting a LMS (or CMS)? EduTools
11. Learning Activity Management System? LAMS
12. Collaboration tool? Connect with Ning
13. Social Networking tool? Tricky one! Facebook
14. 3D online virtual world where I can socialize, connect and learn? Second Life
15. Virtual Classroom? DimDim
16. Hosted Virtual Classroom? WiZiQ
17. Tool to broadcast myself to the world? USTREAM
18. Tool to make calls from my computer? Skype
19. Videoconferencing chat service? Vawkr
20. Content authoring tool? How about two? eXe & CourseLab
21. Online suite of office tools? Google Docs
22. Blogging tool? WordPress! Why aren’t you using WordPress? Good Question!
23. Microblogging tool? Twitter
24. Wiki tool? PBwiki
25. Encyclopedia, which I can add to or edit? Wikipedia
26. Audio recording tool? Audacity
27. Tool to host my audio recordings? Odeo
28. Tool to transform media into collaborative spaces with video, voice and text commenting? VoiceThread
29. Tool to tell a story? Here are 50!
30. Screencasting (recording) tool? Wink
31. Hosted screencasting tool? Jing
32. Tool to make screenshots from different browsers with one click? Browsershots
33. Easy-to-learn 3D authoring software tool? Google SketchUp
34. Image Resizer? Dosize
35. Watermarking tool? uMark
36. Screen Color Picker? ColorSchemer
37. Tool to highlight text in a webpage? The Awesome Highlighter
38. Tool to create flowcharts, diagrams, technical drawings? Gliffy
39. Tool to create cool personalized images? Custom Sign Generator Widgets
40. Tool to create comics and cartoons? ToonDoo
41. Tool to create my own website? Webnode
42. Tool to share my slides? Too easy man! SlideShare
43. Tool to share my videos? Come on! YouTube
44. Online science research sharing portal? SciVee
45. Online community for sharing instructional teacher videos? TeacherTube
46. Online community to share ideas, discuss and learn about the uses of educational technology? EdTechTalk
47. Online community to test my big ideas? Big Think
48. Tool to download videos from any video sharing site (YouTube, Metacafe, etc.)? ClipNabber
49. Self-publishing tool (books, papers, articles, etc)? Scribd
50. Tool to share my pictures? Are you joking! Flickr
51. File hosting solution that allows me to share files up to 250MB each? FileCrunch
52. Online Quiz tool? ClassMarker
53. Online polling tool with a bit of fizzle? Polldaddy
54. Online survey tool? Click here to choose!
55. Tool to create Flash games (templates)? ClassTools.net
56. Investment Simulation Game? Virtual Trader
57. Interactive 3D business simulator? INNOV8
58. Mindmapping tool? FreeMind
59. Tool to create my own search engine tailored to my needs? Google Custom Search Engine
60. Human-powered search engine? Mahalo
61. Metasearch engine with visual display interfaces? What! Here is KartOO!
62. Search engine that groups the results by topic via automated clustering technology? Vivisimo
63. Science-specific search engine? Scirus
64. All-in-one research search tool? Schoolr
65. Tool to search, discover, rank and compare different sites around the world? Alexa
66. Tool to search the full text of books? Google Book Search
67. Tool to search for scholarly literature? Google Scholar
68. Tool to search for patents? Google Patent Search
69. Energy saving search engine? Blackle
70. Online visual dictionary and thesaurus? Visuwords
71. Encyclopedia of video tutorials to help me learn any software? Wikivid
72. e-Book to learn more about e-learning 2.0? Learning 2.0 eBook
73. Site to learn more about rapid e-learning? The Rapid e-Learning Blog
74. Site to learn more about Online Course Development? Hitchhiker’s Guide to Course Development
75. Crash course in learning theory? Click here!
76. Database of Learning Theories? Click here & here!
77. Tool to help me understand and use learning styles effectively? Learning Styles Online.com
78. Repository of creative and critical thinking tools? Mycoted to the rescue!
79. Route to learn more about the 21st century skills? Route 21
80. Repository of how everything works? HowStuffWorks
81. Repository and learning network of Open Educational Resources (OER)? OER Commons
82. Repository of lectures from the world’s top scientists? Videolectures.NET
83. Directory of academic open access repositories? OpenDOAR
84. Site covering today’s top social, political, and tech issues? FORA.tv
85. Site to improve my learning skills? Study Guides & Strategies
86. Gaming tool to help me learn ICT? ReviseICT.co.uk
87. Tool to improve my typing skills? Peter’s Online Typing Course
88. Interactive courseware to improve my workplace skills? ALISON
89. Multimedia site that enhance our understanding of war and its history? Maps-of-War
90. 3D human anatomy visualization tool? Visible Body
91. Tool to learn languages? Mango
92. Tool to explore the World? Google Earth
93. Tool to explore the Universe? WorldWide Telescope
94. Tool to visualize human development? Gapminder
95. Tool to answer all my questions? Answer.com
96. Site with talks by the world’s greatest thinkers and doers? TED is a good starting point!
97. Article to reveal the secrets of the super-learners? Click here!
98. Link to the most innovative web 2.0 (and 3.0) lab in the world? Google Labs
99. Tool to stumble upon and discover great websites, videos, photos, etc. ? StumbleUpon
100. Daily newsletter that keeps me updated with the latest news on online learning? Stephen’s OLDaily
101. Site to discover delicious free tools, resources, and sites? ZaidLearn’s Del.icio.us Discoveries
102. Site to make you shut up? About time! Here we go:

25 (must-have free) Tools: Professional Development Programme (Jane Knight)

In short, for every learning problem (or issue) we have today, there is probably a free tool or site out there that enables us to solve it. If not, I am pretty sure some genius out there is constructing it right now. If no one is doing it, perhaps we can do it.

If you want to experience my learning adventure as I discover, perhaps you should subscribe to my Del.icio.us Learning Adventure! Otherwise, you could always wait a week or two for the updates in this blog. Have fun ‘Socratic Tooling’ to solve your learning problems and issues