Web Apps, Sites, and Programs To Personalize Your Internet Experience

Dr. Jeff D. Borden, Chief Academic Officer of eCollege, presented "Personalization: How Far Can/Should/Will We Go?" on the main campus for Faculty Development Day, Jan. 5, 2012.

He mentioned many Internet sites and applications for personalizing online educational experiences.

Here are some of my favorites from Dr. Borden's presentation:

• Wordle: Use this site to create colorful "word clouds" from text you provide.
• Done in Sixty Seconds: You will find several examples of movies "done" in 60 seconds on YouTube.com, but this company, also known as DISS, can produce one for you. Check the site for pricing. (Students beware! This isn't free.)
• EnterZon: Sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International and Michigan State University, use this multi-player interactive game to learn Chinese language and culture. Registration required.
• The Mixxer: Hosted by Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, uses Skype to connect language learners from around the globe. Post a blog entry and have a native speaker correct it or make comments. Find a language learning partner and share your skills as a native speaker. Teachers can set up special groups for their own students. Free.
• Sophia: Parents, teachers, and students are invited to register and join this free online learning community. Their motto is "Teach what you know. learn what you don't." User-generated content is already organized into "packets" to get you started.
• Edistorm: Sign up for a 30-day free trial or choose a subscription option, then use this site to collaborate with others at a distance, online using laptops, mobile devices, or SmartBoards. You can post virtual sticky notes, edit them, make comments, vote, and then export results in various formats. 
• Crocodoc: Once the brainstorming is done and you are working on a project, use this free, online site to view documents, PDFs or images, edit and mark them up, make comments, and share or embed them. 
• InnoCentive: Businesses and organizations post real-life problems on the site, individuals can sign up as "solvers," and the power of crowdsourcing ultimately leads to solutions that improve the world and pay out cash prizes of $5000 and up for the winning solution.  
• But wait, there are more! Check out Quirky, HistoryPin, HeadMagnet, SCVNGR, and YNAB. Most are free, some require a fee. Caveat emptor!