Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K.

Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

The Yuens’ Top Picks

Best of the Free Technology
Tools for Teachers
„ Selection Criteria
„ Free – no trials
Steve C. Yuen, Ph.D.
Professor „ Public domain or open source
The University of Southern Mississippi „ Desktop or online
and „ Easy to learn and use
Patrivan K. Yuen, M.A., M.Ed., M.L.S.
„ Useful for teaching and learning
Technical Services/Systems Librarian
William Carey University
MBEA Conference
East Central Community College, Decatur, MS
September 14, 2007

Categories of Technology Tools Best Productivity Tool

„ Productivity Tools
„ Publishing Tools
„ Communications
„ Web Mail
„ Image Editing Software
OpenOffice
„ Multimedia and Web Development Tools
„ Search
„ Security
„ Utilities
„ Web Tools

OpenOffice OpenOffice - Writer

„ Open source, multiplatform, and multilingual
office suite.
„ Desktop and portable versions.
„ A full-featured office suite that's compatible
with Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, Lotus and
other office applications.
„ Include a word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation, drawing package & database.
„ Download at [www.openoffice.org]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

OpenOffice - Calc OpenOffice - Impress

OpenOffice - Draw OpenOffice - Base

OpenOffice - Math Honorable Mention

„ Google Docs & Spreadsheets
Services
„ docs.google.com

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Honorable Mention Best Publishing Tool

„ ThinkFree
„ thinkfree.com

PDF Creator

PDF Creator PDF Creator

„ Open source, Windows application.
„ A printer driver that creates Adobe Acrobat
files from any applications.
„ Create more than just PDFs: PNG, JPG, TIFF,
BMP, PCX, PS, EPS.
„ Offer a multitude of options for controlling the
output, including the ability to password-
protect PDF files to limit users’ ability to print,
copy, or modify the documents.
„ Download at [www.pdfforge.org]

Best Communication Tools Meebo

„ Let you log in simultaneously to 7 IMs (AIM,
Meebo Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN Live
Messenger, and Meebe’s own network).
„ See all your contact in a single list, and you

& can correspond with them all from a single

interface.
Skype „ Allow you to do instant messaging from
anywhere.
„ Access at [www.meebo.com]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Meebo Skype
„ Work on most kinds of computers —
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Pocket
PCs.
„ Calls, chats and file transfers work
between computers.
„ Automatically encrypt calls, chats and
file transfers before sending it through
the Internet.
„ Download at [www.skype.com]

Skype Skype

Skype Best Web Mail

Gmail

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Gmail Gmail
„ Come with built-in Google search technology and
over 2.6 GB of storage.
„ Also available on mobile devices.
„ Integrate instant messaging right into the email
„ Provide spam protection using Google
technology.
„ Messages can be sent and read in most
languages. Gmail interface is available in 40
languages.
„ Free automatic forwarding and POP3 access
„ Access at [www.gmail.com]

Gmail Gmail

Gmail Best Search Tool

Google
&
Google
Desktop

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Google Google

„ www.google.com
„ Search billions of Web pages.
„ Search Web, images, news, groups, and
directory.
„ Offer advanced search and language tools.
„ Offer free SiteSearch and WebSearch to
educational institutions worldwide.
„ Google toolbar, Google Viewer, Google
Webquotes, Google wireless.

Google Desktop Google Desktop

„ Index nearly every document on your hard
drive and then includes those files in your
Google searches.
„ Quickly search your computer for emails, web
history, and files.
„ View news, photos and more anywhere on
your desktop.
„ Add Google Gadgets (News, Maps, Weather,
Web Clips ...) to customize your desktop and
Sidebar.
„ Download at [desktop.google.com]

Best Web Development Tool Nvu

„ Open source, multiplatform application.
„ A complete Web Authoring System that
combines file management and WYSIWYG
Web page editing.
Nvu „ Integrated file management via FTP.
„ Can jump between WYSIWYG Editing Mode
and HTML using tabs.
„ Tabbed editing to make working on multiple
pages.
„ Support for forms, tables, and templates.
„ Download at [www.nvu.com]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Nvu Best Calendar

Yahoo Calendar

Yahoo Calendar Yahoo Calendar

„ calendar.yahoo.com
„ Access dates and meetings from anywhere,
anytime.
„ Share your calendar with specific friends and
colleagues.
„ Remember important dates, set up automatic
reminders.
„ Let you easily insert holidays, local weather
reports, and events from Yahoo Groups into
your calendar.
„ Optional software syncs your calendar with
Outlook, Outlook Express, and Palm PDAs.

Best Maps Google Earth

„ Google Earth combines the power of Google
Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and
Google Earth 3D buildings to put the world's geographic
information at your fingertips.
& „ Fly to your house. Just type in an address, press
Search, and you’ll zoom right in.
Google Maps „ Search for schools, parks, restaurants, and
hotels. Get driving directions.
„ With Google Earth 4, you can tilt and rotate the
view to see 3D terrain and buildings.
„ Save and share your searches and favorites.
„ Download at [earth.google.com]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Google Earth Google Maps

„ Offer powerful, user-friendly mapping

technology and local business information-
including business locations, contact
information, and driving directions.
„ Provide satellite imagery.
„ Can search for some locations using latitude
and longitude coordinates on Google Map.
„ Offer driving directions.
„ Can use Google Maps on mobile devices.
„ Access at [maps.google.com]

Google Maps Best Image Editing Software

GNU Image
Manipulation
Program
(GIMP)

GIMP GIMP
„ Open source, multiplatform, and multilingual
image editing software.
„ Can be used as a simple paint program, an
expert quality photo retouching program, an
online batch processing system, a mass
production image renderer, an image format
converter, etc.
„ Expandable and extensible. Designed to be
augmented with plug-ins and extensions for
additional functions.
„ Download at [www.gimp.org]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Honorable Mention Honorable Mention

„ Irfanview „ Picasa
„ www.irfanview.com „ picasa.google.com

Best Photo Hosting Flickr

„ www.flickr.com
„ Photo-sharing service makes uploading
pictures, sharing them with others, or posting
Flickr them to your Weblog.
„ Visitors can leave comments on every photo.
„ Set privacy levels on each photo and decide.
who can see them and comment on them.
„ Upload photos by email or from your
cameraphone.
„ Using Flickr Organizer to sort all your photos
into Sets, which are sort of like albums.

Flickr Best Audio Editing Tool

Audacity

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Audacity Audacity

„ Open source software for recording and editing

sounds.
„ Available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows,
GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
„ Record live audio.
„ Convert tapes and records into digital recordings
or CDs.
„ Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files.
„ Cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together.
„ Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
„ Download at [audacity.sourceforge.net]

Audacity Best Video Editor

Movie Maker

Movie Maker Movie Maker

„ For Windows XP only.
„ Create, edit, and share home movies.
„ Add special effects, music, and narration.
„ Share your movie over the Web or master it
to DVD media.
„ Save in WMV format only.
„ Download at:
[www.microsoft.com/moviemaker]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Best Video Converter Super

„ A Multimedia Encoder and a Multimedia Player.

„ Play and convert full length movies to any other format.
„ Require NO additional external codec to be installed.
„ Supported input source file formats:
Super „ Video format: 3gp/3g2(Nokia,Siemens,Sony,Ericsson)
asf, avi (DivX,H263,H264,XviD,MPEG4, etc..), dat, fli, flc,
flv, mkv, mpg (Mpeg I,Mpeg II), mov, mp4, ogg, qt, rm,
ram, rmvb, str (Play Station), swf, ts (HDTV), viv, vob,
wmv.
„ Audio format: aac, ac3, amr, mmf, mp2, mp3, mp4, mpc,
ogg, ra, wav, wma.
„ Supports the conversion (encoding both ways, to & from )
of the listed formats
„ Download at: [www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.htm]

Super Best Screencasting

CamStudio

CamStudio CamStudio

„ Desktop Screen Recorder

„ Similar to Camtasia.
„ Record activity from your screen and audio
from a microphone into AVI video files.
„ Can convert the AVIs into Streaming Flash
videos (SWFs) using its built-in SWF
Producer.
„ Download at [www.camstudio.org]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Best Anti-Virus Software Avast Home Edition

„ For home users and non-commercial use.

„ Include more than 7 different varieties of
Avast shields, safe-surfing tools, and real-time virus
Home Edition protection for your system as well as for
Outlook.
„ Both the virus database and the program itself
can be updated automatically.
„ Work with Windows and Linux
„ Download at [www.avast.com]

Avast Home Edition Best Anti-Spam Tool

Spybot Search
and Destroy

Spybot Search and Destroy Spybot Search and Destroy

„ Find and delete spyware.

„ Continuously monitor your system for changes.
„ Has on-demand scanning, real-time prevention,
and detailed settings.
„ Give you an opportunity to permit or disallow
critical Registry modifications before they
happen.
„ Download at [www.safer-networking.org]

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Best Backup Services Mozy

„ Online backup and file synchronization.
„ Allow you browse through 30 days’ worth of
backups to locate pervious versions of files.
„ Can halt backups if the CPU usage exceeds
Mozy a certain percentage.
„ Get 2GB for free.
„ Work with Mac and
Windows.
„ Download at
[www.mozy.com]

Best Test Maker Hot Potatoes

„ Include six applications, enabling you to create

interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-
sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill
exercises for the Web.
Hot Potatoes „ Not a freeware, but it is free for teachers.
„ Create Web-based tests which can stand alone or be
linked to other tests to form a sequence of tasks.
„ Students can correct their own work based on the
clues and feedback set up in advance by the teacher.
„ Allow the teacher to specify an email address to
which scores are sent.
„ Download at [hotpot.uvic.ca]

Hot Potatoes Hot Potatoes

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Dr. Steve C. Yuen & Patrivan K. Yuen, 2007 MBEA Conference, Decatur, MS, September 14, 2007

Hot Potatoes THE END

Questions or Comments?

Thank You for Attending Our session!

This presentation is available on the Web at:

dragon.ep.usm.edu/~yuen/present/mbea/mbea07a.pdf

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