It’s the year 2015, and that means that students all around the world are expected to be up to date with the latest in technology trends. There now exist so many tools available for students to publish their ideas to online. There was once a time when publishing thoughts to the web required a strong knowledge of HTML and CSS, however with the surge of online blogging and publication systems, the ability to express ideas has never been as fast or easy as it is today. There is now a well of opportunity available for students to express their thoughts, and they have the added benefit of receiving feedback on those insights from people all over the world. Here is a list of some of the best online publication tools that students can post their creative impressions to.
1. Medium
The Medium blogging tool which was created by, Evan Williams, a co-founder at Blogger and Twitter, is a great tool for those who wish to share their stories with the world. It is very easy to use because unlike a lot of other blogging platforms, it doesn’t require the implementation of advanced widgets. There is also the added benefit of annotation features that allow students to cite their sources with ease. Although Medium does not allow for much customization, its clean and classic appearance makes for simple navigation of the tool.
2. Edublogs
Edublogs is a blog created for educational purposes and is ideal for students and teachers alike. It is an ideal tool for teachers who wish to assign writing projects because it allows them to review posts and add comments where they find errors. Essentially, this is the WordPress for educators. Some extra features include calendars, discussion tools and video embedding widgets.
3. Quora
Quora is a polling website and is perfect for inspiring students to push their curiosity via a web-based platform. Site users can create and curate questions and answers to a variety of topics, making it a great tool for teachers to develop practice quizzes and assignments for their students. The blogging platform of Quora does not, however, allow for much customization.
4. Exposure.co
Exposure is a photo-based blogging website. Due to its visual nature, the site is a great way for students to share photographs of projects and experiences. It also promotes creative, visual expression. It is easy to register with Exposure, and users can sign-up with their Facebook accounts as well.
5. LinkedIn
Not too long ago, LinkedIn announced a new blogging feature for their site. The new feature allows writers to publish original content. Published content is automatically added to the user’s profile and is therefore a great way for encouraging students to develop their LinkedIn presence at an earlier age.
6. Venngage
Venngage is an easy to use cloud-based infographic maker. The drag and drop interface makes it an ideal tool for individuals with minimal design experience. There are aplenty of templates, themes, charts, fonts, maps, icons and images that make it simple to create infographics. Schools can take advantage of the Venngage Education package, an affordable alternative for educators who want to implement infographic use in the classroom while having access to all of the premium features.
7. Google Developers
Google Developers is an infographic tool that depicts live sets of data. The tool is free and simple to use. Students have plenty of chart options to choose from, and can easily use the featured generator to visualize their research faster.
8. Google Apps
Google Apps has become one of the most widely used systems for word processing, data entry, slideshow presentations,e-mail and cloud storage. This is a necessary ecosystem for students to use, whether it be for in class assignments, or simply documenting their own ideas.
9. Scratch
Scratch is a great tool that helps younger kids learn a variety of digital skills such as coding, animation, interactive arts, video sensing and more. The simple interface makes it easy for kids to get started, and there are plenty of examples and beginner guides to help students out as well.
10. Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging tool that is mostly used by younger individuals. The sign-up process is very frictionless. There is also a Tumblr app which students can install on their smartphones making it very convenient to blog anywhere, anytime. Since it is a microblogging site, students can have their content posted to the web in just a matter of seconds.
11. Instagram
Instagram is a mobile-based photo and video sharing app. The app can easily be synced to Facebook, Twitter and Flicker, making it very easy to share content with the world. Instagram is perfect for featuring visual assignments such as: photo essays, campaign projects, and video assignments. There are also a number of surprising ways that Instagram can be used to promote cognitive learning.
12. Vimeo
Vimeo is a video-sharing website where students can view videos by users, or share and upload their own productions. Vimeo Video School also offers video creating tutorials for students to learn some of the skills required in the art of production. Their creations can be easily shared to other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as well.
13. DeviantArt
Deviantart is an online community that showcases original artwork by its users. Students can use the site to share their own digital art. This can be anything from drawings to infographics. Deviantart promotes artistic creativity for all age groups.
Within just a few clicks and a few taps, students can have their work published for the entire world to see. These tools not only empower students to express their own thoughts, but they also motivate them to explore their creative potential. So share this post with all the students you know and help guide them towards success in digital expression!