1) The first site I chose to investigate from David Kapuler’s 50 Sites in 60 Minutes is WiseMapping.
This is a great site for brainstorming and creating professional-looking “mind-maps.” It is free, easy to use, and can be accessed at anytime, anywhere! The Web 2.0 capabilities are wonderful; sharing ideas is made easy with WiseMapping.
I can see myself using this tool to help prepare a thematic unit, lesson plan, or for other professional development. I can also see students in mid- to upper-elementary using WiseMapping–it’s that easy!
2) The second site I chose is FlockDraw.
“FlockDraw is a free to use online based painting & drawing tool. It makes it easy to draw with multiple people for fun or business. You can have unlimited people in a room and the drawing updates in real time. Uses different colors, shapes and text. Save your drawing to our gallery and show it off!”
This site reminds me a lot of my childhood. As I tried to “play” with it, I realized how terrible I am at art on the computer! 
I can see my students using this to work on group projects or to create a piece of artwork to go along with a paper/project. It is a great resource and 
provides an alternative for students who may not necessarily enjoy or flourish while drawing with piece of paper and some crayons. A downside to this site is the flashy advertisements.
An incredible picture painted by Oken on FlockDraw. –>
3) The third site I chose is Little Bird Tales.
Little Bird Tales is a free digital story teller that is meant for kids! It is a “green” alternative to traditional books there is no advertising, and asks for donations to help “keep it flying.” Little Bird Tales encourages creativity and self expression, and it helps reinforce reading and writing skills. Along with being able to create your own story, there are “public tales” that are available to anyone!
There is also a students only option, which makes it very easy for educators to use. I can definitely see my students using this tool to create books about well…anything: addition, cause and effect, the presidents, photosynthesis, or an important event in his/her life.
An example of one of the tales a made by a member of Little Bird Tales. –>
4) My next site is BetterLesson.
“BetterLesson was founded by a group of teachers from Atlanta and Boston public schools to connect educators and help them create, organize, and share their curricula.We are focused on aggregating and scaling the most innovative content and practices from high-performing teachers across the country.”
I could join BetterLesson for free and get help with lesson planning for my future classroom. It is a great place for ideas and feedback! I really appreciate the goal of the founders of BetterLesson. Great site!
5) The final site I chose is Testmoz.
“Testmoz is a test generator that sports 4 question types, automatic grading, a really simple interface and detailed reports. It is free, and does not require you (or your students) to register.” It is a great and SIMPLE tool that any teacher can use. I really appreciate how easy it is to use. I can definitely see me using this alternative test-taking tool!
