I’m a fan of the freebie. I have been known to send off for free samples by the bucket load. One month (over ten years ago – I don’t want you to think I’m still like this) I got a fabric conditioner sample and got so excited that my freshly-laundered clothes smelt like a lavender field that I started talking to my friends about how aromatherapy was going to change my life. Later I went into the store and saw that I couldn’t actually afford anything outside the economy own-brand household items so my ambition to be forever relaxed by the scent of flowers on my pillow evaporated in two weeks (which was disappointing because I was led to believe the freshness would last longer).
I could probably write for ages about free web-based apps I like. But I thought I’d narrow it down to ones that increase my productivity, or at least might be useful to the average reader.
Edublogs
![screenshot of the dashboard](https://bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.brighton.ac.uk/dist/e/3024/files/2017/02/dashboard-1ujwc9i-236x300.png)
I thought this might be a trick prompt! Edublogs is probably my most used free web tool. (Though I use mine through CampusPress). My blog has been a great tool for expression and reflection.
The dashboard can sometimes look overwhelming for new users but the main point of a blog in the content. So as long as you write posts that are meaningful, most people will look over the fact you use a default template. There are a lot of things you can do with blogging – especially when you count all the plug-ins and customisation. But all you really need to do is get your message across.
With the exception of this blog, all my blogs are shared. I do have a shared blog that ten people have posting access to. Only three of us use it regularly. I probably use it the most and I use all the functions. My other colleagues post news and edit pages. One posts in plain text with occasional links to another source, the other is more experimental and posts a mixture of text, links and photos (I saw a cat in the image library the other day). I think we all provide good content despite our styles being different.
If you are going to start blogging, I would recommend just starting off with experimentation. Do some posts. Posts help find your voice and the practice of posting gets you familiar with the navigation. After that you can do the fancy stuff which is all helpfully listed in the user guide.
Minecraft: Education Edition
It’s currently free for staff and students. You can download it at education.minecraft.net/get-started/download. I like Minecraft as a teaching/creative/engagement tool. There is lots of information about Minecraft online and I really would not be able to do it justice in my tiny blog. I frequently tell friends and colleagues about how awesome I think it is. When they ask why?, I really don’t know how to answer. I guess it’s awesome because it is so adaptable. I started off using it as a game where I explored the map, then I began to enjoy building, then I wanted to destroy buildings, then I built a Rube Goldberg machine in it and next month when I have a bit more free time I am going to try to play Bob Dylan songs on the music blocks (I learnt to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star last year so I figure it’s a logical step up).
Part of building the Rube Goldberg machine was learning how the red stone circuits work and what actions will have consequences; how to use pistons, how to set traps, how to predict behaviour that is likely to set off a trap, how different materials act when they blow up… It was really exciting and I remember thinking how much fun I found making circuits in secondary school and wishing I felt confident to be more experimental back then.
If you’re new to Minecraft, I recommend looking at the Minecraft Education Edition starter kits and the What is Minecraft? page.
Twitter
I have a love-hate relationship with social media. On one hand, I like connecting with people but on the other hand I like some degree of control over my representation. I feel more confident with Twitter than I would on other sites because it moves so fast. I am aware things I have said three years ago can be found – but it would take a lot of patience to find them. When I’m struggling to find words, I don’t have to worry too much because I don’t have room to write more than a brief thought. Twitter feels like a real-life conversation whereas my blog feels like a real-life lecture from someone who didn’t prepare. I feel pressure to write well in my blog, but on Twitter I say whatever comes to mind. Sometimes that’s awkward and not interesting, but sometimes it just helps me get things off my chest.
Twitter feels more like a tool I can carry around with me all the time. Other social media networks can also feel this way but I think Twitter does it better. For example, I would just feel a bit odd photographing a plant on the way to work and pondering aloud about my day ahead on Facebook. Maybe that’s more to do with the networks we have on social media. Facebook doesn’t feel like a place for small talk for me – I am connected with family, friends from the past and occasional colleagues. I don’t want to fill their timelines with my thoughts. Twitter is full of rapid-fire thoughts. So I don’t feel bad adding mine into the mix.
My friends would probably describe me as a Twitter-addict. It’s just a great place for discussion. My timeline is full of museum-related tweets – I follow many museum professionals and it’s interesting to see what they are thinking and/or responding to news. I also follow many colleagues and departments in my university. I don’t always get to see them in person as much as I like so I enjoy reading about their day. Even if it’s just about the workmen in the next building singing along to the radio.
I think I have built up some strong networks from Twitter. I often live tweet at events and I know people in companies I’d like to work for are aware of me! I think Twitter has made me better-known on my campus (if I didn’t connect with people on Twitter I think most people wouldn’t be aware of my existence as my job requires zero interaction).
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Twitter for everyone. It is not used by younger audiences as much as other social media so it’s probably more suited to peer-to-peer professional networking.