Sometimes, the very best comes with a price. When I recommend sites that have a price, I make sure it’s something I pay for myself…and I mean out of my own pocket. These are the webapps or services that make a difference in my work as an educator each and every day. Therefore, I’m sharing this list with you. Most of them have a free or trial subscription that you can try them out on. I’m certain that you will find them as valuable as I did.
QUIA – I’ve often said that signing up for QUIA was the best $49 I ever spent in my teaching career. I still mean it. I’ve been teaching for 23 years and QUIA still costs $49 a year. That in itself is worth mentioning. Quia allows educators to create educational games, quizzes, surveys, scavenger hunts, flashcards, and class pages. For free, anybody can go to Quia’s Shared Activities and use any of the thousands of games and activities already created by other teachers. Simply find your category of interest and find a game you’d like to use. The best thing about QUIA is the ability to create your own games and instantly use your input to create different styles of games with the same material and the ability to have students take quizzes and have their results securely recorded online. Quia provides a 30-day trial so you can really use the features. You won’t be sorry!
Evernote Premium - I’m going to be honest and say I jumped on the Evernote bandwagon after everyone else. Now, I can’t be without it. But, it was one feature that made it that way. Evernote allows me to set up sync with a folder on my desktops (because I have more than one computer I use) and then everything I put in that folder is instantly available on Evernote. Simple. I can do things the way I’ve always done them but when I need my files, there they are in Evernote without me even thinking about getting them there. I love it! Evernote offers a free version with limited storage that you can try and see if it works for you! Evernote has a choice of a $5 monthly fee or a $45 year premium subscription.
Diigo - Diigo has become central in my daily routines. Diigo’s toolbar for Firefox or Internet Explorer makes it a breeze to find my saved websites. It’s a huge timesaver. I’m also a big fan of toolbar add-ons and shortcuts that make clipping and saving bookmarks fast. I want to save it and go. Diigo does just that for me! I don’t lose a thing and I save time in the process. A combination that simply can’t be beat! Diigo’s has a free plan but the premium plan at $5 a month or $40 a year is my choice.
Roboform Everywhere - Roboform Everwhere is a password manager that works on as many computers and mobile devices as you need with one license. Passwords stay in sync. With our complex technology needs today, passwords can be a real nightmare. Roboform Everywhere takes the hassle out of keeping logins secure and yet removes obstacles that occur with password management. The first year of Roboform Everywhere is $9.95.
Breevy – This may be one you’ve not heard of but you might wonder how you did without it after you try it with their 30-day free trial. Breevy is a text expander. You can use an abbreviation and enter it and Breevy will fill in as much text as you wish. It’s great for those repetitive tasks, email responses, grading comments, and more. Breevy also allows you to have instant access to your favorite applications and websites the same way. Simply type in your abbreviation and the site or appication instantly opens. I can’t begin to tell you how much time I’ve saved with this jewel! Breevy is priced at $34.95.
As a note, I receive nothing for these recommendations from these applications and services. I just love them! 
Carol Mortensen has nearly twenty-three years of educational experience. She began as a substitute teacher as she worked toward her degree. Upon graduation, Carol began teaching middle school Math and Algebra I and served as the technology liaison for her campus. She served as a teacher for 16 years and was lucky to have taught at Hillcrest Middle School, a 1:1 campus where every student was issued a laptop computer. She also worked as an Instructional Technology Trainer for her district providing training and technology integration support for campus and district staff, faculty and administrators. Currently, Carol enjoys her position as the Campus Technology Integration Specialist for Deer Park High School – South Campus. Before taking this position this year, she served for three years as the Campus Technology Integration Specialist at Fairmont Junior High in Deer Park Independent School District. In this position, Carol provides integration support and training to the students, staff, faculty, and administrators at the campus and district level. In addition, Carol is an online Math instructor for Aventa Learning and K12. The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) named Carol the Classroom Teacher of the Year for her innovative and creative use of technology to create a 24/7 virtual classroom using her classroom website. Carol has presented at school districts throughout Texas as well as state and local conferences on a variety of technology integration topics. Her article on the use of websites as an instructional tool was recently published in the TechEdge Magazine. In February 2011, her article, Lessons Learning In a 1:1 Classroom, was published by TechEdge. The article was republished in ISTE’s Learning and Leading magazine in August 2011. She was named Fairmont Junior High’s Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. Carol is passionate about the positive impact that technology has on student achievement. Her presentations are packed with real-life solutions, quality resources, and humor. She has an ability to connect with her audience and motivate them to take technology integration to a higher quality level.
