Twextra is a new web application that lets people create a simple webpage with an automatically shortened link for sharing in something like Twitter.

That purpose is fine, but it works great for another reason — and that’s why I like it.

Some lessons I do include having students create Picture Data Sets — putting photos into categories with them writing a short description about each one. Students can use something like Wallwisher for this activity, but for students new to technology I prefer to have them just copy and paste the actual image instead of doing the extra step of getting the url address (which is what you need with Wallwisher).

Twextra allows you to copy and paste photos directly onto it, and it’s very easy to write text under the image.

This capacity also makes Twextra a very attractive option for teachers who are new to technology — it requires minimal tech knowledge to use. Any teacher can have students copy and paste their work on Twextra, which requires no sign-up.

I’m not sure what the maximum space limit is on a Twextra message, or how long it is saved, but it’s certainly worth a look.