For English Language Learners, I think the best places to create online slideshows (including some that offer the additional language-learning opportunity of easily recording audio to go along with it) are listed at The Best Ways To Create Online Slideshows.

However, for my mainstream students, I don’t think there’s much added learning benefit to them by providing audio narration to their creation. In addition, since I’m lucky enough to teach in a Small Learning Community focusing on Information Technology, most of them also take a computer-related class. The teacher there often lets my students work on projects related to our class. And, since one of the things they’re learning is how to use PowerPoint, it’s easy to have them create PowerPoints related to what we’re studying in my class.

They upload them to our class blog and then other students can look at them and leave comments. We sometimes also share them in class.

I don’t think there’s any question that the easiest and best application for them to use is Slideshare. Slideshare, the popular online slideshow site, has also added a new feature called Zipcast. With a simple click, it allows you to create a public or private video and text chat next to the slideshare presentation you’re viewing.

However, at times our school computers haven’t worked well with that site, so I’ve always given students a list of other places they can use if they are having a problem with Slideshare.

I thought it might be useful to share that list here, too, since some teachers might be having the same problem, or Slideshare might be blocked by your filtering software.

Here’s a list of those alternative sites:

Authorstream

Slideboom

280 Slides

My Brainshark

PowerShow

Slideserve

MyPlick

SlideSix

All feedback on this list is welcome.

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