Grade Keeper: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Webinspiration : The instant way to create diagrams

Webinspiration is a nice web2.0 tool . It is all about mapping out ideas and creating beautiful concept maps and diagrams . It also allows its users to organize their ideas in an interactive outline and even invite others to collaborate online .

Some features of Webinspiration

Webinspiration offers different features to its users such as :

It is completely free
It is simple to use
It requires a quick sign up
It has a set of sophisticated authoring tools
It allows you to create nice diagrams , outlines , brainstorm or capture ideas
It also allows you to save your work ,share it with others or embed it in your blog or website
It lets you invite others to join you in the building of a diagram
You can use the chat service while you are working on a concept map

How can i get started using Webimspiration ?

Log on to Webinspiration main page and sign up

Once you are signed in click on ‘ launch webinspiration’

Click on ‘Diagram ‘on the starter screen to open a new document

Use the symbol palette there to :

drag and drop
create a series of ideas that are connected
add new linked symbols
organize and show the connections between ideas

Watch this short video to learn more

Application of Webinspiration in education

Webinspiration is a very important tool in education . teachers and students can use it to create diagrams and cooperate online with each other . The following are some of the ideas Webinpiration creators suggested for educators :

Download a Webspiration Classroom Overview pdf

– Webspiration Classroom service is now available for grade 5 to adult students and teachers.

Learn more in this video

That’s it about Webinspiration : The instant way to create diagrams

Here are some other diagram creation tools you might like :

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

Museum Box :The educative way to master the web

Musuem Box is another great organizational web2.0 tool . It allows its users to create their own boxes and fill them with information in the form of document sheets , videos ,pictures, links , audio clips etc . It is really a solid tool for building a strong virtual argument or explanation of a subject .
This is the definition Musuem Box creator has provided for their website :

This site provides the tools for you to build up an argument or description of an event, person or historical period by placing items in a virtual box. What items, for example, would you put in a box to describe your life; the life of a Victorian Servant or Roman soldier; or to show that slavery was wrong and unnecessary? You can display anything from a text file to a movie. You can also view and comment on the museum boxes submitted by others.

Some features of Museum Box

Museum box offers a set of interesting features to its users , among these features we can site for example :

It is completely free
It requires a quick sign up process
It has a great and engaging interface
It allows you to integrate text files ,videos , audio clips
It allows you to search others’ boxes and interact with them through leaving feedback in their pages
You can share your boxes online with others

How can i get started using Museum Box ?

Head on to Museum Box main page and click on start

The rest of this tutorial is to be continued in this short video or the slideshow beneath it .

How to use Museum Box

View more presentations from digitalmaverick

Applications of Museum Box in education

Museum Box is a very important website that educators should be using . It , among all it does , develops students critical thinking , which is a pillar skill in the learning process . Museum Box also helps students learn how to assess data and how to investigate the learning materials they need .using this tool increases students potential for engaging in healthy debates and help them explore and develop issues and ideas .
That;s it about Museum Box :The educative way to master the web
If you liked this organizational tool then you might also like the following similar tools :

· Springpad; teachers’ free notes organizer web2.0 t...

· Evernote : a new way to get organized in education...

· Bonzobox in Education

· citebite : educators’web2.0 tool for creating and publishing quotes ...

· Read It Later : a great web2.0 tool for educators

· Uploading It : web2.0 web manager for educators

· Discovery Box :The best organizational tool in Education...

· Diagram.ly easy diagrams’ creation tool in education...

· stixy : organize and share information in educatio..
Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

Sitehoover : a great easy way to organize your online work

Sitehoover is a fantastic web2.0 tool . It allows its users to store all their favourite websites and access them from any computer in the world .It acts like LiveBinders but with much more exciting features . Sitehoover does not only bookmark your favourite websites but also informs you about new and updated content on each of these websites . Wow isn’t that great ?

Some features of Sitehoover

here are a list of features that characterize Sitehoover service :

It is completely free
It is definitely simple and easy to use
It has a great interactive interface
It allows you to bookmark all your favourite websites with a single click
It has a practical extension that you can add to your browser
It allows you to tag your bookmarks and let the world see them
It also lets you customize the look of your background page and add your particular feel to it
It allows you to export all your Firefox bookmarks
You can save others’ favourite hoovers into your platform
you can set sitehoover as your homepage to get a quick access to your favourite websites whenever you are online.

How can i get started using Sitehoover ?

Head on to Sitehoover main page and open your account it is free and very instant .
Once you are signed in , you can then start adding your favourite websites
To add a website to your hoover , enter a name for it and click ‘start hoover’

Click on the box that says’ Click to add a page’

Then enter the URL of the page . If you have already created a folder then choose the folder then click on ‘add’ , the webpage will be automatically saved to your folder if you don't have a folder then it will be set for by default mode .

To create a folder click on ‘add a folder’ on the right hand side and give it a name .

Click on ‘” panel “ button on top right to :

see your own hoovers
favourite hoovers of others that you have saved
change the setting of your Sitehoover page .

Under the ‘setting’ tab you can :

select whether you want to make your hoover public

choose a template or create your own skin

Change account settings

Get addons to add to your tab or copy the html / JavaScript to embed in your blog or website

Applications of Sitehoover in education

No matter how long i talk to you about this great web2.0 tool i will never be able to make you feel the real importance of this tool in education .Teachers and students can use it to organize their favourite sites into hoovers that are easily accessible from anywhere with a computer and internet connection . Teachers can also gather a set of important websites for students and set them into hoovers and share their URLs with their students . You can think of load of ideas on how to use Sitehoover in your classroom just do not forget to Give it a try .
That’s it about Sitehoover : A Great Easy Way to Organize Your Online Work
If you like this organizational web2.0 tool then you might also like the following ones too :

engrade : the best online gradebook for educators

LiveBinders : The educative tool teachers should have ...

· Phile ; a great crowdsourcing tool for educators

· Quicklyst : The teacher’s dream tool

· Soshiku : a great organizational tool in education...

· TrackClass : The best way to organize your student...

· Symbalooedu : a student friendly web2.0 tool

· the alphabetizer : organize students’ writings

· Paper.li :an outstanding web2.0 tool for educative.tweets..

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

Free Online Converter :Convert media files online into any type of format

Free Online Converter is a great web 2.0 tool . It allows its users to convert any type of format to whatever format they want and in just seconds . I have tried it and it really amazed me and could not wait to share it with you .It is very simple and easy and you do not even have to sign up to start using it .

Some features of Free Online Converter

Here are some of the features that sets Free Online Converter apart from all other file converting systems:

It is completely free
It is dead simple and easy to use
It is very instant
It supports all kinds of formats
It allows you to share your converted files via a generated URL

How can i get started using Free Online Converter ?

Head on to Free Online Converter main page and choose the type of file you want to convert . Here are the files it supports :
Audio Converter

Video Converter

Image Converter

Document Converter

Ebook Converter

Hash Generater

To use any of them just select the target format and hit Go . You will be then asked to browse your file from your computer or provide a URL for it and click on Convert button . Here is an example of how it looks like if you want to convert an image .

Applications of Free Online Converter in education

With Free Online Converter teachers as well as students will never have problems with file conversions .Students will find it very interesting as it will allow them to convert files into format they like and in just a few seconds . I personally love PDF format and before i start reading any long word document article i always make sure to convert it to PDF format which i like so much . Try it out and see by yourself.
That’s it about Free Online Converter :Convert media files online into any type of format
Here are some of the other Converting Tools I have already covered in this blog and that you cqan use with your students :

Blogbooker : Turn an educative blog into pdf book...

Zamzar : the best file converting web2.0 tool in e...

Cute PDF Writer : convert easily your documents in education...

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

viddix :The Easiest Way to Create Interactive Web Videos

Viddix is a video publishing application that allows its users to create interactive video clips . Viddix offers a new and smart platform that allows users to add all kinds of web content to their video timeline . It is really a great tool to turn your boring videos into engaging multimedia clips that students will love .

Some features of Viddix

Here are the features that Viddix offers to its users :

It offers 250 MB file sizes to free users
It has a very interactive interface
It supports all sorts of raw formats (.avi, .wmv, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4)
it converts all these formats to FLV for optimal web performance.

How can i get started using Viddix ?

Log on to Viddix main page and register there .
Once you are signed in then you have two video options :
1-Viddix Overlay Player
Viddix overlay player allows you to add simple and effective overlays to your videos . You can for example show a link to your blog or a website or a link to your twitter or facebook account while video is playing . When you use a link Viddix automatically gives you a matching template .This is an example of a screenshot of how Viddix overlay palyer looks like :

Watch the Viddix Overlay player demo to learn more
2- The Dual Screen Player
Dual Screen player features the ipanel .

This ipanel can use text , images , videos , flash , polls , rss feeds ,custom and links .

This option displays two parts in a video screen : The left hand part shows video and the right hand panel displays the extra web elements that are connected to the video. These web elements can range from a simple text with links to full flash objects and forms. This is a screenshot of how Viddix dual screen player looks like :

Watch the Dual Screen Player demo to learn more

Applications of Viddix in Education

Viddix is really a cool web 2.0 tool to use with your students . You can use it to embed links and extra web content to your videos which which will for sure catch students attention more . Viddix drives away all the boredom that accompanies some educational videos and make them so much interactive . I am quite sure your students will love it so why not give it a try .
That’s it about Viddix :The Easiest Way to Create Interactive Web Videos .
If you like this presentation tool then you might also like these other presentation tools i have already talked about here :

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

Zen.do : easy note taking and flashcards making tool

Zen.do is a new web2.0 tool for note taking . It allows students to takes notes while they are studying .Zen.do has a built in word processor where students write their own notes and highlight the important parts of their study materials to turn them into memorable flashcards .

How does Zen.do works ?

First log on to Zen.do main page and click on sign up or you can sign in using your facebook or Google account .
Once you are signed in then you can start taking notes . To learn how to take notes using Zen.do then you need watch this tutorial video

Applications of Zen.do in education

Zen.do is really a great tool for students to use when taking notes and developing their study materials .Students now can spend ;less time reviewing their notes in such an efficient way using just their flashcards .
That’s it about Zen.do :Easy Note Taking and Flashcard Making Tool .
You might also like :

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

vuvox : a great multimedia slideshows creation tool

Vuvox is a wonderful web2.0 tool that we can use in education .It allows you to stitch together your photos , videos , and music into rich personal and appealing presentations . It is basically a multimedia collage and slideshow making tool .

Some features of Vuvox

Here are the main features that vuvox service offers to its users :

It is completely free
it is easy to use , instant and simple
It allows you to share your personal media with the rest of the world
it lets you customize you media just the way you like it
you can add your feeds to your own media
you can edit your images and crop parts you don't like
you can upload images from Flicker, SmugMug or Picasa
it also allows you to include videos into your collage
It allows you to mix all your multimedia into a nice slideshow to share with your students or colleagues

How can i get started using Vuvox ?

Visit Vuvox main page and create your free account
There are four ways to create your multimedia presentations :
Vuvox Express
this option is very fast but provides just few tools . when you log on to Vuvox Express you will be working on this platform .

Vuvox Collage
This service offers a wider range of option such as :

drag and drop interfaces
placement of interactive multimedia that include direct links and presentations
an easy to use cut-out tool
video and audio assets

watch Vuvox Collage tutorial to learn how to use this option
Vuvox Studio
Vuvox Studio is the most advanced option offering broadest selection of editing tools

there are three steps to start using Vuvox Studio
1- Collect
click on collect to upload your photos be it from the web or your computer
2- Create
click on create to choose a presentation style and use the tool bar on the right hand side to customize it and add things to it

3- Publish
this is where you can broadcast your project or share it with others

Cut-out Express
you can use this service to :

upload a photo
make a cut-out
upload media

Watch this demo video to learn more how to use Vuvox to create you own personal multimedia presentatiomns and slideshows .

Applications of Vuvox in education

Vuvox is a handy tool to be used in education . As teachers and educators , we can use this service to create engaging slideshows and presentations and share them with our students . we can also encourage our learners to use Vuvox to create their own slideshows to use in classroom projects or when given an assignment.
That’s it about Vuvox : A Great Multimedia Slideshows Creation Tool
If you like this presentation tool then you might want to check other presentation applications i have already talked about here .here is a list of them :

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping...

authorSTREAM : The Educative web2.0 Presentation S...

SlideRocket your educative presentation tool

280Slides :The teacher’s best tool to make present...

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping...

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

dropbox: the best way to share, sync and back up your files

Dropbox is one of my best applications that i use on a daily basis . Dropbox offers a very handy and most of all intelligent way to store and share files online . It is very simple and has no complicated set up .You just need to install a folder in your computer which takes about 5 minutes and then fill in your information .Let’s say for example , you have installed Dropbox on your laptop and have uploaded some documents to it ; when you are on another computer ,say at school , you can view all the documents you have uploaded and you can even download them and do any changes you want , whatever changes you did will instantly appear on the Dropbox folder you have in your laptop .Isn’t that pretty cool ? . wait till you finish this tour and you will see how important Dropbox is in our life .
Watch this very short video to have an idea about what Dropbox is all about :

Some features of Dropbox

These are the features that sets Dropbox apart from any other similar application :

It is completely free
It is simple to use and has a nice user-friendly interface
No need to have a flash drive or memory stick to keep and share information Dropbox does the job for you
It is completely secure and if your laptop goes down you will get all your saved files in Dropbox as soon as you install it again

Dropbox offers an online backup service, free file syncing, and the ability to share your files with others

It is compatible with most of the operating systems and has a mobile version for mobile devices
It offer 2GB for free which is a generous amount of storage for teachers
It allows you to share whatever you want via a URL

Dropbox lets you go back in time to undelete or undo changes to files.

How can i get started using Dropbox ?

Log on to Dropbox main page and sign up for a free account

Once you are signed in you need to download a special folder to any computer or portable device you work with . click on download to start the process

when you are done downloading it then you watch this video tutorial to see how you can work on Dropbox . This tutorial is provided by Dropbox creators .

Applications of Dropbox in education

In fact everything Dropbox offers is pivotal to education .This is a tool that every teacher MUST have and work with . We can use it to :

write our lesson plans and save them for a later use at school . Don't worry , you do not need to install a folder every time you want to check your Dropbox documents , you can just go to Dropbox webpage and log in to see all the things you have saved to your folder at home .
share homework assignments , documents , videos …etc with your students or colleagues by saving them to a public folder that everyone can access via a generated URL

That’s it about Dropbox : the best way to share, sync, and back up your files

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Animoto : create easy professional video slideshows

Animoto is a fantastic web2.0 tool in education . It turns your photos and video clips into professional video slideshows in minutes . It is very fast and simple to use . Animoto offers different pricing options to casual consumers but educators get an all access pass worth 30 dollars a year for free .This will let you create an unlimited number of online slideshows with no length restrictions .To sign up for this offer visit the Education Sign up Page .

Some features of Animoto

These are the main features that Animoto offers to its users :

It is very simple to use
It has a user-friendly surface
Animoto syncs with Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, and SmugMug to get your images in a snap
It allows you to upload your own mp3 or choose from a collection of tunes in several different genres.
It lets you customize your videos in a very simple way
you can share your Animoto video on Facebook, YouTube, your blog, or a DVD.

How can i get started using Animoto ?

Log on to Animoto main page and click on register it is quick and simple
To create your first Animoto video you need to follow these three steps
Step 1
Select your images and videos clips from the Animoto stock gallery, or import them from Facebook, Smugmug, Flickr, Picasa, and Photobucket
Once your videos and images are selected you can then begin reordering them by drag and drop technique or just click on reshuffle and let Animoto do the job for you . You can also use many other tools to customize your videos like :

Adding text
Duplicate or rotate pictures
delete or spotlight your pictures

Step 2
Now you need to add some music to your slideshows . You can either choose from your own collection or use the Animoto gallery to select from the tunes they provide for you. Animoto allows you to choose the point where your soundtrack would start

Step3
This is where you finalize your video by choosing the speed you want your video to play at and by selecting the thumbnails you want to have as a cover screen for your video .

Finally give your video a title and a description and let Animoto process it before it sends you an email containing the link to your slideshow video which you can use to share with others .

Watch this video to learn more

Applications of Animoto in Education

Animoto is really a must have tool for educators . It can be used in different ways. Check out how educators use Animoto to learn more .
Here are some of the other presentation tools i have already talked about here :

prezentit : a great presentation software for your students

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping...

authorSTREAM : The Educative web2.0 Presentation S...

SlideRocket your educative presentation tool

280Slides :The teacher’s best tool to make present...

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping... Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

prezentit : a great presentation software for your students

Prezentit is a great web2.0 tool . It allows its users to create alone or with others , share and show online memorable presentations . It is a very handy tool that we can use with our students .

Some features of Prezentit

The following are some of the features that underly Prezentit service “:

It is completely free
It is simple to use and safe
It has a nice user-friendly interface
It allows you to simultaneously edit slides with others online
You can share your presentations with others using a short link
you can choose either to make your presentations private or public
It has no limit to the size or duration of the presentation

How can i get started using Prezentit ?

Log on to Prezentit main page and sign up , it is quick and easy .
Now that you are signed in click on ‘ new presentation ‘ button

and you will be directed to this platform

Click on add text to open the authoring tools you have and a box will be opened in the slide for you to write in , you can drag it to whatever place in the slide .

To insert an image just click on image and select from the ones in the gallery or your library or just upload them from your computer . You can also customize their size to what suits your slides the best .

To customize your background click on ‘background image’ and again select pictures you want to display on your presentation background from library , gallery or upload yours you have in your computer

to add transitions to your slide click on ‘transitions ‘ button and choose the one you want

If you want to invite someone to edit with you the presentation click on the ‘ share’ button on top of the page and insert his or her email address

Once you are finished with your presentation you can then press ‘ publish ‘ button to choose whether you want to make it public or private .

Applications of Prezentit in education

Prezentit is a great application to introduce to your students and make them familiar with . Show them how they can use it to make interesting slide shows . They can use it to collectively work on a classroom project with each one editing and adding to the presentation ..
Here are some of the other presentation tools i have already talked about here :

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping...

authorSTREAM : The Educative web2.0 Presentation S...

SlideRocket your educative presentation tool

280Slides :The teacher’s best tool to make present...

Popplet : The educative presentation ,mind mapping...

Here are all the educative web2.0 tools i have covered so far in this blog .I have organized them into different categories , select the category you want and explore the tools :

engrade : the best online gradebook for educators

Engrade is one of the best online web2.0 tools in education . It is the number one online gradebook in class management system with more than 2,410,506 members . Engrade is completely free and is a great way to post class information for students and parents .

Some features of Engrade

The following is a list of features that Engrade offers to its users :

It is completely free
it is secure and private
It requires a sign up but it is quick and easy
It allows you to record grades and attendance , schedule assignments and build classroom materials like : lessons , quizzes , and flashcards
It lets you imprint a variety of grade reports
It allows you to create and share wikis , lessons , flashcards , and online quizzes
You can also use it to embed videos and upload documents

How can i get started using Engrade ?

Visit Engrade front page and click on sign up
Create a teacher account
Now that your account has been created you need to set up your first class

Next you choose the grading scale for this class . If you select manual option , Engrade will not automatically calculate the students grades and you have to enter them but if you select 0-100 Engrade will automatically calculate them based on their percentage .If you want to customize your students grading scale click on custom button

Engrade allows you to put your assignments into categories and weight them .

it also allows you to sort students in the grade book by their last name , id number or class percentage

To add an assignment simply click new assignment

then enter its name , the points possible , select a category , choose a date , and add a description or attachment .Under the student score , you can enter the scores of your students on this assignment .

To create a class , scroll over classes button on the top bar and click on create a new class and do the same procedure you did previously .

To learn more about Engrade here is a list of video tutorials on how to use each of its functionalities just click on any link to watch the video.
Introduction to Engrade
How to create and assign a quiz using Engrade
How to create flash cards using Engrade
How to use attendance option on Engrade

Introduction to Engrade from Engrade on Vimeo.

Applications of Engrade in Education

Engrade is a great web2.0 tool in education . It has been created mainly for teachers and students . The following are a set of ideas on how we can use Engrade in education as has been proposed by Engrade themselves :
We can use Engrade to :

create a customized grading scale to store students scores
engage students in online discussions
assign homework and assignments for students
safely and privately message students and parents
build online class wikis for your classroom
Post events , reminders and lessons online for your class
create flash cards to help students with their learning
Track daily attendance
deliver online quizzes to your students and let Engrade automatically calculate the scores for you to save you time .

that’s it about Engrade : The best online Gradebook for Educators
I hope you liked this post . To learn more about other organizational and collaborative tools you might need in your classroom , just check the '” Organizing / Collaborative tools “ tab on top of this page .
You might also like :

LiveBinders : The educative tool teachers should have ...

· Phile ; a great crowdsourcing tool for educators

· Quicklyst : The teacher’s dream tool

· Soshiku : a great organizational tool in education...

· TrackClass : The best way to organize your student...

· Symbalooedu : a student friendly web2.0 tool

· the alphabetizer : organize students’ writings

· Paper.li :an outstanding web2.0 tool for educative.tweets..

Monday, March 28, 2011

Let's Crate , a free file sharing service for educators

Let's Crate is another free file sharing application .It is very simple and easy to use . It allows you to share files that amount to 20MB with whomever you want . You can either start using this free service without signing up , a thing which will allow you to save your crate just for 30 minutes , or you can sign up and save your crates forever . I personally think that you should give Let's Crate a shot and see if you would like it . I have been using it for awhile now and have found it extremely helpful .

Applications of Lets Crate in Education

Now you have another handy web2.0 tool to use with your students in the class to share files and interesting documents at no times . I hope you would try it out and introduce it to your students and show them how to use it . best of luck .

Sendoid , The Instant Private Way to Share Files in Education

Sendoid is a great file sharing web2.0 application. It is completely different from other file sharing services in that it is based on peer to peer transfer system . This means that files are never stored into servers and that they are only accessible in a direct way through a generated link .

Some features of Sendoid

Here are some features that sets Sendoid apart from other file sharing systems online

It is completely free
It is dead simple
It is very instant and straight forward
It does not require any sign up
It provides a high security via a 128bit AES encryption algorithm, link obfuscation, and an optional user-set password at the end-point.
It offers a size limit that ranges between 600 MB and 1 GB
It provides a desktop application that facilitates file sharing

How can i get started using Sendoid ?

Log on to Sendoid main page
Click on Choose File to Share

Once the file is selected , you can set a password for it or choose whether you want a reusable link then click on Share button .
A link will be generated for you that you can share with others via many ways such as email, IM, chat, twitter, etc

To install Sendoid Desktop Application just click on Install Sendoid button

Applications of Sendoid in Education

Sendoid is a very important tool in education . We can use it to share files instantly with our colleague teachers in such a private and secure way . We can also introduce Sendoid to our students and show them how to use it to send files to each others and to their teachers as well .
That is it about Sendoid , The Instant Private Way to Share Files in Education

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Short Text : the educative web posting

Short Text is another great web2.0 tool suggested by B’s Life with English .It is a simple tool to publish text online with no sign up or sign in . It is really very practically useful and all you need to do to post your text to others is an internet connection .

Some features of Short Text

Here are the key features that underly ShortText service :

It is completely free with a premium version for more functionalities
It is very simple, quick and user-friendly
It does not require any sign up or sign in
The URL you generate for your text lives for one year and if visited during this one year then it would live longer
You can make your URL private
You can share your URL with whomever you want
It has a useful Firefox extension to help you instantly post your text
It allows linking to vidoes or images
You can also active the “ allow comments” service to interact with your visitors .

How can i get started using Short Text ?

Log on to Short Text main page

Type or paste your text in the box and select your privacy settings and enter the captcha letters then hit “ create URL”

Here is some of the ideas Short Text engineers provided on the different ways Short Text can be used :

innstant blogging.
Throwing a party? Post the details here and share the url with your friends (remember to make the post private).
Want to provide more information about yourself or your company in forums/email/visiting cards/banners? shortText it and put a link.
People always bug you for directions to your office or home? shortText it and just provide the link to whoever needs it (make it private).
Instant message has a size limit? Quickly shortText it and IM the url.
Emails getting filtered out at work? shortText the content of the email and just send the url.
Store hard-to-remember information online.
Publish code, research work, ideas, rants and raves; quickly.
shortText anything which you find yourself typing again and again.
shortText short lived webpage content which you would have to save locally otherwise. Find it later by searching for relevant keywords.