MapWing

MapWing.com is a free tool that makes it easy to build, share, and explore virtual tours. Students can take pictures of important or interesting sites in their community and create a virtual tour and share it with others around the world. Many virtual tours are available on the site for browsing, such as this medieval village in the south of France (although it might be a good idea to keep Google Translate open in another window).

Suggested by Lynette Taylor

ePals

ePals is another Web2.0 tool that allows you to connect your classroom with others across the nation or across the globe. You can search for other classrooms by students' age, content, language, etc. ePals provides you with student email accounts, blogs, etc. that are free and easy to use. The tool also provides free translation in eight languages. The free email, SchoolMail, can be monitored by teachers, administrators, IT staff, etc. and can be set up to automatically block teasing, hate speech, sexual harassment, cursing, etc. It includes virus scanning, spam protection, and even a Spell-checker. The SchoolBlog allows you to set up classroom only portions, parent only portions, and public sections of your blog.
Suggested by Daniel Przbylski

Planet in Action Places is a site that uses Google Earth to create exciting 3D postcards of different places. Here is what PlanetInAction.com has to say about their new tool -

The way you move around in Places is unique. Our brand new 3D navigation system is called GExplorer and allows novice users to experience the most incredible cinematic views of the scenery. In fact the views are so good that we added a recorder so you can save and share your places with your friends. GExplorer can be licensed for any 3D environment.

Suggested by Bernie Dodge

Rock Our World

Rock Our World is an excellent resource for teachers who want their students to engage with other students around the world. It is a great collaborative tool. It engage students globally and develops 21st century skills. It allows students to interact with others around the world. They can post blogs as well. I would use this without any hesitation because it broadens students' horizons. It also introduces other cultures.
Suggested by Takesha Murray

GlobalSchoolNet.org

Global SchoolNet offers many programs that connect classrooms all over the world. This site allows teachers and students to communicate with others all over the world and learn about the different aspects of other cultures. This website offers programs for all different subject matter. There is one activity where classrooms partner up and share letters to Santa Claus with a classroom across the globe, and another project where students make ther own newspaper. When making the newspaper the students go to GlobalSchoolNet and read other school newspapers and include articles from them in their own paper. There are tons of other activities included in this site.
Suggested by Abigail Anderson

One World Classrooms

One World Classrooms
The mission of One World Classrooms is to foster cross-cultural understanding in the context of the K-12 curriculum by building bridges of learning between the classrooms of the world through arts and technology. They offer password-protected, curriculum-based free online travel and a variety of opportunities for K-12 classrooms to interact with overseas partners.

This website enables students to share artwork, music, media, fieldtrips, a language lab and the opportunity to create fundraisers to help schools overseas.

A favorite area is the Field Trips in the classroom. You can create your own city and place it on site, and also take other trips to other classes that participate in the projects.

Suggested by Stephanie Gottschalk

Ask 500 Questions

Ask 500 Questions is a polling Web site where members can ask questions and poll participants from around the world. While some questions may get only a few responses, many questions get hundreds. The creators base their site on the premise of James Surowiecki's book The Wisdom of Crowds that diverse, decentralized people voting independently are better at predicting future events or trends than individuals or small groups. In Belgium thousands of high school students are using Ask 500 Questions to focus on finding solutions to real-worldd global problems.

Palabea connects people who share the same interests in learning languages and in discovering different cultures. People from all over the world can communicate via audio chat, video chat and text messages to practice foreign languages, to support others and of course to develop friendships around the world. This website enables students to create a profile and select which languages they speak and which languages they would like to learn. Users can also upload documents, pictures,and videos. Not only are participants pupils but they are teachers as well by teaching each other their native tongue. Palabea also offers learning and training video lessons and podcasts, virtual classrooms, and online teachers. This website would apply mostly to high schoolers and adult students. Also with this website, if participants wanted to further learn their language of choice after high school, Palabea provides a list of some the best language schools in the world.

Suggested by Amanda Maynard

iearn Collaboration Centre

Media iearn is a website that allows people from all over the world to work on various projects. By picking a project that interests you and applying your natural talents, you can be part of something great. Books are illustrated and written, history is researched, etc... Media iearn allows you to be a creator of a project or jump in with someone else. You can choose the appropriate age bracket. Teachers, parents, and students collaborated to create projects and work together. It is truly a global affair. Projects must be submitted for review, and it is recommended you participate in a project before beginning your own.

Suggested by Lori Gill