Let's explore the idea that there is at least one excellent free learning tool (or site) for every learning problem, need or issue!

I want a FREE:

1. Easy-to-use and secure Internet browser? Firefox
2. e-Mail system? Gmail
3. Social bookmarking tool? del.icio.us
4. Social bookmarking tool with collaborative learning features (groups, forums, etc.)? Diigo
5. Tool that enables me to capture, visualize, organize and share my bookmarks? SimplyBox
6. Tool to translate text or a webpage? Google Language Tools
7. RSS reader? Omea Reader
8. Online RSS reader? Google Reader
9. Online Calendar? Google Calendar
10. Tool to aggregate all my resources, mail, RSS feeds, etc, in one place? Netvibes, iGoogle or Pageflakes
11. Platform to incorporate all my favorite tools within one environment? Elgg
12. Learning Management System (LMS)? Easy, Moodle
13. Hosted LMS? Here are SEVEN!
14. Tool to assist me in evaluating and selecting a LMS? EduTools
15. Learning Activity Management System? LAMS
16. Collaboration tool? Connect with Ning
17. Social Networking tool? Tricky one! Facebook
18. Tool to create study groups and manage group projects? GroupTable
19. Tool to keep track of my schoolwork (assignments)? Soshiku
20. 3D online virtual world where I can socialize, connect and learn? Second Life
21. Content Management System (CMS)? Joomla
22. Tool to create my own website? Webnode
23. Virtual Classroom? DimDim
24. Hosted Virtual Classroom? WiZiQ
25. Tool to broadcast myself to the world? USTREAM
26. Tool to make calls from my computer? Skype
27. Videoconferencing chat service? Vawkr
28. Content authoring tool? How about two? eXe & CourseLab
29. Alternative to Microsoft Office? OpenOffice
30. Online suite of office tools? Google Docs or Zoho
31. Tool that accurately converts my PowerPoint to Flash (including animations)? iSpring Free
32. Web authoring tool alternative to FrontPage and Dreamweaver? NvU or KompoZer
33. Personal online notebook? Google Notebook
34. Blogging tool? WordPress! Why aren't you using WordPress? Good Question!
35. Blogging tool for educators? Edublogs
36. Directory of edubloggers from around the world? International Edubloggers Directory
37. Microblogging tool? Twitter
38. Microblogging tool for education? Edmodo
39. Microblogging tool for companies? Yammer
40. Wiki tool? PBwiki
41. Encyclopedia, which I can add to or edit? Wikipedia
42. Community dedicated to collaborative development of free content? WikiEducator
43. Audio recording tool? Audacity
44. Tool to record and host my audio recordings online? Odeo Studio
45. Tool to transform media into collaborative spaces with video, voice and text commenting? VoiceThread
46. Tool for storytelling? Here are 50!
47. Screencasting (recording) tool? Wink
48. Hosted screencasting tool (more options)? Jing or Flowgram
49. Mindmapping tool? FreeMind
50. Tool to brainstorm and create mindmaps online? Bubbl.us or MindMeister
51. Easy-to-learn 3D authoring software tool? Google SketchUp
52. Alternative to 3D Studio Max? Blender
53. Photo/image editing tool? GIMP or Picasa
54. Online photo/image editing tool? Splashup
55. Tool to create cool personalized images? Custom Sign Generator Widgets
56. Image Resizer? Dosize
57. Watermarking tool? uMark
58. Screen Color Picker? ColorSchemer
59. Tool to highlight text in a webpage? The Awesome Highlighter
60. Tool to create flowcharts, diagrams, technical drawings? Gliffy
61. Tool to create comics and cartoons? ToonDoo
62. Tool to create animations? GoAnimate
63. Tool to make screenshots from different browsers with one click? Browsershots
64. Tool to create PDFs from any Windows program? PDFCreator
65. Online file conversion tool (e.g. Word >PDF>PowerPoint)? Zamzar
66. Tool to share my slides? SlideShare, SlideBoom or authorSTREAM
67. Tool to share my videos? YouTube or TeacherTube
68. Tool to share any type of file with unlimited storage capacity? Internet Archive
69. Online science research sharing portal? SciVee
70. Online community to share and discuss instructional teacher videos? TeacherTube
71. Online community to share, discuss and learn about the uses of educational technology? EdTechTalk
72. Online community to test my big ideas? Big Think
73. Tool to download videos from any video sharing site (YouTube, Metacafe, etc.)? ClipNabber
74. Self-publishing tool (books, papers, articles, etc)? Scribd
75. Tool to share my pictures? Are you joking! Flickr
76. Space to upload and share my files? eSnips
77. File hosting solution that allows me to share files up to 250MB each? FileCrunch
78. Online quiz tool? ClassMarker
79. Tool to create interactive quizzes and puzzles? Hot Potatoes
80. Tool to create web and print-based crossword puzzles? EclipseCrossword
81. Inquiry-oriented lesson tool? WebQuest
82. Multimedia flashcard software? MemoryLifter
83. Online polling tool with a bit of fizzle? Polldaddy
84. Online survey tool? Click here to choose!
85. Tool to create Flash games (templates)? ClassTools.net
86. Investment Simulation Game? Virtual Trader
87. Interactive 3D business simulator? INNOV8
88. Game to understand cancer better? Re-Mission
89. Game to understand the scientific method and 21st Century Skills? River City
90. Game to understand variable manipulations for urban management? SimCity
91. Game to understand social studies better? Quest Atlantis
92. Game to understand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it? WFP Foodforce
93. Game to learn more vocabulary and help hungry people? Seriously! FreeRice
94. Range of interactive tools to help me understand maths concepts? Shodor Interactivate
95. Step-by-step math problem solver? Mathway
96. Tool to publish my data online and create comparison tables? Tablefy
97. Tool to create my own search engine tailored to my needs? Google Custom Search Engine
98. Human-powered search engine? Mahalo
99. Metasearch engine with visual display interfaces? What! Here is KartOO!
100. Search engine that groups the results by topic via automated clustering technology? Vivisimo
101. Science-specific search engine? Scirus
102. All-in-one research search tool? Schoolr
103. Tool to help me collect, manage, and cite my research sources? Zotero
104. Tool that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to my website? Google Analytics
105. Tool to search, discover, rank and compare different sites around the world? Alexa
106. Tool to search the full text of books? Google Book Search
107. Tool to search for scholarly literature? Google Scholar
108. Tool to search for patents? Google Patent Search
109. Tool that sends me email updates of the latest relevant Google results (e.g. e-Learning)? Google Alerts
110. Energy saving search engine? Blackle
111. Online visual dictionary and thesaurus? Visuwords
112. World digital library? World Digital Library
113. Tool to build and distribute my own digital library? Greenstone
114. Site to find and search across all OpenCourseWare (OCW) courses? OpenCourseWare Consortium
115. Repository and learning network of Open Educational Resources (OER)? OER Commons
116. Site to get the latest updates on OER and OCW? OER Blogs
117. Portal to non-formal OER and training resources? Open Training Platform
118. Encyclopedia of video tutorials to help me learn any software? Edumax or Wikivid
119. e-Book to learn more about e-learning 2.0? Learning 2.0 eBook
120. Site to learn more about rapid e-learning? The Rapid e-Learning Blog
121. Site to learn more about Online Course Development? Hitchhiker’s Guide to Course Development
122. Crash course in learning theory? Click here!
123. Database of Learning Theories? Click here & here!
124. Tool to help me understand and use learning styles effectively? Learning Styles Online.com
125. Repository of creative and critical thinking tools? Mycoted to the rescue!
126. Route to learn more about the 21st century skills? Route 21
127. Repository of how everything works? HowStuffWorks
128. Repository of lectures from the world's top scientists? Videolectures.NET
129. Directory of academic open access repositories? OpenDOAR
130. Site covering today's top social, political, and tech issues? FORA.tv
131. Site to improve my learning skills? Study Guides & Strategies
132. Gaming tool to help me learn ICT? ReviseICT.co.uk
133. Tool to improve my typing skills? Peter's Online Typing Course
134. Tool to improve my reading skills? ZAP Reader
135. Interactive courseware to improve my workplace skills? ALISON
136. Multimedia site that enhance our understanding of war and its history? Maps-of-War
137. 3D human anatomy visualization tool? Visible Body
138. Tool to learn languages? Mango
139. Tool to explore the World? Google Earth
140. Tool to explore the Universe? WorldWide Telescope
141. Tool to visualize human development? Gapminder
142. Tool to answer all my questions? Answer.com
143. Site with talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers? TED is a good starting point!
144. Article to reveal the secrets of the super-learners? Click here!
145. Link to the most innovative web 2.0 (and 3.0) lab in the world? Google Labs
146. Tool to stumble upon and discover great websites, videos, photos, etc. ? StumbleUpon
147. Daily newsletter that keeps me updated with the latest news on online learning? Stephen's OLDaily
148. Site dedicated to tracking the changes occurring in education today? Open Education
149. Site to update me on the latest free instructional resources for Higher Education? EduResources Weblog & Educational Technology
150. Site to discover delicious free tools, resources, and sites? ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Discoveries
151. Site to make you shut up? About time! Here we go:

25 (must-have free) Tools: Professional Development Programme (Jane Knight)

In short, for every learning problem (or issue) we have today, there is probably a free tool or site out there that enables us to solve it. If not, I am pretty sure some genius out there is constructing it right now. If no one is doing it, perhaps we can do it.