First I have to say http://wordle.net/ is a great tool for previewing before a lesson begins. Imagine using this as a tool for making connections instead of pencil paper or the old KWL chart.  ToonDoo – http://www.toondoo.com was awesome too. I made a brief welcome toon for the students to catch their attention. This is great because others can tweak what you have and we all know that input can be a great tool. Why recreate the wheel if others already have ideas.  You can also make it private if you want your toon to stay as you created it.  Voicethread is a valuable resource for having students synthesize lessons. They enjoy creating and interjecting their thoughts about their peers work.