Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners and their teachers.

Web 2.0 applications are proliferating so rapidly that it is impossible to keep up. Many of these applications offer learners and their teachers an amazing new range of readily available resources. These applications enrich learning for all, and they make education more accessible to an ever widening range of learners. The applications of the Read/Write Web also serve to level the playing field because most of them are free to anyone with a computer that is connected to the internet. Today’s featured resource is a great example.

SoundSnap (online resource) Here’s an online community that offers an invaluable free resource to anyone who wants to use sound effects or audio loops in digital projects. SoundSnap is worth checking out, whether you are creating a podcast, a presentation, a website, a science project, or a custom activity for a program like Clicker 5 or Classroom Suite. SoundSnap has literally thousands of well organized and searchable audio files available for download.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the 16 main headings under which the sound files are organized. You’ll also see the total number of files currently available under each heading. (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it, and use your browser’s back arrow to return to this page.)

The next thumbnail is for a screenshot that shows the download interface. You’ll notice that you have the option of listening to a clip before deciding whether or not to download. You are told the duration of the clip. You can see how many times the file has already been downloaded and how it has been rated by other users. At the top of this screenshot, you see the sub-headings under the major category of Animals.

If you have audio files that you would like to contribute, SoundSnap would welcome them.