In my quest of searching for new and innovative Web 2.0 tools to keep students engaged and using technology to produce and respond to instruction, I have come across a free online tool called Wallwisher.com.
Here is a quick example of a teacher asking students strategies for identifying unknown words in text. The students just add "stickies" for answers to the teacher's posted question.
Here is also an online tutorial provided by YouTube.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ToonDoo-Create, Publish, Share and Discuss!
What another great site for educators to promote e-learning within their academic environments! You can use this site to illustrate your instruction design ideas. Instead of creating text based storyboards, you can use colorful images to illustrate your ideas. Toondoo gives you a range of background images, character images and some other miscellaneous images, which you can mix and match and put them together to get the kind of image you want for your e-learning storyboards. Toondoo gives you ready made characters and also allows you to generate custom characters You can use the characters as talking heads for your elearning courses.
Here is an example for using it in an educational purpose from the site:
Here is an example for using it in an educational purpose from the site:
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Itty "Bitty" Browser
Welcome Bitty Browser. I saw this at the TCEA Conference and it's a neat little tool! It's a clever bit of code which allows you to embed a web browser on a web page. Picture-in-picture for your pages.
Why in the world would you do this? Well, if you wanted to let someone jump to another site while on your site, it's an idea. Bitty supports not just web pages, but RSS & Atom, plus podcasts. For added fun, the developers have some e-z links for popular services like Backpack, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Technorati, even MSNSpaces.
Why in the world would you do this? Well, if you wanted to let someone jump to another site while on your site, it's an idea. Bitty supports not just web pages, but RSS & Atom, plus podcasts. For added fun, the developers have some e-z links for popular services like Backpack, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Technorati, even MSNSpaces.
and even one for my school's website so I can check calendars, check assignments, and due dates or access grades while I'm blogging...
or my WIKISPACES:
Monday, March 29, 2010
Podcasts: I WANT IT FREE!
Well like many of you educators, I like the word FREE! When it comes to podcasting in my classroom, I have experimented with a couple. Gabcast.com is no longer free (as of March 2009) but while in the quandry to find a new podcast tool, I kept using it because I can sometimes be like everyone else and find myself resistant to change. Don't get me wrong, I think Gabcast is great and if it were free I would keep using it and I can DEFINITELY understand the need to charge in today's day and time, however my pockets are empty and I must do what I can! So, finally I went out and began the search!
Here are the ideas I came across:
TALKSHOE.com : This is a free podcast site which allows for GROUP podcasting or Community Calls. You can schedule your calls in advance. These hosted Community Calls can be discussions, conversations, talk shows and podcasts. For Bloggers and Podcasters: with TalkShoe, you can better connect with your podcasting and blogging audience. You create, schedule and run a live show, and you’re in control. You can do it live with others, or upload existing podcast episodes. When you’re finished recording, your show is then listed on TalkShoe, and can be listed on your blog, iTunes, and other podcast directories.
PODBEAN.com: This website offers a basic podcasting service for free. You must be able to upload your own file (audacity has an older version that is free to download for their website) in order to publish on Podbean.com
Here are the ideas I came across:
TALKSHOE.com : This is a free podcast site which allows for GROUP podcasting or Community Calls. You can schedule your calls in advance. These hosted Community Calls can be discussions, conversations, talk shows and podcasts. For Bloggers and Podcasters: with TalkShoe, you can better connect with your podcasting and blogging audience. You create, schedule and run a live show, and you’re in control. You can do it live with others, or upload existing podcast episodes. When you’re finished recording, your show is then listed on TalkShoe, and can be listed on your blog, iTunes, and other podcast directories.
PODBEAN.com: This website offers a basic podcasting service for free. You must be able to upload your own file (audacity has an older version that is free to download for their website) in order to publish on Podbean.com
Ways to Incorporate your SMARTBOARD
A few of the teachers in our school district have applied for grants for SMARTBOARDS. A few received them including one at the Junior High level and one at the PreK position. With such a wide gap in instruction from the PreK level to that of the Junior High, I was curious as to what was available for them online. There are various tools available for all levels of instruction. I am currently working on the Junior High level, but as of now here are a few for the younger ones:
There are many more out there, and as I come across them, I will post! Have fun with your SMARTboard!
** Personal Favorites**
PRIMARY AND ELEMENTARY
(ALL LEVEL AND CONTENT AREAS)
(ALL AREAS AND USES FOR SIGHT WORDS)
HARCOURT'S:
SCIENCE UP CLOSE K-6
THINK MATH K-5
CANADIAN BASED; ALL LEVELS ADDRESSED
SMARTBOARD ACTIVITIES
LONGWOOD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
ELEMENTARY AND INTERMEDIATE
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(REALLY NEAT!)
SMARTTECH
(NOTICE THERE ARE 12 PAGES TO SCROLL THROUGH AT THIS SITE. LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND PORTION OF THE SCREEN)
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER
(ALL GRADE LEVELS)
PBS KIDS INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD GAMES
E-LEARNING FOR KIDS
A+ SITE!
ILLUMINATIONS: MATH
GREAT K-3 SMARTBOARD SITES WITH JULIE THOMPSON
SECONDARY: JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL
SMARTBOARD ACTIVITIES
LONGWOOD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
ELEMENTARY AND INTERMEDIATE
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(REALLY NEAT!)
SMARTTECH
(NOTICE THERE ARE 12 PAGES TO SCROLL THROUGH AT THIS SITE. LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND PORTION OF THE SCREEN)
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER
(ALL GRADE LEVELS)
PBS KIDS INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD GAMES
E-LEARNING FOR KIDS
A+ SITE!
ILLUMINATIONS: MATH
GREAT K-3 SMARTBOARD SITES WITH JULIE THOMPSON
SECONDARY: JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL
EXPLORE LEARNING (GRADES6-12)
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES (GRADES 9-12)
(INCLUDES ACTIVITIES FOR SCIENCE, FRENCH, MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, SPECIAL EDUCATION, MUSIC)
LONGWOODCENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY: WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOL
(GRADES 9-12) SCIENCE, MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, ESOL, LANGUAGE ARTS, EXTRA CURRICULAR INCLUDING: DRIVER'S ED, ACCOUNTING, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, PARENTING CLASS, PE, FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND DRAMA)
INTERNET4CLASSROOMS
RESOURCE SITE
HIGH SCHOOL E-THEME LINKS
MATH
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER
(ALL LEVELS)
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY: WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOL
(GRADES 9-12) SCIENCE, MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, ESOL, LANGUAGE ARTS, EXTRA CURRICULAR INCLUDING: DRIVER'S ED, ACCOUNTING, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, PARENTING CLASS, PE, FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND DRAMA)
INTERNET4CLASSROOMS
RESOURCE SITE
HIGH SCHOOL E-THEME LINKS
MATH
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER
(ALL LEVELS)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Pixton
Here is another "comicstrip" Web 2.0 tool that would be perfect for any type of presentation (gotta love those that span the content areas!).
It is PIXTON! Check out their tutorial.
It is PIXTON! Check out their tutorial.
Classtools.net
Very cool resource for teachers. All the games are embeddable so you can pop them into your class wiki! All content areas can use this tool and of course, it's more engaging for the kiddos! It would also be a great idea and it's easy enough, for kids to create their own game as a project or end product to a unit.
CHECK IT OUT!
