Diigo

Diigo

http://www.diigo.com

Diigo is an Internet based application for bookmarking and annotation. More than just a social bookmarking site it allows you to highlight parts of a webpage and share that annotated link with those who are signed up for Diigo and even those who aren't signed up. You can share your links with a group of users or keep your links private. Alternatively you can keep your bookmarks and annotations public.

Diigo works best when used with it's optional toolbar or extension (depending on which browser you are using). This optional software is available for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Diigo also allows you to comment on your links or others links that have been shared to you or your groups that you are in.

This tool can be invaluable in the classroom. It is a great way to keep track of links in an online course. If you use the same group students can search through older semesters links and research. They can also view their comments and annotations on these links. It can also be helpful in writing intensive traditional courses that require a lot of links that need to be kept track of.

EtherPad

EtherPad

http://www.ietherpad.com

EtherPad is a real-time collaborative online based word processing program. EtherPad allows multiple people to edit the same document simultaneously. They can also communicate via the chat feature which is tied to each individual "pad". Much like any word processor you are given formatting tools (bold, italicize, underline, font, font size, etc.). You also have the ability to save documents. Public "pads" are available without signing up and private "pads" are available with a simple sign up.

This tool also has revisioning and a timeline feature that allows you to track changes in the document and go to different versions of the document in its history. You can also view who was the author of a particular part by the color coding in the document.

This tool is easy to use and requires no signup to get started. Anyone familiar with the basics of a word processor will have no problem using EtherPad.

The potential for this tool in the classroom is vast. An online class can easily use this tool to collaborate on their work in real time. It could also be used in the traditional classroom for group work in a computer laboratory setting. This tool is definitely worth learning due to its ease and potential application.

Blog #2: Qwiki and Animoto

1. For my lesson plan, I am going to learn two new tools. The first one is Qwiki, and the second one is animoto. Here are the links:

www.qwiki.com

www.animoto.com


2. The main feature for qwiki.com is fairly simple. Remember in the Disney/Pixar movie "Wall-e", the chubby captain asked the computer "what is Earth?", and the answer he got was not definitions nor texts, but a combination of voice and graphics presented in a multimedia manner. Qwiki.com wants to make the technology available to the 21st century. Use it like a search engine, type in anything, and qwiki will automatically search the Internet sources, compile the information with proprietary algorithm, and then come up with a presentation of texts, voice, photos, videos, and graphics. Animoto is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to easily create animation by simply adding texts and photos. Very intuitive, and the products can easily impress the audience.

3. Level of difficulty is low for qwiki, since all you need to do is to type in keywords, the same way that you do search via Google. It may be a bit more difficult for Animoto, since it requires the skill to locate your photos, type in texts, and edit your photos if needed. The creation of storyline, however, is fairly straightforward.

4. I plan to use both tools in a media literacy course. The Qwiki will be used as a designated website for them to explore, so that the scope of their exploration can be within reasonable boundary. Students should get a feel of how the qwiki works and its limitations. Students will be asked to take a careful and critical stance on the information coming out of the qwiki. The animoto will be used to give students the chance to become an active authoring agent in the Internet Web 2.0 era. They will be asked to find a topic or subject that's deficient in qwiki (they need to explain), and then to create an alternative multimedia presentation by using animoto. I see great potential in using both tools for classroom.

5. Qwiki is being quickly and constantly updated and developed. Its distinctive way of presenting search results makes it worthwhile to get acquainted with it. There are alternative Web 2.0 services other than Animoto, however, as far as I know, it's the most user friendly and easiest one to use. So I'd say it's worth learning too.

Text-to-Movie, Free Movie Maker

http://www.xtranormal.com/

Xtranormal is a free-to-use website that allows users to create simple motion pictures using little technological skill and the user's creativity.

The level of difficulty is intermediate. Users of this cool website must be able to catalog their sentences and ideas in separate parts, in order for the movie to make sense. The additional features are fun and cool to use, but require just a bit more understanding. I was completely new to this website and I saw a commercial for it online, and it looked so cool that I decided to just play with it. It took me less than 1 hour to become a "pro" at it.

With the "New Participatory Culture" allowing users to create edit and interpret information in various ways, Xtranormal opens hundreds of possibilities for ANY subject area. Teachers could assign students to create a movie that exhibits a "pro vs con" debate between two fictional charaters. This app can be used by students in a very engaging way to illustrate their knowledge of word definitions, theorems, principles or any key concept.

On top of it all, it is addicting to use, fun, and allows users to be creative while using knowledge to produce a movie that makes coherent sense in light of the assignment.

Just one click away and "Xtranormal for education" will install a cookie in your browser that will enable the education-safe version of xtranormal.com. Once it is installed the browser will always be moderated for educational use. This was the cherry on top for this VERY fun, and educational technological piece.

I created a Quick 32 second movie for you all to check out how it works!
Enjoy!
Click Here

TI Smart View

TI Smartview is a texas instruments computer program intended for use in the classroom. I do not get to use this much with my students, as they do not use a graphing calculator at the middle school level, but I have seen another teacher use it with the accelerated integrated algebra students. TI Smartview is an interactive, smart board calculator. In this program, the students can see you using the same calculator (for these students the TI-84) and can follow your key strokes. You can choose what screens are displayed on the board at one time. The main, and basic options I am aware of, are to have the calculator alone, which is handy when you are working with simultaneous programs such as smart notebook or internet explorer. There are also the options to use the entire smart board and keep several other screens, such as the plot screen along side the graphing screen, or the table screen along with the graphing screen. This way you can discuss the different screens at the same time, and students can see both together. There is another option to record key strokes, here the students can view all of the key strokes done by the teacher, that way they do not need to keep up, or if they make a mistake they can get back to where the teacher was. The screen capture is another nice feature, where the teacher can capture a screen and save it as a picture, this can later be used as notes, in quizzes and can be printed.
This software does not take much time to learn at all. In a single hour session, I feel that a teacher could get a very good handle on using it. This is a technology where usage is the key to making it more efficient and useful. I have seen this technology used in the classroom often, it works! Every student in the room can see what the teacher is doing, and the multiple screen views are helpful in making sure all students are in the same place, for instance they have their window set up correctly and are looking at the same graph as the teacher. I wish they made one of these for our more basic calculator, the TI30XIIS so that students could more easily follow along.

Optimal Resume

Optimal Resume is an online resume, portfolio and job search tool that also offers interviewing practice and several templates for the job search. Several colleges and universities across the country have Optimal Resume accounts for their students, including a few SUNY schools (unfortunately, not SUNY Albany).

Main features of Optimal Resume include: a resume builder, which works like a wizard to help students build their resume; a letter builder, for cover letters and thank-you letters, a portfolio builder; so students can upload and store examples of their work for potential employers to review; a website builder, so students can create websites to showcase their technical skills and abilities; interview prep, which allows students to practice answering interview questions – and can record their answers via web cam if their computer is enabled; and resume GPS, which is a job search tool.

Most students who are comfortable using the internet and navigating through a computer will have no problem getting used to Optimal Resume fairly quickly. I have only used it a few times and I feel like I understand its functionality fairly well.

Optimal Resume would be a good addition to any class that builds skills that will be used professionally. Instructors should encourage students to place at least one project or paper in their portfolio from every class so they have a comprehensive view of their skills. In my Public Speaking class, I plan to integrate Optimal Resume into my unit on Speaking for Professional Advancement.

This tool is fairly easy to use and takes a little of the guess work out of the resume building process. As job hunts and employee searches continue to become more and more digitized, it would be nice to have a digital portfolio or website that interested employers could look at if they are interested in learning more about a prospective employee. However, since this is not a free service, I would say that the tools can be found elsewhere for free if a particular school is not a subscriber.

Blog 2- www.breakingnewsenglish.com- H. Banek

1. The new tool I found and explored is called Breaking News English at www.breakingnewsenglish.com

2. This is site where the user can go to get current event articles that may be applicable to the classroom. Each article also comes with a variety of activities to go along with the article. The activities included are quite comprehensive and include: pre-reading discussions, synonym activities, true/false, guided notes, a post discussion, and extension activities like finding other similar articles on the internet and comparing them. An answer key to all activities is also included!

3. All you have to do to navigate the site is to scroll through the current articles they have posted or type in a subject in the search bar and it will bring up corresponding articles. Therefore, this site is extremely simple to use!

4. As an English teacher, I can see this site being very useful in my classroom. One article I found was on a school that banned hugging and high fives. They did this in a effort to cut down on bullying, which is a huge issue in schools right now, and society in general. Using a current article like this helps students to connect classic literature we read, to their real lives. This would fit nicely with my unit on A Separate Peace where we discuss bullying. The activities are also varied and cover many important reading and writing skills. You could also easily extend the lesson by focusing on cyber-bullying, etc. The variety of articles to choose from was also great. Just to name a couple of others I would use, there was one on the internet changing our memory and the Pope sending his first "tweet." Both good lead-ins to lessons about media use in general in our society. Because of the variety, I think this tool would be useful for any subject area, especially Social Studies.

5. I felt this tool was definitely worth learning about. It is a great tool for enhancing lessons and making connections to our students lives. Also, because each lesson is so complete, it can also be a time-saver for busy teachers maybe looking for a quick, but meaningful lesson plan.

Prezi - The Sooming Presenation Editor

Prezi - The Zooming Presentation Editor

http://prezi.com

Prezi is an application similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. Prezi is an online tool that allows you to create presentations either from the Internet browser or can be downloaded to you desktop and be used with out Internet access. With Prezi's being an Internet side, you can share your Prezi's, send your Prezi's, and access them from anywhere by logging in to your account.

Prezi presentations are better than Microsoft PowerPoint in the manner that they provide more options for your presentation. You can import you PowerPoint slides or start from scratch. You can move, rotate, scale, and zoom different parts of you presentations. In addition, you can group different parts f your presenation like a concept map and click onto each part. Also, you can send slides forward or backwards. Prezi presentations are more interesting and keep attention better due to the different action you provide to you slides. It would not take that ling to learn how to use and create a Prezi presentation. The website provides great how to videos and indicates what aspects of a Prezi presentation you will learn. A person with basic computer skills would pick up the skill pretty quickly and as you become more comfortable with the program, you will create better Prezi presentations.

A Prezi presentation could be used in the classroom to present your lesson instead of using a PowerPoint presentation. As this will most likely be a new program to students, students will be more apt to pay attention to the lesson being delivered. Also, the different movements will attract the student's attention more often and they will stay focused on the lesson. Therefore, this would be a great tool to learn. Prezi presentations will give you the ability to diversify how you deliver you lessons and could be part of a project for students to learn to deliver their own presentations.

-Celeste Sisson

QuizStar

QuizStar

by Adam Girard

http://quizstar.4teachers.org/help/quickTourNewUser.jsp

QuizStar is an online portal to create quizzes which can include multimedia. The instructor can create multiple choice, true/false and short answer assessments. Once the quiz has been administered, the instructor can analyze the results of the students and the effectiveness of each question on the quiz with stats and graphs.

This is an extremely easy tool to learn. Even if one has never created a quiz before, there is hardly any learning curve with this tool. All one must do is type in the question and the possible answers, upload an image, if applicable, and you are basically done.

The classroom application is most obvious for online classes but potential uses for traditional classes would include open book quizzes that can be taken at home or quick nightly homework quizzes and homework checks via this tool.

I believe it is beneficial to learn this tool. It is free and easy to use and the information gathered is a valuable way to assess students and the instructors teaching styles, especially in online-only classes.

TeacherTube

1) TeacherTube (Teach the world) http://www1.teachertube.com

2) Extraordinarily similar to YouTube, TeacherTube includes many similar features, including the ability to search for an educational video based on your needs. Videos range in length of time and from introductions to near full length lessons. Aside from videos, you can also search for documents, audio files, and pictures. There is also a channels feature which allows the user to search in a specific field such as math or physical education and to limit searches in any grade range from K – 12.

3) As long as you can navigate YouTube, you can navigate TeacherTube. However, any practice would not go amiss and would further encourage proficiency and ease of use of the website. Therefore, the level of difficulty is easy. Either students or teachers could use it to either learn or teach.

4) The application of this program is extensive. Videos can be used to engage students or as an introduction or conclusion of a lesson. A video can be used as a supplement if a plan is not going as predicted. There are plenty of worksheets in various formats to meet your educational needs. However, there are a few drawbacks. Searches may need to be refined multiple times to find what you are looking for. Videos may buffer slowly and certain documents may fail to load.

5) The tool is worth learning simply because of the resources it provides. An educational form of YouTube is beneficial to any classroom and provides the safety of teacher created work and comments versus the occasional crudeness of YouTube.

School Tube

School Tube: http://www.schooltube.com/

• School Tube provides educators with professional development and resources for instructional technology, and classroom teaching and learning tools for best practices of video and digital story production. Much like You Tube, but School Tube focuses on tools for teaching and learning.
• Very easy to use and navigate around the site. School Tube includes tutorials and how-to videos on uploading, moderating and embedding videos. There are resources for video production or Window and Macs.
• Teachers can search video library for videos that can be integrated into lesson plans, and the lesson plans for Videomaker Magazine, Windows Moviemaker, Photostory, iMovie and other video making tools. Lesson plans are related from beginner to advances, and use a variety of topics, such as newscasts, writing, audio, editing, vocabulary and music videos.
• This tool is well worth learning about, because it includes many other tools and opportunities for students of all ages, levels and learning abilities, and for teachers to use web-based technologies for both delivering content and lesson plans. I will use this tool for the online Moodle classes I design and teach for Cornell, and have my adult students produce a video or digital story board for their final presentation project. These videos will be used to teach through our community outreach programs.

Audacity

1Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity is an audio editing and recording program that is available as a free download through the above link. It is similar to the Macintosh program Garageband, and can be used to capture voice and sound recordings and develop them into an audio presentation such as a song, recorded speech, or podcast. Besides being able to record sound and convert it into a file, Audacity offers the option to compile and layer recorded audio with music files.

Though Audacity is not necessarily a difficult program to use, it does take a relative amount of practice, and is best learned through having some direct instruction. I learned the beginning steps on how to use it at a recent workshop, and now I am playing with it more on my own to learn the more complicated functions. I would recommend setting aside a 1-2 periods of classroom time as a minimum to teach students how to learn the basic steps in using the program.

This program offers exciting options for classroom application in the creation of podcasts and other forms of audio presentation. For my field specifically (ELA), having students create an audio presentation, rather than simply writing an essay urges them to focus on new levels of composition, such as audience, pacing, tone, and the addition of music or sound effects. Podcasts also offer students the ability to broadcast their work and display it publicly, which allows another layer of ownership and meaning.

Overall, Audacity is a program that is worth teachers taking the time to learn. Because it is a free download, it is highly accessible to schools because there is no cost barrier. Even if only the most basic functions of the program are used, it would be sure to add important learning opportunities into any curricula.

GeoGebra

1. GeoGebra: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

2. GeoGebra has similarities to Geometer’s Sketchpad. It is a FREE geometry software that allows students to plot points, lines and curves on a graph. It accepts commands to create parallel and perpendicular lines as well as measuring angles and segment length. The fact that it is free and downloadable on the web makes it a great tool that students can use both in and out of the classroom.

3. The difficulty level of this program is relatively low. Basic features can be learned in a 10 – 15 minute lesson. An entire 120 minute class period would allow students to be exposed to all of the features the program has to offer as well as practice some of those skills.

4. There are a variety of applications for this software to be used in the classroom. Its best applications would be in Algebra and Geometry. It is a great tool for solving systems of equations graphically and it’s excellent at showing spacial features of different geometric shapes.

5. This software is definitely worth learning. The multiple uses in the classroom combined with the ease of learning and use make it a very valuable math tool.

Evernote

1. Evernote
http://www.evernote.com/

2. Evernote is a free online notebook. You can type a text note, clip a web page, snap a photo, or grab a screenshot. You can then organize all these materials in one place. Everything you include is searchable so you can pull it up at a later time. It even will let you search for words that you wrote in hand then put on Evernote.

3. I have not used this program extensively but it seems user friendly. The basics are uploading whatever you want to Evernote and then being able to organize it for later. Better organization will lead to easier use of the program later on.

4. In the classroom the students could use this for taking pictures of notes for reference later. They could also use this to take clips from different websites for research papers or assignments. The possibilities are endless since they can put just about everything in one place.

5. At the high school level I do not think the tool is worth learning. Many students do not have or are not allowed to use laptops in the classroom. Many students would just see this as a shortcut and would not pay attention in class but just upload the notes to Evernote. Where I do see great application is at the college level. Since professors use many types of media and laptops are used more often this is a great way to stay organized.

Speek conference calling

Speek by CommuniClique

http://www.communiclique.com/

This free website allows users to make conferences calls from any computer (that has a mic) for free to other phones (cell and landline) and Voice-Over-Internet (Skype, iChat, Google Talk) applications without having to use a phone; it uses the computer's mic and calls the other people via their phones.  You can have conferences calls with up to 4 total people total form your computer. This allows for viewing documents, presentations or whatever information is needed for the call on your computer while you talk.

While this may not sound like a big deal or new development, there are significant advantages. One is that there is nothing to download whatsoever; it is all contained within the site. The other is that there a huge amount of app-like add ons that can really enhance the experience. One translates text messages into audio for dissemination during the call, another can play audio files right into the call, another lets you mute a person secretly, and still another will record the entire call for you and email it back.  There are many more and the site is always encouraging users to create more.

The site interface is super easy and so are the explanation. CommuniClique provides simple yet complex phone (and video) conference call options in a easy to use platform. Good for distance learning, group projects, emergencies and mobile users.