Revisiones_bibliográficas TyO_Web: educational tools

lunes, 9 de mayo de 2011

Top 10 Free Educational Tools

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:01AM

Courtesy of Teacher Challenge by Edublogs

10 - Wordle

Most people that write for the web tell us that a picture helps to draw reader interest to the post. What if the picture is composed from words? Does it have the same impact?

Wordle, or a word cloud, helps to interpret the meaning of the words by assigning font size according to how frequently the word appears in the targeted text. This is one of the most popular online tool with almost 14,000 visitors each day stopping by to do anything from fans typing in their favorite music videos, teachers analyzing literary texts, kids making signs, spouses writing love letter and journalists wordling political speeches.

Wordles have been used in a multitude of ways from PowerPoint slides, to pictures for T-shirts, magazine covers, scrapbooking layouts, birthday cards, Valentine’s wishes, Back to School night posters, Get to Know You activities on the first day of school to YouTube videos.

You name it, it’s probably been done in some form.

Examples

To get you in the brainstorming mode, let’s look at ideas where other teachers have found used Wordle to be a useful instructional tool. Here are a number of examples that may be helpful to get you thinking about how you could use this tool.

Spelling and learning new vocabulary words
Print a Wordles as bookmarks or librarians used Wordles to create descriptions of Dewey Decimal sections
Use Wordle as another way to graph
Wordles point out most often used words in curriculum standards and can help analyze what skills or concepts are emphasized
Students can analyze their own writing by pasting in their drafts to see if they’ve used certain words or phrases too often…it can help spot cliches
Can help summarize big ideas of a chapter or passage of text. Can allow you to examine the bookmarks you’ve saved on a particular topic to see if there are themes or trends in the saved files.
Anything where time is of the essence and a picture can communicate the ideas more quickly than reading a large bit of text.
Analyze what you’ve written about the most in your writing portfolio or in your blog Have each student create their version of classroom rules, paste them all into Wordle and find the most common ideas that students agreed upon.
Create classroom polls where each child gets to enter one word on “what’s your favorite color?”
A high school chemistry teacher encourages students to see what the most important vocabulary words are in sections of each chapter.
A journalism teacher compares political speeches of the Queen from one year to another or the President’s State of the Unionmessage.

Help & Tips on using Wordle

Easy to watch tutorial videos can be found on YouTube in several places. This one is only three minutes long and easy to watch.

9 - ToonDoo

ToonDoo! It seems I have a new favorite Web 2.0 app about every week or so. This week, it’s ToonDoo. What is ToonDoo? It’s a free, fast, and facile comic strip creator. Here is a Toon Book I made on ToonDoo. It illustrates for my students our Internet Etiquette, or“Netiquette”.

Overview

ToonDoo claims to be the “World’s fastest way to create cartoons.” I’m not sure, but ToonDoo is free, fast and easy. (And, should you find something that is not easy, the help desk is awesome.)

Help & Tips

ToonDoo has created a very helpful ToonDoo Wiki.
In addition, if you can’t find what you are looking for on the wiki, I have found the help line to be very responsive to questions. You can email ToonDude or ToonDudette @toondoo.com.
I’ve also included below a ToonBook that explains features on the toolbar, created by Toon Dudette.

8 - Glogster

In today’s education climate it is essential that students acquire the skills to be creators, collaborators, critical thinkers and communicators in the 21st Century. One way to help students achieve those skills is for teachers to offer students a range of digital tools in which to present and share their work. One such tool I have found extremely useful in encouraging students to extend their thinking and be engaged in their learning is through GlogsterEDU.

Overview of Glogster

GlogsterEDU (the Basic, Free version) is a Web 2.0 tool that allows students, or yourself, to create an online interactive poster/presentation/research on any topic that combines graphics, backgrounds, videos, images, sound, text and hyperlinks. (Please note: adding data (for example, Powerpoint, Word, PDF) to glogs is only available on the Premium, paid version of GlogsterEDU). Importantly the tool encourages students to gather their information, synthesise it, remix it and then create their original presentation. It is an excellent alternative to the traditional classroom poster project by giving it a 21st Century twist (and it’s not messy or bulky). Glogs look absolutely fabulous when students present their work to their peers via the interactive whiteboard. GlogsterEDU is easy to use even for the most novice computer users and, importantly, students love using this program.

GlogsterEDU provides teachers with a safe virtual space where they can manage up to 50 student accounts. Randomly generated usernames and passwords (containing numbers and/or letters) become the students’ logins. However you can, under the manage student accounts tab, edit the nicknames (I suggest first name and maybe initial) and change the passwords. These can then be distributed to students. You can then monitor your students’ progress from your ‘teacher screen’. Students and teacher can share and comment on each other’s creations.

When I introduce this tool (or any other presentation tool) to students I stress the importance of considering carefully all aspects of their multimedia inclusions (backgrounds, video, text, images ect.) on their glog. For example, I ask students how are the background, graphics, text boxes appropriate to the glog’s topic.

Check out this simple, yet comphrenesive GlogsterEDU step-by-step tutorial by Traci Blazosky for setting up your own class glogs.

Alternatively, you can check out Blazoky’s video tutorial here (which is hosted by Glogster). (Please note: the number of student accounts with each teacher account is 50).

Further Advice

Above: This How To: Glogster poster was created by Tiffany Whitehead from her Librariantiff’s Flickr Photostream.

Glogster In 90 Seconds – A good introduction in 90 seconds to using Glogster.

7 - KerPoof

Objectives:

Teachers will be able to create an account for themselves and their classes to enjoy the many creative features of the program. Lesson plans, help, and standards are easily found throughout the site. They will be able to see their students’ products with a touch of a button. This site can be used in many subject areas in the K-8 classroom (with stations or interactive whiteboard) and lab.

Overview:

1. How to Play:

Click the Question Mark to:

Make a Movie Learn how to make a movie using Kerpoof Animation Studio.

Make a Picture Learn how to use the Kerpoof Picture Maker to create fantastic art.

Browse:

2. For Educators:

Click the red apple to find:

Lesson Plans: Teachers can download free lesson plans for a variety of subject areas.
Teacher Accounts: Teachers can register their students so they can save their work, share it, chat with each other, post comments, and collaborate on the same project at the same time on different computers.
Classroom Ideas: Teachers can find ideas to use Kerpoof in the classroom, like story starters and types of writing. Teachers can receive emails with ideas as well.
Standards covered: The National and State Standards are outlined here.
More! Subscribe to their newsletter, find FAQ, and contact them with any questions.

3. Activities:

Make a Picture
Check out this great lesson plan!

Students can choose a background and add items to their page by spelling words correctly. Then they can print their picture with the list of words! Great interactive whiteboard activity!

Make a Movie

Lesson plan example

Students can choose a storyline and scene to create their movie. They can choose characters to animate, move from one place to another, and “talk” with bubbles. Use the timeline to drag actions, titles, songs, and quotes in specific places.

Make a Drawing

Lesson plan example
*A Class Favorite*
My students are familiar with Kid Pix and enjoy the program. After I connected them to Kerpoof’s Make a Drawing, they choose to play Kerpoof instead!
Students begin with a pen that they can change the thickness and color. They can also change the mixture of color from the palette with the “raindrop” icon next to the pen color. If they click on the raindrop, the color will turn solid. This will make the color choices solid instead of mixed.

They can also buy more drawing tools at the store.
They can add a background/fill with the paint bucket tool.
The tool at the bottom helps the students draw better circles and squares!
The hand will move their object if it’s not in the right place.
Students can save and share their artwork with the class or Kerpoof community. I tell my students to share with the class only.

Make a Picture

Lesson plan example
Students chose a scene and add objects to enhance their page. These objects can be resized and flipped to where the students want them. They can make the objects “talk” with bubbles and they can draw their own objects as well!
Students can save, share, and print their products.

Tell a Story

Lesson plan example
This is an advanced feature, but my second graders like to create their own stories!
Students can add backgrounds, characters, and create their own story or retell a favorite with their own illustrations.

Make a Card

Students can create a card and they can also use the “buddy feature” to collaborate and create a card together. It’s similar to Make a Picture.

4. Community Gallery:

This is where shared creations with the community are reviewed and posted. Students can rate and edit them to save in their own gallery.

5. Video Overview from YouTube:

6 - DoInk

So what is DoInk? First of all, it is pronounced Do Ink, not doink. Don’t worry; I made that mistake myself at first! According to the DoInk site, it is a “simple & friendly vector editor; (you) can create flash-style animations; use community art & your own; post to YouTube & Facebook; download your art.” But perhaps more than just an explanation of what DoInk is, you’d like to see an example.

Click on the Example below to watch DoInk in action.

Tectonic Plate Boundries by LoganAnimations, made at DoInk.com

This amazing animation was created by a student as part of a performance assessment on plate tectonics unit.

Help and Tips:

As you look around at DoInk, be sure to have fun and play around. If you try to create your own images and animations, I suggest sticking with static images first, and then working your way up to animations. You can also create separate static images that you can incorporate into your animations. Also, there is a community on DoInk that provides background images, and foreground elements that you can incorporate into the animations that you create. When I worked on DoInk with my students, they were able to do so much more than I ever imagined or tried to do myself, so also know that our students are going to be better experts at this than most of us are.

DoInk is flash based, so you will need to use a computer equipped with flash in order to play and create drawings and animations. However, there is a DoInk iPad app. However, the iPad app does cost $4.99 (US).

Finally, there are a couple of people you can follow on Twitter to find out more regarding DoInk. Karen Miller is one of the founders of DoInk, and DoInk Tweets is the official account. Karen Miller is especially supportive of DoInk’s use in education.

5 - Edmodo

Overview

Edmodo is a Web 2.0 tool that allows teachers to safely share ideas, files, assignments, videos, projects, etc.with students and with other teachers in real time. It is a safe and secure social learning site for classrooms. Edmodo does not require student email addresses and only the people who have the group code can see the students.

The teacher must first register (for free). Then they can create a group or groups for their class. Students will then register and use the teacher’s code to join that class. On the front page of Edmodo, there is a video: What is Edmodo? Spend a few minutes reviewing this video before signing up.

Or, watch an Edmodo overview video from YouTube here:

Below are some samples of ways to use Edmodo in the classroom.

Pen Pals (go to the Community site to connect with other teachers)
Make up work for when students are absent
Video commentary – can post a video on line and have students write comments about the video
Peer editing
Book clubs
Daily feedback
Students can turn in assignments via Edmodo (documents, glogs, etc.)
Enter comments on assignments, give positive feedback to students, give grades to students
Writing vocabulary sentences and having conversations about them

Tips and Resources

The Edmodo blog posts up-to-date information. The blog includes quick tips, managing your account, how to embed glogs, videos, etc. They also have different webinars every month. If you run into problems, check out the Edmodo Help Center. The support you receive from Edmodo is simply amazing! Edmodo Communities allows teachers to connect with other teachers and see how they are usingEdmodo in the classroom.

4 - Classtools.net

Overview

Classtools.net is a free flash tool website that allows you to create quizzes, diagrams, and educational games. You can then host them on your own site free of charge.

You can sign up for the premium version of the website if you want access to more tools or ad-free templates.

Here’s a quick video overview from youtube:

Even if you don’t have the time to create something, Classtools.net also has a variety of templates you can use on the go.

I have listed my favourite tools below:

Venn Diagrams- Instant interactive Venn diagrams for your smart board.
Post It – Upload an image or piece of text and add notes.
Random Name/Word Picker- Do you find yourself picking the same students to answer questions? Simply input a class in order to randomly select people to answer questions or input a list of keywords and get students to quiz each other!
Countdown timer – This is a great behaviour management tool. Use the timer to add pace and structure to your activities or lessons. You can even upload songs for the timer to countdown to, or choose a song from the list.
Arcade Game Generator – Create your own flash games/quizzes!

Help & Tips

Not sure what to do? Make sure you watch the video tutorials on the homepage at the bottom. I have also provided some tips below:

Tips

Don’t know where to start? Check out the sample files in the top right hand corner. Simply click on your subject area to see samples of activities created for your subject using Classtools.net

How to save your tool.
There are few ways you can save your web tool.

Click on the floppy disk image to save as a webpage. You can then save it on your USB or folder and click to open.

Click on the cog/gear image if you want to embed your tool on a webpage. A yellow box will then appear and you can either copy the url or the embed code. From there you either create a link on your site or embed your tool. If you don’t know how to embed a tool I have found this website to be helpful.

*Note – not all tools will let you embed as they are designed to run in the browser:

3 - Bitstrips for Schools

Overview:

In my day, reading comics in school was in the same category of forbidden activities as chewing gum and making paper planes. Confiscation was guaranteed. Luckily for kids today, perspectives have shifted, with more and more teachers starting to embrace comics as a tool to engage students and stimulate their interest in reading.

An idea that’s getting less attention so far is the potential comics have to improve students’ writing. This isn’t too surprising, since relatively few kids have the combination of patience and artistic skill needed to hand-draw comic strips. That’s where Bitstrips for Schools comes in. It’s a web-based resource that enables any student to write their own great-looking, original comic strips without having to draw. Over 5,000 schools are using Bitstrips for Schools so far, making over 20,000 new comics every day!

The site makes the process of writing visual, personal and fun. It features an avatar maker that lets students design unique, fully poseable cartoon avatars, and a comic builder that lets them create and star in their own curriculum-connected comics. There are hundreds of backgrounds, props and effects to work with, and an image-uploading tool for incorporating photos. By removing drawing from the equation, students have time to focus their attention on composition, sequencing, and most importantly, writing.

Help & Support:

Start here at Bitstrips for Schools Support with any questions you may have.

And check out this video to get an idea of what teachers and students have to say.

- Shahan Panth, Bitstrips for Schools

2 - Google Docs

Overview:

During my 6 week computer cycle I require that students leave with a basic knowledge of common computer terms. Throughout the cycle I use a PowerPoint presentation to display the word, definition and an illustration. At the end of the cycle students take this vocabulary quiz. Since this is a Computer Class I thought students should take the quiz using technology. Previous versions of the quiz were done in Word using a drop down menu and a word bank. While students were impressed with how I created the test I still needed to print out paper to grade them.

Using Google Docs, I am able to continue to introduce and use new technology. Now I am able to track student progress, and I am able to save paper by collecting work electronically. Students tell me that they appreciate how they are constantly introduced to this new technology and this continues to push me to improve.

Help & Support:

I have included the vocabulary words and definitions below. You will see the Definition in question format along with suggested answers.

I have also included a link to a YouTube video that will show step by step instructions to create your online quiz.

Here is another tip, Take the quiz twice. The first time enter your name as “Key” the second time you may take the test as “Teacher 2″ This allows you to enter the formula for right or wrong and calculate the average. Save those changes. Once Students have taken the quiz then “pull” the formula down to calculate right, wrong, & average.

To take the quiz before you create it, go to this URL

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dE1lak9BTDZIbTU3MnQ1RHA2QzVpQXc6MQ

Use These Questions To Create Your Quiz

What is the internal operating unit or brain of the computer?

Disk Drive

Software

CPU*

Hardware

What is the short blinking vertical line that marks your place in text?

Cursor*

Software

CPU

Hardware

This most often to means Stop. Used today to interrupt a command or move from one part of a program to another.

Ruler

Icon

Toolbar

Escape*

This reads & writes data to a small circular piece of metal-coated plastic similar to audio cassette tape.

Hardware

Disk drive *

Selecting

Tab

A _____ is a complete character set of a single size of a particular typeface.

Icon

Font*

URL

Ruler

The physical equipment that makes up a computer system is the…

Hardware*

Software

Toolbar

Margin

A list of choices in a computer program.

Tab

Ruler

CPU

Menu*

This refers to a page that when printed is wider than it is long?

Landscape orientation*

Ruler

Selecting

What is a picture on your screen that represents a program or object in your hard drive?

Icon*

CPU

Escape

What is a web pages address on the internet?

ADDY

URL*

CPU

JPG

What is the short blinking vertical line that marks your place in text?

Cursor*

Software

CPU

Hardware

This most often to means Stop. Used today to interrupt a command or move from one part of a program to another.

Ruler

Icon

Toolbar

Escape*

This reads & writes data to a small circular piece of metal-coated plastic similar to audio cassette tape.

Hardware

Disk drive *

Selecting

Tab

A _____ is a complete character set of a single size of a particular typeface.

Icon

Font*

URL

Ruler

The physical equipment that makes up a computer system is the…

Hardware*

Software

Toolbar

Margin

A list of choices in a computer program.

Tab

Ruler

CPU

Menu*

This refers to a page that when printed is wider than it is long?

Landscape orientation*

Ruler

Selecting

What is a picture on your screen that represents a program or object in your hard drive?

Icon*

CPU

Escape

What is a web pages address on the internet?

ADDY

URL*

CPU

JPG

1 - Wallwisher

Wallwisher is a Web 2.0 free online tool where anyone can build a “wall”. Discussing a new idea? Taking notes? Giving feedback? Voicing opinion? Wishing a happy birthday?

Your students can then go onto the internet and stick post-it notes electronically onto your wall. The notes can include linked pictures, You Tube videos, PowerPoints, PDF documents, Excel Spreadsheets, or web page links.

From EduTeacher:

You might create one yourself, or get your students to contribute to one on their own time or in school. Either way, you can embed your wall on your blog and make it accessible to your school community and parents.

Here is one my students contributed to on the theme of Povertyhttp://www.wallwisher.com/wall/emnetpoverty