Search results matching tags 'technology' and 'cool'

Top 100 Learning Tools for 2009

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:46:00 GMT

Tech speaker and expert Jane Hart has compiled an impressive Learning Tools Compendium at her Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies site, viewable as both a slide show (below) and list of links. Essential stuff!

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009

View more documents from Jane Hart.

Also check out her Learning Tools Directory; perfect for for creators/users of blogs, wikis, all things web.

Online Comic Creators

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:03:00 GMT

A friend on Twitter shared this; a great collection of online comic creators which can be used as a creative response to reading or as a writing option. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so check them out for yourslef before unleashing your students.

A couple of these would be great extensions for the Hero writing lessons I presented on my Teach with Picture Books blog some time ago.

Online Comic Creators

View more documents from S. Hendy.

Class Tools

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:08:00 GMT

Just this morning I had an excellent experience using an exciting interactive site called Class Tools which allows you to create games, activities, and diagrams in Flash (without knowing a thing about Flash!).

While covering an eighth grade social studies class, I informed students that they would be creating review games for an upcoming test. They were less than enthusiastic (and those of you who are familiar with the typical enthusiasm level of eighth graders will know that causing them to be even less excited was something of a real feat).

Hoping to rescue the moment, I asked if some of them would like to create a game online. Even this was met with grudging acceptance, but they agreed, perhaps considering it at least a momentary reprieve from creating another stale board game with markers and construction paper).

Well, in about twenty minutes time, I had some very excited eighth graders on my hands. Not only were they pleased with what they produced, but one exclaimed, "Wow, I actually know this stuff now that I had to type it in to create the game."

While I can't show you what they created, I'll show you one of the sample files from those posted on the site:

Click here for full screen version

As you can see, a Dustbin game requires you to sort words into their appropriate categories; this morning, for example, the students created a Dustbin about the Middle and Southern Colonies.

Another pair of students created an arcade game, which is playable in five formats (again, this links you to a sample at the site). I'd recommend you try several levels of the game option called Word Shoot.

In addition to the games functions, the site features several clever and adaptable utilities for creating other study aids. Teaching suggestions are provided for each, just in case you find yourself wondering, "Cool, but what can I actually do with this?"

Class Tools is well worth a look! Just one word of warning: be sure to save the game you've created before you play it! We learned that lesson the hard way.

Questionaut: Out of This World Game

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:54:00 GMT

Tucked away in the BBC Bitesize KS2 Games section is a quirky little game called Questionaut. It has no flashy intro and no instructions, and that's precisely the way its creator intends it.

Questionaut begins with a placid enough scene: a strangely hairy, organic shape floats freely in space, accompanied by some funky synth music. A fish jumps in a pond, a creature sitting in a tree weaves a basket, and a small blue figure wearing pilot's cap and goggles dangles his foot over the pond. But nothing happens. So instinctively, the user moves the cursor about, looking for some clues. When placed over the basket, the cursor turns to the familiar pointer finger (this is about as much help as the user will get!) and from here the adventure begins.

Each level presents its own mysteries, which must first be solved with the cursor (what needs to be clicked first, then next?) and then through a series of general knowledge questions. Stage One, for example, (pictured below) asks questions related to reading, writing, and grammar. Others stages include questions on various math and science concepts. Each stage is populated by its own peculiar cast of characters and grooves to its own unique soundtrack.

Most animation and online gaming fans will immediately recognize that the creator of this addictive game is Czech developer/designer Jakub Dvorsky, best known for his popular online Flash game called Samorost. In Dvorsky's own words,

"Samorost" in Czech means a root or piece of wood which resembles a creature; but it is also a term for a person who doesn't care about the rest of the world. I think it's a nice Czech word which has various meanings.

A fitting name, since the goal of the game is to help a small white gnome through a puzzling series of tasks intended to divert a gigantic mass of floating driftwood from colliding with his home planet. Okay, so it's hard to describe, but very addicting to play.

Samorost became so popular that it now has a sequel in which the gnome embarks on a longer quest to rescue his kidnapped dog (chapter one can be played for free, while additional chapters can be played by purchasing the full version for a mere $5).

I'm not here to sell the game. I'm here to sell the idea that teachers should be including games like this in their curriculum, rather than dismissing them as "wastes of time." Dvorak's games require critical thinking skills and an ability to "fill in the gaps" between what is known and what is unknown. They also appeal to a student's natural curiosity and desire for play. And I think we can all agree, his games simply look and sound unlike anything we've seen out there before.

Let's all hope for more collaborations between Dvorak and online ed sites in the future.

YAuthor: Create Course Content Online

Anonymous — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:59:00 GMT

yAuthor is an on-line authoring tool that allows users to create professionally looking interactive content easily. For the teacher, this might mean independent learning modules, self-paced reading selections, tutorials, quizzes, or flipbooks.

This application is fairly new, but the present site features a tour, several demos, and some publicly viewable projects. The interface is extremely easy to use, and allows the teacher to choose among several page formats and quizzing styles (multiple choice, cloze, matching, fill-in-the-blank). Modules instantly provide users with feedback (requiring that they return to wrong answers for correction) and final scores on a page-by-page basis.

One of the better examples at the site is an assessment module on the Civil War. It shows several page formats and quizzing options.

The site is free and looks to be constantly improving with more advanced features. Get in now while the memberships are free!

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Anonymous — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:06:00 GMT

Victor Hugo once said something to the effect of, "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come." Teachers are constantly torn between embracing new technologies, which come fast and furiously, and clinging to their traditional methods.

Back in the olden days of 1990 I presented a group project for my Masters in Instruction and Curriculum. Our lesson plan included the use of the Green Acres theme song as an anticipatory set to a unit on rural versus urban lifestyles. The professor was satisfied with the project overall but asked, "Keith, how would the average teacher be able to get the opening song for Green Acres?"

I had stayed up until 1:00 AM and copied it (most likely illegally) from an old rerun, but I answered, "In a couple years they should be able to get it from an electronic library. You know, sign out television shows the same way that people sign out books." (I wasn't being prophetic; I had probably read somewhere that such a capability was just over the horizon). The professor laughed, as did a couple students in the audience, so I added, "Or they can stay up until one in the morning to copy it off an old rerun."

The fact is, many teachers now drown in the tidal wave of new technology. That's why I'm so grateful for sites like Recess Duty, EduTechieGal, and Free Technology for Teachers which give us our tech immersion just one ankle-deep wave at a time. I can handle that.

How about you? Are you feeling overwhelmed? How do you keep up with the latest tech products and applications? What professional development opportunities does your school offer on a regular basis for the average classroom teacher to keep informed about tech advances? Which delivery system has your school or district found most useful in educating teachers in this area? Are there other technology-for-teacher sites that you can recommend? Leave a comment or drop me a line.

Motivating Readers with Movie Scripts

Anonymous — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:30:00 GMT

I am guilty of many things, one of them being the use of some nontraditional materials to get kids reading in the classroom. It's no secret that I totally dig picture books for all grade levels, and I also feel that appropriate graphic novels can serve young readers.

Another way to motivate reluctant readers is through the use of movie scripts. For many students, scripts are both engaging and nonthreatening, since the overall plot lines are already familiar (and don't be surprised if students know whole scenes by heart as well). The Internet Movie Script Database features dozens of scripts from current movies and television shows, categorized by genre and fully searchable. These can be read right online, with no download or additional software needed. Simply Scripts has a larger assortment of scripts, from movies, television, radio, stage, and more. Several other sources are available through Google, but I've found these two to be most reliable.

These scripts can be used in other ways as well:

Students attempting to write scripts can use these as models for conventional formatting.

Teachers working on proper use of quotations can assign a portion of a script to be rewritten as traditional dialogue.

Oral expression can be examined through multiple readings of sections, emphasizing different words and varying rate and pitch. For example, how many emotions can be expressed by rereadings of the simple question, "Really?"

Students can discuss the use of flash forwards and flashbacks as vehicles for advancing the plot.

Speakers of English as a second language can practice reading portions, comparing their diction with that of the on-screen actors. (I suppose you'll have to be careful which scripts you choose for this purpose. Having a classroom full of Nathan Lanes or Robert DeNiros is probably not a desired outcome of instruction).

Some disclaimers:

Movies rated R appear here as well, so proper guidance on this site is needed.

I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV, but my guess is that printing off entire scripts from this source or any other is probably not legal and should be avoidedSnippets of the scripts might be okay, but don't take my word on that.

Although the scripts I viewed seemed true to the movie versions, it's possible that some vary from the final theatrical releases.

These script sites exist to sell movies, books, DVDS, etc. For that reason, some schools are likely to block them! I recommend you search about a bit and you may be able to find the desired script on an unblocked site.

Have some other uses for online scripts? Email me or leave a comment below.

Wisc-Online: Cool Learning Tools

Anonymous — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Wisc-Online is the repository for thousands of "learning objects," short, focused slide shows and animations, often accompanied by interactive questions and reviews. These are varied by subject and grade level, and just perfect for whole-group interactive whiteboard or individual review.

You know I like it because I usually steer clear of sites that require sign-ups (even if they're free), but Wisc-Online is totally worth the trouble!

Trackstar: Staking Your Claim on the Internet

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:14:00 GMT

In terms of the Internet, Trackstar is old school. Many teachers, however, haven’t had the chance to see it in action. Basically, Trackstar is a collected set of websites framed by a table of contents which is always visible. As each site is selected, the heading above the site viewer changes to include the teacher’s notes about the site being viewed, as well as questions about its content.

Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you, check out a couple examples that make it very clear. Stayin' Alive: How Plants and Animals Adapt to Air Pollution is a well constructed track with clear instructions and a variety of sites. In addition to the frames format of that previous link, you also have the option to see your links and notes in text form.

An example of how this application can be used for professional development purposes can be seen in Teaching Writers Right. Presenters or teachers forming collegial study group will find that this is an efficient way to organize sites and documents for group viewing.

Is Trackstar difficult to use? Not at all, since you don’t need to create your own tracks; you’re welcome to use the hundreds that have been created over the years. The homepage allows you to search by topic, author, or top tracks. Just be sure to check that all links are still working, and that the related heading content and questions are appropriate for your student group.

If you do wish to create your own, the process is simple, with ample prompts and sequenced steps.

Using Trackstar, teachers can

present students with online learning tasks within a controlled scope of sites;

assign individualized online tasks, differentiated by both web sites viewed and annotations added;

incorporate current events using the Trackstar’s monthly themes or the Track of the Day;

create modules that can be independently completed by students as homework or extra credit;

structure lessons which can easily be carried out by a substitute teacher or a cross-grade learning partner;

supply parents and students with a “virtual study guide” for upcoming tests;

store, categorize, and tag their own favorite sites for future use (all sites for one unit can be found in one location;

share their “best of” sites with virtual colleagues; and

collaborate with colleagues to compile sites and comments in using a “wiki” format.

Search results matching tags 'technology' and 'cool'

Top 100 Learning Tools for 2009

Online Comic Creators

Class Tools

Questionaut: Out of This World Game

YAuthor: Create Course Content Online

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Motivating Readers with Movie Scripts

Wisc-Online: Cool Learning Tools

Top Ten YouTube Videos for the Classroom

Trackstar: Staking Your Claim on the Internet