Tools

The Internet is a powerful tool - just how powerful is highlighted and depicted in this link (an Infographic). This particular image indicates the electricity consumption of the Internet and perhaps provides a corporate social responsibility theme.

Putting this into perspective; and understanding that this wikispace may be read by many from around the world; not all of these tools will be suitable to your teaching and learning environments. Understandably, change is occurring throughout classrooms around the world and it would be interesting to see which tools are used and for what purpose. Technology may not be a tool that is going to connect some students to the learning - hence the next link.

Please read this blog post titled: "It's About The Learning - Not The Tools" from a WordPress Blog titled "What Ed Said".

Skills can easily be acquired for many of these tools by utilising Online Learning websites. One such site is here - Free Online Learning at GFCLearnFree.org.

The diagram below highlights only a handful of the web tools that are available for teachers and students to use in a variety of ways. For an interactive version of the diagram, please visit the link below. toc // This image has been sourced from []. The source is interactive (all the icons of the tools will take you to the sites). //

=General=

This link will provide a series of tools available through Partners in Learning - a list of Microsoft's free tools for students and teachers.

This link will take you to Microsoft's Teacher Guide List.

This link provides explanations of a number of teaching web tools and links to the tools. Some of these tools are indicated in the Blooms diagram above.

For those that wish to make their flipcharts or digital spaces more appealing, this link will provide you with a comprehensive list of websites and links for Widgets, Gadgets and Plug-Ins.

Some teachers may be looking for ICT Assessment tools - here is a link indicating some tools for a blended or flipped classroom that may provide some ideas. All of these links are examples of Blogs.

An Authentic Assessment Toolbox - a great website looking at "how to create authentic tasks, rubics and standards for measuring and improving student learning" (Mueler, 2011) with and without ICTs. There are examples for most subject areas from P-12.

Curation of Content - are we able to teach students how to do this - have a look at this link for some ideas and thoughts on curating content from the internet. There are many tools that can assist, and feature in the image above. Another link also provides perspective on the issue of understanding how to curate content.

=Blogs=

What is a Blog? This link refers to Cybersmart's definition. In a classroom context, a " Blog is a type website that allows interaction with readers through comments and replies. It consists of a series of posts, presented in reverse chronological order, usually written about a central topic or for a specific purpose." (Online Education, 2012).

An Online Learning Module (GFCLearnFree.org) with interactivity, a worksheet for developing a blog and quizzes about blogs can be found here.

Why use a "Blog"? "Its web-based writing, simple to use, and can be easily shared via URL (website address). In addition to the interactivity and ease of use, blogs allow for both text and multimedia. Bloggers can include images, video and #|audio recordings, add links to #|surveys and polls in their posts." (Online Education, 2012). The website hosting the blog may also have the capacity to store widget metadata to provide users/readers and the creator of the blog with an aesthetic environment to work.

What is the Big Deal about Blogging a post by Tom Whitby's on his blog. Tom Whitby is an English Teacher - who is not placing the onus of the intricacies of this technology concept to just "writing" teachers; but to all teachers.

How to setup a classroom Blog? is a great step-by-step approach to working with this tool in the classroom. There are many blogging spaces to choose from - step Number One highlights that a teacher needs to work with a blogging space that is safe for students. **Please Note:** The school's LMS (STUCY, July 2012) has a space where students are able to journal, which may be a good place to start before taking the on-line blogging approach.

This link is an excellent example of how a blog space can be kept. This blog space is designed and curated by a group of educators who have posted ideas on how to use tools, such as a blog, for learning. The "first time visitor" page will tell you more about this site.

The following link contains ideas of how teachers around the world are integrating Blogs in their classroom teaching and learning. This link predominately looks at WordPress - one particular platform that accommodates academia. Blogger (a Google platform) is another platform. Edublogs is another.

Other Links - BLOGS
Blogging is the new persuasive essay - Shelly Wright (an English Teacher who also has a Blog) Making QR Codes that link to Blogs - Royan Lee (another teacher - who likes Spicy Food). A Principal's Blog - "A Principal's viewpoint" - by Paul Burgis (the Executive Principal at Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney). Three Classroom Blogging Tips for Teachers - Committed Sardine Blog

=Wikis=

The Home Page of this wikispace provides a link to the Wikispaces You Tube Channel.

The Educational Technology and Mobile Learning Blog contains an excellent starting point for Wiki Beginners in Education outlining "what is a Wiki", "the reasons why a wiki is important in education", "tips for teachers to consider before using wikis" and "how students and teachers can use a wiki in the classroom". Here is the link.

Sample Wikispaces
Here is an example of a Wikispace - Nuclear Energy. **PLEASE - view these spaces before showing students**. This Nuclear Energy wiki contains images regarding physical defects of children, linking them to nuclear disasters. Here is an example of a Classroom (student) created Wikispace using another wikispace called wetpaint- Year 10 English wiki - Canberra Grammar School. It contains classes for a variety of Units of Work. Another example in the technology area - Year 8 students gathering information regarding Web 2.0 tools. Again, this is using wetpaint as the wiki platform. A Senior International Relations course via a Wiki. Another example in the context of Chemistry. This notebook contains teacher whiteboard files that students can either read/download. This wikispace has been designed for students and teachers working with one to one devise system. This classroom wiki has won awards.

This link provides ideas on how teachers can collaborate using a Wiki. The link contains sites that invite teachers to collaborate in all academic teaching areas, pedagogy, opportunities to share best education practices, and resources.

Click here to find another Integration of ICT Wikispace. An excellent resource for teachers of most subject areas (designed for Queensland teachers). Some of the links, as with all wikispaces, may not be active.

Wiki's can be created on iPhones - have a look at this link to see how it is done.

Conference Wikispaces are becoming common. Here is the AIS NSW Conference Wiki from 2011 link.

Widgets
To make a Wiki or Blog Space appear interesting, widgets can be added. An example of a widget is the Twitter Widget within the Navigation Bar of this wikispace. Other widgets to add can be found via Jacqui Sarp's wikispace page - Useful Widgets. Have a look and see what you might like to use. Each of the examples are links to the widget creation websites.

=MindMapping Tools=

There are many tools for this purpose. Here is a link to a discussion on MindMaple. MindMaple has a cost. There are free Mind Maps tools that can be developed and stored online, shared and embedded into wikis, blogs and sites.

=Podcasts=

A Podcast is a type of digital media consisting of an episodic series of files (either audio or video ) subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed on-line to a computer or mobile device. (Wikipedia, 2012).

Online Degrees has provided a list of Top 40 Podcast sites for teachers. EdTech Crew is another source for podcasts that are suitable for classroom use. The Creative Commons Podcasting Legal Guide is a good place to start reading if considering to create and post podcasts for students to use. This guide is based on American Internet Laws and highlights digital citizenship practices. The link will take you to the introduction page. Read and go to the bottom of the page and click onto the link to the Pod-casting Legal Guide.

Classroom2.0 have provided a list of Podcasts that their guest speakers have generated. Here is the list link.

= Animations =

Animations can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. One way is highlighted here. The program used is Goanimate, an on-line animation program, originally designed to demonstrate the dimensions of animation. Teachers are using this tool to produce simple animations to illustrate concepts, ideas, present problems and initiate conversation/discussion in classrooms. How can this tool be used in your classroom? Have a go - there is a licence specifically for schools, or use the free account option.

=Using Video Projects in the Classroom=

This link provides a number of ideas for educators who are thinking of incorporating video into their resource portfolio. An exciting read.

You Tube
You Tube is a website that is designed as a repository site - this means that subscribers are able to upload content and choose how that content can be used by others. There are many features of You Tube that can be utilised in the classroom - I was asked the other day "how can I play just a portion of the video?" Provided that movie/video is available in a repository site like You Tube, it is easy to do. If the video is not available on You Tube, the old fashioned way is the most responsible. There are many channels that are considered "intelligent" on You Tube. Here is a list from one source. The Education category link is here.

This link will take you to Teacher HUB - a website featuring tools and tips relating to learning with technology and this page details some handy tips for teachers.

Setting the Timing on You Tube Video Links
This link is a video that I have programmed to begin playing at a specific time. This video has come from the You Tube TedxSF Channel. The link is: []

To Set Timings for a You Tube Video (can only be used as a link):

(a) Choose the video you wish to use for the learning session. (b) Right Click onto the Video image and select "Copy embedded html". (c) paste into your widget on the Flipchart of digital space.

OR (a) Choose the video you wish to use for the learning session. (b) Click on the **Share** button under the video and work with the work with the __Options__ link. (c) You can nominate to start your video at any time and this will then change the URL (URL stands for: Uniform Resource Locator) code and add the timing at the end of the link code. (d) Paste the code where you need it for your lesson (in your lesson plan, word document, ActivInspire Flipchart, Adobe file). (e) **TEST** before you use ... As the video I worked with above did not have any advertisements, it worked. Consider the possibility of advertisements in the future.

Embedding You Tube Videos
Placing videos into a wiki or a blog space, an ActivInspire flipchart is relatively easy. The reasons for embedding are varied and not all videos will have the embedding function.

If the video needs to be embedded into the space you are creating:

(a) Choose the video you wish to use for the learning session. (b) Click on the Share button under the video and then (if it is available) click onto the Embed button. (c) Copy the code that presents itself in the space. You are able to manipulate this code with the size of the window where the video will be displayed. (d) Go to the space that you are creating. Find where you place widgets and HTML Code. (e) Paste the code into the Widget Space. (f) Test before you use. Again, the video may play advertisements first.

Cambridge University is "800 years old and going digital" (Open Culture, 2012). They have allowed their video Education (a synopsis of their Education Faculty) to be embedded. The Widget (You Tube) tool has been used to embed this video. The link to this video is: []

media type="youtube" key="yQP4UJhNn0I?version=3" height="360" width="640" align="left" = = Avatars Are you wanting to create a PODCAST with an AVATAR? the website, www.voki.com may be able to help.

You will need to sign up to create an avatar. I have created a sample one below. Once created, the avatar can then be pasted into a digital space with the code that is generated from your creation. The below avatar has been created for illustration purposes only with an imported sound file that was on my computer system at the time.

Below are links from the VOKI website that may be of interest for educators.

Voki for Education Voki Lesson Plans and Ideas Teacher's Corner Voki's Blog media type="custom" key="14480248" align="center"

To "play" this VOKI, use your mouse to click the Play button on the panel provided.

This article, "5 Benefits of Avatars for Teaching and Learning" provides some discussion on the use of Avatars in classroom, and "any-time, anywhere" teaching and learning. Dr Mroz is an expert in this field of study and has used Avatars in her teaching and learning for a number of years using a variety of platforms. Please read the comments below the discussion and article video links to fully appreciate Dr Mroz's work. There is a translation tool that can assist you in the other languages comments. Right click into the box and select "translate to English" option.

Another Avatar style web tools can be found via this link. This one is called "Build your Wild Self". There are many others - have a look at this wikispace page created by Jacqui Sharp. She has provided many websites that allow teachers to create avatars for their students. Smurfs, Superheros, Toy creator, Wimpy Kid.

=EXTERNAL LINKS=

Click to attribute