Zondle: A Truly 'WOW!' Game Engine

Over the years I've come across some great game generators but as time has gone on, they have either changed to subscription-based models or disappeared. Enter Zondle which promises to always be free. This site allows you to enter questions with over 20 different formats to choose from. Once the questions have been typed in, the site automatically generates 50+ different games to review the knowledge.
After a rapid-fire round of emails with the very helpful Dougi of Zondle Support, I had my class usernames and passwords set up in less than half an hour last night. Today my learners logged on and...well, I've never heard them beg for more learning. After 20 minutes of playing games which tested their 'knowledge' of Shakespeare - we have not yet launched the topic and they have had no direct instruction - they were individually able to give me newly-learned facts simply from their gaming. When I asked if this was really a useful tool for learning, there was a resounding 'Yes!' vote.
What I love about Zondle is that it generates so many engaging activities from so little input. It is a very simple-to-use interface that requires only basic ICT skills and learners as well as teachers can author the activities.
What I have yet to try is the 'Team Play' mode which I've only previewed so far, but it is so slick and professional-looking that it's sure to be great for whole class involvement.
Did I mention that you can use 3rd-party devices for teams to enter their own answers? Or that you can integrate it with your teaching materials? There are so many great features that if the video below doesn't convince you, a visit to the site certainly will. Click here.

Present.me - Slideshows with a Face!

Present.me allows you to record yourself via a webcam while presenting a slideshow. The guy in the video below has over 50 years of communications experience, so I'll let him explain the rest.

Integration:

• Use it to explain concepts for lessons and make it part of your flipped-classroom toolkit.
• Learners can use present.me to record digital presentations for current and future learners.
• Learners could also use it to present a portfolio of work evidencing their progress or talk their audience through the process of doing something e.g. the essay-drafting process.
• How about a project where older learners write stories for younger learners, illustrate slides to accompany their tales and then read them aloud before sharing across the school and perhaps even with other schools?

A Result! Thinglink Gadget for Google Sites

After a very frustrating couple of days, the kind Andrew of Thinglink has produced a gadget to embed Thinglink images into Google Sites.

>> Click here for the Thinglink gallery<<

Instructions (Open your Google page before reading):

1. Go to the Google Sites page where you want to place image and click 'edit'
2. Click 'insert' and choose add gadget.
3. Add a 'Gadget by URL'
4. Enter the URL: http://thinglink.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/tlGoogleGadgt.xml
5. Enter the embed code from the Thinglink image where the box is
6. Save the page to see what it looks like; you may have to fiddle with the height and width settings depending on your image dimensions

Integration:

• Use embedded Thinglinks as a navigation menu on the splash page of your site. (Thanks to Holly for this one.)
• Learners can use Thinglink to draw together information on a topic using a relevant image; as it's a collaborative tool, you can allow anyone to edit and add tags.
• Learners could make a map of place that a story takes place in and then embed different media at certain locations as a way to experiment with experiencing narrative in different ways.
• Science could set up a murder scene with tags leading to various clues or English/Language Arts teachers could do the same as a starting point for imaginative writing.

Free Hangman with Customisable Lists from Teachit

Teachit has just added this handy tool to their Whizzy collection. It's free to use although you have to sign up for a (free or paid) membership. You can enter your own list of words and then use it as a whole class or individual activity. The replacement of the gallows with a balloon-holding stickman takes away the gruesome element, and you can set the number of balloons he's holding to differentiate the level.

Integration:

• Use as a whole class activity by putting learners in teams. They then take turns to give a letter with a time limit (e.g. 5 seconds) to keep it well-paced. If they are correct, they get another turn. If incorrect, play moves to the next team. If teams know the word, they must spell it; they are not allowed to shout it out or play moves to the next team.
• Embed on a website or wiki as a starting or revision activity for individuals.
• As you can save word lists to your account, use these again and again for timesaving fun with a sound pedagogical aim behind them.

Synctube: Bring together Media from all over the Internet

 Synctube is a free service that enables users to create their own 'rooms' in which they can place media from all over the web, including videos, music, documents and more. You can make your room as private or public as you want, meaning you have control over how few or many people have access to your room. Once in the room, there is a chat box for viewers to discuss what they are watching. WARNING: Be very careful if directing learners to this site as there are chats taking place with highly inappropriate language. If your room is open to the public, anyone can access the chat feature so consider this before sharing.

Integration:

• Bring together media for a particular topic in one place, without having to worry about storage space; learners can then access the room and browse the contents.
• For explanatory media, the chat function will be most useful for learners asking questions or noting difficult points (much like a backchannel), whether in or out of the classroom.
• Synctube could be a good place to view Youtube content if it is blocked in your school; try and test before relying on it though!
• Build a channel of resources every time you teach a particular unit; ask learners to contribute and rate they find most useful.

Screenr: Screen Capture without Hassle

Screenr is another free screencasting tool, with no downloads or signups required. Record up to 5 minutes of on-screen action ad then embed and share on any sites, social networks or blogs of your choosing. The buzz about this tool is its simplicity of use with almost zero IT skills required to create successful screencasts.

Integration:

As per Screencast-O-Matic

Facebook Templates: Online, Offline, Interactive, on Paper...

Image from FutureShop.ca

Many teachers have already cottoned on to the phenomena of Facebook and how to harness it for learning, and one of the most popular uses is creating templates for people, real or imagined. I've even seen FB profiles for countries and inanimate objects so imagination is your only limitation when it comes to using these. It's great that so many have come up with customisable materials so here are few options from hi-tech to lo-tech.

WARNING
Some learners have actually made the effort to go online and warn teachers not to over-use this type of activity. Once it's been done in one subject, the novelty (and therefore the engagement) can wear off pretty quickly. On the other hand, plenty of learners have also gone to the bother of posting on teaching blogs to say how much they enjoy this as an alternative to essay-writing or other traditional responses to literature, history etc.


OPTION 1
Fakebook (from ClassTools.net) offers an online editable template for creating a profile and posts on a Facebook-like page. A video is included for instruction although it's pretty intuitive to use. On the downside, it is covered in ads - but then again, so is Facebook so perhaps a bit of authenticity? You could also try myfakewall.com for a similar tool.

OPTION 2
I came across this Facebook video for Romeo and Juliet while attending ASB Unplugged in Mumbai earlier this year, and I was blown away by the creativity of the learner concerned. Have a look at the video and consider tools like Screencast-O-Matic or Screenr to guide your learners in creating their own.

OPTION 3
Tech Tools for Schools provide this presentation-based template for creating a series of  Facebook pages. It can be edited as a Google Doc or downloaded, opened with Powerpoint or Keynote and edited offline. Alternatively, it can be downloaded as a PDF, perhaps for display. Once finished on screen, it can be presented and viewers can click on the links to navigate around this mini-Facebook site.

OPTION 4
TeachOneToOne has a selection of editable templates for use in word-processing programs. This is a good option if access to computers is not readily available.

Stupeflix: Online Video Editor

A couple of days ago, I blogged about WeVideo which allows online collaboration for video projects. Another tool to add to your video kit is Stupeflix, which offers a range of features for enhancing your video. From their theme gallery to adding text, overlaying your video from any one of their 130 music tracks to adding maps and text-to-speech, Stupeflix offers a variety of ways to make your videos more 'wow' before sharing them via social media sites or embedding them. This is a great service for those looking for a multi-feature video editor without the need for downloads.

Integration:

• Learners can use Stupeflix to enhance their video projects and easily bring in other tools such as maps
• The text-to-speech feature could be useful for SEN learners who would benefit from an audio experience of any on-screen text, or for those who prefer this to their own voiceover

Qwiki: The Information Experience

Qwiki is an award-winning knowledge portal which brings together media from all over the web to create a unique "information experience." The audiovisual nature of the search results makes it a particularly useful tool for those who have difficulties navigating large chunks of text. Summaries are read by a text-to-speech application or creator, so it enables users to employ their listening skills too - good for those developing their language skills. An iPad app is also available.

I just noticed a feature at the bottom of the Home page saying that it's now possible to create your own Qwiki, so this could be useful for giving learners a platform to publish findings from their own research or expertise.

Hello Slide (& Wicked - Science and Maths)

Hello Slide offers another way of presenting information. It's similar to other platforms, such as Voicethread, but it incorporates a text-to-speech function which means that you don't need access to recording equipment. Here's an example:

Integration:

• Use to create self-access instruction whether for flipping the classroom, learning stations or a 'help yourself' section of a website or VLE.
• Learners can produce their own presentations for sharing with peers or paired schools.
• Learners could create stories with narration, explain mathematical/scientific concepts, illustrate geographical events or profile historic figures - consider applications for your own subject area. 

Like this? You might also be interested in these science interactives on plate action, rock formation and more from wicked.org.nz

Collaboration without Google Docs

A recent post on Edmodo made me realise that not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to the world of Google and all the educational benefits it brings. If the powers that be have blocked the use of Google Docs and you are looking for a way to do collaborative writing, some alternatives are below. (With thanks to Ms Hurst, Ms Quirk and Mr Boysen on Edmodo for these suggestions.) Click on the icons to go to the sites.

"Springnote allows you to create pages, to work on them together with your friends, and to share files. Springnote is also a great tool for group projects as it allows group members to easily collaborate. Advanced search, numerous templates, and 2GB of FREE File Storage are only few examples of how Springnote can help you. Of course, you already know that Springnote is an Internet service, meaning you can access it from anywhere anytime."

Zooburst

Zooburst is one of the most exciting story-telling tools I'm using at the moment. It is not new but since its 2010 launch it has been developing bit by bit and today it offers a pretty unique and exciting product. I could say Zooburst is a platform that allows you to make your own virtual pop-up books, and I'd be telling the truth, but that would be massively understating its potential. Have a look at the 2 minute video below and be blown away.

Highlights:

• Zooburst allows you to create 3D pop-up books that you can use your mouse to navigate 360 north, south, east and west. Zoom around and over the story before coming up behind one of the characters or to the front door of a house. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.
• You can upload your own pictures to include in your story or use any from the well-stocked library that's already there so it's possible to produce not only stories but also scientific presentations, historical reports, geographical tours etc.
• Add text to pages, as well as speech bubbles that can be clicked for interactivity and exploration to add another engaging dimension to the experience.
• It's great for collaborative projects as there are different elements to be planned out from the storyboard to the text to the images used as well as the thought/speech points and finally putting it all together and presenting it.
• Zooburst uses augmented reality which means that if you have a webcam you can view the virtual book floating in front of your very face and all you have to do is wave a hand to turn the page. Brilliant for storytelling and learners literally gasp in delight - even the older ones!

Image Maps Made Easy

A colleague today asked me about inserting an image map into a Google Site. For those wondering what this is, it basically means a picture with clickable areas that are hyperlinks. Check out this example which is an interactive version of the picture below. (Hover over the menu options once you've followed the link.)

I initially thought that inserting a Google Drawing would do the trick but alas, I was wrong. So, in a bid to make it as easy as possible, my research has led me to 2 tools for the job.

The first is here and, despite the visually unattractiveness of the site, it does the job.

The second is another no-frills page here and is perhaps a bit more user-friendly. It also has the added advantage of allowing you to resize the pic by pixels.

Integration:

• Learners can create interactive pictures with hotspots e.g. maps with links to information about particular places marked or profiles linked to a class photo
• Images could be used to create a choose-you-own-adventure type story or a route through a particular topic, making it visual rather than typeface
• Create visually attractive image maps for your site, wiki, blog or other web presence
• Using image maps will make navigation of sites easier for younger learners who are still developing their literacy skills or SEN contexts where reading is a challenge

Sidevibe

Sidevibe is a useful tool which is now totally free making it eligible for a slot on this blog. It takes the idea of a shared notepad that floats on top of webpages and enhances it with the ability to add links, discussions, prompts and much more. Other tools might be alternatives to some of the features, but it negates the need to click between two media e.g. a webpage and a note-taking tool, thereby saving time and keeping the 'flow' of work going.

Having a test-run with it, I found out that it is not currently supported by Chrome or the latest version of Safari so you'll have to use another browser such as Firefox or Explorer when creating 'vibes.'

Here's an intro below which gives an overview, but really you need to go and experiment with it yourself, and perhaps explore the forums, before its potential applications become fully clear.

Integration:
Sidevibe can be used for many activities; below are just a few:

• turn any webpage into an online activity by providing questions or instructions to follow when visiting a specific URL;
• collaboratively collate websites related to a topic;
• prove discussion / thinking prompts for a webpage containing any type of media from print to video;
• take notes on a research topic as learners move through various websites;
• structure / plan / write an assignment with the criteria / rubric open on the page in front of them;
• receive immediate feedback at the side of a presentation by using Sidevibe as a backchannel.

Shorten & Bundle URLs with Bitly

Bitly isn't exactly news to anyone keeping their finger on the pulse of IT tools, but it's one that I've ignored for too long now, much to my own detriment. Hold back the "doh" but I only realised today that you can actually customise the shortened url to something that might actually be recognisable or memorable. So from

http://sites.google.com/a/domain.name.co.uk/website-name

I can now choose something much less mind-boggling like

http://bit.ly/website-name 

When I'd tried it in the past, I was bemused at the odd scientific-looking url that was generated and didn't really see the point, but the customisability changes all that.

Another cool feature is that you can also 'bundle' a group of URLs and put them under just one shortened url. Check it out here.

Integration:

• If you're using a third-party site host, as many teachers do, it probably means you have a long URL so bit.ly will be great for creating something much more manageable
• If you have a list of links related to a particular topic, bundling them is a great way to avoid sendin out a long list of web addresses

Be Funky Photo Editor

In the wake of the sad news that Picnik is to be no more, the hunt is on for viable alternatives. There are quite a few photo editors out there, but what I loved about Picnik was the no-registration, easy-to-use interface. Be Funky provides something very similar. As with Picnik there are premium options you can pay for, but the basic free version allows you to be experimental with your uploads and still do an impressive job. Here's a picture that I edited for our reading blog. Click here to visit Be Funky and get creative!

Panoramas & Imagination

Since attending a Creativity workshop with Tim Rylands at ASB Unplugged 2012, I've been interested in using panoramas to inspire stepping outside of the classroom - at least in a a virtual sense.

The first of a few resources to help with this is Autostitch, the gallery of which is here. With Autostitch you simply input the pictures you've taken and it automatically detects the overlaps and stitches them together in one seamless panorama, which can be navigated with your mouse or keyboard to turn up to 360 degrees. Unfortunately, the demo software is only available for Windows at the moment, but you can still make use of those in the gallery.

CleVR also offers a free service for stitching pictures. The great thing about this site is that you can embed the results into websites, blogs and wikis when you're done. Again, no specialist equipment - other than a digital camera - is needed and the results can be impressive. What's more you can "add interactive hotspots to your panoramas. These let viewers click areas in the panorama for more information. They can display notes, photos or video. They can also be used to link panoramas together into a full virtual tour."

Airpano offers 3D panoramas to move around and explore. I would have embedded one but as soon as I tried, the audio played automatically. Check them one for yourself here.

Photosynth is yet another online platform for creating static and interactive panoramas that can be shared a number of ways including by embedding. There is a comprehensive public gallery available if you don't have the time or means to make your own.

Integration:

• There's no substitute for the real thing, but if you can't take your class to a place of interest let it come to you via an interactive panorama; projected or displayed onto a whiteboard with the lights dimmed, learners can be transported to another place entirely - let their imaginations soar
• As a prompt for creative writing, use one of the high res panoramas to zoom in on a smaller object of interest in the background; as you pan out ask learners to note the detail that is added before looking left, right, up and down to complete the picture and the subsequent writing
• Learners can create their own panoramas to accompany projects on places or topics; add audio and text to create interactive webpages to engage audiences on almost any subject
• If you're a bit of a techie - immerse learners in a fantasy world of their own creation; use the background panoramas for green-screen shooting

Again...but slower

Againbutslower.com puts Wikipedia and Simple Wikipedia side-by-side so you can compare the results from each. If used for differentiation where the (EAL?) learners are making the choice, rather than the teacher, it has great value. Also, as much of Wikipedia has not yet been simplified (information on my hometown for example) there are opportunities for learners to create their own entries which will then be accessed by the rest of the world.

Simple Booklet

Simple Booklet offers a very straightforward way of publishing a range of formats from reports to newsletters, portfolios to presentations and more. What's worth blogging about is the incredibly clean-lined and intuitive interface. It may not have the whistles and bells of (for example) Prezi, but you can see how quick and easy it is to use without the distraction of lots of features.

Integration:

• Learners can publish any written work (stories, explanations, presentations etc.) and then embed it anywhere they like from blogs to websites to wikis to social networks...
• The published booklet is tablet-friendly so it can be accessed from laptops, PCs and 'pads' - even younger learners will be able to use the interface

Tildee

Tildee is a site that offers everyone a space to share what they know. You can add videos, voice and pictures to create your 'how to' and then share it with anyone by sending the link.

Integration:
Learners, groups and teachers can create tutorials on many things to demonstrate understanding or provide instruction for others. For example:

• how to tackle a particular math problem (or anything else that requires 'working out')
• how to be a great learner
• how to deconstruct a character from a work of literature
• how to study effectively
• how to play a certain sport
• how to read a map
• how to prepare for an exam
• how to understand a work of art