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Created by cyberjohn07 on Apr 27, 2008
Last updated: 03/05/10 at 01:36 PM
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Greetings
DE Tools of the Trade is moving to a new home. The new URL is:
http://www.detools.ca
I given up fighting with the themes problem I been having with this site and moved everything to a new blog site.
I hope you’ll join me there.
Thank you for your patience.
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=780
Greetings,
Here’s another video web site containing tutorial and training videos. The site name is, GRASPR.
Rather then creating more sites like this, I wish there were fewer - which would mean (among other things) less searching and more finding. Unfortunately, the trend seems to be in the opposite direction. Here’s another example - GRASPR.
As video sites go, this one’s pretty standard. There are video’s available on a wide variety of topic from Arts & Crafts to Woodworking. Most of the topics have no connection with school but there is a section devoted to education with some interesting clips on topics like math, science and languages.
There’s also a section on Computers and the Internet.
The site also encourages users to upload and edit their own clips. Unfortunately, the editing tools are very basic. Video quality is typical as well - good on some, not so good on others.
Anyone may view the video clips but an account is required to upload and edit.
Check it out at:
http://www.graspr.com/
Enjoy
(Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for this link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=767
Greetings,
COMMUNITY CLIPS is a web site containing tutorial video clips focusing on Microsoft products.
This is an interesting site in a couple of ways. First of all, it appears to operated by Microsoft but the purpose seems to be to provide a place for anyone to upload “home made” tutorials on Microsoft products. Most of the video clips appear to be screen captures with voice over narration.
There is a section for “other” products but the main focus is definitely Microsoft. To help users make their videos, Microsoft provides an app called the, “Community Clips Recorder”.
Most of the videos tend to be simple, single topic endeavors such as, “How to save a template in Outlook 2007″ or “Using Word 2003 Styles”. Not exactly complete tutorials but valuable none the less.
Check it out at:
http://communityclips.officelabs.com/Default.aspx
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=765
Greetings,
IWEB TOOLS is a web site offering dozens of tools for investigating and gathering information about the web.
This site has a number of simple yet important applications for gathering often hard to access information about sites on the web. For example, there’s a Clocking Checker which finds the real address of a web site who’s URL is hidden or clocked, a broken link checker checks a site for broken web links and a page ranking checker checks the ranking or popularity of a particular web page.
For anyone who is serious about going below the surface of the web, this site is a must and a definite asset to the tool box.
Check it out at:
http://www.iwebtool.com/tools/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=761
Greetings,
FORMSPRING is a web site that allows users to create and use forms for data collection, registrations and online commerce.
Collecting data via a form on the web can be a daunting task. Thankfully, FORMSPRING makes it fairly easy.
The first step is creating a form. FORMSPRING provides several types of data entry devices such as drop-down menus, check boxes, radio buttons and text entry. Adding these elements is as easy as drag and drop then adding some parameters. Here’s a quick one I created in about 5 minutes
http://www.formspring.com/forms/?411533-ISy9GTuvK3
Forms can be linked or embedded within a web page.
FORMSPRING is a commercial site and the majority of its business comes from paying customers. Free accounts are available but limited in functionality ( a limit of 3 forms per account & 50 responses per form). Pay accounts have many more features.
Considering the time, effort and expertise required to set up online forms, FORMSPRING may be an economical alternative.
Check it out at:
http://www.formspring.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=759
Greetings
Think of OPEN HUDDLE as the next generation in video conferencing.
This web app has all the typical features of a typical conferencing program, such as ability to see participants by webcam, text messaging and audio conferencing, plus a few things more. For example, there’s a drawing board and tools which HUDDLE participants can all use. Powerpoint presentations SWF files can also be presented, shared and commented on. It’s even possible to share a desktop, which is invaluable when demonstrating software.
In short, OPEN HUDDLE has everything a teacher could want when teaching online, except for one small detail - privacy. As far as I could tell, OPEN HUDDLE is wide open and accessible to anyone. There is no way to make a “room”, meeting place or huddle private. Even if privacy were an option, it hard not to notice or shield students from some of the other activities on the site. For example, during my visit to OPEN HUDDLE, I noticed one huddle labelled “Dirty Dancing”. Another featured a man in front of a web cab who seemed to be picking his nose. Yikkes!
The site did have a “features request” link so I asked for a way to make a huddle private. Even better would be a education/family friendly section.
Check it out at:
http://www.openhuddle.com
Enjoy
(Thanks to Jane Hart for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=752
Greetings,
WANNALEARN is a web site containing a variety of web based guides & tutorials.
While this site was developed for general interest rather then education , there’s still a lot of useful material. For example, the site does have a section devoted to Academic Subjects such as Critical Thinking, Economics, Education, English, Geography, History, Interdisciplinary, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science, Study Skills, World Languages. There are also section on Computers & The Internet, Business & Careers & Fine Arts which may also be helpful.
As with any of these sites, the tutorials range in quality from outstanding to aweful so the task of finding a nugget may require a little digging.
Check it out at:
http://www.wannalearn.com/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=742
Greetings,
As you’ve probably noticed, my blog has been flipping back and forth between two different themes, the dark blue one and the default. It’s been driving me nuts so I don’t imagine it’s impressed you. Using my limited CSS skills and Word Press design knowledge, I’ve tried to and fix the problem but without success. Rather then continue this fruitless endeavor, I’ve switched to another theme. Hopefully this one will be more stable.
Thanks for your patience.
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=738
Greetings,
IKNOW is a new web site from Japan for learning Japanese.
IKNOW bills itself as, “a new way to learn a language based on scientific research into memory and psychology: it trains your brain in the natural ways that accelerate learning.”
I don’t know enough language education or psychology research to comment but, the site is very visually appealing with a nice Web 2.0 type look and intuitive user interface. The lessons however, seemed pretty standard. A Japanese character is flashed on the screen. Underneath, the English meaning appears. A voice then pronounces the character and uses it in a sentence. A group of about 5 characters are presented at one time followed by a quiz
IKNOW has provides help for constructing a personal learning calendar as well as setting goals and objectives. There’s also a journal tool as well.
Unfortunately, the learning platform IKNOW is built on is a commercial product so it’s not likely to find its way to a school near you any time soon. Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to see how others build online courses and deliver curriculum over the web and IKNOW is no exception.
Check it out at:
http://www.iknow.co.jp
Enjoy
(Thanks to Stephen Downes for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=736
Greetings,
PBS, America’s public broadcasting service will air a special program this month called, “Where We Stand: America’s Schools In The 21st Century” which will examine challenges facing the American Education System.
While the focus of the special is US, the topics raised such as, teacher training; measuring student progress; preparing students for the future in a rapidly changing world; ensuring that all students achieve; and the current school funding system, will certainly resinate with Canadian educators, among others.
In addition to the actual broadcast, there is a companion website with video clips and other resources pertaining to this topic.
Check it out at:
http://www.thirteencelebration.org/edblog/teaching-learning-celebration/where-we-stand-america%E2%80%99s-schools-in-the-21st-century
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=730
Greetings,
OPENGOO is an Open Sources Web Based Office, similar in look and feel to other online Office suites such as Think Free, Zoho Office or Google Docs.
With so many free and open source Office clones around, why is one more needed? Because OPENGOO is different.
Current web based “Office like” apps such as ThinkFree or Google Docs reside on a company or corporation web server. The up-side is that students can use them without needing to install software on school workstations. The down-side includes the need for a fast, high capacity internet connect which will accommodate a whole and the lack of control by teachers. Teachers have little influence for example, Google’s access and use policy.
OPENGOO delivers similar functionality but runs on the ubiquitous Apache/PHP/MySQL open source platform. That’s the same web platform used by Moodle, Joomla, Drupal, etc. It’s also the same platform found in many schools and school districts.
In addition to word processing and presentation making, OPENGOO also does task lists, e-mails, calendars, web links and contacts. As it’s web based, students may also collaborate and share files online. While intended for the business world, OPENGOO fits perfectly within an educational environment. It would be easy to imagine every student with their own personal work space, complete with a word processor, a presentation maker, calendar, task list, all on a school server running OPENGOO. This work space would be accessible from any the library, the office, even from home.
The program interface, although a little “busy”, is certainly functional and easy to learn.
Check it out at:
http://www.opengoo.org
Enjoy
(My thanks to Britain’s digital goddess, Jane Hart for this link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=726
Greetings,
TAFITI is a new interface for Microsoft’s Live Search, search engine.
According to it’s web site, Tafiti means “do research” in Swahili. It’s also an experimental search front-end from Microsoft. Tafiti uses both Microsoft Silverlight and Live Search to carry out searches.
Tafiti’s interface is very Web 2.0 like: very stylish and appealing yet simple.
.
The results page is also simple and clean.
Where Tafiti differs is the ability to drag a URL from the results column to one of the “shelves” on the right side of the window. If a user has an account with Tafiti, these pages will be saved and available whenever the user logs back in. Think of it as visual book marking.
While the “shelf” feature is nice, there are no options or alternatives that i could find so, for any sort of serious research, I can see the shelves filling up very quickly. Secondly, I could not find any advanced search features to focus and refine a search. I also wasn’t particularly impressed with the MS Live Search, search results. This leads me to the conclusion that Tafiti may have a very nice user interface but doesn’t have the right stuff for serious research.
Check it out at:
http://www.tafiti.com
Enjoy.
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=717
Greetings,
VIEWZI is a new search engine with a very visual results page.
Actually, VIEWZI is a meta-search engine, utilizing the searching power of Google, Yahoo and other web services to gather it’s search results. And, it’s the results and how they are presented that VIEWZI has become famous for. Search results are grouped together by information/media type and presented in a kind of cover flow display.
Mouse over each “cover” and it enlarges. Each “cover” represents a unique grouping of search results, presented in a different way; 3D, Thumbnail, Text, Photo-Album, etc.
Click on the “cover and the contents are displayed. In the picture below, the search results from Google, Yahoo, Ask and MSN are displayed.
Click on one of the thumbnails and the web page itself is displayed.
Of all the visual presentation my favourite the 3D Cloud view.
While Viewzi presents search results in a variety of innovative ways, how good is it as a search tool? Good & not so good IMHO.
Viewzi is very good at taking search terms and sending them to wide variety of web services such as Google, Yahoo, Ask, MSN, Flickr, CNN, CNet, Delicious, and several MP3 search sites just to name a view. As a result, Viewzi casts a wide net when doing a search. That’s definitely good.
The results pages however that can be too much of a good thing. While displays like 3D Cloud view, Album view or Celebrity Photo view are very innovative and visually appealing, they can also be optically overwhelming and confusing to those used to the simplicity of Google. There’s a lot happening on Viewzi’s results page and it takes some getting used to.
All the graphics take their toll in speed and performance as well. Moving from one view to another can be slow going.
There are also time when all the views are simply not needed. For example, a search for information on salmon habitat doesn’t require the Celebrity Photo View or the Google Timeline view but there’s no way to disable or turn these features off.
Nevertheless, I applaud the Viewzi folks for coming up with so many innovative ways to display information. While it may not be the solution for every search, it is still a powerful searching tool and a must in search section of a DE Tool Box.
Check it out at:
http://www.viewzi.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=713
Greetings,
Search giant Google has added a new search feature - news archive searching.
The news archive search option provides an easy way to search and explore historical archives and old news stories.
As with all Google search pages, there’s simple searching (type in a search term and hope) plus advanced features which allows searches to be constrained within a date range, language or source.
One nice feature I’ve not seen before is a timeline creator. News archive search can automatically create timelines which show selected results from relevant time periods.
Check it out at:
http://news.google.com/archivesearch
Enjoy
(Thanks to the amazing David P. Dillard for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=702
Greetings,
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has created a marvelous presentation documenting the history of the Internet.
The NSF has broken the history down into decades beginning in the 1960’s and the history is told by people who were there such as; Vint Cerf, George Strawn and Eric Bina. Not only is the past chronicled but a few predictions for the future are also made.
After checking out the Internet history presentation, be sure to take a look at some of the other features this wonderful site has to offer such as information on solar energy and climate modeling.
Check it out at:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsf-net/
Enjoy
(Thanks to Kim Komando for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=693
Greetings,
Google has just released a new product called, “Chrome”, a “do - everything” new web browser.
A funny thing happened during my wait for Google Android - Chrome.
Chrome has suddenly materialized as a link on Google’s search page.
Chrome is Google’s entry into the web browser market but, it’s no ordinary browser. Google has put everything but the kitchen sink in this app. Besides web browsing, this app does mail, maps, calendars, text-editing and a bunch of other things. It is also supposed to faster and more resource efficient then the other guys.
Like MS Explorer and Firefox, Chrome is a program that’s download and installed on a computer. Unfortunately, the current beta version is available for Windows only (a Mac version is coming)
Check it out at:
http://www.google.com/chrome
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=681
Greetings,
FILESAVR is a web site that provides free storage and sharing of files up to 10GB in size.
This site has a clean minimalist interface with basically one function available - upload.
Once uploaded, FILESAVR provides a URL to access the file. This URL can be saved or sent to those who need to download it. According to FILESAVR, the file will remain on the site and not be deleted as long as the file is being downloaded (I’m not sure what that means exactly and how often the file must be accessed)
At the moment, the service is free and not sign-up is required although accounts (both free and paid) are some FILESAVR plans to implement in the future.
Check it out at
http://www.filesavr.com/
Enjoy
(Thanks again to the folks at “MakeUseOf” for this great link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=672
Greetings,
KETE is open source software that enables communities such as a school, college or a company, to collaboratively build their own digital libraries, archives and repositories.
KETE comes from that hotbed of open source coding - New Zealand. In words taken from the web site:
Kete combines features from Knowledge and Content Management Systems as well as collaboration tools such as wikis, blogs, tags, and online forums to make it easy to add and relate content on a Kete site.
With KETE is possible to create a service that’s similar to Google’s Knol
The software has a long list of features. Some, I understand and others - not so much.
As with most open source software programs like this, KETE must be installed on a Linux server to work. Installation also requires familiarity with server applications such as “Ruby on Rails”, “SQL” and “Nginx” which is beyond the skill set of many educators.
Thankfully there is an alternative. An online version can be seen at:
http://github.com/kete/kete/
The kete site itself is found at:
http://kete.net.nz/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=669
Greetings,
FLICKRCC is a special search engine that searches only the Flickr site and only for pictures tagged under the Creative Commons attribute.
Flickr is an incredible image resource with photographs of virtually everything imaginable. For anyone creating a poster, booklet or publication, Flickr should be one of their first stops for stock images and photographs. Unfortunately, not all photographs are tagged with the Creative Commons attribute meaning they can not be used without the owners expressed permission. This usually not a problem. For example, I recently completed an orientation handbook for students at my school - except for a picture on the front cover. A search through Flickr revealed some incredible images by a very gifted young photographer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Brittany Dona-lyn. Unfortunately, none of her work was in the public domain. After a flurry of e-mails, I secured her permission to use the picture.
I think it was worth the effort but Ms Brittany Dona-lyn could just as easily have say no.
FLICKRCC is one way to avoid that problem. It is a Flickr specific search engine which scans only those images tagged under the Creative Commons license. Anything found by FLICKRCC can be used for non-commercial purposes.
Check it out at:
http://flickrcc.trainingo2.net
Enjoy
(Thanks to Peter Shanks for leaving a comment and suggesting this site.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=667
Greetings,
QUARKBASE is a free tool to find complete information about a website.
The site is a mashup of over 30 data sources and many algorithms for gathering information from Internet on various aspects of a site such as social popularity, traffic, associated people, etc. Here’s an example using my own site.
QUARKBASE not only analyzes basic aspects such as who owns the site or it’s language of operation but also looks at the sites popularity as determined by ranking sites such as “Gigg” or “Technorati” as well as traffic patterns, people and even technical data such as the type of server it runs on and the site’s IP address.
In addition to providing a wealth of information to web site managers and administrators, QUARKBASE has another application. When using the web for research, It’s sometimes difficult to determine even the most basic of information about a web site such as who created it, when it was last modified or where it’s located but QUARKBASE can help and in theory, make it more difficult for students and staff to be mislead by deceptive and bogus websites.
Check it out at:
http://www.quarkbase.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=664
Greetings,
JUICYSTUDIO is a web site containing several web evaluation tools sush as a readability checker, color contrast analyzer, link and image checks plus links to other services.
JUICYSTUDIO is a wonderful site with a great suite of web page/site evaluation tools. For example, the “Readability Test” section contains a wide variety of tests such as the Gunning Fog, Flesch Reading Ease, and Flesch-Kincaid scales. While the site itself admits that these scales are only rough guides, they can be useful indicators for web developers.
JUICYSTUDIO also has a CSS analyzer for testing basic accessibility errors such as color contrast and units of measurement, a color contrast analyzer for determining whether the contrast between the background and the foreground colors is sufficient, an image analyzer which ensures that images have been specified properly and a link analyzer which checks the links on a web page.
As well, there are several links to other sites with validation and accessibility tools.
All in all, a very nice set of tools to have in the DE Tool box.
check it out at:
http://juicystudio.com/services.php
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=661
Greetings,
SIMPLYCHECKLISTS: is a website devoted to printable checklists on every topic imaginable including finances, education and emergencies.
SIMPLYCHECKLISTS claims to have around 100 available checklists. While all checklists can be used online or downloaded as a pdf document and printed,
Unfortunately, the online option is really not really practical. There is no way that I could find, to save and and return to a partially completed list. SIMPLYCHECKLISTS does not offer any accounts to save partially completed checklists. It’s one of the few time when I wish a site did offer sign-ups. It would be handy to be able to access a checklist from home, school, the library or from a mobile device.
In addition, there’s no way that I could find to modify existing checklists or create new ones.
On the positive side, SIMPLYCHECKLISTS current checklists may contain items or which had not occurred to the average user.
If you are looking for a checklist to prepare you and/or your family for the first day of school, SIMPLYCHECKLISTS has one.
Check it out at:
http://www.simplychecklists.com
Enjoy
(Thanks to the folks at “MakeUseOf” for this link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=657
Greetings
GMDESK is Google’s attempt to put their applications on your desktop without requiring a web browser.
Over the years, Google has made a number of great apps like GMail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Reader, etc., available to all. The big drawback was the need for an Internet connection. Users required a web browser and Internet connection to access all Google’s services. Google may have found a way to overcome that drawback, with the help of Adobe’s newest product, Adobe AIR.
Thanks to AIR, all Google services may soon be available as desktop apps (GM DESK) - without the need of a browser or Internet connection.
While GMDESK could be a huge breakthrough for Google, I’m somewhat intrigued by development of the project. For example, the installation information and instructions for GMDESK are on the blog site of Robert Nyman who, as best as I can determine, is a programer from Seattle. On his site is both the link to Adobe AIR and the latest version of GMDesk. Google also lists him as the developer.
In case you’re wondering, I did try installing GMDESK and GMail did appear to morp from a web app to a desktop app. Unfortunately, after I shut it down, I could find a way to restart it from my desktop. There were no new icons on my desktop or new programs in my programs folder. Perhaps there’s something I’m missing.
Despite my experience, I think this is still an important developmentment and one that’s worth watching.
Check it out at:
http://www.robertnyman.com/gmdesk/
Enjoy
(Thanks to Peter Cashmore at Mashable for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=651
Greetings.
UDUTU, an eLearning company has created a way to add LMS functionality to FaceBook.I think the verdict is still out on FaceBook and it’s usefulness in education. One camp believes that educators should find ways to utilize FaceBook because that where the kids are. The other side believes that for many reasons, FaceBook has no place in education. Until now, the debate was mute because there very few education related plug-ins, widgets or add-ons. Then came UDUTU.
UDUTU is an eLearning company that been around for a while. It offers free, web based, online course development tools to any educator who wants to create an online course. Their money comes from hosting. If an educator wants to put their course online, UDUTU is happy to oblige - for a price. The course can also downloaded in a SCORM compliant format, then imported to an LMS which recognizes that format.
UDUTU has taken their technology one step further by providing ways to integrate it with FaceBook. UDUTUTeach allows an educator to import courses from myUdutu (UDUTU’s hosting service), manage which learners can take the courses, and track their progress.
Learners wishing to take a course must install the UDUTU Learn/FaceBook plugin which allows them to view the courses they have access to and track their own progress. UDUTU’s vision is to utilize all the communication and scheduling tools found in Facebook but add on the functionality of an LMS. Interesting concept.
Check it out at:
http://www.udutu.com/products-udututeach-and-udutulearn.html
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=638
Greetings,
PIECOLOR is a web based application that does one thing but does it very well - create colorful pie charts.Devices such as pie charts can be a great way to represent information visually. Unfortunately, creating a pie chart usually involves a spreadsheet program like MS Excel and Excel is not cheap to buy nor easy to use.
PIECOLOR provides a much easier, web based alternative. Using it is very easy. Simple tell PIECOLOR how many slices to divide the pie into, how big each slice is, add a color and label and - presto - a colorful pie cart which can be downloaded to the desktop.
The interface to create the chart is very intuitive and easy to use. There are also a few other settings such as size and backgrounds that can be tweaked as well.
The site is free to use and no sign-up is required
Check it out at:
http://piecolor.com/
Enjoy
(Thanks to the folks at “MakeUseOf” for this link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=625
Greetings,
Fellow blogger (ZaidLearn) and online educator, Zaid Ali Alsagoff has made available at no cost, his new E-book, “69 Learning Adventures in 6 Galaxies”.The ZaidLearn blog is similar to this blog in that the author, Zaid Ali Alsagoff also highlights various tools, applications, web sites and resources connected with online and distance education (DE). In a very ambitious undertaking, Zaid has compiled all this information along with additional data from other sources to create a free downloadable publication called, “69 Learning Adventures in 6 Galaxies”.
This publication is filled with blogs, applications and web sites relating to Distance Education and is a wonderful resource for anyone who teaches online.
Check it out at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4545960/69-Learning-Adventures-in-6-Galaxies
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=620
Greetings,
AGA-KIDS is a new visual search engine for children, with some flaws (IMHO).AGA-KIDS is one of those search engines which, at first glance seems, “way cool” to quote Wendy from the “Wendy’s” fast food ads.
The search page (below) is very clean, yet visually appealing.
The results page presents the search results is a kind of “Cover Flow” arrangement. Cool!
Once the “cool” factor wears off however, some of AGA-KIDS flaws become apparent. For example, to move back and forth through the cover flow requires the use of the mouse scroll wheel. I discovered that by accident after fruitless searching for instructions on the results page. The pages themselves are small and very hard to see, making it difficult to determine if they are useful or not.
The search results were also very disappointing. When using the search term “salmon”, AGA-KIDS found only 4 web pages. The first was from a conservation site advertising a fish coloring contest. The next two were connected with “Vocabulary.com” and the final page was from an online games site that had no connection at all to my search term.
Gaming seems to be a bit of a theme on this site as there is a link from the results page to a gaming section. The gaming section highlights the split personality of this web site. Initially, given the look and feel of the search page, I assumed the intended audience for this site was young children approximately 4 to 8 years old however, many of the games in the games section such as, “Shoot the Kitty” and “Slap the Monkey” were clearly “teen” focused and not appropriate for children.
On the other hand, no teen I know would be caught dead on a site with such juvenile graphics, no matter how good the games are (and most on this site aren’t that good.)
In trying to satisfy a wide audience, AGA-KIDS really has not pleased anyone - IMHO.
You can check it out for yourself by going to:
http://www.aga-kids.com
Enjoy
(Thanks to Nataliy for commenting on “AGA-KIDS”.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=615
Greetings,
PICAPP is a site featuring high quality stock photos for use online.“Stock photos” are those high quality, picture perfect shots that end up in publications, web sites and other places where presenting a good image is important. Having just the right image can make all the difference to a blog or web page. Having a repository of pictures to look through which searching for the perfect shot can be problematic, and expensive. PICAPP can help.
PICAPP is a web site featuring hundreds of stock photos covering almost every topic and occasion. Here’s a typical example.
Users are free to embed them in a blog post, like this one (see above) or web page at no cost. Unfortunately they can not be legally downloaded and used in a print document
PICAPP is free to use and does not require an account however signing up for a free account is recommended as PICAPP will provide a place to save, store and manage pictures.
Check it out at:
http://www.picapp.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=611
Greetings,
Fellow bloggers and educators, Nicole Welding & Donna (?) have created a set very useful podcasting tip sheets.Some of the sheets were originally developed as training documents, created for workshop or in-service sessions while others were “acquired”. The documents include:
• Podcasting Tip-sheet
• Podcast Planning and Scaffolding for Students
• Audacity Tips
• Movie Maker Basics
• Ripping Guide
The site also has other tip sheets and resources too.
Check it out at:
http://www.21stcenturyschoolteacher.com/tip-sheets.html
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=607
Greetings,
Christina Laun, a blogger with “Teaching Tips.com” has compiled a list of 50 teaching related blogs with information and advice for new and not so new teachers.These blogs cover a wide range of topics including:
"The Joy of Learning": Those working in a Montessori school, and teachers in general, will get some helpful insights and for teaching their own students on this blog.
"Continuing Education": Read posts about technology, educational tools and much more in this teacher written and focused blog
"21st Century Learning": This teacher and blogger writes about how technology can and will impact teaching.
Sadly, DETOOLS was not among the selected Nevertheless, the site and blogs are still worth a visit. While you are there, be sure to check out some of the other compilations. There’s an excellent article on blogging in the
Check it out at:
http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/06/30/50-must-read-up-and-coming-blogs-by-teachers/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=605
Greetings,
SEARCHCLOUD is a search engine with a new type of visual search interface.
Think of a mind-mapping program grafted on to a search engine and you have a pretty good image of SEARCHCLOUD. Here’s an example using a search string for “Salmon”
Notice how the print size is different. That how a user would indicate which term is important and which is less significant. This can be determined as each search term is added and changed dynamically as searches are carried out.
It’s a neat and one that makes it easy for student to experiment with search term relevance.
I’m not sure if SEARCHCLOUD uses it’s own search engine or someone else’s like Google however, searches are quick and results good.
SEARCHCLOUD is free to use and no sign-up is required.
Check it out at:
http://www.searchcloud.net/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=601
Greetings,
MOBIPOCKET is a free, downloadable program that can convert a Windows PC, Smart Phone or PDA into an E-Book Reader.As well as an E-Book reader, MOBIPOCKET has many more functions. It will also the user to create and annotate E-Books. The MOBIPOCKET web site also contains an E-Book store for purchasing digital texts as well as an E-Book search engine which will scour the net and other online book stores.
As well as E-Books, MOBIPOCKET will also handle, E-Zines and other digital publications. The site also has an RSS fee to keep users informed of new titles and other news.
Unfortunately, there’s no Mac version available so I was not able to do a road test but it does sound like an awesome app.
Check it out at:
http://www.mobipocket.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=595
Greetings,
RE:SNOOZE is a web based application which will send you e-mail reminders.RE:SNOOZE has all the usual functionality of a reminder program and a few interesting extras that I haven’t seen on similar apps. For example, it can be set for reoccurring events such as weekly meetings or appointments. As well, reminders can be sent to others. Finally, changes can be made from within the e-mail reminder.
The really cool feature for me is the ability to embed RE:SNOOZE code in a blog or web page (See RE:SNOOZE button on the right). Folks who don’t like RSS can click on the RE:SNOOZE link, enter their e-mail address and receive a weekly reminder to check this blog. Should they tire of the reminder, they need only click “cancel” within the reminder message to end them. How easy is that!
Check it out at:
http://www.resnooze.com
Enjoy
(Thanks again to the awesome folks at “MakeUseOf” for this link.)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=593
Greetings,
SSMUNCH is a music, mp3 and sound file search engine with a difference. It also has a free download option.That’s right, a download button. Any song, mp3 or sound file that SSMUNCH fines can be downloaded to your computer for free. I have no how SSMUNCH works out the copyright implications but I am enjoying the benefits.
As a music search engine, SSMUNCH is as good as others I’ve tried. Searches for popular artists like the Beetles, Celine Dion or Avril Levine return pages of results. Searches for more obscure artists such as the Cape Breton singing group, “The Rankin Family” or the Celtic group, “Iona” yielded good results as well.
Unfortunately, SSMUNCH was not as good at finding podcasts and e-books. Music files seem to be it’s focus but that’s not all bad because SSMUNCH does have some interesting options.
For example, instead of searching for song files, SSMUNCH will also search for lyrics and video files as well.
In addition to downloading a file, SSMUNCH will also provide the code to embed the song in a web page, like this (Iona: “Everything Changes”. Please be patient. It does take a minute or two to buffer):
Search and Download More Music Free
Songs can also be rated and added to a playlist, provided the user has signed up for a free account.
While the search engine itself works well, the search interface could use some work. Many of the text boxes, such as the “NEXT” link at the bottom of the results page are barely visible.
Check it out at:
http://www.ssmunch.com
Enjoy
(Thanks to the folks at “MakeUseOf” for this link.
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=587
Greetings,
MOBLYNG is a simple, easy to use slide show maker.MOBLYNG really is easy to use. Begin by selecting a music tract from the MOBLYNG music library. Up to 3 songs can be used with any slide show project. Unfortunately, I could not find a way to upload my own tunes.
Next add pictures. Those can come from an online image service such as Flickr, Photo-Bucket or from a computer desktop. MOBLYNG also has many themes, backgrounds and other slide show enhancements available.
Finally, click the “Make” button and the slide show is complete.
Saving a slide show on MOBLYNG’s web site requires an account, which is free.
Just to demonstrate how easy it is, here’s a slide show I created in about 15 minutes.
http://www.moblyng.com/watch/2spQanL6Mh
Easy does come at a price and that price is control. There is no way for example to control the slide timings, transitions and effects but, if someone is that hardcore then they probably wouldn’t be using MOBLYNG in the first place.
For quick and easy slide show creation, this app is hard to top.
Check it out at:
http://www.moblyng.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=585
Greetings,
GREENPRINT is a free, downloadable program designed to help reduce wasteful printing.GREENPRINT’s main purpose is the reduction of printed pages, along with the associated “green” bonus - less trees chopped up to make paper. There’s also a cost savings associated with this program as well which GREENPRINT mentions too.
GREENPRINT is a program which is downloaded and installed on a computer. It’s free but runs on Windows only.
Once installed and designated as the default printer, GREENPRINT allows the user to designate which pages to print or not on any print job. It also has the option to “Print to PDF” and a tracker where GREENPRINT records the number of pages not printed and money saved.
For a free program, GREENPRINT has a lot of nice features.
Check it out at:
http://printgreener.com/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=583
Greetings,
Learning such as auditory, visual or kinesthetic really don’t exist. That’s the claim of Professor Daniel T. Willingham, from the Univ. of Virginia’s Dept. of Psychology.Dr Willingham has made a very convincing video which is available on YouTube to support his claims. While no research or supporting documentation is provided to support these claims, I suspect the documentation is available. After all, a video to YouTube is just one step removed from a “News at 6″ broadcast.
For those teachers who have embraced the notion of learning and differentiated learning, Dr Willingham’s assertions will be prove interesting indeed.
You can check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=581
Greetings,
MIXTURTLE is a search engine that specializes in searching for and finding music and sound files on the Internet.MIXTURTLE opens up with a very clean and simple search page. There’s a search box and an interesting logo. That’s it. A couple of links are located along the top of the screen but nothing more.
Searches are quick and reasonably comprehensive which is impressive because MIXTURTLE is not using Google or some other search engine to do the “heavy lifting”, as far as I could determine.
Not only does MIXTURTLE look for songs, it will also scans the Net for audio books, podcasts and other types of sound files as well. For example, I typed in the search term “Moodle” and MIXTURTLE found 4 podcasts on the topic. One of them was an interview with the creator himself, Martin Dougiamas. Cool!
MIXTURTLE is free to use and requires no account unless the user wants to create a playlist. Then an account is necessary but it’s free.
Check it out at:
http://mixturtle.com/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=572
Greetings,
HITTERY is a web page filled with search boxes linked to custom search engines.
When it comes to searching the web, most folks head for Google. They know there are other search engines available but, chances are they have Google as their browser home page or at least prominently book marked so using the the big “G” become a matter of habit.
Here’s one way to break the habit and become a more effective searcher, HITTERY. HITTERY is a web page filled with text search boxes linked to dozens of specialized search sites.
The search boxes can be moved, added to or deleted. HITTERY has links to 130 search engines in all so building a custom search page is easy. If that’s not enough, more search engines can be added as well.
Now there is no excuse to using just Google to do a search.
Check it out at:
http://www.hittery.com
Enjoy When it comes to searching the web, most folks head for Google. They know there are other search engines available but, chances are they have Google as their browser home page or at least prominently book marked so using the the big “G” become a matter of habit.
Here’s one way to break the habit and become a more effective searcher, HITTERY. HITTERY is a web page filled with text search boxes linked to dozens of specialized search sites.
The search boxes can be moved, added to or deleted. HITTERY has links to 130 search engines in all so building a custom search page is easy. If that’s not enough, more search engines can be added as well.
Now there is no excuse to using just Google to do a search.
Check it out at:
http://www.hittery.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=570
Greetings,
FEEDMYINBOX is a quick and easy way to convert an RSS Feed to an e-mail notification.An RSS feed is a way for users to receive an alert whenever a particular web page/web site has been added to, edited or changed. In order for someone to receive these notifications, they need to use a program called an “RSS reader”.
Oh great - another program to learn, use and monitor. What I’d rather have is a way to integrate RRS feeds with a program I already know and use, such as my e-mail program. Enter FEEDMYINBOX.
FEEDMYINBOX is a free service that allows me to enter the RSS feed URL and my e-mail address. Any time the RSS feed reports an addition or change FEEDMYINBOX converts the feed to an e-mail message which is sent to me. Perfect!
The service is free and no registration is required. More perfect!
Check it out at:
http://www.feedmyinbox.com/
Enjoy
(Thanks to the folks at “MakeUseOf” for this link.
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=567
Greetings,
Here’s another site which has been getting good reviews from the blogging world. It’s called, “PURPLEMATH” and it contains a host of resources for students studying Algebra.PURPLEMATH is an interesting mix of locally created lessons and links to other math related sites. The lessons were create by site founder Elizabeth Stapel and appear to be extensive (there’s a lot of them). They’re grouped under section headings such as “Preliminary Topics”, (prerequisite knowledge and skills which students should have before begin Algebra) all the way to “Advanced Topics” and “Word Problems” for easier access.
In addition, there’s also an area with links to other math related web sites which are also sub-divided into sections. There’s a section on “Free Online Tutoring and Lessons”, another on, “Quizzes and Worksheets” and a third on, “Other Useful Sites and Services”.
PURPLEMATH claims that, “Only those sites with something immediately useful (and free) for algebra students are listed.”
There’s even a “Study Skills Self-Survey” section where students are asked, “Do I have what it takes?” to succeed in Algebra
As well as free stuff, PURPLEMATH also has some links to commercial products such as books, and tutoring services.
The site is free to use and no registration is required.
Check it out at:
http://www.purplemath.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=563
Greetings,
Here’s another tool that’s been generating a lot of “buzz” on the ‘Net. It’s called FREEPATH and it’s a fantastic multimedia creation tool but only for folks running Windows computers.FREEPATH comes in two parts. The first is a downloadable program that’s used to create multimedia. This program allows the user to mix together movies, sound, music, video clips, files of different types; PDF’s PowerPoint presentations, Word Documents on to a type of storyboard where all the items can be blended into one presentation.
If the demo video is to be believed, writing this blog entry is more difficult then creating a FREEPATH presentation.
Once created, the presentation can be uploaded to the FREEPATH web site where it can be shared with everyone on the web or designed viewers only.
Registration is required but it’s free.
Check it out at:
http://www.freepath.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=561
Greetings,
A lot has been said about the skills required by 21st Century learners but I haven’t seen much concerning 21st Century teachers. What skills and abilities will they need?The folks at 21st Century Connections (an e-zine) looked into their crystal ball and came up with these
“We know they are student-centric, holistic, they are teaching about how to learn as much as teaching about the subject area. We know too, that they must be 21st Century learners as well. But teachers are more than this:
To find out what all the headings mean and other information about 21st Century teaching, check this out:
http://21centuryconnections.com/node/532
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=558
Greetings,
Anyone who has been following this blog knows that math, especially advanced math such as algebra, calculus or trigonometry is not my forte. Nevertheless, there has been a lot of positive talk on the net about this site so … . The site is called MATHWAY and if looks are any indication, this site looks great.Obviously, there’s more to a site then appearance. Nevertheless, I really liked MATHWAY’s clean, uncluttered look. It’s obvious that this site has some amazing capabilities yet it has what seems like a very simple and welcoming interface. Functions are well labelled and everything works as expected.
Even a non-math person like me was able to use the site to do basic arithmetic calculations (2+2). I suspect that someone with a little more numeric proficiency could do some amazing computations with this site.
MATHWAY is free to use and no account is required.
Check it out at:
http://mathway.com/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=553
Greetings,
Sometimes, I think I’ve become spoiled. Day after day I look at great, free web services so it’s easy to forget that not all sites are great. Here’s an example. It’s a new search service called, “ICONDRIVE” (or iWebGPS - I’m not sure which is correct).ICONDRIVE uses a novel theme - a car dash board. Along the bottom of the screen is the dash board with a clock, something called a “Speedograph” ( looks like an old radio) some media controls and, the “Keyword” compartment. How cute! That’s where the search terms are entered.
Above the dashboard is a windshield filled with cryptic words and symbols such as, “Thrive”, “Go”, “Shop”, “Enjoy”, “Connect” and, “Search”. There’s a caption at the bottom of the screen which says, “Point & Click An Icon To Go!” When I did just that, the following error message appears.
These are only examples. Please use the icons displayed on the iWebGPS navigation screen ——->
This was the first of many error meessages that I was to encounter. Apparently I was not supposed to click on those icons. Instead, I needed to click on something in a side panel called “iWeb GPS Navigation”. This panel was not integrated with the dash board or the car them in any way. It was just stuck off to the side of the screen.
Running across the middle of my screen and over top of everything else, at about 30 seconds intervals was a box with some ICONDRIVE promo information and a link to a video tutorial. ICONDRIVE calls this their, “Active Billboard”. How appropriate.
The video tutorial is about as useful as a government press release.
Even after the tutorial has been watched, the “Active Billboard” continued moving across the screen. I could find no way to stop it, turn it off or get rid of it. Annoyed does not begin to describe my emotional state after ten minutes of this continuous parade.
Why ten minutes? That’s how long it took to get ICONDRIVE to do a search without some sort of error message popping-up.
As for search results, I never did get any. Search results were supposed to appear in the windshield area - the same space occupied by the Active Billboard. Apparently, the billboard was not about to relinquish this valuable real-estate to something as insignificant as search results.
Perhaps this was just a clever ploy to lure/force me into signing up for a user account. With hints like a “Login” link and “Welcome Guest” at top of the screen it was obvious that some people had accounts but alas, not me. I never did find the link for that either.
I confess that perhaps I’m being too negative with this app. Maybe there are redeeming features that I missed. Nevertheless, a well designed interface should not be such hard work. Features, links, options, etc., should be well laid-out and obvious. With ICONDRIVE, they’re not, which is too bad. I think their automotive theme has potential, if done right.
Check it out at:
http://www.icondrive.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=551
Greetings,
PDFGENI is a PDF Search Engine that searches for PDF documents only.
PDFGENI looks like it could have been created by Google. It has the same sort of minimalist looking home page with a text box, a few links and little more. That’s hardly surprising since it’s Google that actually doing the searching in the background.
Searches are as easy as typing in a search term and clicking the “Search” button.
To give PDFGENI a workout, I tried the search term, “Moodle” and got over 2 dozen hits. Some were single, downloadable, chapters of books that the author hopes will be an enticement to buying the whole thing. Others were documents talking about the integration of Moodle with services such as “Turnitin”, “DimDim” or “Wimba” but, within the group were a couple of good beginner’s manuals.
All the documents can be downloaded and viewed for free. Some can even be modified and edited.
PDFGENI is free to use and no sign-up is required.
Check it out at:
http://www.pdfgeni.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=543
Greetings,
The great guys at “Mashable” have compiled a list of 8 cool online tools that search for pictures and display them in different ways.Unlike most lists like this, all the sites were new to me. I had not heard or seen any of them before. The way some sites displayed results was not all that different, whiles others were definitely more spectacular. One of the tools called, “Zleek” created a virtual photo-album with pages that could be turned. Another, called “PicLens” displayed pictures on what appeared to be a 3D wall. Very cool.
Each of the sites offered a variety of options and services.
Check it out at;
http://mashable.com/2008/08/12/tools-for-viewing-photos-online/
Enjoy
(Thanks to Peter Cashmore and the folks at Mashable for this link)
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=541
Greetings,
TVWEB360 is a web service that streams live TV Channels from all over the world to your computer.TVWEB360 claims to have over 1000 TV Channels from all parts of the globe. Most of the channels I watched were North American based but there were a couple of BBC channels as well as a “smattering” from places like France, Australia and China.
Not all channels seemed to work during my visit and others were vvvvveeerry slow in loading. Nevertheless, where could someone watch the government channel from Malta or Parliamentary debates in New Zealand?
In all seriousness however, TVWEB360 is an invaluable resource for activities such as current events. Watching news reports from Malta, New Zealand or China is a good reminder that not everyone shares “our” opinion or point of view on every issue.
TVWEB360 is free and no sign-up is required.
Check it out at:
http://www.tvweb360.com/
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=537
Greetings,
If you teacher math or science, you’re in for a treat. Edcational consultant, gaming guru and fellow blogger, Karl Kapp has compiled a list of web sites containing great educational games with a focus on science, math & technology.The information comes from a recent presention Karl gave at the SAME-TEC 2008 conference held in Austin Texas.
The list contains the usual mix of familiar and foreign. For example there’s the web “Frog Guts” that’s been on the web for as long as the web has been around with the new and recently released such as “Immune Attack” a game to help students learn about the human immune system.
In most cases, the games don’t actually “teach” skills and conceipts as such. Instead, most are great for practice and re-inforcement. When given a choice for math practice, which do you think most kids would prefer, doing work sheets or battling monsters.
Check it out at:
http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2008/07/it-is-all-fun-and-gamesand-then.html
Be sure to check the restor Karl’s blog for more information on gaming at:
http://karlkapp.blogspot.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=529
Greetings,
STREAMFILE is a free web service that allows a user to upload files and store them securely so that only designated recipients have access.Sometimes, trying to get a large file to someone by e-mail attachment or directly through firewalls, proxy servers, virus checkers, etc. can be almost impossible. STREAMFILE has a solution.
The service is free and requires no account. Simply connect to the site, upload the file and enter the recipients e-mail address. That’s it. STREAMFILE e-mails the recipient with a secure URL link. Only the person with that URL can access the file. The recipient then has 24 hours to pull the file down.
There’s no limit on the number of files which can be transferred at one time but there is size limit - no more then 2GB’s total.
STREAMFILE is simple and straight forward to use. It’s one more example of a web tool that does just one thing but does it very well.
Check it out at:
http://www.streamfile.com
Enjoy
http://pastelpixels.com/detools_wp/?p=523
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