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Try out Etherpad for a fast, free, easy and really live collaboration and chat session.
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Etherpad is an online collaborative text editor usable by anyone with an Internet connection. There is no sign up required; you just share a unique URL (web address) with the people you want to collaborate with.
Each user has a different colour and there is a chat box. You can use the random URL assigned or make one up just by adding the name of the document to the end of the URL.
It is real time; you see the edits of the other people as they make them, and you may discuss changes as you make them in the chat box.
The potential for use in education is unlimited. This is a great web tool for collaborative writing and planning; writing reports, stories or scripts, answering questionnaires, improving writing, making lists or also discussing opinions.
It really is simple to use.
Just go to Etherpad and create a new pad.
Email the link for the pad to your learners.
Learners click the URL and they are ready to start writing and chatting in the same pad. You can see everyone editing the document.
All revisions of the etherpad can be saved at any time.
It is simple to format text as well as headlines and bullet points.
You may delete your etherpad
There are also loads of opportunities for using it with staff. There are many situations where we have to put a document together with just one scribe! Well now everyone can get involved in the self assessment! It could also be used for communication!
Digital Storytelling has become a powerful instructional tool for students and teachers. Digital storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell a story, basically combining the art of telling stories with a variety of digital multimedia, such as images, audio and video. Digital stories bring together a mixture of graphics, text, recorded audio narration, video and music to present information on a particular topic.
There are several types of digital stories, such as personal narratives, historical documentaries and stories designed to inform or instruct on a specific concept or practice.
Here is an example of a digital story. Have a look!
Click here to view a digital story
There are numerous ways of using Digital Storytelling in education. Teachers can create their digital stories or have students to create their own. An engaging multimedia Digital Story might capture the students’ attention and increase their interest, and it can also be a potent tool for students if they have to create their own stories. Teachers’ digital stories may also be used to enhance lessons, facilitate discussion, and make abstract or conceptual content more understandable.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY CAN WE USE TO CREATE DIGITAL STORIES?
Not long ago producing multimedia digital content required expensive equipment and technical expertise, but now we are at a point where we can make a very compeling content creation with Smart Notebook Software, PowerPoint, Photo Story, Movie Maker, iMovie or web tools such as:
Click on the web pages logos and try creating your Digital Stories. All web tools have tutorials in case you get stuck.
Here are some links where you can find appropraiately free and licensed resources for your Digital Story.
Xerte is a suite of tools for rapid development of interactive learning content. The online Xerte tool is an effective way for staff with limited IT skills to create high quality, cost-effective and accessible learning materials.
With Xerte you can create materials with the same quality as the NLN materials.
This toolkit provides a quick way for tutors to create presentations or interactive exercises, such as quizzes, with built in colour preferences, font size preferences, keyboard navigation and text to speech.
Xerte templates allow the content creator to make highly creative accessible learning objects in an extremely user-friendly way. You can integrate text, images, audio, video and animations, create interactivity, drag and drop and hot spot interactions.
OR just use the online tool by going to http://www.techdisplayxerte.info/. To play with it you will need username: techdis and password: jisc. Try to create your own project. On the website you can find a very simple and fast demo, as well as Xerte examples.
This is a free open source that you can share with your students by uploading it as a SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) to Moodle.
QR (Quick Response) codes are 2-dimensional bar codes that can contain text, URLs, phone numbers and other data. The QR code can be read by a camera phone as long as it has free QR Code Reader software.
These awkward looking images are being used with students in various ways.
Students can use it to subscribe to a RSS news feed; tutors can integrate QR codes in their PowerPoint presentations or printable materials, as it facilitates note taking; you can send as sms to a phone; transfer a phone number; append the codes to Moodle, it facilitates classroom evaluation and it is perfect for mobile learners.
How to create a QR Code
Go to http://qrcode.kaywa.com , type in text, a URL or a telephone number and generate the code. Copy and paste the image generated into your slide or document etc.
Check if your phone can use QR reader software on http://reader.kaywa.com/getit , download direct to your phone or to your computer and transfer.
Use your camera and software on your phone to capture the code’s message.
Another excellent QR code creator is Snappr.net . You just have to create a free account and you can create QR codes linked to music files, images, URLs, VR Cards and Voting. Snappr allows you to download the QR code reader on your mobile phone (few mobile phones cannot read QR codes).
In case you do not want to download the application to your phone or if your phone does not accept a QR code reader you can use the MMS option. It’s simple! – Take a picture of the code on your mobile phone and send it to Snappr@Sannpr.net . Within a few moments you will receive a link that leads to the collected information on Snappr, all optimized for your device.
Imagine teaching where your learners can access the internet, record videos and photos, create PowerPoint presentations on the go, access a digital library, read e-books, answer interactive quizzes, or produce dynamic mind maps of their project-based work in the palms of their hands anytime and anywhere.
This is the world of Mobile Learning. Using the latest handheld devices, seamless integration of technology is becoming a reality in educational establishments across the country.
With M Learning you can effectively support personalised learning styles; create learning activities with easy-to-use tools; engage your learners anytime, anywhere; choose from a varied of tried and tested learning materials for mobile devices, including topics like ESOL, numeracy, literacy, driving theory, health and safety, business, and much more; enrich your students’ experiences through online collaboration; create podcasts; interact and share ideas, resources or information such as audio, images and videos.
Mobile learning has proven to improve retention, achievement and progression in many projects that took place in different colleges in the country. It also increases flexibility of provision, extends the virtual learning environment, helps those who find it difficult to attend classes and have little or no access to IT equipment, provides learners with technology to strengthen the relationship between learning in the field and learning in the classroom, and also facilitates data recording and evidence collection.
Let me know if you are interested in knowing how to use M learning with your students. You can tie in your commitment to 30 hours CPD and log on the “research project” on ifl. You can come up with your own idea for a project (could be for example finding out the effect of M Learning has on students’ motivation), undertake training as part of the project, deliver and report back logging the whole as part of your CPD activity. If you liked the idea I am more than happy to help you with ideas, planning the project, providing training and overseeing the project.
Xtranormal is a fantastic web 2.0 tool where you can make 3D movies for free.
Everyone watches and enjoys movies and everyone can make movies. Movie-making, short and long, online and on-screen, private and public, will be the most important communications process of the 21st century.
Xtranormal presents us a revolutionary approach to movie-making. You type something; they turn it into a movie. On the web and on the desktop.
You just have to pick a scene, the characters, type a script, add actions and sounds, publish and share.
Your learners can also make their own movies and share them with the rest of the class.
Quandary is an application for creating Web-based Action Mazes. You can create an action Maze using Quandary and upload it to your Moodle.
An Action Maze is a sort of interactive case-study where the student is presented with a situation, and a number of choices as to a course of action to deal with it. After choosing one of the options, the students are presented with another situation with another set of options. Working through these branches is like negotiating a maze, so that’s why it is named “Action Maze”.
These Mazes can be used for several purposes, such as problem-solving, diagnosis, procedural training, surveys or questionnaires.
Surviving on a desert isle, dealing with a difficult landlady, and creating a needs assessment are just a few examples of Action Mazes.
Creating an Action Maze requires well-thought-out planning in advance. The benefit of the exercise is its ability to help students think through the results of a variety of choices they can make
If you have used Hot Potatoes before, you will find creating mazes quite straightforward. If you are not sure how to start check their Quandary’s tutorials.
Click for Quandary's tutorials
Hope you will live up your Moodle with loads of Mazes. I am sure your learners will enjoy and appreciate.
ACCESSAPPS is an inittiative developed by the Scottish JISC Regional Support Centres in cooperation wit JISC TechDis. It consists of more than 50 open source and freeware assistive technology applications that can be used from a USB memory stick on a computer.
All you have to do is to go to JISC website and download AccessApps to your USB stick. There are three download options: – The Works that includes all the programmes and guides which is a 2Gb download, – Go Lite a 64Mb download containing a selection of most popular apps, and – Pick n Mix you can choose the applications you want.
Here is a list of some of the guides and applications on AccessApps:
Reading and Writing Support – AMIS-Daisy reader, DSpeech – text to speech, PowerReader – dyslexia reading support, RapidSet – change font/background, TheSage – dictionary & Thesaurus, Typefaster – typing tutor, VuBar – read text one line at a time
VideoJug is a comprehensible library of free instructional videos online.
The high definition videos are professionally produced and cover every imaginable topic – definitely an online video encyclopaedia of life.
The videos are divided in two different formats: The informative “How To” and the “Ask The Expert” that guides the viewer step by step through everything and anything in life.
The “How To” videos deliver easy-to-follow, bite-size tutorials on a variety of topics, such as recipes, beauty and hairstyle tips, jobs and careers, technology, DIY, sports and fitness and education videos including languages, punctuation, math and special needs.
Recipes videos example
Click to play
The “Ask The Expert” videos are professors, coaches, teachers or consultants providing answers to common questions and concerns.
For example the Yoga videos
Click to play
VideoJug is a source for credible answers and wisdom for every possible aspect of human life. VideoJug informs, helps and inspires. I think we could make good use of it in our classes and for personal reasons as well!
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