Woopid Video Tutorials

 

 

 

What it is:   Woopid is one of the best sites I have seen for technology training video tutorials.  You can find a video about nearly every gadget or computer question you may have.  The videos are very easy to search by category or keyword.  Video categories include Hardware, Internet, Mac, and Windows.  Each category has a number of sub categories, I am amazed at the number and quality of videos here! Don’t see the tutorial you need?  Send in a request and Woopid may choose your suggestion for the next training video.

 

How to integrate Woopid into the classroom:  I can’t tell you how much I learn through online tutorials like these.   The computer skills that I have did not come from a classroom, I generally learn from interacting with video and written tutorials.  I love these videos because they are easy to follow and understand.  I think teaching students how to teach themselves is a valuable skill and Woopid helps you do that.  Give students a few resource sites like Woopid, then give them a task.  Don’t teach them how to complete the task, let them use the resources to find the information they need and teach themselves.  You will be amazed at what your students can accomplish when they learn how to learn!  Woopid is also a great site to pass onto colleagues!

 

Tips:  Parents may benefit from Woopid at home, many times parents don’t know how to set up filters and parental controls on their  personal Internet, Woopid can help out!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Woopid in your classroom.

Voice Thread Update

 

What it is:   Voice Thread is an amazing site that just keeps getting better!  Voice Thread is the site that makes outstanding web 2.0 slide shows interactive and collaborative.  You can read my original posts about Voice Thread hereVoice Thread came out with an outstanding new update yesterday, the ability to take your Voice Thread’s with you via an iPod!!!  Whenever you export a Voice Thread, you now have the option to download a full sized, high resolution movie version or one that has been formatted to go directly onto you iPod, or iPhone- how sweet is that?!  Additional new features include the ability to clone your Voice Thread so that you can have a backup copy or a copy of the same Thread to use with different audiences.  Voice Thread now supports Microsoft Office 2007 formats when uploading into your Voice Threads with Microsoft Photo Story 3 video supporting coming.  

 

How to integrate the Voice Thread Updates into the classroom:  So, why am I so excited about the new Voice Thread features?  The ability to save a Voice Thread onto an iPod or iPhone opens up a whole new realm of possibilities in the classroom.  Now you can create learning activities with Voice Thread that are portable for your students.  You can extend your students learning day with a Voice Thread based on your curriculum and the students needs using an iPod.  Math explinations,  sight words, phonics, and read alongs can all be created with Voice Thread and uploaded onto the iPod.  Create a reading buddies program with pictures and sound using Voice Thread.  To find out more about the Reading Buddies program click here.

 

Tips:   If you haven’t used Voice Thread in your classroom yet, now is the perfect time to sign up for a free account and start!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Voice Thread in your classroom.

Watch Know

 

 

What it is:   Watch Know is a new educational video collection site.  The site has not been officially launched and is still in beta version but already has a number of outstanding educational videos all offered for free!  Watch Know brings together the best educational videos online into one convenient-to-search, safe site.  Teachers, parents, and kids come together to find the videos, the videos are then approved for appropriateness by a media review panel made up mostly by school teachers and librarians.  The site is very easy to search by category, topic, or keywords.  Every video that I viewed was outstanding!

 

How to integrate Watch Know into the classroom:   Watch Know is a great place to find educational videos to introduce any topic to students.  The videos are wonderful to use as the anticipatory portion of a lesson to capture students interest in new topics, themes, or subjects.  The videos are also well used as discussion starters for classroom debates/discussions.  Because the videos are collected from all around the Internet but hosted on the Watch Know website, you can bring educational You Tube videos into the classroom even if your school blocks You Tube.  Encourage students to interact and think critically about the video by rating the videos and leaving comments.

 

Tips:   Videos are collected from all over the Internet from sites like SlideBoom to sites like You Tube.  Some videos are interactive.  I particularly liked the Logic puzzle interactive video where a logic puzzle is presented, kids can work out the puzzle and then click the video for the correct answer.  

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Watch Know in your classroom.

Learning Clip

 

What it is:   Learning Clip is a wonderful FREE math site out of the UK that provides short learning clips to be used in primary math classes.  The short video clips are explanations of math concepts.  Each video clip is followed by a game or activity where students can practice the new concept.  The whole site is intended to be used in whole class instruction with an interactive whiteboard (although they could be used just as successfully with just a projector or computer/TV hookup).  Many of the activities have been integrated with the Active Vote system.  If you are lucky enough to have an Active Vote set in your school this is a must see site!  The videos and activities are appropriate for first through fifth grades.  You do have to register to use the resources on this site, but it is free to register and a very quick process.

 

How to integrate Learning Clip into the classroom:    Use this site to introduce your students to new math concepts.  Use an interactive whiteboard, projector, or TV to show the videos.  Let students take turns “controlling” the computer during the activity portion.  If you have an Active Vote system be sure to actively involve your students in math learning with the integrated activities.  This site would also be appropriate for the one or two computer classroom.  Set up Learning Clip as a math center for students to visit while they are working on new math concepts or practicing old concepts.

 

Tips:  This site was created in the UK so money and measurement clips may not work in your classroom.  The other concepts should blend with your curriculum seamlessly.  

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Learning Clip in your classroom.

Math Playground

What it is:   As promised yesterday, today’s post is all about Math Playground.  This is a great site packed full of games, videos, and puzzles all centered around math for elementary and middle school students.  Math Playground features some great games touching on topics from money to graphing.  The games are interactive and a fun place for students to practice those math concepts they are learning.  The word problem sections are divided up by grade level, ensuring that your students are challenged at an appropriate level.  The logic puzzle section contains some awesome online traditional logic puzzles (I love these!).  The Math video section contains videos introducing students to math concepts (all I have used are very good).  The Math Videos are generated after students submit a math question to be answered.  Students can ask their own math question…who knows, their question may generate the next Math Video!

 

How to integrate Math Playground into the classroom:  The more I use Math Playground with my students, the more I am convinced that no math class should be without it!  Use the Math videos to help introduce or review concepts with your math class.  Use the games and word problems as a center or whole class practice.  The logic puzzles are fun to bookmark for year round problem solving and playing.  We use the logic puzzles often on snow days or when students are finished with work early.  Your students will enjoy the activities on Math Playground, my students often come to tell me the latest game or puzzle that they played at home.  Voluntary math practice, what a concept!

 

Tips:  Math Playground usually has one banner advertisement.  As I have mentioned before, I use advertisements on websites to teach students about how to spot an ad and why sites feature ads.  

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Math Playground in your classroom.

Flowgram

 

What it is: Flowgram is a website that makes it easier to teach your students online.  Flowgram has a simple platform that makes is easy for anyone to package and share anything on the web.  Flowgram can combine slideshows, documents, pictures, screencasts, websites, audio, video etc. with your voice narration.  This makes it simple to teach any concept using the web.  Flowgram requires no download, it runs directly from your Internet browser.  Recipients of the Flowgram can fully interact with anything that is on the Flowgram (webpage links, video, etc.).  Flowgrams can be sent via email, linked to, or embedded in a blog or website for viewing.   

 

How to integrate Flowgram into the classroom:  Flowgram is a wonderful way to create interactive tutorials for students learning any technology concept.  Beyond that, Flowgram makes it easy for you to take your students on virtual field trips on any subject.  What I love about Flowgram, is that it meets individual student needs.  Students can work at their own pace and interact with any part of the Flowgram as many times as they need.  It would also be a great place to create reviews for tests, and perfect for students who have missed school.  Teach your students to make Flowgrams and start your own library of student created tutorials on any subject.  Students teaching students is powerful!  Because you can narrate Flowgrams, they are wonderful to use with students who struggle with reading and navigating the Internet on their own…it is like having you sit right next to them, leading with your undivided attention.  

 

Tips:  I have started creating a weekly Flowgram for teachers at my school called Tenkely’s Tips.  I will be creating a new page with a collection of the weekly Flowgrams.  Feel free to check them out! :)

 

Leave a comment and share how you are using Flowgram in your classroom.

 

 

The Common Craft Show

 

What it is: I love the Common Craft Show.  If you aren’t familiar with it, it takes complex ideas and breaks them down into something that is simple and manageable in video format.  The videos are short and sweet but you always finish with a more clear understanding of whatever it is that is being presented.  Videos on the Common Craft Show range from “Electing a President in Plain English” to “Wikis in Plain English”.  Most of the videos are related to technology that could be used in the classroom such as twitter, social networking, blogging, wikis, and RSS feeds.  The videos all have a common, fun to watch format.  As I said, I LOVE the Common Craft Show!

 

How to integrate The Common Craft Show into the classroom:  The Common Craft Show is a great way to introduce a complex technology tool like a wiki or blog to students.  The videos quickly break everything down into easily managed parts so that students (teachers too) can understand what the tool is and how it works.  The new “Electing a President in Plain English” video is extremely timely and will help your students understand how a president gets elected.  Use theCommon Craft Show as an example for students to create their own explanation videos.  Students can work in groups to explain a concept like “Multiplication in Plain English” that the rest of the class can watch.  

 

Tips:  These videos aren’t just for students.  Just heard about a technology tool you don’t quite understand?  Head over to The Common Craft Show and see if they have simplified it for you! 🙂

 

Leave a comment and share how you are using The Common Craft Show in your classroom.

 

Studio4Learning

 

What it is: Studio4Learning is a great site for students in fifth through twelfth grades.  It provides students and teachers with free, high-quality videos that can be watched online.  There are ten categories of videos to choose from Math, Sciences, English, Languages, Social Sciences, Business, Arts, Test Prep, Find a Job, and Tutor Corps.  Each category is broken down into several sub categories.  Videos are engaging and teach key skills and concepts in a fun way.  Students can also use the sites search feature to search for a specific topic.

How to integrate Studio4Learning into the classroom:  Students can use Studio4Learning as a place to stop for homework help and to learn or review concepts learned in class.  Teachers can use Studio4Learning as a center, with a projector, or on individual student computers to illustrate new teaching or as a place where students can review information.  Studio4Learning is free to use, if students register (also free) they can bookmark videos.  Teachers can upload class topic videos to Studio4Learning, again free. (Are you seeing a theme here? It is all free!)  As an added bonus, if you have a class website or blog, you can embed videos directly into your site for students to watch on any subject you are studying in class.  


Tips:  Browse through a couple of videos on the site, I know you will be hooked!

 

Leave a comment and share how you are using Studio4Learning in your classroom.

WizIQ

 

What it is: WizIQ is a virtual classroom platform where you can teach and learn.  You can teach for free or earn money teaching.  The WizIQ is free to use, has no downloads (it runs in your web browser), and works on Macs, Windows, and Linux.  WizIQ provides a place to find, share, or upload PowerPoints on educational subjects and topics.  The sessions are intuitive to use and can be scheduled for individal students or a group.  The virtual classroom provides a place to teach and learn live online.  Everything launches in a few clicks with…NO downloads!  With WizIQ you can network with students or teachers, send a personalized invite to your contacts right from WizIQ.  Share educational content in the form of slideshows, pdf, and online.  When you start a session with students, you have access to a shared whiteboard space, live audio, video, or both, flash file sharing, and text messaging.  Sessions can be recorded and saved for students to view again and again.  

 

How to integrate WizIQ into the classroom: WizIQ is a great place to start experimenting with virtual classrooms.  It has a simple to use interface, requires no downloads, and is free.  Record lessons that you are doing with your class so that they can go back and review the lesson online at their lesiure.  This puts students in control of their own learing.  Interact with students during live virtual sessions.  WizIQ is also perfect for students who were absent, have a long term illness that prevents them from being at school, or students who know they will be attending your school for half of the year.  

 

Tips: You can make money by setting up and teaching in a virtual classroom (and lets face it, we could all use a little more of that!)  Your classroom will be visable by search engines and open to students from accross the world.  Don’t let the technology scare you, this is simple to use (even my fellow elementary teachers can get in on this one!)

 

Leave a comment and share how you are using WizIQ in your classroom.

Animoto for Education


What it is: There are some really neat online tools that I find that live in my Google Notebook for a long time (I have upward of 800 links for educational websites yet to post to iLearn Technology…and growing daily!) Some get pushed aside for my newest cool find, and some move to the bottom of the list because, while they may have educational value, they are not intended JUST for education and may have some questionable user created content that I wouldn’t want my students to stumble on. Animoto was one of these sites for me. It is an amazing and COOL tool but wasn’t necessarily geared just toward education. I got a fun email today that Animoto now has an education only site! Animoto for education is a site where students can create compelling and impressive digital content quickly and easily. It is the perfect addition to your classroom’s digital storytelling kit. It is very intuative and easy to use, in no time students have digital videos that they created! This is also an amazing place for you, the teacher, to create a video that will bring your lessons to life. You can post or embed videos on your class site or even, are you ready for this?, download for in class presentations. Animoto for Education makes it simple to mix audio and visual for a dynamic, unique presentation in no time. It is so easy to use that students could create a complete animoto presentation in one computer class.

How to integrate Animoto for Education into the classroom: Animoto for education is a great place for you to teach from. Make any lesson come to life with audio and visual, use at the beginning of the day as a ‘teaser’ for what your students can look forward to learning each day or use to teach complex concepts in history, math, science, or character education. Students will respond to new media in the classroom. Allow your students to display knowledge of a concept using Animoto. Use Animoto for Education for a beginning of the year get to know you activity. Students can each create an Animoto showcasing who they are through pictures and music. Animoto presentations are quicker to create than traditional PowerPoint type presentations making them ideal for digital storytelling in the classroom setting. Because Animoto is completely web-based, students can create videos from school and continue working on them at home. The ability to download videos is outstanding…students could save their work for offline viewing too!

Tips: Children under 13 can’t sign up for their own account. To use Animoto for Education with your students you can register your students with dummy accounts using dummy email addresses. Animoto is private to your school. This means that other people can’t come accross student videos or contact students through the site.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Animoto for Education in your classroom.