Thursday, 27 June 2013
Aurasma
Firstly the problem. This is a great app for either your mobile phone or tablet, but if you have a low data usage plan it will rapidly eat up your allowance.
However, if you have access to Wi-Fi network that problem is solved!
Basically any image can be given an 'Aura' and when it is scanned by a mobile device extra information is displayed on screen. This 'Aura' works in much the same way as a QR code does, but the result is not limited to just web sites.
There are already many examples of this in everyday life, and many similar bespoke versions of very similar software. Many Sunday newspapers now offer extra content that is triggered in the same way, offering their readers access to 'exclusive' information.
I shall experiment with this when I have access to a Wi Fi zone and report back later
However, if you have access to Wi-Fi network that problem is solved!
Basically any image can be given an 'Aura' and when it is scanned by a mobile device extra information is displayed on screen. This 'Aura' works in much the same way as a QR code does, but the result is not limited to just web sites.
There are already many examples of this in everyday life, and many similar bespoke versions of very similar software. Many Sunday newspapers now offer extra content that is triggered in the same way, offering their readers access to 'exclusive' information.
I shall experiment with this when I have access to a Wi Fi zone and report back later
Friday, 21 June 2013
Debategraph.org
Handy if you are wanting to lead a debate in class and record it so the students can have a copy for their folders.
My example is a brief discourse on Crime and Punishment:
My example is a brief discourse on Crime and Punishment:
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Pearltrees
An application that performs the same function as bookmarks in a browser, the difference being that this is portable to any computer with an internet connection.
It also has the added plus that you can search other peoples 'Trees'. The program tries to match subjects that you have saved, so in theory you ought to get results that are helpful to you. In practice this doesn't always happen, perhaps because this is not a well subscribed application?
Worth a look at, but with reservations.....
It also has the added plus that you can search other peoples 'Trees'. The program tries to match subjects that you have saved, so in theory you ought to get results that are helpful to you. In practice this doesn't always happen, perhaps because this is not a well subscribed application?
Worth a look at, but with reservations.....
Bubbl.us
Here is a Mind Map that I have created using Bubbl.us with information re our itinerary when we are in Australia this summer.
The software is extremely easy to use, and it helps to focus the mind on the subject in hand. Visualising the components in this way helps to understand the links that hold the subject together.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Animoto - Spinalonga
Copy of Spinalonga
A second attempt at Animoto.
Good fun, although I cannot see that it will be useful for our students, unless they can extend the time that it runs for. However it is a good introduction to the fun that can be had using photographs in a movie style format.
A second attempt at Animoto.
Good fun, although I cannot see that it will be useful for our students, unless they can extend the time that it runs for. However it is a good introduction to the fun that can be had using photographs in a movie style format.
Animoto - A Winter Walk
A Winter Walk
A record of us in the snow on a Winters Day.
We walked for 7 miles across the fields and along the canal. We were all very please to reach the pub at the end for a meal and a few Hot Toddies!!!
A record of us in the snow on a Winters Day.
We walked for 7 miles across the fields and along the canal. We were all very please to reach the pub at the end for a meal and a few Hot Toddies!!!
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
I can see why this site is so popular! You can browse through millions of photographs that people have posted, and sorted, into loose themes. You can find pictures of everything, animals, boats, cars, planes, mountains, bridges etc.
The downsides would seem to be many:
The downsides would seem to be many:
- It is very easy to waste hours looking at photographs
- Getting distracted is surprisingly simple (you start off with one subject and another leads you away)
- There is a definite problem with images not suitable for college (i.e. pornography)
I surfed for less than an hour and saw images of naked, and semi naked, men and women that should be censored, or the user warned about.
Because of this I do not feel that it a suitable site for the students to use in college.
Prezi
I skipped this chapter of the 21 Things as I have already spent a lot of time using this application.
It is an exciting and dynamic way of presenting information to an audience, be it a class of students or to parents of prospective students at an Open Evening. There are positively hundreds of uses that it can be put to and because of its 3 dimensional movements it attracts attention even in busy places.
Like it's predecessor Power Point it presents information in 'Slides' or 'Frames' that then move around a screen. Stories can be told in a logical format and as well as text, images and movies can be embedded into it.
An added feature of Prezi is the ability to 'Explore' presentations that have been created by other people. You can make a copy of these and reuse them, adapting them to suit your own needs. Many have been created by students around the world, so sometimes they have a different slant on a subject to our own, but one thing they all have in common are grammar and spelling mistakes!
All in all an enjoyable and useful site
It is an exciting and dynamic way of presenting information to an audience, be it a class of students or to parents of prospective students at an Open Evening. There are positively hundreds of uses that it can be put to and because of its 3 dimensional movements it attracts attention even in busy places.
Like it's predecessor Power Point it presents information in 'Slides' or 'Frames' that then move around a screen. Stories can be told in a logical format and as well as text, images and movies can be embedded into it.
An added feature of Prezi is the ability to 'Explore' presentations that have been created by other people. You can make a copy of these and reuse them, adapting them to suit your own needs. Many have been created by students around the world, so sometimes they have a different slant on a subject to our own, but one thing they all have in common are grammar and spelling mistakes!
All in all an enjoyable and useful site
Monday, 10 June 2013
Twitter is one of the most popular Social Networking sites around today, after Facebook. One Tweet can contain up to 140 characters, so is very short.
My impression of the site is that it is like reading in staccato, with trivial information displayed in very short bursts. I found that I would be easily distracted and follow links, eventually wasting much valuable time on fruitless searches! I do not see it as being much use in an academic setting, and can see students doing as I did, and becoming led on wild goose chases after information that is not relevant to the task in hand....
My impression of the site is that it is like reading in staccato, with trivial information displayed in very short bursts. I found that I would be easily distracted and follow links, eventually wasting much valuable time on fruitless searches! I do not see it as being much use in an academic setting, and can see students doing as I did, and becoming led on wild goose chases after information that is not relevant to the task in hand....
Friday, 7 June 2013
Poll Everywhere
Hey, this is great. You can create a poll and publish it on your Blog. People can then vote using a variety of devices, including their Mobile Phones, Tablets, Laptops and their PC's.
Here is the quiz that Jessie and I designed for the Moodle sessions, converted into a Poll.
I imported all these questions from a Word Document - easy peasy once I got the hang of it.
Heather helped me as I couldn't figure out how to embed the poll into Blogger, but that is easy too, once you know how!
Here is the quiz that Jessie and I designed for the Moodle sessions, converted into a Poll.
I imported all these questions from a Word Document - easy peasy once I got the hang of it.
Heather helped me as I couldn't figure out how to embed the poll into Blogger, but that is easy too, once you know how!
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Padlet
Is an online notice board. Imagine virtual post-it notes, and you are close to what this program does.
It could be useful with a group of students where they could all post a note onto the wall at the start of a class, and then discuss further their ideas.
Here is an example of how it might be used by two people who are packing for a long trip where each can record what they have done, and what they each feel remains to be dealt with.
As you can see Will is using the wall to post questions as he thinks about them, so that either he, or John, can consider them and then answer at a later date.
It could be useful with a group of students where they could all post a note onto the wall at the start of a class, and then discuss further their ideas.
Here is an example of how it might be used by two people who are packing for a long trip where each can record what they have done, and what they each feel remains to be dealt with.
As you can see Will is using the wall to post questions as he thinks about them, so that either he, or John, can consider them and then answer at a later date.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Friday, 31 May 2013
Delicious
Delicious allows the user to store the URL's of the sites that they want to visit most regularly. By logging in to the site they can effectively 'carry' their bookmarks to any internet connected computer that they use.
Simple to join and use it is an easy way of never losing the addresses of those sites that you find most useful, with the added bonus of being able to search for articles and sites that other people have bookmarked. This can be useful as you can search for a subject and then see what sites other people have found to be informative enough to keep returning to
Simple to join and use it is an easy way of never losing the addresses of those sites that you find most useful, with the added bonus of being able to search for articles and sites that other people have bookmarked. This can be useful as you can search for a subject and then see what sites other people have found to be informative enough to keep returning to
ProProfs Quiz
Of the two quiz generating sites I have tried (the other being Quizlet) I think that this is the most useable. Instead of just matching words and phrases this can be used to ask specific questions on a given subject in a fun way that could engage the students and help them learn at the same time.
Here is an example that I designed around the theme of flying times.
Hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Quizlet
Quizlet is a fun way of testing yourself on a number of subjects. I particularly liked the 'Scatter' option, where you have to match two words or sentences together, and they then disappear from the playing board. Great fun, and I could see students getting a kick out of trying to complete the task quickly.
This is a Quizlet that I have created, in its 'Scatter' mode. just to give you a taste of how to use the program.
Generally very impressive and engrossing. just takes a little time and effort to set up, and it is then a resource that can be used repeatedly in classes. Could even be a task to be given to the students to do!
This is a Quizlet that I have created, in its 'Scatter' mode. just to give you a taste of how to use the program.
Generally very impressive and engrossing. just takes a little time and effort to set up, and it is then a resource that can be used repeatedly in classes. Could even be a task to be given to the students to do!
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Tagul
Been trying for two days to get a password from this site.
Needless to say I am less than impressed!
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It is now the 5th of June, and there is still no word from this site. Perhaps it has imploded?
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9th June 2013
At last! After what seems like months of silence, I finally got an email from Tagul, and can now use the site!!!
Here is the Word Cloud I have created, and it is, of course, based on the Greek Islands (I wouldn't say I was obsessed, but you may be of a different opinion).
Needless to say I am less than impressed!
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It is now the 5th of June, and there is still no word from this site. Perhaps it has imploded?
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9th June 2013
At last! After what seems like months of silence, I finally got an email from Tagul, and can now use the site!!!
Here is the Word Cloud I have created, and it is, of course, based on the Greek Islands (I wouldn't say I was obsessed, but you may be of a different opinion).
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
You Tube Extra
Couldn't NOT put this in.
What is the coolest thing to see in space?
Courtesy of:
What is the coolest thing to see in space?
Sunrise from the Space Station
Courtesy of:
You Tube
A revised version of David Bowie's Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.
Not only is this one of my favourite songs, it is given added poignancy being sung in space.
Not only is this one of my favourite songs, it is given added poignancy being sung in space.
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