More+Stuff

= Google Maps = Summary using Google Maps: **[]**

Google Maps allow students and teachers to create and personalize maps. Basic functions include adding multiple placemarks, and descriptive text to a map. Images/photographs can be added to any map, but the photos must be online (Flickr). Students may place hyperlinks in the descriptive text boxes to link the map to additional information/web sites if so desired. My Map allows for quick and easy access to planning and instructional resources to support field trip planning. Be sure to click on my orange pushpins!

In the following map, the creator has marked the locations of tornadoes crossing into Tennessee in February, 2008. This type of map might be created by students studying the Weather.

In the following map, the creator has marked the locations of interviews conducted along Route 66 with information about those interviewed and hyperlinks to the full interviews. This type of map might be created by students in English/Language Arts studying different Authors.

More examples... English/Language Arts- Catcher in the Rye Edgar Poe Social Studies- African American Inventors Science- Landforms __ Go to [], sign into your Google account where prompted. If you have not previously created a Google account, click "Create an account now." Click the "My Maps" tab and then click "Create new map." You may find this [|Google Maps User Guide] useful as you begin. Here is a tutorial I created:
 * Learning Objective **
 * Sign up for and use Google Maps.
 * Plan and construct an effective learning experience supported by Google Maps in a 1:1 setting.
 * Assignment Instructions **
 * Step 1 ** :

media type="custom" key="6547979" You may want to view this Google Map tutorial: [|Easily create and share personalized, annotated maps of your world] Keeping in mind your current/upcoming content or unit you are teaching, create a Google Map instruction activity:
 * Step 2 ** :
 * Conduct some background research on content (i.e locations on a map) that will support and enhance students’ understanding of various concepts in your teaching area.
 * Locate some descriptive information for each of your locations, including an image or hyperlinks to additional information whenever appropriat e.
 * Add your place marks and descriptive information for each place mark; if relevant, add lines and/or shapes to your newly created Google map.

When you're finished editing your Google map, click "Link to this page" in the upper right-hand corner of the map window and copy the URL. As you work with Google Maps, you will discover that they produce extremely long camel case (upper and lower case) URLs. Many platforms, like Moodle for example cannot support these type of URLs. Our Wiki can handle them, but they are HUGE. So here is solution for Google maps or any other large URL.
 * Step 3: **
 * Go to: []
 * Paste that painfully long URL in the box (no sign in required)
 * Select “make tinyurl” button.
 * The second URL on the new page with "tinyurl.com" in it is your new shorten URL that will still lead to the original Google Map URL.

= Trailfire = Trailfire is a Web tool that allows users to save a series of Web pages about some topic. The pages can be annotated with notes or questions, and the trail link can be shared with other users or students for their perusal. This is an easy way for teachers and students to cull a cohesive set of resources about some topic much like you would do for a Webquest activity. Using your readings/websites for this week's session on safety, I created a Web Safety Trailfire that asks you to probe these further.
 * 1) **Integrate websites into your presentations.** If you plan to show one or more web-pages during a presentation, create a trail ahead of time. All you have to do is click the next button.
 * 2) **Facilitate classroom web exploration.** If you have a class where you want your students to explore a list of websites, create a trail for easy navigation. More importantly, it creates an easy to access archive of the websites. //Bonus:// students can add their own comments to the pages on the trail and continue adding to this resource after the class and even after the course.
 * 3) **Assess a web exploration activity.** If you plan a class activity where students must explore and find information on the internet, have them document the path they followed to find the information. Use the text notes to have students annotate what they found and/or reflections on method. //Bonus:// Demonstrating and reflecting on how to find good information on the web is valuable information to learn, discuss and share.
 * 4) **Creating Web Quests for students.** Many teachers may want to create web quests to use with their class as a learning activity. Trailfire is an extremely easy way to create the navigation component of a web quest.
 * 5) **Student-created Web Quests.** Many teachers also want to have their student create their own web quests. Students will find it easy and intuitive to use Trailfire as a central component of their web quest.

Excellent examples: Ecosystems Apartheid _

Recommend downloading the Firefox Web browser from Mozilla at: [] Trailfire has a plug-in you can download for the Firefox tool bar that will allow you to quick-save your trail marks. > media type="custom" key="6547973" Keeping in mind your current/upcoming content or unit you are teaching, create a Trailfire that addresses concepts in your teaching area: = Even More Stuff! = E2BN E2BN is the Learning Grid for the East of England and regional provider of the National Education Network. E2BN supplies Schools with broadband services and innovative online learning projects
 * Learning Objective **
 * Sign up for and use Trailfire.
 * Plan and construct an effective learning experience using Trailfire in a 1:1 setting.
 * Assignment **
 * Step 1**:
 * Step 2**:
 * Create a free account at []
 * View the following [|YouTube Tutorial] that provides an introduction to making a Trailfire site.
 * Here is a tutorial I made:
 * Step 3:**
 * Step 3:**
 * Step 3:**
 * find a minimum of 5 different Web sites that pertain to your unit or current content
 * create a new trail in trailfire, mark your sites, and write a brief annotation for each mark; or, if you are creating a research trail, write a question or two for each site that you want your students to answer (i.e. Information Challenges).

[|Animoto] Animoto automatically produces well-orchestrated, unique video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. Wb 2.0 at its best.

[|Prezi] Prezi is a very cool online presentation tool that is a fabulous alternative to PowerPoint. Information is presented in an interactive engaging manner.

[|Weebly] This is a GREAT free Website building Tool. Literally drag and drop! A blog comes with every site! YOU will love it!

[|Voki] Voki is a free service that allows teachers and students to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. Let your avatar explain what you learned in your inquiry process.

[|Independent Lens: Off the Chart Web Karaoke] This tool is a easy as 1..2..3. Listen to a sample song. Compose your own poem or lyrics that represent what you learned in your inquiry process. Perform your song to ready made music.

[|Toondoo] Toondoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for teachers and students. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. Represent what you learned in your inquiry process through a comic strip.

Wordle [|www.wordle.net] Wordle enables you to create artwork from words, its wondrous properties also allow you to identify key words within a written passage and analyze content. There are unexpected ways to make use of word clouds, classroom teachers already have stepped out in front by identifying all kinds of applications for the classroom that encompass everything from assessment to test review to storytelling.

[|WordSift]

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WordSift instantly captures and displays the vocabulary structure of texts that are pasted into an application embedded within the Word Sift website. Word Sift creates a Tag Cloud of the 50 most frequently used words text you pasted in. It and brings up Google images that correspond to any word that you click on and provides a Visual Thesaurus word-cloud web of target words. You can also instantly see how the words that you select are used in their original context. The possibilities for word study using this site are endless.======

[|Google Lit Trips] The virtual expeditions housed on this site offer a unique reading experience that make it possible for students to visit geographical locations virtually as they learn more about the places where book characters lived, traveled, struggled, and triumphed. Google Lit Trips encourage higher-order thinking skills, such as interpreting, analyzing, comparing, and explaining.

Twitter Twitter is becoming a quick tool for teachers to build their professional learning network. In this session we will examine ways to use Twitter to start building your Professional Learning Network. We will also briefly discuss some learning activities to try Twitter in the classroom.

[|Xtranormal] //A free, easy to use animation creation tool. Billed as a "text-to-movie" tool, if you can type, you can create a movie.//

[|ePals] Safely connect, collaborate and learn using our leading protected email and blog solutions for schools and districts

Penzu [] Penzu is a free web-based private journal and diary. According to the Penzu, studies have shown that keeping a journal can not only boost your “working memory” but your grades too. One of the best things about Penzu is that it's incredibly easy to use. Whatever you write is saved automatically and you can insert images if you like. You can keep your entries private or share them with others. Penzu can easily be used for class writing projects or students can access the program for keeping their own personal notes.

[|Ning] Create Your Own Social Network

TEXT2MINDMAP [|http://www.text2mindmap.com] This online program automatically converts a student's structured list of ideas, items or sentences into a mind map on the web. The student can then freeze the map and move the pieces around on the screen. The final product is printable, or it can be saved and shared with others.

Trailfire [] Trailfire is a Web tool that allows users to save a series of Web pages about some topic. The pages can be annotated with notes or questions, and the trail link can be shared with other users or students for their perusal. This is an easy way for teachers and students to cull a cohesive set of resources about some topic much like you would do for a Webquest activity.

VoiceThread [|http://voicethread.com] VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish.

Glogster [|www.glogster.com] Glogster is an exciting poster-creation tool that provides a platform for students to combine text, images, video, and audio to create an interactive, Web-based poster masterpiece. It introduces students to 3-D communication skills, requiring them to merge the left and right sides of the brain as they seek to communicate and evaluate both information and meaning. The visual, audio, and textual capacity of Glogster not only will appeal to digital learners, it has the potential to support the visual literacy skills that are becoming essential skill sets for 21st century learners.

Letterpop [] Letterpop can be used to create eye-popping newsletters, actionable presentations, irresistible invitations, beautiful product features, sizzling event summaries, informative club updates, lovely picture collages, etc. It is a service that allows you to easily create online newsletters with text and images and several pages. It offers a free plan with which you can publish up to 10 newsletters. When you’ve created a new one, you can update up to 25 contacts with up to 10 emails per year. Newsletters will be available through online profiles and RSS.

iCUE [] Students and learners of all levels can interact with content via games, challenges, interactive activities, and quizzes all while being connected to a community of friends and learners engaged in discussions around academics, current events and important issues.

Photo Story [|www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx] Bring digital photos to life with Photo Story 3 for Windows. Teachers can download Photo Story 3 for free. Teachers and students can make show-and-tell fun again as they create slideshows using your digital photos. With a single click, you can touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures.

Delicious [] Social bookmarking sites allow students to research issues/topics, and share information. Students can access the bookmarks from any computer, share sites with groups, organize sites by topic. Also includes RSS feeds so students can sign up to receive information on any topic of interest.

Plantation Letters [] This website displays letters from people living the antebellum plantation life. This site shows social studies teachers how they can use web 2.0 tools to help students analyze primary source documents.

Google Maps [] Google Maps allow students to create and personalize maps. Basic functions include adding multiple placemarks, and descriptive text to a map. Images/photographs can be added to any map, but the photos must be online (Flickr). Students may place hyperlinks in the descriptive text boxes to link the map to additional information/web sites if so desired.

Audacity [|www.audacity.com] Audacity open source, free, cross-platform sound editing system that records music, voices, or any other necessary sound for presentation. Students can use Audacity to incorporate sound into podcasting, powerpoint, or moviemaker. Audacity is great for beginning podcasters.

Slideshare [|www.slideshare.net] This site allows students to upload a PowerPoint presentation, with an audio file included if the student has included an MP3/podcast. Students can upload and share their presentations with small groups or with the class.

Scrapblog [|www.scrapblog.com/] Scrapblog allows you to create a scrapbook using your own photos, audio, videos, and text. Scrapblog is very user friendly and would be great in the classroom because it will be simple for the kids to use and it is free!

FreeRice [|www.freerice.com] FreeRice is a vocabulary-focused site with a philanthropic side. Students and visitors go through multiple-choice vocabulary questions which get increasingly harder as they answer correctly. As the students answer correctly, rice is provided for Third World Nations through the United Nations World Food program.

Great Book Stories [] This is a collaborative wiki space for K-20 students and educators wanting to listen and see a great digital story about a book, and to create and safely share stories about great books with a global audience and receive feedback.

Webspiration [] Webspiration is the online version of Inspiration, the visual thinking tool that helps you capture ideas, organize information, and diagram processes whether working individually or collaboratively. It is currently in a free beta-version, but will eventually have a subscription fee.