I have been updating my Web 2.0 wiki and doing some further organisation to the site and the “Tools to Explore” page. I have reorganised Imaging, Drawing & Photoslideshows into seperate categories for easier navigation. If you are dying to experiment with some 2.0 and other app tools over the summer, feel free to have a look and use it as you see fit. If this is not your sort of thing, perhaps at least check out the Hardware & Technology Tools page, which is located under the “Other Good Stuff” area. If you are really lazy, simply go here to check out my essential online tool list (also embedded below), which I have also posted here on this blog in the past. (Now back to my holidays.)

I often feel disappointed when I hear teachers discuss how they can’t find web resources for a topic. At times, teachers expect an ICT Facilitator to find these for them. Finding free resources sure is a lot easier now, but I am referring to going beyond Google. Do you have time to go beyond page 1 of 1.5 million sites (but that’s another blog entry)? What are some other alternatives?

Of course, video helps a lot now with YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube and Vimeo readily available. I don’t know why I feel sad when teachers don’t use or search these options. Your internet connection isn’t so good for viewing? You don’t like the ads/comments that appear? You don’t like the related videos that appear? These are all valid points but then why not use Tooble or KeepVid to download the video onto your computer or embed it onto your own site (great reason to start a blog or wiki)?

Better yet, if teachers are struggling to find resources, why not get your class to create their own resources and then upload them to these sites, or to Slideshare, or to Issuu, or to a wiki, or to Voicethread? To me, they would be perfect opportunities for class projects as well as for assessments. Fair enough, it may take some time to get it set-up but in the long run, wouldn’t time be saved?

Students could have a sense of ownership and leave a legacy of knowledge and learning behind once the unit is finished and then students in the following years could use it or expand on it. Viewers may then rate it, comment on it, embed it or reuse it themselves. The author then slowly builds a network if they comment back and learning continues outside of the classroom. Teachers could then share it with their followers on Twitter or on a Ning they belong to. You see, not only does this benefit the student, but also the teacher. Teachers could use these sites as a source of inspiration to generate ideas or to find examples of and create a digital portfolio or an online presence.

(Hey wait a minute, this kind of sounds like authentic learning.)

If teachers are going to simply create text projects, why not upload them to Issuu or file2ws or to a class wiki or blog at least? That could involve peer editing wouldn’t it? We hear know and see that media collage is dominant, but at times teachers are the last ones to adapt. Why is that? Simple answer: Fear. A lot of teachers don’t wish to put their stuff out there (though we’re one of the first to snatch them up). They feel exposed. Naked. We are the knowledge kings and do not wish to be discovered as false prophets. Sorry, I sound negative and this wasn’t meant to be a rant. Give it some thought. Start small.

(photo credit)

Flavors.me from Jack Zerby on Vimeo.

I heard about Flavors.Me through WebAppStorm. Basically it’s an online app/site where you can feed all your online content into one place. It looks stylish and is simple to use. I haven’t given all my permissions for it yet so I’m simply using it as a one-stop place for all my web identities. My “flavor” is basic for now and may be found here. If interested, go to this WebAppStorm link and scroll down to the comments section to see how to get an invite as it is in private beta.

(…and yeah, I do plan on changing the photo in the future.)

I blogged about this before here and it appears to have been updated. Robin Good has done very good! View it here in all the glory to gain insight on some of the web 2.0 tools available.

I blogged about my school’s BTG Conference this weekend here where Chris Toy and Kim Cofino are also presenting (I’ll hopefully be able to post on that if I can make it to their session). I myself presented on Essential 2.0 Tools for Teachers and Students. It was kind of tough to narrow the list down as everyone is coming from a different place and are at different IT stages. Most of the tools I suggest are not new and if you are a regular reader of this blog, you have probably encountered them already. I presented using this wiki which I encourage you to look at if interested. Embedded below is the document version provided as a faster reference (also included in the wiki). In my opinion, most of these tools should be standard in classrooms now.

I’ve been having a look at Scribblar. My verdict is still out on it. It is tagged as “simple, effective online collaboration.” Basically you create a room that has a real-time whiteboard that multi-viewers can participate in. Draw, edit, write and/or exchange ideas. The video below is a basic introduction to it.

Thoughts? It could be useful for my art classes but I am a big fan of VoiceThread already. The pro with Scribblar is that it is done in real time.

(found via FreeTech4Teachers)

Thanks to Video in the Classroom where I discovered One True Media. It allows you to mix photos and videos into slideshows. Themes are provided with some special effect tools as well. As slick as Animoto but some of the themes may become tiresome after a few uses (it also adds extra length to your slideshow). It’s web based so no need to worry about Mac or PC. The only gripe I have is that it didn’t handle portrait sized photos well. A lot of mine were cut off. Perhaps there is a settings option for this? I have embedded my trial below (or click here).

I have also blogged and compared other photoslideshow tools here that may be of interest as well.

P.S. Do readers know if Animoto has taken down their educator’s pass? I can’t seem to find it on their site. UPDATE: here it is

File2.ws may be of interest to both teachers and students as an alternative way to showcase student/teacher work.

File2.ws is a free website that converts any of your own files into a public online web page. Every converted file to a web page has a unique web address so you can share it with friends, or other people on the internet. This allows information to be shared quickly and efficiently to a large audience.

We are a Mac school. Some students are not. We use both Keynote, PowerPoint as well as other options. Another one has caught my attention. 280 Slides looks like it was made for Mac, but is actually web based. It’s free but requires you to create an account to save. It looks and feels similar to Keynote and has a clear and user-friendly interface.

When finished creating your presentation, you may download it as a PowerPoint, PDF or as an Open Documet file. Heck, you could even simply leave it online. Share features allow you to publish to Slideshare, email and embedding. It’s worth a look. Quickly are the days going when students will no longer be able to say “I don’t have that (software) at home.” I am continually amazed at how much stuff is entering the cloud. Can’t wait for the day when all I need is a wireless keyboard and my TV to do everything.

You may also be interested in Presentation Skills.

Bored of PowerPoint/Keynote? Try presenting with these tools instead.

Clear out your bookmarks. You’re going to need the space for 50 offerings that are indispensable to navigating, enjoying yourself, shopping or just killing time on the Web.

Go here to view Time magazine’s Best Websites list. Unfortunately, it’s a posting that requires you to skip through the list one by one. Some of us don’t have the patience or time to do this (sorry, that was a really lame joke). You may view the full list without descriptions here.

Also view 5 websites you may not know.