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Cool Tools


Cool Tool Resources

Listed below you will find postings about cool tools. These might include online programs, new software, or interesting hardware that could be useful in the classroom or school setting. Please comment on any of the posts with your ideas, questions, experiences, or resources related to a specific tool.

 

Link: QuickieQ

QuickieQ is an interactive classroom response system similar to the "clicker" system, which is an excellent form of classroom formative assessment.  Sign-up is currently free through July 2009 and requires no downloading! 

Link: Social Bookmarking

We all bookmark websites, intending to go back to them in the future, but if you are like most people the endless list of bookmarks becomes daunting.  To top that off you always need a specific site when you are not a your computer.  What makes del.icio.us so special?  Two things - tags and sharing.

Tags allow you to categorize your bookmarks.  So say you are looking at a great website like The Plantation Letters that is perfect for your classroom, you can categorize it as: NChistory, letters, middleschool, primarysource, etc.  So that when you inevitably forget the name of the site, but you remember that it had to do with North Carolina History you can find it.

Now imagine that you could share this list with your students.  Instead of e-mailing them websites, or worse writing them on the board, you can have a dynamic list of bookmarks that your students can use for reference!  Just tag the website something like - 8thgrade_4thperiod - then your students will be able to see all the websites with that tag.

The best part is that del.icio.us is not only free, but it also has no advertising.  Check out my del.icio.us links at: http://del.icio.us/bethanyvsmith

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Link: VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a great Digital Stortytelling Web 2.0 tool. Using their web-based interface you can upload images and record your own audio. The only requirements are the lastest version of Flash, and a microphone for recording. Their free account allows for three VoiceThreads to be housed, educators can get a discounted account. What takes VoiceThread beyond a video podcast is the collaborative nature of the product. Conversations, or “threads” can be created that are inspired by images. Here are some great examples of the possibilities of VoiceThread:

Welcome to Our World!

Federal Holiday Proposals

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Link:  Google Docs & Spreadsheets

Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a site that allows you to create, save, organize, share and collaborate online with word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It’s a free alternative to other office suites, and includes features for sharing documents and collaborative writing.

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Link: Google Earth

Google Earth is a software application that is freely available for download by clinking the link above. It enables users to interact with global satellite imagery, maps, terrain, and a variety of spatial data layers on a 2-dimensional map base.  Layers within google earth can be turned on to highlight everything from historical maps to projected global warming effects to population, economic and literacy data from around the world. 

Additional resources
- http://www.geocaching.com/
- http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/gitan/
- http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
- http://www.davidrumsey.com/
- http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas.html

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