Sumo Paint – Let Your Student’s Creativity Flourish

August 31, 2009 // Posted in Software, Web 2.0 (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

sumo-paint-logo2Sumo Paint is a free online paint and image editing program (you can register to get more features – like saving your creations online) that looks similar in feel to those higher end photo imaging programs such as Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Fun and easy to use, sumo paint provides a palette of tools that should be well-known to users of software based paint programs.
Some of the features and tools that you are offered are creating lines, special blending and opacity effects, cross-hatching, numerous brush types and variations,  adjusting shading, colour balance, saturation, tint, hue, texture, contrast, tone, rotation,  and the choice in picking colour schemes seem endless,  just to name a few.

From an educational perspective, what I find really cool about this program is that students who have used a computer have more than likely messed around with a paint program of some description in the past and because of that will find Sumo Paint intuitively easy to use, with little or no instruction before they are creating their masterpieces.

Recently I began using Sumo Paint with the year 2 and year 3 classes at the school where I work with great success. Prior to this they had only used Microsoft Paint or Tux Paint!  The students seem to be really enthusiastic in using and creating artwork with the web 2 application and will often tell me the next day that they used it when they got home from school or showed it to their parents.

They are able to save their work in either png or jpg format, and since the program is free and online, they can access it at home, in the library, basically from anywhere there is a computer and an internet connection. Plus any artwork they create can be instantly put up on to the classroom/school website/blog or sent, via email to friends and family if they wish to do so.

Sumo Paint is a fantastic tool to use with your students, and because it’s online and did I mention free, you don’t have to purchase or download any other software. Why not give Sumo Paint a go in your classroom and watch your student’s creativity flourish.

To get to Sumo Paint or learn more about this cool online paint program either click here or on the Sumo Paint icon above.

See what is possible with Sumo Paint in this four minute video.

Stock.XCHNG – Why Use It In The Classroom?

August 14, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

Stock.EXCHNG imageDespite the name, this website has nothing to do with the trading of shares (not that such a premise would not be without its education merits!).  Stock.XCHNG is a website that instead deals with the trading of digital photos.  More often than not, the process is generally one-way (you, downloading the photos of your choice), but there is the option of uploading pictures of your own or even pictures that the students have taken.  Source the easy-to-use search engine at SXC and you can have dozens of copyright-free pictures on any topic within seconds.
Some of you might be reading this overview, wondering at its relevance.  Perhaps you, like many other teachers, simply tap into Google Images to quickly scour through thousands of websites to find a suitable picture or clip art for your presentation or newsletter.  What many teachers don’t realise is that, without proper referencing, this can be illegal.  And yet, because the quick search/paste method of digital photography is so painless, many teachers (and members of society at large) have become entirely too comfortable with infringing the creative rights of photographers and individuals the world over.  Perhaps now you are starting to see the merits of a website entirely comprised of copyright-free, easy to download images.
Stock.XCHNG has a pleasing variety of images for you to search through, more so than some other “free” websites.  It could and probably should therefore be one of the first places you start your search for digital images for integration in the classroom.
Teaching students the ethics associated with utilising technology, particularly web-based material, is one of the forefront issues in recent curriculum.  It is therefore vital that as educators, we model the same expectations we have for the students.

Stock.XCHNG is teacher and student friendly and its use should be considered by time and copyright conscious classrooms everywhere.

If you would like to learn more about using Stock.XCHNG in your classroom click here for your free guide.

Are You A-Twittering Yet?

August 7, 2009 // Posted in David's Virtual Desk (Tags: , , , , , ) |  No Comments

Twitter Follow Me LogoTwitter’s seen a fair share of publicity of late, and rightly so.There’s something decidedly addictive about sending swift bursts of digital chatter across the far reaches of the globe, and receiving responses from those who may choose to follow your ventures is equally satisfying.

For the die-hards, Twitter can easily become a lifestyle, an effortless way to update family and friends with the mundane (this isn’t always a good thing!).  With mobile Twitter permeating further into our society, there will soon be nowhere to hide from the incessant tweeting of Twitterers the world over.

Having used Twitter in my Year 1 classroom, I can personally vouch for the website’s educational grandeur.   Every day becomes an obsessive update-athon, which children vying for the rights to articulate the next sentence.  The parents love it because they are hearing on-the-spot news, fresh from the proverbial horse’s mouth.

There are many other possible angles to using Twitter in the classroom, the number of which is limited only by your creativity.  Check out our original post about twitter in the “10 Websites” section for a printable guide and give it to other staff at your school that wish to join the juggernaught that is Twitter too.

If you want to follow the daily twitter musings of a fellow technology integration mentor, you can add Tim by clicking on his twitter icon below or you might like to follow me (David) by clicking on my twitter icon below too.

Tim Tim on Twitter
David David on Twitter

Happy Twittering!

Interview With Sir Ken Robinson

July 24, 2009 // Posted in David's Virtual Desk (Tags: , , , , , ) |  No Comments

SirKenRobinsonsmall

During a recent interview with The Australian ABC 7:30 Report television program, Sir Ken Robinson spoke about developing creativity in our students.  Kerry O’Brien and Sir Ken talked at length about the “blight” of standardized testing and how schools could very well be killing the creativity of children.  Ken believes that curriculum is being driven to focus too specifically on “elite” subjects, such as Maths, Science and English and thus force a rigid cookie cutter approach to a child’s education, instead of encouraging them to develop in their own areas of strength and interest.  Ken quotes “I ran a big commission in the UK on creative education, and we had scientists on the group, we had Nobel Prize winners, we had economists, we had musicians, we had dancers, two comedians. And what was interesting was that when they came to talk about the process of creativity, it was the same in every discipline, and also that these things interact. You know, some of our greatest scientists have been inspired by the arts and some of our best artists work on deeply scientific principles.”  He is concerned that schools are producing a certain “cut” of student, rather than encouraging them to develop as unique individuals.

Is it any wonder that students are so unenthused when they stumble into a weary, teacher-directed classroom when online they can learn about anything at any given second?  Online, students have the power to pursue their interests, at school they are often restricted, usually by the crippling time constraints of curriculum-heavy learning.  ICT integration is perhaps the most potent weapon a teacher can wield if we want students to engage in their learning and develop a creative, positive enthusiasm for education.  Used effectively, technology can open the doors to a wide world web of experiences, a place far removed from a stifling classroom climate that can cripple and kill off the creative prowess these students should be developing day by day.  It is our role therefore, as Technology Integration Mentors to support teachers in this brave new world they find themselves.

One way that Tim and I have hoped to do this is through our “10 Websites posts”, which contains technology integration ideas and step-by-step instructions explaining how to use some of those exciting websites that others of us might take for granted.  If you would like some free downloads, goto the 10 Websites and scroll down in each of the posts to where it says – “click here for your free guide”.  Feel free to distribute any of these amongst the staff of your school; we hope that it makes your role as a T.I.M. that little bit easier.

You can find the full transcript and videos of the two part interview with Sir Ken at the ABC’s 7.30 Report Website.

Classtools.net – Why Use It In The Classroom?

July 23, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

classtools_smallClassTools.net is worth its weight in educational gold. A virtual toolbox for teachers to use in the creation of digital activities, it not only allows you to customize interactive games and lessons in a couple of quick easy steps, but provides you with an exciting range of in-class resources that you can pull out to enhance the mundane routines your students may be accustomed to.
So just how easy are these tools to use? In all honesty, they couldn’t be much easier. Choose the type of activity you are looking to create from a massive selection of genres, including arcade games, word sorts, lucky picks (just to name a few), then enter the content you would like the students to revise/explore and your activity or game is ready to go. It really is that simple.
Needless to say, the classroom applications for such a website are limitless. You can create and save activities to revise content taught in class by embedding them into a blog. You can set up and run game show themed lessons as a way to engage student interest. You could make your own retro-themed video game for students to play as they match definitions to words. All of these possibilities can be set up and run in matter of minutes.
You are no doubt beginning to calculate the worth of this website. The especially adventurous may wish to allow students to utilise ClassTools for themselves, creating activities and lessons for presentation to their peers. Regardless of how it is used, ClassTools.net can and should be utilised by any educator seeking to effortlessly embed ICT into the ordinary things of the classroom.
ClassTools.net can be used to enhance any KLA or content, and can be used to foster higher-level thinking skills. The worth of this website and its contribution to quality learning in your students is only limited by the creativity and skill of the user.

If you would like to learn more about using classtools.net in your classroom click here for your free guide.

Google – Why Use It In The Classroom?

April 24, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

google_logoHave you ever Googled yourself?  Anyone familiar with the world’s biggest search engine has probably succumbed to the temptation at some point.  Google is renowned for finding information — a lot of information, and fast.  I remember the first time I used Google to conduct research for a university assignment and the resulting aneurism when confronted with the millions of matches to my particular topic.  Needless to say, it took me some time to sift through all those matches to my query. In time, I learnt how to search a bit more effectively.
Google is probably the most extensively used search engine that most teachers currently utilize in one way or another, but have you ever considered using it for the dozens of other applications and features it offers for educational and e-learning purposes?

A quick exploration of these features reveals a wealth of educational benefits.

  • Google Maps can quickly and easily chart a journey between two destinations, complete with ETA.
  • Google Alerts can tip you off when fresh news breaks by sending you an email with the details.
  • Google Images can provide you with literally millions of stimulus pictures to inspire class discussions.
  • Google Reader allows you to follow the latest up-to-date trends and information in education or on any topic you choose.
  • Google Docs allows you to create, share, edit and collaborate with other users of your choosing on word-processing, spreadsheets etc online.

In addition to these, there are plenty of other products for you to test out and consider for you and your classroom (there isn’t enough space in this post to list them all!)

Google is the “swiss army knife” for any educator working within the digital age.  You could almost “live off Google alone”, given the sheer scope of options this website offers and the symbiotic relationship a lot of these applications share with learning.
Be sure to know your obligations as far as copyright is concerned, especially if you think it acceptable to start copying unreferenced images or text into your presentations (it’s actually illegal!).  Use Google effectively, reference the websites you learn from and vast amounts of information, images, videos, articles and resources will be under your command.  Use your power wisely.

If you would like to learn more about using google in your classroom click here for your free guide.

Here is a video by Common Craft that explains how to use a search engine like google more effectively.

If you already use google or any of it’s many applications in your day to day work as an educator, why not leave us a comment below and tell us how you use it?

Make Your Own Interactive Wiimote Whiteboard

March 24, 2009 // Posted in Hardware, Wiimote Whiteboard (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) |  6 Comments

wiimote3One of the more techie things that I have been playing around with over the last 12 months has been the Wiimote Whiteboard. What precisely is a Wiimote Whiteboard I hear you say? Originally developed by Johnny Chung Lee from Carnegie Mellon University, it’s a way to turn a simple data projector into an inexpensive yet very effective Interactive Whiteboard (IWB). Basically you connect a Nintendo Wiimote via Bluetooth to your computer (that’s hooked up to your data projector), point the Wiimote at whatever your going to use as your screen (it could be a blank wall, floor or normal whiteboard), use some free Wiimote Whiteboard configuration software, and use an IR-pen (you can either create your own or buy ready made IR-pens online) to access the screen. The Infrared Sensor in the Wiimote detects where you have positioned your IR-pen relative to the screen and translates that to the computer, just like a mouse.
On a side note, the original wiimote whitboard software created by Johnny Lee has been further refined by Boon Jin. Visit BoonJin.com to download Wiimote Smoothboard 1.0. This application is first-rate and has some nice features like floating toolbars, offscreen toggles for onscreen keyboards etc. N.B. It does require Net Framework 3.5 to work.

The real beauty of this setup is the cost!  It can all be done for $120-$140 AUD or less! The software is available free on the internet, a Wiimote costs $60-$70 AUD, a usb Bluetooth dongle for $40 AUD (if your computer or Laptop doesn’t have Bluetooth built-in), an IRpen $10 AUD (make yourself from parts bought at an electronics store) or buy online $8-$10 US (ready made), and a tripod $20 AUD.

There are a copious amount of sites devoted to providing advice and ideas on creating and using the Wiimote Whiteboard. Here are just a few to get you started.

http://www.wiimoteproject.com/

http://wiimoteproject.ning.com/

http://www.boonjin.com/wp/

http://www.smoothboard.net/

Johnny Lees Blog

Here are a few videos you might be interested in watching about Wiimote Whiteboards!

A video of me using a Wiimote Whiteboard

Johnny Chung Lee on TED

Wikipedia – Why Use It In The Classroom?

March 15, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ) |  1 Comment

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia

Wikipedia, the world’s free online encyclopedia, is a powerful resource to command in your classroom and after exploring its uses, you will wonder how you survived without it.  That sounds like a rather illustrious claim, but it is one that is proven to be true by many teachers.  Why?  Consider the following “classic” classroom scenario.
You are leading a well-prepared session of learning.  All is running smoothly, the students are participating and the topic is interesting, thus generating some good discussion.  A student raises their hand and, upon having their request validated, innocently asks a question that is beyond your ability to answer.  The normal response to this situation obviously varies with the teacher, but, sadly enough, some teachers would prefer to short-change their students with a hopelessly inaccurate, on-the-spot-I-hope-I’m-right cover up, than actually model a real, “professional” response to learning from an unfamiliar situation.
Enter Wikipedia.  The same scenario, with Wikipedia nearby can show students your willingness to learn along side them.  Wikipedia is quick and effortless to use.  Type in your topic and the definition (along with references, pronunciation and related topics, in most instances) will be at your fingertips within seconds.
Wikipedia’s name is derived from the word “wiki”, which is website that anyone can edit or modify.  Wikipedia has therefore been created through the collaborative efforts of the world-wide web community, a phenomenal concept in its own right and a tremendous example of learning together as a team.  Definitions are often referenced, and relevant hyperlinks provide further connections for you to explore.  A world of information is at your fingertips.  You’ll wonder what you did without it.

If you would like to learn more about Wikipedia or it’s alternatives click here for your free guide.

Blogger – Why Use It In The Classroom?

March 1, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

blogger-logo1Statistics indicate that 28% of Gen Y, in particular, uni students (digital natives) maintain their own blog and regularly read or review others.  This figure will only balloon further in the years ahead.

It is therefore important for teachers to not only understand what blogging involves, but to tap in to its potential applications for the classroom.
What is blogging then?  Simply put, it’s journal writing, online.  The appeal of blogging is that anyone with an opinion can share their views about movies/books/politics/education/anything with the rest of the world.  You are, undoubtedly, beginning to see why students find this premise very empowering.  It is little wonder that some students find the “mundane” routines of school to be an irrelevant chore when at home, they can share their view of the world with whoever is listening.
Classroom blogging is a very powerful motivational force for writing, particularly with those students who moan and groan about putting pen to page.  Using Blogger, a free-to-use website, you can create a blog for your class and use it publish your student’s views, stories, reports or news, thus making them celebrities, much akin to authors (in their minds!) because they suddenly have a massive audience—the world!
Blogger also contains suitable security measures that can lock out unauthorised viewers if you wish to use a class blog that updates class parents with news from the classroom.  Along with those described above, there are dozens of other applications for blogging, limited only by your creativity and the conventions of genre writing.  The world is your oyster!

If you would like to learn more about blogger or it’s alternatives click here for your free guide.

Common Craft have produced a quick video that explains blogging in simple terms.

Youtube – Why Use It In The Classroom?

March 1, 2009 // Posted in 10 Websites (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

youtube_logoYouTube’s name is often associated with teen-age pranks or notoriety, but in actuality YouTube is one of the most valuable assets a classroom teacher can wield in order to integrate technology into daily practice.

Like it or not, we teach a breed of technologically-savvy super students (digital natives), reared on a diet of DVDs, video games and music (and more often than not, a combination of all of the above).  These children often eat YouTube for breakfast, so why shouldn’t we dish up some educational cuisines of our own?  It’s interesting to note CNN recently found that “popular site YouTube led the growth charge, accounting for almost half the incremental gain in videos viewed.”

The power of YouTube is in the sheer scope and variety of its content.  It is an epic dumping ground for videos all the world over; type in a search for any topic and you’ll often get dozens of matches, including quality educational programs prepared and uploaded by businesses, TV stations and educators.  However, there is also a great deal of inappropriate material as well, and so to use YouTube effectively, teachers should carefully monitor every clip before sharing them with the class.

Used effectively when planning (along with careful monitoring of content), YouTube will serve you faithfully by acting as the catalyst for quality discussions, luring your students deep into the realm of engagement without them even realising it.  You can even work towards the opposite end of the scale by having students create their own videos to upload for global viewing.  And what could be more engaging to a student than becoming an internationally renown legend in their own right?

To learn more about Youtube and how you can set up an account for your classroom click here for you free guide.

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