Weekly Tech Tip:
Many of us assign students presentation assignments where we have students create slide show presentations with PowerPoint or Google Docs either to enhance an oral presentation or as a stand-alone project. However, when we do this three issues almost always emerge: 1. Many of their presentations are too information heavy (too many bullet points); 2. Students (and teachers too) will be tempted to read their slides instead of using their slides to support what they are saying in their presentation.; and 3. Too often students get caught up in the flashy features of PowerPoint and don't focus enough energy on the content. There are many free web-based multimedia presentation tools that can solve or at lease alleviate some of these problems. In the Digital Backpack I have many of these tools collected under the category "Multi-Media Presentation." For this week's tech tip I walk you through how to use one of these tools called "Vuvox."
- Video Tutorial: Using Vuvox to build engaging and non-linear presentations.
Link Stew:
- GLOBE - This is a free open content search engine for finding free open licensed instructional content online.
- Constructivist Strategies for the Learner Centered Classroom
- Connexions - Sharing Knowledge and Building Communities - Great Source for free classroom resources and lesson plans
- The New York Times: "What Your Phone Might Do for You Two Years From Now"
- iPod Literacy.com - Using the iPod in the Classroom and for Staff Professional Development
- AMC Archive Classic Movies - Watch old movies free online.
- Classic Cinema Online - Watch old movies free online
- Ninite Easy PC Setup and Multiple App Installer - Great For Win7 Upgrades - Choose from dozons of popular open source software programs, then install them on your computer all at once with just one step.
- MakeUseOf's Comprehensive Guide to Twitter
- Free Website Builder & Personal Web Dashboard - ZooLoo
- Fill Any PDF Form
- Free Online PDF Editor - Edit PDF on the Web - PDF Hammer
- Pew Internet: Social Isolation and New Technology - Executive Summary
- CNN.com: Twittering from the tractor: smartphones sprout on the farm - CNN.com
- Muvizu - Create animated videos without fancy equipment or years of training
- Moviestorm - Create 3d characters and environments then make movies with them
Blog Carnival:
- Blue Skunk Blog: "Bud the teacher gets it right"
- The Clever Sheep: "Which Brands of Soda Do You Sell?"
- Dangerously Irrelevant: "10 questions about books, libraries, librarians, and schools"
- Blue Skunk Blog: "What's the place of futurists?" -Doug Johnson's reaction to Scott McLeod's "10 questions" post
- Blue Skunk Blog: "Distracting technologies"
- Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech: "Robbing Students and Teachers of Joy"
- dougbelshaw.com/blog: "12 educational ways of using 12seconds.tv"
- MobileBehavior: "Five Approaches to Mobile Technology in the Classroom"
