Backchannel Chat (Last post of 2018)

Backchannel Chat

Yo! Teach - https://palms.polyu.edu.hk:8448/ - is a back channel chat digital tool that is similar to TodaysMeet, which closed down in summer2018.

To get a chatroom set up...

• visit the Yo! Teach website (No sign-in is required for the teacher or student 
• create an entry password
• enable admin features 
• add a room name and description and
• click Make Room.

Learners can access the chatroom two different ways using any device with a web-browser.

1. Teachers can share the url to the room that is generated once the room has been created. 
2. Students can visit the Yo! Teach website and search for the name of the room in the search box (just don't select Avoid Search when you set up the room).

Once the link is clicked learners enter a nickname and then they are taken right to the chat.

Responding in Yo! Chat

There are different options for learner responses.

They can submit...

• text,
• a drawing and/or an image, by clicking on the pencil icon, they'll be taken to a digital whiteboard.

A really nice feature is the ability to draw on images that users can upload when they select the camera icon:

When learners submit their responses, it sends their text, drawing or image to the left panel and includes the nickname they provided when entering the backchannel as well as the timestamp of when their response was submitted.

NOTE : the website takes some time to load on Chromebooks but once in the room everything seems OK

If you give Yo! Teach a try or have already used Yo! Teach, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

P.S. 

Turn any photograph into an artwork – for free!

Turn any photograph into an artwork
– for free!

Deepart - https://deepart.io/# - is ideal for art teachers trying to demonstrate different art styles to learners.

Using an algorithm Deepart uses the stylistic elements of one image to draw the content of another.

Educators, and/or learners can get their own artwork in just three steps...

1. Upload photo
2. Choose style and
3. Submit

Obviously learners can take their own images and turn them into the style of famous artists with this website.

It's 100% free. They simply upload the image and in a few seconds they'll have their own Van Gogh. Or Picasso. Or who knows! 

If you give Deepart a try or have already used Deepart, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

Removing backgrounds from pictures

Removing backgrounds from pictures

Do your learners need to removing backgrounds from pictures but don’t have Photoshop?

remove.bg - https://www.remove.bg/ - is a website that does only one thing: Removes backgrounds and it's worth a closer look.

To be fair, remove.bg is not perfect, but it certainly is good enough for learners working with images for presentations and/or reports.

 

Students simply upload images and the site’s AI does the rest.

 

If you give remove.bg a try or have already used remove.bg, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.
P.S. Enjoy your Christmas Holiday and have a Happy New Year

Creating On-line Games

Creating On-line Games

Oodlu - https://oodlu.org/home - is a tool for creating and playing self-paced games digitally. 
It is also available for...

• iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oodlü-for-students/id1416394399 - and 
• Android  - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oodlu.student .
  

A bank of over 2 million questions that have already been created and is available for Educators to duplicate and add to their game creations.

Educators can also create their own questions!

There is a premium version that costs 99 CENTS per month but the standard version is completely free. 

Oodlu states that their standard plan will always stay free.
Oodlu does have the option for learners to create an account simply by...

• visiting https://oodlu.org/,
• clicking on Student, and

 typing in a username, password and teacher code (found under the teacher's dashboard once he/she creates a Group)
Educators can...

1. create one group for their entire class or if you want to differentiate by sending specific games to specific learners, they can
2. create multiple groups (just make sure students join the correct group).

Under the Content and Games section of the teacher's account they can assign games under the Action dropdown menu and select Set to a Group.

The different types of questions that can be included are...

• Matching Pairs
• Click the missing Word
• Flash card statements
• Textual Multiple Choice
• True/False
• Image Multiple Choice
• Listen to the word, then type the translation
• Sequencing and 
• Type the missing word.

If you give Oodlu a try or have already used Oodlu, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

Digitising Old Film Photos

Digitising Old Film Photos

Google’s Photoscan app, available for ...

• iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/photoscan-by-google-photos/id1165525994 - and 
• Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos.scanner 

...is one of their lesser-known projects.

It uses an Educator's, and/or Learners smartphone’s camera to scan and digitise photos by taking a series of images to eliminate glare and then combining them.

Photoscan is a clever app that removes glare well and is pretty quick to use.

NOTE: it can wash out some  images—especially skin tones—a bit too much.
It's probably designed for use with older, faded images, rather than with brand new prints.
Ideal to scan a handful of photos for coursework, projects etc.

If you give Google’s Photoscan app a try or have already used Google’s Photoscan app, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.
Thank you.

Listen to Google Docs

Listen to Google Docs

Speakd - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/speakd-give-voice-to-your/oobledneihkkcmfakmkdigmgkjoaidmg

 - could be a good tool for learners to use to hear their documents read aloud as part of the editing process before turning in a final submission. 

The only drawback is the voice that Speakd uses is very robotic.

Speakd is a free Google Docs add-on that will read documents aloud.

When users have Speakd installed in Google Docs they can open the add-on and press play at any time to hear their document read aloud.

Unlike some other text-to-speech tools, Speakd doesn't require users to copy and paste text to hear it read aloud.

If you give Speakd a try or have already used Speakd, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

Free Music for Video Projects

Free Music for Video Projects

Bensound - https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music - offers about 175 music tracks that educators and/or Learners can download for free.


Those tracks are arranged in eight categories. Those categories are...

1. acoustic/folk,
2. cinematic,
3. corporate/pop,
4. electronica,
5. urban/groove,
6. jazz,
7. rock, and
8. world.

Bensound's collections features instrumental music which is great because educators won't have to worry about learners picking music that have lyrics that are not appropriate for learning environment use.

Visitors to the website can listen to the tracks before they download them.

When users click the download button they will see the clear rules about using the music.

Educators and/or learners can download and use the music in their video projects for free provided that you credit Bensound for the music.

Alternatively, they can purchase a license to use the music wherever they want without crediting Bensound.

If you give Bensound a try or have already used Bensound, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

Digital Citizenship Resource

Digital Citizenship Resource

Be Internet Awesome - https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us - provides learners with useful tips on different areas related to on-line safety. 

They  include tips on...

• how to responsibly share digital content and communicate with others,
• how to discern between what’s real and what’s fake,
• how to safeguard valuable information and protect personal privacy and much more. 

Besides these resources, Be Internet Awesome also provides a number of tools to engage learners in hands-on learning activities about on-line safety and digital citizenship.
Interlaid, for instance, offers four challenging games geared towards introducing learners to the key lessons of digital safety.

There is also a specific curriculum with a wide variety of lessons educators can download for free and use in their learning environments. 

Parents can download a special kit to learn more and also help with raising awareness  about on-line safety.

Check out Be Internet Awesome to explore the rest of the resources.

If you give Internet Awesome a try or have already used Internet Awesome, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

P.S. Heads-up - Sorry I have not posted for a while but I've been in hospital, which isn't an ideal blogging environment.