Animated Gifs for Younger Learners

Animated Gifs for Younger Learners
Gifs4Kids - https://sites.google.com/view/gorogueedu/gifs4kids - is a new on-line resource for education practitioners and learners that is aggregating learner friendly animated gifs to be used in projects.

Yes there are many websites providing animated gifs (Giphy, Gfycat, etc.) but they contain gifs that are not appropriate for younger learners.

Gifs4Kids is a SAFE resource for educators and learners!

The creators of this learner friendly tool are wanting to grow their library of gifs and are accepting submissions that can be entered on their GIF Submission Form - https://sites.google.com/view/gorogueedu/gifs4kids/gif-submissions 

NOTE: Currently the Gifs4Kids search tool supports 12 different languages and more are on the way! They are also working on adding...

• a Chrome extension for drag and drop usage of GIFs
• a Repository of GIF-based classroom activities and 
• Instructional videos and resources that demonstrate how to create/ use GIFs and instructional best practices (a YouTube Channel)

An already useful resource and, with the proposed additions, must be worth keeping an eye on!

If you give Gifs4Kids a try or have already used Gifs4Kids, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.
Thank you.

Adding Audio to presentations

Adding Audio to presentations
If educators would like their learners to record their own narration for their Google Slides presentations, this relatively new Audio Player for Slides Chrome extension is one that they should consider and give a try.

The Audio Player for Slides Chrome extension - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/audioplayer-for-slides/anlkfbpodhealnhnmdaflcekcmcjpnil - was recently updated with some features that educators have wanted for years!

Users can...

• - now use the extension to have music play continuously throughout a presentation even when they change slides and...
• now make audio recordings directly in their slides.

Richard Byrne's Video clip - https://www.youtube.com/embed/6LQJ3f2gWVw - well worth a closer look, demonstrates how users can record audio directly within Google Slides.

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

Thank you.

Gathering or creating Voice Recordings

Gathering or creating Voice Recordings
SpeakPipe - https://www.speakpipe.com/ - provides education practitioners with the ability to collect voicemail messages through their blog and/or website etc.


To set up...

• create a SpeakPipe account,
• place the SpeakPipe widget in a blog/website, and then

...learners/visitors/etc., can click the widget to record and send a voice message.

SpeakPipe has recently added a new feature
called SpeakPipe Pages.

SpeakPipe Pages lets users...

• create a simple landing page through which people can send them voice messages. 
• use the landing page even if they don't use the widget in their blog or have a blog. 
• send people directly to their SpeakPipe landing page to send you voice messages that you can then playback in your email, read a transcript, or access directly through SpeakPipe.

In addition, SpeakPipe provides a "Free on-line voice recorder" - https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder - which allows users to create an audio recording directly from a browser by using their microphone.

The recording is produced locally on their computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod and/or Android devices, and users can record as many times as they need.

There is the option to save a recording on the SpeakPipe server and get a link to it, so users can send it via email or use on the web.

For SpeakPipe Plans and Pricing take a look at https://www.speakpipe.com/plans

NOTE: SpeakPipe also offer a free plan for 20 messages per month, max duration of each message 90 seconds

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

Scratch 3.0 Beta + Creative Computing Curriculum Guide

#HeadsUp - Scratch 3.0 Beta + Creative Computing Curriculum Guide

The Beta version of Scratch 3.0 - https://beta.scratch.mit.edu/ - is available now. 

Educators can try the new Scratch on-line editor right now!

Scratch 3.0 offers the following new features...

• A new extension system for programming physical devices.
• New characters, sounds, and backgrounds.
• Updated editors for characters and sounds.
• Improved support for use on tablets.

It is important to note that Scratch 3.0 is still a beta product. 

The full, stable version is expected to be ready in January 2019. 

The current desktop and browser versions of Scratch (Scratch 2.0) are still available and all projects created in those versions will continue to work as normal.

Creative Computing Curriculum Guide

New Creative Computing Curriculum Guide!

Take a look at the new Creative Computing Curriculum Guide (link opens PDF) - http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/sneak_peek_creative_computing_curriculum_guide_v3.pdf - published by the ScratchEd team at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The 32 page guide includes...

• a nice template for planning a mini Scratch project, 
• prompts for thinking about remixing projects, and 
• guidelines for assessment.

If you give Scratch 3.0 or the New Creative Computing Curriculum Guide a try or have already used Scratch 3.0 or the New Creative Computing Curriculum Guide, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.

Guided Access for learners

Guided Access for learners

If as educational practitioners, your learners are iPad users, you may or may not know about an important Accessibility feature called Guided Access. 

This feature is helpful when educators want to lock their learners into using only 1 application. 

This may be helpful when educators have learners who are easily distracted and need to focus on the current task and shouldn't be exploring other Apps.

How does it work?

Check out Matt Bergman's video at https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qzm6IhSQ6Xk

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

Thank you.

Dropbox add-on for Gmail

Dropbox add-on for Gmail
The Dropbox add-on for Gmail will allow users to... 

“view, store, and share any file—from the smallest doc to the largest video—without leaving their inbox.”

Dropbox suggests that this will allow users to...

• “stop worrying about file size or inbox space,” 
• “eliminate distractions i.e. no more “jumping back and forth between apps,” and
• “keep all their work in one place”.

Once installed, the Dropbox add-on for Gmail resides on the right-hand side of a users inbox, next to Calendar, Keep, and Tasks.

Clicking on the Dropbox icon (It appears when users open an email) will make the app scan their current email thread for attachments, and offer contextual information on what it finds.

Users will then be able to store those files in their Dropbox, and they’ll be available across the different browsers and platforms they use.

NOTE: Later this year Dropbox will also be adding the option to share files with others from right within a users Gmail inbox.

Download: Dropbox for Gmail from the G Suite Marketplace at https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/app/dropbox_for_gmail/33761876029

Dropbox for Gmail should make finding, saving, and sharing attachments a breeze, potentially saving users a lot of time and effort.

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

Thank you.

Digital Citizenship CPD Courses

Digital Citizenship CPD Courses

During the summer, many education practitioners are probably starting to think about what materials, resources etc., they can reuse, what they can tweak and what to completely overhaul in their lessons to...

• address "fake news",
• evaluate information and 
• give proper attribution to content learners may want to use in the future. 

KQEDTeach - https://teach.kqed.org/ - offers a collection of free, hands-on professional learning opportunities focused on Digital Media and is well worth a closer look.

KQEDTeach provides free CPD courses and have recently added several new courses specifically addressing digital citizenship.

Each of the courses follows a learn-make-teach cycle, where individuals are not only given the tools and practice each skill themselves, but they are also encouraged to think about and develop a lesson plan, that they can use in the autumn to address Digital Citizenship with learners.

NOTE: If individuals complete a course and share their lesson plan, they will also get a certificate, which in many instances can be used to certify PD hours. A Win, Win, all round!

Three Digital Citizenship courses worth a closer look are...

1. Safety and Privacy in a Participatory Culture: https://teach.kqed.org/course/safety-and-privacy-in-participatory-culture
   
2. Understanding Copyright and Fair Use: https://teach.kqed.org/course/understanding-copyright-fair-use/ and
   
3. Constructing Media Messages: https://teach.kqed.org/course/constructing-media-messages

If you try any of these courses or have already completed them, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.
Thank you.

More Real-time Feedback From Learners

More Real-time Feedback From Learners
Today's post looks at GoSoapBox - https://www.gosoapbox.com/ - a powerful, flexible, and intuitive learner response system for educators to use in their learning environments.

Leveraging web-enabled devices, education practitioners can digitally engage learners to conduct formative assessment and gain insight into learner comprehension.

The GoSoapBox Polls tool allows users to survey their audience by having them select an answer choice in response to a question.

The GoSoapBox Discussions tool allows users to have their learners reply to open-ended questions.

For many educators, one of the simplest yet effective survey options in GoSoapBox is a tool called the Confusion Meter.

The Confusion Meter allows learners to simply say, "yes, I get it" or "no, I don't get it."

NOTE: The Confusion Meter, like all of the GoSoapBox survey tools, can accept anonymous feedback.

Educators can use the Social Q&A tool in GoSoapBox to have learners submit their questions to them.

Learners can see each other's question submissions and vote them up if they want to.
GoSoapBox must be worth a closer look.

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

Real-time Feedback From Learners

Real-time Feedback From Learners
Chat rooms and polling services provide good ways to hear from all of the Learners in a learning environment.


These kind of tools allow shy learners to...

1. ask questions and
2. share comments.

For more outspoken learners who want to comment on everything, a feedback mechanism provides a good outlet for them as well.

Today's Post is the result of revisiting backchannel and informal assessment tools, for gathering real-time feedback from learners, and realising many feedback tools have shutdown and others have been updated.

Backchannel Chat - http://backchannelchat.com/ - is a service that provides exactly what its name implies.

Backchannel Chat is designed for educational discussions, it provides all the tools an educator could need to facilitate on-line discussions.

Once educators have created their free backchannel room (chat room) they can post comments and questions for their learners to respond to.

Learners can...

• respond in real-time. 
• ask their educator and fellow learners questions within the confines of the Backchannel Chat room.

NOTE: The free version of Backchannel Chat limits you to 30 participants at a time.
Backchannel Chat is also available for mobile devices from the...

• App Store - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/backchannel-chat/id689703051?ls=1&mt=8 and
• Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.backchannelchat

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

Research Tool

Research Tool

Scrible - https://www.scrible.com/ - is a productivity tool that research students should consider.

Scrible provides users with various tools and features that enable them to...

• curate online content,
• bookmark websites,
• store files,
• annotate and share webpages and PDFs.

Users can use Scrible to annotate content on a webpage or a PDF.
They can add comments, highlight passages and share their annotated content with others through email or social media websites.

Everything users curate and annotate is saved to their library in Scrible.

Users can organise their library with tags so they can easily find their saved content.

Scrible also provides an excellent PDF viewer and annotator which works from their browser.

Learners can use Scrible to...

• load or upload PDF documents to work on, using Scrible’s annotation tools to highlight and add comments. 
• share PDF documents with each other and be able to see who is viewing the shared PDF,
• reply to comments and see annotations in real-time.

To learn more about Scrible PDF Viewer/Annotator, watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/embed/IIhG3chkmXQ

NOTE: - Scrible provides free upgrade to students and educators.

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

Thank you.

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans
Today's post Lesson Plans, is a resource that helps Educational Practitioners Integrate Technology in their Teaching.

Common Sense (formerly Graphite) - https://www.commonsense.org/education/lesson-plans - has a section packed full of pre-made lesson plans, (pre-school to Yr 12) that educators can adapt to their own teaching situations.

These innovative, tech-rich lesson plans combine digital tools and inspiring teaching practices.

Lesson plans are available for...

• Arts
• English Language Arts
• English Language Learning
• Health & Wellness
• Maths
• Science
• Social Studies and
• World Languages

To learn more watch their video at https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6ojCWMcIuY or click the "Create Your Own Lesson Plan" button to get started.

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

Thank you.

Improve Visual Content

Improve Visual Content

Wondering how to improve the visual content you share with your learners?


Well with PORTRA - https://portra.me/ - you can make selfies or other photos look hand-sketched or like an oil painting.

PORTRA is a mobile app with filters.

Depending on the filter users choose, they can...

• add flourishes of colour or
• transform their image into different types of artwork.

As the name PORTRA suggests, the app was designed for portraits, but it can be used with any photograph.

The app is available via...

• the App store -  https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/portra-turn-your-selfies-into-artworks/id1251749114?mt=8 or 
• Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playlist.portra

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

Creating Videos in Microsoft Photos

Creating Videos in Microsoft Photos

In an earlier post, I provided a "Heads-Up" that Windows Movie Maker was no longer available for download and that Microsoft now recommends using the video creation tools that are built into Microsoft Photos.

Today's post provides you with another Heads-Up...

Microsoft News Centre UK - https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/ - has recently published a helpful set of tutorial videos - https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/2018/06/22/its-easy-to-create-an-amazing-video-using-microsoft-photos/ - that can help educators and/or learners create videos in Microsoft Photos.


The clips teach users how to...

• start a new video project - https://www.youtube.com/embed/30s-vPccI8A 
• edit - https://www.youtube.com/embed/XEyn2NYVZqw 
• add titles and captions - https://www.youtube.com/embed/5LM43thAjhI 
• put in music and narration - https://www.youtube.com/embed/ns0JPLpN8t8 and
• experiment with 3D effects - https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vo4pXQO7eZc

If learning Providers use Windows 10 or their learners use Windows 10 on their personal computers, Microsoft Photos could be a great tool for learners to use to create videos.

The fine controls over timing make Microsoft Photos a better choice than some automated audio slideshow video tools without introducing the complications of using full-fledged video editors.
If you, and/or your learners give the Microsoft Photos Tutorials a try or have already used the Microsoft Photos Tutorials, do share your feedback, positive and/or negative, in the comments.

Thank you.