Tools for Teachers
(and for Students in some cases)
Tool selection criteria:
Tools must have a learning curve which matches the utility of the tool.
Tools need to do something better (more efficiently or more effectively) than we can do without the tool.
Tools may bridge or enhance access to technological tools or resources which is especially important with young learners who may have a wide range of reading and language abilities.
Audio Tools
These are helpful for non-readers, almost readers, and those learning English.
Vokihttp://www.voki.comEasy to create speaking avatars. strengths: easy to create, engaging, support for almost readers and others challenges: advertising, can be distracting |
Vocaroohttp://www.vocaroo.comEasy audio clips Strengths: easy! Challenges: quality of audio is a little "rough" |
Read the Words http://www.readthewords.com/ paste words and they are read Strengths: easy to use, works with any words Challenges: takes more than one step, there are ads, but they are mostly text... |
Image Tools and Sources
Safer Resources for Images (always adults first)
http://kitzu.com
http://www.pics4learning.com/
http://epod.usra.edu/ (earth science)
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day (Nat. Geo)
http://www.americanheritage.com/picture/ (historical images)
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/ (news pictures)
http://www.w3streams.com/ (a collection)
Flickr and its associated Tools
Flickr: http://www.Flickr.com
Tools which use Flickr
Image Coder for codes of CC images: http://www.imagecodr.org/
Search Flickr by Color: http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr
Make Words with Flickr letters: http://metaatem.net/words
Make cool online picture shows: http://splashr.com/
Generator Tools:
Play with Letters - Add Letters (to signs, shirts etc...):http://www.addletters.com/index.php
Add words and messages to images: http://www.imagechef.com/
Online Picture Editing
PicNik: http://www.picnik.com
Screen Capture Software
Screenhunter: http://www.wisdom-soft.com/sh/sh_free.htm (windows only)
Jing: http://www.jingproject.com/ Screen Capture (video and image)
Multimedia
www.teachertube.com
www.youtube.com
LIVE African Safaris (DAILY): http://www.wildearth.tv
Mind Mapping
Bubbl.us www.Bubbl.us
Webspiration http://www.mywebspiration.com/
Media Converters
http://zamzar.com/
http://mediaconverter.org
A Few Additional Tools
Wordlehttp://www.wordle.net/can be used for ideas, vocabulary, self-reflection, character traits, settings, etc... |