Instructify

The holidays are nearly upon us, and so is all the stress that accompanies them. I don’t just mean the stress from exploding turkey fryers or engaging in hand-to-hand combat with other holiday shoppers. I’m talking about midterms, research papers, and presentations—and you get to grade them!

SlideRocket isn’t really going to help you with the midterms or papers, but it will go great lengths towards making your students’ presentations look awesome. Delivering professional quality design through a web-based application, SlideRocket makes PowerPoint look like a joke. Since it’s a web app you won’t have to use up space on your hard drive and you won’t have to mess around with all that payment and registration business. Boasting an impressive library of image effects and stylish options for representing data, SlideRocket also lets you import media from Flickr, YouTube and other sites with ease. That’s World Wide Internet interconnectivity.

How many times have you thought to yourself, “If I watch one more PowerPoint, I’m going to claw my eyes out”? How many times have you taught from a clunky, outdated PowerPoint slide show? I’m certain you felt a sneaking suspicion that people were about to claw their eyes out.  Its not always what you’re saying so much as how you’re saying it. Add a little style with SlideRocket. -NICK YINGLING

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I’ve got to be honest: one thing that bugs me (perhaps too much) about Soshiku, a brand-new web site that helps students keep track of their homework, is that it’s ad-supported. Must students constantly be marketed to while they’re trying to learn? It’s bad enough that some schools make deals with fast food franchises. But to be fair, the “Ads by Google” that appear at the bottom of the assignment list are discreet, and so far they point to sites that seem relatively legitimate (learninghub.com, tutor.com) instead of to paper mills. And there are many pluses to Soshiku.

For one thing, the interface is big, bright, clean, and simple, with both a calendar and a list of assignments that show when assignments are due. Although Soshiku’s site says that the tool is for “high school or college assignments,” even first- and second-graders could probably use Soshiku, and that might help them develop good organizational habits early. For another thing, Soshiku allows students to have partners for homework assignments, and it can send assignment reminders by e-mail or text message. Assignments can be either “public,” “private,” or “partners only,” which is a good range of options.

Also, whoever develops Soshiku seems to be responsive to user requests, as is apparent from the very active Soshiku blog. There are only about a thousand people using Soshiku right now, which on the one hand means that it’s a relatively untested product, but on the other hand means that you can easily make your voice heard.

One potential obstacle to using Soshiku is that all courses and assignments have to be entered manually, which will probably get old very quickly. But otherwise the site might be a very good option for web-savvy but organizationally challenged students. And who knows? Maybe they’ll appreciate the opportunity to spend some money to “Get Help Now From an Online Tutor.” -AMANDA FRENCH

Soshiku

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When will Google quit? They seem to want to invent everything that hasn’t been invented yet and reinvent everything that’s already been invented. One recent contribution is Google Notebook, which, as you might guess, is an online note-taking site.

The main advantage to using Google Notebook might not even be considered an advantage by some teachers: it gives the students the ability to share and comment on each others’ notes. Maybe Google Notebook could integrate with PayPal so that bright, unscrupulous students can more easily sell their notes? Horrors. But personally, I’d bet that a bright, scrupulous teacher could get great results by using this tool with an entire class or with more than one class studying the same subject. (Overseas collaborations, anyone?) Even if students don’t share them, however, web-based notes will still be conveniently accessible from any computer or smart phone, as well as searchable.

Google Notebook will work best for Firefox users who are willing to install and use add-ons (also called “extensions”), because the Google Notebook Firefox add-on makes it very easy to “clip” pieces of text from websites: all you have to do is highlight the text and right-click to save it. This functionality is duplicated by the Zotero Firefox add-on, however, which unlike Google Notebook can also handle images and generate a properly formatted bibliography.

Google isn’t the only one to have invented an online note-taking site: plenty of other non-behemoths have had the same idea. If you’ve used one or more of the note-taking services below, why not throw us a comment? We’d love to hear what you think.

• Fruitnotes
• Luminotes
• Notefish
• UberNote
• WebAsyst Notes
• Zoho Notebook

-AMANDA FRENCH

Google Notebook

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Ever wander what that gadget is that lets sportscasters draw on the screen while they analyze plays? Its called a telestrator, and now that you know what it is called you can go impress your friends and coworkers with your new knowledge. Go impress them now. I’ll wait.

According to the telestrator wiki page that I just scanned before writing this, a telestrator will set you back about $12,000. Not only is that a little cost prohibitive, but I also can’t see why you would need a telestrator in the classroom. Unless your class is a sports anchor broadcasting class, in which case, where can I sign up?

So let’s scrap the whole TV angle and stick to finding something more web-based that you can use in the classroom. What we need is something that allows you to write and draw all over websites, graphics and photos. The answer is Twiddla.

Twiddla is a highly user-friendly online collaboration tool perfect for student group projects. It lets you and as many people as you choose converge on the same thing. Then you can all proceed to go crazy, marking it up and adding shapes and media. You can chat with your “co-browsers” in both audio and text without having to add any new plug-ins or programs to your computer. Best of all, not only is it free but users don’t even need to register—just hit the go button and invite your friends. - NICK YINGLING

Twiddla

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HASTAC is looking for the sharpest needles on the digital farm, and when they find them, they’ll award them anywhere from $5,000 to $250,000. You’re an Instructify reader; surely you could be one of those talented needles — especially if you’ve got a great Web 2.0 project or idea.

The aforesaid HASTAC (pronounced just like the proverbial bale of dried grass) is actually the Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory, an initiative funded by the deep-pocketed MacArthur Foundation. The 2008 Digital Media and Learning Competition is giving out two separate kinds of awards: one to teams of people on “larger-scale projects” and the other to individual “innovators aged 18-25.” In both cases, the DML Competition wants to encourage “Participatory Learning,” which from their description doesn’t sound much different from social networking: “Participatory Learning includes the many ways that learners (of any age) use new technologies to participate in virtual communities where they share ideas, comment upon one another’s projects, and plan, design, advance, implement, or simply discuss their goals and ideas together.”

Examples of winning projects from 2007 include “FollowTheMoney.org”, which helps civics students (and all of us) understand certain legislative activities; the “Black Cloud” Environmental Studies game played by high school students from Los Angeles and Cairo; and “Always With You”, a mobile-phone network that enables micro-funding to young African social activists.

The deadline for this year’s competition is October 15, 2008, so start honing your application-filling-out skills now. –AMANDA FRENCH

2008 Digital Media and Learning Competition

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For centuries, structures made from adobe were inexpensive, durable constructions that could shelter a family and its possessions from the elements. Today, Adobe Share houses valuable data online, easily and inexpensively (that is to say, for free).

With Adobe Share, you can store up to a gigabyte of data on the web. Just select a file from your computer and upload it, and your important documents, pictures and music are secure. If your students want to collaborate on a document, they can also share files with others (hence the name Adobe Share).

Adobe Share is part of the larger suite, Acrobat.com, which includes several other cool apps like an online word processor (take that, Google). And unlike the Adobe Acrobat Reader software of its namesake, Acrobat.com won’t bug you about updating to the latest version every ten minutes. Like a lot of Adobe products, the interface is pretty slick, with a charcoal gray background, and menus that fade in and out when they’re needed. Pretty nice looking for a company named after mud bricks. -BILL FERRIS

Adobe Share

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Filesharing via the Internet can provide huge benefits in an academic environment. While the idea of “mass collaboration” might sound scary to administrators — like it could possibly violate every kind of honor code rule in the book — the ability to share class notes, study guides and other class materials can prove beneficial to students and teachers alike.

Since many schools do not already use an Internet-based classroom environment (such as Blackboard ), GradeGenie provides a free and easy way to share useful class materials with students and classmates, by letting both faculty members and students upload non-copyrighted class handouts as well as their own notes and make them available for other students to download. Users can search for information by selecting the school and the course, but can also search by instructor or topic.

With the site, GradeGenie seeks to help students obtain materials that will help them succeed in the course. And while it may not provide your students with the magic they may need to pass your class (as the name might suggest), it will help them wield the power of “mass collaboration.” — LAUREN FROHNE

GradeGenie

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Image from GradeGenie.com

Pencils? Check.

Notebooks? Check.

Online word processor application? Check.

In addition to standbys like pens, pads, and the ever-popular Trapper Keeper, today’s learners need a new set of school supplies, too.  These tools enable students to take advantage of the new learning possibilities the Web has to offer, such as making research easier, or finding better, cheaper ways of doing what they’re already doing.

In that spirit, here’s my top 10 new-school school supplies (all of which, by the way, are completely free).

1. OpenOffice — Why pay a bunch of money to Microsoft when you can get top-quality, MS-compatible programs for free? The OpenOffice suite packs a word processor, spreadsheets, presentation software, graphics software, and a database program. The open-source OpenOffice can do pretty much anything Microsoft Office can do, except drain your bank account.
2. A Cell phone — Whether it’s for podcasting, conducting surveys, or staying organized, the cellular phone has a huge amount of educational potential for those who know how to use it.
3. Remember the Milk –Back in my day, I wrote inky scribbles on my palm to stay organized. Today’s kids have Remember the Milk, which can keep track of assignments, activities, chores, and all applicable due dates and priorities. It also has fewer smudges.
4. Diigo — Invaluable for research, Diigo lets students bookmark and annotate webpages so they won’t forget why they bookmarked a page in the first place. They can also read other folks’ notes or annotations for further insight. Like any good Web 2.0 tool, Diigo lets them share their bookmarks and annotations with friends, too.
5. BibMe — Once students have found some great sources on Diigo, how do they cite them? Nobody has the time or energy to leaf through their MLA style manual to find the proper citation format for a newspaper article or whatever. If your students can muster the effort to enter a title, author, or ISBN number, BibMe will do the hard part and churn out a citation pre-formatted for the bibliography. If only the entire research paper process was this simple.
6. Google Docs — Does many of the things OpenOffice does. Google Docs also adds a collaborative element, as multiple students will be able to edit a document, spreadsheet or presentation.
7. OpenDrive – No more excuses about hard drive crashes. OpenDrive offers 1GB of storage online. Students can sync it with files on their hard drive for backups, collaborate with friends on projects, or use it to store their ever-expanding music collection. And for the time being at least, it’s free.
8. VoiceThread — A slideshow with a soundtrack, VoiceThread lets students tell stories visually as well as textually. Easily upload video, audio, even record narration via their cell phone (I told you those things were handy), with any luck VoiceThread will replace PowerPoint.
9. Adobe Photoshop Express Beta — If you thought Microsoft Office was expensive, check out the price tag for Adobe Photoshop. Fortunately, Photoshop Express Beta performs most of the photo editing functions students will need without costing a cent. They don’t even have to download anything. Now that’s express!
10. PB Wiki — Wikis are great for class projects and to cross-reference other pieces of information. And PB Wiki makes setting up a wiki a breeze, even if you don’t know a wiki from a blog.

As with any top 10 list, I had to exclude other worthy applications. Now’s your chance to tout your favorites (or to tell me what a jerk I am) in the comments. -BILL FERRIS

UPDATE: Okay, so cell phones aren’t exactly free. However, your students probably own them already, and most of the educational uses for them won’t cost you anything to implement.

Photo credit: jgodsey on flickr

If your students can put together a Web quest by this Friday, they’ll have a chance to win an eight gigabyte iPod Touch (yeah!).

Youth Media Exchange (ymex) is sponsoring a contest to try and create interest in their user-generated quests. Each quest is an inquiry-based research assignment that challenges students to answer (and ask) pertinent questions about issues such as the environment, poverty or education.

To quote the ymex website, quests will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1) Is it fun - will others be likely to want to do it?
2) Does it keep the focus on the issue it addresses?
3) Is it challenging enough but not too much that nobody will want to complete it?
4) Will digital literacy skills and/or enhanced critical thinking about media be gained?
5) Is it participatory, does it encourage interaction and collaboration with other ymex members?

For more information, check out the contest forum — FYI, pay no attention to the August 4 deadline. The front page of their site states they’ve extended the deadline until August 8. And if they’ve extended the deadline, it’s probably because they haven’t gotten many good entries, which means your students have a good chance of winning. So get a move on! -BILL FERRIS

Create-a-Quest Contest

In its never-ending attempt at taking over the Internet, and thus the world, Google recently launched its Knol project to the public. You might be asking yourself, what is a “knol” exactly? Google defines a knol as “a unit of knowledge” or “an authoritative article about a specific topic.” Okay, then what’s Knol?

Knol is an informational site, similar to Wikipedia and Britannica’s new platform, that hosts many knols written about various subjects. Anyone can write a knol (as long as they stick to the Content Policy), and other users can provide feedback, comments, related information, and — depending on the author’s settings — can even edit the knol. Even though Knol is a collaborative, user-driven information sharing platform, since it identifies its authors and allows them to document their credentials, its easy to evaluate the quality and veracity of the information.

Not only is Knol a great tool for top-level research, it also lets everyone (yes, even you!) share some knowledge on any topic imaginable. And, even if a knol on a topic already exists, you can still write your own article. Unlike Wikipedia, Knol is a forum that encourages individual perspectives, rather than enforcing a stringent neutral point-of-view. As they put it:

Google “[believes] that knowing who wrote what will significantly help users make better use of web content” and hopes “knols will include the opinions and points of view of the authors who will put their reputation on the line.”

Google might be onto something by incorporating a sense of community into information sharing by putting a face with each article. It looks like they might also be another step closer to world domination. –LAUREN FROHNE

Knol

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As a writer, discovering collaborative online documents was one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. It’s one of those tools that proves endlessly handy, whether I’m just in it for the data portability or I need to work on a project with other people. I’ve been an avid Google Docs user for quite some time, but don’t worry, there are other options out there.

One of these options is HyLighter, which takes a slightly different approach to sharing files and collaborating on documents. In addition to sharing capabilities, HyLighter has functions similar to MS Word’s track changes tool and it also lets collaborators suggest and discuss changes rather than just revise and overwrite the document. With color-coded comments and threaded conversations, HyLighter keeps documents neat, organized and easy to read.

HyLighter doesn’t currently have spreadsheet functionality, but you can import and export pdfs (in addition to word docs), which is pretty nifty. There’s nothing to download, and all you have to do is register, import your documents and invite collaborators. And, right now it’s free to register and use!

Keeping your documents online means that you can not only share them with other people — like colleagues, students or friends — you can also access them from anywhere, which is great if you tend to move between a home and classroom computer on a regular basis — no jump drive necessary! — LAUREN FROHNE

HyLighter

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When I got my first computer before going to college, it amazed me with its massive 366MB of memory. How would I ever use all of it? That computer cost nearly $2000.

Since then, hard drives have gotten a lot bigger and a lot cheaper. Want proof? OpenDrive Beta will give you a gigabyte of storage for free.

OpenDrive is like an online hard disk for backing up data or sharing files with others. Collaborate in real time using OpenDrive’s Collaboration Pro feature. You can also sync with uploaded files, so if you update your novel-in-progress, OpenDrive will save your changes both on your computer and in the copy you’ve squirreled away online.

Years from now we’ll laugh at the idea of a paltry gigabyte of storage. Until then, feel free to marvel at OpenDrive’s massive amount of memory. And you can’t beat the price. -BILL FERRIS

UPDATE: Dizzy with the possibility of all that free storage, I forgot to put a link in the article. You can try out OpenDrive by clicking here.

OpenDrive Beta

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The first time I heard someone talk about Seesmic, I thought to myself: “This person has to be saying it wrong. ‘Seismic‘ is a word, and it’s not pronounced ’seesmic’!” Well, although it is very rare for me to be wrong about something (really, very rare), I was in this case. And not only was I wrong, but I was also totally in the dark about a new, conversational video-sharing site that is changing the way people are able to communicate with each other!

Seesmic is an innovative new site that lets users communicate and connect online through video conversation, and has become known as the “Twitter of video” because of its micro-blogging appeal. Unlike most video hosting sites, though, it’s intended for posting instant videos of what you are doing or thinking about and having others respond to the conversation over time. It’s kind of like a message board, minus the anonymity.

What’s also pretty neat about Seesmic is that you can record your videos directly onto the website (which is handy if you want to post a quick update, or don’t have a lot of editing to do). But you also have the option to use your own camera or mobile phone, upload an existing video straight from your computer, or link to a video posted on a social network.

Seesmic could be a great tool to host an online debate on something you’re discussing in class and share with your students the perspectives of other people from around the world. You can start a thread by posting a video about a specific topic and other users can respond, starting a whole video conversation about your topic. And because conversations on Seesmic don’t happen in real time, you will have control over what you share with your students (as not everyone in the world is a friendly debater!).

While the community is still growing, people on Seesmic are already using the site to have conversations about all kinds of topics, from debates about “hummus vs. haggis,” to discussions about quality and quantity in terms of statistics, to just about anything. So go on, ask an open-ended question or state your opinion on something, and see what kind of conversation you can start! -LAUREN FROHNE

Seesmic

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Obviously, our civilization has now evolved well beyond the days of fruitlessly attempting to summarize our reactions to the many moments of a video with only a single comment and tagging our multifaceted videos with general terms that don’t capture the specific content that lies within.

Viddler is the new frontier of video sharing. For one, you don’t just tag your video, you tag specific moments in your video. This kind of tagging allows viewers to search for specific content within videos, not just for the overall topic. Also, you and your viewers can post comments on the video in the same way. The tags and comments appear right in the time line of your video - describing people, places, and things - and let viewers discuss specific moments, not just the video as a whole

Add super-fast upload and download times, and you can share your videos with your students, friends, family, and the world quickly and easily - all while having full control over your privacy settings. Also, if you don’t have a video camera, Viddler also has a neat little tool that let’s you record right from your webcam.

So go, watch the Internet’s evolution right before your eyes - check out the next generation of video sharing at Viddler! -LAUREN FROHNE

Viddler

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Lights, camera, video…in the classroom? You betcha! If you think kids like watching videos, wait until they start making them. Creating stuff is at a higher level of Bloom’s Taxonomy than bubbling in a test sheet. But where to begin?

This handy and easy-to-understand guide from Education.com on producing an educational video is a great place to start. It breaks the process down into pre-production, production, and post production, step-by-step. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment, as most digital cameras today have a video mode on them (my experience with Flip has been fantastic). I would add only one point to this otherwise superb article - for editing there is a free resource for Windows users in Movie Maker. It is not the most stable program (in the interest of disclosure, I have had Adobe Premiere Elements lock on me too, just not as often), but I’ll share a resource that should help you with these problems, PapaJohn - Movie Maker 2 - Issues-1.

A few other resources to help you out are Mathew Needleman’s excellent Video in the Classroom.com site. If you think your kids are too young, wait till you see what he’s done with 2nd graders. If there is an NYU Film school for videos in education it’s the AFI (American Film Institute) which does a lot of workshops teaching educators how to effectively help students make interesting, high-quality videos. -ALICE MERCER

Producting an Educational Video via Education.com
PapaJohn - Movie Maker 2 - Issues-1
AFI ScreenNation
Video in the Classroom.com — Integrating Video Production in the Elementary Classroom and Beyond

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Photo Credit: Stacy Lynn Baum on flickr