Useful+Classroom+Tools

Active Discussion Board This page has an active discussion board for you to discuss the different theories and principles outlined below, and how they may be used in your own classrooms.


 * Please add tools you have found useful in your classroom anywhere in this editable space. **

=Links to Useful Classroom Tools= toc

Wikispaces
Wikispaces is a free, simple tool for organizing and delivering sources. Students can go to your class wiki to find course content including documents, videos, podcasts and calendars. students can also use the wiki space to work collaboartively. Individual pages can be set up to be editable or secure (so that only the teacher can edit them) where students can collaboratively create course material. The wiki has discussion forums available on each page also, where students can answer student or teacher led questions and respond to each other. It is an entirely collaborative and constructivist space, housed on-line so that students can access it from home or school.

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[|Google Docs] (collaborative writing, spreadsheets and Powerpoints)
Google Docs is a free, web-based asyncronous writing/creating tool that allows students to collaborate on work from anywhere with an internet connection. Students using different computer platforms can co-write and engage with each other. They can also work collaboratively on spreadsheets and Powerpoints. It allows students to make all of these kinds of documents collaboratively on-line and for free. The teacher must have or sign up for a free [|Gmail] account to use this tool. media type="youtube" key="urrvY0YQWE4" height="274" width="339" align="center"

 //YouTube also has other excellent videos on using Google Docs for creating “spreadsheet artwork” and forms etc. //

Voki (avatar creator)
Voki is a free tool that allows people to construct a cartoon character (avatar) and have this avatar speak. You can record your own voice or type in the words you want to speak and choose from one of the preset voices. Students can also use animals, monsters etc. as their Voki. Voki can be supported in most platforms, including social networking sites and on, blogs, wiki spaces etc. This tool can allow students some degree of anonymity and can be used in a constructivist classroom – for example – have your students use characters to collectively “speak” a myth story.

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[|Etherpad] (collaborative writing tool)
Allows students to write collaboratively and track each others’ writing with colour codes. Student begins a free on-line writing pad and then invites other students using their e-mail addresses or by sending them the link to the pad. Students can also track the timeline of the writing process, using a scroll bar that gives dates and times of entries. Each student signs in with a distinct colour and then contributes to the collective writing assignment. Can be imported to a word file, PDF, HTML file and others.

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NOTE: There are many other YouTube videos on using Etherpad for second language learners.

[|Bubbl.us](collaborative mind-mapping tool)
Bubble.us is an on-line free collaborative mind mapping tool that allows users to save, print, share and collaborate on mind maps. The tool is extremely easy to use. Because it is a web-based tool, now downloads are necessary and students can use this tool from anywhere so long as they have an internet connection. You can e-mail, export, print and/or save your mind maps (which become JPEGS). In order to collaborate, students are required to set up an account using an e-mail address.

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 * Limits: ** Unlike Inspiration, bubble.us has single shapes and only allow students to create using different colours. It also does not have an outline view. Navigating on the actual creation page is occasionally a little tricky.

[|Diigo] (collaborative research tools/groups)
A social bookmarking site, which has many unique functions. When researching a web page using Diigo, students can highlight and bookmark only required sections of a webpage (rather than the entire page), and make comments on what they are reading. Students can also share their research with others, through email, or posts to Twitter or Facebook. Students can also form learning communities, where they can work together on projects, using a Facebook-style interface. Teachers can also form their own communities, and can get enhanced accounts, with greater privileges and access.

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[|Showdocument] (collaborative meeting space)
Simply, allows students to hold online meetings. Students can collaborate by sharing and working together on MS Office files, PDF files, YouTube Videos, Google Maps. ShowDocument also has a shared virtual whiteboard that students can use together. Unlike other web meeting sites, meetings can be made private (which avoids spam/unwelcome guests). To use One student simply logs on to the website, creates a meeting, and sends out the URL so that others can join.

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Limitations: Students must register for a free account in order to use it. Some advertising appears on the edges of the meeting pages.

[|Meebo] (synchronous chat website)
Simply, a website which allows students to chat online. The advantage of this website is that students can log in with many different existing chat accounts (e.g., MSN, Yahoo Messenger, MySpace, Facebook, GTalk, etc.) This reduces the need for students to register for multiple accounts to be able to talk online together.

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Voicethread
Voicethread is an account-based secure voice creation application with a great deal of support for educators. Students can create collaboratively or independently on a myriad of projects and share their work with peers and the larger voicethread community. For a detailed overview of how it works, click on the file below.

Custom Search Engine
Create a custom search engine for your class and have a student be in charge of generating links and additional resources for your class. For a video on how to make a Google Custom Search engine, click on the video below. media type="youtube" key="v5bi2H0YNEU" height="344" width="425" align="center"