Of all the social bookmarking services I’ve looked at, I think I like Diigo best. I particularly like the ability to highlight and annotate shared web pages. I’m not yet using Diigo to full advantage, and this post is not really about Diigo.

I want to point out the visual way you can share lists of websites. In special education, we’ve long known that many people with “special needs” require visual supports in order to learn effectively. I believe, however, that most of us learn better when visual supports are available. So, I’m discussing a tool here that may be of value to almost anyone. It’s definitely worth a look.

Webslides is Diigo’s very slick option for creating and sharing sets of bookmarked websites as interactive slideshows. With Diigo, I can organize my bookmarks into lists. Any list can then be shown as a “webslide” presentation.

Each website on a list is represented by the actual page that has been bookmarked. Seeing the page provides far more information than just seeing the website’s address in a list! The slideshow is interactive in that it can be paused and you can go directly to the website via a live link in the bottom left corner of each “slide”. The slideshow can advance automatically, and you choose how long each slide is viewed. Or, you can move through the slideshow manually, and you can also choose to go back to any previous slide.

Clicking the button below will take you to the slideshow of my list of 55 websites that that I think support science curricula. I would appreciate your comments on this format if you check it out. (If you are reading this post in a Reader, you may not see the button . Please click here instead.)

Slideshows of listed websites can be shared in several convenient ways. Each slideshow has its own URL, and that can be shared. A widget, such as the button I’ve used here, can be embedded on a website, wiki, or blog. Or, the slideshow itself can even be embedded, but I found the slideshow too large to embed effectively on this blog. Embedding the full slideshow worked much better on a wider wiki page.

]]> http://paulhami.edublogs.org/2008/05/25/webslides-on-diigo-online-resource/feed/ 9 http://paulhami.edublogs.org/2008/05/17/flypaper-downloadable-program/ http://paulhami.edublogs.org/2008/05/17/flypaper-downloadable-program/#comments Sat, 17 May 2008 15:01:15 +0000 Paul Hamilton http://paulhami.edublogs.org/2008/05/17/flypaper-downloadable-program/ CAST rightly says that a universal design for learning (UDL) requires multiple means of representation, multiple means of expression, and multiple means of engagement. Without multiple options, we simply cannot meet the diverse range of learning needs and learning styles that are present in EVERY classroom. The sad news is that options are still severely limited in today’s typical classroom.

The good news is that, with the technology available today, there is a plethora of tools available to provide numerous options for every learner. Because most of the emerging tools are free of monetary cost, because they are readily available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection, and because they are easy to use, there is no excuse for teachers who do not use these tools or make them available to the learners they support.

Flypaper is a versatile presentation tool with an infinite range of potential uses by learners and teachers–to engage, represent, and express. Flypaper is easy to learn and use. It is a downloadable program for the PC, so it can be used off line when an internet connection is unavailable. Still, you can easily share your work online in the Flypaper “community”, or embed it wherever else you want to. Flypaper has made it easy to turn your presentation into a flash file, and you can even upload it directly to Youtube from within the application.

In a Flypaper presentation, you can include virtually anything you choose–text, graphics, audio, video, action buttons, hyperlinks, etc. I particularly like the fact that it is convenient for the presenter to add voice narration. A presentation may be a single page, or it may contain multiple “chapters” with as many pages as you want.

Flypaper encourages you to download “models” created by other users, and to use these models as templates for your own work. Flypaper offers tutorials for new users, as well as user forums. There is also a well organized 114 page user manual in pdf format.

I’ve embedded an example of a Flypaper presentation here that merely hints at the potential of the application.

FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners.

Orli Yakuel at Go2Web2.0 shares numerous new resources that have tremendous potential to support learning. It is becoming increasingly common for me to first learn of something from Orli! Yesterday, Orli wrote a post about a powerful new online resource for anyone learning (or teaching) about the human body.

Visible Body is a detailed and anatomically correct virtual model of the human body that has been produced and made available online by Argosy Publishing. The body’s systems can be examined and explored either individually, or in combination. The model can be viewed from multiple angles, and it is easy to zoom in or out to adjust the level of visible detail.

Altogether, Visible Body provides excellent visual support for anyone interested in learning about the human body. I believe the Visible Body can be used profitably at any point on the learning spectrum–from Primary School through graduate school and beyond.

The developers have produced a helpful video tutorial explaining how to use the Visible Body. The site describes itself as ‘beta’, and it clearly has plans to offer more. At the moment, Visible Body can only be viewed in Internet Explorer, but I’ve had no problem accessing it in Firefox with the IE Tab add-on. Registration is required, but there is no advertising on the site. For more about the Visible Body, check out the video below.

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FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners and their teachers.

It seems that many good things come out of MIT these days. That’s where the people behind Instructables are from, or at least it’s where they got their start. They’ve put together a wonderful resource that I think could be adopted widely by educators who are looking for ways to engage and challenge learners. This resource has the added benefit of helping equip students with essential 21st century skills.

Instructables bills itself as “The World’s Biggest Show & Tell”. It strikes me as an online paradise for people of any age who are interested in inventing, designing, and making things. I see huge potential for engaging countless high school students who are motivated by concrete application of what they study in school. In typical Web 2.0 fashion, Instructables offers a convenient forum for networking and collaborating with others of like mind. They even throw in additional motivation from contests that offer real prizes.

Instructables is built on the concept of posting step-by-step instructions. They provide a platform for putting up a visual image for each step, along with space for accompanying text. “Collaborators” are given the opportunity to comment on each step or on the project as a whole. The community therefore can have input on refining the process and/or the product.

Not surprisingly, Instructables hosts groups and forums. Major categories include: Art; Craft; Food; Games; Home; Life; Offbeat; Ride; Tech. There are currently 3 contests under way, including one called “Mashup” that is offering over $5,000 in prizes. Popular projects include a remote for an iPod, making a safety pin from a paper clip, and a mini airplane that actually flies. That’s the airplane shown below, and the entry in Instructables includes a video that proves it can fly!

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FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners and their teachers.

Exploring and learning to use emerging Web 2.0 applications can take up so much time that that it’s easy to ignore some of the valuable Web 1.0 resources that have been around for a while. Some of these 1.0 websites offer an enormous wealth of content that is both engaging and enriching. Cells Alive, by Jim Sullivan, has been online since 1994, and for anyone studying biology it is a rich resource indeed!

Cells Alive (online resource) This is a well organized biology resource of exceptional quality that offers a wealth of information. Material is presented and illustrated in such an engaging manner that it is accessible to learners across the learning-style spectrum. As well, the Firefox add-on, CLiCkSpeak, is able to read aloud much of the content on Cells Alive, and the website’s pages can be printed directly into Kurzweil 3000 via the virtual printer.

Cells Alive provides beautifully illustrated definitions, interactive animations, puzzles, and quizzes. Key words are suggested throughout the site to facilitate extended learning. Teaching materials are available for sale, but animal and plant cell-diagrams can be downloaded free of charge for use by teachers and students.

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners and their teachers.

Today I’m featuring a remarkable resource that has been made available to the world by a school in Courtenay, British Columbia. This online library is a tribute to the vision, talent and effort of Stewart Savard, the school’s librarian. It so happens that Courtenay is where I live, and it’s an honour to know Stew, and to get to work with him on occasion.

Courtenay Middle School Library (online resource) The growing collection of digital resources housed on this Vancouver Island middle school’s website is truly remarkable. In addition to some resources that you can download, there’s an extensive and well organized catalogue of links to some of the very best online resources available anywhere.

There is much of value here to middle school learners and their teachers everywhere. By virtue of the multiple ways that users can access material on the site, and because of way the library identifies the reading level of the material, the library is built firmly on UDL principles. (UDL= Universal Design for Learning)

Downhill skiing has provided the model for rating the degree of reading challenge for each catelogued item, as illustrated below:

Material is organized by unit under main subject headings and sub-headings. For example, under Social Studies, there are four main sub-headings: History; Current Events; Geography; Research Topics. Under History, you then find the following units: Ancient China; Ancient Egypt; Ancient Greece; Early Humans; Indian Empires; Mesopotamia; Middle Ages; Mongol Empire; Renaissance; Roman Empire. For each of these units, resources are organized under a helpful Table of Contents.

There’s a terrific Free Audio Book collection, with links to audio files of recorded human readers. There’s also a collection of novels available for “Assisted Reading“. The latter includes text files that can be downloaded for use with e-text reading software, as well as some KESI files that open in Kurzweil 3000. KESI files are available to download for some of the material catalogued under other subject headings as well.

There is much more at Courtenay Middle School’s online library, but no description I offer would do it justice. It needs to be explored and used to be fully appreciated.

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Today I’m featuring another website that is exceptional in terms of both the quality and the scope of what it has to offer. It is also an inspiring example of what an individual school can do. To be fair, they haven’t done it overnight. Woodlands Junior School has been online since 1999. There has clearly been visionary leadership here with an ongoing commitment to excellence.

Woodlands Web (online resource) Woodlands Junior School in the UK has created a very special and incredibly useful website. It is a repository of well organized and easily accessed interactive learning activities and games. Although Woodlands Junior students are aged 7 to 11, many of the activities housed on the website are appropriate for children both younger and older.

There are numerous features of this site that set it apart. First, there is the simple uncluttered interface that is completely ad-free and easy to navigate. Then there is the exceptional quality of the activities that are housed or linked on the site. There are both activities that have been created at Woodlands as well as links to some of the best that other sites have to offer. Activities are straightforward and engaging. Also notable is the extensive range of offerings.

In support of curriculum, activities are organized into four main areas: Literacy Zone; Maths Zone; Science Zone; Homework Help. As well, there is information about the UK in a special section entitled British Life and Festivals. Other subjects featured include playground games, safe internet surfing, jokes and brain teasers.

Finally, this site offers an extensive collection of games. By my count, there are currently 115 games in the collection. Titles range from Maniac Racers to Word Meisters. The top five games games of the moment are: Jet Slalom; Basketball; Tank Game; Harry Potter; 3D Driver. The site says these games are for the students, “…to enjoy during free time and when they are at home.”

The screenshot below shows only the top half of the starting interface for the Woodlands Web, but it gives an idea of how well the site is organized and of how clearly it is presented.

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Here’s another terrific “find” shared by Kevin Jarrett of NCS-Tech! If you haven’t been to Kevin’s site, I highly recommend a visit. Kevin puts up a new post almost every day, and if you are interested in using technology in education, those posts are well worth reading. I’ve learned a great deal and found numerous priceless treasures on Kevin’s site.

School Time Games (online resource) This site is a veritable vault of quality online games and activities that re-enforce curriculum content while providing a great deal of engaging fun. There are currently nearly 100 flash and shockwave activities housed on the site, as well as an impressive library of online videos. The site has targeted students aged 8 and older.

School Time Games has been created by a teacher named Jason Miller. All activities are chosen by his students. The students also test each one to ensure that it is completely appropriate in a school setting, that it is easy to learn, that it provides a reasonable degree of challenge, and that it is fun to play.

The games are helpfully organized by subject area: Social Studies (not unduly focused on the US); Language Arts; Science; Math; Sports; Logic; Art & Music; Arcade. The games require Shockwave and Flash players that can be easily downloaded and installed. The site is ad-supported, but exclusively with text-only Google adsense. Some of the games can be downloaded and played offline. In a few instances, the developoers of the games want you to purchase an offline version.

As a significant bonus, School Time Games also offers a collection of links to short online videos. The videos, too, are categorized by subject area: science; math; language arts; social studies; music & art; entertainment. I checked out several of the videos and found all to be of goood quality and from three to five minutes in length. The video content was invariably well worthwhile.

The screenshots below demonstrate the manner in which activities are organized and presented on School Time Games.

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PowerPoint has become ubiquitous in schools, but in my experience it remains under utilized by teachers. One of the biggest factors is that most teachers lack the time to create PowerPoint resources for use with their classes. Today’s featured resource offers some helpful shortcuts. Kudos to Jefferson County Schools for sharing this tremendous resource. This one’s filed on my Content & Curriculum page.

Jefferson County Schools–PowerPoint Collection This is an extensive repository of PowerPoint presentations that have been prepared by teachers, and made available for download by other educators. Quality varies, but almost all that I have looked at are quite good.

Presentations are organized by subject (The Arts, Language Arts, Library Science, Math, Science, Social Studies). Each subject area is divided into the two broad categories of K-5 and 6-12.

A disclaimer on the site states, “The content of these presentations are provided by teachers and are presumed to be in the public domain.” This means that the presentations may be used as they are or modified as required to suit specific circumstances.

Since free PowerPoint viewers are available from Microsoft, it isn’t even necessary to have a full version of PowerPoint in order to make use of the presentations. There is great potential for making use of these presentations with students who have only single-switch access to a computer.

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We sometimes have incredibly helpful software to use with our students, but finding time to create activities for use with the computer programs is often a huge obstacle. Today’s resource has the potential to help with this challenge. curriculumSET is filed under Content & Curriculum.

curriculumSET (online resource) This is a new and emerging database of downloadable activities designed for students who use assistive technology to access the curriculum. At present, most activities are for Clicker 4, Clicker 5, or Classroom Suite. There are a handful of activities for Boardmaker, Kurzweil 3000 and Solo. The collection is searchable and well organized by subject area and school level, but there are presently some gaps in what is available.

The potential for using curriculumSET to share resources is tremendous. Too many people are wasting precious time as they repeat the efforts of others. In many instances, it works well to use an activity that has been created by someone else as a template for a new activity in another situation with modified or alternative content.

curriculumSET is offered by SET-BC, which happens to be where I hold down a day-job. If, after having a look at curriculumSET, you think we might like to add some of your activities, I would be interested in hearing from you at info4free.resources@gmail.com.

The screenshots below show how curriculumSET has been organized. (Click on a thumbnail to enlarge, and use your browser’s back button to return to this blog.)