All in Bits and Pieces

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-08-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

10 Google Services That Don’t Get the Limelight They Deserve

tags: google googleapps

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-07-17T17:31:00.001-07:00

Let Me Tell You A Tale
Free audio books for children through itunes

tags: storytelling stories
JOG THE WEB
web-based tool that allows anyone to create a synchronous guide to a series of web sites. Its step by step approach of taking viewers through web sites allowing the author to annotate and ask guiding questions for each page is unique.
The Book Seer
Find your next book

tags: books reading

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

French Language Resources for Bastille Day

2010-07-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

I have rounded up a few French language resources for Bastille Day (the French national holiday which is celebrated on 14 July each year). Bastille Day honors the 1790 Feast of the Federation, held a year after the assault on the Bastille on 14 July 1789. The French Revolution brought about significant political and social change to France including the abolition and replacement of the French monarchy with a democratic republic formed on enlightenment principles.

Bastille Day and the French Revolution

http://bastille-day.com/

A site dedicated to the French Revolution and Bastille Day. Contains a Chronology, Biographies of key players and an explanation of symbols of the Revolution.

Google Timeline of the French Revolution

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=french+revolution+bastille+day&hl=en&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=d1Y6TK_ECYr6cIvVqYoP&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CFEQ5wIwCg

A Timeline of resources from a Google search on the French Revolution and Bastille Day

Languages Matter

http://www.ozprojects.edu.au/course/view.php?id=33

This project will include links to online resources for a number of languages taught in Australian schools. It also aims to facilitate student understanding of the role of languages in global citizenship. Free to use and join.

LanguageGuide.org

http://www.languageguide.org/french/

French picture vocabulary, Grammar and reading activities.

Chez Mimi

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/c4modernlanguages/mimi/main/french_main_menu.asp

An interactive multimedia site which allows learners to develop their French skills through online games. Aimed at upper primary and early secondary.

Ma France

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/mafrance/

Learning French from the BBC: An interactive site with a collection of language resources for teachers and students of the French Language. Download video podcasts and mini language lessons to watch on your computer or MP3 player.

Digital Dialects

http://www.digitaldialects.com/French.htm

Interactive resources for learning the French language. Includes Flash and audio activities.

Image attribution: 'French Flag', Salady's Photo Stream. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-07-03T17:31:00.001-07:00

A Guide to Children's Book Series
Book series have been around for a long time and play an important role in early reading. From the blog Literacy, families and learning

tags: literacy reading

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-06-12T17:31:00.001-07:00

My Child
The mychild.gov.au site is an initiative of the Australian Government. This site is about children, with the main focus being on early childhood learning and child care. You will also find helpful links to other information for families in this site
tags: childcare
National Childcare Accreditation Council
NCAC is responsible for the administering Child Care Quality Assurance systems for Australian child care services. The NCAC website provides information for child care professionals, families looking for and using child as well and resources including reports, statistics and links.
tags: childcare, early childhood

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-06-05T17:31:00.001-07:00

iBioSeminars
IbioSeminars: Free, on-demand lectures and media
tags: lectures, science
Museum of London - Street Museum
Streetmuseum is a new (and free) augmented reality iPhone app created by the Museum of London that allows you to browse historical photographs in various parts of the city.

The app leads you to various locations around London using either the map or GPS. Once you’re there, click the “3D View” button, and the app will recognize the location and overlay the historical photograph over the live video feed of the real world, giving you a brief glimpse into how the past looked
tags: augmented reality, iphone, museum
YouTube - Press Display demo
Thanks to Public Library Services and SA’s public libraries, anyone with an SA public library card can now access full ‘page-by-page turning’ electronic versions of the Advertiser and the Australian for free.
www.libraries.sa.gov.au
tags: libraries, news, news media

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-05-29T17:31:00.001-07:00

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School | Brain Rules |
Brain Rules by John J. Medina is a multimedia project explaining how the brain works. It includes a book, a feature-length documentary film, and a series of interactive tutorials.
tags: brain, learning, research
Three Brain Rules You Need to Know | BrainWorld
Dr. Medina talks about the three brain rules he thinks are most important to the average person: exercise, stress, and sleep. John Medina is a molecular biologist, private consultant, professor, Director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research.
tags: brain, development, learning
Brain Education in Schools | BrainWorld
Brain Education is an educational program devoted to helping individuals better manage and utilize their brains.
tags: brain, development, learning
TOPYX - Interactyx
Find social learning management system (social LMS)eLearning platform software with integrated social learning, mobile learning and eCommerce functionality online from Interactyx.com.
tags: LMS, social networking, CMS
BrainWorld |
Brain World explores cutting-edge science and how its findings can affect human health, culture, education, global issues and more. It’s written for the general reader. BRAIN WORLD is published by the International Brain Education Association (IBREA), a nonprofit educational organization
tags: brain, development, learning
Brain Power | BrainWorld
From neurons to brain wiring, Dr. David Walsh gives an easy-to-understand tour of children's and teens' brain development and the impact of experience on the "wiring' of their brains.
tags: brain, learning
Classroom Clips | media for educators and students
Launched in September 2007, Classroom Clips allows users to search and explore a wide range of educational content which has been correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning. Featuring many locally produced programs, users are able to stream video and audio clips on topics such as history, government, science, and art.
tags: media, video

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-05-08T17:31:00.001-07:00

The Interactive Classroom
tags: blog
PhET
Free online physics, chemistry, biology, earth science and math simulations
tags: physics, science

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-04-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

Jane's Pick of the Day: iPhone Apps for Education
iPhone Apps for Education via Scribd
tags: iphone, apps

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-04-17T17:31:00.001-07:00

My Place for teachers
On this website you will find rich educational material to support primary and lower-secondary teachers using the My Place TV series in the classroom. Explore background information, aligned with the My Place stories, on events and people that are significant to Australia's history. Download clips and stills from the TV series, as well as teaching activities and student activity sheets that relate to current themes. Go behind the scenes with production information and interviews, or chat with other teachers and share stories in the teacher's forum.
tags: no_tag
Blooms Taxonomy Tutorial
The tutorials were created as interactive adaptations of the three Tutorial References listed on this page. If you cannot view/use the tutorials, please consult the references instead- Churches (2008) is especially useful as it includes in-depth information about the revised taxonomy and numerous activity examples and rubrics for evaluation of those activities. This page focuses exclusively on the cognitive domain of learning, but there are taxonomies for the affective and psychomotor domains. To learn more about these, see the Clark (2007) resource listed in the Tutorial References section of this page. There are also Other Resources to explore.
tags: blooms taxonomy, learningstyles
moodle Teaching and Learning: Tutorials
If you are a "teach yourself" fan, there is a veritable ocean of tutorials and 'How to' videos and documents out there
tags: moodle
Technology on the Horizon | education.au
The report centres on the application of emerging technologies to teaching, learning and creative expression. Horizon Reports, now published in six languages, are regarded worldwide as the most timely and authoritative sources of information on new and emerging technologies available to education anywhere.
tags: technology, education
Shares Education
Stock Market Education - Invest in Share Market - ASX - Australian Securities Exchange
tags: asx, shares, online course
The Art Of Storytelling
Online storytelling using the Delaware Art Museum collection
tags: digitalstorytelling
StoryJumper
Publish your own children's book.
tags: DigitalStorytelling
Muck and Brass
Online game about the Industrial revolution.
tags: history, games
Slavery Museum
Wiki which utilises glogster to explore the topic of slavery in the Americas.
tags: slavery, history
ProjectExplorer
Multimedia virtual field trips to Jordan, South Africa & England.
tags: virtualfieldtrips
Literacy, families and learning
Great Science & Technology Books for Children 3-12 years
tags: literacy, science

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-04-10T17:31:00.001-07:00

Speakaboos
Kids' Stories, Songs, Games, Educational Activities for Children.
tags: reading, e-book

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-04-03T17:31:00.001-07:00

The Cool Course Competition Site
Moodle cool course competition results.
tags: moodle
Moodle Recipes for Educators
Community Cookbook - from the moodle.org site.
tags: moodle
Moodle @ University of Bath
tags: moodle
Moodle Girl's Blog
Mel Gibb blogs about moodle
tags: moodle
Elevated Formation
Entries tagged with moodle
tags: moodle
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org: Moodle
Blog of Miguel Guhlin: all entries tagged with moodle.
tags: moodle
Moodle Monthly
News, Information and Resources for the World's Leading LMS
tags: moodle, LMS
Techie Tips
This site is intended to provide teachers with tools and resources to more effectively infuse technology into their classrooms
tags: moodle
GlobalClassroom
GlobalClassroom moodle blog
tags: globalclassroom, moodle

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-03-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

Multiple Intelligences Snowflake
Interactive activity designed to show that everyone has all of the Intellegents in various degrees.
tags: multiple, intelligences, multiple intelligences
MapBuzz
Online mapmaking site
tags: maps, geography
Fwix
Discuss and Discover Local News in Your City : pulls together local news stories from local news outlets in hundreds of cities throughout the world. You click on one city, and you get tons of media from the local papers, television, and other sources.
tags: news, newsmedia
World War II in the Pacific, 1942-1945
Holt Social Studies: interactive map of the Pacific War
tags: war
The Critical Classroom
For teachers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the classroom.
tags: indigenous, aboriginal
Silly Books
A Literacy Site with animated children's books, musical stories, stories written by children...
tags: literacy, reading, audiobooks

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-02-06T16:31:00.001-08:00

DecideAlready - Decisions made easy
online collaborative site
tags: collaboration, decide, surveys, web2.0, decisions
me.edu.au
social network
tags: social networking
Wordnik
Word Definitions, Examples, Pronunciations.
tags: dictionary, english
CG Textures
Textures
tags: photos, design
HeroMachine
Make a Hero avatar
tags: superhero, avatar

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-01-16T16:31:00.001-08:00

Give It A Ponder
Things to ponder before you text.
tags: behaviour
Blosics
Physics meet blocks, blocks meet physics.
tags: physics, science
Moronface
Extreme enlaring/reducing effects on photos
tags: photos, image
Yearbook Yourself
Image and photo effects made to look like high school photos from different eras
tags: image, photos
LoonaPix
Make Funny Photo Effects and Photo Frames Online.
tags: image, photos
AnyMaking
creative, images resizing, crop pictures, rotate image, border picture, image mirror, picture shadow, image rounded corners, image filter
tags: image, photos
ImageChef
Image and photo effect editor
tags: image, photos
PhotoFunia
Effects for photos and images
tags: photos, image
Timeline Index
Covers royalty, philosophers, poets, artisits, composers, historians, conquerors, women, explorers etc.
tags: history
Faces and Places interactive
two part interactive where users can create folk art style pictures using a composite of over 100 painting.
tags: art
Thinklinkr
online collaborative document 'outliner'. Also contains an import and export feature.
tags: no_tag
Sumo Paint
Online Image Editor
tags: images

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Blogs I follow

2010-01-13T16:31:00.001-08:00

Wow, this challenge was harder than I thought it was going to be. I am glad I have done it though. It has made me review the blogs that I follow and I have to admit I had a bit of a cull but I probably have more idea now of why I follow the blogs that I do.

The other thing this challenge has made me realise is that I follow all of these blogs and probably not one of them knows that I do! Why? because I haven't been brave enough to comment on any of them. I will have to change that. maybe it can be one of my personal challenges after the blogfest has run it's course?

On to Task #4: Following Blogs.

How do I keep track of all the blogs that I follow? I use Flock which has an inbuilt RSS reader and also allows you to keep track of the activity on your social networks. The RSS reader allows me organise the feeds from the blogs that I follow into collapsible folders. it also lets me know when there are new posts to read. You can then choose to read the post via the RSS feed or visit the site. The other REALLY handy thing about Flock is that when I am visiting a blog RSS feeds are automatically detected. An orange button next to the URL lights up and when you click on it, it takes you to a feed page with a 'subscribe' button that you can drag into your RSS feed folders. It is really easy to use.

If the blog is on blogger then I use the Followers block rather than my RSS reader in Flock. This means that when I sign into my dashboard in blogger, I see the latest posts from the blogs that I am following and can also manage them. I found the Followers block really helpful when I was participating in the 365 Photo challenge in 2009. It helped me stay update with viewing the other participant's blogs and I was also able to broaden the network of blogs that I followed by discovering new blogs through it.

What blogs to I follow and why (in no particular order):

Literacy, families & learning
http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/
In Trevor's own words "This blog aims to provide practical, timely and sound support and advice for parents, teachers and teachers in training." Trevor Cairney is Master of New College and Adjunct Professor of Education at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Trevor's blog offers practical information on activities to do in the classroom and I like it because he is not focussed on new online tools. Instead he uses an online tool to describe and share his experiences of real life teaching situations. In that way it is very refreshing :)

Successful teaching
http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/
The author of this blog is Pat Hensley who for 30 odd years taught special education in the public school system of America. She now teaches graduate courses as an adjunct instructor for Furman University.

The Clever Sheep
http://thecleversheep.blogspot.com/
Rodd Lucier is the Clever Sheep! He is a American teacher who uses media and ICT to engage his learners. I like some of Rodd's posts because he sometimes posts a video or audio clip to give his posts a little context. Some of the topics he blogs on go straight over my head so the media helps.

Birds Fly, Fish Swim
http://steveshann.wordpress.com/
This blog is written by an Australian English teacher, Steve Shann. Steve works in a Canberra secondary school and is also a convenor at the University of Canberra of a postgraduate course called 'Literacy across the curriculum'. I enjoy reading Steve's posts because I find them very "honest". Steve reflects on his successes and failures in the classroom and writes about them in his blog. When you read Steve's posts he lays all of his thinking bare and you go along for the ride as he reconstructs it to find a solution to his problem.

Brave New World
http://tsheko.wordpress.com/
Tania Sheko is a teacher librarian at Whitefriars College in Victoria. Her blog was started in 2008 as part of professional development discovering web 2.0 and it has just kept going.

2c worth
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
David Warlick has been blogging since 2004 on his 2c Worth blog. David's blog "is a place where I record the thoughts and ideas that shape themselves in my head as I read, listen, talk, and observe. I write in this blog to have my ideas criticized, deconstructed, recombined, added to, and, when possible, to be used.". He aims to converse rather than just publish.

LisaHillSchoolStuff weblog
http://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress.com/
Lisa Hill is the Director of Curriculum, and the teacher-librarian at Mossgiel Park PS, Endeavour Hills, in Melbourne. Lisa is a very avid blogger and you'll find links to her other blogs about Travel, school blogs and her ANZ LitLovers from her About page.

Moving at the Speed of Creativity
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/
Wes has a very varied blog and covers and extensive range of topics from digital storytelling, digital citizenship and educational leadership (and much much more!). I don't always fully understand Wes's post's and I find them quite long to read but he always provides a lot of other resources to follow up when he discusses a topic. Wes is also very good at providing step by step information on using tools that he has used. Wes is a teacher in the USA.

Bright Ideas
http://slav.globalteacher.org.au/
The bright Ideas blog is a multi-author blog and as such is a place to go when you want to find something new in ICT and education, rather than a blog that gets into deep discussions on topics of interest. The primary audience of the blog are school librarians and they try and encourage librarians to use some of the tools they showcase on the blog in their own schools.

Langwitches
http://langwitches.org/blog/
The main focus of this blog by Silvia Tolisano is technology in the classroom, digital storytelling, multicultural and global education. Silvia is right at the forefront of discovering new tools and gadgets to use and then sharing her experiences and examples of it's use.

OllieBray
http://olliebray.typepad.com/olliebraycom/
"Creativity and Innovation in Education". Ollie is a Head Teacher currently seconded to work as National Adviser for Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). Ollie reflects on conferences that he has attended and shares what he has learnt. He often shares videos that he has found on what teachers are doing in their classroom and also guides teachers in exploring topics through online technologies. I follow Ollie's blog because all the other bloggers I follow are either from Ausralia or the USA, so I like to keep up to date with what is happening in the UK.

The Power of Educational Technology
http://edtechpower.blogspot.com/
Liz Davis is just helpful. She shares what she is doing as the Director of Academic Technology at an all boys school in Boston USA and also offer helpful tips to get other teachers started with online tools.

So that's the end of my list. I have a lot of other blogs that I follow but these are the ones which I tend to gravitate towards the most. Do you have any others that aren't on my list which you like to read?

LinkWithin widget

2010-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

With all this widget activity in the blogfest I have stumbled across this widget called LinkWithin on a few blogs that I am following and I though I'd give it a go.

The LinkWithin widget appears under each post and links to any related blog posts in your blog archive. It appears with a heading of "you may also like these stories" and then 3 or more (you decide) thumbnail pictures from that post. The thumbnail image is another reason to include some visual stimulation in each post. As you can see my diigo resources come through automatically "imageless" so they are blank when they display. Does anyone know of a way to include an image with the post from diigo?

I am not sure what metadata the widget draws on to make the relation between posts or whether it is just random. According to a review on Read Write Web, LinkWithin pulls on not only your tabs, but the posts "relevancy, popularity and recency". I have to admit I'm not the best at tagging my posts, so maybe now is a good time to start!

So why would you use LinkWithin? I like the fact that your older blog posts can be showcased for readers of your blog, instead of just tucked away in those side archive folders. I also feel it may just encourage readers of your blog to linger a little longer and to engae in conversation through older posts, not just the new ones. The other good thing about this widget is that it is available for Wordpress, Typepad, and Blogger platforms so I think you'll start to see it popping up everywhere.

What other widgets have you discovered in the new year and how do you think they will improve engagement with your blog?

Wonderful Widgets

2010-01-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

The third challenge for the Blogfest is to learn about embedding widgets. A widget is a third party stand alone application that can be embedded into a web page, such as a blog or social networking home page. According to Wikipedia "Widgets are fun, engaging, and useful applications that allow users to turn personal content into dynamic web apps that can be shared on just about any website"

Here is a widget where I have put in all the places in the world that I have visited. Places I have visited:

create your own visited country map.

The red coloured areas are the countries I have visited and the grey are the areas that are still on the wish list!

There are also widgets that aim just to put a smile on the faces of your blog visitors. See the widget below as an example. This is Maukie the virtual cat. She followes your cursor around the page. Make sure you scratch her head and rub her stomach before you leave (turn your sound up).

Maukie - the virtual catgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Here are a few other examples of widgets I have come across that could be useful in an educational context:

Mixbook

Voicethread

Voki (see an example in the right column)

polldaddy

Flag Counter (have put this one into the side column)

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2010-01-09T16:31:00.001-08:00

Timelines.tv
History, documentary & television on the web in the form of a timeline.
tags: history
Slashfood
Food tips and articles.
tags: blogs
TIME: 25 Best Blogs of 2009
TIME annual list of the best blogs: world, politics, housekeeping, astronomy and everything in between.
tags: blogs, blogging
Blessthischick
Avatar maker
tags: Avatar
TizMe
Avatar maker
tags: avatar
WeeMee
Avatar maker and social network.
tags: no_tag
The Hero Factory
make your own super hero avatar
tags: avatar, avatars
Science Friday
Science videos and discussions.
tags: no_tag
AdverSmarts
Looks at advertising and food marketing.
tags: media
Thomas the Tank Engine
Play online at Thomas and Friends.com. Explore fun and free online games, activities and printables for kids and preschoolers. Watch online videos of Thomas the Tank Engine.
tags: online, games, activities
The Playground - ABC Childrens TV
Welcome to The Playground with fun games and information on all ABC Children's Television Programs
tags: online, activities
Clifford | PBS Kids
Clifford Puppy Days: Designed for children ages 3-7, the animated television series is based on the books of the same name and uses classic storytelling to present universal social, emotional, and moral messages to young children.
tags: online game, activities
BBC - CBeebies - Postman Pat
Have fun with Postman Pat - online games and activities
tags: games

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Wordy words

2010-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this blog post on Futility Closet which details some of Joseph Strutt's invented collective nouns, supposedly taken from his The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, published in 1801.

Collective nouns are nouns which refer to a group of things, for a example a pride of lions or a school of fish. Strutt take it to the next level of oddity with:

a melody of harpers
a stalk of foresters
a fighting of beggars
a draught of butlers
a drunkenship of cobblers

Makes me wonder what life was like for cobblers in 1801 to be given such a bad rap?

Anyway, for a bit of fun, what collective nouns do you know of that are a little, shall we say... unusual?

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-12-19T16:32:00.001-08:00

Zoo Animal Jigsaw Puzzles
Online jigsaw puzzles for the following animals:
Hummingbird Nest, Beaver, Ruffed Lemur, Brown Bear, Frog, Prairie Dogs, Lion, Tiger, Cheetah, Gray Seals, Orangutan, Gorilla, Komodo Dragon, Orangutan, Chameleon, Tree Snake, Flamingo, Red-crowned Cranes, Sloth Bear, Gazelles & Giant Panda.
tags: animals, biodiversity
Habitat Adventure: Panda Challenge - National Zoo| FONZ
Habitat Adventure: Create a fictional forest reserve to provide habitat for endangered species.
tags: habitat, science, forests
Design a Panda Habitat
Try your hand at designing a new giant panda habitat See if you can balance the needs of the pandas, visitors, and staff.
tags: animals, habitat
Forest Walk
Walk a North American Forest and learn how to analyse the biodiversity of the forest by conducting field research using real scientific methods
tags: forestry, biodiversity
The Green Wave
The Green Wave is a multi-year global campaign that enables children and youth to make a difference – one school, one tree, one step at a time. The Green Wave for 2010 is 22 May
tags: forests, biodiversity
See the Bigger Picture Contest
The Green Wave, a global campaign created by Airbus and National Geographic is a project for youth aimed at promoting awareness about biodiversity. Children are encouraged to submit their photos to the See The Bigger Picture contest.
tags: environment, biodiversity
International Year of Biodiversity 2010
The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity
tags: biodiversity
International Year of Chemistry 2011
The IYC 2011 will be a year-long celebration of Chemistry in which anyone can participate.
tags: chemistry
Biological Diversity for Kids
Learn about biodiversity through an interactive story and a series of online activities to help the animals survive.
tags: biodiversity
International Year of Biodiversity - Countdown 2010
Countdown 2010 monitors responses to the 2010 Biodiversity Target and at local level by mobilising local actors that take concrete actions.
tags: biodiversity
Trove
Trove is a new discovery experience focused on Australia and Australians from the national Library of Australia. It supplements what search engines provide with reliable information from Australia's memory institutions.
tags: archives, libraries
k12cellphoneprojects
K-12 projects that have integrated student cell phones
tags: mlearning
Finding Dulcinea
Online Guides, Internet Library, Web Resources - FindingDulcinea. Online guides and suggested Web resources researched and written by real people.
tags: reference
Wikiwix
Wikipedia articles search engine
tags: wikipedia

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-12-12T16:31:00.001-08:00

Livebrush
Livebrush is a drawing application. It employs an easy-to-use brush tool that reacts to your gestures through the use of velocity and other motion controls. By combining simple motion controls with customizable brush styles, Livebrush offers a fun and unique way to create graphics.
tags: painting, design
Flickr: LAC / BAC's Photostream
Library and Archives Canada
tags: flickr, Canada, history

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-11-21T16:31:00.001-08:00

Misión Ecológica
Environmental Interactive:
tags: science
Exploratorium | Evidence | How Do We Know What We Know? | Human Origins
For most of us, science arrives in our lives packaged neatly as fact. But how did it get that way?

Science is an active process of observation and investigation. Evidence: How Do We Know What We Know? examines that process, revealing the ways in which ideas and information become knowledge and understanding."
tags: science, enquiry
Google Image Swirl
Google labs: cluster similar images
tags: google, image
Zac Browser: Zone for Autistic Children
Internet browser developed specifically for children living with variants of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, PDD not otherwise specified and PDD-NOS, also called atypical autism.
tags: autism

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-11-14T16:31:00.001-08:00

Brass Band podcast
A 25 minute podcast of Brass Band music produced once a week for your entertainment and to keep you informed of events in the world of brass Band music. From Britain Ireland USA Canada Australia New Zealand Japan Belgium
tags: band, brass, music

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-10-31T17:31:00.001-07:00

Flash player version test page - CodeGeek.net
This page will show you the following: Whether you have Javascript enabled or disabled, If Javascript is enabled, whether Flash player is installed at all (tells you when it's not) & If installed, what version of Flash player you have.
tags: flash
Adobe - Test Adobe Shockwave and Flash Players
When you see the animation playing below the labeled box, then your installation was successful.
tags: flash
Amazing Cells
tags: biology, cells
Forum Network
Free Online Lectures from PBS and NPR
tags: lectures
iPhone the Body Electric
"University of Utah researchers created new iPhone programs - known as applications or "apps" - to help scientists, students, doctors and patients study the human body, evaluate medical problems and analyze other three-dimensional images."
tags: medicine, science, anatomy

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-10-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

Jungle
Mix and match the animals, control the weather and lighting conditions, or construct flowers, trees, and plants.
tags: art
Pointilism Practice Page!
Georges Seurat invented the technique known as Pointilism, which uses tiny dots instead of broad strokes to put the paint on the canvas. The individual dots of red, yellow and blue are sucked in through your eyes and mixed up in your head to create a variety of shimmering shades.
tags: art
National Gallery of Art NGAkids STILL LIFE interactive
Create interactive compositions that mirror the paintings of the old masters.
tags: art
Keith Haring Interactive Coloring Book
create a picture using Haring's characters
tags: art

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-10-17T17:32:00.001-07:00

Games and Facts from Galleries of Canadian Museum of Nature
These interactives originate in the galleries of the Canadian Museum of Nature. Even if you can't make it to the museum, you can enjoy a virtual experience!
tags: nature
Seasons
Interactive on the Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter
tags: weather
The Leaves on the Trees: Song
The trees are different in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Listen to a song about the four seasons.
tags: weather
La grotte de Lascaux
3D tour of Lascaux - the Cave with prehistoric paintings on the wall.
tags: history, caves, geography
Prehistoric Time Line: National Geographic
"Humans have walked the Earth for 190,000 years, a mere blip in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history. A lot has happened in that time. Earth formed and oxygen levels rose in the foundational years of the Precambrian. The productive Paleozoic era gave rise to hard-shelled organisms, vertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth in the mighty Mesozoic. And 64 million years after dinosaurs went extinct, modern humans emerged in the Cenozoic era. The planet has seen an incredible series of changes—discover them for yourself."
tags: science, history
The fun theory
This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.
tags: no_tag
Accents and dialects: Archival Sound Recordings
The British Library's collection of oral history sound recordings illustrating accents and dialects.
tags: language, history
Healthy heart
The CBHF site is packed full of exciting games, brilliant activities and interesting information. It's all about you and what you can do to keep your heart in tip top condition."
tags: science, health
Engineering Interact
Interactive science & engineering for 9-11 year olds
tags: science, space

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Poverty and Food Security

2009-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

At the Millennium Summit, held in September 2000, our world leaders committed themselves to a series of Millenium Development Goals. One of goals was to reduce by half, the number of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015.

You can find out more about the Millenium Goals here or even get involved in an online project. Below you will find some resources I have come across that deal with the issues of food, food security, poverty, and food chains, to coincide with October 17 being the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. I hope you find them useful.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

17 October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and has been observed every year since 1993.

tags: poverty
Stand Up against World Poverty

Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

tags: poverty
World Food Day

On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2009, let us reflect on those numbers and the human suffering behind them

tags: food
World Bread Day

Staple food for some, luxury or modern dietary food for others - bread in itself means so much that it deserves a World Day in its honour.

tags: food

Food waste

Lovefoodhatewaste.com - Tips and recipes to reduce food waste - Love Food Hate Waste

tags: food, recipes, waste, lovefoodhatewaste, cooking, environment
Profit Seed

game to learn about seeds and how companies make money out of genetic engineering

tags: seeds, growth, genetic, game
FreePoverty

Your mission here is to locate the place given to you [e.g. Rome, Italy] and how many cups of water we donate on your behalf depends on how accurate your answer is.

tags: freepoverty, game, geography, socialstudies
Safe Drinking Water Is Essential

Interactive site which looks at the problem of sourcing and using safe drinking water

tags: water, sustainability, environment

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-10-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

BBC - Wildlife Finder
Journey with Sir David Attenborough as he shares his favourite moments from the last 30 years of wildlife film making. Dive into the BBC's archive, explore the wealth of video, sound, stories and breaking news, and let the greatest show on Earth unfold.
tags: animals, environment
Apache Roller 5.0 Release
Roller 5.0 is a major new release of Roller that includes new features for media blogging, OpenID support, more plugin points and support for distributed search.
tags: blog, roller
Manga High
Mangahigh.com is game-based maths. UK curriculum
tags: math, game

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-09-26T17:32:00.001-07:00

What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?
Learn 4 Life blog
tags: ipod
12Words
If you have a story to tell, share it with us in 12words or less. Everyone can register and write but if you’re aged between 15 and 25 and live in Australia
tags: storytelling
Word Safari Game
collect the correct letters for the words.
tags: spelling, literacy
Heywire - regional youth telling it like it is
Heywire is a space for young people to create and share their stories, ideas and opinions, through video, audio or photos.
tags: youth, engagement

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-09-19T17:32:00.001-07:00

Henry The Hand
Champion Handwasher - mp3s and other activities for teaching hand washing and hygiene.
tags: health
Sunshine Sam : 4-7 years
learning about being safe in the sun
tags: no_tag
Get Started with e-Learning
wiki has been created by Marlene Manto to support a workshop about basic e-learning tools, for the SA Framework Unit
tags: no_tag
Myna
Use Myna to remix music tracks and audio clips. Apply sound effects and record your own voice or instruments!
tags: audio
Why Don’t Students Like School? | Learning In a Flat World
Summary blog post on Dan Willingham’s (2009) book, Why Don’t Students Like School?. In the blog authors opinion it is an excellent book full of practical suggestions to improve teaching, both online and in the classroom.
tags: no_tag
Virtual African Drumming
This module explores the exciting music of the Ewe people from Ghana.
tags: no_tag
The Virtual Javanese Gamelan
The Virtual Javanese Gamelan offers an exploration of this music based on the Javanese Gamelan, named Sumber Laras, of Wells Cathedral School.The Virtual Javanese Gamelan is available for download
tags: no_tag
TL Advisor Blogs
Collection of Tech & Learning Advisor blogs (US) and recent posts.
tags: blogging
Student Blogging Guidelines
Kim Confino: Student Blogging Guidelines
tags: blogging
AU Library Digitization Portal
Athabasca University Library's Digitization Portal supports faculty and students of Athabasca University by providing access to AU Curriculum. The Digital Library is also a valuable public resource, enriching the learning environment for Albertans, as well as for learners from around the globe.
tags: digitisation
LEGO Digital Designer : Virtual Building Software
This is LEGO Digital Designer. The program lets you build with LEGO bricks on your computer. 3D
tags: game

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-09-12T17:31:00.001-07:00

FAQs - blogs.sun.com
tags: no_tag
DaveWiki: UserGuide Roller
Roller wiki
tags: blog
New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in higher education
online book on mobile learning
tags: mlearning
Desert Knowledge CRC
The Desert Knowledge CRC focuses these research efforts on creating useful outcomes with commercial application for desert people, communities and our partners.
tags: environment
National Water Week
National Water Week is your portal to a national schedule of programs and events that encourage protection, rehabilitation and improvement of water environments such as streams, wetlands, waterways, beaches, and estuaries.
tags: environment
Kerpoof Studio
Tell a story, make movies, tell stories, and draw
tags: animation
Make A Movie: Zimmer Twins
Make a movie online
tags: no_tag
Mrs Pancake: Literacy
Our lovely Doodads help teachers and parents teach literacy, numeracy, lots of topics and just generally make classrooms look great
tags: literacy
Slide show creator
Build, customise and then share slideshows
tags: photos, flickr
VocabSushi: The better way to build your vocabulary | Contextual Examples From the Daily News
Build your vocabulary through never-ending games powered with real-world usage and tailored to your skill level.
tags: literacy

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-09-05T17:31:00.001-07:00

Dingo Creek Online
online game about environmental responsibility
tags: environment
SnagFilms
SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web.
tags: documentaries, film
Music Australia
Music Australia is an online service developed by the National Library of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive and other Australian cultural institutions. Music Australia includes many different types of resources, such as music scores, sound recordings, websites and a range of other music-related material held by a large number of Australia's cultural institutions or described by specialist music services. Music Australia covers both, heritage and contemporary music, and includes all formats, styles and genres.
tags: australia, music
MindMeister - Annotated
Online Mind Mapping
tags: mindmap, collaboration
Kevin PM
Kevin Rudd's page - also links to social networks, my space, flickr, facebook, you tube and twitter.
tags: no_tag
PM's Blog | Prime Minister of Australia
tags: blogs
A teacher's guide to Web 2.0 at school
tags: no_tag
Gorilla Quest
Online flash activity where users follow in the footsteps of a Gorilla family to learn more about them.
tags: animals, gorilla
Example of Learner ePortfolio
Write up on the ePortfolio process & examples here http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcqj5jv4_50cfd7tbfw
tags: eportfolio
SurrealPainter
online painting tool for surrealism
tags: painting

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

National Landcare Week

2009-08-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

National Landcare Week is held in across Australia in the first week in September each year. Below you will find some Australian resources which encourage everyone to take notice of what is happening in their own backyards. Go out into your backyard and sit quietly. What animals and birds do you notice? Can you find insects and butterflies? Can you here frogs or other animals? If so are they native or introduced? Using the resources below can you find some plants suitable to your area that will attract animals and insects and support your backyard ecosystem?

Landcare Online

Landcare is a uniquely Australian partnership between the community, government and business to 'do something practical' about protecting and repairing our environment. More than 4,000 volunteer community landcare groups - including bushcare and urban landcare, rivercare, coastcare and sustainable agriculture groups - are tackling land degradation in every corner of Australia

tags: landcareonline, environment, biodiversity
Backyards 4 Wildlife

Adelaide's biodiversity and the Urban Forest Biodiversity Program, Backyards for Wildlife and how to create your own wildlife garden, and other ways that you can get involved in conserving and restoring biodiversity.

tags: biodiversity, environment, animals
BioCity

BioCity: The Centre for Urban Habitats has been established to further promote urban environmental awareness through environmental research, communication and education programmes.

tags: biodiversity, environment
Birds in Backyards

Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program focusing on the birds that live where people live. Get involved by becoming a member and taking part in our online surveys. Learn about how you can create bird-friendly spaces in your garden and local community. Find out more about Australian birds and their habitats

tags: birds, wildlife, biodiversity
ABC Catchment Detox

Play Catchment Detox to see if you successfully manage a river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy.

tags: environment, sustainability

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-08-22T17:31:00.001-07:00

Top 60 Jobs That Will Rock the Future
tags: careers
FeedFlash
A flash feed reader widget
tags: widget, rss
Intelligent YouTube Video Collections
A collection of You Tube channels compiled by Open Culture.
tags: YouTube
NASA - Education Materials
search NASA for teaching resources
tags: science
Futility Closet
blog about oddities & thought provoking randomness :)
tags: blog

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-08-15T17:31:00.001-07:00

Netvibes
Netvibes is a free web service that brings together your favorite media sources and online services.
tags: web2.0, aggregator
The Ultimate Word Search Maker
Make and then embedd wordsearches into ablog or website
tags: wordsearch, tools
All Right to Copy?
'All Right to Copy?' is a resource designed to teach students about copyright, and how it impacts them as both users and creators.
tags: copyright
Sustainable House Day
Environmental awareness – or being ‘green’ – is great, but putting it into practice around your own home is the best contribution you can make to living in harmony with our planet.
tags: sustainability, environment
Talking About These
Daniel Floyd's blog which supplements his regular video game lecture videos.
tags: games, gaming, storytelling
Xtranormal
Make short animations using text to speech.
tags: animation, web2.0, moviemaking
Australian GST Calculator
Add or subtract Australian GST
tags: no_tag
Maisy's Fun Club
Read, color and play games with maisie. Early Years reading
tags: books, reading
Zac Power Portal
Online activities around the character Zac Power
tags: books, reading
Fun with Spot
Book characters site with games and online activities for Early Years.
tags: books, reading
Kids Shimmer Club
Adelaide City Council Library site for kids (0-12)
tags: library
Impro-Visor
Jazz Improvisation Advisor. Free Open-Source Software from Harvey Mudd College Computer Science Department.
tags: jazz, improvisation, music, music education
Jazz Practice Loops
Site for practicing jazz solos and standards.
tags: jazz, music, music education
Moodle Fairy's Podbean
Moodle Musings from the Moodle Fairy
tags: moodle, blog
UsingMoodle's YouTube Channel
Videos of how to use Moodle, from the Moodle Fairy.
tags: moodle

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

iTunesU: The U stands for U-little-beauty!

2009-08-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

I have been quite surprised by the advent of iTunesU - I don't really know why because its a pretty good idea, but the thought of Universities allowing their content, public lectures and such to be published online AND for free never really occurred to me as something that was possible. Am I faulty in my thinking, or is it just the culture that I have been brought up in? There's no such thing as a free lunch right??

Anyway I think it is a great resources and was very excited to find not only American, but also Australian Univeristies jumping on the iTunesU bandwagon. I for one, am all for it, so here is a collection of some of the iTuneU sites/stations/portals I have come across so far. One prerequisite is that you need iTunes but I'm not letting that get in my way for now:

RMIT on iTunes U

RMIT on iTunes U provides information, videos and podcasts about the University that you can access from your computer, media player or mobile phone.

tags: itunes, podcast
Melbourne Uni iTunes

course materials, lectures, seminars.

tags: itunes, podcast
Griffith University | iTunes U < Podcasts

use iTunes to get course materials, lectures, seminars, and all kinds of valuable information related to Griffith.

tags: itunes, podcast
Stanford on iTunes U

Download courses, faculty lectures, interviews, music and sports.

tags: itunes, podcast, lectures
UNH @ iTunes University

The University of New Hampshire iTunes U site provides access to UNH video and audio content that is available for free public download.

tags: itunes, podcast
UC Berkeley on iTunes U

Berkley University on iTunes

tags: podcast, itunes
The Open University on iTunes U

download open educational resources free from The Open University

tags: itunes, podcast, opencourseware

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-08-08T17:31:00.001-07:00

indicommons
The Commons was launched on January 16, 2008, by Flickr with the release of nearly 3,000 photographs from two popular Library of Congress collections. The stated aims of the Commons project are to increase the public’s access to publicly held photography collections in civic institutions around the world and to provide a way for the public to contribute historical data pertaining to the collections.
tags: CreativeCommons, flickr, photos
Music Education & The iPhone
If you’re a music teacher and you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, here are some apps that you may find useful.
tags: iphone, music, music education
Thinkature
Thinkature brings the richness of in-person, visual communication to the web by placing instant messaging inside a visual workspace. Use it as a collaboration environment, a meeting room, a personal web-based whiteboard, or something entirely new.
tags: webconferencing, collaboration
Dimdim:
Dimdim provides easy, open, affordable collaboration. Use for online meetings, eLearning, desktop sharing, training, distance education, unified collaboration, webinar, free web meetings and more.
tags: webconferencing
Tinychat
Free Chat Rooms & audio video conference
tags: chat, videoconference
The W3C QA Toolbox
Validators, checkers and other tools for Webmasters and Web Developers
tags: w3c, html
Mixbook
Create Photo Books Online For Free
tags: books, publishing
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
17 October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and has been observed every year since 1993.
tags: poverty
Stand Up against World Poverty
Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
tags: poverty
World Food Day
On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2009, let us reflect on those numbers and the human suffering behind them
tags: food
World Bread Day
Staple food for some, luxury or modern dietary food for others - bread in itself means so much that it deserves a World Day in its honour.
tags: food
Foodchain
An animated slideshow of the food chain.
tags: food web, food, environment
Build a Food Web
Steps through the way that a food web/food chain is build using touch and drag and drop. Suitable for Interactive Whiteboards.
tags: food, food web, environment
Build Food a Web
Connect the food web together (flash)
tags: food, food web, biodiversity
Landcare Online
Landcare is a uniquely Australian partnership between the community, government and business to 'do something practical' about protecting and repairing our environment. More than 4,000 volunteer community landcare groups - including bushcare and urban landcare, rivercare, coastcare and sustainable agriculture groups - are tackling land degradation in every corner of Australia
tags: landcareonline, environment, biodiversity
Backyards 4 Wildlife
Adelaide's biodiversity and the Urban Forest Biodiversity Program, Backyards for Wildlife and how to create your own wildlife garden, and other ways that you can get involved in conserving and restoring biodiversity.
tags: biodiversity, environment, animals
BioCity
BioCity: The Centre for Urban Habitats has been established to further promote urban environmental awareness through environmental research, communication and education programmes.
tags: biodiversity, environment
Birds in Backyards
Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program focusing on the birds that live where people live. Get involved by becoming a member and taking part in our online surveys. Learn about how you can create bird-friendly spaces in your garden and local community. Find out more about Australian birds and their habitats
tags: birds, wildlife, biodiversity
Energy Coloring Books
Downloadable colouring books on energy
tags: craft, energy
Way Out! A cosmic Trivia Quiz Game
Online quiz from the Hubble telescope site
tags: space, astronomy
Lighthouses of New Zealand
From the Maritime New Zealand site. Includes History of lighthouses , Lighthouse keepers, Waipapa Point lighthouse restoration project, & Lighthouse frequently asked questions
tags: lighthouses, maritime, history
History of Lighthouses: Google Timeline
Google resources on the history of Lighthouses represented as a timeline
tags: lighthouses, history
Peace Corps Challenge Online Game
Connect the challenges from the Wanzuzu experience with lesson plans and additional resources from World Wise Schools
tags: game, peace, socialstudies
The Nobel Peace Prize
Play a game and find out about a Nobel Prize awarded discovery or work!
tags: nobel, peace
Hiroshima Peace Site
Official Homepage of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
tags: hiroshima, peace
Kids Peace Station
Site which explores the Hiroshima bombings through the story of Sadako
tags: peace, history, hiroshima
atomicarchive
Welcome to the Atomic Archive. This site explores the complex history surrounding the invention of the atomic bomb
tags: science, nuclear, war
The Voice of Hibakusha | The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
These "Voice of Hibakusha" eyewitness accounts of the bombing of Hiroshima are from the program HIROSHIMA WITNESS produced by the Hiroshima Peace Cultural Center and NHK, the public broadcasting company of Japan. The individual accounts were input and translated into english by college students Yumi Kodama, Junko Kato, Junko Kawamoto, Masako Kubota, Chiharu Kimura, and Kumi Komatsu, who were advised by Laurence Wiig.
tags: hiroshima, history
Origami Club - Annotated
Origami designs and animated instructions.
tags: origami
Origami: Diagrams
Large database of origami designs to view and download.
tags: origami, crafts
Wikipedia: Simple English
Wikipedias are places where people work together to write encyclopedias in different languages. We use simple English words and grammar here. The Simple English Wikipedia is for everyone! That includes children and adults who are learning English.
tags: wikipedia, wiki, english
RLO-CETL - Completed RLOs
Learning objects in our repository available for use, listed by subject area. All the RLOs are free for use and repurposing for educational, non-commercial purposes.
tags: learning objects
GLO Maker (Generative learning objects)
Generative learning objects: GLO Maker is an authoring tool for creating rich, interactive learning resources. It builds on the extensive experience of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Reusable Learning Objects.
tags: learning objects, generator
RLO-CETL
The CETL for Reusable Learning Objects
tags: learning objects
BBC Languages
Essential phrases in 36 languages, 12 week beginners course via email, social site.
tags: language
Licensing Portal for Educators - CC Wiki
The Educator-specific licensing tool is in development.
tags: CreativeCommons, wiki
The Art of Learning Better: 101 Tips to Find and Fit Your Learning Style
Tips to start improving your learning experience by helping make it work a little better with your needs, whether you’re a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner.
tags: learningstyles, teaching

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Hiroshima Day

2009-08-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

The 6th of August is Hiroshima Day. Hiroshima Day is observed in many parts of the world with special vigils and peace marches. It is held to commemorate the dropping of the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Three days later a second bomb fell on the city of Nagasaki.
I hope you find these resources useful when discussing Hiroshima Day in your classrooms:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitzi/ / CC BY 2.0

Peace Corps Challenge Online Game

Connect the challenges from the Wanzuzu experience with lesson plans and additional resources from World Wise Schools

tags: game, peace, socialstudies
The Nobel Peace Prize

Play a game and find out about a Nobel Prize awarded discovery or work!

tags: nobel, peace
Hiroshima Peace Site

Official Homepage of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

tags: hiroshima, peace
Kids Peace Station

Site which explores the Hiroshima bombings through the story of Sadako

tags: peace, history, hiroshima
atomicarchive

Welcome to the Atomic Archive. This site explores the complex history surrounding the invention of the atomic bomb

tags: science, nuclear, war
The Voice of Hibakusha | The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

These "Voice of Hibakusha" eyewitness accounts of the bombing of Hiroshima are from the program HIROSHIMA WITNESS produced by the Hiroshima Peace Cultural Center and NHK, the public broadcasting company of Japan. The individual accounts were input and translated into english by college students Yumi Kodama, Junko Kato, Junko Kawamoto, Masako Kubota, Chiharu Kimura, and Kumi Komatsu, who were advised by Laurence Wiig.

tags: hiroshima, history
Origami Club

Origami designs and animated instructions.

tags: origami
Origami: Diagrams

Large database of origami designs to view and download.

tags: origami, crafts

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Energy Safety Week 2009

2009-08-02T23:55:00.001-07:00

In Celebration of this week being Energy Safety Week here are some online resources I have bookmarked during my travels online. Some are focussed on energy and power but the majority are for teaching energy responsibility & ownership. Enjoy!

Energy Hog

online environment game

tags: environment
Gogreen Online

Green I.Q. test, green community and environmental challenges to do in your own home.

tags: green, environment
Main Page - TipThePlanet

Tiptheplanet is a project to create a green wiki website that encourages discussion and the generation of tips that benefit you and the planet. From tips for individuals about staying happy and healthy to tips for multi-national companies on how to limit their carbon footprints, all with accompanying explanations.

tags: social, action, environment
Grease to Greece - Bangers on a Fat-Finding Mission

drove 3750km for London to Greece using nothing but waste vegetable oil scavenged from restaurants along the route

tags: fatfinding, environment, sustainability, waste, oil
The BioTruck Drive To Timbuktu

Following the extraordinary success on the first Chocolate Powered Biotruck Expedition which was independently certified as being the world’s first Carbon-Negative Expedition, the team are now preparing to lead a 30-car rally across Europe powered only by waste vegetable oil scavenged from chip shops along the way.

tags: environment, biodielsel, waste, oil, sustainability, biotruck
ElectroCity

ElectroCity is a new online computer game that lets players manage their own virtual towns and cities. It’s great fun to play and also teaches players all about energy, sustainability and environmental management in New Zealand.

tags: environment, simulation, science, energy, game, electrocity
National Grid Floe : The power of action

tend to your polar bear cub and make him happy by answering environmentally sounds questions.

tags: environment, polarbear, survival
Project: Planet Earth in Our Hands (MP-LS)

This project aims to promote student voice and empower students to recognize and engage in responsible use of the earth's resources.

tags: planet, earth, online, project, sustainability, environment
Environmental Games

collection of environmental games for kids and adults

tags: games, environment
BreathingEarth

Shows the Carbon Dioxide emission levels of every country in world as well s birth and death rates.

tags: environment, flash, earth, science, maps, visualization, statistics, pollution
Earthhour

tags: action, environment, warming, global, education
- turn off the lights for one hour at 8pm on the 29 March, 2008 to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. - post by alihall

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-08-01T17:31:00.001-07:00

The world of e-portfolios
from Allison Miller & The Knowledge Tree
tags: eportfolios, e-portfolio
RMIT on iTunes U
RMIT on iTunes U provides information, videos and podcasts about the University that you can access from your computer, media player or mobile phone.
tags: itunes, podcast
Melbourne Uni iTunes
course materials, lectures, seminars.
tags: itunes, podcast
Griffith University | iTunes U < Podcasts
use iTunes to get course materials, lectures, seminars, and all kinds of valuable information related to Griffith.
tags: itunes, podcast
Stanford on iTunes U
Download courses, faculty lectures, interviews, music and sports.
tags: itunes, podcast, lectures
UNH @ iTunes University
The University of New Hampshire iTunes U site provides access to UNH video and audio content that is available for free public download.
tags: itunes, podcast
UC Berkeley on iTunes U
Berkley University on iTunes
tags: podcast, itunes
The Open University on iTunes U
download open educational resources free from The Open University
tags: itunes, podcast, opencourseware
Color Combinations
Color Schemes & Color Palettes
tags: no_tag
Buttonator
create buttons
tags: generator, buttons
Iconfinder
Icon search
tags: icons, graphics
Museum of London: The Dig Game
online drag and drop history/archaeology activity to place the artifacts in the correct time period.
tags: archaeology, history
Coffee Shop
Buy ingredients, adjust your recipe, set your price and sell: Gamenode Free Online Games
tags: games, business
Myths and Legends
online activity for Roman & Greek myths
tags: history
Energy Hog
online environment game
tags: environment
Bubblr!
create a comic strip using images from flikr. Images can be searched for by user name or tag.
tags: flickr, comics
ABC Catchment Detox
Play Catchment Detox to see if you successfully manage a river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy.
tags: environment, sustainability
Hard Spell
BBC - Entertainment - spelling game
tags: literacy
AKO Titanic Trial
online game
tags: history, socialstudies, judicial_process
Lure of the Labyrinth
online math game
tags: math, game
Wallwisher:: Words that stick
notice board maker which allows multimedia
tags: Collaboration, noticeboard
Grooveshark
Music Online -- MP3 Streaming
tags: music, mp3
UN Calendar of International Years and Decades
tags: decades, International years
Random Word Generator
tags: generator

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-07-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

Google Features: Wonder Wheel and Timeline
turns search into a visual representation
tags: google, search
Moodle Network - MoodleDocs
connecting moodles
tags: moodle, moodledocs
Jess' e-Portfolio
excellent example of student work using wikispaces & glogster
tags: wiki, e-portfolio, glogster

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Creative Commons & Flickr

2009-07-19T23:31:00.001-07:00

I maybe a little behind the 8 ball with this, but I have just noticed that I can use a photo from Flickr and obtain a little embed that will tell my readers where, who and under what licence I have obtained the photo under.

Here's how you do it:
1. Find a cool photo on Flickr like this one from Skiwalker79

2. Scroll down to the license information on the right and click on the "... rights reserved" link to view the license

3. This will take you a page on the Creative Commons site which not only tells you what licences the photo has but also a little embed code for pasting when you use the photo.

4. Once you have pasted it it will look something like this.

It doesn't bring in the photo & the CC licence in one swift fatal move, which would then move with the photo wherever it went, but it's a step in the right direction.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-07-18T17:31:00.001-07:00

Scootle
Repository of digital learning resources
tags: scootle, learningfederation
PrimaryConnections | Indigenous perspectives
Linking science with literacy for Indigenous students
tags: indigenous, aboriginal, literacy, science
Glogster Education
web 2.0 tool for learning and integrates into a WIKI. Now provides master-accounts for teachers integrating all student accounts. Register your class.
tags: glogster
Create Free Online Polls
Web Polls Maker, Create Poll Software
tags: polls

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-07-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

FaceYourManga Avatar maker
avatar maker
tags: avatar
South Park Avatar
Avatar creator on South Park Characters
tags: avatar
Noble Avatar Maker
Free Avatar Creator - Game Avatar Generator
tags: avatar
Unique Avatar maker
Custom Character generator
tags: avatar
Zamzar
Free online file conversion - good for YouTube
tags: conversion, tools, converter
1066 - The Game
Command a Viking battle in the year 1066
tags: history, 1066, game
Young Bond: The Shadow War & Home
The Shadow War contains seven unique missions that take players into the 1930s world of Young Bond, challenging them to infiltrate a secret meeting, travel across Europe, and track down a mysterious ship in the Royal Docks.
tags: Games, gaming
We Tell Stories
6 authors, 6 stories in 6 weeks. Digital Fiction from Penguin
tags: storytelling, literature, writing, DigitalStorytelling, ebooks
Games-based learning
Teaching & Learning Scotland bringing computer games to the classroom.
tags: gaming, education
Why You Shouldn’t Write Your Posts Using Word
From Sue Waters @ The Edublogger
tags: edublogger, blogging
Here’s My Top Five Mistakes Made By New Bloggers
What Are Yours?. From Sue Waters @ The Edublogger
tags: blogging, edublogger
Dummies: making everything easier
How-To Help and Videos
tags: dummies, tutorial, how-to
Golems Universal Constructor
Golems is a 3D Physics and Artificial Intelligence simulator. Golems lets you construct a machine - any type of machine - and then bring that machine to life.
tags: golems, animation
Auditorium
music game
tags: music, game
VocabSushi
Vocabulary builder & quiz maker
tags: vocabulary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-07-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

30 Places to Find Free Books, Book Summaries, and Book Reviews Online
From A GeekyMomma's Blog
tags: ebooks
Online Tuner
identifies the tuning of a played note. from 7th string
tags: music, tuner

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Xtra Normal

2009-07-03T00:03:00.001-07:00

I've been having a bit of a play in a neat online movie making program called Xtra Normal. Let me know what you think or if you have used it before in your classroom and how :)

Additional resources: Free Technology blog

Cracking the QR Code

2009-06-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you who are following my Diigo bookmarks will have noticed that since late yesterday I've been busily bookmarking anything I can find about QR codes! I was inspired by a fellow educator Jarrod Robinson, who has been integrated QR Codes into his classroom teaching since January this year, and who has happily shared some resources on twitter to help get me started on the QR code trail.

So what have I learnt so far? I'll answer that with a few questions I have had to ask myself.

What are QR codes? Sort for Quick Response codes, QR codes work kind of like a barcode where you can quickly access information using your mobile phone. QR codes can store business cards, URLs, images, phone numbers and lots of other stuff that I probably haven't come across yet. In fact according to, Software and internet analysis: QR Codes and other 2D barcodes (June 2009) from Becta, QR codes can store up to "4,296 alphanumeric characters" which is apparently more than what the normal barcode is capable of.

So what do you need?
1. A mobile phone
2. A QR code reader like KAYWA - which is free to download onto your phone

How does it work?
1. You start the application on your phone which then enables your phone's camera
2. Hover your phone camera over the QR code
3. The phone will capture the QR code and display the information stored in the QR code and if it's a URL redirect you to it using your phone's browser.

How to you find or make your own QR codes?
You can find QR codes on website or on print material. For example the magazine "Teachers' Toolkit" has their QR code on the bottom right of their print magazine.

The thing I really like about QR codes is that you can create your own using a tool like the KAYWAR Generator. You can then embedd them on your own sites, or even print them off. Here's is one for browsing my blog for you to play with:

Now I haven't exactly done a stellar job explaining what these little beauties do, so I'd suggest wandering over to Jarrod's blog to learn a little more and for a better explanation.

If you'd like to learn more, here are some more resources:

Barcodes on Wikipedia - I never realised there were so many!
QR codes on Wikipedia - I was surprised with the use of colour and artworks that have been integrated into QR codes.
Software and internet analysis: QR Codes and other 2D barcodes (June 2009) from Becta - definitely read this one, as it covers some issues of educational uses of barcodes but also talks about the emergence of 2D codes.
Ignatia Webs blog for ideas for integration into the classroom
7 Things you should know about QR codes from educause
Getting started with QR codes from the University of bath
QR codes @ Bath University for case studies
2D Code - site with great community examples of how codes are being used in everyday life
Why use QR codes

Finally you may also notice that you can now view this blog on your mobile by scanning the QR code which I have embedded over on the right hand side.

So let me know you thoughts about QR codes, if you found any of the resources useful or if you are currently using QR codes in your teaching and learning - I'd love to hear from you.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-06-20T17:46:00.001-07:00

Online Stopwatch
Large stopwatch and countdown timers
tags: stopwatch, timer, tools, countdown, time
Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives
online game suitable for years 3, 4 & 5 and great for an Interactive Whiteboard
tags: iwb, nouns, adjectives, verbs, english
BookGlutton
An online community for books - read books online, by yourself or with others.
tags: books, reading, collaboration
Twenty Minutes for Tech
Instructional Technology Podcasts
tags: podcasts
Twitpaper - Free Twitter Themes, Backgrounds, and Layouts
Twitpaper is a decorative way to show off your personality to friends, family, fans, and all that follow on Twitter. We offer the best Twitter Themes, Twitter Backgrounds, and Twitter Layouts.
tags: twitter

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Integrating Google Docs to Moodle: Powerpoint

2009-06-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

I have been aware of GoogleDocs for awhile now but only lately has the call for info on embedding and linking Google Docs into Moodle been reaching my ears. So to answer that somewhat defening call I needed to try it myself....

So here begins my learning Journey - Embedding Powerpoint:
Embedding your Powerpoint presentations into Moodle is an attractive and easy way for students to view your presentations online. The other benefit is that if the Powerpoint is changed in GoogleDocs, the changes flow through to the moodle. No more mucking around with moodle files and uploads and renaming etc.

Go to Google Docs by logging into Google with your Google login and go to Google Docs

Click on on the Upload button

Find the presentation you want to upload using the Browse button and then the Upload File button

This will start the upload process, which may take awhile depending on file size and connection etc. Once the file is uploaded view the presentation by clicking on it (if it does not open automatically)

Click the Share button and then choose Publish/embedd

This opens up a publishing notification screen. Click on the Publish Document button.

At this point you could take either the presentation URL or the embedd code. You can also choose the size you wnat your presentation to be displayed at (it may be hard to read if it is too small, and too large may blow your page/stylesheet out of proportion).
Highlight the embedd code and copy it.

In your moodle click on Add a Resource and choose Compose a web page

Like what you have to do with most Moodle tools, give your page a title and short descriptive title.

Click Toggle HTML button and paste in the embedd code

Scroll down and click Save and Return to Course

Click on the web page you have just created

And view your presentation!

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-06-06T17:46:00.001-07:00

Museum 2.0
Museum 2.0 explores ways that web 2.0 philosophies can be applied in museum design - the blog of Nina Simon
tags: museum, web2.0, design
Zoomify - Zoomable web images!
Zoomify allows you to deliver high-resolution images over the Web. Zoomify's products include Zoomify EZ, Zoomify Web Design, Zoomify Flash, and Zoomify Enterprise.
tags: flash, zoom, tools, image
The History Teacher's Attic
This blog is intended for educators in general, but with special attention given to history and social studies teachers.
tags: history, socialstudies, resources, education, blog
Creative Commons Australia
Creative Commons Australia (CCau) is the Australian derivative project of the international Creative Commons project.
Conducts research and education activities designed to foster a creative and innovative community in our region.
tags: CreativeCommons, copyright
Google Squared - Annotated
Google Squared takes a category and creates a starter 'square' of information, automatically fetching and organizing facts from across the web.
tags: google, search
eExaminations
This site contains a series of developing tools for educators to prepare and students undertake summative assessments using computers.
tags: eexaminations

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-05-30T17:46:00.001-07:00

family tracing | free how to books online
Read the full text of "The Beginner's Guide to Tracing Your Roots" online, a book abouts tracing ancestors and your family roots
tags: genealogy
SBDS Prototype 0.1
SBDS will be a new discovery service focussed on Australia, Australians, and items found in Australian collecting institutions. It will provide a single point of access to resources currently discoverable via the Library's multiple discovery services, and to digitised material freely available online anywhere in the world.
tags: libraries, resources, online
Flickr Slideshow
create flickr photo slideshows for your website or blog
tags: flickr, photot

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

SBDS prototype - not as boring as it sounds...

2009-05-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

I have just stumbled across a really really cool tool, thanks to my pal, Allison Miller, who Twittered it! ~ how interconnected and cool is that! (I thought about blogging about my discovery from flock, but I have never been able to get that to work... that would have been even cooler...)

Anyway, the SBDS Prototype is the National Library of Australia's new discovery service, which is focused on Australia, Australians, and items found in Australian collecting institutions (don't fall asleep just yet, just keep reading!).

Although it is just a prototype right now, the idea is that will provide a single point of access to resources currently discoverable via the Library's multiple discovery services, and to digitised material freely available online anywhere in the world. (My cool-o-meter is amping up....)

Ok so it's Australian focused right? So I did a search on "lamingtons". My search brought HEAPS and HEAPS of tasty resources. Some totally inaccessible by me sitting in front of my computer because they are sitting on a library shelf somewhere in Australia e.g. books, journals, articles, sound recordings etc. but some are right there at my fingertips like photos and pictures, archived websites and newspapers (remember my post about the Australian Newspapers beta site - plus there is also the library's extensive digital collection - well it seems that all the services are all starting to link up now).

What clinches it for me is the volume of stuff that is returned in one page - enough not to be overwhelming. I get a taste of what is available in a miriad of formats and from a multitude of sources. It's the "wow" factor that sells it to me.

I think the guys at the National Library should be given a big pat on the back for taking a step in the right direction. I can appreciate what they are trying to do to bring resources and materials that would otherwise sit on a dusty shelf or locked away in a cupboard to a greater audience. Now I'd just like to see MORE digitised materials, like video, audio, text.... Oh and a better name than SBDS :)

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-05-23T17:46:00.001-07:00

Wolfram|Alpha
Enter your question or calculation, and Wolfram|Alpha uses its built-in algorithms and collection of data to compute the answer.
tags: search

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-05-16T17:46:00.001-07:00

Grazing for Digital Natives - voicethread
Voicethread explained
tags: voicethread, tutorial, web2.0

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-05-02T17:30:00.001-07:00

Digital Karnak
Project to enable the exploration of the temple complex of Karnak in 3D
tags: egypt, archaeology, history
Hazel Edwards: Australian Author
Hazel Edwards is a Melbourne based author who writes books and scripts for children and adults. Picture book 'There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake' is her best known title which has been continually in print for 28 years and adapted for stage, radio, video and puppetry as well as widely translated.
tags: books, children's books, authros

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

2009 Webware 100 Awards

2009-04-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Vote for your favourite browsing apps from CNET's Webware 100 Awards

I have voted for two online tools which have changed the way I use and view the web and web resources: Flock and Diigo, although there are so many great tools that have been listed as finalists it is hard to choose!

What online tools have you found most useful on your online journey? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-04-25T17:31:00.001-07:00

Gallipoli: The First Day
An ABC 3D documentary site about the WW1 ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915.
tags: Gallipoli, History, Anzac
Fuel the Brain: Educational Resources and Games
A learning site for (K - 3)
tags: Games
Indispensible Tools
A list of online tools inspired by the following question: What Indispensible ICT tools do you use in education?
tags: tools, education, teaching
Spare Room
A selection of New Zealand weblogs with smart-humour, opinion and entertainment, written by Ana Samways and Steven Shaw.
tags: blogs, humour
American Memory from the USA Library of Congress
American Memory Historical Collections from the Library of Congress - historical images, maps, sound recordings, and motion pictures that document the American experience.
tags: history, reference, library
World Digital Library
Collection of primary sources in multilingual format.
tags: library, reference, history
Top 100 eLearning Items : eLearning Technology
Top 100 eLearning Items on eLearning Technology - a blog about eLearning tools, software and trends.
tags: e-learning, elearning

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-03-21T17:31:00.001-07:00

FlexBook
Open Source books
tags: textbooks, collaboration, ebooks

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Open Source Textbooks

2009-03-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Today we have seen a beta launch of several Flexbooks, or the cK12 Foundation’s version of open source textbooks. In fact until I read about this I really hadn't given the concept of open source texts books much thought. I think in some institutions the notion of DIGITAL textbooks have only just taken hold, let alone the concept of a textbook that is constantly changing and being altered by ANYONE. So what happens when textbooks become editable? Does their authority diminish and are they filled with uneducated guesswork and unfounded and untrue junk?? What if someone takes something out or changes it something that is clearly wrong? A familiar debate for many I am sure...

So what are some possible free resources for creating and accessing online editable textbooks/books? - Try wikibooks - think of it as your free library of editable textbooks. Wikibooks also includes books in languages other than English, books for Children in for of Wikijunior and also wikibooks containing Simplified English.

Ok so if the thought of an "editable" textbook is just plain scary and send you running out of the room, why not have a look at smARThistory? I think Smart History makes online textbooks and user centred and contributed media look darn attractive! The site's developers, Beth Harris and Steven Zucker have done a marvelous job in creating a site that is dynamic, looks attractive and pools a myriad of online services (Flickr, Vimeo, Dipity and YouTube to name a few) together into a mush of collective knowledge goodness. Still dislike and not in the mood to try an editable textbook?

What is the way of the future - Well I don't know that and I wouldn't even try to guess, but I thought I would share a few vids around the theme of coping with changing technology which make me giggle...

Medieval helpdesk

This textbook is broken! - Check out Chris Betcha's blog post and the video that goes with it.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-03-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

FotoTagger
Annotate Pictures
tags: tags, photos, software, tools
Genealogy Blog Finder
tracks genealogy blogs
tags: genealogy, directory, genblog, blogs
PowerPoint to SCORM
How to convert powerpoint to SCORM
tags: SCORM, PowerPoint
Copyright and Creative Commons podcast
A cross-sectoral podcast on e-learning tools, technologies and issues. Copyright and Creative Commons: Episode 22 (E-learning Insights)
tags: podcast, education.au, creative commons
smARThistory
Art history - contribute, Flickr and create podcasts.
tags: Art, History, arthistory
Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning
Emerging Technologies for Learning - new trends, skills, trends and research. Also available in PDF.
tags: technology, learning
Amplify
Amplify lets you show people exactly what you're reading and what you have to say about it. Social group clip marking
tags: bookmarking, amplify
Welcome to Knowitall.org
collection of interactive websites K-12
tags: interactive
Our City Podcast
Our City Podcast is a podcast for kids and by kids. Students from around the globe are invited to submit a recording all about the city they live in (with the help of their teachers or parents)
tags: podcast, digitalstorytelling, stories
file sharing with drop.io
Free file-sharing and media-sharing service that enables users to take anything ranging from music, videos, documents, audio, and add them to a private, online space called a 'drop' to share with colleagues and clients through email, web, phone, fax, and more.
tags: storage, filesharing, tools
monsterproject
The Monster Project encourages the development of reading and writing skills while integrating technology into the classroom. Using monsters as a vehicle, students exchange written descriptions via this wiki, and then recreate their partner's monster without ever looking at the "real thing". During the project, students create, discuss, describe, interpret, analyze, organize and assess their monsters as well as the monsters of their peers.
tags: monsterproject, collaboration, wiki

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

replaced by robots?

2009-03-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

Saya the Robot makes the move from Receptionist, to teaching School children in Japan.

What inspires you blog?

2009-03-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

This fortnight's blogging corner challenge was topics for blogging. What inspires you to blog? Do you have a central theme, or do you blog somewhat randomly?

I tend to be a somewhat random blogger, although I do tend to stick to blogging about ICTs in education. I also tend to blog about people or idea which inspire me. I am not one for coming up with these brilliant ideas myself but instead I try to make my own meaning by re-blogging what they are talking about. By re-blogging I hope to soldify by own ideas and thoughts and maybe even suggest other resources or people who are thinking the same stuff.

So, here are a few topics I have blogged about this year. As I said, tend to blog when I am inspired by the work of others:

Creative Commons

Inspired by The Clever Sheep (Rodd Lucier).

The Development of a PLN

Inspired by Liz Davis

Music Education meets the web

Inspired by Skip Zaneraitis

Dr. Michael Webb and the MMGS

And finally inspired by Dr. Michael Webb.

Feel free to leave a comment on either this new post or any of my older posts that I have mentioned if you'd like to add anything.

Feeding the CC machine

2009-03-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

I have often wondered what I might possibly be achieving with my 365 photo challenge? Yes I enjoy it immensely (and am completely self absorbed!) and I enjoy seeing a different part of the world everyday, but am I just cluttering up the web? Am I really producing media which is useful to educators or to others?

We'll it has only just occurred to me that since I push my photos through Flickr before they appear on my blog, that I just might be influencing more than just myself or my small PLN. In fact, as I have applied a global set of Creative Commons (CC) licences to my photos on Flickr in reality I have created a whole heap of wonderful media fodder that the whole world can play with! All of my 365 photos are licenced Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike. Some of the shots aren't great but that's the beauty or CC as people are free to alter and remix it, they can actually improve on my work in ways that I couldn't even imagine.

How do you licence your work online? What tools are there that you know of where you can apply CC licences? Do you think the idea of CC licences has really taken hold fully in the education community or is it still something that just a few are aware of? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Creative Commons: What every Educator needs to Know

2009-03-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

This slideshare from The Clever Sheep (aka Rodd Lucier) explains what educators need to know about using Creative Commons licensing. I think in the opening of his slideshare, Rodd explains the benefits of modeling academic integrity and behaviour through use of Creative Commons materials with students, very simply but very effectively.

Rodd also points out how easy it is to apply a creative commons licence to your own work but also how important it is to know who owns the platform you are uploading to...

Don't forget to put on your headphones!

Creative Commons: What every Educator needs to know

View more presentations from Rodd Lucier. (tags: culture creativity)

out blogged!

2009-03-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

It's official now - my 365 photo challenge has more blog posts since the start of this year than this blog has had in a 12 months. Doh! I am surprised at how much I am enjoying the 365 challenge though and I am even more surprised that I have remembered to keep up. It is tempting to be slack for a few days and I can't always get to a computer but I think I am enjoying it all too much :)

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-02-28T16:31:00.001-08:00

Power League | Home
Create your own online leagues or use an existing ones. Power League is a for stimulating debate - includes teachers guide
tags: discussion, debate
Create-A-Scape
Support for teachers and students in making MediaScapes.
tags: mediascape, gps
Mscape: Mediascapes
Mediascapes are rich in interactivity. Full of sound and music, images and text, videos and animation, narrative and dialog, all embedded in the space where you’re standing. Games, guides and stories.
tags: GPS, games, stories
YouTube - The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version)
Introduction to what web 2.0 means for us
tags: web2.0, youtube
Ping
The Ping Music Project is a pilot remote music education project in Victoria, Australia. It is happening during February and March 2009. Students from four schools in the Wimmera region of Victoria will be participating. Together we will be composing short compositions/sound stories and uploading them to this website.
Ping is the result of the collaboration between the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, The Song Room, and Country Education Project. Generous support has been provided by the Helen MacPherson Smith Trust
tags: ping, music education, collaboration, online project
Can watching YouTube help literacy? You bet!
Blog post by Tomaz Lasic on how he has used You Tube in his Classroom.
tags: YouTube, Tomaz, Lasic, blog
Physics Games
Collection of online physics-based games
tags: physics, science
Contrapunctus Variations
Contrapunctus is an interactive music making project conceived by the Third Angle Ensemble. This project allows visitors to generate their own musical contribution, which may be part of a live performance from the Third Angle Ensemble.
tags: music, web2.0, interactive, generator
Make Your Own Music game
Drag and drop different music loops ontot the stage and then record.
tags: Music, composition, loops
Animal Jukebox
Compose an "animal sound song" by selecting loops.
tags: music, loops, composition
Jam Studio
Online Music Factory - mix composer.
tags: music, audio, tools, generator, mixer
6 Music - 6 Mixer
Use the samples to make your very own track, then save it and play again later.
tags: mixer, music
Sound Factory
tags: interactive, music, game
Carol maker
Make a nutty sounding Christmas Carol (complete with elves!) or play a pre-loaded carol and then send it to your friends. Just a bit of fun.
tags: music, christmas, composition
VJ Masher
VJ Masher lets you edit, mix and blend other young people's art and film to music. Choose a sound track, then add stills and videos, effects and transitions to make your unique VJ Movie.
tags: mashup, music
Buildup
The Japanese Federation of Construction Contractors have created Build Up!, a site which lets you “build” a skyscraper of music made by construction tools. Most of the site is in Japanese but it is pretty easy to work out what is going on.
tags: japanese, music, composition
Trig Spinner
Download for Windows or Mac - The goal of Trig Spinner is to help people memorize these crazy numbers in a visually interesting way
tags: trig, math
Grammar Ninja
Grammar Ninja is an educational web game where you as the Grammar Ninja must find parts of speech by throwing ninja stars at words. Correct answers allow you to continue, while wrong answers literally explode. Also available for Wii.
tags: grammar, interactive, game
Icerocket blog search
Real-time blog search engine. Trends tracking.
tags: blog, search, searchengine
newtoolsworkshop
Collection of web 2.0 tools for use in education
tags: web2.0, tools, wiki, resources

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Blogging with Students

2009-02-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

The blogging genre is, although a more public medium for writing and publishing, I would argue a more informal style of writing. Bloggers typically write about the thoughts, opinions and discoveries. For students (and teachers!) this style of writing can be liberating. I also think that blogging also allows small glimpses of personality can shine through, whereas in many academic forms of writing this is discouraged. That is not to say that blogging work is not as polished, but I feel because of the authentic audience, there is more consideration for allowing ideas to float and evolve through audience engagement and feedback. I personally find blogging an instinctively natural genre!

Image attribution:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maebmij/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Why blogging is suitable for the engaging students:

Blogs can mold to a variety of uses depending on the age of students or the audience
Can form part of a journal style presentation of work for an individual
Can be frequently or infrequently used depending on time constraints
Can be presented in an informal or conversational style
Can incorporate a range of commentaries on a variety of topics
Can integrate a range of tools including video, audio, text, or pictorial through embedding
Can draw together a learner’s online presence into one spot through rss feeds and plugins

Uses of blogs and blogging in the classroom:

Blogs can be used as e-Portfolios to present student work
Reflection of learning activities as part of an assessable journal
Class portals – learners can access class work, homework, resources, feedback whilst using the blog as a "homebase" for announcement etc.
Public face to the classroom – display what is produced in everyday classroom activities, student achievements, goals, involvement in projects either offline or online
Encourage collaboration between two distance schools/institutions
Blogs invite comments from others which can then stimulate conversations, debate and reflection by students or class

Blogs of Note:
So lastly I have done a little investigative work and selected a few classroom or student blogs of note. Most of them are lower primary but hopefully I have made up for that by pulling together some international examples. I have also tried to find a range of blogs which use different tools and plugins and blogs where the teacher has set up the space for slightly different purposes and audiences.

Mrs Cassidy’s Classroom Blog (Canada)
Tools used: You Tube, Audio messages using Vocaroo

Wojtera’s Words (USA)
Tools used: Looky Book, Voicethread, Shelfari

Year Two Blog (UK)
Tools used: Teacher Tube, Weekly “blogstar”, The adventures of Sam the Class tiger

Little Voices (NZ)
Tools used: Capzles, Blogger video, FeedJit Live traffic feed

Mrs Toa (China)
Tools used: Google Translator plugin, Picasa, Flip cameras, Blog roll

Mrs Millers 10 Classroom Blog (USA)
“we read, we think, we discuss... we post”
Tools used: Due dates calendar, Google Reader RSS of interesting things to read, Wiki plugin

2M Gems (Australia)
Tools used: Skype, Google maps, Voki, yackpack

So, do you have any student blogs from sectors other than school that you have come across? Do you have any great examples to add to my list? What do you feel are the benefits or disadvantages or students blogging? Please feel free to leave a comment!

My blogging behaviours

2009-02-22T22:10:00.001-08:00

Since I have taken up the 365 photo challenge on my other blog Ali's 365 Challenge I have discovered the warm fuzzy feeling that "followers" have to offer. My main thought when I started the challenge was "how am I going to keep up with what everyone is doing". Then I found the Followers widget.

The Followers widget allows you to publicly follow a blog and lets the blog's author know that you are interested in their posts. Makes you sort warm and fuzzy inside :) But the best thing that I like about followers is that when I login to blogger I have an up to date list and summary of what that people I follow are up to.

So for example if I login now I can see that Shoemap has added her latest photo and Picture Peanut has been busy birdwatching. I can also see all of the blogs that I follow listed on the left so I can jump to them straight away and see a visual clue as to what they have been doing. You might be thinking that an RSS feed in a reader does the same? Well for some reason I like the fact that I can see a collection of my friends in one view and I don't have to go very far to post my blog post to either of my blogs.

My dabble in finding and following other peoples blogs through the follwer widget has also given me the sudden realisation that before the start of the challenge I wasn't very big on commenting. Now with my followers view I find it very easy to view someone's post and make a quick comment without feeling like I have to "trawl" through heaps of pages. It has just made it easier and I am finding I am getting brave enough to comment on non-365 blog posts.

I have also noticed that those who are outside the 365 Challenge on Blogspot are more likely to not have the Follwer widget. Why not? In my opinion it makes keeping track of my colleagues so much easier!

Do you have any particular widgets or methods for keeping up to date with your peer's blogs? Has anyone doing the 365 photo challenge noticed a change in their blogging behaviour? Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts....

Oh and if you want to follow my blog go ahead, or add the widget to your blog so I can follow you :)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-02-21T16:32:00.001-08:00

ShoutEm
Roll out personalised Microblogging Social Networking. Interesting to see where all this is going - I don't know if I can keep up!
tags: no_tag
Shape Collage
make collages of your photos
tags: collage, photos
Five Types of Slam Dunk Lessons
tags: slamdunk
Google Earth is Our Paper
Part 5: A Week in Review | ICT in Tom Barrett's Classroom
tags: digitalstorytelling, digital_storytelling, google, earth
Emoticons
Free Smiles, Free Emoticons, Free Smiley,Free Smileys Page 1
tags: emoticons, smilies
Interactivate: Math activities
A collection of math games and problem solving activities
tags: math, interactive, manipulatives, mathematics, algebra, geometry
Math Hunt
Online math games
tags: math, games
Nature detectives
online games with a nature theme
tags: nature, games
Peetnik Mysteries - game
Want to try solving a mystery or two?
Welcome to Clutterbuck Valley - a quirky town full of oddballs and oddities. The strange and mysterious. Regular and irregular people.
tags: game, mysteries, mystery
What2Learn ICT resources
literacy activities and games
tags: literacy, games, spelling
Online Spelling Program
online spelling test
tags: spelling, vocabulary, Literacy
Tutpup
Play, compete, learn - maths, Algebra, Spelling, Times Tables
tags: math, spelling, english
Gogreen Online
Green I.Q. test, green community and environmental challenges to do in your own home.
tags: green, environment
How To Draw
Teaches simple line drawing skills with a poem. Annoying adds though.
tags: lessons, tutorials, drawing, art
Glossopedia
Visual kid-friendly online encyclopedia
tags: science, reference, environment, biology, animals
FreeRice - Annotated
Word game. Each right answer donates 10 grains of rice through the UNI World Food program
tags: charity, vocabulary, English, language
Drawminos
Create 2d dominos
tags: dominos, drawminos, IWB
IncrediBots
Online Robot Physics Game
tags: physics, game, science, incredibots, flash
How to Add Your Blog Feed to Your Facebook Profile
From Typepad but works for blogger as well.
tags: blogging, rss, feeds, facebook, social, networking
Culinate
A community of eaters, a fusion of health, taste and environment
tags: cooking, tips, recipes, food, podcasts, news, blog

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Some thoughts on developing a PLN

2009-02-18T19:45:00.001-08:00

I have just read a blog post by Liz Davis about the Power of Educational Technology, in which she aligns her journey of creating an online Personal Learning Network (PLN), with Erik Erikson's theory (1956) of The Stages of Social-Emotional Development in Children and Teenagers.

Erikson's stages are as follows:

Learning Basic Trust Versus Basic Mistrust (Hope)
Learning Autonomy Versus Shame (Will)
Learning Initiative Versus Guilt (Purpose)
Industry Versus Inferiority (Competence)
Learning Identity Versus Identity Diffusion (Fidelity)
Learning Intimacy Versus Isolation (Love)
Learning Generativity Versus Self-Absorption (Care)
Integrity Versus Despair (Wisdom)

For each stage Liz has reflected on her own learning journey as she has ventured into a world full of web 2.0 tools where a sense of real communication and collaboration occurs. I think many of us can identify with her experiences if the comments made by other readers of her blog are anything to go by.

I think personally I have passed stages #1 and #2. I feel I have only recently come to terms with stage #3. I have only really gained enough confidence to say what I feel and think in some networks like Twitter instead of saying what I think others will want to hear. I do sometimes feel, as a Newbie that I have nothing particularly groundbreaking or intelligent to say in my networks... I would like to think that I am just starting to scramble up to #4 and am starting to affirm what my role/niche is online.

So does Erikson's theory extend beyond Adolescences and in Adult Learning? I think as Liz mentions, in the case of building a PLN it can almost cycle for all of us. So what experiences have you had in building your PLN? Would you say that Erikson's stages describes your journey or the journey of those that you mentor? Do you identify with the notion differently?

Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts.

Playing with Flock

2009-02-16T22:57:00.001-08:00

Today I came across Flock - I had heard of it before but hadn't been brave enough to give it ago. Flock is a browser for Social networking addicts (so that includes me)

So here I am, finally having a play... this blog post is being written from inside Flock. There are lots of other cool things it can do, but you'll just have to find them for yourself for now. Don't worry their first timers tutorial is really good!

Liz Davis has some great tutorials on her site - including one on Flock..o somewhere I can't find it now. Check her out if you have time, she has a lot of wonderful knowledge to share!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

edna's Blogging Corner Challenge #2

2009-02-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

The second Blogging Corner Challenge is now up and running. This topic is blogging with students which I unfortunately don't have the pleasure of doing anymore but I hope to be able to find some best practice student/class blogs to share with everyone. Do you have any to suggest?

Visit the Blogging Corner challenges forum for more details on how to participate (you will need to make sure you register with edna to participate).

Also a big thank you to those who took part in the first challenge and added their blogs to the wiki. If you intend to join the Blogging Corner it is not too late to add your blogs as well.

Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events Calendar in the Blogging Corner group for Carnival submission cuts off dates and some of the other online events we will be planning. If you have any to suggest please don't hold back :)

Finally All Blogging Corner participants and educators are welcome to submit a blog post to the Blogging Corner Carnival which is being held on edublogs.

Happy blogging!

What is Digital Storytelling?

2009-02-15T15:19:00.001-08:00

Digital storytelling is the technique of using ICT tools to present stories. Digital stories can be made up of either all or solely digital images, text, recorded audio, video clips and music.

Have you seen any good examples of digital stories either produced by students or their teachers?

Check out this SlideShare Presentation by Silvia Tolisano (aka Langwitches) for some ideas of what tools are being used to create digital stories:

Digital Storytelling Images4Education

View more presentations from Silvia Tolisano. (tags: technolgy_integration education)

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-02-14T16:31:00.001-08:00

TED: Ideas worth spreading - Annotated
TED talks - great inspirational videos
tags: technology, ideas, innovation, education, inspiration

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-02-07T16:31:00.001-08:00

Uni of Canberra Moodle Training
Uni of Canberra Moodle Training site
tags: moodle
ScreenToaster
Free online screen recorder: create screencasts, tutorials and reviews in a few clicks
tags: screencast, tools, screencapture, web2.0
Prezi.com
The zooming presentation editor
tags: presentation, presentations, animation, tool, web 2.0
Ubiquity: Lifehacker
Make Ubiquity Your Ultimate Firefox Commander - review
tags: firefox, ubiquity
Page2RSS
It is a service that helps you monitor web sites that do not publish feeds. It will check any web page for updates and deliver them to your favorite RSS aggregator.
tags: rss, tools, feed, generator

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-01-31T16:32:00.001-08:00

Shahi
A visual dictionary
tags: dictionary, flickr, visual
Stixy
Flexible Online Creation Collaboration and Sharing
tags: collaboration, web2.0, tools, sharing, design, ajax
100 Interesting Ways | ICT in my Classroom
tips and slideshares
tags: ict, tools, classroom
25 Great Blogger Widgets
tags: widgets, blogger, blogging
1link.in
Put multiple links into one short link which you can share. Opening the link opens all the links into separate browser windows.
tags: 1link.in, links, short URLs

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-01-24T16:32:00.001-08:00

Molecular Workbench
Visual simulations
tags: science, chemistry, biology, physics, molecules, interactive, simulations
Pipes: Rewire the web
tags: web2.0, mashup, rss, yahoo, aggregator, tools
Bembo's Zoo
suitable for iwb - creates pictures of animals out of letters of the alphabet
tags: alphabet, literacy, animals
Practice Fish
Flash game for testing multiplication. Suitable for IWB
tags: practicefish, iwb, maths, multiplication
Multiplication Moles
Iwb resource for matching multiplication tables and answers.
tags: multiplication, times tables, maths, iwb
Multiplication Puzzle
Great multiplication puzzle activity. Suitable for iwb and for a range of learners.
tags: multiplication, maths, game, timestables, iwb
Moonmaths
Good iwb resource for learning multiplication
tags: moonmaths, iwb, interactivewhiteboard, times tables, multiplication
Google Earth: ICT in my Classroom
Using Google Earth, Google Docs and Twitter in this Afternoon’s Science Lesson.
tags: ict, education, googlemaps, google earth, geography

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-01-17T16:32:00.001-08:00

1911 UK Census
The 1911 census is a record of everyone who lived in England and Wales in 1911. It provides a unique snapshot of the lives of your ancestors. 1911census.co.uk brings this vast resource to you online, so that you can search the census simply and quickly to discover how your family lived in the past.
tags: United, Kingdom, census, 1911, genealogy
WordlyWise3000
Vocabulary Reinforcement online and downloadable activities
tags: wordlywise3000, vocabulary, language
BioKIDS
Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species - identifying, tracking and learning about animals in the ecosystem.
tags: biokids
Super Sneaky Spy Guy
tags: no_tag
Mrs Pancake
free educational ECE, KS1 and KS2 resources for teachers, parents and children.
tags: resources
Virtual Reference Library - Genealogy
resources
tags: no_tag
Images4Education - Exploring Images in the 21st Century Classroom
How can adding images to your in-class and online activities raise student interest? How can you help learners develop 21st century multiliteracy skills through active learning? 6 week online workshop.
tags: images4education, ning, flickr, photos

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

365 Photo Challenge

2009-01-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2008 I started to look for a challenge that would keep me active with my PLN and broaden my PLE. I came across the idea of 365 Photo project and decided I'd give it ago. It turns out that a lot of my PLN had similar ideas and have also decided to give it a go. Here's where you'll find my 365 Photo Project.

So how do you participate?

Take a photo everyday - it can be of what you are doing, or of where you are, or it can be of something which catches your attention or which sums up your day. It doesn't have to be a perfect photo or be professional quality, you just need to make sure you do it everyday!
So you'll need a camera right? - If you don't want to or can't lug yours around with you, snap something with the camera in your mobile, its quick and easy and if its not perfect you can play around with it in an online photo editor like Picnic ~ get creative, it all counts!
Have a place where you can publish and display your photos - Some people I know have set up a blog especially for their photos, or have just incorporated it into their current blog. Others like myself are using Flickr and there are several Flickr Group pools where you can tag and share your photos with everyone.
Tell me more... - However you choose to publish, make sure you write a description and tell people what the photo is of and why you took it. Something which you do or see everyday and to you may seem "normal" or "boring" may seem fascinating or out exotic to someone else.
Don't forget that YOU are in control of how people view, use and distribute your photos! Using a site like Flickr makes it really easy to apply creative commons licenses to your work.

So why take up the 365 Photo Challenge, or any online challenge for that fact?

It lets you connect with your PLN
You can see a different part of the world everyday
Its a good excuse to blog and may even inspire you to broaden
It allows you keep track of the challenges you encountered, your accomplishments and I think it makes you appreciate the little things in life.

Who is My PLN is doing the challenge?

If letting people into your world is a little scary, why not take some of Penny Ryder's tips on her Teaching Challenges Blog. Penny suggests "build[ing] a sense of community with photos of your students". I couldn't agree more Penny, so why not whip out your camera and either take up a challenge or use your camera to highlight and track your student's achievements throughout the year.

My newly discovered resources (weekly)

2009-01-10T16:32:00.001-08:00

WEB 2.0 Wednesday Challenge‎
Welcome to our Web.20 Challenge. Join us each week to learn about a helpful Web 2.0 tool and then take the challenge. Share your results and you could win great prizes and worldwide fame.
tags: web2.0, challenge, technology, tools, education
M&M Avatar maker
avatar maker
tags: m&m, avatar
Voki
avatar with audio
tags: avatar, voki, widgets
Befunky - Cartoonizer
Avatar maker
tags: cartoonizer, avatar
Simpsonize Me
avatar maker
tags: simpsons, avatar
edna's Blogging Carnival
tags: edna, bloggingcarnival, bloggingcorner09
South Australia Genealogy Links
Includes links and Genealogy Chat Room
tags: genealogy
Footsteps in Time
tags: no_tag
Teachers' TV Australia
tags: teachers tv, resources, video
Genealogy in New South Wales
blog on New South Wales genealogy
tags: genealogy, new south wales, NSW, blog
Australian Newspaper Directory
a database of Australian State and territory newspapers
tags: newspapers, news, news media
What2Learn
Revision games, interactive learning & printables
tags: what2learn, maths, science, online_games, english, interactive

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Music Education Meets the Web

2009-01-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my Plurk buddy Skip Z, a wonderfully active educator from the US of A, I have finally stumbled across something I have been waiting a long time to see...

Noteflight is the first online music composition tool that sits entirely on the web. Although not as powerful as other software programs such as Sibelius, the Noteflight score editor allows you to do the basics: compose online, play back your work and print it. Also after creating your own scores, you can choose to share them with others, can publish them to Noteflight's online music library, link to them, or embed them in your blog. Composing and accessing your work on the run just got easier!

Still in Beta, Noteflight has limited instrumentation - piano, bass, drums, violin, guitar, flute, soprano sax, trumpet and electric bass but the actualy instrument sounds are pretty good - you don't get the horrible squeaks you get with other score writers on play back!

Some other great features include:

Versioning allows you to make keep earlier versions of your work to make changing your mind easier!
Note input with the keyboard or mouse
Ability to add a comment to parts of your score or specific notes
Describe your work and tag it
Simple key, time and transposition functionality
Feedback - tell them what you want to see!

I would suggest reading the terms of use outlined when first signing up with Noteflight. It appears that you, as the composer, own all of the content you place on Noteflight. However your work will be covered under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license, something which may be quite alien to most musicians... Reading up on it is best to make sure that you understand how your music can be viewed and used by others,as well as what lisences you must abide by if you edit someone elses's work - do this before you decide to place your entire life's work online...

As I mentioned before Noteflight is only in beta but there are some great possibilities on the horizon, including the ability to import your scores from other programs uaing MusicXML. Finale can export this format directly, and Sibelius allows MusicXML via Recordare's Dolet plugin.

So what's missing?

You can't add dynamics or ritards or accelerandos
No lyrics functionality
No cut and paste between scores
Can't add grace notes, tremolo or other ornaments
You can't isolate parts of a score.

Judging by their feedback forum these are all things that they are hard at work on. For the first free service of its kind I think that the team at Noteflight should be very proud at what they have achieved and, most importantly, what they have started. It can only get better from here.

Viva la Musicia!

edna's Blogging Carnival

2009-01-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

To kick off edna's Blogging Corner for 2009 we have set up a Blogging Corner Carnival!

At the beginning of each month there will be a post with contributions from educators and we really hope that many of you will participate.

To start off with, we are looking for blog postings you have done on that you would like to share with other educators. A general guide on topics are:

Challenges and Events
Classroom Blogs
Personal Blogs
Useful Tools
Technology

Let us know if you what you are thinking of linking to would not fit into any one of those categories.

What you will need to do to participate:
Go to our the Blog Carnival page and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see the Submit an Article form. Chose a blog post you have done which you would like to share with other educators.

The first Carnival will be published on February 2nd on an specially set up edublog space at Submissions close on Wed 28 January.

If you miss the submission deadline, you can always submit a blog post into next months Carnival - all educators are encouraged to post to the Carnival, even if you are not a Blogging Corner fanatic (in which case if you you are more than welcome to join the group!)