I found several cool educational tools from Ziipa! My goal is to post this weekly series regularly on Saturdays so you can test these tools out. However, you can get access to these fantastic websites as soon as I find them by connecting with me on Google reader!
PicApp Images
I found the picture above on PicApp, which allows any blogger to find quality pics and embed them easily! I took only a minute to select, edit, and embed the image. The best part is that you do not have to attribute the picture, which saves bloggers time. Moreover, you can use the editing tools on the website and receive the embed code to copy and paste. The website uses the small gallery icon to advertise, which is hardly noticeable. The majority of the images are high quality, but I recommend choosing the creative option versus the editorial to save even more time.
DocVerse: Collaborate on MS Office Documents
Ever want to collaborate on a PowerPoint, Excel, or Word document? Now you can for free with DocVerse. Currently, you can only download on a Windows system, but you can share the link to the document with a Mac user. There are more cool features, such as commenting and the ability to share with non-Office users. I suggest giving this a software a try!
Sketchcast: Draw
Have your students draw, add text, and use voice with Sketchcast! You have to register, but the service is free. I wish the site would add an easy search engine and the site seems to go down at times and is temperamental with a Mac. When the tool works, it is great for all students and English language learners. Students can draw in several different colors, add text, narrate the drawing, and embed it into a wiki or blog! One way to use Sketchcast is to have students create a sketch and use adjectives to help another student guess what the object is.
Blurtt: Send Postcards!
Do you have your students write and mail letters to the White House or a celebrity like Oprah? If you do, then you will love Blurtt, which allows the user to mail a postcard made online directly to politicians, movie stars, family, or friends for a very low fee. You can have the students create postcards for Obama congratulating him on his Nobel Peace Prize and directly mail them for a low cost. Use this with caution, though, because I found a few postcards that had inappropriate writing.
Google Maps + Flickr= MapFlickr
Use MapFlickr to create your own Google Map with pictures from your Flickr account. I can see students using this to visually show trips they took or they can mark all the places they have lived. All students can mark the places they have been on one map and post this on a wiki!
Cameroid: Take Silly Photos
If you have a webcam on your school computers, then your students can take silly photos with Cameroid. The service is very easy to use with several backdrops, frames, and effects.
Even More Cool Links
For more great finds, please visit Ozge Karaoglu’s Faves of the Week series!
Challenge:
Use one of the tools! Leave a comment if you found the tip useful!
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