Web Tools!!!
Tools that may make your teaching a little easier. 4.29.13
What are Web Tools?
Jim's "Pick-O-The-Week"
Screencast-O-Matic
Jim shares: "If you're looking for an easy to use screen recorder, this is a good tool. The free version is good and the pay-for version can do a lot for only $15 per year. This would be a good tool for any teacher interested in the Flipped Classroom."
WeVideo
Jim shares: WeVideo is an interesting concept for editing videos. Once you sign-up for your account, you are able to upload your movie and start editing. This online program reminds me a lot of the older Movie Maker program (which was a good program and easier to use for editing that Windows Live Movie Maker) or an earlier version of iMovie. If you need a video editor that does a lot without a big learning curve, this is a good solution.
Quizlet
Jim shares: Quizlet is a very nice, stable Web Tool. It does a wonderful job reinforcing vocabulary and knowledge skills and can be customized for the educator. It offers a wide selection of subject areas.
Quizlet is a great Web Tool for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students. The following videos do a wonderful job sharing some of the things Quizlet can do.
Dipity
Jim shares: Dipity is one of those Web Tools that you scratch your head and wonder why they named it what they did. Actually, it can be a wonderful tool for creating time lines that look great and are easy to work with. Once you create your account, you can see the timelines that are already created or you can create your own.
I am a bit hesitant recommending this site due to the nature of a few of the historical events posted on the already created timelines. However, if you are creating your own timeline, there won't be any problems. Because not all content would be suitable for younger students, I lower the rating on this app. For older students, I would rate this a "4".
Gliffy
Jim shares: Gliffy does a nice job of creating a variety of organizational tools. It is intuitive, easy to use, and creates very nice looking products. Once you use your freebies, you need to pay a subscription fee to the site.
If flowcharts, Venn diagrams, and organizational charts are something you've always wanted to create, this would be the perfect Web Tool for you. If you just want to goof around with Ven diagrams, flowcharts, and organizational charts, this would be the perfect Web Tool for you.
Icon Finder
Jim shares: Icon Finder is a great site to hunt for icons (small graphics) that you can use on your website, flipcharts, PowerPoints, etc. It is a browser that searches only for icons.
In the above photos, I searched for "Cars" and "Schools". The results appeared very quickly and were of very good quality. I had the option of only searching for icons that are free or icons that I would need to subscribe to. The free ones are excellent.
Icons can only be used in their smallest form since trying to enlarge them causes them to blur. However, if you are looking for a graphic that is small, won't take a lot of memory in your document, and looks good, this specialized browser will work for you.