Episode 23 10×10, Flixtime, muvee Cloud
Show notes:
Ten by Ten
URL: http://tenbyten.org/
10×10 is an interesting way of viewing the world, or at least current global activities. Every hour, 10×10 collects 100 words and pictures and puts them together into one image. Clicking on any of the 100 pictures or the words down the right hand side provides links to the relevant stories. You can use the ‘previous hour’ and ‘next hour’ to scroll backwards and forwards through the hours for a particular day.
However, there is an archive dating back to the end of 2004. Click the ‘history’ link and you can then drill down by year, month, date, hour to a 10×10 archive image.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
This is an interesting way to look back over current affairs, when they occurred and how they unfolded.
Flixtime
URL: http://flixtime.com/
Register for a free account and then you can upload your videos clips, images and text to quickly create a one minute composite video. You can even record a voice over.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Can easily be used as an alternative to a slide presentation, for projects, and as a quick demonstration of knowledge.
Alternatives: Animoto, Stupeflix Studio
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/flixtime
muvee Cloud
muvee Cloud is another way of creating a video or ‘Muvee’ by uploading your photos and videos. However, this content can be kept private, only shared with your invitees (though you can publish out to elsewhere if you wish). In addition, you can allow others to contribute their content using their email invitation to upload. This enables collaborative working.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Run a collaborative shared project with a private (or public) composite video output. Learners can work collaboratively to produce a multimedia representation of their activities.
Useful video:
muvee Cloud was formerly called Shwup
Episode 22 Historypin, Scribble Maps
Historypin
URL: http://www.historypin.com/
Historypin is an interesting idea. Old photographs are placed on a map of the world in space and time. This allows a comparison of places in the past with the present. But not only that, stories behind the photos can be included. Video and audio clips can also be apart of this experience. You can look up a place on the map at a particular time in history, or particular things in that place at that time. Images of the past can be superimposed on Google Streetview to give you the comparison. Historypin is working in collaboration with Google, so the interface is excellent. Login is via your Google account.
You can take a ‘tour’ through a series of linked content, traveling through a place or time and the associated story.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Historypin could prove useful for digital storytelling. It certainly has a use for local history projects; and possibly social history.
Useful videos:
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/historypin
Scribble Maps
URL: http://scribblemaps.com/
http://pro.scribblemaps.com/
Scribble Maps is free, doesn’t need registration but has limited functions. Scribble Maps Pro is also free, you do need to register and there are lots more functions. Scribble Maps Pro will be described in this piece.
Scribble Maps enables you to make annotations onto a Google Maps map. (Scribble Maps is powered by Google Maps.) You can quickly create your own custom maps, which can be exported, including as a JPEG, and can be embedded into a blog. You can import data in the form of spreadsheets to place data onto a map. You can draw shapes and scribbles, place text and markers, measure distances and much more.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Scribble Maps has a host of uses from the Educator and Learner perspective. It has uses for Geography, History, and other aspects of Social Sciences, for local, national and international contexts.
Learners could be required to produce maps of historical events, plotting environmental effects or disasters, mapping changes in land use, etc.
Userful video:
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/scribble%20map
Episode 21 WordSteps, TimeRime, JayCut
Show notes:
WordSteps
URL: http://wordsteps.com/
WordSteps is a free foreign language vocabulary learning resource with a number of languages for you to learn. Sets of words are called dictionaries and you can chose a language and a dictionary to learn. You can do this without an account, but to create your own dictionaries you will need to log in. Algorithms are used to re-enforce the learning process, so you are tested in ways that enhance memorizing.
Mobile apps are available or in the pipeline, so you can take your language learning ‘dictionaries’ with you.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Useful for anyone wanting to learn other languages.
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/wordsteps
TimeRime
URL: http://timerime.com/
TimeRime allows you to create a history timeline that includes text, audio and video. You can then embed this into a blog.
There is also a wealth of created timelines for you to access and use.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Educators can set making a timeline as a project for Learners to research a topic and demonstrate their knowledge.
Learners can view existing timelines to understand how a particular event unfolded.
JayCut
URL: http://jaycut.com/
JayCut is a free online video editing application. There is a ‘Try a Demo’ option, but you need to join the community to use it properly. The user interface is nice and easy to use and there are features you expect and require from a video editor:
- Remix/trim videos and images
- Add music, transitions and effects
- Add captions and subtitles
- Automated transcoding
- Export to YouTube and Facebook or to your desktop
You can upload your own video clips, images and sound tracks. As the editing and transcoding takes place on the JayCut servers you can perform mobile editing on devices with fast Internet connectivity and Adobe Flash 9 support. So it is possible to capture, edit and publish a video from a mobile device.
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/jaycut
Episode 20 Khan Academy, Zamzar
Show notes:
Khan Academy
URL: http://www.khanacademy.org/
Some things are truly inspirational and Khan Academy is one of them.
Sal Kahn the man behind The Khan Academy has created an immense resource. He has generated 2400 instructional videos and 125 practice exercises covering a wealth of subjects, including:
- Economics
- Finance
- Chemistry
- Arithmetic
- Pre-algebra
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Biology
- Trigonometry
- Precalculus
- Statistics
- Probability
- Calculus
- Differential Equations
- History
- Linear Algebra
- Physics
What a wealth of information, all released for free under a Creative Commons licence. The objective is to provide a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
The content starts at school level education progressing up to college level. There is something here for anyone to learn, even if it is just to refresh your knowledge of a subject area.
Learners can use Khan Academy as a self paced learning regime to learn a subject, or to supplement formal education programmes. Videos can be used at any time as refreshers to improve learner understanding. You can also study areas where you have an interest but are not studying the topic formally.
Educators can tap into the resource to supplement their education programme, or use it wholly as a programme in itself for a topic. There are analysis tools bundled within the software part of the environment to allow educators to monitor learner progress and proficiency, allowing timely support interjection when necessary.
A Google or Facebook id can be used to login to The Kahn Acadamy to use the progress tracking software.
Useful videos:
TEDtalk
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/khan
Zamzar
Zamzar usefully allows you to convert the format of your files into other common formats, categorised into:
- Image
- Doc
- Music
- Video
- E-book
- Other
It is also possible with Zamzar to download video and audio files from the Internet. Terms of use require that you do not infringe copyright by doing this.
Episode 19 Twitter special
Show notes
URL: http://twitter.com/
Twitter is a real-time soundbite information update system. Currently it is one of the two main social networks in existence. You sign up and start to follow other Twitter users and gain followers yourself. Anyone registered can then create short messages called ‘Tweets’ that get broadcast for any other Twitter users to see. Discussion can quickly develop amongst a community of followers. Others can ‘Retweet’ something they like and think their own followers might also find of interest. Tweets can also carry one or more hashtags (#) which is used as a tag to associate the Tweet to a particular topic. Filters can then be used to collect and stream all Tweets carrying a particular hashtag.
Twitter should be thought of as a fast flowing information system, for the quick and immediate exchange of information. However, it is widely regarded that to get the best from the service it is useful to actually use dedicated Twitter client applications. These clients tend to have a desktop version for download and install along with mobile device apps. They allow greater access to Twitter streams with multiple column support, multi account support and more.
TweetDeck
URL: http://www.tweetdeck.com/
The best know Twitter client app is TweetDeck, which has recently been acquired and become part of Twitter itself.
Seesmic
HootSuite
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Twitter has great use for the rapid exchange of educational material and links. Educators and Learners alike can use Twitter as a component of their Personal Learning Network (PLN), to facilitate discussions with other people in a subject area (quite often noted people), as a consistent information source both from individuals you follow and by following appropriate hasthag streams.
One area where Twitter can be used is to provide a backchannel, which in general terms allows comments and discussions to be made by the audience for the audience and is not directed from the presenter, though the presenter can participate. (Refer to links below for additional information.) Twitter is often used at conferences (and other live events) by attendees and those not attending to exchange information, opinions, useful links, or as a real time chronicle of events.
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/twitter
Other links:
http://nevermindthepedagogy.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/the-microblog-backchannel/
http://squiremorley.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/twitter-backchannel-presenting/
Episode 18 Animoto, Bubbl.us, TodaysMeet
Animoto
URL: http://animoto.com/
Animoto allows you to create stunning videos from your uploaded photos, videos and music. All the transitions and hard work is done by Animoto. This allows you to produce stylish and engaging presentations.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Learners can use Animoto as an expressive visual way to demonstrate their learning. Educators might also want to use Animoto as an engaging way to present a topic or as a launching off point to prime discussions.
Useful video: http://vodpod.com/watch/13456234-animoto-features
Alternatives: Stupeflix Studio, Flixtime
Diigo links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/animoto
Bubbl.us
URL: https://bubbl.us/
Bubbl.us is a free online mindmapping application, which allows collaborative mindmap creation. It’s quite simple to get started with, you can try it out before you register for a free account. Your created mindmaps can be exported as an image file (JPEG or PNG) or as an XML or HTML file. Mindmaps can be embedded into blogs.
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Bubbl.us can be used by Learners as a starting point for a collaborative project.
TodaysMeet
TodaysMeet allows an electronic chatroom to be created and contributed to in real time, generally running alongside a physical event or activity. Whilst Twitter can be used to do this in a public arena, TodaysMeet enables a ‘private’ discussion to run, with a selected audience. This also means that only relevant content is displayed. The discussion is self-contained and can be deleted after a set period of time; two hours, eight hours, 12 hours, one day, one week, one month, or one year.
One area where this type of service can be used is to provide a backchannel, which in general terms allows comments and discussions to be made by the audience for the audience and is not directed from the presenter, though the presenter can participate. (Refer to links below for additional information.)
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
TodaysMeet allows discussions to take place in environments where such interaction might not otherwise be possible, particularly in large settings. Another use could be to break down a large audience into smaller groups, even when the participants aren’t sitting in close proximity.
Educators can make use of TodaysMeet to gain direct, real-time feedback from their audience. This can enable questions to be answered seamlessly within the proceedings and within context. It also allows any misconceptions of the Learners to be identified and corrected. This gives less confident Learners a way to participate; they might not necessarily feel comfortable speaking in front of a large collection of they contemporaries.
Learners can use TodaysMeet to hold a live discussion about the presented material and clarify points amongst themselves.
Other links:
http://nevermindthepedagogy.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/the-microblog-backchannel/
http://squiremorley.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/twitter-backchannel-presenting/
Alternatives: Chatzy, Tinychat, PrivatelyApp
Episode 17 Cloud Storage, Sync & Backup – Dropbox, SugarSync; Sharing to Dropbox – Filestork, DROPitTOme
Show notes:
Cloud Storage, Sync & Backup
If you store files on multiple devices you might want to be able to access those files from those other devices, and you don’t want them to be different versions.
If you already create your content using other Cloud based services then this is probably less of an issue for you as you may well be able to access this unique version of the item from any capable device. It depends how you want to work. However if you prefer using computer/device based software and want access from other devices then sync’ing content across devices is probably required and the following might be useful.
There are a number of services that provide this Cloud Storage, Sync and Backup function. Your choice should depend upon service, functionality, data security, and cost. These services usually require a software download and install. You can then identify folders and files on you computer to be automatically backed up and sync’ed. Files can be edited on any device and this copy is automatically sync’ed to you service account and updated on all your access devices/computers.
Files and folders can be shared securely with other people.
Some services offer limited free space with paid for upgrade options. Others might offer a free trial period.
DropBox
URL: https://www.dropbox.com/
Dropbox is probably currently the best know of these services. It offers 2GB of free space and then two pro plans of 50GB and 100GB.
Becuase it is the best known, other online services have been created which integrate with Dropbox.
Dropbox has clients for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Useful video:
Diigo Links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/dropbox
SugarSync
URL: https://www.sugarsync.com/
SugarSync provides free 5GB of storage space. There are storage plans of 30GB, 60GB, 100GB, 250GB, and 500GB all with a 30-day trial. All can be paid for monthly or at an equivalently cheaper annual rate.
Currently SugarSync has clients for Windows and Mac, but not Linux. It has the most extensive support for mobile platforms.
Useful video:
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Such services can provide an easy way for Educators to share files, particularly large files, with Learners. Also they can act as a useful backup system for both Educators and Learners if their working practice is using installed software applications – potentially safer than using pen drives, etc.
Diigo Links: http://www.diigo.com/user/markuos/sugarsync
Sharing to Dropbox
If you want the facility to allow other people to share large files with you then there are applications that enable this using a Dropbox account securely without having to give out access rights. These applications integrate with your Dropbox account.
FileStork
DROPitTOme
URL: http://dropitto.me/
Useful video:
Learning and Teaching applicable uses:
Allow for quick and easy submission of Learner created work to be submitted to an Educator.
