This is one for the holidays. Scrapblog is an online scrapbooking tool that lets you ‘create stunning multimedia scrapbooks. Share them online with family and friends and print them.’
Scrapblog homepage
Here is an example of what can be created. The rest is up to your imagination!
Great example of a Scrapblog
Please consider sharing your Scrapblog if you find the time to complete one over the holidays.
Students are just going to love this Web 2.0 resource! Comiqs lets users create and share their own comics, which can be created by using your own photos, photos from Comiqs’ photo library, or photos from the internet and then adding text. There is also a privacy option when saving completed comics, so it is ideal for schools. Comics can be published publicly, just for friends or only for you to see.
Students could use Comiqs to create their own stories, but also for school work such as
In fact, when Google launched their new web browser, Google Chrome, they produced a comic to show people how it worked.
Here is a short example of what can be created in a few minutes. This example was achieved using the Comiqs photo gallery. Comiqs could also be a good holiday boredom buster for the kids.
The Horizon Report (Australia and New Zealand edition) focussing on emerging technologies, where next generation mobile phones were selected as one of the six most important emerging technologies (out of over 100 considered) has been released. And recently, one new application for mobiles has caught the attention of Bright ideas.
aka-aki is a kind of scary tool (users do have the option to turn on privacy settings if they don’t want to be contacted) that once downloaded to your mobile phone, enables other aka-aki users to contact you if you come within 20 metres of them. Bluetooth technology enables user profiles to be viewed by you once another registered user is within the 20 metre distance.
aka-aki homepage
The main difference between aka-aki and other social networking sites is that aka-aki is designed for people who are not in front of their computer. aka-aki is a German development that offers free unlimited messaging and chat to other aka-aki users in groups of your choice, but beware that your phone carrier could charge for data use. Texts can be sent from phone to phone, computer to phone and phone to computer. All mobile encounters are saved on the aka-aki website, so you can follow up contacts later via the Internet.
No doubt there is at least one enterprising and creative soul out there who can think of an educational application for aka-aki. If so, please share it with us!
Roman Hansler, Founder of aka-aki says that it is available for use in Australia now. For more information, go to the aka-aki blog. And for a laugh, have a look at this video.
This Teachers TV video focuses on Web literacy in secondary schools.
ICT Web literacy video
The program synopsis says:
“This programme reveals the critical importance for teachers to provide guidance to their pupils when using the Internet for research.
A group of Year 9 pupils at Wortley High School in Leeds are asked to look at three websites. The subject matters are Martin Luther King, the holocaust and Victorian robots.
None of the websites are what they seem. The first two are fronts for racists and holocaust deniers. The last is a good-natured spoof. None of the pupils spot any problems with the validity, reliability or authority of the sites and many say they would cut and paste information from the sites for use in homework or other projects.
ICT expert James Green leads a lesson that reveals the truth to the pupils, passing on valuable tips on website cross-checking and validity.”
Comments left by Teachers TV subscribers are extremely positive about the usefulness of this video. It may well give you inspiration for ways of teaching Internet literacy in 2009.
Seesmic is a video blogging site that is currently in the developmental stage. Users are able to start their own conversation by posting their own videos from their desktop, webcam, mobile phone or social networking URL. Or you can reply to a conversation that is already in progress.
Although all videos are public at the moment, the creation of groups, where only invited users can see and post replies to videos, should be coming soon. That would revolutionise the use of Seesmic for school use. Imagine the possibilities. Online video conversations with sister schools overseas could lead to collaborative international projects. Students would feel more connected to those from other schools if they could see and hear them. If you would like to know when this feature will be available, you can:
When the ability to use groups/private videos becomes available, you will be emailed by Seesmic. Seesmic is being developed by Loic Le Meur, who has been the Internet advisory to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Hakia is a search engine that prides itself on bringing credible websites to the searcher. Librarians are able to submit websites they wish to recommend to Hakia. By adding non commercial, peer reviewed websites, search results are smaller, but more reliable. Currently the credible searches only cover the topics of health and environment.
Suggest a credible website
Hakia also has a tool that enables searchers to compare a Google search and a Hakia search side-by-side. Although results can vary depending on the actual search, it’s certainly worth a try.
Hakia and Google compared
Perhaps we should all consider spending some time to help make Hakia bigger and more popular by submitting credible websites and encouraging students to use Hakia’s search engine. Collectively, we have the power to positively influence the way students do Internet searches.
Tired of your automated library system, but can’t afford to upgrade? Koha could be the solution.
Hartland Public Library
On their arrival at Preston Girls’ Secondary College earlier this year, teacher librarians Judith Way and Reina Phung grappled to get a handle on the curriculum requirements of the college. Job-sharing the 1.0 position, with no support staff, Judith and Reina found it difficult to find the time to meet with subject coordinators to ask for their input. Aware of the few audio visual resources and a collection that needed updating, they decided to set up a ‘Curriculum Audit’ wiki.
Not a link, just a screenshot of one of the pages from the wiki
It was decided that the wiki was to be kept private, for the use and eyes of the school staff only. Staff were emailed an introduction and request to contribute to the wiki. The email contained a word document attachment that included detailed instructions and screenshots on how to contribute to the wiki. Staff were then asked to contribute their thoughts on a number of questions:
Some staff not only responded quickly and in some detail, but were enthused about the possibilities of wikis. One teacher, Les Kyle, proceeded to quickly create her own extremely detailed wiki for her VCAL class; the whole curriculum, topics and links to resources (with some contributions from Judith and Reina). This wiki was kept private within Preston Girls’ (using an email to the students’ email address inviting them to join the wiki) as full student names appeared on the wiki and discussions between teacher and students took place. Judith and Reina were proud to think that their Curriculum Audit wiki was the catalyst for Les’s fabulous wiki.
However, many staff did not know what a wiki was, and some had trouble even logging on. The ideal situation would have been an introductory session during a Curriculum Day for those interested/needing guidance. However as all Curriculum Days had been allocated to specific topics (Literacy), Judith and Reina continued to work one-to-one with interested teachers. Judith and Reina believe that something like the SLAV Web 2.0 course for teachers would be terrific, as they often felt that the majority of the teaching staff would benefit from the introduction to the Web 2.0 tools out there that can enhance teaching and learning.
The idea that wikis were the ideal tool for student/student and student/teacher (and teacher/teacher) collaboration was introduced to teachers. That students projects could be completed in teams, and the teacher automatically alerted by email to when contributions had been added. Students taking full responsibility for their own learning becomes apparent when those with access to the wiki can see (and also have email alerts) who has contributed what to the wiki. The way discussions and comments are structured means that students have to think about their responses, rather than perhaps plagiarise by cutting and pasting.
The bonus was that discussions about wikis and blogs now regularly take place and teachers who have not yet made a contribution to the wiki promise to do so when the VCE classes finish. The new ICT Coordinator has begun his own blog. And the teachers who contributed to the wiki will have the best resourced subjects in the school!
The only problem that Judith and Reina found was that the initial wiki grew so large that it had to be split into two; years 7-10 and years 11-12.
Mixbook allows you to import photos from your computer, Flickr, Picassa, Facebook, Yahoo! Search, PhotoBucket and SmugMug. You can also collaborate online with a friend to decide on picture selection and layout. As per many other Web 2.0 technologies, you can decide whether your book is open to everyone, just to friends or only you. Have a look at one public example below (it can be a little slow to load):
An example of an open (or shared or public) Mixbook photobook
Although shipping (from the U.S) is not cheap, if you want to produce a professional looking bound book of your holiday memories, Mixbook is well worth investigating. However, you do not have to have your book printed. Mixbook hosts online photobooks for free. Again, the book can be open to everyone, friends, or just you.
There could be many and varied educational applications for a Mixbook photobook and students would really love to see their work published in a bound book. The coming break could be an ideal time to put together your own personal photobook. If you do get time to complete a photobook, we would love a comments on your thoughts.
In a previous post about Pascoe Vale Primary School students creating e-books, teacher Margo Edgar mentioned getting students to create their e-books using PhotoStory or VoiceThread.
VoiceThread is an excellent Web 2.0 resource that enables users to create text, add videos and images and then record an audio overlay. Microphones and phones can be used to record audio. Users can comment on other people’s VoiceThread uploads, so there can be collaboration with other students and teachers if you wish.
VoiceThread is such an amazing and powerful tool, it is probably better to experience it for yourself, so have a look at this screencast that shows exactly how VoiceThread works: VoiceThread screencast.
There is also an excellent wiki that shows examples of VoiceThread projects in classrooms and school libraries. So creating digital storytelling and e-books is now much easier, both for students and teachers. Students should find e-books lots of fun to produce and share using VoiceThread!
VoiceThread could also be used for online professional development or online learning. Staff meetings or staff PD could be presented using VoiceThread and then saved for later access for people who were absent, or who want to revisit the presentation.
Some lessons could be uploaded to VoiceThread for students who are ill or absent and for sharing with other classes or schools. Distance education could take advantage of VoiceThread’s free accounts as well. Thanks to Margo Edgar at Pascoe Vale Primary School for the introduction to VoiceThread.