TeacherTube & SchoolTube

The resources for today are called TeacherTube and SchoolTube.

What are TeacherTube and SchoolTube?

TeacherTube and SchoolTube are programs similar to the popular YouTube. Rather than have to scan out videos that are appropriate for the classroom, these two websites provide videos that are safe for the classroom environment. SchoolTube is also endorsed by the National Education Association, or NEA.

Are they free?

TeacherTube and SchoolTube are both free programs for all users. When signing up, TeacherTube just requires a simple username, password, e-mail address, and your age as well as designation (teacher, student, parent, administrator, etc.). But, when you sign up for SchoolTube, you must input your school, city, state, and country to prevent people that are NOT in the classroom from signing up for an account.

What will TeacherTube and SchoolTube bring to your classroom?

These tools can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using them in the Kindergarten classroom to view videos about counting to using them in 10th grade classrooms to create and upload videos portraying famous Americans to a college student viewing videos on anatomy to help review for a class test. This tool brings an easier way to find videos that are educational versus trying to ween out the videos with poor language, disrespectful images, and all the other poor tastes of those videos that can be found on YouTube. 

How do I use TeacherTube and SchoolTube?

Because I am not part of a school, I am just going to show you the details of using TeacherTube. It's relatively simple and related EXACTLY to YouTube, only you can upload specific things such as documents, too.

Step 1: When you first log in, you will head to the top right and click on the drop down menu to upload your own documents. You can upload a video, audio, photos, or documents. This is unique to TeacherTube, as it's to be used in the classroom or for professional development.

Each form has it's own upload rules. The uploading is relatively easy, but I am going to show you the forms. The nice thing about TeacherTube is that they ask when you upload to make sure that what you decide to upload is NOT classified as pornography, copyrighted material, harassment material, or spam. This is especially great because that's the difference between using YouTube and TeacherTube in the classroom - you will NOT have to worry about scanning videos prior to showing them, unless you so choose.

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How can I use TeacherTube and SchoolTube in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that these tools can be utilized in the classroom:

-Create a step by step video on a recipe
-Show a video on how to use a timeline
-Use to create a video on the phonics dance
-Create a commercial for a book and upload
-Create a video portraying a famous American
-Tell about the rules in a classroom environment
-Use a video to portray students work each month
-Make a rap video about the scientific process and upload
-Record a video of students demonstrating the water cycle
-Work on vocabulary through a presentation uploaded to one website
-Create a video of a book review for other students in the school to view
-Upload videos using American Sign Language to showcase sign language skills
-Make a video of a play to help students identify the emotions of the actors/actresses
-Create videos on math processes and upload to either website for others to learn from
-Use video to create a how-to process for any sort of process you want students to know about

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use TeacherTube and SchoolTube in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

SlideShare

The resource for today is called SlideShare.

What is SlideShare?

SlideShare is a large virtual community for sharing presentations (especially PowerPoint presentations). SlideShare also supports PDF documents, Word documents, videos, and webinars (by syncing mp3 audio to make it like a podcast). Individuals can also comment, favorite, and download presentations from the website. Organizations also upload documents to share ideas, connect with one another, conduct research, and generate leads for business purposes. The fun thing about SlideShare is that you can download each presentation and either reuse or remix the presentation, allowing you to use a bit of the information, but not all of it.

Is it free?

SlideShare is free. There's an option where you can choose the entire program to be free. With this, you receive just BASIC settings, uploads and shares. But, if you want to go beyond this and get extra perks, there are different tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The descriptions of each plan are listed in the picture below:

But, if you are a teacher, this are also EDU pricing. The breakdown for the pricing is 50% off the pricing listed above. The chart below details the full amounts and how to get the upgrade:

What will SlideShare bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a presentation about family members to using it in 4th grade classrooms to discuss the scientific process of the life of a pumpkin to a college student creating a webinar on the reasons why we should invest in mutual funds. This tool brings an easier way to create "PowerPoint type presentations," visual aids, and slideshows in the classroom environment, all while giving the ability to share with others around the world.

How do I use SlideShare?

Below, I will show examples of how to use SlideShare.

Step 1: Upload one or more of your own files by using either button - upload (for one upload) or upload+ (for more than one upload).

Step 2: Begin to enter your information for your upload.

Step 3: After you have entered your details, hit "SAVE DETAILS." This saves all your information.

Step 4: That's it! Your file is now uploaded and can be downloaded, shared, embedded, and anything else you would like to do to it!

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How can I use SlideShare in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Show the rules to new students
-Share student work that's the best each week
-Peer editing or review of presentations by classmates
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Create presentations for various academic subjects for 1:1 learning
-Collaborate with other classrooms on presentations through SlideShare
-Conference presentations for parents when they have to come in and see you
-Have students research using the topics on SlideShare for their own research projects

-Create photo brochures of countries that are being studied in a foreign language classroom

-Use as a teaser of what the days events will hold - specific subjects you're going to go over
-Vocabulary words - describe the word, definition, how you could use it, part of speech, etc.
-Find slideshows that are out there about a topic & create a Wiki embedded with presentations
-Assign a famous American to each student and have them research & upload their presentation

-Assign groups and have each group do a presentation on a chapter from the book you are reading

-Embed presentations on a specific time period into a class blog, creating a timeline with presentations

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use SlideShare in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Dipity

The resource for today is called Dipity.

What is Dipity?

Dipity is an online timeline service. Users input real-time sources from social media outlets, traditional search engines such as Google or Bing, and RSS feeds to aggregate them into one interactive timeline presentation that anyone can view and use. Users may also use the search feature to search for events in various timelines, allowing them to find the information they need. Dipity allows the user to be engaged in their work while they create it, as well as be engaged after publishing their timelines.

Is it free?

Dipity is free for anyone who registers. But, this free comes with a price. You're allowed up to 3 timelines, 150 events between the three, 5K/month embedded views, 50MB upload space, and have a standard branding and design. Of course, as with other programs, you can upgrade your account. The chart below will detail the other plans available should you want to upgrade:

What will Dipity bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a video about the alphabet to using it in 7th Grade classrooms to tell about a famous American inventor, to a college student identifying their time and what they have learned in their internship. This tool brings an easier way to create "PowerPoint type presentations," visual aids, and slideshows in the classroom environment without having to hassle with the transitions between slides, text, and adding your own music (finding it, as well!). 

How do I use Dipity?

Below, I will show you the ideas behind Dipity.

 This is your dashboard. This is where you create a timeline, find hot topic timelines, and access any other information within your account.

STEP 1: Create your timeline. Enter the topic name, description, choose the category, timezone, upload a thumbnail, and choose the permissions. Once you've done this, click continue to go to the next step.

Step 2: Begin adding events to your timeline. This can be done by words, search feature, photos, videos, blogs, music, messaging services (Twitter, for example), other timelines featured on Dipity, and other places. I chose to add a regular event.

Step 3: Here's what the add event page looks like. Enter in your title, date, description, picture, webpage URL (link), the location, and a potential video URL. This will then upload onto your Dipity timeline.

And that's it! You continue this process until your events are all uploaded. Below is an example of a Dipity timeline.

Example Dipity Project I participated in during one of my ASL courses in my undergraduate college career.

Deaf International Community on Dipity.

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How can I use Dipity in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Create a timeline of your life
-Create a timeline of your family's lives
-View the hot topics to identify current events

-Use for creating timelines of Shakespeare's life

-Create a timeline of the lives of famous Americans
-Create a timeline for the works by a favorite author
-Use for creating a timeline of the time spent in the classroom
-Identify the varieties and evolution of car models over the years
-Create timelines to illustrate changes in technology over the years
-Create a timeline of the various wars (WWI, WWII, Korean War, etc.)
-View other timelines to discuss the events happening around the world
-Create a classroom daily timeline with the tweets you compose in your classroom
-Create a timeline for a research project, print out, place on poster board, and present
-Create a goals list for the future in college classrooms (graduation date, job dates, etc.)
-Identify the various earthquakes that have happened on the West Coast (when, where, how long, etc.)

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Dipity in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Google Drive (Formerly Docs)

The resource for today is called Google Drive.

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a cloud storage system. You can store documents, photos, music, videos, and all sorts of other things on this drive. You can also create documents (like Word), presentations (like PowerPoint), spreadsheets (like Excel), forms (which are where kind of like surveys), drawings, collections, fusion tables (which are experimental), and scripts. 

Is it free?

Google Drive is free for up to 5GB of space. It's best to have a Gmail account for this, but it's not required. If you would like to upgrade and receive more space, it's $2.49 per month for 25 GB, $4.99 per month for 100 GB, OR $49.99 per month for 1 TB. 

What will Google Drive bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to collect information on families in a poll to using it in 11th grade classrooms to make a spreadsheet on mathematical statistics to a college student creating a presentation on a business proposal. This tool brings an easier way to create store your files in a cloud system for free, giving you access to your files from school to home to on-the-go. 

How do I use Google Drive?

Below, I will show you the various features of Google Drive.

On my own Google Drive, I have lots of files that I have accessed. Therefore, I have a wide variety of types of files. I have documents, forms, spreadsheets, PDF documents, and presentations. Below, I will show the front page of each type of file for you to see what it looks like. How to use each document is relatively simple and (at least, I do not believe) does not require a walk through description of how to use each one. Therefore, I will only show examples rather than detail how to use each type of format.

This is an example document.

This is an example PDF.

This is an example presentation.

This is an example spreadsheet.

This is an example form. The first one is what we see, the second is what they see (those who fill it out).

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How can I use Google Drive in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Allow pier editing with the documents
-Create a presentation on a virtual field trip
-Assign homework using the document feature
-Collect website evaluations in a spreadsheet format
-Use documents to create a brainstorming document
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Use the drawing feature to brainstorm for a research project
-Use google forms for surveys on what students want to read next
-Write a poem in the documents section to share with other classmates
-Use spreadsheet to share data on fitness (heart rate, blood pressure, etc)
-Use spreadsheet for reading response documents for student questions during reading
-Create a commercial about a new product that you want others to buy using presentation
-Assign homework that is collaborative due to the ability of Drive being accessed anywhere
-Vocabulary words - describe word, definition, how you use it, part of speech, etc. using spreadsheet

-Work on phonics/grammar instruction by creating a document with many errors for students to correct

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Google Drive in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Storybird

The resource for today is called Storybird.

What is Storybird?

Storybird is a website where you can make your own stories using images provided by other artists. You can create your own stories and then publish them for others to see. Students can use this website to read stories, make up their own, or work with a peer to develop a storybook as a group.

Is it free?

Storybird is free for all users. Each account requires a username, password, and an e-mail address. BUT if you are a teacher trying to create a class account, you can host up to 30 different people. Students will also be signed up via one e-mail account, not requiring them to have one in order to sign in. There are other options for the plans, though. This chart is below with all the information and perks:

What will Storybird bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a short story about a pet to using it in 8th Grade classrooms to tell a story about a fictional character to a college student creating a story for their younger siblings or cousins. This tool brings an easier way to create stories while adding a fun aspect to the activity of creating. The images also provide a great starting point for those who do not know what they would like to write about. 

How do I use Storybird?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Storybird.

Choose how you want your art to look for your story based upon your ideas OR based upon others - you can choose by art, themes, or challenges.

 

For my example story, I chose to use the art by Paul McDougall. Now, I have no idea who he is, but I liked his work!

Here is ALL of his work in one area. As you can see on the webpage, there's step by step directions.
Step 1. Start writing here.
Step 2. Find artwork here.
Step 3. Add or remove pages here.
Step 4. Invite others here.
Under the #4, this is also where you publish your finished story.

After you've completed your story, you then publish it. But, there's some things you can choose about the publishing. These details are:
~The summary
~Tags
~Whether the Storybird is private or public
~The age range for your story

Here's the example I created for another course:

The Christmas Present by ventres on Storybird

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How can I use Storybird in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Use for prewriting
-Create comic strips
-Work on poetry using the images
-Work on reading skills with younger students
-Use as social stories for students with disabilities
-Write a story about what you want to be in the future
-Practice writing stories in a foreign language classroom
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Use for writing a fairy tale or fable when studying those in units
-Create different movie trailers for books that have been read in real life
-Use for inferencing and have students look at pictures ONLY to tell a story
-Create a story using the 5 W's and How to encourage critical thinking skills
-Assign a group story for students to work on together to bounce ideas off one another
-Use as a teaser of what the days events will hold - specific subjects you're going to go over
-Create a series of stories (representing chapters) to create a novel in upper grade classrooms

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Storybird in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Prezi

The resource for today is called Prezi.

What is Prezi?

Prezi is an online virtual whiteboard where presentations are turned into cloud format. According to the website, "Prezi creates a visual storyboard format, with flow and narrative being intertwined with text." Prezi also has a feature where you are in a "meeting" of some sorts. This meeting allows up to 10 people to view and edit the same presentation at a time, allowing for collaboration on the production at hand. 

Is it free?

Prezi is free for anyone. There are other options, though, that come with different features. For example, the FREE version of Prezi makes your presentations all public, allows for 100MB of storage space for your Prezis, and the core features of sharing and editing. For $59.00 a year, you can go up to the Enjoy option. This option features private presentations (choose who to share with), you can use your own logo rather than the Prezi logo, premium support (receive help in less than a day), and 500MB of storage space for your Prezis. Finally, you can choose the Pro option. For $159.00 a year, you receive the same as Enjoy BUT you also have the ability to work offline securely and get 2GB of storage space for your Prezis.
Public = FREE
Enjoy = $59.00/year
Pro = $159.00/year
Beyond these, there's also educational promotional pricing. You receive the ENJOY license for free rather than $59.00/year OR the PRO license for $59.00/year rather than $159.00/year.
To start out with any of the above mentioned plans that are for cost, you may have a 30 day free trial to test it out. Otherwise, you will be billed yearly.

What will Prezi bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a presentation to tell others of your interests to using it in 4th Grade classrooms to tell about a famous American inventor to a college student creating a presentation on another Web 2.0 tool and how to use it. This tool brings an easier way to create "PowerPoint type presentations," visual aids, and slideshows in the classroom environment without having to hassle with the transitions between slides, giving your presentation a more fluid look with fun interactions. 

How do I use Prezi?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Prezi.

This is the main page when you log on to Prezi. As you can see, I have two Prezi presentations. The Storybird Prezi will be at the bottom for an example.

You will also be choosing a theme when you hit NEW presentation. This is where the planning comes into play. Find a style that best fits your presentation. If it's a walk through, you might choose something that has a solidified path. If it's a crowning type presentation, choose something that goes up like a crown.

This is the main page of a new presentation. Each one has a specific placement for the items you will add. For example, there's a space for a title, subtitle, and places for the information. In this presentation, there are 5 places for information to be input.

I inputted all my information for the presentation. As you can see, I have text and images, but I could have added videos and so forth. The addition of features is relatively simple, just double click and type, add pictures, videos, and so forth.

Should you want to change anything, you can also insert shapes, images, PowerPoint slides, YouTube videos, files, and other flow charts. You can also choose your frame for each object in the presentation. Finally, you can change your theme for the presentation based upon the different looks that have been popular around the Prezi world.

   

Here is an example Prezi presentation:

Storybird by Christina & Sara (The Story Birds) on Prezi

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How can I use Prezi in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Show rules of classroom
-Use for mind mapping with groups
-Present a timeline through the transitions
-Create a family tree using the tree template
-Create Prezi presentations on famous explorers
-Use for graphic organizers about topics in the class
-Use in scientific method discussions and presentations
-Presentation on the different countries around the world
-Create a presentation to introduce yourself to the classroom
-Use to tell and create stories in the early childhood classrooms
-Create advertisements for a book, character, or famous person (persuasion)
-Create a presentation about a science project showcasing the scientific process
-Use for vocabulary lessons with the word, a picture of the word, and the definition
-Create a webquest using Prezi presentations about topics across a variety of academic areas
-Create Venn Diagrams for the classroom when comparing two different books about the same topic

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Prezi in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Wikispaces

The resource for today is called Wikispaces.

What is Wikispaces?

Wikispaces is a large space on the Internet where you can share work and ideas, pictures, links, videos, media, and all sorts of other things. You can also embed files, HTML, links, videos, and other media, making it a versatile tool for the classroom environment. Wikispaces also encourages collaboration between groups as each member of the wiki can edit and share files. 

Is it free?

Wikispaces is free for anyone to create, BUT in order to make it public, you have to verify the wikispace by a code or paying $1.00. In order to have a Schools & District Private Label wikispaces, the price is $1,000 a year for 100 users. The same is true of Higher Education Private Label wikispaces, as well.

What will Wikispaces bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the 1st grade classroom to write acrostic poems across the classroom to using it in 9th Grade classrooms to embed photos of a Wordle about the American Revolution, to a college student embedding YouTube videos of their time spent doing a psychology study. This tool brings an easier way to create a local place to store and share information across many different curriculum areas.

How do I use Wikispaces?

Below, these are some of the features of Wikispaces.

This is the homepage when you first log in to your Wikispace. You can see the home, project, recent changes, pages & files, members, and manage wiki tabs. Each one has it's own job that I will detail below. Also, to the right, you see the "ALL PAGES" box, which is all the different pages of my specific wiki for a course I am enrolled in during this Fall 2012 Semester.

Here's the pages & files tab. It details the different pages as well as when things were created. You can also add a new page or upload a page. You can ALSO add a tag to each page, which then groups pages and gets you to the right resource based upon a specific word.

This is the member page. You can send out membership requests via e-mail, which will show up here. This is the great thing about a Wiki - you can add and delete who you want to be on the spaces.

The last feature I want to share is the Wiki Permissions page. This is IMPORTANT in the areas of who can view and edit your Wikispace page. This is where the verification code comes into play. In order to have a protected or public page, you have to verify your account by either applying for an education page OR pay $1.00 to verify. Or, you can even have a phone call with a code sent to you so you can verify. Since I was verified, I changed my Wikispace to protected where everyone can view, but no one except for the members can edit my page.


Here are the example pages I currently have set up on my Wikispace. The first page is my Technology Resources (which shows how links are embedded), Web Page Evaluation (which was a project I had to create, showing how a document can be embedded), and Wordle assignment (showing how to embed a picture):

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How can I use Wikispaces in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Write up book reviews to share with other students
-Classroom newspapers for students and parents to see
-Embed a Wordle on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Create an ABC book about a centralized topic with a page for each letter
-Class debate where students post their feelings about candidates or topics
-Create class encyclopedias on the different topics presented in a classroom
-Provide a links collection where you store student-friendly and SAFE links
-Set up virtual field-trips to have students research & create pages on each place
-What I'm really good at pages for students to discuss and let others know of themselves
-Create a class "books read" page for students to see different books that have been read
-Recipe books for students to share recipes for different holidays or from different countries
-Community nature guides where students share about the plants and animals in the community
-Create a timeline wiki page for the events during a famous war (WWI, WWII, Korean War, etc)
-Create fan clubs on famous people where students work together to add information about each person
-Multi-author stories where students contribute to each other's stories, taking them in different directions

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Wikispaces in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!