Dropbox- share folders and files between computers.

Dropbox is a free program that makes it easy to back up and share files and folders between computers and access them on-line from any computer. Once it is set up on your computer a Dropbox folder sits in your My Documents folder and you save files in it as usual. Dropbox automatically synchronises the files between computers as you update them.

This video from the Dropbox website explains it quite simply:





 As a teacher, I have found it very useful for making sure I can access lesson plans and resources on my home computer and on my school computer. I also installed Dropbox on my fellow year 3 teacher's laptop so it is very easy for us to share documents and resources. It means I don't need to carry a memory stick around with me because even if I don't have my laptop, I can get my files from the Dropbox website.

If you decide to install Dropbox and want to be nice, you could download it through my referral link, This will get me some free bonus Dropbox space. Thanks!

Sketchcast- sketch out ideas with narration

Sketchcast lets you make videos by drawing using a simple Paint-style program and recording your voice over the top. So for instance, you could use it to create a video explaining how to use blank number-lines to complete subtraction. You simply press record and start drawing and talking at the same time. This is quite tricky to get used to but is a simple and quick way to create videos.

To get started, you just complete the registration form and then click 'create'. The interface is very clean and easy to use.

When you are finished drawing and talking, you click on publish. Once published, Sketchcast creates some code which can be used to embed your video into a blog or website.

VoiceThread- share comments on a picture or text.

VoiceThread allows users to add their comments and annotations to a picture or piece of text. The comments can be typed or recorded using a microphone. If you type a comment, then it pops up at the side of the page in a speech bubble. Multiple users can look at and comment on the same picture at one time, and can read and listen to each others comments as they appear. The way comments pop up in real-time makes it a very engaging and fun way for children to collaborate and learn from each other's input.

VoiceThread takes a little bit of setting up before it can be used effectively in a classroom setting. First you need to register for an Educator Account by clicking here and filling in the forms. You will need to create password that the whole class can use to log in.

Identities
Once you have created the account, you need to create an 'identity' for each user you want to use VoiceThread. To do this you need to log into your account, click on the 'Myvoice' tab and then click on the arrow next to your email address:

Once you have done this you just click on 'Add an Identity' and then type a name. It will also ask you if you want to add a picture. If you do not want to put photos of the class on the website (although by default your VoiceThreads will be private), you could get your class to draw their own pictures to use for their identity. Adding a whole class and uploading their pictures can be a little time consuming, but it makes VoiceThread much more fun for them to use.

Creating a VoiceThread
Once you have done the boring parts- registering, and adding your 'identities', creating a VoiceThread is very straight-forward. You need to click on the word 'VoiceThread' at the top of the page. Then click on 'create'.

On this page you need to choose a picture file to upload for  your VoiceThread. You can also use pdf files, which is useful if you want your class to comment on some text. When the file is uploaded, you need to add a title and description.

Possible uses
Here are a few ideas of how VoiceThread could be used in the classroom. I have found that one of the main benefits is that it takes away the apprehension that quiet members of the class have when joining in with a class discussion.

• Descriptive or factual writing about a visual stimulus.
• Commenting on an extract from a book.
• Identifying text features.
• Collaborating to solve a problem.
• Peer assessment of written work or art work.

Please add your suggestions and comments below.

Myths and Legends: Create your own myths

On Myths and Legends you can watch and listen to a selection of myths and legends and then use the myth creator to make your own.

The website has a wide selection of myths told using a voice-over, text and a partly animated slideshow. It is especially good because it has lots of Myths and Legends from all over the UK. Some of them are a bit strange and a few might be too gruesome for younger children- so definately watch them before showing them to your class. I really liked the story of The Glass Knight (from Saffron Walden, Essex!).

You can search through a list of Myths or choose one from the interactive Myth Map.

Myth Maker
The most exciting part of the site is the Myth Maker tool. Children can create their own myth-stories by dragging and dropping settings and characters. The tool is really intuitive and easy to use. They can add text in speech bubbles and text boxes.

If you register your school on the site, then children will be able to save their work to continue later, and eventually to be published on the site.

Advanced Features
The site also has an option to create and upload your own to use as backgrounds or characters. This gives it the potential to be used for any literacy text type. If you have a microphone, you can also add audio commentary to each slide, so it could become a great speaking and listening excercise.

Wallwisher: collaborative notice board.

Wallwisher lets you create online noticeboards. It is very quick and easy to create a wall with a custom web address. Users can then log on and comment on the wall.

To create a wall, you need to choose a little picture to represent the topic (or upload your own). You also need to choose a title, pick a background colour and choose an address for your wall. You need to put in a name and email address. Wallwisher will send you a password to this address so you can log in and manage your wall later.

Once you have created the wall you need to give out the address. It might be a good idea to create a bit.ly shortcut so that children do not have to type in a long address.

 

Visitors to your wall, contribute by adding comments. These can be just text or could include images, audio or video they have found on the internet.

Fellow educational blogger Tom Barrett has put together a slideshow bringing together interesting ways of using wallwisher in the classroom.

Create free music playlists: Mixtape.me

Mixtape.me lets you create and listen to a play-list of songs for free. It is not an educational tool, but I found it very useful for a recent class party. You search for an artist or song and then drag and drop the track you want into a play-list.

You can also search through play-lists that other users have made, or save your play-list to share with others.

Collaborative art: Flockdraw

Flockdraw lets you collaborate in realtime on a simple online drawing. It is free to use and you do not need to sign up to anything. It is like a basic version of Primary pad for drawing.

When you create a new picture, Flockdraw gives your masterpiece a random web address so that you can share the page with other collaborators. You could  create a custom shortcut in bit.ly to make this address more memorable. Once more than one person are working on the page any changes any of the collaborators make appear straight away.

The tools available are similar to those available in the Microsoft Paint program. At the moment, there is no clear way of saving your work although you could just make a screen-shot.

Global times-tables fun: Tutpup

Tutpup allows children to compete against others from around the world to answer times tables questions. They win games by answering questions more accurately and faster than an apponent.

For winning games and other achievements they are awarded with virtual medals and trophys. As a teacher, you can monitor the progress of children in your class. Children in my class really enjoy playing Tutpup because they are racing against real people rather than just the computer.

 Online safety
 A great thing about Tutpup is that it is a very safe website for children to use. When they sign up, children create random screen names using an animal, colour and number. Their interactions  with other users are limited to playing the game and they are not able to chat or send messages to other players.

 Setting up Tutpup

When you start using Tutpup, it requires some time and effort to create the teachers and pupils accounts. However this is definately easier than getting the children to set up their own accounts.

When you create a 'teachers' account, you choose a class code. By putting in this code when you sign up the children, they become linked as a class and you can monitor their progress. You can also get a list of all the children in your class and their Tutpup name, which is very handy to print out as a reference.

Other features

As well as times tables, Tutpup can also quiz children on addition, subtraction, algebra and even spelling. I think it works best with times tables because of the emphasis on quick recall.

Make shorter web addresses: bit.ly

Bit.ly is an online tool which makes web addresses shorter and easier to share. This solves one of the main frustrations of using ICT in a primary classroom. It stops children having to type in long addresses, and really helps keep up the pace of lessons. I have also found it useful to create short, memorable links to websites that I discover during lesson planning.

How to use Bit.ly
It is really simple to use. Go to http://bit.ly then paste in the address you want to shorten. Press 'shorten'. This will create a short address with random letters and numbers after bit.ly.

Create custom addresses
To create a more memorable address, type some key words into the 'custom name' box.

Fun tidying up: Interactive Timer

Interactive Timer is a simple, fun timer to use in class. It plays music and changes colour as the large timer display counts down.

You can choose from a selection of music from the drop-down menu or use your own MP3s. I have found that it works really well to speed up tidying and getting changed for PE.