Receive files directly to your Dropbox with 'Drop It To Me'

[For an introduction to Dropbox see this post. I have also written a bit about getting more Dropbox space for free.]

Once you have your Dropbox set up on your computers and mobile devices and have earned extra storage space, you may be thinking you have exhausted the opportunities that Dropbox has to offer. However luckily, the good people at Dropbox HQ have encouraged developers to come up with add-ons to make Dropbox even more useful.

This Dropbox wiki has a list of some officially endorsed add-ons available with clear descriptions of what exactly they do.

Unfortunately, the main add-on I have been using does not appear on this list. DROPitTOme (Drop It To Me). This tool allows users to receive files straight into their Dropbox from people without Dropbox installed. So, for example a child in my class could visit my DROPitTOme address, put in a password and then drop their completed work directly into my Dropbox folder.

Here is a quick guide to getting started with DROPitTOme:

1) Register your account (this will involve logging into your Dropbox)

2) Choose your unique DROPitTOme address and a simple password.
3) When someone else visits this address they will see a screen like this:

4) Once they put in the password, they will be presented with this screen:

5) They then select the file from their computer and click 'upload'.

I have found that this is a very good alternative to getting children to navigate through a complex folder system in order to save their work somewhere you can get at it. I really like the simplicity of DROPitTOme, but if you are after a more sophisticated solution then it might be worth checking out JotForm. This creates a 'form' that you can embed into a blog or wiki and visitors can use it to send files to your Dropbox.

Top 5 reasons we should not stop handwriting in schools (and ICT resources to help!)

Earlier this month handwriting was in the news as the state of Indiana dropped the requirement for children to learn cursive handwriting. At first I could kind of see their point- if I did not work in a school, the need for handwriting throughout my life would be greatly limited. However, on further reflection there are a few key reasons why handwriting should continue to be taught.

Top 5 reasons we should keep handwriting in schools
1) If you want to look arty and thoughtful to impress people then handwriting poetry in a battered journal is the only way- an iPad won't cut it.
2) It is lame to email thank-you letters.
3) In the event of a zombie apocalypse survivors computers will be useless and survivors will need handwriting to keep a record of humanity.
4) Cheques are here to stay.
5) We must keep handwriting to stop the greetings card industry from crumbling. E-cards are rubbish apart from Someecards (WARNING, some of these are definitely NSFW).

Handwriting resources
Now that we have established that handwriting is important, lets have a look at some of the free resources available to help. The handwriting section of Primary Resources has plenty of guidelines and paper to print out.

If you are using Smart Notebook, then the 'page recording' function can be a great way to demonstrate handwriting. Once you have recorded yourself writing a word, then you can leave it on loop, freeing you up to go around the room and check on children's progress. This Youtube video explains in more detail how to use the page recording function.

All about fonts
The best way of modelling handwriting is probably hand-write signs around the classroom and create worksheets manually. However, fonts in a handwritten style can be very useful and it is easy to find, download and install them. Sassoon Fonts are high quality cursive fonts including a fancy one that automatically and accurately joins up letters as you type. They are available for purchase in various bundles for use in a school.

There are also lots of free options available, I found some promising looking ones on Fontspace. When you download a font it will be in a compressed 'zip' file. Once you have extracted the file, you just need to right-click and choose 'install' (for Windows Vista and Windows 7). If you are on Windows XP you will need to copy the extracted file into your 'fonts' directory (usually found in /windows/fonts). For more help installing fonts watch this video from a helpful young man on Youtube.

D.I.Y. fonts
Another advanced option is to make your own font. Or challenge your students to make their own fonts. I'm sure there is a creative art/ICT/literacy lesson in there somewhere (design a font that your favourite Roald Dahl character might use). There are a number of paid options to do this, but I thought MyScriptFont looks fun and should suffice.

Getting Extra Dropbox Space Free

Since I started using it, Dropbox has become absolutely invaluable to me. (See my earlier post for an introduction to the joys of Dropboxing). It makes it difficult to remember a time when I had to bring a USB flash drive around everywhere with me and pass it around to share lesson plans and whiteboard files with my colleagues. Now, if I save a file into my Dropbox, I know it will be available the next day- even if I do not have access to my own laptop. It even saves different versions of files to avoid the nightmare saving over your own work scenario.

Anyway, if you are running out of space in your free Dropbox account (and the average teacher would probably find it difficult to justify the expense of a paid account) then there are a couple of ways you can get a few extra bytes of storage quite easily.

Social media connections

Go to this link (you will need to then log into your account) and you will be presented with a list of tasks, such as liking Dropbox on Facebook, that will earn you extra free space.

Refer-a-friend

Log into your Dropbox account and look for this icon:

You can then recommend Dropbox to your friends and colleagues (I am sure they will be grateful) and earn yourself some free storage space.

Exciting blog presentations

Uploading individual pictures of children's work is time consuming and might end up creating a long page that is a chore to scroll through. In this post, I hope to share a few easy ways in which you can make easy presentations of children's work.

Capzles

Upload a bunch of masterpieces to your Capzle account and it will display your photos in a fun, floaty filmstrip. You can scroll through the pictures using the bar at the bottom.  Zoom in on individual pictures by clicking on them. You can also customise your presentation add text and audio to your Capzle. By clicking on 'share' you can get a link to your work, or some code to embed it on your own website or blog. Capzles are best viewed in full screen.This Capzle was created by user 'R2D2', so all credit to him/her.

It was very easy and free to create an account.

Animoto

If you are feeling really adventurous, or want to impress with your slideshow, then look no further than Animoto. You upload the files for the slideshow, and it creates a really exciting video with lots of dramatic animation. When I made my slideshow, it took a while processing, but the results were worth the wait. Here is an example Animoto for you to gawp in wonder at. This time it is my own creation:

Animoto takes a little bit of setting up to start with as you have to register for a free educator account (or put up with the extremely limited capabilites of the standard free account- and why would you do that?)

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.

Child-friendly computer game design: Scratch

Scratch is a free piece of software which allows children to make simple games and animations.

You start by choosing a 'sprite' (a picture) which you then give instructions by slotting together colourful puzzle pieces. So, by choosing the appropriate instruction, you could make your sprite move when you pressed the space bar or change colour when you press the 'enter' key.

Scratch comes with a quite comprehensive library of pictures to use as Sprites and backgrounds. It also includes lots of sounds (headphones are recommended for a Scratch lesson!)

Using Scratch in class
We used Scratch with Year 3 as part of a unit of work on control technology. It fit in well with this unit because it simplifies the concept of creating a list of commands for a computer to follow. It was a good supplement to work with floor turtles.

Year 3 children enjoyed using the software and most managed to make very simple commands to change the Sprites colour or make simple movements. I think older children might get even more out of the program as they explore different functions and assign different movements to different keyboard keys.

Getting started with Scratch
To use Scratch, you need to download it from the website. You could just play around with it, but I would recommend downloading and reading the official 'getting started guide'. It is quite short and talks you through the basics of choosing a 'sprite' and creating a simple list of instructions.

Collaborative writing with Primary Pad

Primary Pad allows multiple children to work on the same document at the same time using the internet. As soon as anyone makes a change to the document, the change appears immediately on the computers of all the other users. There are two ways to use it.

1) Create Public Pad
If you go to the website and click on 'Create Public Pad' you can get started straight away. Primary Pad creates a unique web address for your new pad. So, if anyone else goes to that web address, then they will be working on the same document as you.

2) Use a Pro Account
By filling in a few details, you can create a 'Pro-account'. This allows you to create and manage as many 'Pads' as you like.

You could create a pad in advance of a lesson, with some text for editing, or some questions to be answered. Using a pro account you can add password protection, to ensure that only children who have the password can access and edit the documents you create.

Click on the slideshow below for a more detailed look at how Primary Pad works.

Create word clouds: Wordle

Wordle is a free website that allows you to create a pretty 'word cloud' from a selection of text. Here as a wordle I created by pasting in the poem 'We are going on a bear hunt'.

To create a Wordle you can copy and paste text form another website or document.

Another way to create a Wordle, is to type in your own words. I have found this to be a great, motivating way of getting children to come up with descriptive language or to create a bank of specialist vocabulary or key words to print out and use for reference.

We used Wordle to create a list of words to use instead of 'said' as part of our work in literacy on reported speech.


How to create a Wordle
1) Go to Wordle.net and click on 'Create'.
2) Put some words in (type them in or copy and paste). Click 'Go'.
3) Tweak your Wordle using the menus to change the way it looks and the words it includes (or just click 'randomise' until you get a Wordle you like!)
4) Print your Wordle.

How to save your Wordle
One annoying thing about Wordle is that it doesn not provide an option to save a copy of your Wordle on your computer.

If you are using an interactive whiteboard you can click on 'print' and then change your printer to your interactive whiteboard to get a copy on there.

To save the Worldle as a picture file on your computer you need to click 'print screen' on your keyboard and then click paste in Paint, or an alternative image editing program.

Online brain-storming: Bubbl.us

On-line tools can provide a great, motivating way for children to collect and organise their ideas about a subject. Here is one that I have been using in various subjects.

Bubbl.us

This free web tool allows users to easily create simple, attractive and effective diagrams made up of 'bubbles' to organise

ideas. The 'bubbles' can be edited to change their colour, size using simple buttons aound the edge of each bubble. The finished document can then be printed out or saved as a PDF file.

Possible uses

You could use Bubbl.us collect a classes ideas and conceptions about a subject, or you could create a linear set of bubbles to map out the plot of a story.

Collaboration

Bubbl.us can be used without logging in, although creating an account allows you to save your diagrams to the website and share them with other Bubbl.us users. Perhaps you could collaborate with another class on the same Bubbl.us document by setting up two class accounts.