Group items tagged

Several of these 15 free collaboration websites are rather interesting and new to me.

Fortunately there are a number of free tools that do these things and they are available for use on any technology platform as they require nothing more than access to the internet. Recently Eric Sheninger used a set of these tools to give his audience at the Hawker Brownlow Conference on Thinking and Learning in Melbourne a voice.

Twiddla is a free collaboration tool where you set up meetings using an online whiteboard interface. Twiddla meetings allow users to interact in real time

Twiddla meetings allow users to interact in real time with drawing tools, chat, voice, images, videos, plain text, documents, emails, and GoogleMaps.

"The History Engine is an educational tool that gives students the opportunity to learn history by doing the work-researching, writing, and publishing-of a historian. The result is an ever-growing collection of historical articles or "episodes" that paints a wide-ranging portrait of life in the United States throughout its history and that is available to scholars, teachers, and the general public in our online database." Via http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/history-engine-explore-stories-of.html

Saywire offers a complete suite of communication and collaboration tools including many popular Web 2.0 features. Planning, collaboration, personalized learning and communication are at your fingertips. Students improve critical thinking and real-world skills for the 21st century.

"This site was created to serve as a collaborative, objective resource for educators and administrators who are committed to enhancing student achievement. We invite you to share your knowledge, ask questions, and get expert insight into the issues teachers face each day in the classroom." Includes blog, resources, information and statistics on networks and their effectiveness.

Play is a vital tool for learning. It should be vital part of every child's learning; the norm rather than the exception and we leave it behind as we become adults to our own peril. 

Whether working individually or collaboratively, Webspiration™ is the new online visual thinking tool that helps you: capture ideas organize information diagram processes create clear, concise written documents With integrated diagram and outline views you can think visually, structure your work effectively and express your ideas in the ways that communicate best.

Online Collaborative Flow Chart Application

Lauded as a learning tool, the popular virtual world is now being used by teachers for their own enrichment, providing them with a wealth of opportunities for collaboration, peer interaction, and sharing of resources.

Concept lessons will use Google Earth to present math topics, such as rates or scientific notation in unique ways. Project-Based Learning activities will include lessons that will require the collaborative efforts of students in pairs or groups. These lessons may be of a longer duration and require additional outsource materials. Measurement lessons will make extensive use of the ruler tool in Google Earth to accomplish problem solving activities. Exploratory lessons will follow non-traditional math topics such as fractals, topology, or modern geometry.

Despite this being a 'thinking' conference, despite us all being advocates for structured and scaffolded models of thinking, not one group had applied any thinking routines, utilised a collaborative planning protocol or talked about applying an inquiry model or design thinking cycle. It wasn't that we didn't know about them. It wasn't that we don't know how to use them. It wasn't that we don't value them. We had all the knowledge we could desire on the how to and the why of a broad set of thinking tools and anyone of these would have enhanced the process, but we did not use any of them. Why was this the case and what does this reveal about our teaching of these methods to our students?

Here at "The Digital Arts Experience" we have a huge focus on connected learning in a non-competitive, hands-on, collaborative environment. I'd like to share with you a blog entry that our audio engineer, Emily, wrote up about the Connected Learning 'Experience' that students will have on a typical day at our learning facility. I welcome comments/feedback!

Recently I left the cold and dark of a Sydney winter and journeyed north to the warmer climate of Fiji. A jewel dropped in the warm waters of the Pacific, Fiji is a popular holiday destination for those looking for a tropical escape. This trip was very different from the norm. There would be no resorts, no five-star dining and my company was to be a group of 24 Year Nine students. It was to be a journey full of learning and insights into the challenges facing education.