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How to make custom ringtones for any type of phone.This helpful how-to will get you started. My VIP's have unique ringtones so I know who it is when it rings. I also set up custom vibrations (I use their characteristic knock on a door as I've heard My Mom's special knock all my life.)

An easy to use online dictation tool. Just speak and this site types the words for you. Requires Chrome. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

A very useful QR code site where you can type a 100 character message which is read out with a voice synthesiser when the code is scanned. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

I'm embarrassed to admit, but two weeks ago I didn't even know anything about  Angry Birds. It looks like this addicting little game has been around for a while. I know … Where have I been? I guess I've been spending time with a less angry little bird … I'm really not the angry type! I guess I see Twitter as better use of my time and professional collaborative learning than shooting birds out of a slingshot. A casual conversations with my hairdresser a few weeks ago about the game led to a quick demonstration on her phone. Another reference came last Friday while attending a session on Instructional Coaching for principals. Some areas that Instructional Coaches can assist schools with are referred to as the Big Four: Classroom Management, Content, Instruction, and Formative Assessment. While the presenters facilitated dialogue around the topic of formative assessment the analogy was made to video gaming; and specifically Angry Birds. This piqued my curiosity.

Find over 800 different types of paper to print, including square and graph paper for maths, music manuscript paper and lots more. Not the most exciting site, but very useful. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Cross+Curricular

The January issue of the ICTmagic Show online magazine is out, full of my favourite recent finds and how you can use them in your class. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/%2AICTmagic+Show

A library of information of all types of sources and documents. AS a suggestion copy out of wikisource and paste into Tagxedo to find meaning and format. This should be a strategy for making meaning out of massive texts by students. You can do this with whole books.

We have talked before about the study benefits of re-writing notes - you READ them more carefully and you SEE them again as you write them, (AND you end up with more readable, neat notes in the proper format!) Additional benefits of typing (digitizing) the notes: Ability to add screenshots to embellish the material Ability to use formatting to embellish the material

The hashtags homeschoolers use. I find it interesting how educational conversations of all types are melding together on Twitter- a great leveler. Many of these hashtags will be recognized by mainstream educators.

This indexed list of technology teaching ideas is organized by age and type of project. Each summer you should take time to review ideas and if you're using technology, this is a great website.

A great random workout generator. Choose the type of exercise and set the timer between 5-60 minutes. This could be used as a 5 minute challenge in a sports lesson. The site works well on mobile devices, but there are apps for Apple and Android devices to download. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Sports+%26+Fitness

A useful site where you can type a message and it is read out using a voice synthesiser. There doesn't seem to be a limit to the length of the message. You can share the link to share the message. You can change the pitch, speed and more. It's a great way of giving instructions or homework over the net. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

Here's a sample presentation from eMaze. If you look at it, you'll see elements of Prezi and Haiku deck. These simple presentation makers add variety. I prefer to have multiple types of presentation programs to keep our work fresh and interesting.

Check out this free writing adviser that students can use to get instant feedback on their writing. Students can type in the tool itself or upload a document. Awesome formative tool. Students are allowed to focus on their purpose and audience, essay structure, and use of written language (sentence economy, variety, power, and clarity). You will see your students learning to ask questions experienced writers ask automatically. As a result, you'll see your students express themselves with greater precision and power. Best of all it is free. You will need an account set up to use this amazing tool, and then you can also enroll your students.

A lovely resource to learn and practise Chinese numbers by listening to the Mandarin and typing the correct answers on the keypad. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Mandarin+%26+Chinese+culture

Dawn Casey-Rowe hits a tough topic that is the number one complaint that teachers have. I had her on my show not too long a go and she speaks from a tough situation with lots of blocks and bans but gets it done anyway. If your complaint is blocks and bans, then take time to read this post to focus on what you CAN do. Dawn is offering a set of PD blog posts that you'll want to dig into. "This week, we're going to discuss the white elephant in the room. Tech frustration. Many teachers struggle to bring students the type of tech experience they would like because of systemic blocks and bans, or worse, feel embarrassed as students have more access to tech than teachers do. This is the issue that brought me to the tech world myself. Students continually asked the hard questions about why they couldn't utilize technology such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, and why phones were confiscated when students were using them for educational purposes. I wanted to improve my classroom experience and give my students more, but budget was a concern. Tech access is a problem in many schools. There are legitimate reasons-the desire of administrators to protect students from the darker side of the internet, fear of the unknown, lack of wireless capacity and budget difficulties which cause insufficient numbers of computers or the inability to upgrade existing tech. Some educational leaders have overcome these hurdles, but others are still working to get to that space."

Nice post by Margaret Regan on Edutopia's blog with 3 Strategies to promote independent thinking. With some practical examples and use of a word I haven't heard -- "autotelic" or those happiest when absorbed in complex activities. That would describe many of us coder types. Great post.

If you want to learn some very cool things here is a synopsis of watching more than 70 hours of TED talks with links. I love these types of summary posts (any wonder?)

If you're using mindmapping and brainstorming in the classroom, this list from Mashable is updated and useful. There are a lot of new tools out (many of them paid but some not.) If your students are writing collaboratively, you should have them brainstorming collaboratively before they ever type the first letter of the paper or website.