VITTAlearning

"Digital storytelling comes in many forms. Digital storytelling could refer to creating podcasts, creating videos, or creating multimedia ebooks to name of few of its forms. If you're considering developing your first digital storytelling project for your class, here some resources that can help you get started."

This neat tool from Google, ChartTool is a simple-to-use chart-making service that lets you simply paste in your data and play around with how it looks. It's never been easier to whip up charts that are actually easy to use and update. In fact, embedding these charts on web pages is quite simple thanks to the embed API. You can even make QR codes in just a few seconds and quickly get an embed code to add it to your website. While ChartTool does not create as many of those fancy 3-D charts that Excel does (it still makes quite a few), it likely will be able to in the future. However, if you're in a rush and need to whip up some exact charts without all the fluff, this is the tool for you.

IDroo is a free online whiteboard that is "FREE for non-commercial use # Collaborative meetings with many participants (10 or even more) # Insert simple and complex mathematical equations # Draw and write your ideas # Express your mind through images # Take advantage of high quality calls over Skype # All drawings are easily editable vector graphics # Works with Wacom Bamboo, Wacom Intuos and other digital tablets"

"This video was produced as a contribution to the EDUCAUSE book, The Tower and the Cloud: Higher Education in the Age of Cloud Computing, edited by Richard Katz and available as an e-Book at http://www.educause.edu/thetowerandthecloud or commercially at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0967285399/ref=kinw_rke_rti_1 Produced in 2007 as a conversation starter in small groups. Released in 2011 as a conversation starter online."

"This video highlights the growth and development of a Google Doc as an Elementary School student in Edmonton Public Schools takes us on a journey of how she collaborates with classmates and her teacher to create a finished piece of writing."

"The latest photographs from the Guardian's centre page Eyewitness spread"

I was sent this video today. Here's a case in point that Google, Facebook and other organisations are tailoring the web. Eli Pariser of the progressive organization MoveOn says the Internet is hiding things from us, and we don't even know it.

"Todays meet training videos. Part of the TeachertrainingVideos.com site. You can find many more free on-line training videos."

"What follows is an explanation of the Flipped Classroom Model, a model where the video lectures and vodcasts fall within a larger framework of learning activities. (Note: I am titling it the Flipped Classroom Model to get folks' attention given the Flipped Classroom popularity right now.  It really is a cycle of learning model.)  It provides a sequence of learning activities based on the learning theories and instructional models of Experiential Learning Cycles - http://reviewing.co.uk/research/learning.cycles.htm and Bernice McCarthy's 4MAT Cycle of Instruction- http://www.aboutlearning.com/what-is-4mat/what-is-4mat.

"Over the past few years, Forsyth County Schools in Georgia has been moving toward allowing students to bring their own technology to school. The district updated its acceptable use policies, beefed up its infrastructure and piloted the initiative. But the schools decide what that initiative would look like in their buildings. In all 35 schools, students can bring personal devices. In 25 schools, the initiative has permeated the buildings, and in the other 10, has made its way to some individual classes."

Twitter has become so much more than the "I'm hungry" kind of service. It contains 140's of what we are. This content is hidden somewhere behind the small avatar and last tweets in a user's timeline. We are here to make it visible.  We take a bag of tweets, analyze them, and create a profile page which show-casts the person behind them. Currently we focus on behavior patterns, Famous words, Top Followers, Links, Replies, Songs, Pictures and Check-ins. 

It is commonly recognized that our nation's progress depends on improving learning, thereby creating healthier communities and a stronger workforce. In today's world, that requires us to take advantage of new learning tools to ensure that our children's learning is practical and prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century. The advantages of digital media now greatly outweigh the disadvantages and require that schools update their thinking and policies to provide guidance on the use of these tools to improve student learning and achievement.

Sir Ken Robinson and Joel Klein discuss the future of education in this video from The Economist. The permalink is http://ideas.economist.com/

SearchLion is according to Phil Bradley, "....a fairly straightforward search engine - you can see what it covers from the tabbed bar. It's worth mentioning that you can also add in more search options yourself if you wish. You can choose where it takes its results from - Google, Yahoo/Bing or SearchLion's resources itself. Unfortunately, you don't have that option with the other search tabs, which is a bit of a shame. You can run a search and the results screen looks fairly straightforward - results to the left, adverts to the right. However, you can also choose a multi category, so as well as looking at Web results, you can also choose to view images, news etc. at the same time."

"This site will provide you with links, ideas, tips, and much more for supporting the use of infographics as an assessment option in the classroom. The site has three informational pages, linked on the right. The first page provides a list of links to support my infographics presentation. The second page includes a Google Form for you to add your own ideas, practices, or links to information you have found. The third page provides contact information for me, in case you have ideas, suggestions, criticisms, witticisms, or just want to chat!"

Google has no shortage of services around the web, but those various information resources often seem disconnected. A new Google interface, called WDYL - or "What Do You Love?" - resolves that by bringing together previews of various specialized Google searches in one place.

"Searching videos on YouTube is simple but if you know a few tricks, it becomes even more fun and accurate. The YouTube team has considerably simplified their video search function making it easier for people to perform advanced searches on YouTube without learning any complicated syntax."

"This video highlights the growth and development of a Google Doc as an Elementary School student in Edmonton Public Schools takes us on a journey of how she collaborates with classmates and her teacher to create a finished piece of writing."