tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69805489727811638242012-01-16T15:28:51.223-05:00Global Virtual Classroom is a project of Give Something Back International. Cool tools intends to help participants learn how to use web 2.0 tools and assets available for schools.GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-18090542715641503262011-12-03T11:25:00.001-05:002011-12-03T11:34:07.546-05:00

Paint Online with Sketch and Paint. Pretty sophisticated program with many choices of shading, pen/brush size, pressure, etc. Color choices can be basic or with an unlimited pallet.  Program uses Flash, so some devices may not work.  Children can use it easily, but it is sophisticated enough for adult use. Choose the image size at the beginning.  Files when complete can be saved as a .jpg and

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-13299086145512353342011-11-27T12:00:00.001-05:002011-11-27T12:04:29.610-05:00

Great summary by Jane Hart of the top 100 (actually 102) best tools for learning for 2011. Best of all, most are free and available online. Top 100 Tools for Learning 2011 View more presentations from Jane Hart

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-38236947934808874152011-11-04T15:32:00.001-04:002011-11-04T15:33:37.906-04:00

Tagxedo will 'shape your word cloud in many different ways. Use text, a web page, tweets, and choose from a variety of "outline shapes", colors and fonts. Here is a sample from the GVC home page.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-12039353957970131882011-10-23T14:45:00.000-04:002011-10-23T14:48:20.892-04:00

SpiderScribe is a new mind mapping tool that does more than just organize ideas.  It also allows you to add pictures, documents, Google maps, and adjustable notes. A calendar item is also available.  Best of all the mind map resides in "the cloud" so can be accessed from any location.  It can also be shared and multiple, simultaneous edits are possible.  It does use Flash, so iPad use may not be

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-17503070762829160172011-10-11T15:44:00.000-04:002011-10-11T15:47:24.441-04:00

Scoop it "creates your topic-centered media by collecting gems among relevant streams. Publish it to your favorite social media or to your blog," Scoop-it browses the web and 'collects' media; you edit and select what you want to appear in your "scoop". Want to see a good example?  Take a look at Susan Oxnevad's Ten Minutes of Tech.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-31307842753387927052011-08-09T15:31:00.000-04:002011-08-09T15:31:28.137-04:00

Our Global Virtual Classroom [GVC] Project is a worldwide program for any primary or secondary school that chooses to participate. Approximately 33,500 students and 1,920 teachers from over 600 schools in 62 countries have participated in this project over the years. The GVC is now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 web design contest.  Contest has cash awards for top winners and software

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-16142281221254678802011-08-09T15:20:00.000-04:002011-08-09T15:20:14.048-04:00

With Present Me, you can now record yourself AND your presentation!  What a great way for students to learn the real power of PowerPoint.  With design aimed at the essentials not every single word on the screen, PPT (or a PDF) along with audio/video content equals one complete presentation. To carry it a step further, think of the students who were sick or had and early dismissal, and missed the

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-49186252733304051102011-08-04T10:46:00.000-04:002011-08-04T10:46:48.545-04:00

Well, it might well be in classrooms around the world, and for many reasons.  However, at the urging of fellow teachers, a tech guru (who is also a teacher) in Canada, has created a closed, safe system for education.  It's called 'twiducate' the social networking program for schools. Teachers need to sign up in order to participate and students are given access only through their teachers.  No

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-77260061388591211802011-07-09T12:11:00.000-04:002011-07-09T12:11:53.359-04:00

If your original image is under 1MB, this handy tool: Make a Thumbnail, will create a small image (from 100x100 pixels to 300x300 pixels). You can then link this on the website to a larger image or just use the small thumbnail as a button to go to another section of the site. Very easy to use. Just click browse to locate the image on your computer, select the size desired, and click "Make a

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-38717178057899032592011-06-30T15:07:00.001-04:002011-06-30T15:08:32.408-04:00

FaceFlow is a free, easy video conferencing system that will allow up to 4 people at once. Browser based, so no need for a separate application. Chat system as well as video calls. Interesting alternative to Skype.  Below is a short video of how to use FaceFlow

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-55939465827876075212011-06-06T11:33:00.001-04:002011-06-06T11:34:48.578-04:00

Another storage spot, but this one also syncs and gives you 2 gig of FREE space.  (You can pay for more if you need it.) It's called DropBox.  When you join there is a small app to download to your computer. Here is an invitation to Join: http://db.tt/nFFfum4  DropBox can share with anyone, even if they are not a drop box member.  Here is a folder of Catherine (my cat) viewing several photos

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-83884056633693681072011-06-06T11:22:00.002-04:002011-06-06T11:23:16.244-04:00

Google has announced the labeling of videos under Creative Commons licenses. Now you can know which videos can be re-used and can even use the YouTube Video Editor to get just that right portion of the clip to add to your video!  When going to the Video Editor, click on the CC button to search.  Yes, you still need to give credit, but the source videos will also be in the video description.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-30494114457160089992011-05-19T11:20:00.000-04:002011-05-19T11:20:37.996-04:00

Webdoc is a cross between a multimedia poster and an interactive chat tool. Embed images, video, etc. You can add your own text and easily resize and move things around. Those who reply can also add those same things.  Registration is required, but free.  I think this would make a great discussion tool for a class studying any issue. Here is a webdoc created to announce the GVC Clubhouse.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-3293383661480130592011-04-20T16:04:00.003-04:002011-04-20T16:11:08.927-04:00

Yet another slide show maker you will say!  Kizoa is really easy to use and allows also for simple editing.  You do have to register, but registration is free.  It also had direct import from facebook as well as editing and then you can republish back into facebook (or anywhere else). Lots of special effects, music too.  Burn slides to DVD, post, or just simply email to friends. Below is a spring

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-47741961823001908662011-04-12T16:59:00.000-04:002011-04-12T16:59:30.618-04:00

Teachers can apply for an education account to create unlimited videos.  When approved, you will also receive a code for 50 students to use for 6 months free of charge. Enjoy this short video of teachers who were part of this year's GVC contest.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-6770606773149334232011-04-01T16:47:00.000-04:002011-04-01T16:47:09.075-04:00

You don't have to be a professional or have expensive editing programs to create stunning effects.  PhotoFunia will create them for you. All you need to do is click on the thumbnail of the effect you'd like and then upload photos. The site will do the rest. What to see what that can look like? Here are some GVC teachers using six different effects. There are a few hundred from which to

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-15810581003394999462011-03-28T10:45:00.000-04:002011-03-28T10:45:37.149-04:00

With various face shapes and features, make a drawing that looks great! With pimptheface.com, you actually can become a 'sketch artist'. Believe it or not, this really does look like one of our staff! Imagine the possibilities, especially during those self-conscious early teen years when many students think they cannot draw a person.

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-7931267612933966342011-03-10T11:19:00.001-05:002011-03-10T11:21:58.462-05:00

Totally free simple animations can be created using Domo Animate. Registration with an email address is required. DomoNation.com: Girl Meets Boy by GVCManager Like it? Create your own at DomoNation.com. It's free and fun!

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-50140764431407735142011-03-07T11:40:00.002-05:002011-03-07T11:40:56.612-05:00

iEtherPad allows users to word process in real time. Great for brainstorming! CAN also use asynchronously. Users need the URL. Creating an account allows you to have your own iEtherPad url as well as designate yourself and selected others as administrators. Good points REAL, real time brainstorming No advertising Easy to use Membership is free Public pads do not need

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-22465635855408499922011-03-01T15:52:00.004-05:002011-03-01T15:56:01.590-05:00

Edistorm - stickies on a wall with collaboration. Perhaps we should just let them "speak" for themselves: Best of all it's FREE!

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-81205699976848047892011-03-01T12:09:00.000-05:002011-03-01T12:09:47.386-05:00

The UK has created a site of Myths & Legends and encourages the retelling of these stories. This in itself is a great place to visit when studying that genre! However, there is even a better reason. Story Creator 2 allows students to create their own tales with sound and animation. If that were not enough, you can even register your school to enable you to review and approve student's stories

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-29661712465762858212011-02-27T12:46:00.000-05:002011-02-27T12:46:02.129-05:00

Google Scribe is writing tool that helps not only with spelling but also grammar and offers suggestions "predicting" the word or phrase you wish to use next. Great tool for beginning writers and for non-native English speakers. I used 'scribe' to write the following sentences ONLY with their suggestions. The following content has been identified by the user as possible while still maintaining

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-23672145011176911162011-02-10T11:42:00.000-05:002011-02-10T11:42:00.656-05:00

ViewPure Lets you watch YouTube videos withouth comments, suggestions or ads along the side! There are still pop up adds available in the ad bar at the base of the video itself. Great when you want to add a specific video for a class, but don't want the students 'distracted' and going off in other directions. Simply paste the YouTube url into the space provided!

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-25842458506393736842011-01-27T16:03:00.000-05:002011-01-27T16:03:28.924-05:00

Just what creative students and teachers need, a place where they can use, remix music and sound effects! In the creator's own words: "Use these free music tracks & free sound effects for any production - advertising, education, videos, photos, YouTube...etc. These music tracks can be looped seamlessly & repeated to create a longer music track for your projects. You only need to link to our

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-35776348465280874972011-01-05T16:49:00.000-05:002011-01-05T16:49:15.096-05:00

It's been around for over a year now, but you may not have ever tried it out.  Why should you? Because it presents your results in a graphically relevant way.  Not all students (or teachers) find it easy to scan down a page to choose which link to follow.  While this is still text, it's organize in a mind map type of format ... and clicking on one of the subcategories will expand out with another

jbarnstablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121608462094304440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-29233595501040157222010-12-17T12:34:00.002-05:002010-12-17T12:42:55.246-05:00

Imagination Cubed is an online white board that has drawing tools so you and your friends, colleagues, team mates, can create together in real time. While the tools are rather primitive, they can be used by many at the same time on the same document. Work can be saved and sent to a friend, but not to disk.Good Points: Has pens, stamps, shapes, lines, and text as well as background options.Can

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-42549324329134257752010-11-20T12:47:00.002-05:002010-11-20T12:57:22.810-05:00

Join LearnCentral®! Why? In their own words if you are "passionate about teaching and learning? LearnCentral® is all about YOU!" Once you have registered and been accepted, you'll receive a free 3-seat Elluminate virtual meeting room, with a whiteboard, audio, video, and more. Elluminate is a great real- time collaboration tool. The full program is expensive; it's really stunning that they

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-64257587396704032182010-10-15T16:22:00.005-04:002010-10-16T11:45:13.260-04:00

Dipity is a free online timeline website. It started with three guys who wanted to get a good idea of what all that searching on the Internet was actually yielding; to make research more efficient; to see the big picture of how any subject affected the past or influenced the future. It allows users to bring history to life with video, audio, text... and yes, it's free. You do have to join Dipity

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-68131561970085791282010-09-28T16:11:00.002-04:002010-09-28T16:22:19.129-04:00

Helping students research and take notes is often a difficult task. Awesome Highlighter can help with allowing them to highlight text and then save a SMALL link to that page. The short url can be saved, or emailed to self or research partners. Best of all, there is a Bookmarklet or FireFix add-on, so once you install it, all you have to do is click on the AH on your browser page to start

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-62655421785777223452010-09-28T16:03:00.002-04:002010-09-28T16:11:39.937-04:00

Many of us are familiar with digital graphic organizers - sometimes called mind maps, but sometimes paper is the way to go, especially with small groups physically in the same spot! For just some times Holt McDougal Online has published, free of charge, downloadable PDF files for various organizers. They also come with teaching notes on how to use them in the classroom.

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-46722396833984217052010-09-25T10:19:00.004-04:002010-09-25T10:38:16.680-04:00

In their own words:"MyStudiyo offers a rich FREE solution to create online quizzes . Embed a great looking quiz widget in any website or blog without programming."Registration required, but free. There is no limit on the number of questions and you can add video, images, and text. Check out there FAQ page for even more information.Want to see a quiz or two? Check out what the History Channel has

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-74198886129711275742010-09-16T10:59:00.002-04:002010-09-16T11:11:48.486-04:00

Storybirds "are short, visual stories that you make with family and friends to share and (soon) print." Teachers and Librarians can create free accounts for their class that doesn't require students have email.Storybird Quick Tour from Storybird on Vimeo.

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-57140066662630908832010-09-05T15:45:00.003-04:002010-09-05T16:00:37.861-04:00

VoiceThread is an online tool for having conversations about media. The powerful tool is currently not free, but you can sign up for a trial account to get your feet wet. On October 10th a new version will be coming - a PRO version and it will be free for teachers! What is Voicethread is all about, try looking around here.Comment from Ben Papell at Voice Thread:Thanks for the kind words! As far

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-48615893311766211262010-08-16T15:31:00.004-04:002010-08-16T15:42:37.310-04:00

Create simple to complex banners using Bannerfans. No need to sign up, just go and get started.Buttons below the creation area to change Layout, Text/Font, Shadows/Effects/ Borders/ Format (for download). When finished download the completed banner in PNG, JPG or GIF format ...or all three and decide later which one you wish to use.Below is an example. Actual size is 728x90 pixels:

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-76642125927125725572010-08-11T09:41:00.003-04:002010-08-11T10:05:37.869-04:00

Sneffel describes itself as a collaborative doodle pad. There is practically no learning curve to begin use. You man sign up, but it is not required. The product is in development, created by a young programmer attending University College London, who is interested in tools for education. He is open to suggestions also, so jut email him: matthew@sneffel.com or use the feedback button on the

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-45899486070299002732010-07-31T15:37:00.004-04:002010-08-01T08:58:42.783-04:00

A new tool for creating photo albums is jalbum. You can create your albums online or download the application for creating and saving on your computer, to be published where you wish. The jalbum site gives you 30MB of free space. If you want/need more than that you'll have to upgrade and pay for additional space. There are several default 'skins' [album designs] and more are being created

GVC Program Managernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-10194281057508938382010-07-22T14:32:00.002-04:002010-07-22T14:39:30.306-04:00

Use Stixy to create Stixyboards for collaborating with friends and colleagues. A Stixty can be made public or be shared by email address. You can make as many boards as you like, sharing with different groups. It's easy to use, and best of all free! Here is a sample showing the types of things you can add. Great for group work when pictures, documents, due dates, need to be shared!

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-76024606992538680142010-07-10T11:30:00.006-04:002010-08-07T15:42:46.348-04:00

Early in the 2009 school year, a post was done about Webspiration. This is still a great collaborative visual organizer! For some, however, it may have too many choices and unfortunately, in the Fall of 2010 the public beta will be over and they will move to Classroom subscriptions. That means money. Fabulous tool if your district can get it.Another visual organizer tool that is very basic,

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-61612903355347691792010-06-24T10:51:00.003-04:002010-06-24T11:05:54.874-04:00

We've all found great sites and/or resources that we want to share with students, friends, colleagues, and have ended up with email splitting the web address because the URL was too long. There are two great sites for making short URLs.First is TinyURL.com. It's been around for a few years, but now has a great new feature that allows you to customize your tiny URL. Clicking http://tinyurl.com/

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-18614764074128453422010-06-17T14:30:00.003-04:002010-06-17T14:56:35.823-04:00

Creating video lessons or tutorials is a very helpful tool. The problem to date has been that either the software to do so has been expensive or editing was quite difficult. Welcome to ScreenToaster a free screencast video tool! The original version allows for audio and subtitles, but I found it didn't work well with Mac for starting and stopping. Their new beta version is easy start and stop,

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-22830022131396959542010-06-11T16:23:00.004-04:002010-06-11T16:55:19.802-04:00

Timetoast is an easy to use timeline generator. Does require setting up an account, but all free. There are many already created that can be helpful to students and teachers alike. Best of all they can be embeded into a web page or blog! Here is an example:

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-6036955128108831542010-06-05T09:34:00.004-04:002010-06-05T09:43:10.846-04:00

Word Search Maker does all the work, and making word searches is the only thing it does. So, no need to look through multiple menus or move from page to page. The results are instant and can be embedded on a web page or blog or simply linked. Create some fun searching for spelling words, new science vocabulary, or a multitude of other things, as shown in the sample below.Make Your Own Word Search

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-42130450471640200692010-05-31T15:57:00.002-04:002010-05-31T16:02:41.500-04:00

Go! Animate is a mostly free animation program. You (and the kids) do have to be careful NOT to choose any of the choices that cost money, but given that it's rather cool! You can upload your own voice over and background music, and there are many 'community' backgrounds, images, sound, etc. It's fairly easy to learn and soon you too will be creating your own animated cartoons.GoAnimate.com:

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-54843858284368697092010-05-24T16:57:00.002-04:002010-05-24T17:07:37.594-04:00

Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems.While it does have a bit of a learning curve, Blender is suitable for students in Middle School and High School who are interested and willing to put in the work.Check out the image gallery to see some professional work. Get started with the User manual and Videos.

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-62585453497731071652010-05-06T16:32:00.004-04:002010-05-06T16:43:56.086-04:00

Xtranormal can be used at all grade levels for anything from learning to write a script and stage a play to creating re-enactments of historical events in conjunction with a history or civics class.Choose from several show packs for characters and setting. Each pack offers several costumed characters and background scenes. Position the camera for closeups or panoramas. Characters can move, dance

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-78245762952817546922010-04-24T16:30:00.003-04:002010-04-24T16:33:23.670-04:00

Just a quick reminder here to go back through the 26 posts! There are many tools that were posted close to a year ago, but they are STILL free and still great. This is one blog where old needs to be revisited!

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-898533872989381822010-04-07T07:18:00.002-04:002010-04-07T07:26:43.271-04:00

The flashslide maker is a free tool http://www.flash-slideshow-maker.com/"You can easily make a dynamic photo gallery for your website, blog, and CD's. It is user friendly and lots of fun."Marsha GorenFree download - Windows only. There is a paid version if you do not want the link back to the site, but the link is tasteful and does not take away from the slide show. There are many templates in

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-45603702440771264262010-03-29T16:06:00.003-04:002010-03-29T16:18:47.781-04:00

Need to brainstorm with a class or work partner? Browse the web, use an real time white board, share files, etc, etc, etc. With Twiddla, it's all there and ready to go. No need to sign up, no cost if you are using in the basic free mode. No need for users to have email either to enter, just give them the "link" to your board. Great for classroom use, where links can be put in blogs or on web

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-84506624926272151972010-03-15T07:40:00.003-04:002010-03-15T07:46:03.921-04:00

Menus, buttons, banners, all created in Flash and FREE! Just go to flashvortex.com OK, it's not as good as owning the Flash program and really being able to make your own, but it is pretty darn good.This site was recommended by Ty J. from Washington West School in Olean, N.Y. who is a participant this year in GVC. Thanks Ty.

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-69332118751561047552010-02-27T14:59:00.002-05:002010-02-27T15:05:22.736-05:00

WallWisher is a free tool that allows you to create a page of online sticky notes. In addition to text, the notes can include images, links and videos as long as that media is already stored somewhere else online. Create a themed wall, then invite others to add stickies. Just think of all the ways this Cool Tool can be used! [Contributed by Susan Oxnevad.]Samples:Marsha Goren - Dreams for the

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-22195585378901935492010-02-06T10:30:00.003-05:002010-02-06T10:39:41.214-05:00

In September of last year, the Hot Potatoes was put into the public domain, which means it is free for everyone to use. [See Sept 1 blog entry] It's a great educational tool for making quizzes and crosswords and matching.The one thing that may be difficult is that it's not as intuitive to use as some of the more contemporary programs. So, here is a little help. All files are PDF format.Creating

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-41736724781278010142010-01-17T12:17:00.003-05:002010-01-17T12:26:22.824-05:00

Comic Creator invites students to create their own comic strip. Characters and props and backgrounds are a bit limited, but not a bad start. They also have resource lessons for various grade levels from K-12.Completed cartoon cannot be saved, but can be "printed" either on actual paper or as a PDF document. [With Macintosh this is a standard "print as pdf" operation; with Windows, I believe you

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-72716844765451215612009-12-29T09:36:00.004-05:002009-12-29T09:54:21.633-05:00

"Pencil is an animation/drawing software for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. It lets you create traditional hand-drawn animation (cartoon) using both bitmap and vector graphics. Pencil is FREE and open source." It's a simple program, complete with a user's manual that does traditional 2-D animation. Take a look at the gallery to see some examples.

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-51105718727996106062009-12-06T16:30:00.002-05:002011-01-31T11:31:03.853-05:00

While the GVC contest encourages original art and photos, there are some cases where you just NEED to find a piece of clip art. Here are some sources: Pics4Learning - A library of images donated by students, teachers, photographers... anyone with a picture to share. Permission to use AND citation information right under the picture! WPClipart - All images are public domain. While originally

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-81546630640703112562009-12-03T16:46:00.005-05:002009-12-03T17:19:24.626-05:00

You've seen it; the teacher who wants to put together a slide show of students for parents' night or open house. Out comes Power Point and perhaps even an embeded sound or two....How about uploading those photos to Animato, grabbing some of the royalty free music, hit the MAKE VIDEO button and wait for the completed video!Better yet, create a class account and let the kids do it

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-28269467602309831302009-11-15T11:21:00.003-05:002009-11-15T11:48:02.154-05:00

TuxPaint - [Open Source] "is a free, award-winning drawing program for children ages 3 to 12 (for example, preschool and K-6). It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program." It opens with a blank canvas with tools along the edges. Besides the expected brush, line, color, text tools there is also a rubber

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-74371396479342091522009-11-11T16:36:00.003-05:002009-11-11T16:44:15.471-05:00

Screen capture is useful in MANY ways while collaborating. Two great programs for Macintosh are Skitch and SnapNDrag. Word of caution here. Just because you CAN capture anything that is on the screen, does not give you any right to re-publish copyrighted material! As a teacher, screen capture is great for creating illustrated tutorials. As a collaborator, let your partners see exactly what

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-31606130714313610222009-11-08T10:43:00.003-05:002009-11-08T10:59:36.741-05:00

YouTube has many really good, educationally solid videos, yet is banned in many schools, either because of Administrative rulings or band width problems. Tooble to the rescue. At home download the free Tooble application [Windows or Mac OS X]. Search from within Tooble for the desired video, download. Tooble seamlessly converts the video to .mp4 format. Put the video on a CD or Flash drive

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-35459966873102093952009-11-01T11:31:00.004-05:002009-11-01T11:42:50.104-05:00

Worlde is a word cloud generating tool. The one here was created by using the text on the opening page of the GVC site. Words that are larger in the "cloud", are those which appear more frequently in the text. If you click the small image, it will take you to the full screen version.

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-12535810356638892082009-10-24T16:03:00.004-04:002009-10-24T16:10:51.989-04:00

FREE and easy to use, FotoFlexer lets you crop, resize, and do lots of editing tasks. Registration is not required. Here is one of their sample photos, cropped, resized, with a frame added and a butterfly sticker (just because). Log in and see what you can do! Great for schools that don't have any other photo editing capability. Finished images can be saved to your local computer.

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-84357270163844693152009-10-12T10:46:00.007-04:002009-10-12T11:18:08.353-04:00

World Clock LinkEspecially while in the planning stages of work with another country, it helps for all to be aware of time differences. Is it morning, afternnoon? Are my partners asleep now?Clocks can be a simple line like the current time in New Delhi:obj=new Object;obj.clockfile="5004-blue.swf";obj.TimeZone="India_Bangalore";obj.width=192;obj.height=16;obj.Place="";obj.DateFormat="yyyy / mm /

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-83414666431849019622009-09-20T15:04:00.006-04:002009-09-20T15:51:38.709-04:00

Webspriation is a great visual thinking tool. If you are familiar with Inspiration, you'll know where the name originates. There are many names for this: concept mapping, mind maps, idea webs. Whatever you want to call it, visual thinking clarifies thinking and is another way of organizing ideas.Perhaps the best thing about this (besides the fact that it is currently free) is that it is housed

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-31802494552460172102009-09-11T16:53:00.002-04:002009-09-11T17:09:48.320-04:00

No, this is not about cooking, but about a really cool FREE program for Windows, Macintosh, Linux systems. The original software company was called "half-baked software!"(download program - Freeware as of Sept.1, 2009)http://hotpot.uvic.ca/Make quizzes, matching, crosswords, and more.Also has a link to great Language Teaching Clipart to use with the exercises.Some student made samples:Animal

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-24309116037632927732009-09-03T15:36:00.003-04:002009-09-03T16:08:25.316-04:00

There are many slide show programs available on the web. We will here feature two which you can upload to your own server space.Both require that you download a simple application for creating the slide show.PhotoOnWeb [Windows 98 / 2000 / XP / Vista]is a free program by VSO-Software, France (www.vso-software.fr). The software is a useful tool for creating web photo albums meant for Windows

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-63379606264869568412009-08-29T15:20:00.004-04:002009-08-29T15:45:25.282-04:00

Google docs docs.google.com/ Can create a form to be filled in by others. Results are automatically put into a spreadsheet for you. However, Google Docs is much more: Word processing, spreadsheet, presentation. Collaboration with others. Accessed online. Office, but not the newest, can be uploaded, edited,

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-35983565765593062122009-08-17T16:52:00.003-04:002009-08-17T17:03:18.214-04:00

BitstripsYou do need to sign up for an account. It's free. This is one of the free strips with the most options. Cartoons can be on "one scene" as shown below or as many frames as you choose. It can even be a whole story! Loading the program does take awhile, so it may not be something to do with and entire class at one time. You can even create your own character (from within some limited

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-70149363797525689552009-08-13T10:58:00.006-04:002009-08-13T11:25:15.194-04:00

DabbleBoard|Free 'whiteboard' for collaborative online communications, dabbleboard, lets you use visual as well as verbal or written communication.This resource was suggested by Marsha Goren and Matt Kuntz.DimdimLets you deliver synchronized live presentations, whiteboards, and web pages while sharing voice and video on the internet – with no download required.Jing! PC and Mac - Download free

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-92076293169055448652009-08-09T09:57:00.003-04:002009-08-09T10:05:32.945-04:00

Smilebox is a great way to send ecards and/ or slideshows to your partners. Use your own photos. Hundreds of designs for almost any occasion. Music too, or you can add your own. FREE version does have advertising.Here's a sample of what you can do.Make a Smilebox slideshow

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-27119517754516221032009-08-02T11:07:00.005-04:002009-08-02T11:28:06.124-04:00

Purchasing drawing / editing software for all the computers in a lab or school can be daunting. While most computers come with some basic resizing, cropping, brightness/contrast tool, to do more than that, you can use these FREE web sources.Gimphttp://www.gimp.orgIf you've always wanted PhotoShop and cannot even afford PhotoShop Elements, Gimp is FREE, open source software that, with a little

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-15537143415526842292009-07-25T12:11:00.007-04:002009-08-02T10:34:11.099-04:00

Bling is good in small doses! Just be sure not to overdo it. Also be aware that when these sites "host" your video or slide show, they can sometimes be busy and make it appear as if there is a bad link, or format that isn't working.RockYou Text effectshttp://www.rockyou.com/fxtext/fxtext-create.php?ref=frontSparlkes, bevels, colors, etc. to make banners or headings.RockYou Photo FXhttp://

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-261600251752812072009-07-04T16:01:00.007-04:002010-05-29T08:51:02.615-04:00

If you've seen Flash animations, but the program is not in your budget, there are a few free alternatives.Pivot stick animator - (Windows Only)http://psfao.com/This free software download is a great asset to any classroom. Though it does use stick figures, creative students can do great things. Animations are saved as animated gifs. Hint: do not start with a very large background, or the

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980548972781163824.post-66258497105255943952009-06-20T11:56:00.003-04:002009-06-20T12:17:03.415-04:00

We have created this Blog as a resource library and depository for participants and supporters of the Global Virtual Classroom program. We will create an ongoing list of "COOL TOOLS" that students, teachers and supporters can use in their collaborative learning and GVC project work.We ask for your support and contribution to this ongoing learning project. When you identify a "COOL TOOL" that you

GVC Cool Toolshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673410605705643886noreply@blogger.com0