Flipping Books

Create interactive flipping books free with FlipSnack.

FlipSnack is a page flip software that enables you to create stylish digital flipping books out of your PDF documents. You can use it to share or embed into your website or blog all kinds of documents, from books to newspapers and magazines.

From the website:
"The page flip software is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. 1. Add your PDF documents. You can add one or more PDF documents from your hard disk or from the Web.
2. 2. Customize your flipping book. Here you can choose cover type, set the flipping book's size, color scheme etc.
3. 3. Publish. Once published, your flipping book collection can be shared on the web in every way imaginable."

Example by an amazing young woman who spent the summer between her high school graduation and college as a volunteer in Africa.

Room with a Vyew

Vyew is an online java program that allows you to meet and share content in real-time or anytime. Upload images, files, documents and videos into a room. Users can access and contribute: white boarding, video conferencing, screen sharing, Voice-over-IP.  You can save your "rooms" so any document or video window or image open in a room will still be there when you come back.

"The most basic Vyew is free. It has all the same functionality as the paid packages. There are some usage limits, such as less people in a room at a time, and the free version includes advertising in the interface. The free version is NOT a time-based trial. It is always free forever."

Mind mapping plus!

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 possible if you have not added the Flash plugin.  Registration is Free.  There is no limit to the number of mind maps you can create.

See a 2 minute video about use of SpiderScribe.  Teacher training videos are available here.

GVC Free Programs for Education

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 awards for Merit Award winners.

Registrations for the non-competitive Clubhouse program are also being accepted. For more about both programs, check our website: http://www.virtualclassroom.org

New GVC Wikis - viewable by the world, but participation is by invitation only.  Teachers must register for the contest or clubhouse.

The Teacher's Lounge Wiki, will provide a summer of learning and getting to know other teachers.  In September teachers can request one partner; the other will be assigned. Enrollment in this wiki is for teachers only.

The Clubhouse Wiki not only has lessons to use with students, but discussions, and projects in which to participate.  This wiki is for teachers and students. Students do not need email, and cannot be contacted by anyone not a member of the wiki.  One on one paring of schools is still also available.

Twitter blocked?

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 student email is needed.  Access can be via computer and/or cell phone.

Great blog post on 35 ways to use twiducate for deeper learning. Really a great way to bring the 21st century into the classroom!  As this blog post says, the best thing about it is that it is free!

Free Video Conferencing

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

Multimedia Chat

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.

Real time collaboration

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 membership
Administrator can add a password to a public pad
Only Administrators has access to security and can change pad to public and add a password.
Public AND password protected allow anyone with the url AND password to write, so students do not need to join or have email.

Learn Central®

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 are giving educators the use of it free. Only restrictions: limited to 3 and cannot record. Other than that you have access to the full program.

Want to see what it looks like? The online Global Education Conference session about the Global Virtual Classroom program was recorded and is available for playback at anytime using this link: http://tinyurl.com/GVCsession. You will be asked to accept a plugin from Elluminate, the program used for presenting and recording. Session is approximately 45 minutes.

Voice Thread

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 as our plan for educators K-12, it’s very simple, FREE. We thought Voicethread would have classroom implications, but not to the extent that teachers are demonstrating. What’s great to see is that regardless of the subject being taught, there seems to be a fit. We feel we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg with classroom applications for Voicethread and we need to make sure educators have access to discover the tool and use it as they see fit. We have a ‘Pro’ service launching on the 10th of October, it will provide unlimited access to Voicethread, and it to, will be FREE for educators K-12.
Thanks for everything,

Ben Papell
voicethread.com
Original comment from NC-Tech blog.

Virtual Whiteboard

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 bottom of the board. Sneffel is donation ware (young programmers DO need to pay for their education.)

After creating a 'doodle pad' you can just send the URL to partners. [example] If you are working at the same time, you will actually see it happening in real time. Pads can also be embedded in a website.

Tip: Higher math teachers who are teaching how to solve difficult problems, use Sneffel. Create a step by step demo of how to solve. Embed it on a page or in a blog. Students can then go to it and hit the 'replay' button to see the steps worked out.

Stixy

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!

Visual Organizers

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, but can still be collaborative is Bubbl.us [http://bubbl.us] Partners can be given rights to edit or only read. Registration is required, but is free. Here is a very simple bubbl.us mind map.

Blast from the Past

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!

WallWisher

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 future
Janet Barnstable - Save Earth!

Comic Creator

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 need a print as pdf plugin. There are several free ones out there.]

Not just a slide show!

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 themselves.

Thirty second videos are FREE; year's subscription for unlimited length videos is currently $30/year.

See a sample mix of last year's participants.

Free Flash World Clock

World Clock Link
Especially 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:


Or one with a graphic like this time in Chicago:

You are also allowed to choose an AM/PM 12 hour clock or a 24 hour clock.

This CoolTool brought to you courtesy of Lakshmi Srinivas.