Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Additional Features Coming in Moodle 2.6

Some great new enhancements to Moodle will roll out with Moodle 2.6


  • Annotate PDF assignment submissions

  • Single Activity Course Format - Use this when you are using solely a SCORM module

  • Improved TinyMCE editor - expands editing features

  • Improved editing icons




Learn what's new in the upcoming release -- Moodle 2.6
Moodle 2.6 Release Highlights -- YouTube Videos

Monday, October 14, 2013

Text What You Learned: Using Technology to Assess Student Learning

Your students have their cell phones with them in the classroom. Why not tap into that resource and use ChimeIn, PollEverywhere (or Twitter) to assess student learning?

Watch this video

ChimeIn
PollEverywhere
Twitter

Fostering Student Collaboration with Google Docs

Have you tried using Google Docs in your classroom yet? Students are able to share their document with you and the other students in their group. Group members can write within the document simultaneously. Writing can continue outside of the classroom and students can chat with each other via the chat pane as they write.

Ask your students to bring their laptops, or assign groups and then make sure at least a couple of students in each group bring his/her laptop to class.

This video shows how one instructor is using this in her classroom:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/fostering-student-collaboration#

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

An App for That ... and That ... and That

Dropbox, Flip It!, Poll Everywhere, Evernote, Doceri, Fuse ... you name it! What are your top favorites in mobile apps?

Chances are you have favorites for organizational tools, productivity apps, and classroom apps.

Here are my favorites:

Organizational Tools:

Google Drive (free): Especially useful if your institution has adopted Google Apps, this app allows you to collaborate with other users, upload and store files in the cloud, and access those files from any device, any location.

Evernote (free): This free, straightforward note-making app outrivals most competing apps thanks to its strong search capabilities and effortless organization. But the real key to its success and popularity is that Evernote synchronizes all your files by saving them to a cloud service, meaning anything you create or alter from your mobile device will be there waiting for you when you log into any other version of Evernote.

Productivity Tools:

EduCreations (free): Educreations transforms your iPad into a recordable whiteboard that captures your voice and handwriting to produce amazing video lessons that you can share online. It's as simple as touching, tapping and talking. Create amazing animations by touching your photos to move and resize them. Whatever it is that you want to teach, now you can do it from anywhere. Finished lessons are hosted on educreations.com, where you can choose who is able to watch them.

Dragon Dictation (free): Accurate and fast, the Dragon Dictation app cuts the typing out of jotting down a note, drafting an email, posting to Twitter, and a few other light tasks. As a simple dictation app, Dragon transcribes whatever you speak with good accuracy.

Fuse (free): Techsmith, the maker of Camtasia Studio and Camtasia Relay, brings us Fuse on mobile devices. Fuse allows you to turn any moment into a learning experience. It allows Camtasia Relay users to upload new or existing camera videos to their Camtasia Relay server right from their iOS device or Android phone. Once you try it, you'll use it everywhere. Capture live speeches and presentations on-the-go, create quick camera videos to engage viewers with real-life examples, record extra learning materials such as labs, fieldwork, or visual aids.

Reference Apps:

Google Maps
(Free): Download this app. It has proven itself more accurate than other apps, including the built-in Apple iPhone Maps app.

Google Translate (Free): With more than 30 languages supported and the ability to deliver impressively accurate results most of the time, this app is one of the most remarkable programs you can install.

Wikipedia (Free): This is the go-to source for fact-checking in the mobile age, and the Wikipedia app usually returns results faster than a mobile search engine.

Flipboard (Free): Curates content from your social networks and Web partners (periodicals, blogs, etc.) based on your interests and turns them into stunning magazine-like digital pages.

StumbleUpon (free): Helps you explore your interests widely across the Web and find sites and pages you might not have found otherwise.

Utilities:

RedLaser (Free): Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader. This is a multi-functional scanner that works on QR codes too. When shopping, scan any item with a barcode, and RedLaser delivers detailed information about the product including whether you can buy it at a better price nearby.

RetailMeNot (Free): Need a coupon for anything, anytime, anywhere? This app is the go-to source for discounts of all kinds. The mobile app puts nearby offers, as well as discount codes for online purchases, at your fingertips instantly. It will save you bundles of money.

Yelp (free): The most comprehensive review app helps find businesses nearby and includes reviews so that you won't have any unexpected surprises.