tacho: blended learning

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March 2, 2006

10 Tech Tools For Instructor Preparation Courses

Over the summertime I was running a issue of 2 calendar week ICT inwards linguistic communication teaching courses for teachers from to a greater extent than or less the world. The courses were utilisation of the Bell summertime campus at Homerton College Cambridge. This was the initiative off fourth dimension inwards a spell I had been asked to instruct such long courses as well as i thought it was a non bad chance to consider if I could fundamentally alter the agency the teachers related to technology, non precisely inwards the classroom equally a tool for teaching learners, but equally a tool inside their everyday working practice.

As sub goals I laid out to run the course of educational activity alongside absolutely no paper. That meant no photocopied handouts as well as no newspaper based banker's complaint taking from trainees. I wanted to force these teachers to the betoken where they could operate totally inwards the digital medium as well as where newspaper became totally unnecessary.

I also wanted to utilisation a cast of loop input (using the engineering scientific discipline to instruct the technology) thus that teachers were learning close the technologies they could utilisation alongside students past times truly using them for themselves.

I would similar to add together that this course of educational activity took house inwards a reckoner room alongside 1 Internet connected reckoner per teacher.

What follows below is a brief outline of the tools I used to attain this as well as how I used each tool.

TodaysMeet

TodaysMeet
This was my key communication tool. It allows me to create an minute chatroom which I tin utilisation equally a backchannel thus that students tin communicate alongside each other past times text as well as contribute to the session or precisely socialise spell I'm talking. More importantly though, it enables me to portion links to websites as well as digital document without having to acquire students to re-create complex URLs into their spider web browser address bar. I but glue the URL into the chat as well as when they acquire the message they click on the link as well as the URL opens inwards a novel tab inwards their spider web browser. I tin also utilisation it equally a variety of audience response organisation to acquire opinions from the whole degree as well as to permit them to type inwards questions that I tin address later.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: TodaysMeet

Penzu

Penzu
Penzu is a rattling unproblematic spider web based somebody magazine tool that I've been using for some fourth dimension now. In this course of educational activity I asked teachers to utilisation it instead of taking newspaper based notes. Penzu is truly quite minimalist as well as it looks precisely similar a sail of paper, but it stores as well as appointment stamps each magazine entry as well as this makes it quite slow to discovery notes over again from whatever reckoner equally it is 'cloud based'. So this became ane of the 2 criterion tabs I asked the teachers to constantly maintain opened upwards on their spider web browser. That agency they could easily switch betwixt banker's complaint taking as well as investigating links as well as socialising alongside the class.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: Penzu

280Slides

280Slides
In house of PowerPoint as well as Keynote I used 280Slides to fix as well as deliver the presentations I included inwards the course. 280Slides is truly unproblematic to use, stores the presentations online as well as creates a link as well as embed code thus when I'm finished presenting I tin straight off portion the link alongside my grouping either past times embedding it into a site or passing the URL through TodaysMeet.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: 280Slides

Delicious
During the course of educational activity I shared a lot of links to background reading materials, useful follow upwards websites as well as blogs etc. The links were passed through TodaysMeet, but to brand certain these links weren't lost I got the teachers on the course of educational activity to create their ain Delicious accounts to tag as well as shop all the links thus they could discovery them afterward on whatever computer. I also taught them how to add together the bookmarking plug inwards to their browser tool bar. This truly helped equally it meant they could but click on it as well as tag as well as relieve everything alongside precisely a duet of clicks.

Here's a link to: My Delicious Bookmarks

SimplyBox

SimplyBox
Using Delicious for bookmarking articles etc was great, but for the Web 2.0 type learning tools I was introducing I wanted something to a greater extent than visual equally a reminder, thus I used SimplyBox. This is a unproblematic to utilisation tool which uses boxes inwards house of folders as well as enables you lot to view an icon from the site equally a link dorsum to it, rather than a title. The other non bad payoff of this tool is that you lot tin portion boxes as well as operate on them collaboratively as well as anyone accessing the box tin acquire out notes on each of the tools. I introduced this tool close halfway through the course of educational activity past times putting links to all the tools nosotros had used inwards ane box, as well as using this equally a revision task, I got the teachers to acquire out teaching suggestions as well as notes close how to utilisation each tool as well as what its strengths were on each of the bookmarks.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: SimplyBox
Here's an event box alongside my collection of: Vocabulary Tools

Posterous
I used Posterous equally my basic publishing tool for the teachers to construct blended learning materials on, you lot tin acquire started precisely past times sending an e-mail alongside your weblog content inwards the trunk of the e-mail as well as whatever images, videos or good equally attachments. Very few of them had done whatever blogging previous to the course of educational activity thus this was a truly unproblematic tool to acquire started on as well as it handles all kinds of media such equally video, documents as well as embedded objects truly well. So equally they were edifice examples of online learning they were also creating their ain e-portfolio.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: Posterous

Jing
Jing was some other of the inwardness tools for the course. Initially I got teachers to utilisation it to view as well as annotate images of websites thus that they could create detailed footstep past times footstep notes of how to utilisation diverse spider web tools. They as well as thus dragged the images into documents as well as uploaded these to their Posterous weblog which formatted them into spider web based documents using Scribd. As the course of educational activity progressed I moved the teachers on from making text as well as icon based instructions to using Jing to brand as well as upload video based screencasts of the websites. They could as well as thus bookmark these alongside delicious as well as afterward utilisation them to demonstrate their students how the websites worked, or they could add together the link to their Posterous weblog which would automatically embed the video into the weblog page.

Here's an event of a document uploaded to Posterous: Example
You tin download Jing gratuitous from here

Wiggio

Wiggio
Towards the destination of the course of educational activity I introduced the Wiggio VLE to the teachers. Wiggio is a rattling versatile as well as quick to create online surroundings which has a rich multifariousness of communication tools. Using this platform has enabled me to cast working groups from the courses thus that they tin remain inwards impact alongside each other as well as me after the course of educational activity as well as tumble out to portion links, videos, documents as well as to a greater extent than importantly ideas. This is a non bad tool for edifice dynamic courses as well as adds much to a greater extent than social interaction than something similar Moodle.

Here's a quick video showing how it works: Wiggio

Tricider
I used Tricider equally my needs analysis tool at the start as well as my activeness enquiry tool during the course. It's a rattling unproblematic to use, but rattling versatile polling tool. You precisely create a query as well as add together some options as well as thus portion it alongside the people you lot desire answers from. The non bad affair is that they tin add together extra options as well as add together diverse pros as well as cons of each pick equally good equally voting on the ones they like. This makes the whole procedure of polling much to a greater extent than open, social as well as interactive.
Here's a quick video showing how it works: Tricider

Firefox
Last but non to the lowest degree is the Firefox browser. I utilisation this equally a replacement for Internet Explorer. I discovery Firefox to live on fast reliable as well as consistent as well as peculiarly when working alongside Web 2.0 type tools it gives me rattling few problems. I tin state none of this close IE which I oftentimes destination upwards cursing whenever I induce got to utilisation it inwards a grooming environment.
You tin download Firefox from here

So, using this combination of tools I managed to deliver the consummate course of educational activity without using newspaper banker's complaint books or photocopying whatever materials, as well as I experience at the destination of it my trainees were the amend for it equally they had spent a calendar week challenging their ingrained written report habits as well as taking a footstep towards working inwards the variety of digital world
their students volition in all likelihood live on negotiating inwards their future. Most of all though they had a guide chances to truly utilisation the tools inwards much the same agency that their students volition as well as to brand as well as overcome the kinds of mistakes they volition induce got to bargain alongside students inwards class.

I promise you lot induce got establish something interesting hither as well as this article makes you lot cry upwards a footling to a greater extent than close how you lot deliver instructor grooming inwards full general equally the utilisation of these tools isn't precisely restricted to tech training. They could live on integrated into the delivery of whatever linguistic communication or instructor grooming course of educational activity as well as to some extent I experience that until tech tools are integrated into mainstream instructor grooming nosotros aren't going to acquire the character as well as quantity of digitally literate teachers that nosotros demand to truly supply a 21st century learning surroundings for our students.

Related links:

Best

Nik Peachey

March 1, 2006

10 Tools For Increasing Appointment Inward Online Courses

Over the final few years I've done a lot of travel developing writing together with redeveloping online courses together with course of teaching materials. In the initial rush to acquire learning online many organisations got themselves a Moodle platform together with and thus attached a whole charge of PDFs together with .docs, added some forums together with the strange video clip together with called it an online course. It's no surprise together with thus that drib out rates for online learning courses direct maintain been thus high.

The advent of Web 2.0 though, brought a whole bunch of novel tools that course of teaching designers could direct maintain payoff of to brand content to a greater extent than social, interactive together with engaging.

Here are some of the tools I've been using of late to embed a fleck to a greater extent than interactivity into the courses I travel on.

Storify - http://storify.com

Storify is a nifty tool for collecting together a mixture of spider web based resources together with references into a spider web based widget that yous tin give the axe together with thus construction into a digital inquiry paper. You tin give the axe easily clitoris inward comments from Facebook, Twitter or Google searches equally good equally a make of other social media sources. You together with thus add together blocks amongst your ain commentary together with reflections. The whole affair tin give the axe together with thus live on embedded into a webpage. This is a nifty tool for developing digital literacy together with referencing online sources.

Here's an instance of a Storify text designed to percentage information almost Wordle.

Tricider - http://tricider.com

Tricider is a nifty tool for crowd sourcing opinion. You kickoff amongst a unmarried query employment together with and thus yous or your students tin give the axe add together possible solutions to the problem. Students tin give the axe also add together some pros together with cons to the solutions together with vote on the ones they prefer. These tin give the axe live on embedded into webpages together with tin give the axe give far to a greater extent than construction to online give-and-take than things similar threaded forums which oftentimes acquire garbled together with confusing.

Here's an instance discussing the pros together with cons of Moodle (Feel gratis to participate)

Urtak - https://urtak.com

You tin give the axe role Urtak to exercise elementary social questionnaires for your courses. Although the responses are quite express (Yes / No / Don't care) This tin give the axe nevertheless live on a useful tool for quick straw polls earlier developing deeper give-and-take through a forum. It also give students the run a jeopardy to compare their opinions anonymously amongst those of classmates together with also add together their ain questions to the questionnaire. The questionnaires tin give the axe also live on embedded into spider web pages together with materials.

Here's an instance of a questionnaire almost Education Today

Intervue.me - http://intervue.me

This is also a tool for creating questionnaires, but inward the instance of Intervue.me the questions tin give the axe live on opened upward ended together with the respondent leaves their reply verbally using a spider web cam. Intervue.me can't live on embedded into pages , but yous tin give the axe link to your questionnaires together with yous tin give the axe download the video clips of the answers equally mp4 thus yous tin give the axe together with thus role these inward materials yous develop together with equally the footing for farther discussion.

Here is an instance of a questionnaire asking teachers almost their role of technology

VYou - http://vyou.com/

You tin give the axe role Vyou embed a video booth that students tin give the axe perish at whatever fourth dimension of hateful solar daytime to enquire yous questions. The video booth gives the impression that yous are e'er available together with builds some presence on your course. The messages students ship yous are delivered to an inbox together with yous are notified thus that yous tin give the axe reply them. Vyou also has a rattling handy mobile app thus yous tin give the axe reply the questions where ever yous are on your iPhone or other mobile device.

Here's an instance of my ain Vyou Q & H5N1 page on this blog

Keek - http://www.keek.com/

It's a expert thought to acquire students to proceed a learning periodical on whatever course of teaching they do. It tin give the axe experience a fleck tiresome though writing periodical entries to yourself, thus why non acquire educatee to exercise a video based learning periodical using Keek. They tin give the axe add together entries each hateful solar daytime merely using a spider web cam together with microphone together with yous tin give the axe acquire out video comments on their entries. Students on your course of teaching tin give the axe also live on encouraged to 'follow' each other. Individual entries tin give the axe also live on embedded into spider web pages which tin give the axe enable yous to construct pages that percentage insights from your course of teaching participants. Keek also has a gratis mobile app that allows yous to upward appointment from mobile devices such equally iPhone.

Here yous tin give the axe encounter some examples from Keek users

Bundlr - http://gobundlr.com/

This is a genuinely useful tool for sharing theme based collections of bookmarks. It creates a rattling visual tape of the mass marked links which yous tin give the axe together with thus embed into your course of teaching pages equally widgets. This tin give the axe live on a genuinely useful tool for setting inquiry tasks based roughly a grouping of online resources.

Here yous tin give the axe encounter a package of links relating to digital storytelling

Zooshia - http://zooshia.com/

Zooshia is a handy tool for creating widgets from social network sources that tin give the axe live on embedded into spider web pages. The widgets present a dynamic flow from whatever rootage nosotros select. This tin give the axe brand suggestions for twitter or facebook people to follow much to a greater extent than informative together with tin give the axe also permit yous to embed dynamic widgets from YouTube channels which volition brand your content much to a greater extent than dynamic too.

Here is a widget I embedded into my weblog showing the postings to my Facebook page

Present.Me - http://present.me/

Present.Me tin give the axe assistance yous exercise online presentations from your PowerPoint slides. You tin give the axe together with thus add together your talking caput commentary to your slides together with embed the whole affair into your online course. This industrial plant good equally a lecture replacement together with having a presenter that yous tin give the axe genuinely encounter along side your slides tin give the axe assistance add together to the engagement amongst your learners. You tin give the axe embed this into your page together with construct a forum roughly it for follow upward discussion.

Here yous tin give the axe encounter a useful serial of presentations showing yous how to exercise a expert presentation

Goanimate - http://goanimate.com

Online course of teaching content tin give the axe acquire rattling dry out together with serious, thus why non spice it upward yesteryear creating a few animations using something similar GoAnimate. It's a an slow tool for creating curt animated dialogues that tin give the axe live on exported equally video clips together with embedded into your course. You tin give the axe role these to innovate topics or heighten issues for farther debate.

Here yous tin give the axe encounter a alternative of channels that direct maintain been developed using animation

I promise these 10 tools together with the links from them direct maintain given yous a few ideas into how yous tin give the axe spice upward your online courses together with brand them to a greater extent than engaging together with enjoyable together with assistance yous to retain students. Please acquire out a comment if yous direct maintain suggestions for other gratis tools yous direct maintain flora useful for developing online content.

Related links:

Best

Nik Peachey