Showing posts with label e-learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label e-learning. Show all posts

May 10, 2006

Top Tools For E-Learning

For a piece immediately Jane Hart over at Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day has been collecting the superlative 10 favourite tools of a hit of people involved inwards e-learning.

 favourite tools of a hit of people involved inwards e Top tools for e-learning
These create got been compiled into a top 100 from, would y'all believe it, a directory of over 2,000! Anyway, I'm proud to tell that I create got immediately also contributed my ain superlative 10 to the collection. I intend this is a bang-up idea thus create banking concern check out the collection. The collection of 2,000 is also categorized, thus if y'all are looking for something particular, similar a tool for blogging, (there are to a greater extent than than seventy of those) or a Virtual World tool (there are 31 inwards this category alone!) too then it's a bang-up identify to look. Anyway, if you'd rather non become through all those at the moment, here's a await at the 10 I submitted equally my superlative 10 tools.

Nik's Top 10 Tools equally at twenty March 2008

  1. Blogger: This is my basic essential survival tool for writing my blogs. As I await unopen to to a greater extent than I realise it's in all likelihood non the best tool inwards the Blue Planet for creating blogs, but it's for sure an tardily tool to purpose too 1 that does the chore good too doesn't terms anything.
  2. Second Life: I seem to create got gotten drawn into Second Life, despite the fact that it's far from my favourite virtual world, too I immediately rent my ain portion infinite there. I was drawn inwards past times an increasing amount of course of teaching blueprint travel that I acquire related to it too a fascination amongst the interface too the illusion of 3D. Great identify to create got a coming together too, much prefer it to using Skype.
  3. NVU: This is a novel tool that I've started using of late for spider web management too development. I create got been using DreamWeaver for quite some time, but decided to construct the switch to a gratuitous tool that I could purpose on both PC too MAC equally my re-create of DreamWeaver became increasingly out of appointment too unstable. So far it's worked out pretty good too the learning flexure has been quite uncomplicated to bargain with.
  4. Instapaper: This is some other gratuitous tool which I purpose almost every day. It's a variety of cross betwixt a temporary favourites page too an annotation / bibliography tool. It creates a pocket-size plug inwards for my Firefox task bar too whenever I topographic point something I desire to read I click on a read afterwards push clit which saves the link to my Instapaper page. Then when I create got some fourth dimension I tin become dorsum too read through the articles too either delete them, annotate them equally a bibliography or only acquire out them equally read.
  5. Stumble upon: This is 1 of my favourite plug ins for Firefox. It's a bang-up agency to notice novel sites too I purpose it when e'er I create got a gratuitous moment. You tin create your ain favourites page too percentage the sites y'all notice equally good equally adding novel sites too reviewing them. But the best characteristic is only clicking on the Stumble push clit too looking at random sites that matches my involvement criteria
  6. Google Browser sync for Firefox: This is some other bang-up plug inwards for Firefox too it enables me to sync history, favourites, passwords etc across my Firefox browser on whatever computer. I often create got a MAC too PC running at the same fourth dimension too thus this keeps all my browser data synchronised without me having to create anything apart from install the plug in.
  7. Google analytics: This is a bang-up agency to rails stats for websites too blogs etc too it's free. The data is a lot to a greater extent than accurate too inwards depth than many paid for tools too gives me loads of data near my site content, where my visitors are coming from too what they are looking at etc. I'm addicted to it!
  8. Hottnotes: Juggling lots of dissimilar projects along amongst identify unit of measurement commitments too running my ain work organisation tin acquire a chip overwhelming sometimes. Hottnotes truly helps me proceed on superlative of things too recall those meetings too telephone conferences. I tin create post-it type reminders for my desk superlative or to-do lists too programme them to remind me when specific tasks should survive done. Essential stuff, only a shame in that place isn't a MAC version.
  9. BBFlashback: This is the only tool inwards my superlative 10 that I create got truly paid for. It's a software tool for recording shroud cast tutorials too I've used it for all of the tutorials on my blog. It's tardily to use, reliable too adding branding, call-outs too good is all pretty easy. It also exports to a lot of dissimilar formats including Flash swf files too avi files. I tin also import curt avi video files made on my digital photographic television camera too edit them too and then export them to Flash (I notice that useful honest!)
  10. My Yahoo Feed Reader: I'm sure this in all likelihood isn't the best feed reader inwards the Blue Planet but MyYahoo homepage is what I started amongst too I've got comfortable too stuck amongst it. RSS is 1 of those truly big fourth dimension savers too I tin scan all of the novel content on my favourite sites too blogs inwards only a few minutes too selection out the things I'm interested inwards reading, non to refer my horoscope too Blue Planet news. It's saved me hours of going from site to site.
Hope y'all taste these.

Best

Nik

April 26, 2006

Skype Endure Two Online Workspace

Anyone who uses their whiteboard for ELT / EFL classes volition know what a actually useful teaching aid it tin john be, thus how nigh using 1 amongst your distance learners?

In Part 1 of this serial on Skype plugins, I looked at how in addition to where to detect in addition to install plugins for Skype in addition to I also looked at how to exercise Pamela to tape well materials in addition to interviews amongst Skype.

In this posting I'd similar to direct maintain a expect at an online collaboration tool called Yugma which allows you lot to percentage files, percentage your desktop, brand alive presentations in addition to direct maintain a shared online whiteboard all running along side your Skype application.

This quick tutorial takes you lot through some of the basic features.



You tin john download a version for your figurer inwards Quick Time here.
Or
Open the tutorial inwards a new window here.

How to exercise this amongst ELT / EFL students
Well I intend this is definitely a distance learning back upward tool rather than some matter to exercise inwards the classroom / multi media lab amongst students. It could last ideal for instructor who wants to learn online 1 to 1 peculiarly if you lot are doing this independently in addition to don't direct maintain the back upward of a companionship to supply you lot amongst specialist software. I intend it's also a pretty useful tool for instructor preparation in addition to evolution if you lot direct maintain groups of teachers spread around the province or the solid seat down even.
  • You tin john demonstrate students how to exercise specific software for their course of didactics in addition to verbalize them through the diverse processes.
  • You tin john demonstrate students around websites in addition to exercise them every bit the footing for online discussion
  • You tin john percentage documents amongst your students in addition to acquire them to piece of job on them collaboratively
  • Students tin john percentage projects they direct maintain been working on amongst other grouping members
  • You tin john play games online such every bit Pictionary (a game where 1 thespian draws a painting in addition to the others direct maintain to justice the news it represents)
  • You tin john percentage notes every bit you lot deliver presentations
  • You tin john tape presentations in addition to reuse them
  • You tin john gear upward a whole programme of dissimilar online line of piece of job organisation simulations such as
    • Presenting data nigh a company
    • Presenting a sales study of the results of survey findings
    • Students drive to sell a fictional production to investors (your other students would last the investors)
    • Carrying out online interviews, amongst students presenting in addition to talking nigh their CVs
  • The mightiness to tape these presentations would enter much easier for your students to review them in addition to for you lot to offering feedback on their work.
What I similar nigh Yugma
  • As tools similar this acquire a to a greater extent than widely used in addition to accepted portion of international business, developing the mightiness to exercise such tools is going to acquire a valuable 'real life' skill.
  • It's costless (at to the lowest degree some parts are) in addition to quite slow in addition to quick to install in addition to use.
  • I actually similar that you lot tin john tape your meetings to spotter after etc.
  • Great that this integrates amongst Skype
  • It seems to offering a pretty comprehensive packet of functions

What I wasn't thus certain about
  • Some of the functionality is express after the commencement fifteen days, unless you lot direct to pay for an account.
  • You direct maintain to last certain that your firewall / anti-virus doesn't block it, thus if you lot direct maintain whatsoever problems getting it started, in addition to thus that's the commencement matter to check.
  • You'll also postulate to acquire your students to download in addition to install it.
Well I promise you lot detect this tool useful. As I said, this is actually 1 for the distance / online tutor in addition to I'd dearest to take away heed from anyone who has tried it out amongst their students.

Best

Nik Peachey

April 25, 2006

Create Your Ain Social Network Seven Steps

Social networking is i of the fundamental concepts that is driving Web 2.0 these days. With the opportunities social networks offering for collaboration as well as communication, this is sure something nosotros every bit educators should hold upwards thinking nearly beingness involved in.

Social networking is i of the fundamental concepts that is driving Web  Create your ain social network 7 steps
In this tutorial I'd similar to exhibit you lot how to do your ain social network on Ning, simply past times next 7 steps. I've published these every bit a downloadable PDF alongside hide shots, then that you lot tin impress them upwards as well as follow them / percentage them.
Perhaps though, to a greater extent than importantly it's worth thinking nearly some of the issues, as well as pros as well as cons surrounding the utilisation of social networks.

Some advantages of creating your ain network.
  • Control over the content
    You tin brand sure nobody posts anything inappropriate or irrelevant.
  • Control of who joins as well as the powerfulness to block or ban people
    You tin protect your members, ban anyone who doesn't bear or simply bound membership to people you lot desire to invite.
  • Increased reach
    You tin increase the accomplish of your F2F activities as well as acquire to a greater extent than people involved inwards the collaborative / collective evolution of your project.
  • Good for your personal / career development
    You tin larn a lot through beingness an administrator as well as develop some useful skills as well as knowledge.
Things to consider earlier you lot launch your network
  • Closed (just people you lot invite) or Open (anyone who wants to join)
    I would advise starting off alongside simply people you lot invite start to encounter how things receive got off. Deciding to brand the network opened upwards could receive got a lot of consideration as well as demand much to a greater extent than 'policing' moderation from you.
  • Do you lot receive got the fourth dimension to deal the network?
    This is ever a fundamental interrogation for teachers. Keeping the network active as well as upwards to appointment is going to receive got time. If you lot don't receive got the fourth dimension / resources to set into it, best non to start.
  • Do you lot receive got or tin you lot detect content to input to the network?
    Content is withal the original motivation for teachers / students to acquire involved, fifty-fifty if it's simply every bit stimulation for communication / collaborative work, you lot demand to receive got something to offering as well as your members are going to demand to 'get something' from visiting your network, or they won't hold upwards coming back.
  • How / Will you lot hold upwards able to rear collaboration betwixt the members?
    Bit similar the betoken above. Just providing a network isn't going to do collaboration. Ning is simply a platform, you lot receive got to render reasons, tasks, activities for members to collaborate on, or it simply won't happen.
  • What functionality (groups, forums, video as well as photograph sharing) do you lot desire to brand available?
    Providing all of these on Ning is easy, but don't render anything you lot can't use. If you lot render the powerfulness to percentage photos / videos, brand sure you lot receive got something to percentage as well as reasons for sharing those things. You'll too demand to recollect nearly who tin percentage add together as well as create. Are you lot going to proceed consummate command or percentage it alongside your members?
  • Will you lot desire to include advertising or enquire it to hold upwards removed?
    If you lot are using Ning for educational purposes you lot tin contact them as well as enquire for advertising to hold upwards removed. You tin too pay for a Ning platform as well as generate some coin from the advertising yourself. I wouldn't recommend this every bit the amount may good non justify what you lot receive got to set upwards alongside from the advertisers. It's too amend to acquire the advertising removed earlier you lot invite people to join, every bit some of the links tin hold upwards inappropriate.
  • What data volition you lot desire members to add together when joining?
    You tin determine what data members demand to submit when they bring together as well as determine who sees the information. You detect out a lot nearly them this way, but people tin hold upwards set off past times having to give away their information, then it could hold upwards best simply to allow them decide.
  • How long volition you lot desire to proceed the network live? (limited menstruation or indefinitely)
    If you lot exclusively intend to utilisation the network for a specific fourth dimension express projection it mightiness hold upwards goodness to brand this clear to your members, then they proceed records of anything they develop inside the network. Then when the projection ends you lot tin delete it alongside a clear conscience as well as proceed the spider web tidy.
Looking at other networks
Before you lot start your ain social network it's a goodness thought to receive got a await circular at what others are doing. You mightiness acquire some goodness ideas, encounter some potential pitfalls you lot desire to avoid, or fifty-fifty determine someone already has your expanse covered as well as simply determine to bring together them instead of recreating the wheel. Here a 4 networks for teachers that are good worth checking out.
Evaluation criteria
Deciding whether you lot desire to bring together or recommend a network tin hold upwards a tricky process, but every bit I've been looking closed to for ones I desire to hold upwards component subdivision of I've built upwards a listing of criteria that I detect quite useful to receive got inwards the dorsum of my mind.

  • What features / functionality does the network offer? (Groups forums etc.)
    If there's no interaction, is it worth beingness a component subdivision of this network?
  • Are the groups / forums active alongside a number of members exchanging information?
    Just because it has them doesn't hateful they are beingness used. Have a await as well as brand sure at that spot is something at that spot to larn as well as somebody at that spot to larn with.
  • Are these features beingness used? (If the network offers the utilisation of photograph or video sharing is this beingness used?)
    This is a goodness house to await to encounter what members are actually sharing. Is at that spot original content or is it all grabbed from YouTube / Flickr?
  • Can you lot detect out when the network was concluding active?
    Some networks are withal online, but receive got died. Either the members or creator has lost interest. No betoken joining an inactive network.
  • How many members does it have?
    Open networks that exclusively receive got a minor number of members, may hold upwards less worthwhile. Most networks demand a critical volume to proceed them moving, unless the members are really committed.
  • Are whatsoever of the members’ photographs inappropriate?
    Many people bring together networks to describe traffic to their / unsuitable sites. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick await at their avatar icon could good give you lot a clue to which these are.
  • Check out some of the fellow member profiles. Does the profile reveal the member’s electronic mail address or other personal information that you lot wouldn't desire to share?
    Make sure that the network isn't forcing you lot to reveal to a greater extent than data than you lot would experience happy with.
  • Are at that spot whatsoever ‘Google Ads’ on the site? Are these suitable or potentially offensive?
    Especially when recommending networks to others, it's goodness to banking enterprise tally this first.
  • Is at that spot whatsoever interesting content on the site?
    Again, I withal believe that content is king. Content + collaboration = learning! No content, don't join.
  • Who is behind the network?
    Always wise to know who you lot are dealing alongside as well as sharing your data / cognition with. Is it a grouping of similar minded individuals, or a faceless companionship alongside dubious motivations?
Why do your ain network for teachers?
Some suggestions:
  • To back upwards item dispersed groups doing specific projects / preparation courses
  • To tape as well as percentage examples of exercise as well as expertise specific to their context
  • To aid prepare as well as develop teachers inwards the utilisation of ICT / Learning Technology
Why do your ain network for students?
Some suggestions:
  • Class enquiry projects – do a network for your students based closed to a item subject that they demand to research.
  • Inter-class projection – do a network for sharing data alongside students inwards some other schoolhouse / country.
  • Create a fan site alongside your students dedicated to a item celebrity they like.
  • Create a site to inform visitors nearly Kingdom of Morocco / your town or city, your civilization etc.
  • Create an online classroom as well as add together links to materials, activities as well as tasks the students should do.
  • Create a network to showcase students piece of job as well as proceed inwards contact alongside as well as involve parents.
Important
  • You should non utilisation Ning alongside students below the historic menstruation of 13.
  • Always protect your members’ privacy as well as brand sure their electronic mail isn’t displayed as well as they don’t percentage addresses or telephone numbers alongside people.
Well if later on all this you lot are withal interested inwards creating your ain network, hither are the 7 steps again:
I've created i myself for a preparation course of report for teachers that I'm involved with. Personally I've works life it actually valuable then far.
For to a greater extent than opinions as well as to detect out nearly choice platforms, watch Larry Ferlazzo's blog post on Social Networks for the Classroom

Good luck alongside your networking as well as delight do utilisation the comments below to percentage your experience of using social networks.

Best

Nik Peachey

April 9, 2006

Naming My Sources: Business Office 2

In the first business office of this series aimed at sharing the sources of the data I weblog about, I focused on sites which spread the give-and-take almost novel applied scientific discipline or websites. In this instant business office I'd similar to spread the give-and-take almost some of the to a greater extent than ELT as well as Educationally orientated blogs which convey provided me amongst a wealth of data as well as professional person development.

First of course of didactics has to hold out Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day……For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
This site is a huge as well as constant origin of data as well as novel sites as well as resources. Larry likewise produces categorised lists of resources thus it's good worth searching through his archives.
Creating a personal homepage

If y'all know of other blogs which are regularly updated amongst useful content for educators, as well as thus past times all agency post service a comment at the terminate of this article.

Related links:
Thanks as well as best wishes

Nik Peachey

March 12, 2006

A Tick Listing Of 21St Century Digital Skills For Teachers

I've but been brainstorming digital skills that I believe are required past times teachers inwards the 21st Century. So far I've come upwardly up amongst 45 of them.

What's hitting for me most this is:
  • few of these skills volition bring been taught to anyone who trained every bit a instructor longer than v years ago.
  • few of these skills are existence taught to teachers preparation now.
  • the 21st century instructor needs to hold upwardly a pretty amazingly skilled professional.
Please await through the listing together with tick on the ones you lot believe you lot have.

Teachers Digital Skills Tick List


Teachers' digital skills tick list

I'd too hold upwardly rattling interested inwards whatever comments most whatever you lot mean value I've missed or that you lot mean value don't belong there.

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.


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.

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.

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.

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.


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.


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.

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.

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.

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.



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