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By: LAURIE WALLMARK,
on 6/5/2013
How to create a website that will draw the attention of teachers and librarians.
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-post-creating-author-website-to.html
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Posted on 4/21/2013
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By: Naomi Bates,
on 4/16/2013
From everywhere and from different backgrounds and knowledge, we all came together to create this site and I thank you so much! Click on the image to get there and enjoy....
By: Naomi Bates,
on 4/5/2013
So, I'm waiting for Animoto to finish my booktalk preview I show when the kids are all coming in.
As I'm doing that, I started thinking about all the sites and apps I use or think about using when I begin creating my booktalk. So here are some you may find just as amazing to use as I do.
Online image editors:
Thanks to creative online genius,the perfect image editor was born! PicMonkey allows users to upload and modify images from cropping to color to frames and so much more! I use it when creating my book trailers to add depth and complexity to just another flat image. And the extras are awesome! Create/add zombie, vampire, and ghost features as well as themed backgrounds and textures. This is a go-to must have website. Currently, it has no app, but some things are better to manipulate online.
Need to find something out of the ordinary to use for your blog, presentation or to share? Imagechef may be the answer to your needs. Creates anything from personalized notes to word mosaics to so much more. And it's all free! And this site has a companion app, so either way you can create and share.
Video creators, web-based and app-based:
Gotta love Animoto! If you haven't used it for awhile, you're in for a nice surprise. The reconfiguration now includes different video styles, awesome CC music, and instant social media sharing. As always, you can include video and text into this. Worth the price (but you can get an educator discount!) No wonder this is a cornerstone of technology for education! Animoto has an app but search in the iPhone section. Currently there isn't one for the iPad.
If you want to try something new without the headache of learning a difficult platform like Adobe or Sony, make your way over to ProShow Web. Their free account allows users to create a full-on video or trailer with a lot of the intuitive bells and whistles of other video programs. The only caveat is the free version will only allow 15 photos, but text is unlimited. I made a full trailer using Proshow with really excellent results! There's an app for that as well
And the fun continues with those powerful little creatures called apps...
This is what I have in my photography folder on my iPad, and I use these for personal and educational use. The sky's the limit on these!
Image Editing Tools
ColorBlast!Lite: allows you to upload and create a beautifully modified picture that contains color within a black and white photo. Post it on social media or email to yourself. It's addicting!
Instagram: enough said. Contains several filters to give you boring picture pizazz and pop! When you create an account, you can also view it online but only if it's a public account. Allows sharing and email
Photofunia: Take a pic and instantly make it into so many other items, including billboard signs, book pages, magazine covers, and so much more. Also includes many filters you can use within categories. Save, email or share via social media. This is SUPER fun!!
Pho.to Lab: does the same thing as Photofunia and is an excellent alternative. Just have fun with this and the creativity and imagination will begin to flow.
Snapseed: The ultimate in photo editing on your iPad. Contains many tools to edit and diversify your photo. The best way to learn this is download and play with the image already provided. You'll be hooked. Hands down my favorite image editing app.
Pixlromatic: take an image, choose from the many options of filters, backgrounds and frames, and you've successfully modified it into something gorgeous!
Video Apps
Vine: Got six seconds? That's all you get with this nifty video app. Video what's most important to you and Vine creates a collaged video worthy of sharing. You can share or embed them as well as create your own account. People are doing some pretty cool things with this app!
VidRhythm: Okay, I don't use this when creating book trailers, but I had a blast creating one! You pick the song, style, and follow the directions while recording. The end result is, well...just see for yourself :)
Picture Collages
Frametastic: You decide what frames, theme and images to use, the app will put it together for you. Simple as that.
PicCollage: like frametastic, you can build a collage from your pics, Facebook, or camera. Then put in some text, add stickers and your collage is done. Even more than that, with creativity, you can make a quick infographic to send out and share.
By: LAURIE WALLMARK,
on 3/5/2013
Links to grammar and punctuation websites.
http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/grammar-rules.html
Posted on 2/20/2013
By: Naomi Bates,
on 2/7/2013
I wish Google Docs had an embed button, but nope...they give you a link to share :) So here's the presentation from TCEA. Enjoy!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-wHb5Nsjhy0MGJIUDVBSmlRWWs/edit?usp=sharing
Posted on 1/23/2013
Starting over in a place that's haunted by death...
Kara Foster thinks the hardest thing about moving to Japan will be fitting in as an outsider. But dark secrets are stirring at her new school. When Kara befriends Sakura, a fellow outsider whose rebellious nature sets her apart from the crowd, she learns that Sakura's sister was the victim of an unsolved murder on school grounds. And before long, terrible things begin to happen...
The Waking trilogy concludes with A Winter of Ghosts
This frightening trilogy will have readers glued to the page and scared to go to sleep.
"Randall describes the scenery, the culture, the characters, even their clothing, with heartfelt details. The story has suspense, mystery, and horror. It will be a great hit with fans of manga, anime, or Japanese culture." - School Library Journal
"A well-structured tale of ancient spirits who exact revenge upon humans. A brisk Japanese adventure." - VOYA
"The Waking: Dreams of the Dead starts as the dream of everyone who has ever wanted to travel to an exotic, far-away country to start again, and weaves a nightmare based in rich Japanese culture and myth. I can't wait until it is released and I can recommend it to my readers." - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, author of In the Forests of the Night and Persistence of Memory
Crawl on over to The Waking website.
Check out my interviews with the author: here and here.
Read the books in order:
Dreams of the Dead
Spirits of the Noh
A Winter of Ghosts
By: Naomi Bates,
on 11/6/2012
Yesterday, I was searching for a website I used last year to create an online button/logo and couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. So I used the good ole standby website Delicious. And I was virtually slapped in the face....
There used to be a time when I was excited about the newest and best out there, using the programs and huge creativity of people's minds to share web 2.0 content and how it could be utilized. But then the inevitable happened - I began to focus on what could be used in the classroom and library and the edges got blurry. No longer did I need to know more, I needed to use more of what I already knew!
And the pool of web content and tools for the classroom began to grow stagnant. It was a slow and gradual process until I looked down one day and saw the green and realized I needed some chlorine....fast! My Delicious pool is getting green!!
So, what are those websites I focused on to create that stagnancy? You know them....Prezi, Animoto, Voicethread, Glogster, Wix, Weebly. The bookends of excellent educational technology, as well they should be. They've earned the right to be there. But what do I have between those bookends that I can pull from and train, teach and expand student engagement and teacher knowledge?
So I went to get the best of the best for web tools, and here are some sites I'll be using that showcase those sites on the cusp of grandeur:
AASL Top Twenty Five Best Websites:
http://www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25
Larry Ferlazzo's Best Web Apps in 2012:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/07/10/the-best-web-2-0-applications-for-education-in-2012-%E2%80%94-so-far/
Digital Goonies: Creative, outside of the box thinkers on web tools:
http://digitalgoonies.com/
I need to fill in the bookends with new ideas and technologies to pull, learn and teach the campus I work with so I don't have to sit and watch the millionth Animoto or the two millionth Prezi....know what I mean?
And thank you Kristin Fontinchiaro for reminding me: It's about focus and balance, not about creativity and a project done. Educational technology should showcase the learning, not the product.
Sites I'm really enjoying right now? Tripline, Symbaloo, Jux, Haiku Deck....:)
And yeah, I'm reading some good YA novels too!!
By: Rene Colato Lainez,
on 10/9/2012
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By: naomibates,
on 9/18/2012
I guess it's been about a year and a half (maybe more) since I created the livebinders for book trailer resources. But one thing I have found out, especially with students, is that they tend to open up the link directly within the livebinder, which gives them an incorrect URL when crediting images. So, they have to open livebinders, open another tab, copy and paste, then go back and forth...BORING!
And so I created a Symbaloo that has most of the link I created with livebinders, but it set up so much more elegantly because of its simplicity. So, if you'd like to share this with others, please do. Also know that this is not only for book trailers in the library world, but also online projects for ANY class a student may take that asks them for virtual projects. The perma link is:
http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/booktrailerresources
Posted on 9/3/2012
A few weeks after I redesigned her website, I conducted a Q&A with Megan Frazer. Megan, like me and Mindy Kaling, is a fan of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Megan is also a writer, a mother, and a librarian, among other things. Find out more about her books and her busy schedule in the interview below!
Do you have any sort of writing routine?
As a mother of two with a full-time job, finding a routine is hands down the hardest part of my writing life. In the summer, I write when my kids are napping. In the school year, I'm still working on finding a good schedule, but it tends to be after my kids go to bed. I try to write for at least 30 minutes a day. I don't really focus on words or pages as a goal, though I do usually check how much I've accomplished. I have an office, but often find myself writing at the kitchen table, especially since we've bought a fixer-upper and my office has not yet been fixed up. My husband is working on the electricity and right now there isn't any in my office.
You got the idea for your novel Secrets of Truth & Beauty while watching the movie Little Miss Sunshine. Do you think Dara and Olive would get along?
I'd like to say yes, but I wonder if Olive would think Dara too serious and if Dara might find Olive a little kooky. I think Grandpa Edwin Hooper would love it on the farm.
How long did it take you to write the first draft, and subsequently to sell it?
Secrets happened really quickly. I can't remember how long the first draft took, but I had a draft ready for agents in nine months or so. Then, once I got my agent, Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, she was able to sell it quite quickly, within a couple of months, I think. This was back in late 2007, which might as well have been a different era. The Water Castle was a much longer process. I don't remember exactly how long it took. We did a revision for Mary Kate Castellani at Walker who ended up buying it.
What inspired your novel The Water Castle?
The Author's Note of The Water Castle is all about the inspiration for the story. It was inspired largely by places I lived and visited, from an old stone house much like the house in the book to the Poland Springs bottling plant. I went a lot different directions before the right story for the places came to me. I thought I might write about teens with special powers, but got too bogged down. Eventually, from the core elements of the castle-like house, a house full of books, and strange happenings in a small town, the story emerged.
What's your target audience for this story?
The Water Castle is for a younger audience than Secrets of Truth & Beauty, probably ages eight to twelve or so.
Tell me about your current work-in-progress.
I just finished a rewrite on another MG novel, a mystery set in the 1950s wherein a girl becomes convinced there's a Communist spy working for her parents.
What do you think your books have in common? Do they feature different aspects of your writing, and of yourself?
I think all of my books deal with revelations, uncovering things that are hidden, especially within families. I also am interested in the play between the past and present. This is really tricky when writing for kids and teens because the characters lives are so short. So, I often find myself looking at multiple generations.
Do you find it difficult to name your characters? Have you ever named a character after someone you know personally?
I do find it very difficult to name my characters. I use baby books and the Social Security names database. I actually try to avoid naming characters after people I know, which is hard when you work in a school and so many kids pass through your life.
You have a master's degree in library science and now work as a librarian at a school. Tell me about the path that led you to your library.
I started off working in television, but quickly realized it wasn't for me. I decided to move to Boston with a friend, but she needed a couple of months longer than I did to be ready to move, so I went back home and was substitute teaching. One day I was assigned to the library. I'd like to say it was an "A-ha!" moment, but really it was more of "Duh!" moment. All my life I'd done service projects and worked on literacy. Working in a library was a natural outgrowth of that, but it hadn't occurred to me until that moment. Fortunately, Boston is home to Simmons GSLIS, a fantastic library school. My education there was fantastic, though very theoretical. I was lucky to also have a part time job as a children's librarian. When I graduated, I took a position at an amazing independent high school, The Commonwealth School. I would probably still be there if my husband and I hadn't decided to move to Maine. After four years at a public high school, I am now at an independent school serving as their middle school librarian.
Happy new school year to you! What kind of programs have you been involved with that the kids really enjoyed?
I'm very proud of the coffeehouses we held in the public school where I worked. I believe that libraries should be as much about students sharing their skills and knowledge as they are places where information is retrieved, if not more so. Giving kids a creative outlet to express themselves made me very happy. I also try to use the connections I've made as a writer to get kids in touch with their favorite authors.
What are your ten favorite books of all time?
Impossible!
Visit Megan's official website.
Posted on 9/2/2012
When author-illustrator Elizabeth Zechel asked me to design her website last year, I happily accepted, as I was already familiar with her lovely work and was glad to help her establish a place where she could showcase it.
I stole some of her time this weekend to talk about her career and her creations.
Do you remember the first time your art was displayed?
The first time I ever had work up on display was at the Downers Grove Public library. Wasn't TOO hard to get work up in the hometown library. But for a 14 year old, it was very cool.
What do you use to create and edit your art?
I mostly use colored pencils. I started out with pencils and I'm sure I will finish with pencils. I painted in school and enjoyed it times. But drawing feels much more intimate to me. And you can take it anywhere. You don't need a million paints, canvas, paint thinners. SPACE! I just love drawing.
If someone is interested in commissioning your work or collaborating on you, how should they contact you?
People can contact me through my website!
Was Is There a Mouse in the Baby's Room? your first published book?
Yes.
How did you get the idea, and how did you get that book deal?
I love drawing kids and animals, both doing monkey(ish) things to each other and it actually just flowed out very easily. That really, really doesn't happen too much for me! I sent it out cold to several publishers. I didn't have an agent at that time. There are a few publishers that will take unsolicited works cold. Not too many but they are out there.
You've contributed artwork to storybooks, cookbooks, and articles written by others, including The Little General and the Giant Snowflake by Matthea Harvey and Bubby's Homemade Pies by Jen Bervin and Ron Silver. Did you bake?
I do bake! Love it. Apple pie has got to be my favorite. I don't really have an accurate recipe. My measurements at least for the filling part come down to "bunch" of granny smith apples, "some" brown sugar and cinnamon. But ever since my son was born I've been making a lot homemade pizza. Whole wheat crust, make the sauce, and sometimes we'll even make the cheese for the pizza, which is so much fun.
Wordbirds, written by Liesl Schillinger with illustrations by YOU - will be published next year. Do you have a favorite bird in the piece?
I have a few favorites in the "Wordbird" book, but off the top of my head is definitely the Spoonbill bird. He looks completely pre-historic! It's actually not on the website! It should be though! The Blue Footed Boobies which are on the website are pretty awesome birds! Click here to see the birds.
Have you ever had a showing at an art gallery?
I showed in galleries when I first came to New York. But through years of trying to be in that world, I slowly came to the realization that what I really like to do and what I was better at doing was illustrating. Course, if someone wants my drawings up in a gallery...sure!
Your name is awesome, by the way. Double zings. I'm sure you've heard people totally butcher it.
My name has been totally butchered over the years! It's pronounced "Zek-el." At least there aren't too many Zechels out there!
You're not only an illustrator and an author - you're also a kindergarten teacher! Do your students call you Miss Elizabeth or Miss Zechel?
My kids in school just call me Elizabeth, but sometimes they grab hold of "Lizzie," which is totally sweet.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
One of my favorite illustrators is Michael Sowa. He is wonderfully dark! He juxtaposes people and animals in strange situations and he paints these rich, gorgeous pictures of dreamlike landscapes. "Esterhazy, The Rabbit Prince" is a favorite.
Name some of your favorite books.
One of my favorite books as a child, I actually just found again on-line and ordered it. It's called Poppet written and illustrated by Margot Austin. It's about this little boy who goes hunting in the middle of the night for a bear with his cat and dog (who also talk, by the way). It had such an impression on me as a kid and I love it to this day.
Another book is a new book by Matthea Harvey called Ceil the Pet Glacier. It is wonderful! About a little girl who has very strange parents and while on their family vacation, finds a pet glacier that goes home with them. Of course!
The other books:
"Kitchen Confiedential" by Anthony Bourdain
"My Life in France" by Julia Child
"Bossypants" by Tina Fey
"Without Feathers" by Woody Allen
"Garlic and Sapphires" by Ruth Reichl
"Holidays on Ice" by David Sedaris
"When You Are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris
"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
Please check out ElizabethZechel.com and say hello to Elizabeth as well as the beautiful birds and other illustrations which were recently added to the gallery.
Posted on 8/23/2012
By: Hannah Hog,
on 5/4/2012
This week I have been wasting colossal amounts of time on my new toy...
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By: Beth,
on 4/16/2012
Can we finally put the argument to rest? E-readers are not killing reading, nor are they killing books. As research shows, people who own e-readers not only read more than people who don’t, but they read both e-books and print books. Not to mention, there are plenty of populations, from prison inmates to seniors, who will need print books for a long time coming. Neither one is going away.
That’s not to say that they’re the same, though. Far from it. In my experience, e-readers attract different types of readers than print books, and they’re also engaging more people who were previously non-readers. Anybody who thinks that’s not great, well… There are also scads of e-reading apps available for phones, tablets, and computers, so e-content is available to more than just people with Nooks and Kindles. People use e-readers for a variety of reasons, from pleasure reading to research, so it’s good to consider how many bases you can cover. The Pew Research Center released a report on reading, readers, and e-readers recently, and ALA of course responded. While Pew’s data is encouraging (among other statistics released, the study found that people who use e-readers read more books per year than people who only read in print), ALA pointed out that the stats of who reads at all, and who reads in what format, are also related to education and income level. So what can you do about it?
First, take a look at your e-book collection and see what types of materials are most widely represented. In my anecdotal experience, I’ve found that bestselling memoirs and adult fiction are easy to find in e-book format, as well as genre fiction like westerns and romance. Pew’s study also indicated that people are drawn to print and e-books for different reasons, based on the types of materials they can find. This is your chance to offer innovative e-materials, as well as to fill some gaps that your print collection just can’t do. If your library offers Kindles or other devices for checkout, and not just the e-materials, see if you can designate one of them as the YA e-reader, and fill it up with some teen-friendly stuff that will attract readers and non-readers alike. If you don’t have library-owned devices, you can always offer these suggestions on a flyer for your patrons who own personal devices.
I've begun a new blog at my client area website offering tips, resources and general stuff I've learned over the years about freelancing and setting up websites.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
By: Kathy Temean,
on 3/7/2012
It seems that every time we have a Q & A with editors and agents, someone asks whether they feel an unpublished writer should have a website or blog. The answer is always different, so I thought I would share what I tell my book author clients when they contact me to design and develop a website for them.
Blogger started popping up in the late 90′s. I started meeting authors who started their own blogs around 2003, but most were mainly diaries of their lives. So to me, I felt it was a waste of time, since no one really cared about what they did that day (unless they were a well-know author with lots of fans) and wasn’t helping to market themselves.
My opinion questioned spending all that time writing a blog when there was so very little return on investment. But when Twitter jumped on the scene in 2007, things started to change. By 2008, there was something out there that gave bloggers a way to drive traffic to their blogs and this changed my thinking.
Now when a client wants me to develop a website, I include a blog with the site. There are a number of reasons why I do that:
1.
I know that authors want to announce when they are doing a school visit or a book signing. They will have pictures of their visit and they will be developing fans who want to interact with them. If they don’t have a blog, then they have to come to me and pay me, every time they want to put up something new. I may be busy and then they might have to wait. By having a blog, they can save money and get instant gratification.2. With Twitter, they can help drive traffic to their blog and help build their fan base.
You may say, well why do I need to do that when I haven’t even gotten my first contract? If you are an illustrator, I will pound you to get a website and blog. You may be able to get away with not developing a presence on the web if you are an unpublished writer, but if you are a illustrator – GET YOUR ARTWORK UP ON THE INTERNET! Art is visual and the Web is visual. This makes it the perfect place for you to show off your artwork 24 hours, 7 days a week. With Blogs being FREE, you have no excuse.
If you are a published author, you need a professional looking website and a blog. I know some of you have done very well getting your books published and figure you don’t need to be on the Internet, but you really do. You should never just leave things to chance or up to your publisher. You need to make sure you are represented on the Web.
The reason an unpublished writer should consider putting up a blog: To start building an audience, so when you do have a book come out, you will have people who know you and want to support you and your book. It’s just a different way to network. You can’t physically be everywhere, but you can virtually be everywhere on the Internet.
But blogging does take time and a commitment, so you need to give it a lot of consideration.
Ask yourself:
1. How many times a week am I willing to write a blog? Maybe start out with once a week. Surely, you should be able to make that happen without adding too much stress to your day. Once you have that under your belt, maybe you could increase it to three times a week. The more you blog, the faster you will build your audience. Just don’t announce that you are going to blog three times a week and then not do it.
2. What can I blog about? Remember: If no one knows you they probably will not want to follow you.
What do I know? Your blog does not have to be about writing. It only has to have an appeal to a group of people. We all read, so if you build an audience of n
By: Beth,
on 2/10/2012
For this post I thought I would share my personal top 10 favorite YA websites. Of course, the YALSA Blog would be on this list, as I check it at least once a week. It is a great resource for YA librarians and for people who work with youth in general. But, since you’re on the blog, reading this post, I’m going to assume you’re already aware of the awesomeness of the blog:) The sites are listed in no particular order, with the exception of number 1, which deserves to be there. Please feel free to share your favorite sites in the comments section!
Number 1 http://socialtimes.com/ Social Times
I discovered this website over the summer and it has become my all time favorite website. It has all kinds of different information that is pertinent to our field. It gives quality info about all things digital. It has information about new technology that is coming out, new websites, old websites, any current news going on in the world of technolgy. This website helps me to stay on top of many different areas of my job and gives me the knowledge to competently speak on current issues in our field.
In edition to all of this useful information, it also has a very cool web video section. Every week the editor puts together viral youtube clips on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Whenever I am stuck trying to find something to post on my library system’s teen Facebook page, I just go to this section and find a funny video to post – total lifesaver!
Number 2- www.teenreads.com Teen Reads
This is a great source for checking out new (and old) YA titles. This site offers reviews of newly released or soon to be released YA books. It has booklists and resources for starting a teen book club. It has author interviews- some are podcasts, some are written. I’ve also seen video book reviews on this site. You can sign up for their monthly newsletter so you don’t have to remember to check it all the time. There’s also fun stuff- like polls and all kinds of different giveaways ( I enter every month and haven’t won anything yet. I still keep trying- it’s gotta be my turn sooner or later, right?).
Number 3- www.etsy.com Etsy
I’m going to assume most childrens and YA people know about Etsy. It’s a website where people sell handmade crafts and crafting supplies. Don’t judge it yet- there are REALLY nice things on Etsy. If you’ve heard of it and have been meaning to check it out, today is the day. When I’m totally stuck on what to do for a teen program, I check out Etsy. There are all kinds of different craft categories and I just start browsing through for inspiration. Some of the things they sell are really cheap. ( I also just found out about www.regretsy.com – crazy stuff found on etsy and similar sites- funny stuff:)
Number 4- http://www.the4yablog.com/ 4YA
I decided to just go ahead and keep with the craft theme and mention the 4YA blog here. One of my co-workers had this site up one day when I came to take my turn at the desk. HELLO- it’s awesome! It has all kinds of great ideas for YA librarians to use from program ideas and crafts,plus useful information about things like new gaming systems and video game reviews. It has a focus on outreach oppurtunities.
Number 5- http://www.webjunction.org/1 Webjunction
Do you need to brush up on your reader’s advisory? Want some tips on how to deal with unhappy patrons? Tyring to figure out what ereader is the best for your library system? Have no fear, webjunction is here. The website has fantastic FREE webinars for library workers. I have listened to three or four dif
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By: naomibates,
on 12/1/2011
Throughout this semester, I've been tooling around on the internet intermittently (try saying that three times in a row!) and found some wonderful new sites, some beta sites and others your may know about already. I thought I'd share them with you so if you get bored during the holidays, or if there's snow on the ground but your internet still works, these may be some things you'd like to incorporate into your transliteral world of co-teaching for the greater good of students, who seem to know more about social media than educational media online.
New Sites for Sore Eyes:
1. Projeqt - http://www.projeqt.com/
This is a site du jour, where you can create the most visually beautiful presentations I've ever seen. They call themselves the creative storytelling platform, and most certainly can be! Find one of two themes you like, and start creating with your words and images. Add sounds, RSS, twitter feeds, video and more. Recommended that you watch the video tutorial first
2. Jux - http://www.jux.com/
Beautiful presentations can be made here using a variety of settings to create a unique slideshow. Create and mash together from six different templates from slide show, to video, to a top 10 list. The images you place in your presentation will stretch throughout the entire slide...that's the only caveat to this site
3. Tripline - http://www.tripline.net/
This could be such a powerful tool for all curricular levels. You map out a trip, and add details and the trip becomes interactive. Includes nice music you won't have to download. Think of the possibilities with this one! This is also an app for iphone.
4. Stixy - http://www.stxy.com/
This is an alternative to glogster - not as showy, but that's what makes this a quality site. You can add photos, notes, documents (ie Word, Excel PDF), a to-do list and a calendar. Website addresses become links. Easy to use with younger students, but the simple template makes it pleasing.
5. Popplet - http://www.popplet.com/
This bulletin-board type site is set to show off your creations from photos of a project to creating a flowchart of ideas that sync together. You can use this alone or ask others to create with you. The user can organize each "popple" by height, width, columnar or vertical as well as use multiple links to map each popple created. Choose colors, add links and images....this is a great tool that can be used with ease.
Two others I'm demo-ing:
9Slides - http://www.9slides.com/ Right now, it's in the beta stage and I'm on the list to test it, but haven't been successful is creating one yet. In short, this is a mashup of video and powerpoint. Looks to have potential
Masher - http://www.masher.com/ Another interesting video creation site online. Easy to use, it mimics moviemaker.
So, here are some virtual jingle treats for you. Enjoy!!
By: bookkm,
on 11/15/2011
Some publisher's websites are designed just to describe and sell their books. Most offer teacher's and parent's guides as well and links to the websites of their most popular authors. Others offer activities, reading guides and games based on the characters and plts of their books. Here are some of my favorite interactive publishers' sites.
By: Elena Ornig,
on 11/10/2011
Answers from Elena Ornig Reflecting back on a significant event such as WorldCamp Gold Coast 2011 is a sheer pleasure for me. The amount of valuable information about running your own business on line, using SEO effectively, designing websites, understanding the value of a website’s security and digging into comprehension of Aspirational Marketing techniques was awesome; and just a part of the diverse topics spread for me. Bond University’s facility for the event hosted 140 attendees, 21 speaker and 8 sponsors at one Workshop for two days. Organisation was impeccable and the whole atmosphere of curious ‘learners’ and prominent ‘gurus’ was relaxed and friendly. The unity was obvious – the topic WordPress with many related aspects. By reflecting back I will do the obvious; I will tell you about my own general conclusions of what I understood. I will present the guru-users and developers of WordPress, as well as a few interesting individuals ... Read the rest of this post
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Posted on 10/30/2011
Posted on 10/6/2011
By: naomibates,
on 10/3/2011
Oh,my God. That's my life!
Oh, my God! That's my life!