Cool+Technology+Tools

Profile Publisher This device lets students create profile pages similar to those found on Facebook for fictional characters, famous historians, etc.

Acrostic Poems In this online tool, students can learn about and write acrostic poems. An acrostic poem uses the letters in a word to begin each line of the poem. All lines of the poem relate to or describe the main topic word. In addition, as part of the online tool, students are prompted to brainstorm, write, and revise their poems, thus reinforcing elements of the writing process. Students can also print their finished acrostic poems. Defining Literacy With this student interactive, from a ReadWriteThink lesson, students visit 10 Web sites to explore how people use literacy to interact with information on the Internet. They then think about their definition of reading. Digital Story Telling Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in education typically last between two and ten minutes. [|Diamante Poems] In this online tool, students can learn about and write diamante poems, which are diamond-shaped poems that use nouns, adjectives, and gerunds to describe either one central topic or two opposing topics (for example, night/day or winter/spring). Examples of both kinds of diamante poems can be viewed online or printed out. Because diamante poems follow a specific format that uses nouns on the first and last lines, adjectives on the second and fourth lines, and gerunds in the third and fifth lines, this tool has numerous word-study applications. The tool provides definitions of the different parts of speech students use in composing the poems, reinforcing the connection between word study and writing. It also includes prompts to write and revise poems, thus reinforcing elements of the writing process. Students can print their finished diamante poems.  [|Harvey's Homepage] Dynamic lessons for math to be used with interactive white boards.  [|Collaborative Whiteboard] //Dabbleboard is an online collaboration application that’s centered around the whiteboard.// With a new type of drawing interface that's actually easy and fun to use, Dabbleboard gets out of your way and just lets you draw. Finally the whiteboard enters the digital age!  Stixy an online bulletin board on which to collaborate with family, friends, and colleagues. You can share pictures, files, reminders, and notes using widgets whose sizes and colors you can change-its free!  Wetoku is and interview tool that automatically records interviews to play them back. You can embed it and share it with others.  Springnote is an online notebook for collaboration. You can write down your ideas, create to-do lists, schedule, and work together on projects. It also has an ipod application. Can be used similarly to wikis.  Mebeam is a place where you can create your own chat room. You just type the name of the room and tell people to meet you there.  Ediscio allows students to create sets of online flashcards. They can work independently or they can collaborate with a group to build a box set on particular subjects. Great for memorization projects!  Animoto Create videos from still images, video clips, and music. GREAT SITE!!!Sign up for education use and your video will not be limited to 30 seconds. Blabberize Animate a still image by adding a mouth that opens and closes...students can record their voice and then play back the video clip...FUN and MOTIVATING to students...can be used to read back poetry, explain a process, create a rap, etc.  [|Voki] create your own avitar and record a voice to go along with it. Can be used for student presentations, bell ringers, or vocabulary delivery-