Mapwing

Mapwing is a Web 2.0 tool for building, sharing and exploring virtual tours. Their website says, "Use Mapwing to turn your digital photos into virtual tours that include interactive maps, images, and comments. Then, share your virtual tours with friends, clients, or the entire world."

Below is a screen shot of a virtual tour of my tech office (yes... it's messy...er... I mean...creatively cluttered.)

I liked Mapwing because it's created totally online and, therefore, platform independent. (PCs and Macs have equal access to the software.) So, how could you use it in a classroom setting? Here are some actual tours along with some other suggestions:

Lenny's Digestive System - a map of the digestive system, complete with a photo "tour"

Catcher in the Rye Map - shows various places described in the book that the main character visits

Anne Frank House - a map of her house with photos

A Walk with Charlie - a map of a child's neighborhood with points of interest shown in photos

Map "tour" of a classroom

Digital Fractions - a map of pie graph fractions accompanied by photos showing those fractions

Famous Dams - US map with photos pinpointing the location of various dams

Zucchini the Ribbon Snake - shows a "map" of the snake eating a fish and its progression inside the snake

Timeline - create a timeline of events with accompanying photos

Click here for a virtual tour of my tech office that I created in about 15 minutes.

All you need are digital photos and a computer with internet access. Mapwing is free! You'll want to read the brief tutorial on how to take the photos for your map before creating the tour.

Let me know if you try it out! http://www.mapwing.com

Protopage

 Protopage is your personal page to store, sort and create ideas. Use it to read your own selection of news and blogs, keep bookmarks, to-do lists, sticky notes, and much more. Here are the features associated with Protopage: audio/video podcasts, cartoon feeds, news feeds, popular stories/videos, bookmarks, sticky notes, to-do lists, calendar, comment box, photos, web pages, weather, email box preview, games, Google Maps.


Frankly, Protopage thinks the way I do. I like the tabs along the top to sort categories. I can add various types of media to each page. I can create a list of my favorite links, by category. I'm even contemplating moving this blog over to Protopage because it just seems more versatile. It's easy to use and very intuitive. Tab colors, backgrounds and widget colors are customizable and everything can be rearranged via clicking and dragging.


If you need a place to sort out your thoughts, save ideas, and collect various media I recommend Protopage!


Click on the image below to enlarge.

Drop Box

Dropbox is a "magic pocket" (online storage) that you can access from any computer and/or smartphone. Ahhhh... yes.. I said smartphone. If you have a document you want to view on your PC, Mac, BlackBerry, Droid, iPhone, iPad (iPod Touch, perhaps?) you can have ONE document stored in DropBox to access elsewhere. You can also share (or not share) the document with other "DropBoxers". (Okay, I made up that term and it has a decidedly unprofessional connotation to it, sorry.)

For example, I have a database of passwords (encrypted). When I add, delete or edit my passwords I don't want to have to send that database to multiple computers, iPad, Droid etc. (Whoa! I am definitely NOT gadget-deprived!!) I keep my password database in my DropBox and can get access to my passwords from anywhere. This would work with spreadsheets, photos, anything digital.

You can download and install DropBox on your various devices, an easy install! Once it's there, you just drop in your documents and have instant access. Very cool. Very easy. Very cloud. (Yes, that last was for my supe as he rolls his eyes at that term and I never miss an opportunity to generate an eye roll.) You can also access DropBox online (no download necessary) in case you need to view files from a public computer that will not allow you to install software. (Great for students who don't have download rights to the computer!)

Below is a screen shot of my DropBox online. On my desktop there's a shortcut. When opened, it looks like the inside of just another one of your folders. The site is straightforward and easy to use. Enjoy! (I was going to type "Bon Appetite" but then I was afraid I'd be called Julia...yup, another old-folks reference...) Click on the photo below to see a larger view.

SMART Notebook ONLINE!

   If you create your SMARTboard lessons in the SMART Notebook software, you know how impossible it is to share content with people who don't have the SMART Notebook software installed on their computers. Not any more. SMART has made their software available to anyone with an Internet connection via SMART Notebook Express. It's a very basic version of SMART Notebook software accessible online without the need for a login or download. Now you can share and collaborate with anyone!

Note: The online version does not allow for users to access the SMART Notebook graphics libraries. You'll want to preview any of your SMART Notebook lessons through the online version before making it available to others to make sure they're able to view it in the way you intend. (http://express.smarttech.com)

Vyew

Vyew is an online collaboration and web conferencing service hosted totally online with no download necessary. (Okay, yes...the spelling. C'mon people, we're trying to teach kids how to spell and then you go and do this! Despite the spelling, it's a great site.) You can host live conferences (teleconferencing and video) along with screen sharing (live stream or desktop screen shots). You can post various forms of media: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, PDF, audio, video and images. Below is a screen shot of the "dashboard" (what you see when you first login and where you control content.) Click on it to see a larger version.

Here's a list of some of the features:

URL to Access - Send out or post a URL to the meeting room - no need for email addresses (especially helpful with students)

No download - no installation so students who don't have install rights can still access the meeting

Set Access Level - The room creator (you!) can set the access level: Viewer (can only view), Reviewer (can make notes), Collaborator (draw, make notes, insert content), Moderator (full access, delete, etc.)

Upload a variety of media types

Screen Sharing - live streaming or screen shot

Draw / Annotate - can markup a document, image, presentation, etc.

Sticky Notes - post comments via sticky note

Webcam - can broadcast using your webcam

VOIP (Voice Over IP) - teleconferencing using a headset and microphone

Sync / Unsync Mode - when turned on, prevents users from navigating to other pages during a presentation. When turned off allows members to navigate as they wish after the presentation/meeting (Teachers: it will keep students focused!)

Vyew has one of the nicest interfaces (the way it looks and navigates) I've ever seen! It would be a great way to have a meeting in a room without a projector or an online meeting with members/students in other locations. I recommend taking 5 minutes to go through the tutorial (9 pages...one of the first links on your dashboard). It's fast, easy and I predict you will be impressed! This is a SIMPLE, full featured Web 2.0 tool...one I recommend having in your arsenal of "cumulus" favorites...(yes, yet another reference to cloud computing!)

Diigo

Let's see, I know I bookmarked it somewhere. Laptops and desktops and smartphones, oh my (this will not be lost on you Wizard of Oz fans).... not to mention using various browsers..Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome. So, how do I find the bookmarks on the various machines and from various browsers? Easy. Put them in the cloud. (Okay, my superintendent is now laughing at my geeky, techno jargon.) By "putting them in the cloud" it means I can access them online from any machine. There are various tools for online/cloud bookmarking but the two standouts seem to be Delicious and Diigo. Because of its features, I chose to review Diigo (according to their website it's pronounced Dee'go. The name "Diigo" is an abbreviation for "Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff.")


Diigo is not just for bookmarking. It's for social bookmarking, which means it includes sharing and collaborative features. You're required to register but it's free. Here's a rundown of some of the features:
Highlighting - digitally highlight a webpage as if you had your own highlight marker
Sticky Notes - add a digital sticky note to a webpage
Bookmarking - not only does it bookmark but it saves a cached version of the page so it's always in your folder even if the author of the original page removes it from the web
Tags - easily organize your bookmarks for searching by adding key words to help you locate various topics
Searching - search by URL, tags, comments, highlights, or full page
Share and Collaborate - share all your information with one or many. Create groups for sharing
Lists - create lists so you can categorize and arrange bookmarks as you want them grouped
Import - import all your bookmarks from the various browsers and machines

Diigo Toolbar and Diigolet - Install the toolbar so you can bookmark directly from Diigo right from your browser. Use Diigolet if you're using a machine that does not give you access to install software. (Click on the "Tools" link to download the toolbar.)

Below is a screenshot, taken from the Diigo website, that illustrates the toolbar. (Click on the illustration for a larger view.)

 

So, there you have it. Save your bookmarks, share them, write on them. Access them from anywhere 'cuz they're in the CLOUD!! (Nope, couldn't resist that one...)
http://www.diigo.com

StumbleUpon

Have you ever been searching online for really cool websites but don't know where to look? StumbleUpon (http://stumbleupon.com) is a website that utilizes a discovery engine to help you find websites, blogs, videos and photos based on your interests. You can choose your areas of interest and StumbleUpon will deliver the "best of the web" based on your selections. You can rate the pages (thumbs up or thumbs down) and content is personalized based on your ratings. Every time you click the "Stumble" button, a new website loads.

One you create your account you'll want to choose your categories of interest. They recommend at least 5 but I suggest you check all your interest categories. (Hint: be sure to choose the "Bizarre/Oddities" category!!) Then click the "Start Stumbling" button. You may be prompted to install a StumbleUpon button on your toolbar. That makes it easier to "Stumble" at any time. Be sure to rate the websites as they come up.

Below is a screen shot of the toolbar that installs to your browser. You can send your favorite "Stumbles" to friends, post them to Facebook, etc. Be careful! It's addicting!