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Minggu, 23 April 2006

YackPack - online voice messaging

YackPack is a free online voice recording tool. The site suggests that it could be used to teach lessons and skills -- verbally describing instructions instead of having students read them (though you probably want both formats, I think). It could be used for podcasting, but since there is no editing this would be a bit limited. It seems to be potentially useful for something like an online discussion forum, but with voice emssages instead of typed messages. It could also be used for annoucements attached to a webpage. And is apparently easy for almost anyone to use.

From the web page:


YackPack allows you to create voice messages online ('yacks') and share those messages with groups ('packs'). Our service runs inside a web browser, so no software installation is needed. Using YackPack is simple: You just 'click, talk, and send.' To get a quick look, watch our Demo Video.
You can launch YackPack from our website, or you can embed our service on your own web page. This takes less than 30 minutes.
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Kamis, 20 April 2006

Designing Learning Spaces (a Wiki-based class)

Designing Learning Spaces

This class is being run in the Spring 2006 quarter at Stanford University. The class homepage is using an open Wiki -- open to the entire world to edit. There is not much there, as of this posting, but should be interesting to see how it develops...

From the class homepage:

"In formal learning settings (schools) and informal settings (any place but school) the design of space shapes personal interactions and affords learning opportunities. This project-based, collaborative course gives students the chance to integrate learning principles into the design of specific spaces for real clients and develop a rubric to assess the impact that spaces have on learning.

About this website

Our course will use a WIKI this quarter to build a knowledge base around learning spaces, to collaborate on our projects, and to post reflections on the intersection of learning and space. Each page of this site can be edited by anyone else in the class - and even the world. The site stores every version of each page, so if you make a mistake or if you feel like a recent update adds no value, you can click history and return the page to its original condition."

Rabu, 19 April 2006

Engrade - Free Online Gradebook

Engrade Online Gradebook

Some school and school districts have adopted online tools to do these things, and from what I have heard, these are of mixed useability. Engrade offers a free alternative that looks fairly easy to use.

From the website:

Engrade is a free online gradebook that allows teachers to manage their classes online as well as post grades, assignments, attendance, and upcoming homework online for students and parents to see. Engrade is free and easy to use. Join over 10,000 teachers, parents, and students using Engrade today.

Free Online Gradebook Automatically calculates grades, custom grading scales, weighted assignments
Free Online Attendance Book Easily records attendance, automatically emails parents of absentees
Free Online Homework Calendar Quickly posts upcoming homework for parents and students to see
Free Online Student Reports Real-time access to grades, attendance, and homework

- No Costs Whatsoever Engrade is supported by educational sponsors, it is completely free for all users
- Web-based, Easy to Get Started Set up takes minutes, all you need is a free online account

mynoteIT - Online Student Organizer

mynoteIT: The perfect tool for every student

I am not sure if I would have used something like this as student, but there are probably some out there who would. It reminds me of those calculator-type student organizers -- the kind that Casio and others make, though it also takes advantage of the anywhere, everything and instant messaging capabilities of the Internet.

From the Website:

"Here are some reasons why every student would benifit from mynoteIT. Tell us the scores you get on assignments throughout the semester and we will automatically calculate your grade. Instant access to your teacher's contact information. Our note taking area has an auto-save feature so you never lose any of your notes if your browser crashes. You can also lookup words you don't know, and translate words between languages, instantly inside your workspace. If you need help on a certain subject, use our community search to find what you need, even bookmark notes for later use. Need to find those notes you thought you would never need from two months ago? Use the Your Search option to search through your notes instantly. Build a friends list so you can easily get in contact with your classmates. Our calendar allows you to view all your upcoming assignments so you never forget what is due again. Create (or join) groups at your school so you can more easily share information with the people who need it."