Host a Website on Google Drive

Need a host in a hurry?

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/host-a-website-on-google-drive/46737?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

Everyday, I learn about another great thing I can do with the Google suite of apps. Read this post to find out how you can easily host html pages to share with others. (Note: pointing people to your page is a snap with goo.gl )

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Word Collage app for iPhone/iPad

Stunning word collages on your iOS device
http://mobile.alextataurov.com/wordcollage/

Are you a fan of Wordle? This iOS app lets you create word collages easily, without having to move to a desktop machine.

"Create stunning word collages on your iPhone and iPad! Set up a collage with your text(or website URL), different layouts, fonts, and color themes. Simply start by clicking on the "Text" button. Add some text or input a website url. Select color theme and font in Settings. Select Landscape or Portrait orientation. Word Collage even lets you pan and zoom the picture."

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Fast QR code creator

There are many ways to use QR codes in the classroom, especially now that many schools are buying iPads, iPods and the minis. With these camera enabled devices, students can easily scan a QR code that will point them to a worksheet solution, a "how-to" video, a booktrailer for the latest class novel, an online bibliography for a poster project or just about anything you can imagine.

Creating a series of codes, while ordinarily time-consuming, can be done almost instantly using one of Tammy Worcester's google doc templates. Simply add the template to your Google docs/drive files, paste the desired URLs into the first column,  and "voilà", the QR codes appear in the third column ready to be pasted on a document or printed on labels.

The Newspaper Clipping Image Generator

Create your own content specific newspaper article 
http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

This web-app could be used to create "authentic" newspaper articles that link to a novel students are studying. Imagine how events in a story might be reported from an external point of view. Students could also use this in a Social Studies context. (Write about historical events you have researched.)

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Liberate your hidden mashup artist.

Mix videos, GIFs & sounds!
http://weavly.com/

Weavly enables you to create video mashups and remixes with material you find on YouTube, SoundCloud and Loopcam. It's free to use and according to the Weavly blog, "you don't have to worry about uploads, downloads or copyright issues". 

Browse samples on the site or create your own. "Weavlies" are public and viewable by anyone with the URL. You can upload your own original dialog or music tracks using SoundCloud and combine it with found video on Youtube or your own uploaded clips.

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Draw on the Net

If you teach using a projector and a laptop, but you don't have a Smartboard, sometimes you wish you were able to draw on a webpage just to highlight a section or point out a noteworthy feature. While you might have software installed on your computer that will allow you to do this, occasionally, all you want is a quick-launching option to make a note or two and then move on. I've blogged previously about Markup.io which lets you place arrows, circles and squares on webpages, but "Drawonthenet" allows you to scribble away to your heart's content. You can even "save" your creation as a separate webpage, and direct your students to the annotated version. To use, simply drag the "star" to your links bar on your browser, navigate to the page you want to notate, and activate the bookmarklet.

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"Book Creator" for the iPad

Billed as "The simple way to create beautiful books on your iPad", this simple to use app offers kids a great outlet for their creative talents. Students can create their own artwork, pair it with their own storyline and quickly produce "iBooks-ready" creations to share. Students even have the option of embedding audio file right on the page. The option of sending the file to Dropbox means that it can be easily viewed by a large audience.

Book Creator can be downloaded from the App Store here and costs $4.99 - well worth the cost!

What kind of books can kids make? Use your imagination: Children’s picture books, Photo books, Art books, Cook books, Manuals, Textbooks and more. If you want to get fancy,  check out Liz Castro’s excellent mini-guide Audio and Video in EPUB.)

Photoediting - Pixlr

Lately, I've had to do some editing of images to produce icon buttons for databases we subscribe to. I wanted something quick. Rather than fire up Photoshop, I've been using Pixlr.

This easy to use, web-based app loads up quickly into your browser. While the Advanced version (one of the choices) gives you layers and Photoshop-like features, "Pixlr Express" is quick, did most of what I wanted to do, (text, borders, stamps, cropping, etc.) and didn't overwhelm me with options. The Pixlr-o-matic (also available in an iOs and Android app) is very simple - allowing some borders, overlays and filters for a quick effects wash. Give it a try.

Posting work for QR without a login?

Here's the problem I was recently given: "How can a teacher easily share student work, without requiring a login or account creation?"  The teacher in question wanted to attach student poetry to QR codes and put the codes up around the school, and have kids discover them in a kind of literary scavenger hunt. (I think the poems contained clues to the next spot.) There are a few solutions out there (try googling "disposable pages"), but the most elegant seems to be Tidypub. This simple, elegant service lets you post a page of text, and gives you a URL to share. While you can't go back and edit after the fact, this is an easy solution for a quick paste of student created work. Take the resulting URL and past it into goo.gl to get a QR code (look under the details tab).

Check out the sample I created by scanning the code in this post!

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Stunning Slideshows with Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck

If you were looking for an antidote to text-heavy, dreary Powerpoint slideshows, the Haiku Deck, (an iPad app) is a breath of fresh air. HD lets you to create striking slide presentations using simple templates (with premium designs you can purchase, of course.)  Because the app limits how much text a user can put on each slide, the focus is on the amazing image or idea - not on lines and lines of cramped text.

Haiku Deck prompts the user to search Creative Commons images for each slide. Type in a few words, and Haiku Deck searches for pics large enough to fill the slide. (Users can also upload images from their iPad or import images from a number of sites: Flickr, Picasa, Instagram or Facebook.) Sign in with Twitter, Facebook or create your own account.

Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store

View 3D Augmented Reality via your iPad

Augmented reality is a new way of seeing the world and exploring 3D models. There are three apps that help you do just that with your students. Easy to use, and lots of "wow" factor, along with some great learning - explore ancient ruins, view modern structures, get close-ups of insects and animals.


View 3D Spiders, Cars, Windmills, etc. using AR-Media Player
http://www.inglobetechnologies.com/en/new_products/arplayer_ios/info.php

AR (augmented reality) apps allow you to "see" floating 3D models on the table in front of you! Using the AR Player you can see, rotate and enlarge an image from a growing library of 3D models. Print the marker, aim your ipad camera at it, and select the model you wish to view. 

Download and Print the marker here.

"Augment" 3D viewer for iPad
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/augment/id506463171?mt=8

Augment is the best way to test paintings on your walls, and to discover buildings, objects or even characters in stunning 3D.

Download and Print the marker here.

Aurasma for iOS - insert 3D animations onto real world items
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aurasma-lite/id432526396?mt=8

Aurasma allows your smart phone or tablet to recognise images and objects. It then augments your view of the real-world with videos, music and 3D animations called “Auras”. You can even use the simple tools in the app to create and share your own Auras – for example, attach a video to a birthday card or create a 3D dinosaur right outside your own front door. 

A TED talk on developments in AR - Aurasma
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/1515

Tubechop - Youtube à la carte

Say you want to show just one little section of a YouTube clip to a class, or display it on your blog. With a little URL editing you can change the start time, but what about the end time? Enter TubeChop. This handy webapp allows you to choose a YouTube video, set the beginning and end sliders (easier to do by looking at the original clip, and noting the best start and end times) and then "chop it", creating a unique URL that you can share, including an embed code you can use on a website or blog. So easy.

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My Newest Fav iPad browser - Puffin

I love my iPad, and the only thing that would be a real improvement would be a faster, Flash compatible browser. Unfortunately, I was never able to find anything to fit the bill. Until now: Puffin! My wife (an Elementary TL) was tipped off to this app by a colleague. (Even the free version is pretty good!)

The publicity on the website promises faster screen refreshes and page-loading. And claims to offer Flash functionality. I tried it out on a few sites where I cannot use my iPad and was pleasantly surprised. Puffin even includes a virtual pop-up trackpad so you can use a pointer to click and scroll on sites that don't like the touch and swipe UI. There are a few idiosyncrasies, but overall I was impressed with what it can do. Try it with your favourite edu site.

Here's a side-by-side comparison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxoqQAIyU-I

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Twtrland - Who are you following?

So you're thinking of following someone on Twitter, but you're not sure if they tweeting or retweeting enough, or too much, or not at all. Take a look at twtrland.  Simply type in the handle of the person you are thinking of following and see what comes up. It's informative to check your own twitter profile as well!  

Here's what the creators themselves say about their service:

"We take a bag of tweets, analyze them, and create a profile page which showcasts the person behind them. Currently we focus on behavior patterns, famous words, top followers, links, replies, songs, pictures and check-ins."

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"The Free Dictionary"

While this is not exactly a "web app", the Free Dictionary has many word intensive activities for students to try. Teachers will also like the options: word matching, mystery word, vocab of the day, as well as multiple language support. Great for the language arts teacher!



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