"Build" with Chrome

Virtual Lego set for Lego lovers

https://www.buildwithchrome.com/

"Build": It's a virtual Lego set for the little Lego lover in your life. Lego and Google Chrome teamed up to create a site for master builders of all ages to build their own creations. And no clean up required!

Video: https://youtu.be/r4TIkhm2tWc

============

Cool Text: Titles and signage made easy

Need a genre sign or promo text?

http://cooltext.com/

"Cool Text is a FREE graphics generator for web pages and anywhere else you need an impressive logo without a lot of design work.  Simply choose what kind of image you would like. Then fill out a form and you'll have your own custom image created on the fly."

=========

Crossword Puzzle Maker

Words, words, words.

http://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/crossword/

Sometimes a crossword is the perfect tool to practice spelling, check definitions and review new vocab. This puzzle maker offers a quick "copy/paste" way to upload clues and words, and gives the option of printing completed puzzles as an answer key. (Check out some of the other word tools on this site.)

===============

Zimmer Twins Movie creation

Create your own Zimmer stories from scratch.

http://www.zimmertwins.com/

http://www.zimmertwins.com/movie/howto

"On zimmertwins.com you create your own endings to one of our story starters. You may also create your stories from scratch. So put on your director's hat and you might just be our next featured movie maker! All movies feature Edgar and Eva Zimmer, the Zimmer Twins. They are an ordinary pair of 12 year-olds except for one thing - they have psychic powers. They weren't always psychic though. The weirdness began when they adopted a black cat named 13. From that point on, strange things began to happen."

Learn more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HTdpV5JyCaY

=============

Lufthansa Geography Quiz

Fly around Europe

http://www.lufthansa-vp.com/vp1/play.html

For a fun test of your knowledge of geography, just click on where you think the city is and the plane will land there, then it will show where the city actually is! Try for the highest score.

============

Getting it picture perfect

 Wrapping text around photos in MS Word

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbKswFDaJ9c

  

"When inserting images into MS Word, it is nice to be able to wrap the text around the image rather than having the image 'In Line' with the text. Set the image as 'Tight' or 'Square' to allows one to place the image anywhere on the page and have the text wrap around it; this allows for more effective layout in the document."

"To change the image so it can have the text wrap around it, click on the image and click on the wrap text icon (it looks like a dog with text), then select 'Tight' or 'Square'."

(Thanks for the tip Chris)

To force MS Word to automatically insert images as 'Tight' rather than the default, go to the Word Menu >> Preferences >> Edit and select 'Tight' in the drop down menu beside "Insert/past pictures as".

====================

Screen Sharing with Screenleap

Frictionless Collaboration!

http://www.screenleap.com/

Trying to explain what's on your screen to someone else? Are you frustrated because they can't see what you can? Try Screenleap - visit the site, click on the big green button and get a "share link" to send to your collaborator. They will see you working on your screen  - real time!

"View from any device with a browser (including PCs, tablets, and smartphones) without having to install any software."

=============

iExplorer - iPhone, iPad File Transfer App for Mac & PC

Want to access the files and folders of your device's apps?

http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/

Is there an easy way to get student work off an iPad for archiving or sharing? Yes there is...

"With iExplorer, you can access more files and folders than ever before. Need to access photos on your iPhone or iPod? Can do. Want to access the files and folders of your device's apps? Done."

Thanks Chris for sharing this at the METT meeting.

==========

Generate an iPhone/iPad icon from any image

Turn yourself into an app icon!

http://www.quirco.com/iPhoneIcon

You want to create icons for your webpage or blog, and you really want to rock an iPhone app look and feel. This site gives you multiple sizes for download, and even throws up a screenshot of what your icon would look like on a device!

"This tool generates iPhone/iPod icon from any image. Glossy, corner rounding and shadow effects are applied so icon will look exactly like on iPhone/iPod or iPad (original icon masks are taken right from firmware)."

=============

inklewriter - Interactive Stories made easy!

Bring interactive stories to the classroom

http://www.inklestudios.com/inklewriter/education/

"inkle is looking to bring interactive stories to the classroom, and give teachers free and simple get-stuck-right-in software to use with their students. From within a web-browser, the inklewriter will let students make and play interactive stories with no programming required."

Here's an enthusiastic review: LINK

===========

Save online video for later

Avoid streaming issues!

http://en.savefrom.net/

Are you fighting with the wifi at your school site? Do you hate the "spinning rainbow wheel of buffering"? Here's yet another option for downloading video clips for use in class.

===========

Roll the dice

Quick dice roll webapp

http://www.btwaters.com/probab/dice/dicemain3D.html

This site offers an easy-to-use dice throwing interface for classroom use. (Pick one die or many.) Works great on iPads or iPhones. Use the dice for choosing groups, making a selection on a game card or as a way of randomizing conversation starters, etc. (Some more ideas here.)

For fun, look at these "image dice" sets you can print and make:

http://www.toolsforeducators.com/dice/

And here's an iOS app ("Make Dice") that uses either text or pics - hook up to your projector - have fun! ($3.49)

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/make-dice/id353484349?mt=8

==============

Bingo Card Generator

A fun way to practice target vocab

http://osric.com/bingo-card-generator/

Personalize with your own title. Paste in a list of words (Separated by commas), decide if you want a free space, choose the size (5x5, 6x6, etc.) and generate the card. For ease of printing, copy the cards row by row and paste it into Word. You can then play with the size, margins, etc. in order to get the printout you want. (You can even insert a graphic if you like!) You can print multiple versions of cards using the same basic word set. (ie. 30 cards for a class set.)

Have fun!

==================

Using Wordle to Make Word Choice Posters

Instant word wall to build vocabulary

http://mmehawtree.blogspot.ca/2012/04/using-wordle-to-make-word-choice.html

Genevieve Hawtree has a great suggestion on how to use "Advanced" Wordle to generate quick mini-posters to boost vocabulary development in the FSL or ELL classroom. (You'll either need to follow the column layout suggested on the Wordle advanced page, or simply paste a chunk of words into the Wordle "create" box, and duplicate the main word 3 or 4 times.) Pick "horizontal" in the layout options as this will make the text more readable.

For French: http://www.dictionnaire-synonymes.com

For English: http://www.wordreference.com/thesaurus/

==========

Use Voice Dictation To Speak To Your Mac

Streamlined and simplified dictation

http://www.howtogeek.com/178636/use-voice-dictation-to-speak-to-your-mac/

Chris Hoffman gives a quick run through of how to use the Dictation feature on Mac. You'll need to be running at least Mavericks (OS 10.9)  to take advantage of this. The article also gives a list of all the dictation commands you need to know.

"The Mac Voice Dictation feature is streamlined and simplified. It's easy to start using without a long training process and will feel familiar to people who've used voice dictation on smartphones and tablets. In fact, it's extremely similar to the voice dictation feature on Apple's iOS."

=============