TECH+TIP

You will post your digital handout on this page. Your handout must be posted BEFORE you present your Tech Tip.

=Typewith.me=

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Typewith.me is a real-time collaboration tool for documentation creation/editing based on the source code of the no longer extant program, EtherPad, which was acquired by Google but subsequently cancelled. However, shortly before this Google released EtherPad’s source code, enabling the development of several similar programs. Typewithme differs from its sister programs, though, in that it is almost an exact copy of the original program frozen in time as it once was; thus keeping operation and navigation simple and cheap.
 * Description of the tool**:

In the classroom Typewith.me can be used in group-work scenarios. Before the class the teacher can create a template worksheet or series of questions to be explored by various groups throughout the class. Then, at the end of the class the students will have created a complete document containing what the class as a whole has learned, and that document can be saved and printed. Additionally, outside class Type with me could be used for students and/or teachers could collaborate in real time to review an assignment or create lessons.
 * Sample of how the tool can be used in the classroom**:

Typewith.me is better than other similar tools because it is not only free but also does not require registration; so, the only set-up required is to prepare the original document you intend to develop and distribute the link to students.
 * Why is this better than similar tools**:

Jeffrey Wolfthal

[|DOCS.GOOGLE.COM]


docs.google.com is a complete office suite available for free from Google. It includes tools for creating Word-processor documents, Presentations, Spreadsheets, Drawings, and Forms. It saves all the projects on "clouds" or online servers accessable 24/7 from anywhere with internet access using your google account. All projects can also be shared with anyone deemed appropriate by the creator of the project, and it also allows for others to be able to edit and collaborate on the project.
 * Description of Tool:**

Google Docs is a great classroom tool since it equalizes access to word processors, presentation creators, and spreadsheet creators. It has tools for mind mapping which would be invaluable for creative writing classes, and for teaching research and paper http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx skills for social studies classes. It also allows teachers to see who edited a project so if they use google docs for group work, the teacher can monitor who is doing the brunt of the work. It is an all inclusive suite so students can use tools provided by Google Docs for each step in the creative process.
 * Use in the classroom:**

The best part of Google Docs is the 24/7 access to all of your projects and those that are being shared with you. Google Docs also is accessible via iPhone and Android phones with a free app. Through this app you can view and edit Google Docs projects from your smart phone while on the go. When it comes to collaboration, Google Docs stands out because multiple students can be editing a project simultaneously and can see what everyone else is doing. It also provides a chat tool so students can discuss the project as they're doing it from separate locations.
 * Why is it better than similar tools?:**

CREATE A GRAPH

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is a branch of the Department of Education that collects and analyzes educational statistics in the U.S. This portion of the website is called Kids' Zone, providing tools for students to explore educational concepts, such as graphing. The tool replaces paper graphs and makes graphs more interactive for students.
 * Description of the Tool:**

This resource allows students to choose from a variety of common graph types: line, bar, area, pie, and X/Y Graphs. Students may want to create graphs for math classes, or for projects where a visual representation of data would be helpful.
 * Use in the Classroom:**

The create a graph website allows students to create graphs in the easiest of manners, regardless of which type of graph they would like to end up with. If a student were to get stuck at any point throughout the creation of the graph, the tutorial feature opens up a separate window and can explain any of the different sections of the website or the graph creation tools.
 * Why is it better than similar tools?**


 * Some sample graphs I created using the program:**


 * -Adam Paradise**

=**[|RubiStar]**=


 * Description of Tool:** This program allows educators to create generic rubrics that can be printed and used for many projects and assignments. The unique thing about RubiStar is that it provides these generic rubrics in a format that can be customized based on the educator's needs. Almost all suggested text in the rubric can be modified to fit any project or assignment. RubiStar is a **free** service for teachers in public and non-profit schools with sole funding provided by ALTEC at the University of Kansas; however, there is a fee for for-profit or for-service organizations. This service is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.


 * Use in the classroom:** This tool allows teachers to create rubrics for any project or assignment. Rubrics provide a list of expectations of student work in order to receive a certain score or rating; therefore, the teacher's grading judgments will always be protected if they provide students with a rubric before any project or assignment. Likewise, students can judge or revise their own work based on the rubric before handing it in to be formally graded by the teacher.


 * Why is it better than similar tools?** This tool is better than similar rubric creators because it offers the option of generic rubrics, as well as the option to customize and personalize rubrics. In addition, users can view (and steal!) rubrics and classroom activities created by fellow teachers. This website also partners with Waypoint software, which can be easily integrated with programs such as Blackboard and Moodle. Waypoint makes the created rubrics interactive, meaning that teachers can get a head-start on providing feedback (and modify it when necessary), which is automatically quantified and stored for easy access from any Internet-enabled computer. Teachers can also give their students access to Waypoint to structure the peer review process, as well. Best of all, RubiStar is **free**!


 * Cons:** The only downfall that I found in regards to this tool is the simple fact that when creating a rubric, one only has 40 minutes to create the rubric and save it. There is an option to save a partially completed rubric and return to the page right away or later, which may cause an inconvenience for the creator.

Hopefully this works... This is a rubric that I made (for a reading project) on RubiStar. For the sake of time, I used their generic suggestions for categories to demonstrate a main idea.

-Greta Stemplinger

=[|**GLOGSTER**]=

media type="youtube" key="80NISdsoouE" height="390" width="480" ** Description of this tool: ** Glogster is a social networking site for creative expressions called Glogs. Glogs are creative, interactive digital posters. Glogs can support text, links, graphics, videos, and audio. Glogster is free to use, but you must fill out a registration form to save or publish your Glog. Glogs can be set to public or private. Glogster EDU is an educational platform created for teachers to use in a classroom setting. Class and/or student Glogs can be monitored and regulated by the teacher in a secure environment. ** Use in the Classroom: ** Students can create Glogs instead of traditional poster board assignments. They can be very creative and have fun creating a Glog. They can take virtual field trips designed by the teacher, or film their own videos to post on their own Glog. They can also participate in collaborative class Glogs. No more "death by Powerpoint"; there are many possibilities! ** Why it is better than similar tools: ** As far as I know, there is nothing quite like Glogster. It allows the creator to design a unique and creative presentation in a user-friendly format. A Glog can contain links and be interactive, so a lot of information can be shared on just one Glog. Glogster is easy to use and can be monitored by teachers in the classroom setting. The tool is free (unless upgraded to the Premium EDU version), and decreases the need for supplies that students would need to create a visually stimulating poster. -Laura Buckwalter & Aaron Bashline

= VOICETHREAD =


 * Description of the tool: **Developed at the University of North Carolina, Voicethread is a collaborative multimedia tool that operates as a slideshow. Voicethread allows you and others to annotate the slideshow by computre microphone, typed text, audio file (MP3/WAV), webcam, and telephone. You can present a collection of photos, documents, or videos in Voicethread and allow others to interactively comment on them. Voicethread supports PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, images, and other Office 2007 formats. Voicethread even imports photos from Flickr, Facebook, or the web.


 * How the tool can be used in the classroom: **As this tool has so many commentary functions it can be utilized in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JgZ3_t3vjY&feature=player_embedded#at=14 ways for classroom activities or assignments. Some examples of its use are as follows: interactive book reviews, presentations onprominent historical movements or figures, or question and comment homework assignments.

[]

* Voicethread is set apart by the ease with which the commentary can be made to an original artifact without eternally modifying it (the modification only last for a few seconds in the case of doodling or the length of the comment in the case of audio commentary); it is accessible for all ages. * Voice commentary allows for intonation and emphasis that may be lost in other forms of text communication.  * This tool is perfect for ELL students as it would advocate that your students (some who may be too shy to do so in class) write and speak in English when they provide their comments to your voicethread. * In addition, those who have special needs such as hearing impaired can easily utilize the webcam in order leave messages in sign language.
 * Why this tool is better than other similar products: **


 * General Pro: ** There is no need to install software.

Thank You, Ashlea Quinn & Julie Myers

=** ﻿ ZAMZAR.com **=


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Description of the tool:
Zamzar allows you to “transform” a file or multiple files from their original format to your desired format. This site essentially makes it possible to convert any file to another format in the same “genre” of file (you cannot convert a .doc file to .mp3) because there is not a consistent medium. Once you upload a file, Zamzar stores the file on their server and performs the conversion. Then, Zamzar will send you an email with a link to download your converted file. It boils down to three easy steps: 1) Upload your original file, select desired file conversion format, and provide your email. 2) Receive email from Zamzar with link. 3) Download your newly converted file.

How can zamzar be used in the classroom?
As future teachers of 21st Century learners, we will inevitably have to convert files for classroom use. A few uses include: 1) Seamless file conversion between PC versus Apple computer file formats. 2) Converting a Microsoft Office document into one, unified PDF file. This can allow your students to submit papers and projects in one document when utilizing Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access. 3) You never know when you will have to worry about converting between .rtf, .doc, .docx. This can often be confusing when different versions of Microsoft Word have various file extensions. Zamzar erases this confusion by converting to your desired format. 4) Instead of exiting a PowerPoint presentation to watch a YouTube clip through an external URL link, you can convert the YouTube file into your desired video file (.wmv, .avi, .mov, etc.) and insert the video into your presentation.

Why is it better than similar products?
Zamzar is a one stop converting site. There are other sites such as www.pdftoword.com; www.youtube-mp3.org and KeepVid which can convert pdf to word documents, youtube videos to mp3's and youtube videos into another video format respectively. However, zamzar can do all of these things and more and all on one website. Zamzar is also very easy to use, it is all laid out very clearly for you. There is even a tools section which lists all the formats that are possible conversions.

Some Cons-
The only possible downsides that we found with zamzar are that it will only store your converted file for download for 1 day (for free that is); so, you just have to make sure that you get it from your email account within a day otherwise you will have to reconvert your file or video. You have the option to sign up for zamzar, which would allow you to store and manage all of your videos on zamzar; but signing up for the ability to manage is not free. Also, another possible downside would be the space that the email of the conversion takes in your email account.

Prezi
[|www.prezi.com] is a presentation creation website. Users create their presentations, called Prezis, on an open digital canvas. Text, images, and videos can be added to this canvas anwhere and in any size. The site provides many tutorial videos on how to create Prezis, which is helpful for both teachers and students new to Prezi. Since most Prezis are posted there are a myriad of examples of finished Prezis, I encourage you to check some of them out. Signing up is easy, and a free version for students and teachers allows them to create and edit Prezis online, save and present completed Prezis offline, and to set the privacy settings for user created Prezis. The program takes a little bit to get used to, but after that is easy to use.

Prezi is better to use in the classroom than other presentation formats, such as powerpoint. On Prezi, size can be used to denote importance of items, and placement of items can show relationships between them. With Prezis, it is easy to zoom out and see the big picture of the topic and where all of the items fit in, something that is difficult to accomplish with other presentation formats.

Prezi can be used in the classroom by both students and teachers. Teachers can make Prezis for their units to allow students to see how information about the topic fits in with the other information in that topic and how it all connects together to form the big picture. Students can make presentations in Prezi that are more interesting to make and view than by using other presentation formats.

Patrick Owens

=[|ANIMOTO]=

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 * Animoto: **“Turn your photos, video clips, and music into masterpieces to share with everyone.”

An alternative to PowerPoint, Animoto allows its users to incorporate photos, music, video, and text into the video slideshow presentations. Once the students or teacher inputs the pictures, music, videos, and text of choice, Animoto creates a custom video. If you don’t like the presentation created for you, send it through again and it’ll look a bit different because no two finished pieces are the same.
 * Description of the tool**:

Videos can be downloaded and shared with blogs, websites, and sent to youtube. All users are permitted 30 seconds of free video; for anything longer than that a subscription is needed. Educators, however, are able to request a fee waiver.

There are a wide variety of ways that Animoto can be used in the classroom. Teachers can create presentations for a class lesson as a way to “spice up” the material. Videos are so easy to create that using Animoto for a class lesson is faster (and more mentally stimulating) than creating a PowerPoint presentation. I also see Animoto as a great option for virtual fieldtrips.
 * Sample of how the tool can be used in the classroom**:

Animoto is also a great option that can be used for groupwork. Groups can be given a topic and this program can be used by the students to present their information.

Animoto is much more “real” and mentally stimulating than using PowerPoint to present material. In addition, using Animoto caters to multiple intelligences because of the wide variety of audio and visual options provided.
 * Why is this better than similar tools**:

-Becca Douglass and Jackie Sahd
= **Blogger.com** = media type="youtube" key="BnploFsS_tY" height="390" width="480" = **Description of the tool:** = **Blogger.com is a website which allows you to sign up and create blogs for free. This is a very nice service that can be used by both the teachers and students in the class. To get started, you visit blogger.com and sign up. If you do not already have a google.com account, the website will walk you through the steps in order to do that. After you are signed up, you can set up your own site hosted at .blogspot.com. After you sign up, you can choose a template for your blog. All of them are pretty nice, so it is just a personal preference. The interface is very simple to use. Basically, if you can use Microsoft Word, you can create a blog. The edit text box is simple to use, and you can even switch it to HTML if you would like to add code that way. Once students have an account, they can comment on each others pages. With a single account you can make a large number of blogs, each with their own unique .blogspot.com address.**

**Videos and pictures can be uploaded to the blog easily. Pictures are the easier of the two. Blogger gives you the option of either uploading from your computer or by entering in a URL. Videos are a little trickier because you have to upload the file. Using the site www.zamzar.com, it is pretty easy to get the file that you need. I would suggest leaving time for uploading videos. I uploaded one and it took close to 15 minutes until it was finished.**

= **Sample of how it can be used in the classroom:** = **I think there are a couple of great ways to use this tool in class. First of all, it is a simple and free way for the teacher to create a class web page. Students want to know about the teacher and the class on the first day of school, and showing them on blogger.com will be a fun, interesting, and relevant way to do it. It is easy to add pictures and links, so a teacher can even add things like interests to their page to make it more personal.**

**Blogger would be a great way for students to share thoughts. A teacher could set up a page with a video on it, and for an assignment the students all have to log on, watch the video, and leave a 3-4 sentence response to a question about the video. This would be a good warm up activity or a good way to connect current events to the classroom without taking up too much time. As a teacher, you could post exceptional work on the blogger.com website. This would help boost self esteem and allow for other students to add positive feedback and constructive criticism. You could use this site for students to keep a journal of their reflections on different topics throughout the year. I think the main thing to remember is that a site like this should be mainly used for reflections. It might be too easy for students to just copy and paste if they are using it as a research paper. I think that by having students post their reflections and thoughts online will help build community in the classroom as well as add a bit of accountability on the student's part.**

= **How is this different from similar products?** = **I think that this website is much more user friendly than other website making programs. Like I said, if you can use Microsoft Word, you should be able to use blogger.com very easily. The nice thing about blogger.com is that once you sign up, you have a google account. This will help you use other programs affiliated with google, such a gdocs. I like the comment feature as well. More recent blogging sites such as Tumblr do not allow you to leave comments. Also, students can work in groups on a single blog using the "Group Blog" feature on the website. I think that this is really nice because it requires little computer knowledge to make something that looks semi-professional.**

Here is a link to the[| "Classroom Website"] I made with blogger.com. If you scroll down, you can click on links to other sample pages I made to show the different ways it can be used in class.

**-Matthew Collins**

=
**Xtranormal is a movie making software, where pre-rendered characters read your text. You have the ability to make these characters do a series of actions, such as wave and point. After saving your movie, you have the ability to publish it to YouTube. You pay to publish using Xtranormal Points (XP). These points can be purchased in increments costing between $10 and $150. You can also watch movies that others have created, but you also have the option to set your videos to private. There is a free version you can download on your PC (no Macs), but to share, you have to use the movie maker.** ======

=
**Unlike sites like Animasher, Xtranormal allows you to create actual videos,rather than simply adding sounds to pictures. Unlike GoAnimate, Xtranormal makes it easy to create simple projects quickly. Zach Kohler and Ryan Schulz** ======

__ blogster.com __

__Description of Tool__: Blogster.com is a blog website that allows people to post and interact via the web. People can make their own blogster pages, comment on others’ pages, join groups, and create groups. Blogster.com has security settings that allow users to decide the level of security they will use when making blog entries. This tool allows people to create posts including text, images, polls, surveys, quizzes, recipes, and “advice columns.”

__How It Can Be Used in the Classroom__: Blogster.com can be used in several ways in the classroom. Teachers can create their own blogs to communicate with students. Teachers can also create a group on blogster.com, set it as private, and use the group blog space to set up quizzes, polls, surveys, and post information. Students benefit from this tool, because they can “publish” online and communicate online.

For a model of how a page could be set up in a classroom, view []

__Rationale for Why Its Better__: Blogster.com allows people to interact via blog postings with security settings in place. Teachers especially benefit from blogster.com because the security settings make it a more safe online setting for students and teachers can use the group function as a space for their classes. Blogster.com provides a learner-friendly environment.

blogster.com by Erica Deiter & Hao Nguyen

** Weebly **

 * By Jamie Golden **

Weebly is a free online website in order to create your own website. All you need to do is create a username and login and then you can choose what type of site you want and for what purpose or category. There are many background designs to choose from. You can create your own tabs and the headings for those tabs. There is some limit for how much space you can use. For instance, when I used the survey tool, I could not have more than five text boxes without being asked to purchase the pro features. It is a nice way to create simply and easy to use websites without needing to know a lot of information about how to create a site. If you do know how to edit, you can edit the HTML script of sites. You can have youtube videos, your own videos, pictures, text, create your own slide shows, and audio.
 * Description of Tool**

**History of Weebly/Informaion** Weebly is a San Francisco, California based company that was founded in 2006. Their mission statement is to help people put their information online quickly and easily. Weebly has 3 million customers that have used it in order to create personal sites, blogs, or to establish web presence for a multitude of reasons: business, weddings, classrooms, churches, artistic portfolios and much more. In 2007, Weebly’s founding team joined a seed funding program called Y Combinator in their effort to make the website better. Weebly was named one of TIME’s 50 Best Websites of 2007 and they have since made their service even more powerful, while keeping it simple.

**How to use Weebly** This website is completely free, however some features can be purchased for a small fee. This features are indicated with a PRO icon in the lower left hand corner of feature. Hosting is provided, which means you do not need to provide a hosting fee. Very little skill is required in order to create a website and add content (such as pictures, video, maps, and text). There is an HTML option to write the script of things if you know how to do that. There are 70+ professional designs to choose from or you can bring/customize your own. There are a variety of content elements: add pictures, videos, music, audio, documents, maps, and photo galleries or sell products. All you have to do is simply drag the feature icon and drop it on the page where you want it. This simply click and drag action works because Weebly uses a widget style format. Also, there is no advertising. You can publish own domain or use one you already own with Weebly at no charge.

**Criticism of Weebly** Weebly cannot take advantage of pre-existing plug-ins from other popular blogging engines. This is because Weebly is built on its own platform. In 2008, Weebly received criticism for not realizing an important feature request from users. This was the request to be able to upload or edit the CSS/HTML of the webpages. Weebly then added the ability to edit CSS and HTML of any site in 2009.

I created my own website using Weebly. This website is suppose to be my own course site for a chemistry class. http://chemistryjlg.weebly.com

Weebly is a website that has many active users because they are able to create free websites by simply clicking and dragging and without having to know html knowledge. Weebly also has an advance editing feature that allows you to customize every aspect of your website. It is also easy to navigate and to use. There are many features to use as well. It is SEO friendly as well as uses Google Page Rank (PR7), which allows your website index to e searched in search engines.
 * Why is this tool better than others?**

There are really endless possibilities of how you can use this in your classroom. As a teacher, you can create a class website that will enable you to share with your students information in more detail, share your own experiences, powerpoint presentations, and so on. You could also have your students create their own website for a project. This would be a good way for them to easily share information as mock tour guides for a cultures class or whatever. You can get really creative with this.
 * Use in the classroom?**

Here is a youtube video on a Weebly demonstration. media type="youtube" key="JjY83SnrO1M" height="390" width="480"

= Voki =

By Brett Flail
__ Description __ Voki is a tool that allows users express themselves online in their own voice using a talking character called a “Voki.” You can customize your Voki to look however you want it, Your Voki can speak using your own voice by recording it from a microphone, by uploading a recording, by phone, or by text to speech. Once the Voki is created, users can publish it to various blogs and social networking profiles.

__ How it can be used in a classroom? __ Voki has developed into a tool to help teachers across the country. There is a plethora of different ways to use Voki in the classroom in any subject. The website has a database of lesson plans that users have uploaded. The database allows any user to upload lesson plans in almost every subject imaginable. Additionally, the website has a forum specifically dedicated to teachers. Topics include: Q&A, Ideas & Requests, Newbies, and Voki in the Classroom.

__ Why is Voki better than it’s competitors? __ Voki, unlike it’s competitors, was designed specifically with teachers in mind. The interface for the website is simple and easy to understand. Also, teachers only need to create one class account for the students which will save plenty of time. Vokis can easily published on nearly any social website from Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger or whatever.

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[|__www.google.com/sites__] Christian Brown


 * Description of the tool:** Google sites is an easy way to create your own website for a variety of different functionalities. These sites can be used for any functionality. This tool is especially good for teachers because the website can act as a class page for assignments, discussion, announcements, and any other pages that would help students with finding information about class. You can edit and save the page freely as you like, as well as grant access to students to view the site. However, the creator of the site may also grant others to view and edit the site. Teachers can post links, videos and pictures. On every page there is tabs for both students to comment as well as teachers to post attachments on any of the pages. The sign-up is free and very simple. First, if you do not have a google account, create one. Once the account is created you cane name your site, choose the back ground, and specify if you want the site to be public or private. There are a number of templates to choose from that give examples of how sites can be used (and there’s a wide variety of them). Finally, type in the security code and the site will be created.


 * How this tool can be used in the classroom:** This tool has a variety of functionalities in the classroom setting. Students can use the website to conduct discussions from questions posed by the teacher. Students will be able to know the assignments that are due through the website announcements. Teachers can post links to websites, videos and pictures and students have the opportunity to reflect on them. If students happen to miss something in class they can view the website to see what they missed. Teachers can post daily class agendas so students know what to expect for class.


 * Why the tool is better than the others:** This site is potentially better than the others because the site is extremely easy to establish. The site is also easy to edit and save additional information, and simple to navigate through by others who are viewing the site. Once you sign up for Google sites, you have a Google account which allows access to other forms of Google.

here is my teacher sample site:[|u.s. history class]

= Blabberize.com = = By: Danielle Hetherington and Kristen Langerfeld = __** What in the world is Blabberize?? **__ Blabberize.com is a website that allows you to take any still picture (of you, your friends, your dog, your llama!) and make it talk. It is as simple as uploading the picture, cutting out the mouth, and adding your voice or recorded sound.

__** Where did Blabberize come from? **__ This website was created by Mo Kakwan in 2006. Then a student of Eastern Michigan University, Mo created the website while at “Hack Day” at Yahoo! Headquarters. To Kakwan’s surprise, the idea took off at his final presentation. More than 4 years later, the small, two person run company handles nearly 16,000 people every day.

__** How can Blabberize.com be used in the classroom? **__ Blabberize is great for presentations, especially those of historical figures or even endangered animals. It is also great for ESL students to display their progress with language. It is a nice change of pace from traditional presentations because it adds a creative, fun aspect. It is better than other presentation websites because you can show a picture of your presentation topic (for example: Abraham Lincoln) and change your voice to make the video funny or more interesting. It is also very simple to use and thus, is not complicated for middle school students. There literally are only 4 steps. This video is another example of how to use Blabberize.com in the classroom…

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 * __Pros__: **
 * It is Free!
 * Easy to use!
 * Very little time to create a Blabber.
 * Student's e-mail address is guaranteed to never be displayed on the site.
 * May be used by teachers or/and students.
 * It can be used to enhance listening and speaking skills (especially for foreign language and ESL/ESOL students).
 * Also has an education version of blabberize that teachers can use.
 * It has a video that demonstrates how to create a blabber.
 * There is a link that can be used to report anything that is not working.
 * Creators are constantly working to add servers and repair glitches.
 * Users may use their own pictures or images from anywhere on the internet.
 * Users may use previously recorded audio or record their own voices/sounds.
 * __Cons__: **
 * All students should have access to the resources to use blabberize effectively.
 * There is no filter or moderator for the examples posted on the site.
 * Examples posted on the site are mostly non-educational and may not model educational use of the site.
 * Teachers would need to be very creative to use the site for educational purposes.
 * Must create account to save creations.
 * Requires e-mail address for account creation.
 * Terms of service states "You must be 13 years or older to use this site and its Services, or have permission from a parent or guardian."
 * The ability to use your phone for voice recording has been disabled due to constant technical problem. Users must have a microphone to record.
 * It is hard to find educational examples of a Blabber
 * Published videos on Blabberize.com cannot be placed on Youtube without converting them.
 * Videos NEVER seem to play right the first time….

=TIME TOAST: Keely Eisenhauer and John Gower= = [|www.timetoast.com] = = What is it? = =Timetoast is a website where people can create interactive timelines, which they can share anywhere on the web. It is free to use, and was developed by Daniel Todd. Once published anyone can view your timeline, and when you publish you can share with your friends. Also while creating a timeline; it saves automatically so there is no need to be clicking a save button after every new addition to the timeline. = = Why this is better than similar products: = =**Makes creating timelines a lot easier for students and teachers. Makes creating timelines fun and more interesting**. = Timetoast is a very simple tool where you just need to login, and start making your timeline. Finding other tools is hard to do. You can use excel, but that is a lot harder to maneuver. Teachnology is also a site that can be used, but it is limited, and not quite as interactive in comparison.

= How can you use it in the classroom?: = =You can track student progress on long term projects or throughout the entire semester. Teachers and students can utilize ready-made timelines for educational purposes. Students can create timelines for a project. Teachers can create timelines to demonstrate important historical cause and effect relationships as well as include any relevant pictures, media, and factual information by linking it to other sites. Teachers and students can comment on others’ timelines and rate the timeline. = =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Exemplar﻿:﻿ = =<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[] = =<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> =