MindMeister.

MindMeister is a tool that allows to collaboratively create mind maps and share them online. It can be used for real-time collaboration and brainstorming sessions. Users can create, manage and share mind maps online and access them anytime, from anywhere.

Take this quick tour around mindmeister...


 Jill initially put me onto this resource, she is currently using it as a tool to communicate with her debating team, discussing topics etc. Here is a review of how she has found the resource:

  My Experience with MindMeister: Jill Ewbank

I decided to use this tool to plan a debate with a couple of really bright year 11 students. We needed somewhere we could brainstorm ideas, easily cut and past to and from, and a ‘mind map’ design to help our ideas flow.  I found the website through a simple google search.

Essential Details:

What is it? – A collaborative online mind mapping tool.

Cost – Free for Basic membership, only allows for 3 mind maps and limited exporting options, however can still export as a PDF to save on the computer.

Platforms – There is an App for iPad and iPhone, also an online platform through any browser.

Pros –

As a teacher, it is easy to set up a mind map, the whole interfaces is very usable and quite intuitive. There is a ‘how to’ tutorial you can do to get the most out of the program, however I was a little time poor and skipped this and decided to ‘wing it’. I probably didn’t use every function available, however the students found it very useful.

You also have a great deal of control over what students post up. There is also a chat function associated with the mind map that you can easily look through the history.

Cons –

I tried to use the iPad app, but had a great deal of trouble once the students began to post on the mind map. 

We also had a minor panic when I accidentaly deleted everything the students had written and couldn’t ‘undo’.  However, once I realised that I had to kick the students off the page in order to undo the process this was rectified.

If you only sign up to the ‘basic’ membership, there are limited ways you can export the mind map document, I exported as a PDF simply as a back up.  If you were wanting to cut and paste text, you need to do this directly from the website version of your mind map.

Uses in the classroom –

I used this for a Debate prep, which was 3 students and myself. I don’t feel this would work in large groups as too much would be going on whilst they were collaborating. I do feel it would work in small group work for students to explore an idea, brainstorm and develop strategies or arguments. It would be great to print out the PDF and use as any sort of Evidence for subjects that require this for assessment. One big issue is that you can only ‘own’ 3 maps on the basic membership, which limits your control. If you decided to upgrade your membership there are many more options and much more control. It would be worthwhile for departments to look at an education membership if it is something they feel they could use regularly.

Screen Shots…

This is our mind map, zoomed out quite a bit, you can see how much information we could put up on the map. It is very easy to zoom in and out of the map so you can read through information or focus on different parts of the map. The students decided to colour code certain aspects to make it easier to read.

 A ‘zoomed in’ section of our mind map… clever kids hey!

For those of us who are very…. Visual... there are many themes that help with presentation… one example below.

 The limits for this resource seem to be endless for collaboration and class discussion purposes.

If you would like help implementing or using this resource please do not hesitate to ask!

Shaun

Cloud Based Storage.

Online backup is now a must have for all computer users, as we now live in a digital age where our whole digital life is stored online.

Our files, photos, music, video, financials and more are all stored on our computer hard drives.

But what happens if your hard drives crash?

All hard drives will fail eventually and they usually happen at random when you least expect them.

We no longer have CD collections, or DVD racks with our films, or photo albums of our photos, they are all stored on our hard drives.

Theft, Fire, Accidental deletion, hardware failure, all these can contribute to lost files.

Files which are no longer just binary text, these files are irreplaceable memories which money cannot buy back.

Online Backup is like insurance, for free, or a small monthly fee (Less than the cost of a Cinema Ticket) you will never have to worry about your files again. If you get a new computer and you need to restore your files and documents its literally a click of a button.

BCE provides students with 30GB of free storage using Google Drive, this should be set up for every student on our network. Students simply go to Google Drive and sign in with their student email and password. Students can have this storage enabled at IT, classroom teachers can also arrange with IT to have the trainees come to their environments to set up a whole class in a short period of time, a recommended strategy.

I use the following Cloud Storage platforms:

Apple iCloud: When it comes to ease of use, iCloud easily outpaces the competition. It’s not so much that the other cloud services reviewed are difficult to use (they aren’t), it’s merely that iCloud has done it the simplest. All of your files are in one place and it doesn’t require any hands-on management; you simply download or save a file once and it is instantly available on all of your devices. When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage, with upgrades available.
Best for: Simplicity of use between Apple products, iPhones, iPads and Mac.


Google Drive:
You get a little bit of everything with this service, including a word processor, spreadsheet application, and presentation builder, plus 15GB of free storage space.
If you already have a Google account, you can already access Google Drive. You just have to enable the service. Upload to Drive, photos, videos, documents, Photoshop files and more, however, you have to share that 15GB with your Gmail account, photos you upload to Google+, and any documents you create in Google Drive. While you can access any of your files from the Drive Web site, you can also download the Drive desktop app for Mac and PC to manage your files from your computer. Like other cloud storage services, Drive has apps for iOS and Android, so you can manage your files from your phone.
You can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, even if you created the document in another program. If you use Gmail, it's easy to save attachments from your e-mail directly to Drive with just a few clicks.
Best for: Access of documents you want frequently, or anyone who wants a few office tools with their cloud storage.

Dropbox:
It's reliable, easy to use, and a breeze to set up. Your files live in the cloud and you can get to them at any time from Dropbox's Web site, desktop applications for Mac, Windows or any mobile ISO device. Dropbox gives its users plenty of opportunities to get extra storage to beef up the paltry 2GB you get Free when you sign up.
Best for: Simple sharing when you use tons of different kinds of devices.

Why I use more than one? Simple, why put all your eggs in the one basket?? I still use an external hardrive as well, I have a dedicated email account that is only used as a file storage platform too. Online Backup is insurance, hard drives eventually WILL fail, simple.

Here is a recent review of 10 of the world’s leading cloud storage companies testing their service for speed, reliability, security, ease of use, cost and their support. Personally, I think trust, reliability and security to be the most important factors to consider when considering your options, so use this guide to help you find the best cloud storage provider to suit your needs.

Thanks,

Shaun

Brisbane Catholic Education's LMS... LIFE.

With a shift back to the reformatted LMS provided by BCE, LIFE, i thought i would provide a few answers as to WHY you should make an effort into getting your LIFE experience back in track.



Check out the lesson LIFE WHYs??? on Blendspace: Check out the lesson LIFE WHYs??? on Blendspace



More information to follow.



Shaun

E-Resources and you. Worth Having A Read...

In today’s digital world, a web of learning resources surrounds every individual. It’s an environment wherein each resource connects to others, creating an overall structure in which (life) learning takes place. The learning ecosystem is the combination of technologies and support resources available to help individuals learn within an environment. And, I would add, that same combination of technologies and support resources helps individuals perform within an environment. It is business-relevant performance with which we must primarily be concerned when thinking of the so called 'global community' our learners stand poised to enter, if they have not already.

It is the learner’s entitlement to be able to create, collaborate and communicate with ICT’s in their learning environments through access and the use of technology.

What do you think of these comments? It is certainly a interesting discussion point... agree?

Have a great day,

Shaun

Apple's GarageBand Version:10.0.02

Firstly, this resource I initially consisered to be quite specific to the Music Department however through our inservice led by Jill Ewbank, it really broadend my ideas for incorperating GarageBand into many aspects of general class activities.

Im no musician, but I can see why this resource is so popular with them. GarageBand features a standard matrix where MIDI files, recorded/imported audio files can be modified and manipulated. With seamless iTunes compatibility, tracks can be imported and exported with ease. The program offers users tools to make minor adjustments to sequence and sound with basic synthesizing and mixing features.

One obvious advantage GarageBand does have, is its seamless compatibility with other iLife products, E.g: iPhoto and iMovie. GarageBand can be used to score films or provide soundtracks to these products and the simierlarities between the editing process accross all the iLife products means you can initially fumble your way around while learning how to use each of them.

GarageBand is compatible with any files that can be converted to MP3 or included within iTunes. While instruments like microphones or guitars can be given direct line-ins. It features built-in help guides, tutorials and search features in addition to a detailed FAQ section and forum hosted by its Manufacturer, Apple. Additional assistance can be obtained via email.

GarageBand works well for the casual hobbyist, music class or as an audio recording device for Pod Cast, it lacks most of the tools and features to go beyond simple editing and modification tasks, but if you are creating your own album you would not be using this resource, though it is possible. Apple does offer additional add-ons and upgrade features, that allow you to refine your practice further from the base model.

The last version had a default PodCast option which has not been carried through to the new update, however it is still very possible to use this resource for Pod Casting, the following link is an example of just that. In the link, you will hear audio of the inservice session with Jill and other teachers who were discussing the PodCast oppertunities with GarageBand and other editing information.

If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Shaun

Flipgrid.

Flipgrid is a "free at first resource" that allows teachers to pose a challenge to students with detailed, robust online discussion capabilities.

Grids can be classes, sections, groups of students, research groups, faculty groups, or any collection of users interested in a common strand of questions. Each grid can hold an unlimited number of questions, and each question can hold an unlimited number of video responses.

Questions are short, text-based prompts (think Twitter™) that can include basic formatting (e.g., bold, italic) and links to websites or documents.

Review

Pros:

For a free program, it's very detailed and has tons of potential to bring classes closer together in the pursuit of knowledge.

Cons:

Some kids may not have the technology available at home to participate in Flipgrid conversations.

Bottom Line:

It's a simple way for kids and teachers to create online discussion, as long as kids are mature enough to use it wisely. 

Engagement

Seeing and hearing students' video responses can make discourse fun; the site allows personalities and ideas to shine in 90-second clips. Design is colorful, clean, and intuitive.

Pedagogy

Users have 90 seconds to respond to a teacher's question in any way they see fit; that's empowering. They also have to condense answers into that short amount of time, a transferable communication skill for sure.

Support

A two-minute help video guides kids through the process, and the homepage outlines a pretty comprehensive step-by-step process. That said, there's no way to ask questions aside from sending an email.
Conclusion:

I think this resource is really flexible, you can tailor this to suit your class needs really simply. As you may have seen, I used this resource to take a snapshot of information the ICT Department was seeking. Hopefully you used it!

If you would like further information on this resource and how to embed it into your learning environment, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Shaun

Shamblespad.

Shamblespad is an excellent resource you can use to gather whole class ideas and check for knowledge and understanding. ShamblesPAD is a tool that enables collaboration on documents in REALLY real-time.

You may be in class discussing information with high or low student interaction toward a topic, to control the flow of responses or to bleed a response from a learning group, introduce a shamblespad.

Simply create a customized URL that relates to the topic and click on "New Pad".

Once the page opens, you will be met with the below message which is a default "Heads Up" about the capabilities of Shamblespad. You will notice in the picture below the pads are compatible on mobile devices, however you can not embed pictures. You can Embed other URL's to link to other sites.

I delete most of this message strait away and embed guidelines of how to use the pad, remember, everything that is written on the pad is viewable. I normally wait 5 minutes to tell the learners this so they can figure out they can write stuff and everyone can see it! Obviously this encourages "Tom Foolery" at which time I then inform them that everything that is written on the page is savable and the responsibility of the student who wrote it. This is a nice opportunity to remind students about their role in Digital Citizenship...

Below is a simplistic example of how I start a class on a pad, clear direction and most importantly, make sure they place their name after the comment they post to encourage ownership over their work as well as linking them to any inappropriate comments.

 This example was done very quickly in a busy class, I was in a situation where I was getting bombarded with information and rather than take notes on the board, which I was already doing, I opened the class up to this resource. It is up to you how stringent you are with grammar, today I simply wanted responses and made the class aware I was only interested in information RELATED to the question posed. Here is a link to the result after 5 minutes.

In the past I have used a shamblespad per class, essentially setting it up like a lesson plan with clear guidelines and instructions, the students then work independently/collaboratively toward the tasks set. I have had great success using this strategy with classes who struggle to engage, as they can see the work their peers are achieving, encouraging participation.

If you would like to see more examples or discuss implementing a shamblespad into your learning environment, I look forward to hearing from you.

Shaun