iPad in Education

Now that Apple unveiled their new "toy", I was wondering what impact this might potentially have in the classroom.

I really think that there are endless possibilities when it comes for K-12 education.

Mobile Labs for El Ed can be replaced w/ easier to use iPad touch devices. 1 to 1 programs that are very expensive could become more affordable w/ the new iPad. Finally, imagine if it could create a truly "paperless" environment where the text book is obsolete and everything is purchased through their new "app", Books.

I know all of this is bit presumptuous but w/ a new version of iWorks built specifically for the iPad and the ability to sync w/ either a Mac or PC, this provides an excellent solution for an "Office" suite.

It just seems like there are so many great things that can still be done in brand new innovative ways, such as: blogging, podcasts, browsing, etc etc.

I'm curious to what others have to think about this matter as well.

Thanks!!!

Thinklinkr

Thinklinkr is a site I just learned about from Richard Byrne's amazing blog. TL is a site for making online/collaborative outlines. This is classic web 2.0.

What makes Thinklinkr such a great site is how easy it is to use and the great features that come along w/ it, such as: revision history (go back to a previous version), chatting, real-time, etc etc. What I'm really curious about is if this is compatible Inspiration which happens to be one of the popular educational outline creators.

The only thing I can hope for now is some type of educational portal/package where teachers can create user accounts for their students and monitor their activity. If this happens, I see this as being a potential gold mine for educators alike.

I highly recommend checking out the demo video below...

Give Thinklinkr a try by clicking here.

Wowzio

Wowzio is a blogger's dream as it is a site where you can create cool looking widgets. First, you have to request an invite to be able to use this product but once you are done it is very easy to use. Also, a person has a choice of many different styles of widgets such as: panoramic, live feed, slideshow, etc.

Below is an example of the life feed widget that I now have on the right side of this very blog...

Wowzio

grab this · technology blog

Thanks to ZarcoEnglish for this excellent tool!!

Prezi

Prezi is a site that has been getting a lot of hype lately and for good reason, they just unveiled a very nice educational package. Prezi is a site for creating unique zooming presentations that are interactive. However, I must say while I was very impressed w/ the beta version I thought it had a bit of a high learning curve for the average user. I'm assuming their current version is a tad more userfriendly.

The educational version comes in two packages: a free version (500 MB of online space) or paid (2000 MB $59. a yr). Also, the educational version lets users create private presenations which is ideal when having to deal w/ CIPA compliance, and the ability to create/share templates.



For more info on the latest w/ Prezi click here!!!

Digital Directors Guild

The Digital Directors Guild is a site I learned about from Free Technology 4 Teachers, and is ideal for students learning about the digital storytelling process. This excellent resource covers the: who, what, why, where, and when of digital storytelling and its impact on educational curriculum.

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As DDG states, "Student-created digital movies present teachers and students a chance to explore topics that are personally important while providing opportunities for the writing process, content investigation, collaborative and authentic assessment, as well as 21st Century technology skills."

What I find so fascinating about this site are all the great examples that arranged by subject/grade level. Click here for the list...

I highly recommend checking out this terrific resource by clicking here.

AudioOwl

AudioOwl is a great search engine for finding free audio books that can be downloaded in many formats.

Give AudioOwl a try by clicking here.



Thanks to Free Technology 4 Teachers for the tip!!

Skribit

Skribit is an interesting site for creating content for people w/ writers block. Ideally this would be something posted on somebody's blog but can be used for any purpose. All a user has to do is sign-up (if you a Twitter account very simple) and then either embed a widget or tab into their site. This then creates an area for people to add suggestions on what they'd like you to write about.

I have this testing right now on my site. Feel free to test it out as I decide if I want to keep it or not.

Click here to give Skribit a try.



For more info check out Richard Byrne's excellent blog.