‘Animoto for Education’ Service

Unit 1 P3.
– An example of an Animoto video created with the extended time limit.

Animoto has been utilised by staff for quite a while, but sometimes it can be annoying only having thirty seconds to get a student’s message across. Animoto are now allowing teachers the chance to increase the student presentation time limit for free. We recently went through the process with Sophie from BUC to try and understand how the system works.

Though the website recommends setting up new email accounts for the students who want to benefit from the ‘Animoto for Education’ scheme, we found that the process works just as smoothly when students use their current college-given Gmail account. Simply get them to set up their own Animoto log in, and then enter a promotional code to gain that extra minute.

YouTube – ‘Video Questions Editor’

By now, all of us should know about YouTube and how it has changed the digital video age. It turns out that there is more going on ‘behind the scenes’, but still available to the public.

If you are creating videos for e-Learning purposes or just wish to pose questions to your viewers then this may be of use to you.

Sliderocket – Online Presentation Tool

Sliderocket is a tool which is used to create online presentations and / or edit existing PowerPoint presentations with more powerful tools. Sliderocket houses most, if not all of the tools PowerPoint would offer you; but there are a few elements which can make your presentation what you had always wanted it to be.

Socrative – Student Response Quizzes, etc.

Socrative is a tool which teachers and students can use in conjunction. It utilises self-made quizzes, multiple choice options and several other aspects which can make the classroom a much more interactive place.

Below is an introductory video into the world of Socrative and how it can benefit you.

Evernote – Note Taking

More likely than not, you’ve of heard of Evernote. In case you haven’t, it is a cloud-based note taking tool that is sweeping the teaching world by storm. It lets you take notes, synchronize files across your devices, save web pages, capture inspiration, and share your ideas with friends and colleagues.

It is an iOS app for either your iPhone or iPad, so Evernote is always on the move with you and will be there when you need it.

Scribble Maps – Interactive Maps

Scribble Maps is an online tool which allows users to annotate, draw, and add markers to map. Scribble Maps uses Google Maps for its content and then allows us as users to utilise them as we wish.

There are a variety of tools available to customise your map and to make it relevant to you. It will make a great aid to teachers in need of maps that will ‘spice’ their lessons up, and can provide some interactivity with your class.

You can also save and share your maps with others who can then further customise it (with use of a free Scribble Maps account).

QR Codes and Generators

‘QR code’ stands for Quick Response Code, a square bar-code which can contain various types of media including simple text, a URL, a picture, a video, a phone number, a contact… Practically anything you can think of wanting to ever send to someone can be included in a QR code. The only way a QR code can be read is through a QR code reader – which can be downloaded for free on any smartphone or tablet. This way, you can see the media held within the pixels.

One of the great things about QR codes is the fact that you can insert them into Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

Present.me – Interactive Slideshows

Present.me is the predecessor of PowerPoint presentations.

This is a website which takes existing Powerpoint presentations (imported to the Present.me site) and allows you to either record an audio voiceover to run alongside the presentation, or to record you (via webcam) showing and speaking along with the slides to add a more personal touch. Present.me isn’t tailored for any specific department; it is aimed to help you in whatever field you may work in.

Google Drive – Online Documents

If you haven’t discovered Google Drive (used to be called ‘Google Docs’), or if you know about if but can’t see its value, please give it a chance. It’s marvellous. Here are a few reasons why…

Files and Storage
Like the wonderful Dropbox, Google Drive lets you store files online (‘in the cloud’) so you can access them anywhere without having to carry around hard drives / memory sticks or emailing yourself the file.

Prezi – Presentations

Prezi has been around for a few years now and it’s still a good tool for creating visually engaging presentations. Microsoft PowerPoint is great at what it does, but this is something else. To give you an idea, here’s an example I found on the official web site…