Stu's Double Jeopardy - run it from a USB drive!

About Stu's Double Jeopardy: "Stu’s Double Jeopardy (for Windows) borrows from the lasting legacy of the popular TV gameshow, Jeopardy! to make an exciting, interactive and educational computer-based gameshow available to everybody. It can be used in so many different situations – in schools and colleges, at conferences and parties. But the main use is expected to be in classrooms.

As Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) and data projectors become more widely used in schools, there is a need for motivating, interactive and educational software to complement them. Many of the IWB titles available involve working with one student while everybody else looks on. That’s where Stu’s Double Jeopardy is different. Firstly it’s all about teamwork – Jeopardy can be played by up to 6 teams!

Stu's Double Jeopardy! is available free of charge and contains no adware, spyware or other hidden nasties. Jeopardy! is a registered trademark of Jeopardy Productions Inc. and is produced by Sony Pictures Digital Inc. Stu has no affiliation with either organization and provides this digital version of the gameshow for educational purposes only."

LucidChart - online collaborative flow chart app

About LucidChart: "LucidChart is the missing link in online office productivity suites. LucidChart allows users to create, collaborate on, and publish attractive flowcharts and other diagrams from a web browser. LucidChart was designed to fit comfortably into the workflow of someone currently using Google Docs or Zoho."

Control your computer from Twitter - video from Tinkernut.com

How to create QR codes and barcodes

One page guide to Twitter

One page guide to Twitter

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu howto twitter

The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them

"Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts indicated by a connecting line linking two concepts. Words on the line, referred to as linking words or linking phrases, specify the relationship between the two concepts. We define concept as a perceived regularity in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label. The label for most concepts is a word, although sometimes we use symbols such as + or %, and sometimes more than one word is used. Propositions are statements about some object or event in the universe, either naturally occurring or constructed. Propositions contain two or more concepts connected using linking words or phrases to form a meaningful statement. Sometimes these are called semantic units, or units of meaning. Figure 1 shows an example of a concept map that describes the structure of concept maps and illustrates the above characteristics."

Link to pdf: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMapsHQ.pdf

Very Short List - must-see gems every day via email

About Very Short List: "Very Short List is a collection of distinct, free, daily e-mails that each recommend one must–see gem a day. ...Very Short List points to excellent new (and sometimes vintage) entertainment and media that haven’t been hyped to within an inch of their lives. Each weekday, we recommend a single gem from the vast mass of films, TV shows, books, websites, music, and more. The focus is on products that deserve attention but haven’t already been subject to giant media pile-ons."

The Atlas of Early Printing - an interactive history of printing

About The Atlas of Early Printing: "This site depicts the spread of printing through Europe in the fifty years following the European refinement of the tools and process to make impressions from movable type cast in metal."

View an animated 3D model of a printing press. Cool!

Gone fishin'

Image by s.o.f.t. via Flickr

Dear readers,

I'm gone fishin' in the Chippewa Flowage area of Northern Wisconsin, one of my very favorite places to get away from it all.

I'm not really gone, just away from my computer for a week. I think this is something every person normally glued to a computer should do now and then. However, I am taking my Acer Aspire One notebook and iPod Touch, loaded with favorite podcasts!

I hope you've found some useful stuff here. If you're looking for something, give the Google search a try. You also might find some cool stuff in previous posts. I also look forward to your suggestions and questions. I promise to address your tweets and comments when I return. I'm hoping to have some awesome Flickr photos of my trip to share.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Kind regards,

Allison

Open Library - every book ever published?

About Open Library: "One web page for every book ever published. It's a lofty, but achievable, goal. To build it, we need hundreds of millions of book records, a brand new database infrastructure for handling huge amounts of dynamic information, a wiki interface, multi-language support, and people who are willing to contribute their time, effort, and book data. To date, we have gathered about 30 million records (20 million are available through the site now), and more are on the way. We have built the database infrastructure and the wiki interface, and you can search millions of book records, narrow results by facet, and search across the full text of 1 million scanned books. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive, and is funded in part by a grant from the California State Library. We have a small team of fantastic programmers who have accomplished a lot, but we can't do it alone! This is an Open project - the software is open, the data is open, the documentation is open, and the site is open."

Online ID Calculator - are you digitally distinct?

About the Online ID Calculator: "Today, if you don't show up in Google, you don't exist. Whether you are applying for a new job, being considered for a board position or trying to get a date, you can count on being Googled. So knowing what Google says about you and proactively managing your personal brand online is critical to success.Our Online ID Calculator‚ is the first and leading tool that will help you make sense of your Google results and give you advice on how to build a stellar online identity that's aligned with your real-world personal brand. ...A search of your name yields lots of results about you, and most, if not all, reinforce your unique personal brand. Keep up the good work, and remember that your Google results can change as fast as the weather in New England. So, regularly monitor your online identity. That way, if something negative, such as an anonymous ad hominem attack on your character on a blog, crops up, you can address it quickly, before it gets out of hand. Read Chapter 11 of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand for more ideas on how to continue to build your brand online."

VARK - a guide to learning styles

About VARK: "The acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning information. ...VARK is a questionnaire that provides users with a profile of their learning preferences. These preferences are about the ways that they want to take-in and give-out information. A learning style has 18+ dimensions (preferences for temperature, light, food intake, biorhythms, working with others, deep and surface approaches¤). VARK is about one preference -our preference for taking in, and putting out information in a learning context. Although it is a part of learning style we consider it an important part because people can do something about it. Some other dimensions are not open to change. ...The questionnaire alerts people to the variety of different approaches to learning. It supports those who have been having difficulties with their learning and has particular applications in sport, training and education. Those who would like to develop additional learning strategies can also benefit from using VARK. It can be used with a group, team or class or with one-to-one training and counselling, but it does require some explanation to avoid leaping to inappropriate conclusions. Trainers and coaches need to visit the Copyright page before using VARK."

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Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900) - a digital archive

About Primary Sources on Copyright: "This is a digital archive of primary sources on copyright from the invention of the printing press (c. 1450) to the Berne Convention (1886) and beyond. The UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded the initial phase focusing on key materials from Renaissance Italy (Venice, Rome), France, the German speaking countries, Britain and the United States.

For each of these geographical zones/jurisdictions, a national editor has taken responsibility for selecting, sourcing, transcribing, translating and commenting documents. These include privileges, statutes, judicial decisions, contracts and materials relating to legislative history, but also contemporary letters, essays, treatises and artefacts.

The national editors’ brief was to limit the selection to 50 core documents for Germany, France and Britain, and to 20 core documents for Italy and the US (these covering only a shorter period). However, the editors have sourced many more contextual documents which are fully catalogued, and linked to the core materials. Document selection has been scrutinized by an international advisory board. "

SnagFilms - free full-length video documentaries

About SnagFilms: "SnagFilms is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve. SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you 'snag' a film and put it anywhere on the web. With a library of over 550 films, and rapidly growing, you’re bound to find films that resonate with your interests. We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about. You can then open a virtual movie theater on any web site, so any one can watch your favorite SnagFilms for free."

Backdoor Broadcasting Company - webcasting academic conferences, etc.

About the Backdoor Broadcasting Company: "The Backdoor Broadcasting Company’s Academic Service specializes in web-casting academic conferences, symposia, public lectures, workshops and seminars in order to further the dissemination of academic research. To make this service as cheap and as efficient as possible, we broadcast audio (sound) only, and with limited interactivity. Primarily we broadcast a conference/event live, we record it and make it available for download. Every event will have its dedicated webpage with supporting information and text, as well as contacts and links to the contributors. Additional features such as e-mail correspondence or discussion forums can easily be added. We can broadcast any size event, from single lectures to parallel multi-panel conferences. As a service provider, we are hired by the conference/event organisers and are free to the listener. After the live broadcast all contributions will be placed in our archive, which is accessible as a free internet resource. Our main aim is to assist with the dissemination of research."

Virtual Microbiology - a U. Wisconsin dynamic microbiology site

About Virtual Microbiology: "The bacteriology web site has recently been updated, and along with it, the dynamic part of the web site. There has been a bunch of work on the back end of the site including an upgrade to the content management software that runs this part of the site. ...On this site you will find the virtual textbook that is part of Microbiology 102, an introductory laboratory for non-majors. You will also find the strain identifier used in Microbiology 304, our introductory laboratory for majors. Finally, the evaluation system used by the department is also available at this site."

Online Alarm Clock - works even if the 'net doesn't

About KukuKlok: "Once loaded, the online alarm clock will work even if Internet connection goes down."

That's it. There's really not much to it. Trust me, it works!!

Universities and Colleges - educational resources

About Universities and Colleges: "Universities and Colleges is dedicated to bringing students, teachers, and self-directed learners the best educational resources online. We believe the internet is the most significant educational advance since the printing press and we obsessively scour the web for sites that share great information. We also cover breaking trends and new education technology."

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Yodio - create your own personal audio broadcast messages

Image via CrunchBase

About Yodio: "Yodio is a great place for most anyone to create their own personal broadcast messages. ...The inspiration came about as we looked for word combinations that targeted the core of our vision. Our name, YODIO, is a portmanteur – a fancy way of saying it takes the parts of two meaningful words to make a new word that suggests something. In this case we took the YO from 'Your' and the DIO from 'audio' to create YODIO. This new word has the sense of 'Your Audio' and it suggests something auditory as a creation. ...The story behind the name speaks well of Yodio. Audio recording, production and distribution are the core of the Yodio services. We began by creating a free and easy recording service where any non-professional can use the microphone on a cell phone to make one or more audio recordings. So at the most basic level – Yodio is an everyman’s system for creating podcasts."

Scriblink - free online whiteboard

About Scriblink: "Scriblink is a free digital whiteboard that users can share online in real-time. Sorta like pen and paper, minus the dead trees, plastic, and the inconvenience of being at the same place at the same time. ...We are all about collaboration. Whether you're here for fun or more practical things like layout planning, concept diagramming, or tutoring a friend in math, Scriblink brings you the power of free hand expression with anyone, at anytime, anywhere in the world. ...On the homepage you'll be immediately directed to a Scriblink board, which is free and requires no registration."

Free Music Archive - high-quality legal audio downloads

About the Free Music Archive: "The Free Music Archive is an interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads.  The Free Music Archive is being directed by WFMU, the most renowned freeform radio station in America.  Radio has always offered the public free access to new music. The Free Music Archive is a continuation of that purpose, designed for the age of the internet.

Every mp3 you discover on The Free Music Archive is pre-cleared for certain types of uses that would otherwise be prohibited by outdated copyright law.  Are you a podcaster looking for pod-safe audio? A radio or video producer searching for instrumental bed music that won't put your audience to sleep?  A remix artist looking for pre-cleared samples? Or are you simply looking for some new sounds to add to your next playlist?  The Free Music Archive is a resource for all that and more, and unlike other websites, all of the audio has been hand-picked by established audio curators."

MP3tunes - a secure online music space

About MP3tunes: "MP3tunes is a Music Service Provider (MSP) and the home of MP3tunes Locker, the only secure, online music space to feature unlimited listening. With just a couple clicks, Locker users sync up their own music collections to enjoy through any web browser and a growing number of home entertainment and mobile devices. The MP3tunes Locker is available in an ad-supported Free edition, along with the MP3tunes Premium Locker which permits larger music files, full access to album cover art and full customer support access."

VocabGrabber - another cool visualization from Thinkmap

About VocabGrabber: "Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus has launched an innovative new tool called VocabGrabber (http://vocabgrabber.com) that helps teachers and students target the key vocabulary from a text within seconds. Powered by the award-winning Visual Thesaurus software, VocabGrabber intelligently extracts words from any document and demonstrates how those words are used in context. It's a boon to language arts teachers, students of English at all levels of proficiency, or anyone who wants fresh insights into how language works.

VocabGrabber is easy to use. Simply copy a passage (up to about 100 pages) into a box on the VocabGrabber web site (http://vocabgrabber.com), click the Grab Vocabulary button, and an interactive visualization of vocabulary words and phrases immediately appears. Or add a VocabGrabber button to your toolbar, and you can grab vocabulary words from a web page with one click.

What makes VocabGrabber especially useful is the way in which the words are organized. VocabGrabber compares how often words appear in the text with the frequency of these words in standard written English overall. Grabbing the vocabulary from the United States Bill of Rights, for instance, highlights significant legal terms like probable cause and cruel and unusual punishment. Grabbing the opening of the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist, meanwhile, will quickly zero in on words like workhouse, gruel, and pauper.

Students who take advantage of VocabGrabber get to see how words are used in context instead of memorizing dry word lists. Vocabgrabber makes vocabulary come alive, providing meaningful real-life examples of words in action. It also encourages students to explore the connections between words and meanings through visually engaging word maps.

Teachers and students can use VocabGrabber to highlight vocabulary specific to a curricular subject area. That means they can work on building background knowledge for a given text -- focusing on just the science-related words from the latest news coverage about swine flu, or just the artistic and literary terms in an article about the history of poetry. Additionally, VocabGrabber can be used to select only those words that are typically taught in vocabulary instruction, extremely helpful for students preparing for local standardized tests, or national tests like the SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, and TOEFL."

From a VocabGrabber press release sent to me by Visual Theasaurus Executive  Producer, Ben Zimmer.

Personal Professional Development - a presentation by Stephen Downes

Personal Professional Development

View more presentations from Stephen Downes.

Sporacle - games and quizzes

About Sporacle: "Originally begun as a sports pick'em site, Sporcle changed directions with the response to the first quiz, U.S. Presidents. As avid crossword, Jeopardy! and trivia fans, we created that original quiz not only to test knowledge, but also as a way to learn a piece of information that seemed to come up again and again. Since then, Sporcle has continued to create quizzes for entertainment, memory and diversion (don't worry, we won't tell your boss)."

edHelper - resources for teachers

About edHelper: "edHelper.com is dedicatedto providing teachers a single shop for educational resources."

I frequently visit the edHelper puzzle links for wordlists and ideas for making puzzles for my Dad to keep his mind sharp. I found loads of free resources with just a little digging.

English Vocabulary Word Lists with Games, Puzzles and Quizzes

About the site: "This is a large collection of English vocabulary word lists with many online games that use these word lists. You can choose a word list then choose which game to play or you can first choose a game, then choose which set of words you want to use. You can also jump from one game to another using the same word list. Though we designed this web site for people studying English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL), native English speakers should also find this site interesting."

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Twitter Handbook for Teachers - free pdf

Twitter Handbook for Teachers

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu human twitter

Math is Everywhere - a Flickr image pool

Down You go, originally uploaded by Flashheart HP.

Link here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/50647891@N00/pool/

Marine Biology - a Flickr image pool

Hard Coral (Dendrophyllia gracilis), originally uploaded by prilfish.

Stunning. Biology teachers, here's your Marine Biology Flickr pool. Link here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/44124329098@N01/pool/

The Art of Science - a Flickr image pool

New Galaxy in progress?, originally uploaded by Nanci.

A great resource for science pics. If you're a Science teacher and have a Flickr account, consider signing up and contributing. If you don't have a Flickr account, why not?! Get one here http://www.flickr.com and start sharing. Link here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/science-is-golden/pool/

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MOO - a cool printing company

About MOO: "MOO is a printing company. We print beautiful products, using images you've uploaded directly, or designs from our designer galleries."

About MOO Mini Business Cards: "Use up to 100 full colour photos or designs on your mini calling-cards. Add up to 6 lines of text on the reverse of the card. Select fonts & colours. Use for everything from self-promotion to craft or gifts – even gift tags! MiniCards are packaged in a sturdy, recyclable plastic box."

I usually promote free, online Web tools. However, I recently purchased a pack of MOO Mini Business Cards and a keychain card holder box thingy. They're so cool, I thought I'd share them here. Name, email address, Google Voice number, and blog URL are just enough personal contact information to give a new friend at a conference or meet-up where my employer's business card isn't really appropriate. On the back, I show off some of my Flickr photos. They're perfect for in-person, non-business related social networking. The keychain fob ensures I always have them.

MOO Mini Business Cards:

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FFFFOUND! - fav images posted by people you don't know

About: "FFFFOUND! is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user's tastes and interests for an inspirational image-bookmarking experience!!"

Debategraph - a debate visualization tool

About Debategraph: "Debategraph is: (1) A wiki debate visualization tool that lets you: * present the strongest case on any debate that matters to you; * openly engage the opposing arguments; * create and reshape debates, make new points, rate and filter the arguments; * monitor the evolution of debates via RSS feeds; and, * share and reuse the debates on and offline;(2) A web-based, creative commons project to increase the transparency and rigor of public debate everywhere—by making the collective insight and intelligence of the global community freely available to all and filtering out the noise."

A sample debate graph:

AcroMaker - an acronym generator

For fun, try the AcroMaker, an acronym generator. Input your acronym, AcroMaker spits out words.

Math World - a Flickr image pool

16+1 polyhedron models, originally uploaded by fdecomite.

Mathematics ... not my favorite subject in school, but I think I might have been inspired if I'd only been able to see it in action. Browse the Math World Flickr pool for more cool images like this one. Link here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/44124329098@N01/pool/

Linktivity - a graphic communications tool

About Linktivity: "LinktivityPresenter is a personal graphic communications tool for everyone. You can draw, highlight and type directly on your computer screen, on PowerPoint slides, on Word documents, Excel sheets or on any application that you have open on your computer. LinktivityPresenter is great for sales, professional services, consultants, trainers, software documentation, usability studies, quality assurance, incident reporting, medical professionals, online shoppers and more."

JayCut - online video editing

About JayCut: "JayCut provides everything you need to successfully launch and manage video on the web. Our solutions range from award-winning video editing technology to complete customized video communities. Our platforms are geared to serve both premium rich-media content and user generated content to millions of users using simple management and display functionality that includes remixing, moderation and syndication – in other words a one stop shop for web video and endless new possibilities of user engagement with media.

...Engage your visitors to a whole new level with JayCut’s award-winning online video editing technology. The video editing platform is fully accessible using merely a web browser which opens a totally new interactive dimension to user generated video projects. Let your visitors boost their creativity with the right tools to create astonishing videos and photo slideshows in an instant.

...Our technology supports 100+ input formats and the output flexibility is unparalleled today, allowing export to a cell phone just as easily as to video sites, blogs and Social Networks. ...The JayCut web TV platform is the easiest way to publish and keep track of all your video content using a personal online video library.

...Don’t worry about the ever growing abundance of different formats and encodings, just up-load all your content in a couple of seconds and let JayCuts video encoding functions do the rest. Your videos will never be further away than one click from your website. Your Web TV solution will be complete with useful statistics and selectable thumbnails."