instaGrok

instaGrok is a free search engine site that looks like a mix between Tag Galaxy and Google's Wonder Wheel.  When you type in a search term, you will get a connected web of results.  From the original search results, you can click on a subcategory that will then expand with a new web of related terms and topics.

For each search topic on the right of your screen you will see:

• key facts 
• website links to information 
• videos
• images
• quizzes
• concepts

A sliding button at the top of the page lets you toggle your search results from beginner to expert.  At the expert level you will get a more defined search of the topic, while the beginner level is a much broader scope.

If you create a free account with instaGrok, you then have the opportunity to keep a journal of your search results, and can even "pin" topics you wish to save.

Classroom Integration Ideas:
instaGrok can be a great tool for students to use to refine a research topic and to organize that information while conducting their research. Teachers can take advantage of the linked videos and quizzes to use in their lessons.

Three Timeline Tools

Being a former social studies teacher, timelines have always interested me.  Below are three sites that allow users to create interactive timelines  

Better World Flux is a site that allows users to create animated visualizations of development data. To use Better World Flux simply select a data(such as life expectancy, child mortality rate, mobile subscription, etc) set from the menu provided and select the countries you would like to see the data on. An animated data visualization is created, which will change as the years on the timeline at the bottom of the visualization change. You can see growth and recession of a statistic over time.

Classroom integration ideas:

• Students can track the progress of countries from a list of given indicators
• Students create and share most compelling visualization timeline

XTimeline is a site that allows students fine information about featured timelines, as well as create their own.  The timelines can be collaborated on, just as they would when making a wiki, to build a multimedia timeline. Timelines built using XTimeline can include text, images, and video, and will accept dates in A.D./B.C. format.

The timelines can be embedded into a website or blog.

Classroom integration ideas:

• Students can easily research the life of famous figures. 
• Students can create a timeline for a specific topic and include images. 
• Younger students (or as introduction to timelines in JH) could create a personal timeline using their own images and information. 

Time Toast is free site that allows users to easily build their own interactive timeline.
To add events to a timeline, users click on the "add an event" button. An event box pops up, allowing the you to enter enter text, place a link, or add a picture. Once built the timeline can be shared via a URL or embedded into another site.

Classroom integration ideas:

• Students can create a timeline for a specific topic and include images.

Zooburst - revisited

ZooBurst is a free website that allows users to create 3D pop-up books using nothing more than public domain clip art and ZooBurst's web-based editing tools. 

Users can view ZooBurst 3D books online as long as your web browser has Flash.  The books can be rotated in the 3D environment, and images on the book can be clicked on to open additional information for each.  [Check out the gallery for examples.]

While anyone can view the books already created, to create your own teachers must submit a short request form to have a free account created. Teachers can also create accounts for their students as well. Once a book has been started, the user can edit the pop-up book's page, and background.  Images can be uploaded to be placed on specific pages, then be resized and placed in the forefront or background of the scene.  Text can be added to each page, with word balloons to each specific image.  To create a book in augmented reality, enable the webcam, then click the ZB button present on each story.  

Once a book as been created, you can share it with a web link or embed it in a web page. 

Classroom Integration Ideas:

• Students can create a pop-up book for a historical or literary character
• Teachers create a book for a specific event / holiday 
• Make a tutorial book on a given topic 
• Middle School / High School students can use to create biographical projects
• Creative Writing projects for any grade level

Alphabetimals

Alphabetimals is a free site that helps students learn the alphabet. There is an interactive flipbook featuring animal sounds as well as the pronunciations of animal names.

The Alphabetimals characters can spell out any word that is typed. It can then be printed for you. Overall a simple but fun site for students learning the alphabet.

2EPUB

2EPUB is an free to use website that offers a simple way to convert text documents into ePub documents for viewing on all iDevices. 2EPUB supports the conversion of many file types including Doc, Docx, ODT, PDF, and HTML. You can provide 2EPUB with the URL of your documents or upload them directly from your computer. Once the file is uploaded, set the display parameters, and click convert. When the conversion is complete you can download your file and use it on any device that supports ePub display.


Classroom Integration Ideas:


Teachers or students can create documents that can be made available for viewing on the iPad or other iDevices. Such as:

• study guides
• student created short stories or poems
• essays

gText

gText is a new site that provides a great free service for group text messaging by creating groups in the gText account.  You can send text messages as well as share files, photos, and calendars as well.
Your texts can be sent from your phone or from your computer. By default gText keeps group members' phone numbers private.

Sock Puppets

Sock Puppets is a simple app that let's you create digital stories using virtual sock puppets.  Students or teachers can select up to four different sock puppet characters and up to five backgrounds. After they   select the props and scenery they want to use, they can move the puppets around and record voices for each puppet. Each recording can be up to thirty seconds.


Classroom Integration Ideas:

Students or the teacher can use this app for storytelling to help them create and publish digital stories.   Several students can record their voices to create a short play.
An advantage of using this for speaking practice is that it’s the sock puppet that’s actually speaking on the display, not the student.


Other ideas:

• Students could record short poems
• ESL students could practice dialogue