Novice
Animoto is a web application that, with the click of a button, produces videos using images and music that a user selects. Language teachers and students can choose culturally-appropriate images and audio to produce short movies that can be used in language presentations. These can be looked at on the web or embedded in blogs to be shared with classmates. Some NOVASTARTALK products have included videos on Chinese food and Arabic scripts.
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Bamboo Paper - Note taking with iPad
Bamboo Paper is a free app for iPad, which turns your iPad into a notebook. You can use it to sketch your thoughts and ideas in an authentic paper-like digital notebook and your notes can be shared visually and easily. You can also use it to practice your penmanship of writing in non-western language characters such as Chinese, Arabic, etc.
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How to Create Your Own Blog Using Blogger
Blogger allows you to create your own personalized blog where you can post content (text, audio, video, images, etc.) that can be viewed and commented upon by your user community.
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Beginner
Todays Meet is a free micro-blogging site without logins. It allows teachers to easily create a virtual chat room where students can speak up. Its interface is very easy to use and like Twitter, it uses a 140-character limit. The information discussed can be saved.
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Using Comic Strips (ToonDoo) to Teach Foreign Languages
ToonDoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for kids. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. ToonDoo was the happy result of brainstorming session that was aimed at creating a new way of expression for those who do not have the talent to draw.
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Using VoiceThread in the World Language Classroom
A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too, all with no software to install.
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Intermediate
Picasa is an image editing software from Google that helps you organize, edit, and share your photos. It's free, and easy to use and works on both PC and Mac. The program is free and has many features that you'd typically have to use an advanced image editor such as Photoshop in order to make those same changes without Picasa.
Keeping your students engaged with PollEverywhere
PollEverywhere is an online service that lets your audience interact with your live presentation using their web browsers, or mobile phones. You can also insert the polls into your PowerPoint presentations or web pages. The poll that is embedded there will be update in real time.
Using Non-Linear Presentation Tools (Prezi) in the World Languages Classroom
Prezi is an online presentation builder which can be used to introduce ideas/concepts in a much more creative, visual and dynamic way than PowerPoint slides.
Advanced
A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too, all with no software to install.
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Voxopop: Using Asynchronous Voice Tools in the World Language Classroom
Voxopop is an asynchronous voice tool that can be used for conversations or storytelling.
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Wikispaces in the Language Classroom
Wikis are an effective collaboration and organizational tool to archive student and instructor coursework, lessons, videos and other instructional materials. Wikispaces is a free and easy to use wiki resource currently used by faculty members, instructional technologists and students in a variety of fields.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY&w=640&h=480]
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