Google Tools

Google Notebook for Firefox

This is a great way to clip parts of web pages and store them in various "notebooks". The "mini notebook" has a link in your browser's lower right hand corner for quick access. When you highlight part of a web page and click "clip", the notebook copies that part of the web page and automatically adds the title and URL for that web page. A tour of this extension is available here. You can make an single notebook publicly available as I did here. (Note: That notebook only contains some of my links from the NJECC presentation.) Though you need to download the extension to "clip" parts of web pages, you can log in and access your notebooks from any browser.

Google Browser Sync

"Google Browser Sync for Firefox is an extension that continuously synchronizes your browser settings – including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords – across your computers. It also allows you to restore open tabs and windows across different machines and browser sessions."

http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/browsersync/

Foxmarks Bookmark Sychronizer for Firefox

"If you use Firefox on more than one computer, you'll want Foxmarks. Install Foxmarks on each computer, and it will work silently in the background to keep your bookmarks synchronized. As a bonus, log in to my.foxmarks.com from any computer anywhere to access your bookmarks.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2410

Online Videos for Education

We all know about You Yube. Some of us may use TeacherTube.

Next Vista for Learning also has videos, its focus is a bit different. "Its central project is a free, online library of teacher- and student-made short videos for learners everywhere. Next Vista believes a strong four-minute video could save students days or weeks of frustration by providing a variety of presentations on the topics that give them trouble." There are three categories of videos: Light Bulbs are instruction on various topics, Global Views are made for and by teenagers with intros to different parts of the world, and Seeing Service contains profiles of people "who make life better for others". This site is young and I believe the founder, Rushton Hurley, is looking for contributions.

Imagination Cubed by GE

GE has created a wonderful online whiteboard.

Besides the fact they have included the ability to invite other to collaborate with you (and chat in a small side window), they have included many options - to name a few: stamps, shapes, lines and text. You can change the color and somethings have a size option. You can undo your own work. You can print, save, email and even replay what you drew. Great for all ages. Have fun!

http://www.imagination3.com/LaunchPage

MindMeister for Mind Mapping (Webbing)

From the MindMeister website:
"MindMeister supports all the standard features of a classic mind mapping tool - only online, and with as many simultaneous users as you like!"

Invite users to collaborate on a map or just view it. Publish it to the web for all to see if you like. You can even

Some shortcuts I found - enter/return and tab are the keys you will use most. Enter/return cements your text. Press enter again and you get a new bubble at the same level. Press tab and you get a bubble attached to your current bubble. Drag the bubbles around to rearrange, though it is quite picky about where you drop things. If it's not doing you want it to, try dropping the bubble on top of the one you want to attach to.

http://www.mindmeister.com/

Feedback Please (Google requires it:-)

If you heard me speak at NJECC please provide me with feedback. Since my presentation is part of my action plan from the Google Teachers Academy, I really need to hear what you thought about the presentation and how you are using (or intend to use) the resources I presented. Also, if you intend to pass these resources, specific ones or the whole blog, on to others please let me know. Thank you in advance.

Cool Tools for Educational Technology

This blog complements a presentation I gave at the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC) on May 17, 2007. You will find here posts organized mostly by the different tools shared during my presentation. Don't miss the the post on miscellaneous tools and fun stuff not presented live. Please feel free to comment and share resources if you would like. Also, please indicate if you were at the presentation. Enjoy!