Apps and tools you may not know... With thanks to Pete Fraser Pete's Media Blog HERE
1. Padlet: this app allows you to put together a 'wall' of stuff. It looks a bit like Pinterest but is probably best used as a way of everyone in class putting up their ideas on a whiteboard, so it becomes like a 'live team wall' for sharing ideas and work done. Here's an example from a lower school english lesson:
2. Trello: this is effectively a
'digital to do list' and is ideal for long term group projects like
coursework. You can organise things into three columns, for example,
with 'to do', 'doing' and 'done' and gradually tasks shift to the third
column, giving a sense of completion. Here's one from a diploma project:
3. Piktochart is an
excellent tool for making infographics, which can look pretty good and
express your information in really clear, visual terms. When you login,
it even has fellow members online to help you with problems! Here's one
on computer programming:
4. Simplebooklet
allows you to create attractive booklets from otherwise dull material
and stick them online. It is a bit like templates for desktop
publishing, but can certainly liven up your material:
If you click on the image above, you can go into any of the booklets and
see what is possible. It would be a good way of producing a summary of
your research and planning work from your blog, for example.
5. Pixlr is a cut-down online picture
editing tool. It doesn't do as much as Photoshop, but it is free and
accessible anywhere. Give it a try.
6. Animoto: You may be familiar with
this video editor, but if not, give it a try. It allows you to make up
to 30 second videos out of stills, so is ideal for presenting bits of
research as slightly more sophisticated slideshows.
Christina's video above shows her storyboard.
7. Finally, Kickstarter- why
not think about using it in combination with some of these apps and
tools to make your project that little more 'real'? really helps you to
get to grips with issues of audience and institution!
