Desmos Interactive Graphing Calculator
I’ve written about Desmos before – they are developing some very interesting online whiteboard software which is still currently in beta.
But while we’re waiting for the full release, Desmos have released something else they’ve been working on as a side project, and thats their Desmos Calculator, available at www.abettercalculator.com
You can very quickly enter equations using a combination of the keyboard and the pop up equation builder. The lines immediately appear on the graph. Change the equation and see the change in the line straight away. Or layer multiple lines on the same graph.
Here’s what Desmos had to say about it:
We set out to reimagine the graphing calculator from the ground up, building on the best technologies available. This is beautiful, powerful, intuitive math that lives in your browser. Graph multiple functions in vivid color and watch them update as you type. Save your work to the cloud or share it with friends. Transform your computer or tablet into a math engine. This is just the beginning—and it’s all completely free.
Maths teachers should definitely bookmark this. It’s a totally free resource running in HTML5 so it will even run on your iPad via mobile Safari.
Go take a look at Desmos Graphing Calculator here, and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Read MoreDumpr – fun with your photos
Dumpr is a great little website that has lots of tools for doing creative things with your images. Simply choose an effect from the 21 on offer, upload your photograph and Dumpr will do the rest. You can then save your image to use elsewhere.
For example, turn an image into a Rubiks Cube:
This is a great way to create avatars images for social media, or present your images in creative ways in blog posts or student presentations. The site is free to use. Take a look at : http://www.dumpr.net/
And if you like Dumpr. also check out Big Huge Labs which has some other fun tools.
Thanks to Jan Webb (@janwebb21) for the link.
Got any other sites like this you can recommend? Share them in the comments!
Read MorePhoto Pin : a creative commons image search tool
PhotoPin is another great search tool that lets you search for creative commons images to use in class projects and blogs.
Simply search for any topic using the search box , preview the photo, and click “get photo” to download the photo as well as the code with proper attribution link. If you prefer to pay for your photos rather than linking to it, the results at the top will take you to a stock photo site where you can buy photos instead (currently fotolia).
Check it out at : http://photopin.com
If you want other search tools, check out this blog post from 2009: Creative Commons Image Sources for your IWB which has several of my favourites listed.
Thanks to Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers for the link.
Let me know what you think of PhotoPin in the comments below!
Read MoreBeautiful Curves – fun drawing tool
Beautiful Curves is a cute little drawing application, creating almost organic-looking artwork. According to its creator “Beautiful curves simulates that little bit of randomness in life, where you never know whats going to happen next.”
It’s a fun application, which would work on your interactive whiteboard.
QR Voice – talking QR Codes
QR Voice provides an interesting angle on the regular QR codes that have been doing the rounds recently. QR voice encodes a given text message into QR code that once scanned by a QR scanner smartphone application reproduces the message with a synthesized voice.
So basically you type the text in (up to 100 characters) and QR voice gives you the link.
For example, scan this with a QR reader on your mobile phone such as QuickMark
You could use this to make scavenger hunts, or give additional information on a worksheet or wall display. You can also choose from the language settings, so MFL teachers could give instructions for a scavenger hunt in French or Spanish perhaps?
Is maybe a little gimmicky, but as something extra to try now and then you might find some interesting uses for it.
Check it out at http://qrvoice.net
Read MoreAnswerGarden – quick, simple brainstorming
AnswerGarden is an interesting site which you can use for collecting short pieces of data from your class, blog readers or from anyone with an internet connection.
You simply set up an answergarden page by asking a question. Visitors to that page can then enter a short (20 characters) response – which are then displayed on the page below the question. Admin tools let you limit how many posts can be made from any ip address at a time, and an admin password can be set up if you want to.
For an example, take a look at http://answergarden.ch/view/20438
This would be good for brainstorming in a class, collecting words for different themes for creative writing, or simple data collection. You could also use it for quick feedback on a session. You can’t write a lot, so answers need to be short – it wouldn’t be possible to collect things like weblinks via this site.
You can share your page via a link, automatically share on Twitter and Facebook or get an embed code to share on you rblog or VLE. The site will even generate a QR code for you which users can scan with their phones.
When you’ve finished, the collected words can be exported to wordle or tagxedo to create a wordcloud – a great idea.
Thanks to Chris Mason (@57Mason) for sharing this via Twitter during #asechat
It’s definitely an interesting site, and could be a useful alternative to sites like WallWisher if you just want something quick. And even better, it’s totally free!
Check it out at : http://answergarden.ch/
Read MoreVisuwords – interactive visual thesaurus
Visuwords is an interesting interactive visual thesaurus tool. Users can look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. It produces an interactive node diagram which shows how the words are associated with other words.
Enter words into the search box to look them up or double-click a node to expand the tree. Click and drag the background to pan around and use the mouse wheel to zoom. Hover over nodes to see the definition and click and drag individual nodes to move them around to help clarify connections.
Take a look for yourself at : http://www.visuwords.com/
Read MoreFileLab – online video and audio editing
FileLab is an online Video and Audio editor. It’s a free, alternative to software such as Windows MovieMaker or Audacity. OK, both of those are already free, but especially in the case of MovieMaker any alternative is welcome.
FileLab provides a very user-friendly editor. I had a play with the video editor and found it quite simple to add some clips, add text over the top and create a transition. There are quite a few video effects and transitions available.
To use the site you do need to install a plugin – so you might need to speak to your ict technician to get it installed on your school computers. The same plugin is used for both the audio and the video editor.
Also – to download your finished movie you will need to sign in to the site with either your Facebook, Google or Yahoo accounts. This may be a problem in schools. There’s no option to sign up directly with the website. You could set up a class Google or Yahoo account I guess.
If you are looking for an alternative to MovieMaker (and who isn’t) – then it’s well worth taking a look at FileLab.
Try it out at : https://www.filelab.com/
Read MoreMusic Shake – free online music creator
Music shake is an online music creation tool that lets you create your own original music track from thousands of copyright-free music samples.
To make music, choose a music style from the bottom of the screen, and then click in the squares to add layers of different instruments. Some blocks of music – such as the drum beats, can be altered once added. Clicking the numbers at the top will change the chord for that block.
It’s good fun and I was able to create a short loop of music very quickly.
You need to register with the site to save your clips, but registration is free. The T&C does state that no under 13s should use the site, so keep that in mind when planning to use this with your class.
Check it out at : http://eng.musicshake.com/create
Update : A paid for, educational version of Music Shake is also available. You can take a look at http://edu.musicshake.com/
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