Monday, February 19, 2007

Cool Tools to explore

So many cool tools to explore with potential for use by educators (for professional learning and classroom) and students!

Tiny Map provides a simple web app based on Googlemaps, waypoints and embedded notes to quickly create a map and unique URL/code for each map. The example here represents Victoria Square, the centre of the city of Adelaide, South Australia.

Other tools with potential include: Woophy (not in the Flickr league (a favourite) but an interesting map-based interface, themed photo contest and ratings);

Yahoo! Pipes (create data mashups and remix popular feed types); Sketchr (Draw, save and share your online art); Yugma (free web conferencing service); Flash Earth; Basecamp (project management); Leafletter (mini website); Letterpop; Mapwing – virtual tours; Scrapblogs; Many Eyes (data visualisation) and more, including a variety of mashups, audio and geospatial tools.

The open source authoring tool, eXe , particularly the 0.20.2 (ready to run version) is very promising. It includes i-devices and pedagogical tips and facilitates re-mixing content, including Media Wiki content. eXe is an e-learning tool that provides professional web-publishing capabilities that can be easily referenced or imported by learning management systems. I use Moodle. Content can be exported, including SCORM objects. Forum activity suggests an increasing user base.

Any comments or examples from educators using any of these (or similar) tools?

5 comments:

  1. eXe. I've had a very quick look at the docs, downloaded the 'Ready to Run' version and I am liking what I am seeing. I think that I will be making some time in term 2 to learn about this. It appears to be a very sensible and ethical development. I like the fact that it works across platforms and the way that ir appears to integrate with Moodle. My hope is that it shrinks my development time for Moodle.
    Good find. Thanks Vonnie.

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  2. Hi Wara,
    I was pretty excited by the potential of this tool when I discovered it last year but experienced a few difficulties until the latest version was released. The wiki integration (with auto Creative Commons licensing) is great! Love the iDevices and it's pretty intuitive.
    I keep up to date with release info, bugs and features via an RSS from the active eduforge (eXe) forum. I have also explored Xerte and will continue to track developments with this tool.

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  3. Love your work. Had a brief glance at Xerte. Gosh now there might be a choice. What do you see wins the comparison? Which do you think I should invest energy into?

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  4. Hi Wara,
    I would go with eXe. It keeps on getting better! You can even create your own iDevices if you feel energetic and creative!
    Check out the Online Manual and tips on WikiEducator too.

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  5. Thanks for that.

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