Text 2 Mind Map

Text 2 Mind Map

 

Text 2 Mind Map is a free outlining tool that allows students and teachers to customize a mind map with colors, fonts, lines and even layouts. 

 

Mind Maps can be downloaded, saved as a PDF and even printed. Since you are generating the Mind Map by inputting your data/information, there is no copyright restrictions against adding them to your web pages, class notes, etc.

If you can type an outline, your can create a Mind Map:

 

As you can see below, Mind Maps can even be content heavy:

  As always, for more information on this Web 2.0 Tool and other 

resources, please visit with your campus librarian. Happy Mapping.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of data.

In the olden days, creating an infographic required a great amount of design skill. But with the wonderful Web 2.0 world, it's as easy as clicking on a few choices and entering your data.

(Graphic from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dashburst/8448339735/)

Think of all the possibilities for student projects - timelines, graphs representing scientific data, venn diagrams for character comparisions, annotated historical maps, math comparisons of data.

A few sites that help you create infographics:

Infogr.am
Infogram allows you to add more than 30 different types of charts, includes the option to import data from spreadsheets and other files and the final product can be downloaded, embedded in your website and shared with other viewers.

Piktochart
Piktochart has ready to use themes that can be customized for your needs.  It has easy to use drag and drop functions, interactive charts and high resolution graphics.

Visually
Visually gives you templates that you can customize.  It will pull data from a social media network, including specific hashtags, and create a story.

Dipity
Dipity is primarily a timeline product. You can show the progress of events over a period of time.

Easelly
Easelly lets you create charts easily (easelly?) by clicking and moving your mouse.


For more information about infographics::
10 Fun Tools to Easily Make Your Own Infographics
10 of the Best Tools for Creating Infographics
10 Awesome Free Tools to Make Infographics

To see some great examples of infographics:
40 Useful and Creative Infographics
10 of My Favorite Infographics

Here's an infographic I created about a typical day in the ECISD Libraries created using info.gram.

A Day in the Library | Create infographics

Check out this tutorial for making an infographic using easel.ly and info.gram:

Creating infographics | screencast tutorial from School Library Journal on Vimeo.

Symbaloo

Symbaloo is a free visual bookmarking application that allows you to organize your web links as buttons with icons or logos. However, it can be used as more than just a bookmarking site.  You can create webmixes that include sites you want students to visit on a particular subject matter for research and then embed that webmix on your webpage or in Edmodo. 

Here is an example of a webmix for WWII .

You can save your webmixes to adjust them annually as needed and create multiple mixes to coincide with individual lessons.  You can even share your webmixes with others and/or easily search for mixes already created.  It is extremely user friendly and easy to use.  All this for FREE.

Here is an example of the HMS Library Webmix.

To create an account and get started today for free, visit www.symbaloo.com.

Wordle

Wordle

Wordle has been around for some time, but is still a  valuable Web 2.0 tool.

From Wordle: "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends."

Anyone can copy text into the Wordle Site and create a word cloud. Here is one of the                    ECISD Mission Statement:

 

Words that are considrered "common" (the, a, is, etc..) are automatically deleted from the Wordle.

For the classroom, a Wordle can be used to help students actualize on a dramatic scale how they use words in their writing. Here is an example of W.H. Auden's Poem, "Funeral Blues":

 Please visit your campus librarian for more information on Wordles or other Web 2.0 Tools.

 

 

QR Codes

QR Codes

Quick Response Codes

 

  Scan above to see where it takes you! Yes -- you can scan thru a projection or computer!

QR codes are optical labels, first popular with the automotive industry, that record data using black dots in a square pattern on a white background.

Download the QR Code Reader App for iOS or Android Devices.

 Access QR Code Generating Sites here or here.

Here is an example of the periodic table that will take you to videos about the element.

 

Other ways to use QR Codes:

 

Make a classroom Treasure Hunt were students complete questions around your classroom or school.

Have students create work and submit the QR Code as there final project. Display for parent night.

Post the homework or enrichment activity for the day outside your door for students to scan.

Add to assignments to hi-light webpages/databases.

Have students create codes for work and have students share their work by exchanging QR codes.

As always, stop by the library to discuss ideas and other uses of QR Codes with the campus librarian.

Scoop.it

Are all your websites bookmarked on one computer . . . your other computer?

Do you have websites that you would like to share with your students or colleagues?

Are you addicted to Pinterest and want something similar for your professional learning?

Check out Scoop.it.

from the website:
Scoop.it lets you share ideas that matter and shine on the Web through beautiful topic pages. Collect relevant content and add your insight to attract an avid audience. As a social media and content curation publishing platform, Scoop.it gives you an effective and efficient way to build your Online presence.


Not only can you store your bookmarks in one place that is accessible from any device with Internet access, you can annotate them, tag with labels, and highlight important sections.

You can create up to 5 topics for free.  Scoop.it will also suggest content for you to add to your page.

Ideas for Scoop.it:

Create a Scoop.it for your next class project to help direct student research.

Share useful articles with your department and stimulate discussions.



Check out my first Scoop.it topic on e-books.


Other bookmarking/curation sites you might want to check out:
Delicious
Diigo
Pinterest
Storify
Symbaloo

LiveBinders

Do you still have 3-ring binders full of materials you use in the classroom that you lug around everywhere?  Have you ever forgotten that binder at home or school and couldn’t access your information?  Now there is a solution for you to create those binders online so you can access your information from anywhere and share them with your department.

It is an easy way for you to collect and organize your resources.  You can save websites, videos, pictures, and even documents.  All you have to do is sign up for free and a tutorial binder is created for you.

Watch this introductory video and be amazed. 

For more information or to create an account, visit LiveBinders.