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www.socrative.com

I have previously raved about Socrative, the website that turns any device into a “clicker” (student response system). I still love and recommend this site!

In an email blast this past week, the company announced a couple new features it has now implemented (if you “activate” them on your account- read on). The first feature is great- the ability to add an image to a question! While you can’t add images for the answer choices, this does allow you to add a single image to your question:

OK, so it’s not earth-shattering, but it does open up some possibilities. Just think- you can now add a diagram, chart, or graph and ask questions about that image. This has some possibilities! And if you did want an image for each answer choice in a question? Use something like iPiccy to create a single image containing the answer choices as such:

The other feature that Socrative has added is the ability to grade free-text short answers. You do this by entering in all possible answer choices and spelling variations. These open-ended answers can then be evaluated and included in the grading!

To activate these features, you must first fill out the quick survey to complete your teacher profile at their website! Enjoy!

BTW- the answers to the above questions: Ronald Reagan did not win the state of Minnesota (Walter Mondale’s home state). And Joan Jett, answer C, sang “I Love Rock and Roll.” Can you name the others pictured? Answers here.

http://www.codeyear.com/

OK, I will be the first one to admit that I am not a programmer and barely a “coder.” I know some HTML and Javascript- enough to make a few little helpful websites and web-based functions (like this citation generator). But I am also one of those people who love to learn new things- and learning some basics of programming could come in real handy for an educator who likes to explore with technology.

That’s where CodeYear (by Codecademy) comes in. If you sign up at this site, they will email you a new lesson every Monday to continue learning programming/coding basics. The nice thing is that you get to use their editor- no other programs to use, no compiling, etc. You start off learning Javascript, but can also progress to learn other languages:

You earn buttons for your profile to brag about how smart you are:

This site is a really nice setup to learn new languages in a non-threatening way. Oh, did I mention it’s FREE!

Give it a try!

http://wikicards.net

This is one of those sites I have been waiting for! I love using index cards to organize my thoughts, create outlines for classes or lessons, and to review all sorts of material. The ease in which they can be created and rearranged and grouped is what I like best. And until now, I have never found a suitable digital solution. Sure, I could use electronic post-it notes, but how are you supposed to group those? And what if I want more than just text on a card? And now enters Wikicards!

This awesome site allows you to create as many “cards” as you want. These cards can be text or uploaded files such as documents, images, website shortcuts, almost anything! Then the cards can be grouped, tagged, and rearranged. To top that off, projects can be shared with others, password protected and more! The possibilities for this are endless. Here’s my example of research for events leading to the American Revolution. If you want to see the actual project, follow this link.

Now, there are some limitations, so before you get too excited, read carefully. In order to drag files into your project, you must be using Chrome, Safari, or Firefox 4+ (which is still in beta at this time).  This is due to utilizing several components within HTML 5 (which is in its infancy at the moment). Also, after adding cards or files, you may need to click the refresh button on your browser to see the changes.

How else can this be used?

• Arranging ideas and planning for writing assignments
• Managing “to-do” tasks
• Grouping and arranging photos
• Vocabulary lists
• Classifying items
• and on and on and on

http://quizlet.com

Among the sea of homework helper websites and study tools, Quizlet floats at the top! As a college graduate whose primary method of study was via thousands of flash cards, I can really appreciate this site! For learning vocabulary, nothing beats Quizlet- and yes, it’s FREE!

A student, or better yet- an inspired teacher, can enter vocabulary terms which will appear on one side of the card. Suggested definitions will automatically display from which to choose (or if you must, type your own)! And what’s even better- suggested images that match the term will be displayed (or you can upload your own). Once created, students can choose from the following activities:

And these aren’t just plain flash card flipping reviews! The Test activity displays questions in a variety of formats…

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