Little By Little

I can usually count on one of the technology people in the know on Twitter to tweet about applications they've discovered.  Less than two weeks ago, Richard Byrne, educator, speaker and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers, featured a new service in one of his posts. Stipple functions to create interactive images similar to Thinglink.  I featured Thinglink in a post nearly two years ago.  I decided to give Stipple a try to test its ease of use.

Currently the service is free.  Users under the age of thirteen are not allowed to sign up for this application.  When you click the blue Sign Up button a new window appears.  You can create an account by entering in a username (it can't be changed later), an email address and password.  If you so choose, you can use your Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, Google or Etsy account to connect to Stipple.  You are asked to read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.  A confirmation code is sent to your email address to complete the registration process.

A new screen appears.  On the left the icons from top to bottom represent:

• your dashboard
• ability to browse the images of others
• library of uploaded images
• connect Stipple to your web site and 
• connect your Stipple images to the products you may sell.

To the right of this tool bar are two other icons.  The first, the series of lines, opens and closes the navigation bar.  The second is an instant option for getting images from a URL link, by uploading from your computer, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and Google +.

 

Moving over to the right-hand side you can search images on Stipple, check for notifications and access your settings as shown in the image below.  It's now time to move to the center and click on the blue Get Started button.  The first step is to get an image.

If taking images from your computer you can drag them to the space or search your files.  You can add as many images as you desire.  When you click done, Stipple asks you to confirm the images are your own, giving attribution to you.  You can still upload images that are not yours, but credit will not be given to you.

When you accept this, a new window opens.  This shows each of the images you have added.  As you can see none of the four pictures I uploaded have been tagged yet.  Beneath each image you have the option to add a caption, choose a date and time of publication and delete the photo.

When you mouse over the image in the lower left-hand corner a small plus sign appears.  This is how tags are added.  When you click that icon your mouse becomes a plus sign.  Move it to the desired spot and click.  Your choices will appear.

You can add media from Everbrite, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, SoundCloud, Twitter, Vimeo, Wikipedia, YouTube and Google Maps.  You can decide not to use any of those by entering in your own title and description.  When you click on Save a tiny icon appears in the circle designating the type of media.

When mousing over the stippled image all the tags appear.  I have links to three Wikipedia articles, one video and a Google Map.  The tiny i in the right-hand corner gives all the attribution information.  By adding tags to this photograph it now becomes part of the public domain housed at Stipple.  

When the image is selected, it is enlarged and more options are available.  You can share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google +.  It can be liked or added to a set.  Comments can be left.  A URL link and HTML code are shown.  As you can see along the top more sophisticated tracking features are offered documenting the use of your images.  

At this time Stipple has an iOS 6.1 or later app which can be obtained through the AppStore.  The site promises that an Android app is on the way. As I was exploring Stipple, I toggled back and forth between this application and Thinglink.

At this time the advantage of Stipple is you add an element by going to a single site and searching for a specific item, narrowing your choices.  In Thinglink you enter in a keyword and a list of choices appears from many sites.  The search is very broad.  In Thinglink and Stipple you can add a URL for which you have previously searched that is not one of their listed sites.  

Another advantage of Stipple is the more detailed and extensive statistics gathered about your image.  For those people using this application for research purpose, taking polls or as a business, this is a plus.  Statistics are compiled at Thinglink but they are not as in-depth.  

Thinglink is the older of the two, providing hints for educational use and a free upgrade to a teacher account.  Thinglink does allow persons under the age of thirteen to use the site under supervision of parents or guardians.  

As far as ease of use Stipple gets high marks.  Each tag can be edited or deleted.  (When you open a tag by clicking on it, an arrow appears in the lower right-hand corner.  Click on it to edit.) The presentation of each photograph within a frame is a nice touch.  The ability to comment, like, add an image to a set and have the sharing options all in one place is a plus.  

I can see using this in a classroom for research purposes.  Images could be posted prompting students to do research relative to the subject.  Once the research is complete the stipples could be added by a person holding an account. This application offers the opportunity for older students to work jointly with younger students on group projects.  For students older than thirteen this is a great interactive presentation tool.    

It's going to be interesting to see where Stipple is after being available to the public for the same length of time as Thinglink.  I like it.

Simplicity Supreme

Innovations in technology are changing so rapidly not only is it hard to stay current but it's very exciting.  Along with these innovations in hardware and software, the applications being designed for use on multiple devices are increasing by leaps and bounds.  Some are more complicated than others, providing more options, more sophistication.

When looking for web 2.0 services to use in the classroom, especially at the elementary level, the easier and simpler, the better.  Richard Byrne, educator and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers introduced an application a little more than two years ago called DropMocks.  It crossed my radar in a post on Twitter more recently.

Dropmocks: Create image galleries online: Just drag and drop: dropmocks.com
— Heather Moorefield(@actinginthelib) November 9, 2012

DropMocks is a tool for presenting images in a gallery format.  There is no registration requirement unless you wish to save your work for future editing.  (I'm fairly confident if you use the same computer each time your mocklists are saved in your cookies without registration.) There is no charge for this service either.

While there are other services such as Flickr or Picasa (to name two of many) for sharing and/or editing of images, DropMocks produces results the quickest.  To use this application simply go to the site.

When you arrive, a screen appears asking you to drag your image files to the page.  The only other item on the page appears in the upper left-hand corner; Sign in and Your mocks.

Whether your images are on your desktop or in folders, simply click, drag and drop.  By using your control key you can bring multiple images to the screen at the same time.  Once an image is placed on the DropMocks window another item is added in the upper left-hand corner, a blue button with the word New on it.

An additional feature appears in the right-hand corner.  This box allows you to give your image or collection of images a title.  The small trash can is the option to remove the entire mocklist.  (The small square next to it opens and closes the list.) The x by each image is the deletion feature.  For every mocklist you create a unique URL is generated.  This is the only method for sharing your images with others.

As more images are brought to the window one is displayed front and center as the others fall back, smaller and blurry.  Click on any to move them to the same position. Images can be rearranged in the list be dragging them to new locations.

When selecting Your mocks a drop-down menu lists your titles.  By clicking on any of them you are taken to that mocklist.  Sign in takes you to a screen asking you to allow them access to your Google account for purposes of using your email only.  The New button takes you back to the original screen for the creation of a new mocklist.

I have yet to see an application as easy as DropMocks for creating a gallery of one or many so quickly and simply.  The uses are as endless as your imagination.  It could be used to feature a student of the week, student activities for each week of the year (one shot per day), booktalking genres, Mock Caldecott or Newbery units, highlighting award winning books, student book responses, as a portion of student explorations in any of the subject areas, images for writing prompts or teaching a new skill step by step.

Here is a link to my mocklist titled Caldecott 2013.  I created another titled Newbery 2013 linked here.  Using Jing (reviewed here) I generated another mocklist titled Newbery Award Winners 2013-Websites. 

Imagine, Create and Share-- A Blogger Bonanza

In the middle of May, 2012 a new application was released.  On November 27, 2012 Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers posted about this app having had it introduced to him through Twitter.  This free service can be used online, as an iOS app or Android app.

Muzy is one of the most interesting applications for creating a blog post I have seen.  It incorporates the use of other apps.  Upon accessing the home page you have a variety of choices.



You can immediately connect to Facebook to like a particular app, sign up or sign in, or create a photobox collection.  Along the top in the upper right-hand corner other visible apps are photo collage, versus and photo pile.  Simply mouse over each to be given an explanation of what they provide.


By clicking on more users can see a display of thirty other applications which can become a part of your Muzy blog.  Some of the additional apps are PicMonkey, Word Play, Thoughts, Photo Quote, Dream Status, Video, Comic, Music Maker, Brushes, or Webcam Status.  Simply mouse over each to discover the possibilities.  These applications are heavy on images but allow for text, drawing, audio and video to be added to your blog.

Users of this application need to be at least 13 years old.  To sign up you need to choose a username, give your email address and choose a password as well as read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy unless you wish to sign up through your Facebook account.  Muzy has a very inclusive Help section which can be located at the bottom of the page.

Upon signing in you are taken to your dashboard (home page).  Immediately your choices are:

• search for other Muzy posts to like
• create a new post (new post)
• go to your blog (my muzy)
• check for messages
• enter in a keyword to search for apps, users or posts
• go to your account (Blog Settings, Invite Your Friend, Help and Sign out)
• select one of seven apps shown to start a post
• view Recent posts from you or your friends
• view posts grouped by Popular, Funny, Creative, Cute, Truth, Awesome, Want or Beautiful
• view updates under Notifications

Having recently completed a Mock Caldecott unit with fifth graders in my building plus Skyping with fifth graders in Illinois who were doing the same (Katherine Sokolowski) that became the theme for the posts on this blog.  I decided to begin using the Photobox app.  This is a great app; bringing in photos from either Facebook, upload from your computer, Google images, Muzy, webcam, or via a web address.  Each photo can be altered with a variety of filters; enhance, cross process, artsy black and white, old timey and x-ray...or no effect at all.

If you decide you want to change the layout mid-way into your Photobox it is as easy as a mouse click. Added photos can be deleted, edited and dragged from position to position.  There are nine different fonts for the box title.  A full color spectrum is offered for the border.  Four options are available for the photo corners and by checking a box you determine whether you desire shadowing.  When you click the orange Post button you can have it posted to Facebook, Twitter or neither.

Having clicked Post your creation is saved and you are taken to the app choice window again to design another post.  If at any time you wish to see your blog click on my muzy at the top of the screen.  Each post can be liked, deleted or a comment can be left.  There are 19 Muzy themes to choose from for your blog background or you can upload an image from your computer.

Each post is hyperlinked to another window which allows the user to like, repost, comment, or share a URL link for that post or click on the tiny gear located in the middle right-hand portion of the screen.  The options here are to share, edit or delete the post.  If you select share your options are to post it to Facebook or Twitter, send it via email, download it to your computer or copy the URL link.

A person could easily spend hours making posts for their blog with the available choices.  The ease of use, the integration of the apps into Muzy, is a huge plus.  I successfully tried five of the apps.

The link to my blog is embedded here.  (To enlarge each post for viewing mouse over and click.)  When you download one of your posts it turns into a .jpg file.  On the left is one of my posts that was downloaded.

I can see using Muzy to highlight units of study, books read, student projects or activities.  It would be a terrific way to compile top "..." lists.  I know some of my PLN on Twitter are creating memes; they could be posted in a Muzy.  Another of my Twitter colleagues is posting a picture of a book read every day.  Collecting those in a Muzy for her followers would be fantastic.

Muzy definitely has my vote as a great vehicle for quickly making a blog that will get people's attention visually.  Will I put it in my virtual toolbox?  Yes!

Interactive Imagery

One of the best lists I look for each year is The Best Web 2.0 Applications for Education gathered by Larry Ferlazzo, educator and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... An application he listed was also mentioned on Twitter in November by Heather Moorefield, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and former chair of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching and Learning committee.  Believing a picture is worth a thousand words, only limited by the viewers imagination, past experiences, and access to information, when a web 2.0 application for using a single image becomes available, I am anxious to give it a try.

At the site Marqueed's stated goal is to aid the creative process by simplifying the sharing and discussion of images.  This service is free of charge and open to those who are 13 years or older (as long as they are human).  Features are:

• easily add multiple images
• add collaborators
• markup and discuss images
• activity feed keeps track of progress
• quickly grab images from other sites
• real-time notifications
• works with tools you already use
• snapshots of web pages and
• labels and descriptions keep you organized.

Click the orange SIGN UP, IT'S FREE! to begin.  Enter in your first and last name, email address and a password.  You can also sign up using your Facebook or Google account.

Upon signing up you are greeted with a three step pop-up window; upload images from your computer or grab from the web, add annotations and markups and invite others to collaborate.  When you close this window your dashboard appears.  Across the top are icons representing:  

• Collections Home
• Notifications
• Invite Friends
• Bookmarklet
• Add Marqueed to Chrome and
• Profile, Settings, Upgrade, Help, Bookmarklet and Sign Out.

Beneath these is a banner listing the number of your private and public collections.  To create my first collection I typed in a title and clicked the blue CREATE button.  Your collection workspace window appears.  

In the upper left-hand corner you can change your default setting of private to public.  On the right side names and email addresses can be added for collaboration and viewing of your collection.  To insert images on the board by uploading from your computer,  click the blue ADD IMAGES button on the right.  Images can also be brought in from the web by entering in a URL, from a Dropbox or Google Drive account.

Click on an image to begin annotating and marking.  (Before and after an image is altered, it can be edited (title, description and labels) or deleted by mousing over, forcing the icons to appear for each action. A new window opens for annotating and marking.

In this new window you can draw on the image (pencil icon) or create a box around it.  After you select a portion of the image, a text box pops up so you can add comments. (Note: Do not use the return key to add extra space.  Your comment will submit.) When your comment is submitted, another box appears underneath it; perfect for collaboration.

In the comment section if you wish to add a link to a website or to a YouTube video, it becomes active.  When you wish to share your project click on the green SHARE button in the upper right-hand corner. You can share via an email address, direct link or on Facebook. 

After you have closed the enlarged working window, you are taken back to the initial collection page.  All your added images are shown as well as the activity feed on the right.  Here is the link to my one image collection.

I enjoyed using Marqueed.  It could not have been simpler to use.  In the comments when website and YouTube video links became active, I was thrilled.

Students could use it as I did to highlight author or illustrator websites attached to a title.  If there is a book trailer for a title, add it in too.  Images of maps or places of interest could be annotated for projects.  I can see using this for author studies, genre exploration or maybe even for a Mock Caldecott project next year.   This is an exciting application and I highly recommend placing it in your virtual toolbox.

Image Annotations

Back in August, August 16, 2012 to be specific, Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers featured a web 2.0 application in a blog post.  His post was quickly followed by praise for using this service in the classroom by Larry Ferlazzo of Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...  Any mention or endorsement by these two is cause for checking out a website.

Szoter provides users with the ability to annotate uploaded images, screenshots and webcam captures.  Free of charge it requires no registration or login.  You can use Szoter online or download a free Adobe Air Desktop version.

To run Szoter you need Adobe Flash Player 10.  If you wish to use the screenshot feature you will need to make sure Java Runtime is installed.  When accessing the home page you can toggle back and forth between the Introduction, Features and Showcase which is a four-minute-plus video presentation of how it works sans sound.

Click the Launch The Szoter Online red button in the lower left hand corner to begin.  You are first asked if you would like to:

• load a local image
• capture camera image
• make a screenshot
• load from URL.

I began by uploading an image from my computer, a book cover from the new title, Frankenstein: a Monstrous Parody written and illustrated by Ludworst Bemonster.  This image appears in the center of the work space.  In the corners of the work space, left to right, top to bottom, you can use tiny icons to move cropping frame, zoom the canvas in and out, fit the frame to content, reset frame size, remove all objects and the size of your image is given.  There are also small arrows in all the corners and in the center of each side which allow you to fit the frame to the image.

In the top center of your image another series of icons allow you to crop it , flip it (mirror view), switch it top to bottom, and change its position through a series of rotations.  On the left-hand side is a vertical toolbar offering the following options (all but the top one have keyboard commands which can be used):

• select mode
• scale/rotate
• draw shape
• draw line
• draw frame
• draw circle
• draw arrow
• add text
• remove selected
• change size (of a selected item)
• undo
• redo.

Anytime one of these items is added to the canvas they can be altered just as the image is to get the position exactly as you want. By clicking on the item a frame appears along with the flip and rotate icons.

An item can also be re-positioned by clicking and dragging.  If you wish to edit your text box, simply double click.  On the right-hand side of your work space is another vertical tool bar which allows for color changes and the moving of items to the front, back, up or down in relation to the other objects on the canvas.

In the upper right-hand corner is the third tool bar.  From there images can be uploaded, captured from your webcam, created with a screenshot or from a URL.  Your completed Szoter can be saved to your computer or published and shared.

When you click the publish and share button a smaller window pops up over your canvas.  It gives your creation a unique URL, the ability to share on Digg, Twitter or Facebook, HTML image code, HTML link code and a URL message board image link.  Here are two canvases I created.





A couple of important things to note when you are creating a canvas are:   if you add anything outside the frame around your image, you need to expand that frame to include those added items and you might need to resize the canvas, using the zoom in and out option and adjusting the frame, as a whole for it to fit on your blog or website.  The HTML embed code does not give you the ability to resize the image by adjusting a width or height number.  Also when you save a canvas to your computer you will need to add a file type (.jpg, .gif, .tif, .png).  Szoter does not do that automatically.

Uploading an image using a URL worked very well.  When I attempted to use the Szoter helper coupled with Java Runtime to take a screenshot I was informed that the application's digital signature had expired.  I did not proceed on that basis.  When I tried to use my webcam both in Google Chrome and Internet Explorer I could not get the image to transfer to the canvas.

With those observations being noted, I still think as a simple tool for annotating images uploaded directly from your computer or online using a URL, Szoter is a good application.  Not needing to register or login is a huge bonus in my book especially for younger students.  A further advantage is the unique URL you are given allows you to access and edit the initial canvas.

After you have entered in the URL, you are taken to a screen like this image.  Notice the small square orange icon with a pencil in the upper left-hand corner.  By clicking on that icon you are taken back to the original canvas to make any changes.

Stewards of the Earth

Another of the six websites selected by the American Association of School Librarians for their Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning under the heading of Content Resources is ARKive.  The Standards for the 21st-Century Learner addressed under this category are:  2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information, 2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations and 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.  Since its inception in 2003 ARKive has continued to be guided by this mission statement:

Promoting the Conservation of the World's Threatened Species Through the Power of Wildlife Imagery

They proceed to elaborate further in several paragraphs but the gist of this site is:

gathering together the very best films and photographs of the world's species into one centralised digital library, to create a unique audio-visual record of life on Earth, prioritising those species at most risk of extinction.

My first impression is the site is so full of wonderful resources you could get lost there and not come out for hours.  I will go through everything I believe will be most valuable to get educators using it the quickest.  

Arranged in a block formation the home page offers:

1. an introductory video by Sir David Attenborough
2. a central featured specie
3. the latest from the ARKive blog (up-to-date news)
4. endangered specie (new species highlighted)
5. education resources
6. Arctic
7. climate change
8. jewels of UAE

I am not sure if the last three might be changed from time to time.  If you go along the top of the page, a task bar offers:

1. explore ARKive
2. about us
3. get involved
4. blog
5. contact

Instead of clicking on the education resources box I elected to click the Explore ARKive tab.  A menu appears across most of the screen offering searches by species groups, random species, eco-regions, topics, geography, conservation status, going to Google Earth, fun stuff, games, survival app and education resources by age.  In this list are some of the same items listed in the blocks on the home page.  Either way you get to the same spot.

Under specie groups I choose Mammals.  At the next screen on the left the original list is shown while itemizing the most popular ones first on the right.  You have the option of showing all the mammals.  For each mammal a picture is shown with the common name followed by the scientific name, the beginning of an introduction with a more about choice, and icons for the number of images and videos.  In the case of the tiger there are 157 images and 31 videos.

You can click on the mammal's picture, either of the icons or the more about link.  If you click on the picture you are taken to the home page for this mammal; the description information.  Above this are other items between which you may toggle; facts, status, range, habitat, biology, threats, conservation, find out more, glossary, references (bibliography) or view them all.  

In addition on this left side you can print this information or change between two different text background colors.  This page can be shared with your Google+ connections, tweeted about on Twitter or liked on Facebook. On the right side you can view all the images in a slideshow, embed an HTML code of the central image in a blog or website, send an email with the link to the image listed, add this image to your personal ARKive scrapbook (registration is required), view all images or videos, Flickr images or share this on numerous social networks.

Choosing one of the eco-regions you are taken to a page with similar items of information as previously noted.  The region is described in the center but toggling through tabs will bring up the biodiversity, range, threats, conservation, find out more, glossary and references.  On the left you can view a slideshow of the images, email a link of the image or get the HTML embed code.  

Links to species found in a particular region are on the right side.

If you click on one of the continents in the geography section it takes you to a list of the areas within that continent.  Upon selecting one of them, a specie page appears.  The search options are amazing.  You can change the list from specie to photos to videos to blog posts or all.  But on the left the search can be more refined by keyword searching or searching by a specific group, range, conservation status, topics, taxonomy or last updated.  

When you choose conservation status the page presentation and options are identical to the geography pages.  When you click on the Google Earth link you are taken to a page for downloading the Google Earth Plugin.  This is used to explore the ARKive threatened marine species.  

When you select fun stuff blocks provide links to outdoor activities, the Survival app (free), animal masks, origami animals, games, E-cards, ARKive top 10s and scrapbooks.  The app is available for Apple or Android.  Through this game children and adults will learn more about endangered species.

The education resources pages offer a variety of tools for teachers.  There are five different age groupings.  Within each specific focus area there might be teachers' notes, a classroom presentation, a handout, a handout answer sheet, an activity pack or other supporting materials.

Under ages 7-11 I choose Butterflies and Blooms.   The teachers' notes contains how long the lesson will take, the learning outcomes, what materials you will need, a summary, preparation guidelines, how to run the session, discussion questions and extension activities.  The classroom presentation is a nine slide Powerpoint.   The specie study sheet and summer bloom wheel template work together matching three butterflies with their habitats.  

For each age level the United States standards are listed.

ARKive is a stunning, information-rich resource of benefit to anyone regardless of their knowledge level about a particular specie.  Navigation is flawless.  For educators it's a goldmine not to be missed in our efforts inform; to create understanding in order to protect our planet.

Extra to Images Adds Content

On July 25, 2011 Richard Byrne posted on his blog, Free Technology for Teachers, of an application called Thinglink.  As explained at their site:

A Thinglink is an interactive hotspot you define inside an image, from a THING (an object, a person, or a place) to a LINK (a shop, a blog post, or anywhere you like).

Thinglink is meant to be used by persons of any age but if users are under the age of thirteen it is requested that their parents or guardians be aware of that usage.  This service is currently free of charge.  You can sign up using your Facebook account or generate another account with your name, email and a password.

Once you are signed up a page appears asking you to install Thinglink relative to the platform being used as your web site or blog.  You are taken to a page which provides code to embed the Thinglink service into your blog or web site.  It is a simple process of copying and pasting.  Once completed any image on your blog can be linked if you are logged into the Thinglink service.

When you are logged in you will notice two sets of two small dots in the upper left hand corner of the image.  When you mouse over the image additional small icons appear beneath those dot sets.  By clicking on the pencil you can edit the image, add links or change what has been previously done.  The small figure icon allows the user to share the image via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Edmodo, email, create a Thinglink app on Facebook, and copy an HTML embed code or URL link of the page.  The middle icon allows the user to collect images they may like.

The small round circle represents a hotspot that I created for this image.

Once you have tagged your first image, refresh the Install Thinglink page.  Your dashboard will appear.  The dashboard reveals statistics about your images and further opportunities to edit and import additional images.

The Thinglink blog has numerous posts about uses of this service.  I am currently doing a class read of Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck with my third grade students.  We are blogging about the reading on Kidblog.org.  It might be interesting to have the students add links to an image of the book cover on the main blog.  It would get them researching about not only the book and its author/illustrator but also about topics contained within the story.

(Please note:  These instructions may not be as accurate as when this review was posted due to changes at the site. 11/19/2013)

School Library Learning 2.0 #10

As far as online image generators go I still like to use Big Huge Labs, home of fd's Flickr Toys (http://www.bighugelabs.com/).   It offers so many options and the ease of use is a big plus.  I did try Comic Strip Generator(http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/maker.asp) also as you can see.