Virtual Post-It Boards-Spaaze

All day yesterday, Twitter was literally exploding with news about the American Library Association Youth Media Awards.  Around the world those of us not able to attend the announcements in person were glued to our screens, watching the live streaming of the event.  As I watched, read, commented on and favorited tweets, I knew I wanted to save some of these memories if I could.

As I looked through my favorites last night I saw a tweet from Heather Moorefield-Lang, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and current chairperson of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning committee.  She mentioned a web 2.0 application called Spaaze.  As far as I could discover Spaaze is not new but it's new to me.  I thought I might be able to use it to gather websites and tweets.

At the site Spaaze states:

Spaaze is an infinite virtual corkboard, and you can use it to do almost everything.

Beneath their header, left to right, you can learn more about the site, the pricing (it works on a point system, ninety-nine points are free), the extensive help section and their blog which keeps users informed on the latest news about the application.  As you can see from the image above, Spaaze can be used to collect bookmarks, to group together ideas, to create task lists, to work together on projects or brainstorm, to post information for research in the classroom or as a basic web page.  As you click on each of those "uses", the board to the right changes backgrounds and example information.  If you click on any of those boards a new window opens so you can begin to create your own Spaaze.

I decided to sign up for Spaaze before creating a board.  Simply go to the small black box in the upper right-hand corner.  You can sign in using a Spaaze, Google, Yahoo or OpenId account or create one using an email address.  For this reason I recommend this service for students over the age of thirteen.

After you click the Sign up button, a new window opens with a blank board.  In the center you will notice you can go to the Spaaze blog or a quick Getting started section.  If either of these are selected a new window opens so you can toggle back and forth between them and your board.  You can also edit each of them (choose the wrench icon) or open them up on top of your board (choose the magnifying icon).

To begin designing a board, go to the upper left-hand corner, selecting the plus sign.  A drop down menu gives you the option of adding a bookmark, label, note, YouTube or Vimeo video, an image, file or HTML snippet.  These are called items. Items can be edited, moved or deleted.   When you move an item to the bottom of the board, a menu of choices pops up.  You can drag the item to the trash can, share it by selecting the swooping arrow or move it to a hot spot.

When adding a bookmark you enter in the URL for the site, a title, a short description and whether you want it to be in a new window or the same window.  I would recommend a new window.  Click Ok to continue adding items.

The addition of labels, notes, a YouTube or Vimeo video and a file are very simple. (Please note the URL of the video in your browser needs to be entered in, not the share link URL.)  If you choose to include an image, you can do so by uploading one from your computer or by using a URL link.  If you upload one from your computer it costs you four points. Four types of file formats are acceptable.

To include an HTML snippet, add it to your board.  Then click on the wrench icon.  Copy and paste the HTML code into the space provided.  When I placed the embed code from tweets into the space and it worked I was thrilled. (I'm surprised I did not "break" Spaaze by adding so many tweets.)  Spaaze does state this also works for widgets and gadgets.

When you have collected a number of items they can be arranged, besides dragging them into position, by using the star on the tool bar.  Selecting the star creates hot spots where like information can be gathered.  (I also want to point out that as your screen fills with items the board moves up and down so more and more items can be added.)  When you choose Jump to...  you can move to those named hot spots.

When you are done with your board for the time being, click on Default board.  A drop down menu allows you to alter the board settings (change background and name the board), publish or collaborate on the board, export the board or create a new board.  To collaborate enter in the email address of those you wish to invite.  When you publish the board it will appear in a read-only format. You are given a URL link to your board when it is published.  Here is the link to my board titled American Library Association Youth Media Awards.  Place your mouse on the board to move it around to view all the content.

At any time you can install a Spaaze bookmarklet to assist you in gathering items for your board.  You can manage your account or read the Getting started post again by clicking on the small gear icon in the upper right-hand corner.  If you click on the house icon you are taken back to the initial home page but if you are still logged in you can navigate around the site as shown in the image below.

As near as I can tell Spaaze has been available for at least three years.  It's another great option for creating virtual post-it boards.  My favorite part is being able to copy and paste in HTML codes.  Allowing collaboration is another good feature.  I really love that I can read tweets, watch videos and scroll through web pages on the same board.  I recommend placing this web 2.0 application in your virtual toolbox.

Virtual Post-It Boards-PixiClip And #MustReadin2014

On Sunday evening this tweet appeared in my stream from a name well-known in the librarianship field, Shannon Miller, teacher librarian, presenter, consultant and blogger at Van Meter Library Voice.

Having fun creating @PixiClip to introduce a few projects to the kids this week at #VanMeter :) http://t.co/T5nU7K7vkI
— Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) January 6, 2014

I decided to visit the website, exploring it for my weekly post.  PixiClip states in their What is Pixiclip? section:

Pixiclip is an online canvas that lets you communicate using a webcam or a mic.  Just click record and you're ready to go.  Pixiclip is your message in motion!


When you first access the page you will see a working menu on the left and What is Pixiclip?, Create a Pixiclip, Login or Sign up across the top of the page.  You can sign up by entering in a user name or by using either your Facebook or Twitter account. I typed in a username and clicked GO. (You can use Pixiclip without signing up.)

You are then asked to fill in your email address and a password.  Upon completion and by selecting Save, this window disappears leaving you with the blank board for using PixiClip.  The menu on the left allows the user multiple options.

By clicking on each one your mouse can act as a pencil or marker, type in text, move elements on the board, erase and undo.  The color which appears when using these tools can change with the six choices.  If you want to add video or audio, simply click on those icons.  Images can be uploaded from your computer or dragged and dropped into the box.

A grade 2/3/4 teacher at Admiral Seymour Elementary, an inner city school, in Vancouver, British Columbia and blogger at There's A Book For That, Carrie Gelson has been asking members of our PLN to blog about books they must read in 2014.  I thought using PixiClip might be a good way to generate my list.  I could combine vocal commentary with text and book jackets.

One of the first things I learned is that multiple images can be uploaded.  You can scroll through them by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side.  I decided to only upload seven images at a time, although about ten can be viewed along the bottom without scrolling.  Even though you can resize images, only a certain amount can be placed on the visible board.  When you select an image it can also be deleted by clicking on the trash can icon.

It seems that images cannot be placed on the board unless you are recording audio or video.  If you pause your recording they can't be moved or resized.  You have three minutes to create a board before you are asked to save it.

In the prompt box you can title your PixiClip, add a short optional description, select pointer options (always show cursor, show cursor while doodling, never show cursor), determine a privacy setting (public, private, hidden, password protected) and preview it.  When you choose to share your PixiClip it can be done so on Facebook, Twitter, via email with a URL link or embedded using HTML code.  The embedded PixiClips play as soon as the page where they are is opened.  I decided to only embed one of them.

Here are my PixiClips as a participant in the #MustReadin2014 challenge.

Adult/Young Adult #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade/Young Adult series #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade/Young Adult series #MustReadin2014 (2)

Middle Grade #MustReadin2014

Middle Grade #MustReadin2014 (2)

Middle Grade Fiction/Nonfiction GN #MustReadin2014

Early Readers/Picture Books #MustReadin2014

(I apologize in advance for my overuse of certain words.  I did the one take rule for all of these. Plus I've already thought of some other books. Sigh.)

As far as ease of use, navigating around the site and creating a PixiClip, this site is wonderfully simple.  This online service/application, from I have been able to read, is very new.  It looks like it is still in beta. 

 One change which would be helpful is to be able to edit PixiClips once they have been completed.  Currently, as far as I can tell, you need to restart on the board to make certain changes (except for using erase and undo) or delete the entire PixiClip.  By using an email address to sign up, users would need to be 13 years old or have parental permission to register. 

I enjoyed using PixiClip.  I think it has great potential for use in our classrooms.  Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers also has a post about it here.

Virtual Post-It Boards-Stoodle

Just a little over a week ago, two guys in the know both posted about a new virtual post-it board.  Richard Byrne, educator, speaker and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers and Larry Ferlazzo, educator, author and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... wrote about it at Stoodle-Quickly Create Shared Online Whiteboards and "Stoodle" Could Be The Best "Virtual Corkboard" Site Out There respectively.  With endorsements like these I knew I needed to give the site a try myself.

When you access the home page you are greeted with an introduction in the center with the choice of launching a classroom. The upper right-hand corner allows you to follow the Stoodle people on Twitter and Facebook.  Along the left-hand side are six options.

These six options, starting at the top, give you the choice of opening and closing the tool bar (three lines icon), going to the home page, reading about the site objective, features, and benefits for students and teachers/tutors, educational leaders at certain schools, how Stoodle started and key persons responsible and contact information (address, phone and fax numbers, email, spot on map).  I then moved back to the center clicking on the green Launch a classroom! button.  At the next window you are asked to give your name and whether you will grant Stoodle the use of your microphone.

Once you have entered in a name and clicked OK your corkboard is ready for use.  On the left-hand and right-hand side are a variety of choices.  The top selection on the left opens and closes that tool bar.

Moving from the top down on the left you can:

• share a link on Facebook, Twitter or via email
• add the shape of a square or circle or draw a line
• add an image of any size by clicking and dragging 
• clear the board and 
• mute or unmute the speaking feature.

Every time you click on one of these choices the tool bar disappears.  You will need to select the three lines icon to bring the choices back.

When you use the add-an-image tool, a large lists of choices for obtaining files appears.  They are:

• My computer
• Facebook
• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Box
• Sky Drive
• Picasa
• Instagram
• Flickr
• Link (URL)
• Github
• Gmail
• Take Picture
• Record Video
• Web Images
• Evernote
• Alfresco
• FTP and 
• WebDAV.

When you select Web Images you can type in a keyword; Stoodle will search Wikipedia, Google Images and Flickr.  Once an image has been placed on the board it can't be resized.  Make sure you have your shape close to the shape of the image or it will appear distorted.

The tool bar on the right gives you the following selections:

• drawing on the board
• inserting text (a prompt appears on the screen identical to the box asking you for your name)
• move elements around
• delete elements
• undo
• redo
• colors for drawn lines/text and
• add pages/move among pages.

If you want your text to be a specific color please click on that color (black, purple, blue, green, red or yellow) prior to adding your words.  By clicking on a color before adding any shapes the outline will be in the color chosen.  Each time you use an item on the tool bar to switch to another, make sure you toggle back to it and click.  

Many members of my PLN on Twitter have been talking about the reading of Snowflake Bentley, a Caldecott Medal winner by Jacqueline Briggs Martin with woodcut illustrations by Mary Azarian.  I have created a Stoodle for books on snow which I have used in the past for units and currently own.

Please follow the link here, Let It Snow.  Let me know in the comments below if you would like to add other elements.  I would like to see how the collaboration works. When you follow the link you will be asked to enter in a name, then the collaboration or viewing can begin.

The best part of Stoodle is there is no registration.  This allows students under the age of thirteen to use this website.  Every time you access the site to launch a classroom, a new URL is assigned to your board.  As a word to the wise, make sure you keep track of your created board URL links.  The ease of use is also a major plus.  I concur with Richard Byrne and Larry Ferlazzo; Stoodle should be placed in your virtual toolbox.

Saving And Sharing The Web---Quickly

As I have frequently in the past I look to the "best" lists for new web 2.0 applications to explore each week.  In his The Best Web 2.0 Applications for Education in 2012 educator and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day..., Larry Ferlazzo lists a service for organizing, saving and sharing information discovered on the Internet.  This service could be compared to Dragdis (and other similar applications listed in that review).

Quicklinkr can be used without registration and is free.  There are no Terms of Service guidelines only a Privacy Policy.  When accessing the home page on the left is a column of choices. Each are self-explanatory.  The Tumblr provides you with updates to the service and suggestions for use.

Quicklinkr allows you to collect all types of information, websites, links, images, podcasts, and videos, on any device.  It is billed as being easy peasey, lemon squeezy.  I began by selecting the pink Get Started button in the center of the initial page.

A window pops up advising you cookies are used and asks you to review the Privacy Policy.  If you are satisfied click the Yes, Get Started Already! button.  On a new screen your initial Quickboard appears.  Anything with a URL can be added to your Quickboard.

On the left side you can choose to register this Quickboard and your folders are listed.  The first open (default) folder is Public.  At the top are two new small icons.  The first (on the left) allows you to change your grid size from small to medium to large.  The second provides for adding, renaming and deleting folders.  Registration is required for completing these actions.

To the far right of these icons is the space for adding a URL to create Quicklinks.  Beneath these choices a temporary URL link has been generated for this Quickboard.  As many Quicklinks as desired can be added.  For the purposes of making sub-folders, changing the Quickboard to private or making a custom URL, again, registration is necessary.



When clicking on the small down arrow located at the end of the temporary URL link, a drop down menu lists the options for sharing your Quickboard.  To add a Quicklink copy and paste or type in a URL, then click the Quicklink button. A thumbnail, snapshot, of the website will be visible in the grid.


When you mouse over the snapshot four small pink buttons are visible allowing for sharing of the individual Quicklink, adding a comment, changing the image (they will search for another one or you can add a URL link) or deleting the link.  You have to be registered to leave comments.  To register provide your first and last name, email address, a password and username.  A validation email will be sent with a code to enter in at the Quicklinkr website.  Once registered the Quicklinks can be ordered on the grid by date added, last viewed and most viewed. (The image on the right shows how this link can be shared.)










If registered, upon logging in you are taken to your profile page.  On the left you can toggle between home, user settings, logging out and noting folders.  The user settings are general settings (to stay logged in, allow anyone to add Quicklinks to your board and allow registered users to comment), profile (changing password), appearance (12 different wallpapers for the page) and tools (adding a bookmarklet to your browser toolbar for Quicklinkr).



With the American Library Association annual convention coming at the end of the month with the awards banquet, I decided to create a Quicklinkr to celebrate The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, the Newbery Medal winner for 2013.  Here is a snapshot of that grid and this is the link.

Quicklinkr is everything they claim to be and more.  My post is late this morning because I could not stop looking for items to add to my Quickboard; it's that easy to use.  Being able to create a board without registering would make this great for students under the age of 13 to incorporate into research.  All they would have to do is save the original URL link.  This application is definitely going into my virtual toolbox.  One more thing to note is the prompt response to email; it's fast and friendly.

Create By Curation---Themeefy

For more than a year I have been wanting to try a curation tool I saw mentioned by Larry Ferlazzo on his blog, Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...  Previously I have posted about other similar tools, Scoop.it!, Storify, Pearltrees, Mentormob and Learnist.  With the flood of information from ever-increasing venues, it continues to be important to instruct our students in honing their curation skills.  The American Association of School Librarians' Standards for the 21st Century Learners draws attention to this need in several sections of Standard 1: Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge. 

Themeefy is a web 2.0 application that allows you to curate the social web and personal experiences, customize and publish learning.  This service is free.  The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy cover use by persons under the age of 13.  An informative section of the Privacy Policy, Children's Personal Information, states that districts using Themeefy need to make sure parental/guardian approval has been obtained.  The developers of this web 2.0 application intend for it to be utilized in an educational setting.

In the upper right-hand corner of the home page buttons provide you with the ability to create classrooms for implementing  the service (Classrooms Beta), Browse other developed magazines, drag a bookmarklet to your browser toolbar to easily place items in a Themeefy mag (Tools), Sign Up and Login.  In the center of the home page you can immediately begin to create a Themeefy magazine by choosing the general Create option or the Teach start-a-class choice.  For educators the Teach screen looks like the image below.  For purposes of this post, trying the application, I choose the Create option.

With a few clicks on the keyboard I had a theme name typed in and selected the Create Theme button. At this point I have not signed up yet.  The next screen, the workbench, provides a short text box type tour of many of the icons by clicking the forward and backward arrows. This is very helpful for a new user.

As soon as you arrive at the workbench the left side of the screen is filled with hits from a Google search of the theme name.  Beneath each item is the source link which gives you a chance to check for accuracy, relevance and authenticity.  You can type in new keywords in the search box to look for images in Flickr (moving from left to right with the icons), search for and add a URL link, upload files from your computer, upload images from the web or upload a file using a URL link, you can search for tweets on Twitter, create notes and search for videos on YouTube.  Each item can be previewed by clicking on the eye icon (taking you right to the website by opening up a window within the workbench) or added to your magazine by clicking on the plus sign. (1)

Your work in progress, magazine, appears on the right.  The title of your Themeefy can be altered with the click of a mouse.  By clicking on the pencil icon to the left of your title box, you are taken to the upload options.  (2)

After you click the plus sign for an item on the left, a copy shifts to the right with icons on the right for uploading, previewing and deleting.  Each time an item is added to your magazine the default image for Themeefy is shown.  When you upload an image, it replaces it.  You can also mouse over any text which originated with the item, change or add to it.

At any time during the adding of items to your magazine you can click the preview button above your column on the right. The first page is your title.  You can move forward and backward by using the arrows.  As noted the icon on the left opens up the upload choices.







The next page is your table of contents.  By clicking and dragging you can rearrange their order.  If you click on the title of the item it will take you to it immediately (except for some reason this would not work for the listed tweet pages). Videos can be viewed within a page.





The page for each item in your magazine has three icons on the left.  The top is for opening the three upload selections (1).  The middle icon takes you directly to the media listed (2).  If you want to head back to the table of contents, click the bottom icon (3)

For me getting images of maps in Bing worked better than Google maps.  They would open very well on the left in preview mode.  But they would not shift over to the right side correctly.

In order to share your work you need to sign up.  To register you need to provide your first and last name, email address and a password plus agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  A new window opens to your profile page when this is completed.


Click on the bottom icon on the left side of your created magazine.  This will publish your work. You can share via a URL, on Facebook or Twitter, add a password so only certain people can view your work or unpublish the magazine.  Here is the link to my created magazine, Caldecott Medal 75 Years.  

If you get stuck during this process the FAQ section will help.  I did send an email with a question and I received a reply within minutes.  I inquired about having an HTML embed code for blogs and websites.  It is coming very soon.


The huge advantage of Themeefy is the educator piece, especially for students under the age of 13.  To be able to have a free account, adding students from classes, monitoring their work in a secure environment, is great.  The ability for students to collaborate on magazines is an excellent feature.

It really couldn't easier to use.  I was able to navigate between each of the ways to add items with absolutely no problems.  If you make a mistake there is always a window of opportunity to make corrections.

Themeefy is a must add to your virtual toolbox.

Simply The Simplest--Saving The Web

Each week new services appear to make curating and saving the content on the Internet more efficient, pleasing to view, and simple to manage. Toward the end of last month, Heather Moorefield-Lang, Education and Applied Social Sciences Librarian at Virginia Tech and former chair of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching and Learning committee mentioned a new web 2.0 app on Twitter that is a bit different from other similar applications such as Symbaloo, Bundlenut, WebList and Urlist.  Dragdis (dragdis) proclaims to be the simplest way to collect the web.

Still in private beta, you need to enter in your email address at the main site to receive an invitation prior to use.  My request was answered within twenty-four hours via email with a link to register.  To register provide an email address and password.

When registration is complete, a new window appears on your screen asking you to install the browser extension (Chrome, Firefox or Safari) to allow the drag and drop method for collecting web content. (It will show up as a tiny icon at the end of your URL line at the browser top.) When the extension has been added another window automatically pops up offering a short tutorial on using dragdis.  All you have to do is drag an item to the right of your screen; a menu slides out with options.





Initially at the top are three pre-named folders in which to place items.  The other three items give you a chance to practice moving and manipulating them from position to position by dragging.  I moved all of these to the trash at the bottom of the column adding my own.  If you make a mistake in naming a folder, open the folder, click again and edit.

Items remain in the trash until you empty it.  All you have to do is select Trash.  Your items there will appear on your dashboard and the word Trash changes to Empty Trash.













I began by going to author/illustrator Matthew Cordell's website.  To save a website move your mouse to the tiny notebook paper like icon preceding the name of the website. Click and drag it to the right.

When you move that icon to the right of your screen the toolbar listing all your folders becomes visible. When you add it to a folder, the words Click to tag or share pop up. Click on those to bring up another work space.  Here the site is named, you have the opportunity to add tags and notes (1), your item is assigned a unique URL (2) and you can share it via Facebook, Twitter or Google + (3). 

















To add a video from YouTube or Vimeo mouse over the video screen.  The small blue dragdis icon can now be seen in the upper left-hand corner.  Simply drag the symbol to the right.

When you do this, again the toolbar listing your folders will appear.  Once the item is added to a folder you can assign tags, write notes or share.  The adding of images is as simple as clicking on it and dragging it to the right.

If you wish to just save a portion of text from a site, highlight it, click and drag it to the right also.  Every time an item is included in your dragdis it becomes part of the screen at your home space.  If you want to locate a specific item, type the keywords into the search box above the folders and double click.  Then only those items will appear on the home space screen until you click on home again.



By clicking on the down arrow next to your email address, you can access a list of functions.

 The first takes you to the three browser extensions for downloading and the second is to change your password.  The about section explains the application, the terms of service, the privacy policy and how to contact the developers.  Users must be 13 years or older to use this site, no exceptions.

If you should have any questions or comments the feedback form is a good option.  When I used this I received a courteous reply within a few hours.



To view items you have saved, select them from an opened folder.  Videos can be viewed in your dragdis.  Websites are hyperlinked in your item. Click on the title to go directly to the saved page.  (You can choose the Source to go to the website, too.) Of course, images and text can be viewed from the dashboard within dragdis. To exit this screen click above the box.




Dragdis truly is the simplest means of saving web content. With a single step items are placed in folders for instant recall.  If you don't have a folder designated for your item, create a folder with a simple mouse click. This is an application I will be using on a daily basis.  (When you receive an invitation you too have the choice to issue an invite to five other people.)