Inspirational Sound

Twice last week one of my favorite people for learning about new websites and apps, Heather Moorefield, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and chairperson for the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning sent out tweets about a web 2.0 application she feels is worthy of exploration.  The original platform Booktrack: Soundtrack for Books was officially launched on January 5, 2012.  The company launched their dedicated education platform on March 21, 2014.  It is called Booktrack Classroom.  In their about section they state:

Booktrack Classroom is an exciting new technology that synchronizes audio with text to create an immersive reading experience.

When first accessing the home page the navigation bar along the top invites you to go to separate pages if you are teachers, parents, need help, want to log in or click on the free to use button.  You can also view a short video about the site, read six research-based features, and visit another page as a student.  At the bottom of the home page you can read the about section, the teachers' blog, a lesson plan library grouped by elementary, middle and high school ages, press releases, university studies, the terms of service and privacy policy (very detailed) and go to the download page.

To begin using the site I clicked on the green Free to Use button.  A new window opens with several choices, bookshelf, create, register, login and help, available at the top.  I clicked on the register tab.  A form pops up asking you for your display name, email address, and password.  You need to read and accept the terms of service and privacy policy.  An account confirmation email is sent immediately.  You should note that students under the age of 18 need to have a parent or guardian read and accept the terms of service and privacy policy before they can use this site.  This was stated in the terms of service.

When your account is created and you have logged in, you can then create a classroom.  For the purposes of this review I will only have a single student.  When I selected the + Add a Class button a new window opens.  You are asked to enter in a class name, country, school, grade year, school year and a rating.

Once you save your class, you can add student first and last names.  I then clicked on the student details tab.  Enter in a student's name, clicking add when you are done. As you can see in the images below you have the option to choose a common password, and select all to block, unblock, delete and change password.  I have added one student.  It shows their name, login name and assigned password.

To continue with my tour of Booktrack Classroom I selected the Bookshelf tab.  At this new window you can view previously created Booktracks.  They are grouped by content, genres, styles, and languages.  They each have star ratings. If you choose to read one the second image below appears on your screen.  When clicking on read the third image appears advising you on the options for reading the selection. Simply click in the middle to start.  

I then went to the top navigation bar choosing create.  Again an overlay with complete, easy-to-understand instructions appears. Click anywhere to begin.  First you type in a title for your chapter, then type in or copy and paste the text.  You can make any of the text bold or in italics.  There is an undo and redo option.  

Before moving to sound I did select save.  Upon clicking on the sound tab a new overlay appears giving you more instructions.  Click anywhere to start.  After your text is highlighted you can choose between music, ambience and effect.  

With your choice made more options appear above the highlighted text.  You can change the track, adjust the volume, the fade in and fade out seconds, choose to loop or delete.  Plus at any time you can view your work in the reader.  Again before clicking on publish I saved my work.

At the publish screen you add a title, the author and creator are entered in for you, a description, genre, type, rating and language.  You retain the copyright of everything which you held prior to creating this Booktrack.  When you select to create a cover, you are adding text with font style options, font size choice, font color and bold or in italics text.  Clicking adds the text box.  Double clicking allows you to make changes.  You can upload a cover image from your computer or browse through their gallery.

  

You can save, publish or delete your final work.  Choosing publish causes a new window to open asking in which class you would like the Booktrack placed based on your rating.  Make sure you place a check mark in the correct library box; otherwise your Booktrack will not appear on a bookshelf.  Once a Booktrack is on a bookshelf it can be read.

This application makes the reading of your writing much more engaging; actually fascinating.  Including sound with your written words gives them an emotional edge.  I highly recommend you give Booktrack Classroom a try.  My Booktrack, because I created a teacher account, is only available to me and my students.  You can go to the site and read other previously created Booktracks.  I do have a question submitted to see if I can make my Booktrack available to others.  UPDATE In order to make a Booktrack available to the public, you need to use the original global platform linked above.

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.

"Sing A Song", Slide By Slide

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On May 17th Larry Ferlazzo posted on his blog, Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day..., about a new free web 2.0 application for creating slideshows.  For registration  Slide.ly  requires you are 18 years of age or older, (or) have your parent's or guardian's permission to enter into this agreement.  To register enter in your first and last name, email address and a password.  A confirmation email is sent immediately.

When you click the link in the confirmation email, a new working screen appears in Slide.ly.  Across the top you can enter a term in a search box, click on Create one now!, view most popular slidelys, view recently created slidelys, view slidelys within categories (art & design, entertainment, kids, other, wedding & events, birthdays, family, music and sports) or access your account information, your slidelys or logout.

On the left of the screen is a list of sites from which to obtain images, Facebook, Google Images, Flickr, Instagram, Picplz, Picasa and your computer.  As you toggle through each the access options appear on the screen.  For example, if you choose to bring pictures from Facebook, it asks you to connect.  Then you are asked who on Facebook can see your slidelys (privacy) and whether you allow Slide.ly to access your basic information, email address, profile information, your stories, friends' birthdays and photos shared with you.  I tend to err on the side of caution; uploading images from my computer.

You are allowed a maximum of ninety images.  When the upload is complete scroll down to the overview.  When mousing over each image it can be switched to the cover photograph, a caption can be added or it can be deleted.  Images can be dragged and dropped, randomly arranged or the entire array can be deleted.

To continue move down the page to choose the music.  Selections can be taken from YouTube or Soundcloud under the categories of popular music, movies & TV, all time classics, beautiful or thanks.  Suggestions are shown or a search can be conducted.  When you mouse over a selection you can play it or add it to your slidely.

When your music is determined another screen overlays allowing you to add an effect (normal, spots, orange glow, colors, dots, dust, a birthday clipart, seventies or old film) to your slideshow as well as play it to figure out the timing with your images and the music.  You can adjust the slideshow speed which for me was a tad bit tricky.

Tags can be entered into a text box and you can decide to make your slidely public or not by unchecking the checkmark.  To see how any captions appear it is a good idea to enlarge your preview to full screen.  Be sure to click the blue button at the bottom right of the preview screen to save and publish your work.

Your finished slidely can always be edited by selecting My Slidelys beneath your name.  Off to the left of your completed slidely it can be liked on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter, made public on Google +, pinned on Pinterest or submitted to StumbleUpon.  Beneath are more options:  share on Facebook, send an email, copy a URL or embed the HTML (four sizes are offered) code in a website or blog.

Slide.ly offers many options for getting images, a variety of music choices and special effects.  The ease of use and seamless results make it a good application to use for creating slideshows. My slidely is shown below.

Don't Be Afraid

Started in 2009 by a small group in London, UK Audioboo is a free web 2.0 application with this goal:

Our mission is to be the one platform you use when you want to record audio, share it or keep it safe for the future.

Audioboo can be used online or placed on an iPhone, Android or Nokia device.  In the Terms of Service, which must be accepted in order to register and use this application, it states that users must be 13 years of age.  If a user is between the ages of 13 to 17, they and their parents/guardians must read and accept the Terms of Service together. 

At the home page users can immediately sign up by entering in a username, email address and password.  A confirmation email will appear in your inbox with a link immediately.  When the link is clicked a new screen pops up asking if the user wants to change their username (once only), password or delete their account.

Other settings for use can be checked or unchecked: email to user when comments are posted, email to user when user is followed and receipt of the newsletter.  When a message is posted an email will be sent to the user or posted to their Twitter account if they desire.  Click the green update button to lock in your Account Settings.

On the left of this page additions or changes can be made to your Public Profile: real name, location, web address, brief biographical information and a picture.  Under Posting to other sites options are available for using Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, Tumblr or Wordpress.  Users are also reminded that the free account has a three (3) minute limit.

Across the top of this page users can browse by followed, everyone, featured, trending or favourites.  Channels can be viewed by latest, popular or featured.  The my profile tab takes you to your updated profile, showing your boos, who's following you and who you are following.  By clicking on the settings tab the screen for your public profile appears.  Messages takes you to a simple system, compose, inbox, sent and trash.  From this point you can also invite someone to register for audioboo via email.

From this screen go back to the my profile button and click on the New Recording/File Upload button to begin a creating your boo.  A new screen allows for recording, showing the elapsed time, preview of the recording or restart recording.  If you like your recording add a title, description and tags under the Info tab.

Users can choose the Image tab to upload a picture from their computer.  By selecting the Map tab a Google map comes on the screen.  Type in a location in the search box; dragging the microphone to the exact spot.

When those three areas, Info, Image and Map, are completed the user can click the green Publish button or the gray back arrow to start over or fix the recording.  It takes about two minutes for the application to save your boo.

I made in a manner of minutes an initial sample recording to use with my students during Children's Book Week which included the unpredictable sound of my furry friend slurping up every drop of water in her dish.  Another was quickly made. 

To view all the options available for a completed boo go to the My Profile page clicking on the boo title.  The next page allows for:  liking a boo, sharing on Facebook or Twitter, an embed code, adding the boo to a playlist, adding or recording a comment, or editing the boo which includes deletion.

I really enjoyed using Audioboo. It was simple to navigate through the process and the help section are wonderful. Being able to use this on mobile devices is a definite plus. An article on TechCrunch calls it the Twitter for audio; aptly named to be sure.

listen to ‘Children's Book Week’ on Audioboo

Create A Beat Inside The Box

Express your musicality, pump it up and chill!

Beginning in August 2009 and continuing with a new version in March of this year, this phrase greets users of the Incredibox website. With some 215,976 likes on their Facebook page, this application for creating a vocal beatbox band is gaining in popularity.  Free to use, without registration, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3 to make a tune.

Once the sample has played and the application has loaded users are shown a screen with a single musician on the left hand side. (The entire composition of multiple musicians will be in black and white.) Beneath him are a series of options represented by icons: effects, beats, melodies, chorus and voices.  Begin by dragging one of the icons up to the center of the musician.

With the icon in place the musician is quickly attired to reflect the type of sound selected and another musician is added.  The sound will loop continuously unless one of the icons that appears on their chest, when moused over, is clicked.  They represent, left to right, silence, listening to only that sound or deletion. 

Above the screen in the left hand corner, once musicians are placed, are two icons representing: remove all sounds or record your own composition.  In the upper right hand corner users can switch from manual to shuffle mode or adjust settings.  Beneath those icons are a series of three bonus compositions that can be unlocked.

Above this working screen by clicking on the YouTube symbol viewers are taken to the official Incredibox V2 Beta preview.  Links to StumbleUpon, reddit, Twitter, Google+ or bookmark and share are on the top right. There are more than 300 selections for sharing including Facebook, email, Gmail, LinkedIn and printing.

The one problem in IE and Google Chrome is the view for the share selections appears beneath the composition screen making it nearly impossible to pick.  But in IE the bookmark and share option allows the user to search for the service in which they wish to place their beatbox vocal band creation.  And even through the selections are behind the composition screen I was able to mouse down through them over the composition screen.

This is a visual of a finished composition.  Each tine I tried to save a site generated tune the link provided goes to the site instead of my composition.  But success in saving a recorded song was better.

If you decide to record your own composition drag one of the icons to the first musician.  You must record for ten loops adding musicians as you desire.  When done click the stop record red dot.  The completed recording can be previewed or shared. 

When sharing you are asked to give your name, name of the song and a dedication.  You are given a URL link to copy.  It can be sent via email, posted to Facebook and soon an embed code will be an option.

Outside of the fun of creating different combinations of musical sounds this might be useful in teaching students how to drag and drop, delete and other simple operations with their mouse.

Back to the Ballad

On the first Saturday of March 2011, the Last Great Race, the Iditarod, began in Alaska. That year marked the 39th race. Unlike past years, the Iditarod Trail Committee created a page on Facebook for fans unable to be there in person to share the experience with one another. It was an unprecedented gathering full of tension, laughter, educational comments and insights by people from around the world from all walks of life. The one commonality shared by all was our love of the Iditarod. On the evenings and weekends during the race, I rarely left my computer; it was such an engrossing, virtual, communal conversation.

As a result of this, friendships were made and I discovered a wonderful book, Ballad of the Northland, written by nine time Iditarod musher, Jason Barron and illustrated by his wife, Harmony Barron also a veteran of several Iditarod races.

Within just a few months I had read and reviewed Barron’s title, self-published in the fall of 2010, here on Librarian’s Quest.  By following this link you can read my review in its entirety.  Below is an excerpt.

But readers least you think this is only a story of The Last Great Race be advised it is more, so much more. It is a story of determined triumph in the face of overwhelming adversity. Reading this will raise you up where you are acutely aware of that wellspring deep within us that longs to make us free. Ballad of the Northland is to be savored again and again for the sheer beauty of its characters and the landscape that surrounds their journeys.

This summer I took my own advice to savor this gem again, listening this time to Ballad of the Northland read by Jason Barron. Barron has that rare gift of a natural storyteller not only in his writing but in his speaking. It’s as if the blood of ancients runs through his body giving him the ability to mesmerize his listeners with the tale he tells.

As different characters flowed in and out in the storyline Barron’s inflections varied appropriately; it was uncanny how much he sounded just as your mind pictured those people. If a particular emotion needed to be conveyed volume and pitch were perfect. As a listener there was never a doubt as to the mood or thoughts of a specific personality. One of my favorite passages is when The Whaler begins to mentor The Boy describing his experiences of running the race. The image of them sitting together around a fire is extremely vivid; the true essence of The Whaler comes to life and you as the listener are sitting in the shadows leaning forward not wanting to miss a single word.

Having spent a good portion of his life living in the Alaskan bush, Barron is able to describe the wilderness in which the story is centered beautifully with intimate knowledge and passion.  The intonation in his speaking mirrors his written word in such a way as to create a true movie of the barren and rugged vistas in the listener's mind.

I found myself sitting in my car although having arrived at my garage or in a parking lot, completely taken with this version of Ballad, not wanting to leave until a disc was finished. Barron completely captivates you. 

Added to this audio version at the end is a series of comments by Barron relative to the writing of Ballad offering further insights into his motivation and answering some questions in which we readers/listeners crave answers. His remarks include his recording process for this edition which was no easy feat but nevertheless done with meticulous care.

Each of the eight discs is illustrated with eight different pieces of artwork from Ballad of the Northland by Jason’s wife, Harmony. Included with the set is a map of Alaska with two insets as well as illustrations along the side from the title worthy of framing and drawn by the talented Harmony Barron.

When a flower arrangement is made from a gardener’s own gardens and taken to someone in need, that is a labor of love. When an intricate cutting board is painstakingly made with small fitted pieces of wood and gifted to a neighbor, that is a labor of love. When a quilt is pieced together over the course of years to give to a friend on their 60th birthday, that is a labor of love. When a meal is prepared from scratch to serve to family or friends, that is a labor of love. Jason Barron’s audio version of Ballad of the Northland is a labor of love, you can hear it in every syllable he utters; listeners are keenly aware of his very personal investment in this story.

Even though I took great pleasure in the reading of Ballad of the Northland, hearing it read by its author took this story to a whole new level. I loved it and truly look forward to making that journey with The Boy yet again.

One Stop Digital Storytelling and So Much More

For nearly a year I have wanted to see what the web 2.0 app Creaza Education offers to users.  This free application, with additional benefits for paid subscriptions, is open to students.  For those under fifteen years of age it is requested that parents or guardians give them permission to do so.

Creaza has four components.  By clicking on each of the named component tabs at the bottom of the web site home page explanatory videos can be viewed for each.

Cartoonist offers 8 possible scenarios in which digital stories, cartoons, can be created. With this tool, you can also create title cards, speech balloons, thought balloons, or scream balloons. You can also combine all this with your own images.
Your cartoon will be organised into a strip with several frames, which can be presented both on the web and printed out on paper. 

I selected the Little Red Riding Hood scenario.  Background, characters, animals, props and cartoonist effects are elements that can be added to each frame of the cartoon.  Adjustments and enhancements can be made to each of those. 


 

 Mindomo is a tool for visually organizing your thoughts.  Text, media files and links can be added to the mind maps that you design. 

MovieEditor allows the user to generate a movie from files within the app or those that have been uploaded. Graphic, sound and music files can be combined with video files to create a professional presentation complete with title frames and transition choices.  The finished product can be exported to a high resolution MP4 or YouTube.

AudioEditor is as sophisticated as MovieEditor with many options available to generate a variety of audio files.  Recording, slicing and mixing can be done to make the perfect sound.  Recording can be done to place an additional track on top of the final edit.




When first selecting the Register button in the upper right hand corner, users are taken to the Terms of Use policy.  Upon acceptance the next screen asks for first name, last name, username, password, gender, email, year of birth and country.  When registration is completed the profile or homepage appears. 

At this homepage one can change the profile picture by uploading an image from your computer.  It is placed in your media file. At this point the homepage text can be edited but a Java plug-in is needed to accomplish that task.  Also the ability to activate YouTube export is located on this page.  On the left is a list of files that have been designed using one of the four tools.  Across the top those tools can be accessed as well as any files that have been uploaded such as images, sounds and videos.

When you register a unique URL is assigned to your account.  By using this URL your homepage and all your digital productions can be seen.  Comments can be left by viewers as well as a starred rating.

 Each of the individual files designed using the four tools also has a unique URL and HTML code which can be embedded as shown above.  In order to "release" those URL and HTML codes prior to opening the file move the mouse over the small blue button beneath the frame making sure it says unshared.

This is a wonderful free web 2.0 application , simple to use but sophisticated in the finished piece.

It's Not Just For The Birds

It seems like every time I read a blog post I discover some new (to me) web 2.0 application that would be amazing for students or staff to use in their school or personal life.  In reading a post  by Joyce Valenza on April 16, 2011 at NeverEndingSearch on the School Library Journal blog titled Design Tools to Die For she lists Aviary .  The creators of Aviary state:  Aviary is on a mission to make creation accessible to artists of all genres. 

Aviary can be used without registration but registration is simply accomplished with a username, email address and password.  Under the Terms they are asking that users be 13 years of age.  If not they should be under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian. 

Initially a user can upload a file or paste a URL into the frame on the first page.  That image can be altered by clicking on one of the eggs  to the right--sharpen, rotate, flip, resize, crop, redeye, blemish, colors, saturation, blur, brightness, contrast, drawing, text or stickers.  Beneath are golden eggs that offer various framing and effect options---Instant, Toy Camera, Old Photo and Retro. 

By clicking the Save button users can add a comment before downloading or even editing it further.  Image detail link, image URL, HTML image, HTML link, message boards or linked image are choices that can be selected prior to posting this image.  It can be posted directly with a mouse click to an Aviary account, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit or an email.

This is an uploaded photo that has been sharpened, brightened and enhanced with the Old Photo effect.  It was embedded using the HTML image feature.

Further down the screen Advanced Creative Tools are found.  These fall under the three headings of Photo, Design and Audio.  By launching the Image Editor, Effects Editor or the Screen Capture users can edit layers, merge photos, create patterns or use a variety of photo effects.  Quick cropping, creating logos, illustrations or matching colors can be done with the Vector Editor, Image Markup or Color Editor under the Design graphic.  Podcasts, editing of audio, creating beats or ringtones are some of the selections available below the Audio tab. 
Aviary has 87 tutorials for users to access and learn about these features which can create a definite WOW factor.

But the best, newest feature still in Beta is Aviary Education .  By asking for an account you need your school email, school name and location, how many student accounts and, so they can prioritize, why you need your account.  These student accounts are billed as being 100 per cent  safe and they are private.  Assignments and projects can be monitored and managed.  Educators are asked to get written permission from parents or legal guardians if  their students are under 13 years of age.  When I set  up my account the system was so new that  there was a small glitch which I will quickly point out has been fixed.  The reason that I mention it is that I was contacted by two separate techs until it  was fixed.  Their willingness to help and overall customer service rocks!

By the way, Aviary was selected as the name for the services that  this application supplies because the user is creating on the fly.



An Introduction to Aviary Education from Aviary on Vimeo.

What do Storytelling, Timelines and Jamming Have In Common?

As a former student of summer sessions offered by the National Storytelling Association in the mountains of Tennessee, I am committed to the oral interpretation of story.  And having spent nearly 35 years as a school library media specialist I truly am a lover of the written word.  That being said online applications as another option for sharing stories is a venue that needs to be explored. 

Capzles has most recently been mentioned by Kelly Tenkely in her blog, iLearn Technology.  In that blog she states that she has discussed it on previous  occasions so I thought that I should check it out.  In a nutshell Capzles is a venue where a multimedia timeline can be created.

Users must be 13 years of age.  To join this free site a screen name and password are necessary.  Users are asked for their first and last name as well as an email address. 

Once a user has joined and logged in, across the top they have the option to search other Capzles, single moments, profiles or take a flying leap by selecting a category or tag of their choice. 

Four other selections are available once the site is entered:  My Stuff, Explore, Create and Share.  I spent several interesting hours designing my first Capzle by picking the Create tab.

  To the left of your Capzle screen are the tools to make your timeline.   Under Title and Description once the obvious fields are filled, font style, font size and color can be selected.

As a user you can choose from their categories as well as add your own tags by selecting Tags & Categories.

When adding Content an image, video, MP3, Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF files can be uploaded as a single moment or put in stacks.  A blog entry which will appear as a single moment is an additional option.  Within that screen you can make that blog entry as plain or complicated as you desire.  Additions can be made to stacks.  Each moment or part of a stack can have the title or description altered as well as the tags or categories, date/time and privacy.  By filing in multiple fields an entry can be added to a map and information about the device used to create that moment can be included.  If you add an item by mistake it can be deleted as can the entire Capzle.

Design Your Capzle allows the user to select a predetermined background, upload one of their own, and manipulate colors.

You can upload a single song or create a playlist under the Add Background Music option.

It was my desire to have music playing when my Capzle was viewed and I have been wanting to explore the web 2.0 application UJAM.  The site is in two words---the Ritz. 
Once the user has completed simple registration it is free to use.  When starting you can record vocals or instruments, rejam a song template or upload an audio file.  A blending of multiple choices can create almost any desired effect for the final product which for my purposes was complete in every way.  The finished song can be saved in your online folder, made into an MP3 file that can be saved to your computer or shared on Facebook.


Having a song as part of my Capzle I can now click Finish and share it via post to seven different social networks, embed it, send it by email, feed or link. 

I have been wondering how best to track my Elementary and Middle School Picks of the Week as they disappear when a new one if posted.  Designing a Capzle would be perfect.  For students it would be a visual way to track the books they read each year adding short comments or for us too! 

http://www.capzles.com/0e405d83-d01c-4486-8f13-8c39f3d4f703


QR code generator



View my Capzle by clicking on the link above or the QR code.