SimpleViewer is a lovely, flash based, image viewing application. SimpleViewer has a customizable interface where the text color, frame color and width plus navigation position can all be changed.
SimpleViewer also boasts an interface that scales to fit the browser window. Beware though, SimpleViewer is designed for showing, at most, around 50 images per gallery. Anything more than this will be too slow and the program may freeze!
Epiware is a ”powerful open source alternative for Enterprise Document Management” enabling users to collaborate on projects, share documents, create schedules, and manage tasks.
Epiware contains many features including calendar, wiki, tasking/gantt chart, news room, metadata search, controlled folder access and check-in/check-out.
Haven’t used it yet, but Epiware looks like a very useful tool that could be used by teachers and/or students to collaborate effectively on a range of projects.
It’s time to submit your Top Ten Learning Tools for 2008! Join in with other learning professionals from around the world who have contributed their Top 10 Learning Tools so far.
Just a few of those are pictured here!
Entries are open from the 1st January to 31st March.
All the contributions will be used to build the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008. No need to worry if you change your mind as you will be able to update your list again, in the summer, before the Top 100 Tools list is finalised.
In the meantime you can always have a look at the Top 100 Tools 2007 compiled from 109 professionals last year. It will be very interesting to see just how different the two lists will be.
I have already added My Top Ten, all open source/free in keeping with the spirit of my blog of course!
Qedoc provides interactive educational resources that anyone can use and change. The resources on the Qedoc Wiki Site are centred on quiz-making and quiz-taking. However, Qedoc is much more than just quiz making software and it can be used to build meaningful interactive learning content.
The Quiz Maker software is free to use provided that you share your quizzes on the Qedoc Wiki Site and provided that they have “acceptable content“.
The Quiz Maker provides for 94 different types of questions including variations of multiple choice, cloze, matching, typed response and mathematical. Likert scale survey questions are also included.
Some of the resources can be exported to other platforms including Moodle. The submitted quizzes are organised into categories using keywords to allow for easy searching. Several super-categories (portals) have also been created to assist with finding relevant quizzes – as shown below.
Just completed my first TalkShoe session yesterday, with Mike Temple, and was impressed with this new Web 2.0 tool. Essentially, TalkShoe is a “service that enables anyone to easily create, join, or listen to live interactive discussions, conversations, podcasts and audioblogs“.
The recorded calls are available immediately after recording stops and can be listened to, downloaded, or subscribed to.
Once you have registered you can start listening in on any of the live calls straight away. But, in order to join in the conversation you first need to install the TalkShoe software. Once this is done, you can easily join in the conversation by using your computer (microphone and speakers) or your phone.
It seems like a very easy way to introduce students to podcasting, since all the technical stuff is done behind the scenes! For the more advanced students, the resulting podcast can be downloaded and edited in Audacity. I think TalkShoe also has great potential for use with language classes and will also appeal to any budding talk show hosts!
At present there are over 300 shows listed in education and over 650 in technology. Something for everyone?
Mike will be broadcasting again next Saturday evening at 8pm GMT (3pm EST, 12midday PST and Sunday 7am down under in Melbourne!!) with a view to discussing the edublogs platform and web 2.0 tools. Everyone is welcome to join in.
Rapid Typing is a handy little typing tutor, which uses a simple yet colourful interface.
Essentially, Rapid Typing is a typing game, where the training takes place in a “virtual picturesque underwater world” adding some fun to the training. As you improve your typing level “more nice underwater creatures will come to light“. The underwater scene is, indeed, very colourful if not somewhat distracting – although you can switch off the animation if you want to.
Rapid Typing provides training statistics including wpm or cpm, with the statistics reflecting typing speed and accuracy.
Keyboard emulation, where the keys and finger workplaces are highlighted, is also provided by Rapid Typing. Interestingly, several different keyboard layouts are provided.
Rapid Typing lets you can choose the order in which to complete the typing lessons and you can create your own extra exercises. Multiple users with their own personal settings are supported, which is very handy for the classroom setting.
To add to all this, Rapid Typing may be installed or just run from a memory stick as a portable application!
However, if you simply want to practice your typing online then visit Peter’s Online Course, recommended by Zaid. You could also try PowerTyping, another free online typing tutor. Kevin recommends the online BBC typing tutorial. This one is aimed at the younger kids but is great fun for anyone learning typing.
The Teacher Resource Exchange is a database of resources created by teachers. In fact, “all resources on the TRE are checked by subject specialists to ensure they are of the highest possible quality“.
The Teacher Resource Exchange has been designed to “help teachers develop and share ideas for activities and resources“. At present, the resources are grouped into over twenty categories (or subject areas).
There is no need to register to gain access to the resources – just jump right in! Here’s a little flash ICT matching game submitted by Joanne Giles (just click on two computers to get going).
It’s time to submit your 
Just completed my first 
Patricia Donaghy
