e-wot? » Tools

IxEdit – interaction design tool

Mark — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:38:06 +0000

IxEdit. A nice tool for user interface/interaction design. You need to know a bit of html and css, but otherwise it’s a breeze to use. You build and check your design in your browser. It’s javascript (jQuery) based, without the need to do any js coding. Very cool.

Ommwriter

Mark — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:02:51 +0000

Ommwriter is a zen writing tool. It turns off everything on you Mac that might distract you from writing, and gives you a calm space to focus your thoughts. Watch the video, then download Ommwriter.

Welcome – Ommwriter.

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008

Mark — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:23:00 +0000

Compiled from contributions from over 200 learning professionals who shared their top 10 tools for learning here are Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008

The top 3 are Delicious, Firefox and Google Reader. Huzzah!

ICET 2007 Yu Neng Primary School – using NewsMaker

Mark — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:16:34 +0000

Newsmaker is a video editing tool that Yu Neng Primary school have been using with their learners.

The normal process they follow with a class is

P5 & P6 students form a group.
Brainstorm a topic.
Research. Collate information.
Write a news script.
Rehearse the script working on reading, text tone and facial expression.
Then they decide on the format.
Then they make a newsmaker clip.

Benefits? Through newsmaker students have integrated writing, reading and listening skills. It has helped improve their confidence too.

It enhances bilingualism through using subtitles. Students pick an existing video clip from a movie (they showed one from the movie Gandhi). They then write the subtitles themselves, followed by a translation from English into Mandarin. The tool allows them to show both English and Mandarin subtitles together or alone.

Yu Neng are also creating a portal for students to upload videos (probably this site NewsMakerTV) where visitors can comment (like YouTube).

I’m not sure who developed the software. They mentioned EyePower Games, but I can’t find out much about them online.

Stardoll – dress up celebs

Mark — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:28:02 +0000

Dress up your favourite celebrities online. Good fun for kids, I reckon.
Could be useful in class for learners to discuss celebs, clothes, accessories, etc…

It’s not free if you want to save your stylings, but you don’t need to pay to play with it, which should be good enough for a quick classroom activity.

If you get a user account (takes a couple of minutes and you need an email address), you can create a paperdoll of yourself. They didn’t have any fat, balding middle-aged male paperdolls, so I lost interest pretty quickly lol. I also couldn’t figure out how to get any clothes. hmmm.

The paid version is a social network thing: compare and chat about outfits, accessories, etc…

click for Stardoll