Applications Chapter

 

Applications

 

The use of computer applications or programs is a difficult issue for schools and teachers,. The on-going costs associated with site licences and software maintenance is a large component of a school budget. There are hard decisions made each year as to how many licences, or if the software is purchased at all.

 

Trial software or open source is making inroads to school curricula in a bid to reduce the costs of updating the activities attempted in learning activities.

 

Online WEB2.0 applications are different. The software is available at no cost. The costs of providing the service are covered by advertising at the website. Many applications have ‘education’ sections where there is no advertising. Bona-fide teachers are eligible to sign up themselves to host their students or to arrange a ‘class-set’ for all of their students to have a space online.

 

Webware, as distinct from software or hardware, is available through the internet or world wide web. The rate of development of applications is increasing as is the free and ready availability of explanations and ratings of the uses for the webware. Several websites are constantly reviewing and evaluating the emergence of the webware.

 

One such site has requested their online community to rate the most useful or ‘best’ webware in a range of categories.

http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100.html

 

other websites provide listings of WEB2.0 applications, with commentary and descriptionsof the function. A link to the website provides further information to any prospective user of the application (‘the app’).

 

Apps for Education

 

The business of schools is learning, may be self evident, though for many the business of schools is teaching, not necessarily the same thing, though related.

 

The challenge for educators is to be able to organise and arrange learning activities and experiences whichb allows the learners in class, our students, to gain optimal benefit from exposure to these technologies.

However, this challenge is disruptive. These technologies have been termed disruptive. there is no going back to no being connected.

if there is a connected way of doing something, and not, the not connected will serve to frustrate those who have adopted the 'on-line way'

 

A consequence of adopting an on-line approach is that the speed of the connection ( bandwidth) will seem to become ever slower, the amount of storage needed will continue to increase, (always approaching the amount available!) and the sense of urgency to communicate becomes compelling.

 

A sense of perspective is required in these matters, as the 'better way' is not always the simplest, nor quickest.

 

Webware offers a means for teachers to transform that teaching requirement into a learning moment, and to provide monitoring and tracking of evidence that the learner has achieved the teaching( and learning) objectives.

Online collaborations on many activities provide rich material for students to put their point of view, and to relate a justification as to why that point of view should be adopted, or not. Understanding of a topic is often only demonstrated when the learner must use the information, or process to generate

Some of the WEB2.0 applications are:

 

Wikispaces – free to education, no advertising, bulk arrangements available for teachers. A subscription is available to add features and provide extra storage space

 

Blogger – free hosting of a web-log, fully featured with add-ins available.

 

The best references to assist teachers are where you find them!

Some starting points might be:

 

e-learning2.0 all you need to know

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-learning_20_all_you_need_to_know.php

 

Mashable (http://mashable.com/) is another great spot to go to check out lists of things and reviews of Web 2.0 apps, (maybe a bit daunting for novices though worth a look to see the scope of all of this). Another one to check out is Go2Web at http://www.go2web20.net/

 

A comparison of Spreadsheets between EditGrid, Google Spreadsheets, Zoho Sheet and Microsoft Excel 2003(PC)/2004(MAC) can be found at http://www.editgtrid.com/tnc/pkchan/Editgrid_v._Google

 

 

Details to be added...later...

 

 

Zoho, (the office suite online) http://www.zoho.com/

 

Google Docs (Word and Excel done Google), docs.google.com/

 

Gliffy, (concept mapping online) http://www.gliffy.com/

 

Bubbl.us (more concept mapping online) http://www.bubbl.us/

 

Slideshare (PowerPoint/Keynote on the web) http://www.slideshare.net/

 

Splashcast (movies/PowerPoint/images mashup) http://web.splashcast.net/

 

Voicethread (talking photo album) http://voicethread.com/

 

Voki (animated avatar) http://www.voki.com/

 

VODPOD collections of videos from different video colletcions, eg. YouTube, teacherTube, googlevideo, MySpaceVideo...

 

Clustrmap (plugin for blogs etc to reveal where people looking come from, big motivation appeal) http://www.clustrmaps.com/

 

SurveyMonkey (for creating surveys) http://www.surveymonkey.com/

 

Toondoo (online cartoons) http://www.toondoo.com/Home.do

 

Zamzar (online file conversion) http://www.zamzar.com/

 

 

Bookr (you can make a book with flickr images) http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/index.php

 

FlickrStorm (a way to isolate images from flickr) http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/

 

Online Video Conversions http://vconvert.net/

 

Vyew (0nline collaboration space, we should give it a try) http://vyew.com/content/

 

FlashMeeting (another collaboration space) http://flashmeeting.open.ac.uk/