Screencast-O-Matic

One of my favorite websites for creating screencasts is Screencast-O-Matic.com. The basic service is free. You can record up to 15 minutes of video for each video you create and can download the video directly to your computer or post to YouTube without even creating an account. If you create a free account, you can store your videos on Screencast-O-Matic and use a link to share your creation. 

With the paid version of the program - which is ONLY $15.00 a year by the way -  you can create longer videos and it provides you with a great little toolbox of editing tools like overlays, cutting tools, audio inserts, and more. I gladly pay the $15.00 - it is my go to tool for screencasts and I think it would be an outstanding tool for teachers that are flipping their classroom or just want to post tutorials for their students. Here's a short video I found on YouTube that shows how to use the site - https://youtu.be/xiTymQcKGeE.

Using the Windows 7 Snipping Tool

A great tool in Windows 7 (and also in Windows 10) is the Snipping Tool. This tool allows you to "snip" anything on your computer screen. You can then save the snip as a graphic, copy and paste it to another program or email it. You can also use the drawing tools in the program to emphasize a certain area of the snip.

Here's a quick two minute video to show you how it works.
https://youtu.be/bL47s3R127o

Get the Story Started with Story Dice

Sometimes the hardest part about writing a story is getting started - that's where Story Dice comes in. 

Story Dice is a creative writing prompt tool that helps students come up with ideas for plot, character and setting and the app can be used with all grade levels.

Just select the number of dice you want to roll and get started - there are 170 pictures included in the app. 


Several ideas for using the dice - 
1. Use the dice to create a character in a story that students have already started.
2. Create sentences.
3. Develop a skit.
4. Play charades.

And much more! Look at their app in app store to get more ideas on how to use Story Dice and let the stories begin!

Tackk in Education

I love easy ways to publish content to the web and Tackk for education makes it so simple for teachers and students to create beautiful projects that include photos, videos, text, links and much more. Plus, students can sign in with their edmodo, O365 or Google accounts.

Students can construct products to share with others and get feedback from peers and teachers. If we have our students creating, shouldn't we make sure they can share with people other than the classroom - let's share it with the world!

Tackk for Education

iOS 9 for iPhones & iPads

A new iOS update came out recently for iPhones and iPads. There are some great new features in this upate. Here are three links that tell you all about the changes.

20 Best iOS9 Features - http://goo.gl/OCbIqV

20 New iOS 9 Settings You Should Know - http://goo.gl/2UsPfb

25 iOS 9 Tips & Tricks - http://goo.gl/YsKALh