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FotoViewr is a cool new site that I came across today that allows you to access your photos from your Flickr or SmugMug account, create a slideshow, and embed it into your blog or website.  Why do I like FotoViewr?

1. You don’t need to sign up or create an account to use the site.
2. Easily access your photos by entering your username and the “tag” of the photos you wish to view.
3. Pick a “gallery” tool to showcase your photos.
4. Embed the slideshow using the code Fotoviewr provides for you.

The transitions remind me of PicLens (otherwise known as Cool Iris), which is a new way to search for multimedia on the web.  The effects are very similar to what I see in FotoViewr. If you can’t see the slideshow below, try viewing this blog in Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

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Every year there is a program that I decide I adore.  This year it’s Tech4learning’s Pixie - Check out the software overview by clicking the link.  Our county purchased Pixie as part of Tech4learning’s Imagination Suite.  We also received Image Blender and Web Blender as part of this package. 

What is Pixie?

Pixie is a drawing and painting program that allows children to express their creativity and practice much needed educational concepts. There are hundreds of educational templates that are ready for your students to use within the program. You can also create your own activities for students to complete within Pixie.

RESOURCES
TRADING POST. This Tech4Learning website is a place where educators can upload their Pixie templates, activities, and lesson plans. They are there for you to download and use with your class! Sign up for free.

Tech4Learning’s homepage is a great resource for tutorials, tips, and support for any of their programs: Pixie, Web Blender, and Image Blender.

Recipes4Success is a great website that provides tutorials on this program and all Tech4Learning programs.

BEST FEATURES ABOUT PIXIE:

1. Print multiple pictures:  If you choose to print multiple paintings at one time, you can print as “trading cards” and trade your pictures with your friends.  Think of classroom implications: if each child trades a different historical or literary figure, they can learn from each other’s cards.  You can also print mini booklets, comic strips, and table tents.
2. Share your pictures:  Choose to play your pictures in slideshow format directly from Pixie.  Add music, transitions, and have it run continuously.  In addition, you can export your slideshow as a Quicktime video, a web page, or a full presentation.
3. Export your pictures: Export Pixie paintings as common picture formats such as JPS or GIF.  Now you can import them into Microsoft Office, Photo Story, Movie Maker, etc.  This also means you do not need to have Pixie on your computer to view your pictures.

Language Arts Ideas

Create an ABC book. Give each student a different letter to stamp out with stickers or draw with the tools.
Create a noun sort by person, place and thing.
Sort words by consonant sound or vowel sound
Complete a Making Words activity using the letter stickers.
Create writing prompts for kids: Seasons, My Favorite Animal, My Hero, etc.
Graphic Organizers: Venn Diagrams, Story Maps, KWL, etc.
Sort words by syllables
Type and illustrate a poem
Create trading cards of literary figures
Sort between real and fictional characters

Math Ideas

Import real pictures. Draw and label angles that you find.
Use the coins to show different ways to make the same amount of money.
Stamp out number sentences to illustrate them.
Symmetry with the mirror tool.
Expanded form

Science Ideas

Illustrate Life Cycles
Sort by Living and Non-Living
Illustrate the Water Cycle or the Rock Cycle
Illustrate weather for the week
Sort objects by sink or float
Label parts of an insect, parts of a flower, layers of the earth, planets in the solar system, layers of the rainforest, etc.
Food Chains and Food Webs
Food Pyraminds
Differences between whales and fish
Differences between the different types of rock
Create trading cards of different rocks, minerals, or elements

Social Studies Ideas

“If I were president” writing prompt
Label a map of the US by the intials of each state
Compare presidents or any 2 historical figures
Add a state stamp and fill it with stamps that represent resources available from that state
Color the regions of MD
Sort by community helpers
Sort by human, natural, and capital resources
Create trading cards of historical figures or current political figures
Create a postcard from a historical landmark or location

Art Ideas

Design a kite
Design a Christmas ornament
Paint a self-portrait
Label a color wheel

Paint anything!

http://amyboehman.blogspot.com

Remember the boring Periodic Table from Chemistry class in high school?  Now there is a better way to learn about the elements.

The Periodic Table of Videos

The Periodic Table of Videos has an educational video on every element on the table.  Click your element and a YouTube video will launch telling you all about it.  The nice feature is that if your school system blocks YouTube, you can view the videos on an alternate server.

Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” 

Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” is a sing along song created in Flash of all of the elements on the Periodic Table.  It’s oddly addicting.

The Visual Elements Periodic Table

The Visual Elements Periodic Table displays a real photograph depicting each element.  Scrolling over the pictures shows the element name and abbreviation.  If you click the element, a separate window appears with basic information about the element.

Interactives: The Periodic Table

Interactives: The Periodic Table takes a unique approach to the periodic table. First, there are a series of tutorials for the student followed by 5 different interactive games to reinforce knowledge: Name that Atom, Building Elements, Which One of These Elements Doesn’t Belong?, Isotopes Quiz, and Ionic Bonding.

In addition, Interactive’s home page contains many interactive games to support learning in science, history, math, language arts, and the arts that are geared for middle and high school students.

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Okay, are you a teacher looking for sound effects to use in multimedia projects for your students but are not sure where to look?  The “Find Sounds” search engine will make your life so much easier. This site offers many different types of audio clips for you to download.  The only problem is that the sound effect that you find may not be copyright-free.  Here is a disclaimer from the Find Sounds site:

“When you perform a search using FindSounds.com or the WebPalette feature of FindSounds Palette, you obtain links to audio files hosted by Web sites throughout the world. The sounds in these audio files may be copyrighted and their use governed by national and international copyright laws. We do not offer advice on the fair use of these files.”

Therefore, teachers and students still need to do some basic research to find out if the sound can be used under fair use laws, but at least they have a starting point now.  Even so, check out Find Sounds and let me know what you think.