Tag Archives: voki

Befunky, Photopeach, and Sketchfu – it’s what students want to do!

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What are fun (and educational!) activities to do with students that they can also embed into blogs and other websites like wikis?

Who better to tell us then the students themselves!

So here is a list of tools compiled from recommendations by the Digiridoos, a group of Year 4/5 (9-10 year olds),  who each shared what they would include if they were in charge of the Student Blogging Challenge.

Befunky

Befunky is quick and simple tool for transforming digital photos into instant art work or digital comics.

Extensive range of effects, speech bubbles, accessories, graphics and lot’s of objects that you can add to your pictures.

Great for expressing creativity while having fun and providing cool images for spicing up your blog!

Example of using befunky

PhotoPeach

PhotoPeach is one of the fastest and easiest ways of creating a story or quiz using photos.

It’s as simple as:

  1. Uploading your photos
  2. Adding music
  3. Adding your captions.

Presto!  You’ve created a story that you can embed as a slideshow into your blog post.

Here’s detailed instructions on how to create and embed a PhotoPeach.

Check out the example of a PhotoPeach Quiz below:

Learn more about animals on PhotoPeach

PollDaddy

Polldaddy is one of the most recognized tools for creating online polls and surveys.

Polls provide different opportunities for gauging readers opinions compared to just asking questions in blog posts.

Not all readers feel comfortable leaving comments in responses to questions.

Polls means readers can express their opinion while maintaining their anonymity.

They also provide you and visitors to your blog the chance to gain a sense of how your readers feel on topics since most online poll tools display the results once a visitor has voted.

Check out the example of a PollDaddy Poll below:


Sketchfu

Sketchfu is a simple tool for creating your own cool animations online that can easily be embedded into your blog post.

Grabbing the Sketchfu embed code

Here’s an example of a Sketchfu embedded below:


Make your own drawings at SketchfuMore from this artist at SketchfuShare this drawing from Sketchfu
Learn how to draw cartoons, comics, and anime at Sketchfu!

Storybird

Storybird is a simple to use online digital story telling tool which provides amazing artwork for building your story.

Creating your own storyboard is as simple as choosing a theme (layout),  selecting the art work you would like to use and then writing your story.  With Storybird anyone can create great-looking digital picture book stories.

Here’s an example of a Storybird embedded below:

The Secretest Secret Agent Secret Cat on Storybird

Voki

Voki speaking avatars are cool and lots of fun to create.

They’re used to add a human element to your blogs.

Here’s detailed instructions on how to create and embed a Voki.

Check out an example of a Voki below:



Get a Voki now!

Wall Wisher

Wallwisher is an online notice board creator.

It’s a really fast and easy way to create engaging activities to use with students.

It’s as simple as:

  1. Create your Wallwisher
  2. Add some sticky notes
  3. Embed into your Blog Post
  4. Add more sticky notes

The sticky notes can be as simple as text only OR very creative with images, audio, video, SlideShares, Google Presentations, blog posts (basically almost anything you can link to via their URL)!

And students don’t need to have a Wallwishers account to use it!

Here’s detailed instructions on how to create and embed a Wall Wisher.

Embedding into blog posts

Embedding is as simple as:

1.  Completely write your post including adding title, text, images, tags and categories.

2.  Click on Save Draft, previewed your post and make all necessary edits.

Previewing your post

3.  Copy the embed code.

Copy the Photopeach embed code

4.  Click on HTML Tab on your blog post.

Your HTML Tab

4.  Paste the embed code for your PhotoPeach into your post where you want it to appear then immediately click Publish

  • Don’t click back to Visual Tab before hitting Publish as it can break the embed code.
  • Immediately close your post once you’ve published.
  • Change back to Visual Editing mode when you write your next post by clicking on the Visual tab.

Adding PhotoPeach Embed code to a post

Final Thoughts

Thanks to Digiridoos for sharing your favorite online tools!

What online tools would you add onto their list?

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Top widgets for the sidebar of your class or student blog

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Note: This post is cross-posted from the Edublogs News blog. If you like what you read, please consider subscribing here.

Did you know that the fastest and easiest way to add new features to your blog is by embedding widgets into the sidebar of your blog?

To help you out, here is a list of the most popular and most useful widgets that can be added to your blog in no time.

Scroll down to the bottom of this post for more instructions on how to add widgets to your blog. Don’t forget, these widgets can also be embedded using the HTML tab in any page or post as well!

Visitor Statistics

  1. clustrClustrMaps - The most popular widget on Edublogs.  Displays a small map with “dots” for each of your visitors.
  2. Flag Counter – Lists the most common countries that your visitors are from and shows the flag from each country.
  3. Who’s Among Us – With an account, includes some nice stat collection tools.
  4. My Web Counter – Simple and free visitor counters with many custom looks and designs.

voki

Talking Avatars

  1. Voki - Add a speaking and highly customizable avatar to your blog.  Record you voice, create a character, and much more!
  2. Read The Words – Human avatars that will read text or recorded audio right in your blog.
  3. Site Pal – A paid widget that can make scarily realistic avatars using uploaded photos of you or students.

Miscellaneous

  1. Clock Link – 100′s of different and unique clocks of all types.
  2. AccuWeather – The most complete collection of weather widgets to show current conditions and forecasts.
  3. Box.net – Create a file dropbox or upload widget for students to submit files for your review.
  4. Feed Wind – Display the latest posts from another blog anywhere on the web.
  5. Sweet Search – Place a search box for a trusted and safe for students search engine.

googapps

Google Apps

*These widgets also will all work with Google Apps for Education users too!

  1. Google Calendar – Embed a list of upcoming events or a month view of a public Google calendar.
  2. Google Talk Chatback – Put a badge in your sidebar that lets users chat with you live when you are online. Your blog’s visitors don’t even need a gtalk account to chat with you.
  3. Google Maps – Embed a Google map – complete with directions, street views, and more.
  4. Google Gadgets – Choose from hundreds of different widgets, including games, trivia and more.

Multimedia

  1. schooltubeFlickr Slideshow and Badges - Easily add photos from your flickr account to your sidebar.
  2. Facebook Photo Gallery - Show off your public facebook photo galleries right on your blog.
  3. SchoolTube MVP - Share popular videos from SchoolTube.com with easy sidebar access.
  4. YouTube - Place in YouTube channels or top trending videos.
  5. Mixpod – Create a music play list and share it on your blog.
  6. RadioTuna – Pick a genre and play music for your visitors.

Languages

  1. wordofdayGoogle Translate – Instantly translate your blog into many different languages.
  2. Transparent.com Word of the Day – Audio and visual word of the day. Customizable in many of the world’s languages such as Spanish, French, German, Chinese and many more.
  3. Reverso Translation – Translorts, verb conjugators, and more in many different languages.

Reading

  1. Shelfari - Show off your favorite books for others to see.
  2. Education Atlas – Free thesaurus and dictionary widget with many features.
  3. SitePal Widgetbox – Mentioned above, but this widget will allow readers to type in or copy and paste words to be read out loud.

Science & Math

  1. convertScience Score – A science question of the day. Students can even enter to win prizes.
  2. Wolfram Alpha – Quite possibly the best resource on this list – Wolfram Alpha contains hundreds of customizable math and science widgets, including unit converters, weather tools, graphing calculators, problem solvers, and much more. This might be the only resource math and science students and teachers need for their blogs!

History

  1. Info Please – Nice looking “this day in history” widget that displays multiple events and updates every day.
  2. Timeline Index – 30 different timelines showcasing several different periods of history – including US presidents, world history outline, philosophers, and explorers.

Widget Sites & Collections

  1. widgetboxWidgetBox.com – The definite go-to place to find and build your own widgets. Edublogs uses several widgets from here on our main site!
  2. SpringWidgets.com – Another great source for widgets from many of your favorite sites on the web. User reviews and comments help you find the perfect widget for your blog.
  3. Widgipedia.com – Like the two sites above, wigipedia is a huge and growing collections of widgets of all types and sizes.

How To Embed

1. Choose the widget of your choice and copy the html code for it.

2.  Go to Appearance > Widgets in your blog dashboard

Appearance > Widgets menu item

3.  Click on the desired Sidebar to expand (so you can add the widgets)

4.  Add a text widget to the desired sidebar by dragging it from the Available Widgets into the Sidebar area on the right.

5.  The widget will automatically open — just add the HTML code for your widget, click Save and then Close.

Adding HTML embed code to voki

6.  You should now see the widget in your blog sidebar!

Related Links

Since there are thousands and thousands of widgets to use, we are certain to have overlooked a few of your favorites.

Leave a comment below with any that we missed so that we can add to the list!

Embedding Flash Into Posts

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UPDATE: Embed Flash swf button and Embed media button don’t exist since Edublogs has been upgraded to the latest version of WordPress.  You need to use the HTML tab for embedding videos and Flash Objects.

Now that Edublogs have given us new freedom and allows us to embed javascript, iframes and object code directly into our blogs we have to realise that “Freedom is a package deal – with it comes responsibilities and consequences.”

Just because we can copy and paste pretty much most ‘embedding’ code we pick up around the web directly into our Edublog posts using the Code Tab doesn’t mean this method is always be the best option. It may be better to embed:

  • Flash objects (swf) using Embed Flash swf buttonflash1.jpg in your Write Post Visual Editor
  • Videos using Embed media button media2.jpg in your Write Post Visual Editor.

Embedding Flash

If the embed code you grab includes .swf it means you are dealing with a flash object. Voicethreads, Voki, Animoto and Dvolver MovieMaker all use flash objects and it may be better to embed using Embed Flash swf button.

Let me demonstrate by embedding a Voicethread:

  1. Copy the embed code from Voicethread voicethreads1.jpg
  2. Paste the code from Voicethread into Notepad and locate the code enclosed in quotes after src= and copy this code. Don’t include the quotes.voicethreads2.jpg
  3. Write down the width and height. voicethreads3.jpg
  4. Click on the Flash Embed button on your toolbar.
  5. Paste the code that you copied from Notepad into the dialogue box that opens. Click OK.
  6. Enter 480 for width and 360 for height.

voicethreads4.jpg

If you prefer video tutorials Chris Betcher has created a video on adding voicethreads to Edublogs and an introduction to using voicethreads. You can check out Chris other great video tutorials here. (Thanks Larry Ferlazzo for your tip).

Below is an example of a voicethread embedded in this post. Larry Ferlazzo rates voicethreads as the number one Best Site To Practice Speaking English and Pronunciation. Check out the Voicethreads 4 Education wiki for examples of how educators are using Voicethread in their classrooms or for professional development.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://voicethread.com/book.swf?b=409" width="480" height="360" wmode="transparent" /]

Embedding Animoto

Northside’s blog indicated they were having a problem embedding Animoto so here’s how to locate the code you need to add using the Flash Embed Button flash1.jpg for embedding Animoto.

animoto.jpg

Here’s an Aminoto of activities I do with my aquaculture students.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/46928cc51133af17/47e19663442c8a76" width="432" height="250" wmode="transparent" /]

Trial and Error

Not all flash objects will embed using the flash embed button which means you need to try the Code Tab. For example, Alice Mercer’s pointed out that Picassa Web slideshows only works with the code tab – you can check out Alice’s embedded slideshow here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m finding some online tools are easier to embed than others, and some I haven’t been able to work out how to embed at all e.g. Ustream. Let me know what works/doesn’t work for you, and how educators could use it.

UPDATE: Embed Flash swf button and Embed media button don’t exist since Edublogs has been upgraded to the latest version of WordPress.  You need to use the HTML tab for embedding videos and Flash Objects.

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Adding A Voki Speaking Avatar To A Post or Page of Your Blog

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Voki add a “human element” to your blog — readers can now hear your voice.

There are two ways a Voki can be added blogs:

  1. Using a text widget in your blog sidebar – when you always want the Voki to appear on your frontpage
  2. By embedding them in a Post or Page – when using the voki for giving instructions to students or displaying student created Vokis

Here’s instructions on how to add a voki to your blog sidebar.

This post explains how to embed vokis in Pages and Posts (check out these ideas on using Vokis in your classroom).

Embedding a Voki in Post or Page

Voki’s as embed in Posts and Pages as follows:

1.  Go to Voki

2.  Set up a Voki account and then create your own Voki.

3.  Once you have published your Voki grab the HTML embed code as follows:

a) From drop down menu next to ‘Embed in’ select WordPress

Selecting the destination for a Voki

b) From drop down menu next to ‘Size’ select Large (300 x 400)

Changing embed size of Voki

c) Click Get Code and copy all the HTML embed code

Tip: Fastest way is to use the ShortCut Keys Ctrl+A to select all text and Ctrl+C to copy the text

Copying the Voki HTML embed code

4. Go to Posts > Add New in your blog dashboard

5.  Click on Save Draft, previewed your post and make all necessary edits.

6.  Click on HTML Tab


7.  Paste the embed code for the  Voki into your post where you want it to appear then click Publish

  • Don’t click back to Visual Tab before hitting Publish as it can break the embed code.
  • Immediately close your post once you’ve published.
  • Change back to Visual Editing mode when you write your next post by clicking on the Visual tab.
Adding a voki to a page or post

Adding a voki to a page or post

Please note

Voki avatars embedded in posts are stripped out by feed readers like Google Reader.

It’s good practice to let your readers know that you’ve added a voki to a post and include a link to its original location

  • he location of your Vokis is enclosed by quotes after src= is the URL address of your voki in your embed code

For example you might say:

If my voki has been removed by your feed reader, you can check it out here.



Get a Voki now!

FINAL THOUGHT

We hope you enjoy creating your voki avatars and adding them to your blogs. Please let us know how you go.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider Subscribing For Free!

Adding A Voki Speaking Avatar To Your Blog Sidebar

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voki21Voki speaking avatars are cool and lots of fun to create.

They’re used to add a human element to their blogs or engage students.

But they can be a bit pesky to embed in a blog so this post explains how to add a voki to your blog sidebar.

Our next post explains how to add them to a Post or Page.

About Vokis

Voki enables you to create an avatar in your own voice using a talking character.

You can customize your Voki to look like you or take on the identity of different characters such as animals, monsters.

Here’s ideas for using Vokis in your classroom (courtesy Helen Otway – Classroom2.0):

  1. Students can create avatars that are similar in looks or personalities and record a message that tells about themselves.
  2. Students can exchange these avatars with e-pals either within their own setting or anywhere in the world.
  3. Students can generate questions to ask their avatar e-pals.
  4. ESL (English as a Second Language) students can use the speaking avatars to practice and listen to their speech. They may use the computerised voice first then record their own voice when they feel more comfortable. Writing, reading and pronunciation are all practised.
  5. Students can create an avatar that resembles a character from a story, add a setting and give it speech. The speech could be from the story or a creative point of view (POV) from the character on an event.

Adding Voki Avatar to Your Blog Sidebar

Voki’s as added to your blog sidebar using text widgets as follows:

1.  Go to Voki

2.  Set up a Voki account and then create your own Voki.

3.  Once you have published your Voki grab the HTML embed code as follows:

a) From drop down menu next to ‘Embed in’ select WordPress

Selecting the destination for a Voki

b) From drop down menu next to ‘Size’ select Small (200 x 267) — use custom dimension of Width 170 for narrow sidebars

Changing embed size of Voki

c) Click Get Code and copy all the HTML embed code

Tip: Fastest way is to use the ShortCut Keys Ctrl+A to select all text and Ctrl+C to copy the text

Copying the Voki HTML embed code

4.  Go to Appearance > Widgets in your blog dashboard

Appearance > Widgets menu item

5.  Click on the desired Sidebar to expand (so you can add the widgets)

6.  Add a text widget to the desired sidebar by dragging it from the Available Widgets into the Sidebar area on the right.

7.  The widget will automatically open — just add the HTML code for your Voki, click Save and then Close.

Adding HTML embed code to voki

8.  You should now see your Voki in your blog sidebar!

Tips for Using Voki

  1. Audio is better quality and easier to add when created using Audacity
  2. Voki terms and conditions state you must be over 13 years to use their service
  3. These instructions for embedding Vokis won’t work on WordPress.com blogs due to restrictions on the types of code allowed.

FINAL THOUGHT

We hope you enjoy creating your voki avatars and adding them to your blogs. Please let us know how you go!

Read our next post to learn how to embed a Voki avatar in a post or page.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider Subscribing For Free!