Triptico - newly resigned website makes the resources even better!

I just received the e-mail below from the creator of Triptico.

A New Triptico Website
New Website, New Blog, New Features and Lots of Brand New Interactive Resources


The new Triptico website has arrived: www.tripticoplus.com

This new website replaces the existing site and app and will hopefully have lots of benefits:

• Nothing to install
• Access the resources simply by visiting the site
• Create anywhere and save to the cloud
• Create groups and shared folders for easy sharing with colleagues
• A new activity stream of ideas and updates
• New and improved interactive learning resources
• And much, much more.

There is also a new blog which I will fill with tutorials and ideas (such as a guide to the new version of the popular 'Word Magnet' resource).

If you have (or have ever had) a Triptico subscription then you can visit the site and sign in immediately.

If you are a free user, you can visit the site and sign up for a free account to access the many free resources and features.

I hope that you will enjoy visiting the new website.

David

PowToon - Animated Videos (free upgrade to premium)

I have mentioned PowToon before, but in case you missed it PowToon is a way to create short animated videos.  It's a really simple way to introduce things to your students or at a presentation.  Well PowToon has been generous enough to give away a free upgrade to their premium version plus accounts for all of your students.  All you have to do is go to their site and either create an account or sign in with your existing account.  The code to use is: ToonUp5M.
This won't last for long, so hurry up and sign up today!

This post also appears of my Science Blog - Savvy Secondary Science

StudyChamps - worksheets and interactive mini-quizzes

If you are like me, you are always looking for a short worksheet to have for emergency situations or sub plans or for that student who always finishes early.  StudyChamps is a site that has a collection of worksheet and interactive for you to use.  (Besides science, it also has Social Studies, English and Math.)  I would say that this site is aimed mostly for elementary and middle school.  While the interactive are very simple, the nice thing is that the students don't need an account to be able to access them.  Just give the students the link (use a link shortener) and they are good to go!

Where do you look for those "little extras"?

Problem-Attic's new online test and slideshow options

I just received the following e-mail from Problem-Attic and I wanted to make sure to share it with all of you. If you haven't checked out Problem Attic be sure to read my two posts about it (here and here).

We’re happy to announce that online testing and slideshow export are ready to try in Problem-Attic!

Now you can do much more than create PDFs. You can turn any Problem-Attic document into:

• an online test that works with all browsers and web-enabled devices, tablets, smartphones, etc.
• a beautifully-formatted PowerPoint or HTML (web-based) presentation. Both work with Problem-Attic’s scoring app.
• a slideshow for most interactive whiteboards, such as SMART™, Promethean™ and Mimio™. These are native files, fully compatible with student response systems (“clickers”).

Please log in to Problem-Attic, visit the Play Area and give export a try. Or see the links below for examples.

Thanks for checking out the new options. We’re sure you’ll be impressed with how convenient and useful they are for both instruction and assessment.

—The Problem-Attic Team at EducAide Software

Links to examples
downloadable files for interactive whiteboards and “clickers”
Grade 7 Math Online Test
Grade 7 Math Slideshow
U.S. History Online Test
U.S. History Slideshow
Biology Online Test
Biology Slideshow

Instructions
1. Getting to the Play Area...
Log in to Problem-Attic. Click the home icon at the top of the screen. On your documents home page, press Browse, then click the Play Area panel.

2. Creating an online test or slideshow...
Select some problems in the Play Area. Press the Export button and choose Online Test, Slideshow or Downloadable File. Press Continue and choose a format (if you're downloading a file). You can accept other defaults and press Continue again.

3. Downloading and opening a slideshow...
If you choose to download a slideshow, it should open automatically in PowerPoint or whatever interactive whiteboard program you have. If not, open your download folder, double-click the file, and choose the appropriate program.

4. Scoring...
Online tests get scored automatically in Problem-Attic with the built-in scoring app. The scoring app also works with web-hosted slideshows, and it's easy for students to get started with the public link or optional QR code. The downloaded slideshows work with most common student response systems, or you can press the Score button in the Play Area and collect results in Problem-Attic.

Don't forget: all of the features in the Play Area, including the scoring app, work only as long as you stay in the Play Area. When you leave, public links are turned off and class results (submissions) are cleared.

Triptico Version 2

I have mentioned Triptico before and now there is a new version for you to explore.


Here's a video that will show you some more about Triptico.

Triptico - a little app that does a lot

I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Triptico, but you should all check it out.  It's a little desktop app developed by a teacher in England and it has some really good points to it. 
Once of the things that I use it for the most is the Random Student Generator.  All you have to do is upload your student list and it's there for the whole year.  Basically this feature is like pulling Popsicle sticks, without having to actually have the sticks.  You can set it so that it goes through the whole class without any repeats or that it randomly chooses students and may repeat.  In addition, it can instantly choose a student or show a couple of names first as a fake out (the kids like that because they don't know if it's going to stop on their name or continue to another).
Another one will make groups for you and yet another will keep score if you are playing a game with 2-4 teams. 
You can really do a lot with this app.  Word magnets is great because you can put a bunch of words up on the board and the students need to sort them into groups.  There are a few features for various different timers.  There is also a matching game and word or picture spinner.  I could go on and on and describe every feature, but that would be boring for you the read.  I think the best way is to experience it yourself.  Download it now and check out what it has to offer!

Do you have any other apps or programs that you really like? I'd love to hear about them!

Do you know Mobi?

For the past few years I have been using a product called Mobi from a company called EInstruction.  What is this product you ask, well it's really just a giant mouse that you carry around with you, but it does so much.  It's about the size of a composition notebook and it wirelessly connects with your computer.  Now you can stand at the back of the room and interact with your computer.  You can do simple things that you would normally do with a regular mouse but it also has the added feature of allowing you to write on the computer like an interactive whiteboard. 
I love it because it does everything that you can do with an interactive whiteboard, but you don't need to feel trapped at the front of the room in order to manipulate the board.  As a traveling teacher this is really easy for me because I don't need to reconnect to the board that in the classroom.  I have the used both the Interwrite electronic whiteboards that are in the classrooms and the Mobi that I bring along with me and I love the flexibility of the Mobi.  (Plus it's A LOT cheaper and much easy to get your school to buy or get a grant for).

What interactive whiteboards do you have?  Do you have any fun accessories that go with them?