Free HTML5 game and Learning Object Authoring

I found it!!!!

Holy cow did it take a long time but I think I have finally found it!!

It helps to know what I was looking for so you can understand my happiness. for the last year or so I have been looking for a HTML5 development environment that suits my set of skills - i.e. coding (minimal) visual design and instructional design (that I can do).

I've used Authorware in the dark distant past, and tried Courselab as recently as last year producing a few learning objects but there were issues that made working with it very painfull. Lately I have been using Opus7 to create Flash based learning objects, but it seems everyone is moving to HTML5 so that their content can play nicely with the iPad / Android tablet.

I've looked at a range of Development environments and even looked at Adobe Captivate - but as a private citizen not attached to a school the price was to be frank - ridiculous.

So imagine my joy at finding Construct2 - natively building HTML5 apps, animations and interactive fun stuff - and there is a free version to use that does just about everything I need. Once I've finished evaluating it I will be stumping up for the $399 for the full pro version.

It's a completely visual IDE - so code is kept in the background if you don't want to deal with it - I do play with code every now and then but I try to avoid it if I can- I'm into rapid development.

It's designed around games but it is perfect for the learning objects I'm trying to create for IWB's

IXL - Maths for the Left and Right Brain

I stumbled across this paid site similar is membership to Mathletics but there is no competition with this, just lots of practice...

IXL

It does seem like a reasonable value option, with quite a bit of free resources to try out on your interactive whiteboard. By getting membership students can be tracked against the national curriculum targets and earn rewards. The reporting looks very comprehensive.

Scale of the universe

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120312.html

Sorry I've copy and pasted as it from the website at it explains this really well. This is a great interactive resource.


What does the universe look like on small scales? On large scales? Humanity is discovering that the universe is a very different place on every proportion that has been explored. For example, so far as we know, every tiny proton is exactly the same, but every huge galaxy is different. On more familiar scales, a small glass table top to a human is a vast plane of strange smoothness to a dust mite -- possibly speckled with cell boulders. Not all scale lengths are well explored -- what happens to the smallest mist droplets you sneeze, for example, is a topic of active research -- and possibly useful to know to help stop the spread of disease. The above interactive flash animation, a modern version of the classic video Powers of Ten, is a new window to many of the known scales of our universe. By moving the scroll bar across the bottom, you can explore a diversity of sizes, while clicking on different items will bring up descriptive information.

CONASTA - Canberra 2012

Once again I'm heading over to CONASTA- (Australian Science Teachers Association). This year I will be facilitating two workshops "1:1 Computers in the Science Classroom" and "Free science Software and How to Use it in the Classroom" (workshop sessions A and C).

CONASTA is being held in Canberra this year so it will be cold

As always I will be drawing on my archive of blog entries to find those gems of applications and websites that make teaching with technology fun and engaging.

If you can think of a website, program or app that you think would be great to showcase please leave a comment below. Particularly if it is not on my blog at the moment.

My colleagues will also be presenting - Peter Niass is also doing 2 sessions on Monday and Matthew Burley is presenting with Jeff Stanger at the final sessions on Wednesday.

If you are coming to CONASTA I will be at Stands 1 & 2 in the exhibition hall and floating around during sessions so please come and say hi.

Universal Interactive Whiteboard Software - top 3 so far

Don't you wish there was a universal interactive whiteboard program - that could work on any IWB whether it was a home made WiiMote to a $10000 interactive LCD/LED screen. One that had all the functions you needed and could save to a couple of file formats that just about anyone could open content. Oh and cross platform too please.

Me too - still haven't found it yet either.

But here are 3 that come close...

eBeam ScrapBook. My pick for Primary to middle school, ebeam scapbook is a solid IWB program that does not require you to own an eBeam or have one connected for it to work. With things like video and stroke playback, the ability to bring in just about any image file plus flash animations and video its a well rounded package. Saves as either proprietary, HTML PDF, PPT, JPG, or PNG. Cross platform.

Microsoft OneNote. Seriously overlooked and most people don't even know they have it. This is my pick for middle and high schools plus tertiary and training centres. Great range of tools and drawing capability. The handwriting recognition is fantastic and the math symbol recognition is great if a little buggy. The sharing function is great if you are online and want to share your notebook.
Saves files as Onenote, PDF, DOC, HTML.

Open Sankore. I've just come across this and Wow! - Just wow! Free and fantastic - this is a little different but once you get used to it holy cow. This is one of the most feature-full IWB programs I have come across. It's a regular IWB in many respects with a smaller gallery than most but nothing that can't be expanded. But the widgets/apps that you can add are amazing.

Imagine being able to embed just about any file from the web
Imagine having a google map working within your whiteboard - wikipedia and wikictionary as well.
Imagine being able to have a page as big as you want (scrolling)
Imagine being able to embed working websites into the document
Imagine being able to create your own widgets with a just using HTML and CSS

I'd give this a go in a classroom - the interface is non standard but does make sense and auto saves your work until you want to export it. It has a nice extended desktop function for interactive pen displays.
Exports only as Sankore or PDF.

iPads, tablets and IWB's

iPads...

They are starting to pop up in primary and secondary schools all over Australia and from the blogs I read - all over the world. Mostly on a trial basis to see what teachers and students can do with them in the classroom.

One of the questions I have been asked at conferences recently is "How do I integrate my IWB with an iPad?"

There are a couple of ways to do it...

• AppleTV method - With the release of iOS5 the new AppleTV and a new projector with HDMI - you now have a great solution to getting content from the iPad to the projector wirelessly. 
• How does it work? Connect the AppleTV to your projector and link it in with the same wireless network as the iPad. The iPad will recognise that there is and AppleTV on the network and let you mirror what is on the ipad to the AppleTV and therefore the projector.
• The downside to this is that anyone with a iPad will be able to push their iPad screen to any AppleTV screen on the network. In some schools that would be too much temptation for some kids.
• Cloud Whiteboard solution - Use something like the eBeam connect cloud whiteboard. This lets you control who gets to participate and track participation. With the additional free app of eBeam Snapcam students/teachers can send photos to the whiteboard. It will also work with laptops and Android tablets as well.
• How does it work? You connect your laptop to the IWB as per normal - go to eBeam connect, login and start a new board. up in settings there will be a meeting number that you can show to students so they can also join the board after logging in on the iPad.
• The downside - Its a bit slow at the moment due to it being a beta program based in the US. 

If you know of any other way to integrate the two technologies feel free to leave a comment so I can follow it up.

Data Logging and the Australian National Curriculum

My colleague, Peter Niass, has done a great video on the use use of data loggers in Year 10 Science. He takes a very basic experiment that is usually done with balloons and elevates it to real science using the NovaLink Data logger. This makes the experiment much more worthwhile and gives student a look at real science as well as fulfils the requirements of the ACARA documents.




Nice job Peter! I'm looking forward to more of these.