Tools/Toolroom

---

ICT tools – what achieves your objectives?

Think about what you want your students to get out of ICT.

Just a few years back, software tools were stored on your computer but today you can find similar tools online. The tools offer the added value of giving your work an audience, getting feedback, sharing and improving it. Somewhere in the process, you can imagine that learning does happen. There is surely a resource in this list that will help you achieve your objectives. Several will chime with some teachers and not others.

We've provided a little guidance on how you might use some tools, or tagged them with ideas on how they may work. ICT is often not about what the tool can do, but what you do with the tool. For example, Google Drive enables you to share files but you could get students using it to engage in shared real time research. It then becomes a sophisticated tool to collaborate with. Weigh up a focused use, besides a 'hope for the best' use. Don't weigh up quality with hardware and features. At times you might let students choose their own tools.

Of all the words we’ve available to describe these tools, you ought notice that some are entirely absent. The words are enjoyable, cool, innovative and new way to learn. The key words are to do with what achieves teaching objectives. So do experiment, and even return here to share a use that enhances what we aim to do.

Pedagogy and ICT - A Review of the Literature

The Pedagogy and ICT a Review of the Literature article (Loveless, 2009; published by BECTA) covers the relationship between pedagogy and ICT use. This review attempts to offer frameworks for thinking about the ‘What?’, ‘How?' and 'Why?’ questions of teaching with information and communications technologies (ICT), offering a range of tools to help us to understand our teaching in local and global contexts, to help us, as Freire urged, to ‘read the world’ of our practice (Freire and Macedo, 1987). It covers a range of approaches to pedagogy, relating these to ICT and some particular issues raised in the literature ^{(Adapted from Pedagogy and ICT a Review of the Literature, section Introduction).}

ICT tools index of sections here

briefly commented out RT section

Chat

Encourage students to chat in class - TodaysMeet

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Encourage students to chat in class
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool, ready for use
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://todaysmeet.com/

Talk with your students online - Chatzy

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Talk with your students in an online chatroom
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Online Tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.chatzy.com

Exploit social networking for education - Facebook

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Exploit social networking for education
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A web-based communication tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.facebook.com

Polls and surveys and feedback

Ask a question and measure the response - Kwiqpoll

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Ask a question and measure the response
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web Tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://kwiqpoll.com/

Measure students' understanding in real-time - UnderStoodIt.com

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Measure students' understanding in real-time
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Free for students, $3 a month for educators. Students use a web browser link or an app to respond.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.understoodit.com

Get feedback and involve the audience - backchan.nl

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Get feedback and involve the audience
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	This web tool is an Open Source(tool) project at MIT.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://backchan.nl/

Make a questionnaire - Google Drive

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Make a questionnaire
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Online tool requires a Google account. The form tools are very flexible, it's free.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	To create forms see http://www.google.com/google-d-s/forms/, for general guidance https://drive.google.com/start#home

Share a test with a link - Testmoz.com

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Share a test with a link
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Ready to use
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.testmoz.com/

Get feedback from the class during a lesson - PollEverywhere

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Get feedback from the class during a lesson
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool, free for small groups to use then rising in cost
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.polleverywhere.com

Blogs and websites

Write for an online audience - blogs

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Write for an online audience
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A web tool that is easily available, usually just for the price of registering
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	Try http://www.blogger.com, http://www.wordpress.org, http://www.typepad.com for example

Comments powered by questions - Urtak

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Questions and discussion around a blog
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool, available as a feature plugin(tool) for the blog tool WordPress(tool)
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	https://urtak.com/

Get students to categorise their blogs - Enquiry Blogger

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Get students to categorise their blogs
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool that runs as a Template:Plugin within the WordPress(tool) blogging platform
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://learningemergence.net/tools/enquiryblogger/

Web sites

Share knowledge; share the load of sharing it = Wikispaces

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Share knowledge; share the load of sharing it
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.wikispaces.com

A multimedia website project report - Weebly

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	A multimedia website project report
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A web site building tool that works in an Internet browser window.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	education.weebly.com

Communicate using multimedia

Draw diagrams and collaborate - Cacoo

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Draw diagrams and collaborate
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.cacoo.com

Make a multimedia presentation that can pan and zoom - Prezi

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Make a multimedia presentation that can pan and zoom
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool with a premium downloadable version
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.prezi.com

Make a multimedia poster - Glogster

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Make a multimedia poster
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool with premium teacher option
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://edu.glogster.com/

Tell a story using timeline animation - Kerpoof

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Tell a story using timeline animation
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool from Disney
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.kerpoof.com

Broadcast live video from school - UStream

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Broadcast live video from school
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web based tool, needing a web camera
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.ustream.tv

Tools/Xtranormal

Make animated characters talk - Voki

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Make animated characters talk
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web based tool, partly free and advertising supported. A none-too costly classroom subscription option is available.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	voki.com

[[Image:|thumb|300px]]

Watch video - Youtube - Others - Khan Academy

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Watch video
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link

A panoramic presentation with hot-spots - Vuvox

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	A panoramic presentation with hot-spots
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web-based tool with some immediate use
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.vuvox.com

Sort objects with an interactive whiteboard - Triptico

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Sort objects with an interactive whiteboard
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	This is a desktop application to install on a PC or Mac. See the author's video for a demonstrations of new features at: http://www.screenr.com/user/david_triptico
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.triptico.co.uk

Explain ideas using animation

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Explain ideas using animation
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	SCRATCH; POWERPOINT; TOOLS IN THIS SECTION

Further notes:

• Visualising Ideas: Mind maps and similar ideas, see e.g. http://www.tessafrica.net/files/tessafrica/kr_brainstorming.pdf
• Visualising Data: Undertanding the relationship between data (numbers or words) and how they can be visualised - e.g. how changes in numbers impact on the mean, and thus on the graph.
• Visualising Processes and Simple Ideas: Diagrams in science, Drawing shapes

Communicate – Words

Keep a personal notebook online - Penzu

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Keep a personal notebook online
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A web-based tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.penzu.com

Typing, collaboration^(tool) and communication^(tool)- Word Processor

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Typing, collaboration and communication
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A web-based tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	Word Processors

]

Share documents

Share and keep files online - Dropbox

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Share and keep files online
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool with an optional downloadable program to keep your files synchronised. Take care to 'move' rather than 'delete' files from a synchronised folder.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.dropbox.com

Illustrate content as a word cloud - using Wordle +

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Illustrate content as a word cloud
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	web tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.wordle.net/ http://tagul.com/ http://tagxedo.com http://tagcloud.com

Collaborate

Brainstorm ideas and documents - Conceptboard

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Brainstorm ideas and documents
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	A multi-featured web tool. Some free use for individuals.
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.conceptboard.com

Video conference and message using text - Hall.com

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Video conference and message using text
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool or desktop application
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.hall.com

Tools/StudyHall

A multimedia 'wall' for creative, collaborative^(tool) interaction - Wallwisher

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)(appears above table)

Tool details
Title	A multimedia 'wall' for creative, collaborative interaction
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	webtool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.wallwisher.com

Plan and make a mindmap - Mindmeister

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Plan and make a mindmap
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	http://www.mindmeister.com

Model and Write code

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NY1s-s5S3BGnVgGnwA18hTyMIYk4ZkkpVioFiewWFQE/

Modelling geometry - Geogebra

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Modelling geometry
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool or download
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links	Use Geogebra for visualisation and modelling
Link	http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

Label objects with notes and knowledge - QR code generator

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Label objects with notes and knowledge
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Web tool allows you to create a code. A phone or webcam app is needed to scan the pattern
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links	Richard Byrne offers ideas for the use of QR codes at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/qr-codes-explained-and-ideas-for.html#.UEYYwaAmySo
Link	http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ also http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/

Write an app for any mobile device - Buzztouch

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Write an app for any mobile device
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Create iphone, ipad and android apps
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	www.buzztouch.com

Explain ideas using animation

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Explain ideas using animation
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	SCRATCH; POWERPOINT; TOOLS IN THIS SECTION

Further notes:

• Visualising Ideas: Mind maps and similar ideas, see e.g. http://www.tessafrica.net/files/tessafrica/kr_brainstorming.pdf
• Visualising Data: Undertanding the relationship between data (numbers or words) and how they can be visualised - e.g. how changes in numbers impact on the mean, and thus on the graph.
• Visualising Processes and Simple Ideas: Diagrams in science, Drawing shapes

Measure and handle data

Use sensors to measure and investigate - Data logging

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Use sensors to measure and investigate
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Needs equipment
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links	See Data_Logging_and_Control
Link

Investigating a way to keep your house warm and a graph from an investigation comparing ways to make coffee

A curriculum

The following table is a guide to the way pupils might progress with their use of sensors and control technology.

Progression in measuring and controlling things	What the pupils do in science (or technology)
Recognise that everyday devices respond to signals and commands and they can make them respond in different ways.	Talk about how to use a video recorder.	1
Control devices purposefully and describe the effects of their actions.	Technology: introduce robots.	2
Understand how to control equipment to achieve specific outcomes by giving a series of instructions.	Technology: control a robot.	3
Use IT to control events in a predetermined manner, to collect physical data and display it.	Technology: control a robot and make it perform a set routine. Use sensors to make measurements and display readings.	4
Create sets of instructions to control events, and become sensitive to the need for precision in framing and sequencing instructions.	Technology: control a robot and make it perform a set routine.	5
Develop, trial and refine sets of instructions to control events, demonstrating an awareness of the notions of efficiency and economy in framing these instructions. Understand how IT devices can be used to monitor and measure external events, using sensors.	Technology: control a robot, make it perform a set routine and not be content with just getting it to work. Use sensors to make measurements, for example, use digital sensors to measure their reaction time.	6
Use IT equipment and software to measure and record physical variables.	Use sensors to make measurements in experiments. Use a data logger to record the room temperature and light level over a weekend. Display readings  as time graphs.	7
Select the appropriate IT facilities for specific tasks, taking into account ease of use and suitability for purpose. Design successful means of capturing and preparing information for computer processing. When assembling devices that respond to data from sensors, they describe how feedback might improve the performance of the system.	Use sensors to make measurements in experiments. Select appropriate sensors and recording parameters. Use the data in the data logging program or export it to a spreadsheet or word processor. Develop a control system to run a biofermenter, an aquarium or fire alarm. Discuss and document the work to a high standard.	8

Learning to use sensors

Progression is no less important in using computers and sensors than any other part of the curriculum. How then might pupil's skills develop as they move through school? This list is one answer.

Age 5-7

Use sensors to show whose hands are hottest. Show, using graphical or bar displays, which things are hot or which sound is loudest or which place is darkest? For a primer on control, they might learn to use video recorders, programmable toys or robots.

Age 8-11

Use temperature sensors instead of thermometers to investigate the cooling of a drink. Use other sensors as opportunities arise.  Consider the advantages of sensors over human sensors and suggest some uses for them around the home. Use control technology to power models (juston/off to start with) and develop this further (move left/right, fast/slow). Do a control project that combines the use of sensors with control.

Age 11-13

Develop the use of sensors - starting with some initial demonstrations - moving onto investigations. Introduce different sensors, show what they measure and how they are used at home. Pupils might also learn to use a data logger to say, compare indoor and outdoor temperatures over the day.  Use digital sensors for measuring their reaction time or things sliding down a slope. Build a control system such as an air conditioning system or a baby incubator.

Age 14-16

By this age, pupils should be using sensors as scientific tools in investigations and projects. They should develop the skill to use two different sensors at once and plot one value say, pressure against temperature. They should examine data critically and if the data logging software is rather limited, they might learn to put the data into a spreadsheet. Combining data, graphs and text in a word processor report is another important skill. For control work pupils might develop a control system using sensors (push switches or light sensors) and output devices (heaters, buzzers, lamps). In some courses, they would be expected to plan, design, make, test, evaluate and document their project.

Age 18-

Pupil's skills should be put to full use at this age, although sooner would be much more useful. They should be able to choose their measuring tools, analyse data, criticise and document their work on the computer.

See especially Roger Frost's Data_Logging_and_Control

This resource was created by Roger Frost, and is under the ORBIT's CC licence.

Collect and handle data from experiments - Data logging

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Collect and handle data from experiments
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform	Needs equipment
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links	Most UK school science departments own a quantity of data logging sensors. How often it’s used varies from little to several occasions per year. Many ideas for experiments and investigations can be found nearby, in this downloadable ORBIT resource: full ebook: Data logging and Control
Link	Link to software, developed at the University of Leicester, and made to work across the many different manufacturers hardware http://www.insightresources.co.uk

Numbers, graphs and maths - spreadsheet

Tool Description Tools/Toolroom/description ^(edit)

Teaching Approach. Tools/Toolroom/teaching approach ^(edit)

Tool details
Title	Numbers, graphs and maths
Topic
Licence / Cost / Platform
Subject / Categories
Teaching Ideas / Links
Link	See IT_in_Secondary_Science

Find information - Research

<-- Tools/GoogleDrive -->>

Research from within a document

The keen-eyed will have noted that a right-click on text in Microsoft Word can launch a side-panel containing definitions; Wiki pages and information. The feature appears in Google Drive (formerly Google Docs),

A right-click on a word in a Google document show this in much the same way:

Tools/edusearch

searching for somewhere to search, try the tools on www.scoop.it/edu-search

Teachers may also find this document https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdxyaC9_7T5zXYhij2CK3s5EyRT-Sq3NbbaWrwSCXzk/edit on conducting research on the internet useful; it offers advice on task design, some websites for lesson ideas, and some ideas for embedding research into high quality pedagogy.