new tool in the classroom

This evening I wanted to talk about a cool tool that we used in the classroom this past week. I have been talking about www.animoto.com for the past few months as a great tool for making quick videos with pictures. They gave you options for adding music and it worked out well. However, as is often the case, the free version has pretty much gone away and replaced with a for fee version. To be fair, there still is a free option, but they have limited the options available.
So, I have found a newer one that still is free called photopeach.com. This one allows you to upload your pictures, add some music, and create your movie which you can embed into your web page. I am embedding one of the movies that was made for our upcoming heroes day. We are discussing how the Saints are heroes of our faith.




I like this new tool! Check it out if you have a chance.

changes in the wind

So as a tech coordinator for a school, my job is to try and provide the best technology for my teachers and students to help them accomplish their respective jobs, the teachers to teach, and the students to learn. In many ways that becomes much more difficult with tighter budgets and shrinking line items. But, in many other ways there are so many new tools out there which you can use for free, maybe it can be done. Of course, free companies come and go and you have to be ready for that account you had earlier to no longer work. But, is that really any different from the for pay companies? Can you provide an excellent foundation in a classroom with free tools?