Search Google, Bing, and More at the Same Time

Most people are Google users.  Some might be Bing users.  Others probably are still with Yahoo!  Then we all know someone who had some toolbar installed on their Internet Explorer that they use to search and they don't realize how bad it is.  Luckily there is an answer for those of us that prefer to search Google, Bing, and Yahoo! at the same time.

Specra is a search engine that searches all three at the same time and allows users to actually weight a search engines results higher than another.  The search is completed by ranking them according to a simple algorithm.

Askboth provides a side by side comparison of the search results while also providing most recent references on Twitter.

Bing vs. Google also provides a side by side comparison, but as two windows sharing the various results found on the page.  This allows users to interact with their searches in one place.

Qrobe is a final option that allows users to complete a search of both Google and Bing, as well as Ask.  Users can peek at the linked search results or open them in a separate window, as well as share them through various social media services.  Users can remove a search engine if they prefer.  The "Popular" option allows users to discover their searches on Reddit.

Source: Make Use Of

Practical Ed Tech Webinars

Richard Byrne is the author of Free Technology for Teachers, iPad Apps for School, and Android for Schools.  He is currently providing Practical Ed Tech for Teachers through Professional Development webinars.  Current Webinars focus on Google Drive and using Google Earth and Google Maps in Geography.  A future course will focus on Blogs in Education and Google Apps.  If you are looking for school wide options, then a Custom Webinar might be what best suits your needs.  The current costs of the webinars are $87.00 dollars, which when you factor in the cost of travel, room, and food, this is a pretty good deal and you will know that you are getting applicable information.  

Padlet Streams

If you have read this blog recently then you know that I am a big fan of Wallwisher/Padlet and with their recent change in name and domain, new features are being added at a pretty good pace.  A new feature recently added is called Streams.  It allows users to use a new layout that give the page and the posts more structure.  All posts in a stream are arranged one below the other in chronological order.  Students could use this new layout to write blog posts, prepare presentations, have group discussions, write collaborative stories, explain steps in an experiment or math problem.  Each individual post can also be shared through various social media sites as well; this way when a student completes their section, they can share it and the next student will know it is their turn.

To access the streams layout, see the image below.

Two Educational Videos Sites

WatchKnowLearn is a video site that offers educational videos that users can organize by ages 3-18, while also searching for videos by content area.  Visitors have the option to create an account to store, organize, and rate the best K-12 educational videos on the Internet.  In order to help the site grow, it is up to educators to help suggest videos to include in the directory.  There are currently approximately 50,000 educational videos available that have been divided into over 5,000 categories.  Videos are also aligned to Common Core standards as well.

Users can also set up classrooms which is a personalized subdomain on WatchKnowLearn.  Through these classrooms users can collect the videos, create personalized categories, drag and drop videos into the classrooms, create student account that allows users to assign and track the students' viewing of the videos, and create a custom layout.

NeoK12 provides users access to thousands of educational videos that are separated by content area.  There is also a "Today's Interesting Video" that can provide teachers with an educational video that could be utilized as a writing prompt.  The sites main focus is on science videos, but there are tons of videos for other content areas as well.  Also available on NeoK12 are Educational Games and Puzzles, Quizzes by topic, Interactive Diagrams, and 1000's of pictures by topic as well.  Users can create a dashboard and a playlist as well.  This is just not a video site, it is also a great site for teachers looking for whiteboard resources as well.

4 Video Tools

Not a big fan of reinventing the wheel when someone else has done a tremendous job of sharing and writing about valuable resources.  In the past week, Free Technology 4 Teachers has shared 3 new video creation sites that I want to share here before getting into one I found.

wireWAX is the world's first taggable video tool.  Users can start adding tags to moving people and objects from within the video to other outside sources, such as videos, pictures, and articles, but with the option to watch the video from within the video.  For more information, check out the post on Free Technology 4 Teachers

The Mad Video is also a new service that allows users to make videos interactive.  It shares a lot of the same features as the service mentioned above.  For more information, check out the post on Free Technology 4 Teachers

Wideo, currently in Beta, allows users to create animated videos and other types of videos online.  The service uses a drag and drop feature and then allows users to set the order of the animations.  There are stock elements that are available, but the option to upload your own is also available.  To learn more, check out the post on Free Technology 4 Teachers.

Vibop (pronounced Vee-Bop) is another option for users to create videos online using video clips that they have created.  The service also has an available iPhone app (currently $3.99) that users can utilize as well.  With the service, users can easily create videos and then upload them to YouTube from within the web app. There are ready made themes with intros, effects, and soundtracks available, while at the same time providing users the ability to create their own.  Users can also wrap the videos with their Twitter information as well.  Below are some videos that showcase the web app and the mobile app.