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Monthly Archives: November 2011

Cacoo

Test drive this online collaboration and diagramming tool, FREE until June 2012.   There is a specific academic plan that provides a complete, FREE package of Cacoo through June 2012.  After June, an abbreviated FREE program will still be available or an option for a special educator pricing program will be offered.

Take a moment to view this brief demonstration of

Or check out this quick overview of Cacoo.

Select this link for an overview and to sign-up for the Academic Plan

Additional icon sets and templates are available for purchase.

Please share your ideas for using this tool in the classroom.

 

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Qwiki

Still developing, the possibilities of Qwiki are limitless. As advertised, it is truly “An Information Experience.” To describe this tool as a search engine, would be a misnomer.  You must “experience” it to understand Qwiki.
Registration is not necessary at the site. As you “research,” provide time for the audio to load. During that time, look at the other screen results that become available: “related” and “more on.”
  • For your first search: Type the “city, state” of your hometown or favorite vacation spot.
  • Secondly, research a topic or subject that you would have your students research.
Caution:

  • As Qwiki moves from Alpha to Beta in development, hopefully there will be a filter for educational purposes as some content and images may be too mature for younger students.
  • As happens with text-readers, occasionally there will be mispronunciations of words. (An “Improve this Qwiki,” permits users to notify Qwiki of mispronunciations, and/or suggest additional information to be added to the site.)

Non-related, but extremely interesting–click on the link at the bottom of the homepage: “Work Here-It’s Awesome”
 

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Punchfork

With the holidays approaching, Punchfork may satisfy your cooking anxieties and culinary creativity.  (Okay, Punchfork might not be a “typical” classroom web source, but I have a few thoughts how it might be used, which are shared at the conclusion of this post.)  This resource is my holiday gift to each of you who have become loyal followers over the last six months.  Enjoy!

Punchfork aggregates cooking sites and recipe blogs to provide the most up-to-date recipes, nutritional dishes, and traditional and international cuisine recipes.  The mouth-watering photos provide a magazine appeal, leaving the visitors to explore the beautiful photographed dishes before searching for a specific recipe.

Take time to use the search box for a specific recipe: cheesecake or  search by ingredients.  You have a few zucchini left in the garden, some fall spinach to pick, and cheese in the frig–so what can you make?  In the search box of the site, type:  zucchini cheese spinach and be impressed by the results.  Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and of course, leftover turkey recipes will surely please those looking for something new for the upcoming events of the holidays.  Maybe you’ll even discover an interesting cookie or appetizer for the annual staff holiday party!

Classroom ideas:

  • Culture studies and Foreign Language – have students search for recipes by country, using the adjective forms:  Middle Eastern, Danish, Chinese, Swedish, American, etc.
  • Math – create a list of the ingredients, research prices at the grocery, determine cost per serving
  • Library – research unknown ingredients
  • Culinary Arts – cook something new!  Try a new soup or create a new holiday dessert or pastry.
  • Or SHARE your idea by posting a comment on this blog!
NOTE: The blogger of this site can not be held responsible for over-indulgence or weight gain from the recommendation of this site.
 

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