Tools for Online Submissions 2- Graphs

In part 2 of this  focus on tools for students to use to generate better products in electronic format for their work submissions I am focusing on graphs.  While there are many free downloadable spreadsheet programs this edition of my blog is dedicated to true online tools which work in the browser making them more appropriate when you are working with students in a setting where they have limited permissions to download.

With each tool I graded on 3 points you can use when you evaluate it
1) is it easy to use?
2)does it allow students to showcase all types of information?
3)educationally appropriate material or uncontrolled?

NCES Create a Graph http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/
Creates Bar, Line, Area, Circle, and XY scatter plots in a web browser which kids can save as an image or print. While not the most user friendly I like this one because unlike some programs it requires the kids to actually think about what they are graphing and make conscious choices with what to fill in, and is less wizard and magicy than many programs.
1) B 2)C 3)A

Chart Tool http://www.onlinecharttool.com/graph.php
Creates a much more dynamic set of graphs than create a graph including Radar, Meter and Line/Bar combos.  Trade off is so many options on the page that a low reading level student may get lost.  Good tutorial use might help.  Adds are targeted, but not guaranteed educationally appropriate.
1)C 2)B 3)D

Graph Tools http://www.graphtools.com/
Only does two graph types Line and Bar, presents you with five columns in which to enter data a simple set of just a few options to manipulate exports as a simple image file.  What it lacks in sophistication makes it simple to use.  If you don't need much from your graph except a graph this is your friend.  Better for math than science as labeling options such as titles are minimal.
1)B 2)B 3)A

Cool Math http://www.coolmath.com/graphit/
This is a graphing calculator and it works like a TI.  So great features if your kids are savvy enough to use a graphing calculator then this is a nice tool.  However, print screen is the only export option and because this site has a lot else to offer student might get distracted.
1)B 2)B 3)A

WebGraphiing http://webgraphing.com/ 
Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!  This site offers a variety of options in graphing including simple number lines to 3d function manipulatable graphing.  There is something for every mathematical graph you might need.  This site gets a A+ for cool graphing and computation ability.  What it lacks is simplicity, as a teacher I recommend finding the exact applet you want kids to use and embedding or linking directly to it.  Sending kids to the mains site without a lot of directions may make for real confusion. Requires a subscription
1)B (A if you do as I suggested) 2)A 3)A

Tools for Better Submissions 1 Timelines

For the next little while I am going to focus on tools for students to use to generate better products in electronic format for their work submissions.  With each tool I graded on 3 points you can use when you evaluate it
1) is it easy to use?
2)does it allow students to showcase all types of information?
3)educationally appropriate material or uncontrolled?

Timeline Makers

Free interactive timeline text only generator http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline/
Grades 1)A 2)D 3)A

Free,allows pictures and links in information, but requires sign up and has advertisers  http://www.timetoast.com

Grades 1)A 2)A 3)C

Free, allows pictures and links in information, cool flash interface with drop down tiles of info
requires sign up and has advertisers  http://www.xtimeline.com
Grades 1)A 2)A 3)B

Free Trial download, best product quality overall, http://www.timelinemaker.com
Grades 1)B 2)A 3)A

Free Text only with horizontal and vertical layouts http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timelines/
Grades 1)A 2)D 3)A


Free social interactive life story timeline, interesting and fun, but you have to have the right assignment for it http://Ourstory.com
Grades 1)B 2)B 3)A

Internet Safety and the E Teacher

I think sometimes that when I teach online learners, they are already online, so we can skip the web tutorial.  But it seems that many students today are having elearning thrust upon them an e resources used quickly without a pause for safe practices.  Never was this more obvious to me than at a recent inservice.

A police officer did the following demo.  He asked those at hand to name 3 schools.


He then announced that he was going to pose as an internet predator and would have enough information to take 3 children from those schools before the next speaker was done.  The next speaker was only introducing the schedule and was done is 5 minutes.  At that point the officer stood up and read the names of 3 children and then told us exactly where they would be at 3:15, 4:00 and 4:45 respectively and then held up their pictures.

In 5 minutes...
so that said what can we do to encourage safe usage?
One suggestion my e friends is to have students go through the following  e safety tutorial (slightly dated, but good)
http://www.webwise.ie/lessons/chatwise/flash.html

also the following videos are funny enough to keep kids engaged.
http://www.nsteens.org/Videos

Happy Single Tasking Day

In honor of April 2 Single Tasking Day here is a list of tasks sure to take a minute and slow your roll, while really boosting your ability to go forward with renewed speed and efficiency.

On April 2 you should

1. run a complete virus scan
2. remove unused programs
3. do a disk cleanup
4. run all of the updates you have been putting off followed by a complete restart
5. defrag your hard drive
6. open windows explorer and arrange all of the files into folders that make sense
7. do a complete backup of your system

In case you are not yet on the second of the month single tasking day bandwagon, you may want to check out this post from Feb 2, Groundhog's day and the first official single tasking day.

• The E Teacher: Multitasking is not always a good thing: "The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. -- German