Mindmeister : Online Mind-Mapping

Mindmeister is an online mind mapping application that allows its users to visualize, share and present their thoughts via the cloud. 

Mindmeister provides a way to visualize information in mind maps utilizing user modeling, while also providing tools to facilitate real-time collaboration, coordinate task management and create presentations. By using cloud storage, Mindmeister users can share updates in mind maps in real-time with other users across in-browser and mobile apps.

Mind maps can be shared both privately with an unlimited numbers of users or publicly. Mindmeister is based on a freemimum model, with a basic account available free of charge, providing limited functionality. 

For use in the educational sector, 3 different functional levels are available. The aim of Mindmeister is to enable iindividuals to collaborate on a mind map, where everyone can share ideas, comments, and plans, as well as vote on ideas in real time. Mindeister allows users to share and edit mind maps, leave comments and feedback, attach files, images, videos, and link to external, as well as internal sources, via embedded URLs.

Mind maps can be shared with collegues inernally or externally via an email invitation to collaborate, or via hyperlink. Mind maps can also be turned into interactive presentations.

CHECK OUT MY MIND MAP 

https://www.mindmeister.com/1258512827?t=7TKhLRcIPR

NEARPOD

Nearpod is a student engagement platform that can be used to amazing effect in the classroom. The concept is simple. A teacher can create presentations that can contain Quiz's, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content and so on. They can also access over 7K K-12 standards-aligned lessons. The children can access a teacher's presentation through a code. The teacher can move the class through the presentation and let theö interact with the media as they go. They can also opt for student-paced, where the student controls the flow of the lesson.

The app is "web-based" and is accessible on a log in basis. This means that you can access your Nearpod account through any device that conects to the internet. The nice thing about this is that you can run and, ore importantly, create your presentations on a computer. In this case, the iPad is just the tool is that is enabled you to connect with your students.

How It Works:
You can create interactive lessons in minutes: Save prep time by easily importing existing lessons (pdfs, jpegs, ppts) and adding interactive features such as Virtual Field Trips, 3D Objects, Quizzes, Polls, Open Ended Questions and more.
You can easily download and customize ready-to-run lessons: Choose from thousands of free or paid lessons from expret educators and our educational partners. Customize any lesson to fit your students' needs.
You can launch lessons instantly and recieve comprehensible student assessments: You can synchronize and control lessons across all student devices. Teachers share a live session, students enter a code, and the lesson is synced to all devices.
You can evaluate student responses live or with post-session reports: View student answers individually or as a class and generate post-session reports with one click.
You can give every student a voice: Nearpod creates an inclusive and şmmersive learning experience by allowing students to actively participate in every lesson.
You can allow students to take ownership of their learning: Increase students' access to information, ideas, and interactions with Nearpod. Support and enhance their sense-making, which is central to the process of taking ownership of knowledge.


Ten Ways of Utilizing Nearpod
1- Simple presentation delivery
2- Personalized provision
3- Distributing resources
4- Live and formative assessment
5- Ongoing assessment
6- Self assessment
7- Modeling
8- Open-ended tasks
9- Setting homework
10- Sharing and using pre-made resources

MY NEARPOD ACTIVITY 

https://share.nearpod.com/9up6xF8BfW

PIXTON: Click-n-Drag Comics

Pixton introduces the world to click-n-drag comics, a revolutionary new patented technology that gives anyone the power to create amazing comics on the web.

From fully posable characters to dynamic panels, props, and speexh bubbles, every aspect of a comic can be controlled in an intuitive click-n-drag motion.

Safety Mechanisms at Pixton.com
-Language Filter: Flagged words are automatically turned into grawlixes like #$@! in all comics, comments, and messages.
-Report Button: Anyone can report conduct that does not abide by Pixton's rules, by clicking the button on any comic or profile page.
-Audience Rating: Authors can choose the intended audience of a comic: All Ages, 13+, or 19+.

This tool is very easy to use and does not require any artistic skills to work on it. You can introduce it to your students and let them create their own comics and share them with each other.
Besides the free individual accounts, Pixton offers a service designed specifically for schools called Pixton for Schools which is not free. This service enables teachers to create private rooms for their students in which they can collcaboratively create and share their comics.

Some Features of Pixton
-It is free for individual accounts.
-It lets users create their own comics.
-It lets you give text and speech bubbles to characters.
-It lets you edit the shape and position of each comic panel.
-It offers unlimited range of expressions.
-It lets you upload your own photos and personalize them the way you want.
-It provides presets, templates, and shapes.
(credit: https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/01/pixton-great-cartoon-and-comic-strip.html)

MY COMIC 

https://Pixton.com/tr/:p5khmtc1

CANVA: Drag-and-Drop Graphic Designs

Canva is a graphic-design tool website. It uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access over a milion photographs, garphics and fonts.It can be used by non-designers as well as professionals. The tools can be used for both web and print media design and graphics.
You can edit your photos using preset filters or get advanced with photo editing tools.
You can se icons, shapes and elements with ease. Choose from thousands of elements for your designs, or upload your own.

Canva for Education

Canva provides teachers and students with a simple new way to design. Its drag and drop functionality enables them to create presentations, posters, one-page documents, and social media posts.
Students can create designs to be shared with the entire class. They can provide view-only access or give classmates or their teacher an opportunity on the same design.
You can easily sign-in with Google Apps for Education. Integration wşth Google Apps mean teachers can onboard classes quickly and efficiently, without having to worry about maintaining additional logins and passwords.
You can isit Canva's Design School for teaching materials, classroom lesson plans and more. Help introduce visual literacy in the classroom with ideas from Canva's community of education experts.

My Review: For me,
-I really liked the idea that there are samples to look at and get inspiref from.
-I liked this application more than PowerPoint because options are much more in Canva, you aren't limited and restricted.
-I find it easy to use the applications, provided me to make my presentation easily.
-I'm amazed how many different content you can create in Canva, from presentations to broshures; from social media posts to billboards; from yearly plan to lesson plan; from CV to quastionairre.

SEE MY CANVA HERE 

https://www.canva.com/busraustaoglu

Kahoot!

Kahoot is a game based learning platform, free for teachers of awesome and classroom superheroes. Play, learn, have fun and celebrate together. 

You create the quiz, survey or discussion item. After you have cerated an account, you will see a screen with three icons for a quiz, discussion item or survey. Make your selecton and build your game. Questions have a 95-character limit and have up to four answer options. Select the correct answer. Choose a time limit between 5 and 120 seconds. You may be embed an image or a YouTube video. Continue to add and edit questions using the toolbar. To complete the quiz, select "next" and follow the instructions. You may add a cover image and you select whether you want to make your game public or private. You are now ready to launch your game.

Your Kahoot games are saved in My Kahoots. You then select the game you want to launch and press the "play" bbutton. Students login to the game using their smart phone or cpmputer. Kahoot displays a game pin to join the quiz. Students enter the game pin on their device and create a username that will display as the game progresses.

Reviews for Students:

1- The app supports students in taking control of their learning by being creative in their own way. As well as connect learning objectives to learning outcomes, it enables students to their understanding of learning objectives, taking it one step further. (From an observation of the students from Marymount School in New York)
Reviews for Teachers:

1- I truly love Kahoot!, this game allows for whole class or even small group participation. In addition, there are many Kahoots already made, so usually can find one already done for you. On the flip side of that, it is incredible easy to create a Kahoot. You can use pictures, graphs, and as many answers as you'd like. It is not for higher level questions, but it is quick and easy way to analyze just where exactly your kids are with the material. (From an classroom teacher)
2- Kahoot is great tool to use excite students about review or other formative assessments. The competitive nature of the game is very engaging for most students and students get very into the competition. I sometimes have trouble having students discuss answers in more detail because they want to move on to the next question. Because it is a timed activity and pushes speed and accuracy, sometimes slower processing students can get left behind. I haven't tried the homework mode because my students don't have devices that support it, but others have told me that this mode can help with that issue. (From an educator)

 you can play my quiz by clicking here

⥥

https://create.kahoot.it/share/guess-the-movie/17931d73-0841-4fc3-a40e-5305922f5fc9

Quizlet

Quizlet is a mobile and web-based study application that allows students to study information via learning tools and games.

Missions:

To help students and their teachers practice and master whatever they are learning. Quizlet provides engaging, customizable activities with constributions from people everywhere.

How To Use It:

The best way to get started on Quizlet as a student or a teacher is to search for sets made by other Quzilet users. To find study sets, select the magnifying glass icon at the top of any page on Quizlet. Then, type in your subject or the name of the exam you're studying for and press. Enter to see a list of results.
If you're looking to study something very specific, or would like to share content you create with a group of classmates or student, you may want to create your own sets rather than study those made. ın order to create sets, you'll first need to sign up for an account. You can create sets with texts, add images or create a diagram set.
There are lots of great resources for teachers looking to use Quizlet with their students.
While you can do a lot with a free Quizlet account, tehy offer two subscription packages -Quizlet Plus for students and Quizlet Teacher for teachers- that enable you to create more engaging content, study ad-free on the Quizlet website and mobile apps and customize your study or teaching experience.
You can study with Quzilet anywhere using free iOS and Android apps.

♦I created a class, so if you want to check out how quizlet works, you can click and see my example. To log in the class, you can use the code "occupations".
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https://quizlet.com/join/dAR88WGMH

♦For the ones who don't want to join the class, they can simply click this link below and just review my activity.
⬊
https://quizlet.com/_6j4int

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)

Virtual reality (VR) is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical, to be then used for a variety of applications. 

Current VR technology most commonl uses virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments, sometimes in combination with physical environments or props, to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user's physical  presence in a virtual or imaginary enironment. 

A person using virtual reality equipment is able to "look around" the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with virtual features or items. The effect is commonly created by VR headsets consisting of a head-mounted display with a small screen in front of the eyes, but can also be created through specially designed rooms with multiply large screens.

This week in our instructional techologies and materials design lesson, we also tried how virtual reality works with headsets. The headsets don't necessarily need to be expensive. Indeed, the headset I used was very cheap and perform what other branded headsets capable of doing. 

Our teacher, beforehand warned us that if we stand still while watching/looking around, after a minute or two, we become dizzy. He adviced us that we should be in motion while doing. 

The thing I noticed that even if it was just for a couple minutes, we were excited to try it out. Some students, also, were very excited and can't stop screaming. 

However, the limitation that while doing it, interaction cannot be obtained. It is restricted and limited.

But, overall, it was such an amazing experience for me. We can use it in our language classes, for example, when we teach directions, or when we want them to make narratives. So many options other than these can be found to teach to the students. 

I believe that VR use in education will be helpful since it is not costly and it can motivate the students.

This is the headset that we used in our class.

↯

    

My VR Experience 

VOKI

VOKI enables users to express themselves on the web using a talking character. You can customize your character to look or sound like you or take the identity of lots of other types of characters. 

HIGHLIGHTS

a) Hands on Technology: Voki is a fun way to introduce technology in the class. The user friendly interface allows students to gain experience with a variety of web based applications. 

b) Create and Imagine: Voki encourages students to use their imagination. There are infinite character combinations to create and a variety of ways they can give their Voki a voice. 

c) Memorable Learning: Vokis, by design, are a visual and audible point of reference for the lesson information. Students have a hand in the entire process of creation whick leads to a stronger retention of what they learned.

d) Motivate to Participate: Kids of all ages and personalities will embrace Voki. The lesson plan database covers topics for Kindergarteners up to High School and beyond. Even the shyest child in class will be able to make their voice heard with Voki. 

e) Language Tool: Voki voices are available in over 30 languages so students all over he world can participate. Voki is also a great tool in language classes for lessons and pronunciation. 

f) Fun: What's not to love about Voki? Expect passionate work from students with a side of smiles. 

How To Create and Publish Your Voki 

My Voki character ➽Teacher Aph ✨ http://tinyurl.com/y6qqgtzo 👈

Storybird - Artful Storytelling

     Storybird lets anyone make visual stories in seconds. It's a simple idea that has attracted millions of writers, readers, and artists to the platform. Families and friends, teachers and students, and amateurs and professionals can create stories. 

HOW IT WORKS :

 boost your writing skills

Storybird’s writing curriculum offers 300+ lessons, quizzes, and writing prompts created by experienced educators and expert authors.

Explore your creativity

Choose from multiple writing formats, from comics to picture books to poetry to longform. Start with a challenge for ready-made inspiration.

Get inspired

8 million writers in more than 100 countries around the world use Storybird to tell their stories. Read the best writers and get inspired.

Publish your work

Ready to share your words with the world? Submit your stories to get expert feedback from teachers, professional editors, and authors.

My Poem

⏬

 https://storybird.com/longform-story/paradise--0

Before writing, I searched network and chose my theme lyrical miracle. The best thing about this application is that it gives you instructions and advices. 

Write a lyric poem about something in your life that you consider miraculous—it could be a special memory, unexpected event, or simply the love you feel for those close to you. Write about your feelings, but be sure to not include personal information like your last name, hometown, or the name of your school.

Lyric poems use a lot of descriptive language, including similes and metaphors, to express big ideas. To review these terms, check out this guide on Lyric Poetry.

If you can’t think of a miracle that really happened, write about something you wish would happen! Maybe your lyric poem is about winning the lottery, hitting that home run, or finding a puppy in the park. Whatever the story, use these tools and start writing!

1. Find an Image in the art library that inspires you. Click on the lightning bolt and select “Use this Art for a Longform Story” to launch the Storymaker.
2. Write a Lyric Poem in the Longform story editor. 
   1. Your poem must be at least 10 lines long. 
   2. A lyric poem does NOT need to rhyme, but it must include lots of figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and sensory details.
   3. Don't include personal identifying information. Follow these guidelines to stay safe online. 
3. Once you’ve finished writing, give your Lyric Poem a title. Make sure it will grab your reader's attention.
4. Proofread your poem. Check your spelling and punctuation, and do a final line count. 
5. Now you’re ready to enter your Lyric Poem into the Challenge. Publish your single-page longform story and submit it!

Review: I really liked Storybird. It is because I enjoy writing so much but apart from that I also liked the idea that you can create visual supported writings is perfect. While reading the poems, stories, comics etc., you can also enjoy the pictures. This makes the storyline more imaginary. 

Make sure to check out this wonderful app!