Creating+Meaning

=Three ways the Brain Creates Meaning= Information designer Tom Wujec talks through three areas of the brain that help us understand words, images, feelings, connections. In this short talk from TEDU, he asks: How can we best engage our brains to help us better understand big ideas?

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Tom Wujec states that we can help the brain create meaning by making things clear, interactive, and visual. Technology is not required for the brain to create meaning, but it can enhance our instructional practice. Here are some Web 2.0 tools to explore. Before moving on to the next section, please start a thread on the discussion board for this page where you describe a way in which you could use one of these technology tools to engage students and help them better understand big ideas.

=Web 2.0 Tools (from [|Kathy Schrock's Diigo] social bookmark list)=

[|Ning in Education]
The use of a create-your-own social networking tool in schools

· [|Animoto]
Upload images to this site and it applies music to them and customizes a video. Easy-to-use!

· [|Glogster]
A easy-to-use presentation tool. It comes with backgrounds and images and you can add photos and movies.

· [|Letterpop]
Create newsletters easily online. Free version allows 10 per year.

· [|MagToo]
Make online slideshows, an online panorama, or a show that mashes up with Google Maps

· [|PhotoPeach]
Easy to create a slide show. Upload photos, select the music score, and decide to make it public or keep it private, email the show or the URL, send it to a friend on Facebook, or embed it in a blog.

· [|Prezi]
Prezi is the zooming presentation editor. You have to see this really cool tool to understand how it works!

· [|Scrapblog]
Create online multimedia scrapbooks with this easy-to-use tool!

· [|SlideRocket]
An online presentation tool which allows collaborative editing, a host of easy-to-use editing features, and the ability to view off-line if necessary.

· [|SlideShare]
Easy way to share slideshows and find slideshows.

· [|Tagul]
Tagul is a web service that enables you to create beautiful looking tag clouds and embed it on your web page. The tag cloud is clickable!

· [|VoiceThread]
A great presentation tool that allows comments via text, audio, and video.

Mind-mapping Tools
An online collaborative concept-mapper. A very slick, collaborative, online concept mapper including site maps, network diagrams, office furniture layout, and more. Sketch in real-time with someone else. No registration necessary and you can embed the finished sketch into a blog or site. Create unlimited public graphic organizers and collaborate with up to three others. Lots of pre-created graphics to start with and use. Free file-sharing and collaboration in real-time. Share, collaborate, and present music, videos, documents, audio, and add them to a private drop, online through email, web, phone, fax, and more. The no-cost version of this online collaborative organzational tool. Share ideas by drawing on GE's multi-user online whiteboard. You can email, save and print the finished product. Built on Etherpad's open source availability, this collaboration tool allows 32 simultaneous users. Another easy-to-use online, collaborative concept-mapping tool. Can even take things off-line with Google Gears capability
 * ** [|Bubbl.us] **
 * ** [|Cacoo] **
 * ** [|CoSketch] **
 * ** [|Creately] **
 * ** [|Drop.io] **
 * ** [|Gliffy] **
 * ** [|Imagination Cubed] **
 * ** [|MeetingWords] **
 * ** [|MindMeister] **