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RESOURCES


Curriculum Materials

Build-A-Business Cards ($15/deck + shipping)

Make-A-Movie Cards ($15/deck + shipping)

Standards-Aligned Curriculum Documents (printed and bound, $20 each + shipping):

  • Bio21
  • Digital Media Moviemaking
  • E-Commerce Entrepreneurship
  • Foundations of Health Science Technology
  • Information Technology Research and Development

Free Tools

Offered here are a few of the free and/or open source tools that we use on a daily basis in our work with 21st century students. Take a look! We offer full service profession development for each of these tools; visit the Services/Professional Development section of this Web site to learn more.

CLASSROOM RESPONSE SYSTEMS

imagePoll Everywhere: A useful tool for creating your own text messaging system to enable live audience polling. Free for up to 30 users, so it's ideal for classroom teaching. You'll want to think carefully, though, about introducing cell phones as part of the classroom activity. Although it may feel like every student has a cell phone, any student without one will not be able to vote (unless you enable multiple voting from a single phone, which brings its own complications). http://www.polleverywhere.com/

CONCEPT MAPPING

imageCMAP: A free, cross-platform downloadable client for creating and sharing concept maps. http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html


imageBubble.us: A free online concept mapping tool which allows users to create images of concept maps and share maps with others. http://bubbl.us/

FILM AND ANIMATION

image Audacity: A free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. It has similarities to Garageband and is suggested to PC users as an alternative. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/


image Blender: A free, open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems. This is an advanced tool that provides and opportunity to produce fantastic 3D animations and models. The rewards can be substantial, but patience and time are essential. Current versions can sometimes be difficult to use and are not always friendly to Mac computers. A three button mouse is suggested. http://www.blender.org/


imageCeltx: "The world's first all-in-one media pre-production software. It has everything you need to take your story from concept to production. Celtx replaces 'paper, pen & binder' pre-production with a digital approach that's more complete, simpler to work with, and easier to share." http://celtx.com/


imageInkscape: A Linux, Windows, & OSX vector graphics editor featuring transparency, gradients, node editing, pattern fills, PNG export, and more. This free, open source software aims for capabilities similar to Illustrator and is a simple alternative in the classroom. http://www.inkscape.org/


imagePencil: A free, animation/drawing software for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. It lets you create traditional hand-drawn animation (cartoon). It can be used to produce a simple 2D animation and is friendly and easy to use. http://www.pencil-animation.org/

GAME DESIGN
Many tools are available. These are the tools we support and endorse for first-time game developers in the ITRD course.

imageScratch: A free, cross-platform graphical programming tool for presentations and game designs. http://scratch.mit.edu


imageGreenfoot: A "[c]ombination between a framework for creating two-dimensional grid assignments in Java and an integrated development environment (class browser, editor, compiler, execution, etc.) suitable for novice programmers." http://www.greenfoot.org/

IMAGE EDITING

imageFotoflexer: A free, online photo-editing tool. This is a good substitute for those who can't afford Photoshop. http://fotoflexer.com/

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

imageMoodle: A free, open-source learning management system. We use this to deliver all our online curricula. http://moodle.org


imageE-Portfolio: ELGG: A free, open-source "social engine" that we use as an ePortfolio tool. We have had it customized to function as a "single sign-on" with our Moodle online learning system. http://elgg.org/

ONLINE RESEARCH

imageiConn: This provides a collection of essential library and information resources for all Connecticut students, faculty, and residents. http://iconn.org

PRESENTATION

imagePrezi: "Prezi is zooming sketches on a digital napkin. It's visualization and storytelling without slides. Your ideas live on stage and on the web." An interesting alternative to traditional slideshow presentations. A free single user option is available. http://prezi.com/

SCHEDULING

imageDoodle: A free and easy Web-based meeting scheduling tool. http://doodle.com/

SCREEN CAPTURE

imageJing: A free. downloadable software providing an easy-to-use screen capture function. It gives instant sharing capabilities during an online conversation and can be used on a Mac or PC. http://www.jingproject.com/

VIRTUAL WORLDS

imageTeen Second Life: A free, downloadable cross-platform client for entering a free, virtual world. We have an independent island that is not on the main grid in Teen Second Life (see http://teen.secondlife.com), called the International Virtual Collaboration Space (IVCS). http://secondlife.com

WEB DEVELOPMENT

imageWordPress: A free, open source, server-based template that is nominally for creating blogs, but can be used to create simple and elegant Web sites. http://wordpress.org (See also WordPress MU - multi-user - which allows for the hosting of thousands of user accounts within a single WordPress install.)


imageJoomla: A free, open source, server-based content management system for more robust Web development. http://joomla.org


imageNVU: A free, open source and cross-platform HTML editor and FTP client. http://www.net2.com/nvu/index.html


imageFilezilla: A free, cross-platform FTP editor. http://filezilla-project.org/