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Technology Integration:
Multimedia in Projects: Tools for Creating and Viewing Media

Software Tools, Plug-Ins and Viewers

 

 

 

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Development and Authoring Tools

 

Note: If you are looking for video-editing software, Nagel (2007b) noted that this software comes in professional, semi-professional, and consumer varieties.  Free or cheap solutions might introduce students to editing concepts and get the job done for K-12 school projects, but  "the way those editors work is not the way professional systems work" (online p. 1).  So, you also need to consider the learning outcome of using the software and that some software, whether it is for audio or video editing, might not provide the skills that students would need for college level or professional work.

Office and Classroom Productivity, including presentations:

• AbiWord is a free open-source word processing program similar to Microsoft® Word.

• AuthorSTREAM Desktop is free add-on software that works with PowerPoint 2007, 2010 or 2013 versions.  It enables you to "insert images and videos from the web - without leaving PowerPoint. You can search images from Bing, Flickr and videos from YouTube and Vimeo from within the PowerPoint."  You can also upload your presentation to AuthorSTREAM to share publicly or privately.

• Canva is free online presentation software.  It comes with hundreds of templates (or create your own), over a million stock images (or upload your own), and a range of fonts and colors to create a presentation, which you can save and share with others.  Presentations can be designed collaboratively.  You can create infographics with Canva, too.  There's also a free iPad app.

• Classtools allows you to create free educational games, quizzes, diagrams, and activities.

• Emaze allows you to create presentations, websites, e-cards, blogs, and photo albums using the templates it provides.  Pricing plans include some free options.  Emaze indicates "Hundreds of exciting templates and our easy to use editor allow students of all ages to create anything they can imagine. Teachers can engage their class with interactive presentations that make learning more accessible, stimulating, and effective."  You can "incorporate video, audio, and text."

• Excel Easy includes a set of free online tutorials for learning Microsoft Excel and 300 related examples of its features.

• Explain Everything is a screencasting, whiteboard, and design app.  You can import and insert any document, picture, or video; draw and annotate in color; move and animate objects; zoom and pan; record and play; and export and share.  Use it to create tutorials and video lessons.

• Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets are free web-based programs that allow you to create, edit, and store documents and spreadsheets online with whomever you choose, then publish online.  Also see Google Workspace for Education (new name for G Suite for Education), which includes a suite of Google tools tailored for schools and homeschools.  It is free for eligible institutions.

• Hypatia is a free math equation-editing tool, which is an add-on available for Google, MS Office, and the Desktop.  It checks your work as you type and is designed to help students to solve problems.

• Investintech.com: Free Powerpoint Templates, which you can also revise.  These are very unique.  Investintech.com also has other free PDF tools, mobile PDF apps, and productivity resources. One free app is called Able2Extract Mobile for iPad, which allows users to create PDF from MS Office documents and convert PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.

• Microsoft Office 365 for Education includes a set of free tools for verified academic institutions (schools, colleges, universities, including teachers, students, and administrators).  The product is identical to the commercial version and includes features such as:

  • Cloud-based email, calendar and contacts

  • Use your own domain name

  • Instant messaging, voice and video chat

  • Online conferencing with desktop sharing

  • Web-based viewing and editing of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files

  Additional information is also available at Microsoft Education.

• Microsoft Office Online is free.

• Nearpod for creating presentations also features ability to make videos interactive.  Teachers can use it in K-12 to make lessons interactive, for formative assessments, and gamified activities, and post session-reports on student work.  Teach three ways: Live participation, student-paced, or in front of the class.  A plus is the over 8,000 premade interactive lessons and videos.  There are free and paid versions.

• Open Author from OER Commons allows you to easily create open education resources.  It combines three resources from OER Commons: Resource Building, Lesson Builder, and Module Builder.

• OpenOffice.org is a free suite with programs for word processing, databases, spreadsheets, drawing, and presentations.

• OpenOffice.org Math allows you to create formulas and other equations for your documents.

• Piktochart is online software for creating infographics.  The simplicity is via drag and drop, a collection of themes from which to choose, and support for design.  Free and paid accounts are available.

• Prezi is for creating presentations live and on the web.  Go beyond a simple slideshow with this software.  Online tutorials are available.

• Scribus is open source desktop publishing software.  Great for layout of "newsletters, corporate stationery, posters, training manuals, technical documentation, business cards," and creating PDFs, including interactive PDF forms.  Page templates, drawing tools, and several professional publishing features are included (Specifications section).

• WPS Office is a full office suite that includes Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheets, and a PDF Editor. The software for Windows PC is free to download and is fully compatible and comparable to Microsoft® PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.  Free office suites for IOS and Android mobile devices are also available.

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Images:

• Adobe Photoshop

• Corel Paintshop Pro

• Creative Commons: CC Search provides access to over 300 million images from openly licensed and public domain works in multiple collections, which are noted at the website.

• Gimp is free and open source for image editing, and includes documentation and tutorials.

• Inkscape is free and open source vector graphics editing software for Linux, Windows, and MacOS. It includes documentation and tutorials.

• Kid Pix everything kids needs to create and share stories.

• Paint.net is free open source image and photo editing software for computers running on Windows.  It has been compared to commercial products such as  to Corel Paintshop Pro and Adobe Photoshop.

• Photos for Class contains age appropriate images for classroom, which have been filtered for safe use.  Photos are licensed by Creative Commons for public use, with assistance from Flickr and Pixabay SafeSearch.

• Pics4Learning, per its description, "is a curated image library that is safe and free for education.  Teachers and students can use the copyright-friendly photos and illustrations for classroom projects, web sites, videos, portfolios, or any other projects in an educational setting."  There are numerous categories for images.

• Tux Paint is free open source drawing software for children ages 3-12 (preK-grade 6).

• Unsplash for Education contains over 1 million free images--great for that next school project.

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Audio:

• Audacity is free cross platform open source software for recording and editing sounds.  Consider it to record MP3s for your podcasts, for example.

• GarageBand for Mac or GarageBand for IOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)--record your music, and podcasts.  Both are free downloads and suitable for use with learners in grades 4-12.  Note: The education company Udemy has a tutorial: A Beginner's Guide to GarageBand (updated 2020) by Matt Guarino.

• WavePad audio editing software is "a full-featured professional audio and music editor for Windows and Mac. It lets you record and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing audio files, you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings, and then add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction. WavePad works as a wav or mp3 editor, but it also supports a number of other file formats including vox, gsm, wma, real audio, au, aif, flac, ogg, and more" (NCH website description).  A free version is available for non-commercial use and includes most of the features of the normal version.

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Video:

• Adobe Premiere Pro video editing software

• Adobe Voice for iPad is a free app for creating video presentations without filming--"just talk to tell your story."  You can include voice, still images, motion graphics and music.  It comes with starter templates, an extensive library of over 25,000 copyright-cleared icons and other graphical elements, a music library, visual effects, animated themes, and samples to help generate ideas.

• Anchor is a free app for creating podcasts.  It's available in the Apple store and on Google Play.  The site also includes podcasting tips.

• Animoto is an online video editor.  It features drag and drop, ability to add music, includes templates, tutorials, and a library of images.  There's a free version, which is ideal for classrooms.

• Apple's iMovie for iOS and MacOS

• Apple's Final Cut Pro

• aTube Catcher is free.  You can create screencasts, podcasts, and also download internet videos to your PC, cellphone, TV, or iPod; and convert video to different formats, and burn videos to DVDs and CDs.

• Camtasia Studio is video creation and screen-capture software.  You can also "import video, music, photos, and more" to customize videos and create "interactive videos with clickable links, tables of contents, search, and more."  A free trial is available.  Users of this software might be interested in Creating a PowerPoint Screencast using Camtasia Studio by Michael Ruffini.

• Educreations is a free app that allows you to create and share video lessons with your iPad or browser.  You'll find lessons in multiple subject areas, which include math, science, social studies, English, world languages, and the arts.

• EDpuzzle is a free tool for educators to use with any video.  The tool allows you to embed quizzes or questions with immediate feedback within a video to check for understanding and to track progress, also ensuring learners view the video.  You can add audio notes to any video, crop videos, find videos (e.g. from Khan Academy, YouTube, LearnZillion, and others), or upload your own videos to the site.

• Hippo Video, per its website, "is a Personalized Video Distribution Platform that helps you easily create personalized videos and distribute them through multiple channels."  Free and paid versions are available, including for education.

• OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Studio) is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming.  It's available for Windows, Mac, or Linux.  Documentation includes step-by-step guides with screen shots.

• OpenShot is free, open source, cross-platform video editing software with support for Linux, Mac, and Windows.  Features include trim and slice, animation including 3D animation, unlimited tracks, video effects, and audio waveforms.  Add titles, slow motion and time effects.  OpenShot is also available in over 70 languages.

• Panopto is a video production solution, which can also support the flipped learning model.  It includes accessibility features (e.g. capturing options, screen reader support) in compliance with federal accessibility requirements for online video.

• PlayPosit "is an online learning environment to create and share interactive video lessons. Teachers begin with any online video (screencasts, Khan Academy, TED, etc.) and transform what is traditionally passive content into an active experience for students, with time-embedded activities." (What We Do section).  This site works well with flipped learning as a way to ensure learners interact with video content.  Features such as multiple choice, free response, reflective pause, and answer feedback can be used.

• Presentation Tube "helps teachers, students and business professionals easily produce and share professional and quality video presentations. It offers a free desktop presentation recorder to narrate and annotate PowerPoint slides and synchronize a variety of essential visual aids, including webcam, whiteboard, drawing board, and web browser. Presentation Tube platform integrates the recorded video and scrollable slide thumbnails, allowing the audience to move to the respective video content and control both the time and progress of video presentation" (Website description).

• Screencast-o-Matic provides free "one-click screen capture recording on Windows or Mac computers with no install."  The free version provides 15 minutes max recording time with free hosting up to 15 minutes per upload.

• Screencastify includes a free Chrome extension.  The software allows you to record, share, and edit videos.  It is COPPA, FERPA, and SOPIPA compliant.  It integrates with Google Drive, Classroom, and Sign-On.  The free version limits the length of a video and editing capabililties.  There is an additional pricing option.

• Snagit by TechSmith is screen-capture software.  Create and edit images and videos.  You can "Comment over your screenshots with arrows, shapes, and callouts." Add your creations to email, documentation, blogs, websites.  You can also get a short URL to share screenshots and recordings.  You can try it for free, then pricing options are available.  This type of tool is also helpful to use in creating video feedback on assignments.

• Veed.io has a free online screen-recorder that works on Windows and Mac computers.  No software download or plug-in is needed.  You can capture your screen with multiple layouts.  There are video editing features and auto subtitles.

• Videolicious by The Talk Market, Inc. is a free app for iPad or iPhone.  "Instantly weave together interviews, videos, photos, music and more into a sophisticated video production—in seconds. Just talk and tap—or watch and tap—to make the perfect video."

• Vizia allows you to make your videos interactive.  You can ask questions, add multiple choice quizzes, take polls, and collect feedback through your videos.  It's free.

• YouTube Video Editor: You can enhance your uploaded YouTube videos with this editor, which features combining videos, trimming and rotating clips, adding text effects and music, inserting transitions, and stabilizing clips.  There is also a YouTube Video Editor Tutorial.

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3D and Animation:

• Blender is a free 3D open source content creation suite: model, shade, animate, render, and so on--use it for 3D interactive game creation, too.

• Gif Construction Set (also good for file conversion) from Alchemy Mindworks

• Powtoon provides free animation software for creating video presentations.  It includes drag and drop templates in a variety of themes.  See some ways that Powtoon can be used in the classroom.

• Yvond allows you to create and share animated videos.

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General Authoring, Programming, and Coding (e.g., for creating games):

Note: If you are interested in including programming at your school, Frank Evans (2015, Jan. 20) has some tips and suggestions in "Which of these top 20 programming languages should your school teach?"

• Adobe Captivate

• Baamboozle can be used for creating educational games for learners at any level.  For example, it can be used for topic introductions, lesson reviews, assessments.  You can set point values for degree of difficulty.  You can search for games already made public and play them without signing up.  Sign up for free to create games.

• Blockly is a Javascript library for building programming editors.  "It adds a visual code editor to web and mobile apps. The Blockly editor uses interlocking, graphical blocks to represent code concepts like variables, logical expressions, loops, and more. It allows users to apply programming principles without having to worry about syntax or the intimidation of a blinking cursor on the command line" (Introduction to Blockly section).  Even middle school learners have used it successfully as an introduction to coding.

• Code.org is a free resource for learning to code.  K-12 students and teachers benefit from videos and tutorials for introducing programming concepts.  Learn in a game-based environment.

• CodeMonkey "is a fun and educational game environment where students learn to code in a real programming language" called CoffeeScript and then build their own HTML5 games.  No previous experience is necessary.  This classroom resource comes with lesson plans.  A free trial and pricing plans are available.

• CS First, a Google initiative, provides a free curriculum to introduce coding to learners in grades 4-8 (ages 9-14).  Students learn through video-based activities, with a variety of themes like sports, art, game design.  It also uses Scratch, the MIT free program for coding.

• Gamestar Mechanic "uses game-based quests and courses to help you learn game design and make your own video games."  It's designed for 7 to 14 year olds, but anyone can benefit.  The lite version is free.

• HyperStudio--mix, mash, make movies, podcasts--the software is all about media fusion.

• Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations

• MicroWorlds comes in two grade-appropriate levels.  The products are not free, but limited demos are available.  MicroWorlds EX for Grades 4 and up "is a coding environment that empowers students to create and share interactive games, perform mathematical experiments, explore science simulations and write multimedia stories."  MicroWorlds JR for PreK-Grade 4 does not require reading.  "It's easy to learn and use with simple, point & click operations and child friendly symbols.  Encourages children to explore mathematical and other big ideas such as number, geometry, patterns & movement." (Product description sections)

• Scratch, created at MIT Media Lab, is for ages 8 and up.  The software is described at the website as "a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web" (About section). Create characters that dance, sing, and interact with one another; images that whirl, spin, and animate in response to movements of the mouse; integrate images with sound effects and music clips.  Best of all is that the software is a free download.  Using Scratch, students learn math and computation ideas, the process of design, and other 21st century skills.  Educators can join ScratchEd, an online community to learn more about Scratch, share stories, exchange resources, ask questions, and find other Scratch educators.  MIT also developed ScratchJr for kids ages 5-7.  Note: Members of the ScratchEd research team at the Harvard Graduate School of Education developed a free guide, Creative Computing: An Introductory Computing Curriculum for Scratch.  The version for educators includes plans, activities, and strategies for using Scratch and the workbook version for learners has activities and reflection question templates.  Listen to Mitch Resnick of MIT Media Lab elaborate on Scratch in his TED talk: Let's Teach Kids to Code (2012).

• Sploder allows you to create your own online games for free.  Of value is that Sploder is used in schools.

• Sugarcane allows you to create a data set and 18 types of educational games on nearly every topic.  Sign up for free.  Tutorials are available.

• Tickle--free app for this drag-and-drop programming language, that can also teach kids to code.  "Learn to program Arduino, drones, robots, connected toys, and smartphone devices, all wirelessly."  Create games and interactive stories with a library of animated characters and sounds.

• TinyTap is free and allows you to play and create interactive games, lessons, and quizzes.  Download it for iPad and Android devices, or for play on your desktop.

• TurtleArt "lets you make images with your computer. The Turtle follows a sequence of commands. You specify the sequence by snapping together puzzle like blocks. The blocks can tell the turtle to draw lines and arcs, draw in different colors, go to a specific place on the screen, etc. There are also blocks that let you repeat or name sequences. Other blocks perform logical operations. The sequence of blocks as a program that describes an image. This kind of programming is inspired by the LOGO programming language. It was designed to be easy enough for children and yet powerful enough for people of all ages. TurtleArt is focused on making images while allowing you to explore geometry and programming." (Site description)

• Tynker is primarily for young learners ages 6-12+ to learn how to program.  There are mobile apps for iPads and Android-enabled tablets.  Users learn to code by solving puzzles.  You can build games, stories and interactive animations with Web and mobile access to all your projects, and work offline without Internet access.  For a fee, beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses are also available for learning to program, which include core concepts: "coding fundamentals, animation, conditional logic, patterns, coordinates, angles and direction, variables, functions, physics, gravity."  School pricing is also available.

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Assessment Authoring:

• Hot Potatoes suite enables you to "create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide Web."  It is "free of charge for those working for publicly-funded non-profit-making educational institutions, who make their pages available on the web."  Others can purchase the product.

• ProProfs is online quiz maker software.  Create and customize your quiz.  Then post it on any webpage, including at your classroom website, or link to it from any webpage.  You can create printable versions, too, add discussion on the quiz, set criteria for passing, and provide feedback on what the correct answer should have been. Assign keywords to your quiz for easy retrieval.  A free version is available.

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PDF documents and file conversion software:

• Adobe Acrobat--see Adobe Acrobat solutions for accessiblity

• PDF Converter includes a free online version to convert PDF files to doc, xls, ppt formats and you can change files into PDF format.  The paid elite version allows you to create PDF files from any printable file, extract text from images and scanned PDFs, turn PDFs into MS Office file formats, and more.

• PrimoPDF is free.  Convert your Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and other application files into pdf documents.  You can download the software or opt to upload files from your desktop to convert directly online.

• Neevia Technology's Document Converter converts files to PDF or image without having to download the software.  The documents can be converted directly online for free.

• Zamzar is free online file conversion software.  No need to download software.  Convert images, documents (word processing, spreadsheet, presentations), video, and music to a wide range of file formats.

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Organizing, outlining information, concept mapping, mind mapping, math and other charts:

• Bubbl.us is a free web application that allows groups to brainstorm online and create mind maps.  You can embed the map in a blog or website, or save the mind map as an image.

• ChartBlocks is an online chart building tool.  You can import data (e.g., from spreadsheets, databases, live feeds), or manually type it in, and customize the appearance of the chart.  There's a chart building wizard.  Charts use responsive design, thus can be viewed on any device or screen size.  They can be embedded in your own website, or social media sites.  Free personal accounts are available, as well as paid professional or elite accounts.

• ChartGizmo is free online software that can be used to create several kinds of graphs: Pie, Bar, Line, Ring, 3D Pie, 3D Bar, 3D Line, Candle, Scatterplot, TimeSeries.  A manual is available; chart settings can be customized. Several data sources are supported: static data, historical data, dynamic data from JavaScript code, dynamic data from html table on the page. Results can also be displayed on your own web pages.

• ChartGo is a free online chart maker tool.  Create bar, line, pie, or area charts.  Pick your settings and add your data.  Examples are also provided, which you can modify to fit your needs.

• Charttt allows you to create nine different charts: line, pie, vertical bar, horizontal bar, doughnut, scatter, bubble, radar, and polar area charts.  You can imbed them in emails, a blog, or anywhere else.

• Chart Tool on Onlinecharttool.com enables you to design and share your own graphs online and for free.  Chart types include bar, pie, area, bubble, x-y, scatter, meter charts and radar plots.  You can also select from a variety of fonts and colors to enhance your chart. 

• Cmap Tools is the equivalent to Inspiration and is open source.  It includes documentation and tutorials/videos to help learn how to use the software.  According to the developers, the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, the software "empowers users to construct, navigate, share, and criticize knowledge models represented as Concept Maps."  Readers who are interested in learning more about concept maps should read The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them by Joseph D. Novak and Alberto J. Cañas (2008).

• Coggle online mind mapping software includes free and paid versions.  The free version includes 3 private diagrams, and an unlimited number of public diagrams.  A gallery is available to see examples, including for math.

• Creately is for diagramming (e.g., flowcharts, mind maps, Venn diagrams, etc.) and collaboration.  Use it online or offline. The public version is free, but there are additional features offered in upgrading to a paid version.  K-12 educators will appreciate the graphic organizer templates, such as storyboards, fishbone diagrams, T charts, Y charts, cycles diagrams, and more.

• FreeMind is free mind mapping software that you download to your computer.  It comes with documentation.

• Gliffy can be used to create Venn diagrams, floor plans, flowcharts, technical drawings, organizational charts and more.  It comes with templates and a drag-and-drop interface.  You can also collaborate online to create your diagrams.  There are free basic accounts and paid full-feature accounts.

• Google Drawings is a free tool that can be used for creating colorful diagrams, flow charts, mind maps, concept maps, organizational charts and more.  YouTube includes a Google Drawings Tutorial.

• Infogram is software for creating infographics, charts, maps, graphics, and dashboards.  You can also learn more about data visualization.  Free basic accounts are available and additional pricing options.

• Inspiration and Inspiration Maps (grades 6-12+) and Kidspiration (grades preK-5), both from Inspiration Software, help you to create graphic organizers with text and images.

• Learning in Context: Concept Mapping "allows students to easily create mind maps, flowcharts, and concept maps. You can use it to create visual representations of ideas to help in brainstorming or as a visual aid for peers and teachers. Its simple to use interface lets you draw shapes, add text and connectors, and share with others. This app was created by Clarity Innovations with support from the Intel Corporation" (Website description).

• Meta-chart is a graphing/charting and general data visualization app.  You can design and share your own charts online and for free.  Chart types include pie, venn, bar, histogram, scatter plot, line, area, box and whisker, tally, and more.

• Mind42.com is a free collaborative browser-based online mind mapping tool, which means there is no download needed. "Mind42 is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) mind map editor supporting keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, zooming and much more."  You can also add images and links to your map.  There is an introductory screencast.

• MindMeister is a collaborative online Web 2.0 tool for mindmapping.  A basic plan is free.  Use it to brainstorm ideas, plan projects, and think visually.  A video demo is available.  Mindmaps can be embedded in wikis and websites.

• Mindomo "is a versatile Web-based mind mapping tool, delivering the capabilities of desktop mind mapping software in a Web browser."  A basic account is free.  Maps can also be embedded in existing websites, or viewed by just providing the direct link to the map.

• ReadWriteThink Webbing Tool is particularly useful "free-form graphic organizer for activities that ask students to pursue hypertextual thinking and writing. The tool provides a quick way for students to trace out options and rearrange connections."  This online tool can be used for free and is easy for students to use.  Results can be printed.

• SmartDraw is a free download for creating mind maps, concept maps, flowcharts and more.  Input your information and the software automatically aligns everything, applying a professional look with design themes.

• WiseMapping is a free open source online tool for creating mind maps and for collaboration.

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Compression Tools

 

Multimedia files can consume a lot of space on your hard drive.  Large files can be slow to transmit or receive over the Internet or via email.  Compressing files reduces their size by eliminating redundancy.  By compressing files, you also can save more data on your back-up disks or CDs, or other portable media.  Popular compression tools include:

• WinZip software enables compression and encryption "where it’s needed most – email, mobile, social media and online. WinZip's offerings include apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, the ZipSend and ZipShare online services, and WinZip System Utilities Suite" (About Us section).

• PKZip from PKWARE "Compress files with a solution that acts as a portable file system, allowing data to be consumed on any platform" (Product description).

• StuffIt zips everything providing compression and encryption.

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Plug-Ins and Viewers

 

Plug-ins are needed to view multimedia on the web or in presentations.  Pearson Education Browser Tuner provides a quick check of what browser you are using on your computer and checks if you have common plug-ins installed from those listed at their site.

• Live Math

• QuickTime Player

• RealPlayer

• VLC Media Player is a free and open-source cross-platform media player and streaming server for a variety of audio and video formats.  It runs on all platforms such as Windows, Linux, Macintosh, Android, iOS.  Great player for formats used in podcasts.

• Windows Media Player

• Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader

• MathPlayer by Design Science contains math-to-speech technology.  Per the User Manual: "MathPlayer can make documents more accessible by providing a means for assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnifiers to speak, navigate, and convert to braille math in those documents. As an example MathPlayer works with NV Access' NonVisual Desktop (NVDA) to provide access to the math in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Word and PowerPoint for Windows (MathType is also required to read math in Word and PowerPoint).  MathPlayer can also work with Internet Explorer in Enterprise Mode to display the math in web pages."  There is a free download.

• Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers (Access, Word, Excel, Outlook, and so on, including for Macintosh users--Search for specific Converters and Viewers in Downloads). Converters allow you to open files created by people using different versions of your Office programs. Viewers provide a means for people who don't have Office programs to see your work. You can provide them with the appropriate viewer along with your Office files.

• Cortona 3D Viewers are plug-ins that will enable you to view and interact with 3D virtual reality models on the Web.

• IrfanView --IrfanView is freeware for non-commercial use. This graphic viewer supports Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10 . Its many features include graphics editing (e.g., capturing, cut/crop, color depth, effects, lossless JPG rotation), slideshow support, batch conversion with image processing, email option, multimedia player, print option, scan support, and so on.  A real find for your classroom!

• Java -- Many math manipulatives are written in Java and this plug-in will allow you to interact with the manipulatives.

 

 

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Online File Storage

 

If you do not wish to take up valuable storage space on your hard drive, consider saving some of your digital creations and other files online. Teachers might find this of value, for example, to store files that can be accessed from any computer.  Services include:

• Dropbox: Sync, store, and share your files online in a secure space.  The free Dropbox account comes with 2GB of space that you can use for as long as you like.  If you need more space, there is a nominal fee per month.  Teachers might use this site creatively to share files with their learners, or for learners to upload their work, too.

• Flickr: Use Flickr for sharing your photos.  Note: Educators should exercise caution if using Flickr, as some content might not be appropriate for K-12 learners.

• FreeWebspace.net is a guide to where you can store files online for free.

• Google Drive offers 15GB free online file storage, and includes an option to purchase additional space for a monthly fee.  It comes with multiple features beyond just storing your files, including syncing, collaboration and viewing over 30 file types even if you don't have the software installed on your computer.

• MediaFire free 10 GB storage and includes paid options

• pCloud free 10 GB storage when you sign up and includes paid options

• SugarSync offers several paid options plus a free trial.

• Sync offers several paid options plus a free trial.

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Conferencing Tools

 

 

• Blackboard Collaborate "provides a comprehensive online learning and collaboration platform designed specifically for education.  It is helping thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations worldwide deliver a more effective learning experience through blended and mobile learning online collaboration tools" (About section).  There is a 30-day free trial.

• Flipgrid is a "video discussion platform used by PreK to PhD educators, students, and families around the world. Teachers post topics to spark the conversation and students respond with short videos" (Flipgrid Teacher Guide).  It promotes social learning in a safe space.  Educators will value the library of topic templates available by subject and age of learners.  It's free for schools.

• FreeConferenceCall.com offers free video conferencing.  Per the site, "Your account includes free video conferencing with up to 1,000 participants, supporting up to five simultaneous video feeds. Free recording of video and screen sharing is included."

• Google Hangouts lets you video call with up to 10 people, phone, or message.

• Google Meet is ideal for classroom video meetings, as it has security features.  TechLearning posted 6 Tips forTeaching with Google Meet by Brian Nadel (2020, April 22).

• Join Me offers free webinar software (i.e., "Screen sharing for up to 3 attendees with free audio over VoIP").  Paid options also available for more attendees.

• Microsoft Teams includes a free version with multiple features: unlimited chat and search, online meetings and video calling, 10 GB of team file storage and 2 GB personal file storage per person, real time collaboration with Office apps for the web, and more.  Information security is included.

• Skype free video calling (Skype-to-Skype) is available, even internationally.  Some additional features have fees.  Also see Microsoft Skype in the Classroom, which is "an online community that enables thousands of teachers to inspire the next generation of global citizens through transformative learning over Skype."  You'll find options with Skype for virtual field trips, collaborations, lessons, guest speakers, and more.

• VidSpeak: This might be the free solution to your personal multiple video conferencing needs. "VidSpeak is a free multipoint video conferencing application for your PC. Use your broadband connection to video and audio conference in which there are more than one person involved."  With VidSpeak you can see, and talk to several people at the same time, anywhere over the internet. All you need to use this application is a webcam, microphone and speakers. A headset is recommended.

• YuJa enables interactive video conferencing, and includes a whiteboard, video sharing, desktop sharing, and lecture capture.

• Zoom for video conferencing and web conferencing.  The basic plan is free for personal meetings.  Up to 100 participants can join a meeting.  Other pricing options are available.  Also see Zoom for Education and How to Keep Uninvited Guests Out of Your Zoom Event.  Bright Classroom Ideas includes Best Tips and Tricks for Teaching with Zoom.

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Creating Media--Tutorials and the Technical Aspects of Multimedia

If you involve students in creating multimedia elements, you need to consider levels of difficulty and time for development.  As one person, you most likely will not have time to learn every piece of software you would like to use.  You might consider assigning groups of students to learn a specific feature of the software to demonstrate to the class, and  having those knowledgeable students help others in the class to develop media.  Arranged in order (least to greatest), these difficulty levels include:

• text files
• active hyperlinks to sections within the same document or to additional Web resources
• image files
• audio files
• video files
• animation files
• virtual reality markup language files (VRML).  (VRML is a language for enhancing HTML to make virtual worlds on Web pages, such as you might see if taking a tour of a house or museum on the Web.)
• CGI-data handling programmed files.

The following resources include appropriate tutorials for creating and working with multimedia.

Screencasting How-to's:

• 7 things you should know about screencasting from the Educause Learning Initiative.
• A practical guide to creating learning screencasts: part 1
• A practical guide to creating learning screencasts: part 2 - creating all-in-one-take screencasts
• A practical guide to creating learning screencasts: part 3 - using desktop tools
• Kathy Shrock's Screencasting in the Classroom includes multiple resources on this topic.

Adobe Creative Cloud Across the Curriculum: A Guide for Students and Teachers was written by Dr. Todd Taylor, Professor of English at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  This online step-by-step guide contains nine chapters.  The first two chapters are devoted to getting started with digital tools and learning about Adobe Creative Cloud.  Then each of the remaining chapters are devoted to specific media types.  The guide will "help students create graphics, videos, reports, magazines, audio-visual projects, interactive web and mobile experiences, and more. You'll find complete learning modules, how-to videos, rubrics, and examples of student work to make it easy to integrate Creative Cloud into your curricula. Use the eTextbook in its entirety or select individual modules" (Online description, para. 2).

The Digital Camera in Education Web Site includes pros and cons of using the digital camera, applications (e.g, ESE, ESOL, science, math), how to's, sample lessons, and a series of videos to illustrate what you can do in 15-seconds.

Digital Hotcakes contains a number of free video editing tutorials for Adobe Premier, Adobe Premier Pro, Final Cut Pro, QuickTime Pro, Pinnacle Studio 9, PowerPoint, and Vegas Video.

GraphicsAcademy.com contains absolutely free tutorials on color, image design and capture, HTML and web design.  A glossary of graphics terms and file formats are also provided.

HowStuffWorks provides answers to questions of interest regarding multimedia and its production:

• How file compression works
• How does a DVD work?
• How are movies stored on DVD discs?
• How video editing works
• How movie sound works

Internet4Classrooms contains tutorials for several applications commonly used in K-12, including authoring.  Examples include PowerPoint, Hyperstudio, Word, Excel, Dreamweaver, Claris Home Page, Inspiration and Kidspiration.

Kodak Tips and Project Center is the best place to learn to work with digital images. Get tips for taking better digital photos; learn about cameras, digital basics, printing, sharing, enhancing and restoring; get ideas for projects.

Learninginhand.com by Tony Vincent has numerous resources for handhelds in education.  He presents details for learning to create podcasts: preproduction, recording, postproduction, and publishing. You can also find existing podcasts, subscribe to them, or listen to podcasts. Of relevance are his links showing how students, even at elementary school levels, are creating podcasts.

LInC Online: Graphic, Graphics, Graphics contains everything you wanted to know about using, converting, making, finding, and saving graphics.

PowerPoint in the Classroom has tutorials for working with PowerPoint; a teacher guide is also available.

TechLearning posted How to Embed Video in Classroom Presentations (Mar 1, 2004). Author David Pendery includes the steps with visuals to embed video clips directly into PowerPoint and AppleWorks presentations.  TechLearning also has an e-book to help students to learn how to create effective videos: Classroom Video: Tools and Strategies to Engage Students in Learning.

Video Creation & Tools is a great collection of resources for the how-to's of creating videos and ideas for their use in the classroom, gathered by Shelly Terrell.

Video 101 by Prof. M. Trinklein of Idaho State University is a complete video production course.  Complete content is online regarding editing, video recording, camera operation, shot composition, the lens, sound, lighting, camera mounts, the TV camera, and TV graphics.  This site was honored by the Broadcast Education Association.

Web Site Estates has free Power Point templates for students and educators, plus tips and tutorials.

WhatIs.Com "is a reference and self-education tool about information technology. The site provides readers with definitions for over 10,000 terms and over 1,000 fast references, cheat sheets and quizzes" (About section).  Use the A-Z dictionary to search for terms, such as multimedia, graphics.

 

 

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Media Collections

 

Clipart ETC: Math from Florida's Educational Technology Clearinghouse is a free collection of nearly 10,000 images for "algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, money, number sense, and more. This collection of illustrations for teachers and students consists of clipart for all levels of K-12 math classes. Included are coordinate and polar grids, graphs, number lines, clocks, patterns, flashcards, protractors, thermometers, fractions, geometric shapes & solids, angles & lines, bags of marbles, spinners, constructions, theorems & proofs, and dice. From the common place to the hard-to-find clipart, everything an educator needs for activities, assessments, and presentations can be found here." (Website description)

Creative Commons contains databases of audio, video, image, text, and educational materials that have terms of use already designated, which eliminates seeking permission to use copyrighted material.

Educator Clips includes a range of free clip art for use at teacher sites and in classroom projects.

Everystockphoto.com is a license-specific photo search engine owned and operated by Vibrant Software in Vancouver, Canada. The company indexes and searches millions of freely licensed photos, from many sources, and presents them in an integrated search (About Us section).  Its great for locating free images on the web for projects.

FreeImages is a great resource for free photos and illustrations on just about any topic.  If you use any images, remember to contact the artist using the e-mail address found on the artists page. Free stock images at this site are from photographers all over the world.

FreePhotoBank is a free stock photo site.  If you search for mathematics or topics pertaining to mathematics, for example, there are numerous images that you can download.

The Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds (not songs and compositions): audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, field recordings, and so on.  Some sounds can be used for scientific research.

Kathy Schrock's Online Tools include an extensive collection of resources for teaching, learning, and creating media.

Pixabay provides "copyright free images and videos. All contents are released under Creative Commons CC0, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist - even for commercial purposes" per its description.  However, you should be aware of the policy: Public Domain Images - What is allowed and what is not.

SnapFiles contains an extensive collection of freeware and shareware in multiple categories, such as graphics and photo editing; multimedia, audio, and video; web publishing and design; productivity and office; educational tools; and much more.

Unsplash for Education contains over 1 million free images on numerous topics in categories such as art, maths and science, technology, history, geography, space, politics and current events, health.

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References

 

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See other Technology Integration pages:

Part 4: Multimedia in Projects: Page  1  |  2  |  3  |

Part 1: Essential Questions  |  Part 2: Technology Integration Resources  |   Part 3: Web Page Design