This is a brilliant aid to the science teacher and the senior biologist. So lets see what this site has for us…

1. Homepage (http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/) – this links through to a variety of pages, most with a genetics theme but also an interesting look at the ecology of salt lake.

2. Amazing cells (http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/) – this is the portal page for animations, interactive activities, videos and alike – a couple of stand out pages are: Cell size and scale http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/(a brilliant interactive resources showing cell etc) and Inside a cell http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/(this interactive allows you to select cell compenets and have these explained to you)

They also produce resources for teachers – http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/ for cell biology.

3. The Genetics section is also very well resourced with sections on:

• Protien synthesis – http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/
• Heredity - http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/
• Epigenetics – http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/
• Cloning – http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/

Plus a great resource page which indexes their easily accessable materials and lesson plans – http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/

4.Tap into the world of comics - http://www.slideshare.net/shend5/tap-into-the-world-of-comics this is a slideshare presentation on 21 uses for comics in the classroom and contains some great resources

5. Finally a quick one from the read write web  – what will the internet look like in 5 years time – http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_web_in_five_years.php – This is from Google’s Eric Schmidt

1. The Maths Apprentice - http://www.mathapprentice.com/Activity/explore.html – this is a fun primary and middle years site for mathematics. Directed at the younger audience. Worth considering using with an IWB.

2. Kids online – me and mymaths - http://www.kidsolr.com/math/math.html – again for the yiounger middle years audience, but a useful amth site with potential for IWB use too.

3. Dan’s Maths - http://www.dansmath.com/ – this sit is directed at the more senior school audience but is still applicable to midle school students

4. Maths helpAtube - http://www.mathatube.com/ – Video tutorialsa dn resources for mathematics – this is a great site well worth a forage. While not directly associated but worth investigating is teachertube – http://www.teachertube.com

5. US Government Data - http://www.data.gov/ this is a great source of accurate information and statistics. Applicable to mathematics, humanities and many other subject areas. This is a great resource.

6. Infographic Maps – http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/10/30-superb-examples-of-infographic-maps/ Web designer depot is a blog I subscribe to and it provide a wide range of interesting sites and resources. This one has some excellent examples of inforgraphics that are well worth looking at.

7. Ofcom report on Children and Media – http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumer/2009/10/more-children-have-broadband-in-the-bedroom/ OfCom is the Office of Communication in the UK. This offering is a report on Media and children. Here is one statistic worth considering “35 per cent of 12-15s and 16 per cent of 8-11s now have web access in their bedrooms“. Worth also visiting is the mashable post on net usage http://mashable.com/2009/10/14/net-usage-nielsen/

8. Online comic creation tool – Howtoons – http://www.howtoons.com/ – A nice online cartoon/comic tool which allows you to export as a PDF file. Free

9. How to give a lousy presentation – http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/aug2009/sb20090825_379576.htm This is one of those time to refelct articles. As you read through this post do you cringle a little?

As always these sites are also posted on my Delicious account - http://del.icio.us/achurches

A single image comic creation tool for the iPhone and touch. Great work and very nice timing. This great bit of marketing is only let down by the pricing of the plans for the iPhone here in New Zealand.

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Comic+Tools

These are brilliant tools for the visual and kinesthetic learner. Students across all the levels I teach enjoy creating comics, even the least motivated take care and apply their imagination.  They take pride and this pride is reflected in the focus and effort they apply. Anyway here is my selection (fresh of my wiki)

 Online Tools

Pixton

http://www.pixton.com/home
This is a good online comic development tool. This is a site that uses simple sketch and text. Nice tool

Makebeliefscomix

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
This is a great and easy to use flash based resource. You can use this with students of any age.
The User Interface provides you with a set of charactors with different emotions

charactors.jpg

A simple toolbar of commands to manipulate your comic strip

toolbar.jpg

and hay presto – you are an instant comic book author (of course quality is a different matter)

comicbelief.jpg

Hypercomics

external image hc_mycbc_logo1.gif

Hypercomic also has an online version of their comic creation tool.
Its a simple series of steps with drop down menus to help you create and publish your comic.
http://www.hypercomics.com/

hypercomic_online.jpg

Kerpoof

http://www.kerpoof.com/

Gnomz

http://en.gnomz.com/
Not brilliant and a little daunting to start as its in french, but toggle the language switch and you are away

ToonDoo

http://www.toondoo.com/Home.toon
They explain it all below…. In comic form!

useful resource: http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools

Historic Tale Construction Kit

htck1.jpg

http://www.adgame-wonderland.de/type/bayeux.php
This is a fun tool. This site allows you to create historic tale cartoons or comics. The images are set in medievil times, the text is archaic and the process simple

htck3.jpg

Its really neat and fun. Guaranteed to motivate and captivate students and to get the creative juices running as they write tales of high adventure, noble kings, dragons and wicked beasts.

htck2.jpg

BitStrip

http://www.bitstrips.com/

This is a membership required comic creation tool. Like most of these tools its in perpetual Beta

Mai’Nada – Comic Sketch

http://www.mainada.net/comicssketch
This is another web based tool for comic creation.

http://www.citycreator.com

The city creator comes in three flavours ranging from modern to snow land or medievil

1. Blankton
2. Snoland
3. Medieville

Having selected your time or age you then set about constructing a city.

You construct Roads, buildings and add roofs. place people and objects

you can add backgrounds as well

Generally its good fun but could be very useful for creating comics or narrating stories using tools like comic life or photostory.

http://www.vicman.net/download.php?Title=Cartoonist

This is a fun tool that allows you to morph and transform images. Its a freebie, download it and install.

Then the fun begins, stretch and drag the peoples faces, add horns, reshape eye and the save your product. Great fun, simple and easy to use. Great for use with comic development or generator tools.

http://www.pixton.com/home

This is a good online comic development tool. This is a site that uses simple sketch and text. Nice tool

http://www.adgame-wonderland.de/type/bayeux.php

This is a fun tool. This site allows you to create historic tale cartoons or comics. The images are set in medievil times, the text is archaic and the process simple

Its really neat and fun. Guaranteed to motivate and captivate students and to get the creative juices running as they write tales of high adventure, noble kings, dragons and wicked beasts.