What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Stickfigure Animator Software that allows users to create stick figure animations easily and without any artistic skills. Finished projects can be exported to video format for use in other programs and/or on YouTube. » ClipConverter A free online media conversion application which allows users to convert and download YouTube URLs to formats such as MP3, MP4 and more! Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

As Quincy Jones once remarked, "I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain’t that the truth." That said, Edu-fun Friday is a series devoted to adding some humor to the lives of teachers who visit this blog. After all, there’s nothing better than ending the week on a positive note! Plus, do we have the best topics to provide us with some comic relief or what? Ever feel like you’ve been caught up in this vicious circle! What a drag!

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Permission Click Create permission slips using an existing process or from a template in the easy form builder. Once generated, parents simply click a link which takes them directly to the digital permission slip anywhere, anytime! » Wowed An iOS app that can be used to create word clouds from Twitter, Facebook, webpages and more! Choose from a range of different fonts, colors, and layouts to customize the appearance of the clouds that are generated. Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

Need a really cool summer vacation app that can double as a pretty powerful instructional tool? Then Photo Mapo is a must-have digital gem that has countless classroom app-lications. That’s right! This really swell resource can transform photos into mapped masterpieces that can be shared with family and friends across social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Instagram. Here’s how Photo Mapo works: Choose one of 23 template styles (Postcard, Treasure, Retro, etc.) and tweak the background color. Then select a favorite photo from the camera roll and add an optional description to the image. Other information that can be customized on each "postcard" includes date, time, latitude, city, state and country. Map type (terrain, roads, hybrid and satellite) as well as Map Zoom (how much detail is displayed) can also be determined in the settings. Another super cool feature is that Photo Mapo has the GPS technology to attach the actual location where the picture was taken or the user can enter a specific address. The latter is a very cool option, especially when third party photos are being utilized (Flickr, Creative Commons and the like). Check out a few samples shown below. Hopefully they’ll get those wheels turning! For fun… For the classroom… Classroom Connection: Do I even have enough space to share the ways Photo Mapo can be utilized in the classroom? Seriously, when I first saw this app, I immediately thought of the social studies angle: Historical figures, events, places and/or landmarks. But after giving it some additional thought, this cool tool has potential far beyond one content area—field trips, setting of a story or book, visual writing prompts or even the creation of graphics to accompany writing activities (favorite and/or bucket list destinations) and lit trips (similar to those created with Google Earth) to name a few. A Photo Mapo image could also be a nifty way to promote school or professional events—assemblies, conferences, trainings, workshops, etc. As a creative twist, students can get busy with an app smashing project by doing the following: Create a mash-up of several photos utilizing the Pic Collage app and then import that image into a Photo Mapo to create a unique geographical masterpiece.

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Picjumbo Totally free stock photos for educational, commercial and/or personal use. No attribution needed! » Every Last Drop An interactive website about conserving water. Scroll through the page to reveal how the average person consumes water on a daily basis and learn ideas for reducing waste. Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Clarisketch A web tool and Android app that allows users to create messages by combining speech, drawing and photos. Once shared, the sketch can be played in any browser. » Algodoo A 2D simulation software that provides users with the opportunity to use their own hands and simple drawing tools to design, construct and explore the world of physics. Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Braingle With over 20,000 brain teasers, riddles, logic problems, quizzes and mind puzzles submitted, this resource boasts the largest collection anywhere on the web! » SoundBible.com Free sound clips, bites and effects for all kinds of multimedia projects. Download files in either wav or mp3 format. Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » MultiURL This web tool makes the process of sharing multiple links at once much quicker and easier by combining multiple links into just one shortlink. It’s the ultimate url shortener! » Remember The Milk A popular to-do list generator that syncs across platforms, devices, Google Apps, Evernote and more… Never forget anything again! Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.

Did you know that the human brain can process visuals way faster than text? Yep, not only are they more interesting and eye-catching, it’s a proven fact that we’re actually wired to respond more favorably to visuals. Furthermore, according to a recent study, 65% of the population now consists of visuals learners which would explain why our society is so hooked on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram—all technologies that are essentially image-based. Obviously, we are living in the age of visual information. So, if that’s the case, then shouldn’t we be teaching and learning in that same age of age of visual information as well? As educators, shouldn’t we be leveraging the power of visuals in all types of instruction? Of course, these are rhetorical questions because it’s apparent that images are clearly the key to engaging students. They quickly transmit messages, improve comprehension, strengthen retention of knowledge and motivate learning. That said, check out the infographic shown below that illustrates the types of visuals that ignite our brains. A shout out to SH!FT eLearning for sharing this useful graphic! Learn more about how each visual shown on the infographic can impact learning here. Classroom Connection: This "visual about visuals" focuses on the type of content that should be used to create a more engaging online course, but this info can be applied to all types of learning situations. If you would like to read more information about the power of visuals in learning, check out an interesting article here.

What’s new this week in my Diigo bookmarks? Check out the links shown below for some of the latest and greatest web tools that can be added to your edtech toolbox for the upcoming school year! » Blubbr Create interactive quizzes based on YouTube videos. Viewers watch a short clip and then answer a multiple choice question about the content. Feedback is immediately provided. » Zaption A web tool for creating interactive and engaging video-based quizzes using YouTube, Vimeo, PBS or National Geographic. Questions are displayed for students as they view the video. Don’t just watch. Learn! Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links can be found here.