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Readability & TBuzz

Nov 23rd, 2009
by pollyalida.
3 comments
readabilityReadability, from Arc90, removes the clutter from busy Web pages, making them much easier to read. On the Readability website, set your preferences for how you’d like to view web pages – font size, margin and page style. Then add the customized bookmarklet to your browser’s toolbar. When you come upon a cluttered page, click the bookmarklet and get a nicely cleaned up page, ready to read or print.  (via Tech Chicks Tips)
tbuzzTBuzz, also from Arc90, helps you quickly post a note about a web page to Twitter, while showing other Twitter comments about that page.
I’m curious to check out their other projects on their labs page.

Teacher Training Videos

Apr 27th, 2009
by pollyalida.
3 comments

I love it when I find a great new resource, only to realize that I bookmarked it in delicious account months ago! So much for my memory. In any case, here’s one of those resources that I re-learned about today. :-)

Teacher Training Videos “were created for teachers to help them to incorporate technology into their teaching.” These screencasts step you through how to use a wide range of desktop & web based tools and include ideas for using them in educational settings.

Tools covered include: delicious, Bubblr, YouTube, RSS, SecondLife, iTunes, Twitter, BlackBoard, Photoshop, PowerPoint and many many more. And there’s a special section of screencast for ELT/ESL. I could spend all day watching these and learning about new tools and new tips for ones I’m already familiar with.

Prezi for Presentations

Feb 13th, 2009
by pollyalida.
1 comment

Prezi looks like an absolutely fascinating new presentation tool. It’s in beta testing and I don’t have an invite yet, so haven’t been able to play. (hint hint prezi – invite please??) But  Jason Rhode posted a  photo to flickr today and this blog post about it that intrigued me.  Take a look at his great demo presentation to find out what it’s all about. Much better than me trying to explain it!


photo by jrhode on flickr

Blog Analysis Fun

Nov 13th, 2008
by pollyalida.
2 comments

Helene Blowers recently posted links to some fun blog analysis tools:

Here’s a list of a few fun blog analyzers that supposedly offer up some insights into your blog and writing style. Note: I can’t validate the scientific integrity of any of these tools. I share them here for your pure amusement purposes only :)

The tools and my results:

  • Typealyzer – Myers-Briggs type of test for your blog’s personality: My blog came out as ESTP – A “doer”, not where I usually test on these things. But my blog must have it’s own personality?

A DOER: The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking andnengaging in physical out-door activities.  The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

  • Genderanalyzer – My blog came out as strongly male! 80%.
  • Readability Test – And written at an elementary school reading level. Well, at least it’s very accessible. :-)
  • What is your blog worth – $3,951.78. Though I wouldn’t mind having that nearly $4,000 in my pocket, I guess I’m not going to get rich quick.

Have some fun analyzing your own blog or somone else’s!

Qwitter: Catches Twitter Quitters

Oct 17th, 2008
by pollyalida.
No comments yet

Qwitter does one thing – it tells you when someone has dropped you on twitter. And it tells you the last post you wrote before they dropped you. Kind like a best friend who finds out why your other best friend is mad at you.

Wonderful little tools like this remind me of certain kitchen gadgets that do just one thing, but do it so well that I wouldn’t want to be without them. Like the little thing that plucks the hull out of a strawberry.

I hate to admit, I don’t usually notice if people drop me, but maybe I just haven’t been offensive enough for anyone to drop me?  And I’m not going to try that route! Anyways, anyone want to drop me, just to test this out?? Twitter on…  :-)

(via: Mashable)

Tons o’ Search Tips

Sep 12th, 2008
by pollyalida.
No comments yet

Thanks to Kate Sheehan (Loose Cannon Librarian) for live blogging the sessions she attended today with Mary Ellen Bates at the Greenwich Library. Wow, tons of terrific search tips in these posts! Check ‘em out.

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