Artificial Intelligence Typing

A.I.type is a site dedicated to the typing suggestions that we are getting used to on our iPhones and other devices.  A.I.type though offers more then just a word.  It also offers sentences suggestions as well as word suggestions.  You can also get translation into your own language as you type as well.  This is a great tool for ESL students and teachers.  A.I.type is also a great tool for lower level students who need assistance with writing.  Part of me wonders though if a technology like this will remove the necessity to even know how to type.  This is the next best thing to voice recognition that will remove the necessity to know how to type.  A.I.type is a free download that works with several platforms that you can view in the image below.  You can see it in action on their home page.

Simple Diagrams..and I mean Simple

Simple Diagrams is a site dedicated to creating...well, simple diagrams.  Stick figures, word clouds, and arrows.  For students who can easily be distracted this seems like a great option.  It also puts the emphasis on the contact and not on all the bells and whistles a software can provide.  It uses simple drag and drop features.  It is a software that you download to your computer and not web based.  There are more features that are available for a paid version of the software.  More information on the Free Version and Paid Version (only $19) are available on the site.

Here is a screen-shot from their website of the Free Version.  If you decide to pay for the software you will receive access to some other libraries of images that you can use.  The Free version for us cash strapped educators seems to offer plenty for classroom use.  Maybe an educational library will be available in the future.

I am looking forward to how I might be able to use this for professional development.

Popplet

Popplet is a mind-mapping tool but with a twist.  It provides the ability to add pictures to create and organize your mind-map.  Popplet provides a way to share ideas.  It would be a great way to share pictures showcasing change over time and provide information about those images at the same time.  It would be a great tool to use for before and after photos as well.  If you have an iPad, you can purchase the Popplet iPad App as well.  Popplet provides an alternative to presentation using photos, it could be another method to digital story telling in the classroom.

The site is currently in Beta and you will need to request access to use the site.  You can view the video below to get a better idea of the capabilities of the software and see if it is something you might be interesting in testing out and discovering ways that it could be used in the classroom.