PowToon

PowToon is a really powerful presentation tool that gives users the opportunity to design and build great presentations or videos incoporating a large nuber of cartoon (silhouette) and stick figures. 

Also included into the package are a wide range of props and text tools that enable the user to present their message clearly and creatively.

Below is an example which I designed to promote my subject area;

Ed Tech CC Assignment 6

Use Google.maps to create your own custom map that includes pictures of places.

The map below is a tour of my recent Eurpoean Holiday. When using Google Maps, I found searching for destinations quite easy, but linking them up and adding images is a little more difficult.

My first issue was importing images onto my map.  You need to select the Rich Text tab in order to reveal the option to include images and then, only have the option of adding an image URL.  Thus, I needed my photos online.  To solve this problem, I used a Google option; Picasa.

REVISION: The above option didn't work for me, the images appeared as an error box.  I eventually managed to add images using the "embed image" option in Picasa and adding it to the text using the HTML option in Google Maps.

Picasa is another post altogether, but in brief, is an image manager, sort of like itunes, that manages your images on your pc, allowing you to share them and access them online.

Pictures uploaded, I began adding locations and found that adding locations first, then joining them with a line at the end was the most effective way of linking everything together.


View My European Holiday in a larger map Or here

Ed Tech CC Assignment 1

Signs and Symbols

I experimented with Aviary - Raven Vector Editor to create a logo for my department.  I am familiar with Adobe Illustrator and found Raven relatively easy to use.  There is only a limited range of tools, however they are certainly to tools you would generally use most when creating vector images and for a free online image editor I found it excellent.

I spent about 30 mins experimenting with Raven and designing my logo.  It is very basic, due to my still being on school holidays and not into the work routine at the moment! I would have liked to follow a more refined design process and have enjoyed reading how others have developed their ideas and generated solutions.  Hopefully I will be able to take a more in depth approach in future tasks.

Looking at the Aviary Suite, it seems to be quite a find and I am looking forward to experimenting with it some more over the coming weeks.

Appreciate the comments and hope you can guess the department in which I work from the logo..!

Ed Tech Creative Collective

Looking forward to collaborating and experimenting with a range of digital technologies over the next 12 weeks as part of the Ed Tech Creative Collective.

“Tell us something about yourself and what you hope to get from joining”. 

There is an "About Me" link somewhere towards the bottom of my blog which, by following it, will help to explain a little about myself. 


I am working in a 1 to 1 laptop school in Sydney, Australia and am looking to continue finding ways to engage my students in digital and social media.


I have seen and used a lot of Colin's work and am enthusiastic about being involved in the EdTechCC and look forward to the new experiences ahead.