Speech Input Using Chrome

Thanks to Amit Agarwal, I discovered that you can easily add a speech option to any input boxes that you have on your website inlcuding your search box.

Unfortunately, it only works with Google Chrome at the moment! But, as Amit explains it can also be used with a textarea. Here you can add longer sentences. If you are building up a paragraph, then the text must be copied to another location as the text area is cleared each time the microphone is activated. Could work well with short answer questions for those who struggle with typing text. A free and easily implemented option.

Works fine with Blogger, Wordpress and Moodle. Now, if only there was an easy way to add this option to Google Docs forms :)

Why not try it out below:




Click the microphone icon and speak


Remember, you must be using Chrome!

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A Bold Experiment in Distributed Education

"A bold experiment in distributed education" or the future of education??
Currently, 114,563 plus 1 have signed up!!!

"Introduction to Artificial Intelligence" will be offered free and online to students worldwide during the fall of 2011. The course will include feedback on progress and a statement of accomplishment. Taught by Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, the curriculum draws from that used in Stanford's introductory Artificial Intelligence course. The instructors will offer similar materials, assignments, and exams.

Also available this year - Stanford's Introduction to Databases and Introduction to Machine Learning.

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Flash Drawing Application

Wish I could draw like this!! Odosketch provides a great way to learn how.

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Read and Release Me!

Just come across a book, from a member of Bookcrossing, thanks to a new book swapping initiative in my local Starbucks.

I think Bookcrossing is a great way to share books. Essentially, once you have read your favourite or even your not-so-favorite book, you 'release' it to travel the world and find new readers!

There are currenly 931,377 members from 132 countries.

You could become the 931,378!!

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Which is you Favourite Dynamic View?

Blogger currently offers five dynamic views for its public blogs.

# Flipcard: available at [blogURL]/view/flipcard
# Mosaic: available at [blogURL]/view/mosaic
# Sidebar: available at [blogURL]/view/sidebar
# Snapshot: available at [blogURL]/view/snapshot
# Timeslide: available at [blogURL]/view/timeslide

These views, however, are only accessible if the blog author allows them and modern browsers such as Internet Explorer 8+, Firefox 3.5+, Chrome or Safari are used.

I love the way Leonid Flegantov has included access to the views right at the top of his Web in Learning blog, so I have now done the same thing for this blog and my Free Resources for Education blog!!

The views are a great way of getting rid of the extra 'clutter' found in the sidebars of a blog but still enable you to access the content in an easy and structured way.

I think I like the sidebar view best. Which is your favourite?

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The Jigsaw Reading Technique

Just finished reading a great article, from the Tunisian English Teaching Forum, on Jigsaw Reading, by Tarak Brahmi. A number of class worksheets are also included.

Tarak explains

Jigsaw reading is a cooperative learning technique that aims at enhancing the learners’ reading comprehension skills by helping them to meaningfully interact with the reading material and to take responsibility in sharing what they have learnt with other learners.

I like the social aspect of this technique and although it is primarily aimed at enhancing reading, it could also be very useful in other subjects where memorising facts is required.

Tarak's article is just one of several excellent pieces included in the 5th edition of theTunisian English Teaching Forum magazine.

In light of the revolution that occurred in Tunisia in December 2010, this particular issue is "dedicated to the whole country and its martyrs for making a once-far-fetched dream become true".

The emphasis on raising awareness about Tunisia's "amazing beauty and it's boundless potential" is a wonderful addition in this poignant issue.

Open publication - Free publishing - More classroom

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Free Moodle Hosting With e-Socrates

e-Socrates aims to create "the best free Moodle hosting service for everyone who wants to do e-learning activities".

You can create a course and "have the full moodle power in your hands, without restrictions of any kind!" including being able to track your students subscriptions and setting a password for the course enrolment.

In order to use the site you must "always allow website visitors the right to read your contents, you can prevent them from subscribing as students but you can't prevent them from accessing the material".

This is the only "fee" required by e-Socrates in exchange for the free hosting service.

Currently there are over 500 courses available in different languages including Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, German, Greek, English, Spanish, Croatian, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese and Sanskrit.

Lots of sharing going on here :)

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