Some of you will end up making web pages for your students. This will liven up any message you have to send to them, such as a warning about a deadline or important information they need to see. It is called a screed. Try it, it only takes about 30 seconds to make one, then just save it to your computer and use it like any regular picture.
This is supposed to be a Japanese IQ test, given to all students in Japan. The online version is like a game. I would guess many fail it, but the best thing about it is they could discuss between themselves in small groups, how to get everyone across the river. There are many rules (reading practice) and this would create lots of discussion about hypotheticals.
I’ve recommended Twitter already, in Tool #53, but here is a long list of ideas about how to use twitter for learning and teaching.
Twitter is very, very popular these days. It is gaining in popularity in Japan. You post short messages about what you are doing thinking or discovering, and people follow you, they can read these posts. It is easy to set up a class like this and get feedback on your lectures, but there are many more ways to use this tool.
A simple mis-communication game. Remember “Telephone” or “Chinese Whispers?” This is done with a chain message like that, but online, and with pictures and writing instead of whispering in your neighbor’s ear. Broken Picture Telephone.
Teaching is no longer tethered to geography. If I want to learn German, I can get a German teacher from Germany, living IN Germany right now. If I want to teach English to someone in Argentina, I put up my rate and other details at Myngle. Students find me and I teach using Skype, with up to 4 other students. The simple interface and ease of matching students with teachers made this a recent winner at a teachers conference in Europe.