Agenda and Resource Links
Below are the relevant links for all workshop software, which is free for Mac, Windows and usually Linux. The links may include the home page, the download page, documentation, and tutorials, examples or pages of note.
Collaboration Tools
- Google Docs (create an account using real e-mail address)
- Wiki Collaborative Web Pages
- Cmap Tools Collaborative Concept Mapping || Download || Help || NASA Mars Examples
Simulation Tools
- NetLogo Science Simulations (math and social science, too!) || Download || Community-Contributed Simulations || Docs
- Optional: try StarLogoTNG for limited, but more game-like environment
- PhET Physics (not just physics!) from Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
- Breve (try demos, especially walker.tz || Download || Docs || Tutorials
Visualization Tools
- Google SketchUp (start with embedded tutorials -- no Linux ver.) || Download || Help || Quick Reference Card || Video Tutorials (start with SketchUp 5 tutorials
- POV-Ray Raytracing & Rendering || Download || Docs || MegaPOV (needed for some Intel Macs)
- GeoGebra Math Visualization || Tutorial Manual || Intro to GeoGebra Video (Great!)
Construction / Creativity Tools
- Nvu Web Authoring || Download || help (no manual) || Kompozer (unoffical Nvu bugfix)
- Terragen (use ver 0.9 - no Linux ver. || Download || Docs || Good Tutorial
- GIMP (like PhotoShop) || Download || Docs || Good Tutorials
We're confronted by insurmountable opportunity!
-- Pogo (Walt Kelly)
About this Workshop
Description: Work with technology tools to foster the 21st-century skills of communication, collaboration, problem-solving, visualization, initiative, perseverance, and metalearning using free software for any computer.
Purpose & Objectives: The development of 21st Century Skills calls for 21st Century Tools. There is broad agreement that a forward-thinking technology "toolkit" is a laptop with "office" productivity software, e-mail and web browser, and some multimedia tools. But there are some valuable software tools that can better support the development of 21st Century Skills of collaboration, creativity, problem-solving and so on. The workshop will give special attention to software that supports the kind of deep engagement or deep learning that comes from applying knowledge to authentic projects that relate to the real world.
Some of the best 21st Century Tools are open source software products that are not well known because they have neither advertising budgets nor sales representatives. Each software tool will be demonstrated, and then participants will have time to work on supervised tutorials to get a personal feel for the tools and its application. The workshop will focus on appropriate applications that integrate well with the existing curriculum. Websites and other sources for the free software will be shared.
Participants will be able to identify software to support:
- remote collaboration in writing, calculating and planning
- simulation projects in science
- visualization projects in mathematics
- knowledge and artistic creation
Participants will learn the basic operation of the following software tools:
- Google Docs, Wiki, CmapTools
- PhET Physics, NetLogo, Breve
- Google Sketchup, POV-Ray
- Nvu, Terragen, GIMP
PhET Physics Simulations