HOW TO CREATE A PODCAST

Podcasts are increasingly being used in the field of education.Several free websites allow you to upload your podcast and host it for free.Learners have a variety of topics to choose from and can download to their PC or Ipod.
Anyone having a PC,a microphone and high speed internet can be a podcaster.Professors and teachers can now create their own podcast channels for free and allow their students or anyone searching for that topic on the internet download it to their laptop or ipod and listen to the lecture when and where they want to.You do not have to know any technical stuff to create a podcast.Any beginner can sound professional, creating audio or video podcast.A digital camera with recording facility is necessary for creating a video podcast.The following websites are easy to use where you can create,manage and share podcasts.They also have a podcast library for you to choose podcasts for download.You can also let people buy your podcasts when they download from itunes.
Podcast.com
mypodcast.com
podomatic.com
Recommended Reading: 100 Ways To Use Your IPod And Study Better

STUDY GUIDES AND STRATEGIES

Study habits differ with every learner and each has to set her/his strategy for effective study.Getting better grades is one thing,but if you value being a topper in your field of study,you need to understand and evaluate yourself with regards to study habits and make the necessary improvements.
Resources pertaining to effective strategies for study are compiled by Joe Landsberger on his website,Study Guides and Strategies as an educational public service.Preparation,learning,studying with others,classroom participation,writing skills,math skills are all addressed here.There is also a separate section on online learning.Resources for vocabulary,writing skills,research,are all found here.Preparing for tests and taking tests are also addressed in detail.Links to other resourceful websites are also provided.
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How To Mindmap
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100 Ways To Use Your Ipod And Study Better

TONIGHT'S SKY

Stars,galaxies,sun ,moon,planets can be watched from your PC at home.If you wish to know what constellation is above your head at that very instant, just log on to Google Sky or WorldWide Telescope.You can watch celestial action on your computer screen.
Tonight's sky can be viewed ahead of time and read about for you to watch in the sky later by logging on to Earth & Sky/skywatching.
You may also visit the archives there to know more.Or if you wish to know the position of stars for the next few days,this is also possible.

AMAZING AMAZON

The Amazon,being an evergreen forest,is the largest in the world and is home to some of the finest and exotic species of trees,animals,birds and fish.Watch the following presentation from slideshare,which has found its place among "Honourable Mentions",at the World's Best Presentation Contest,2008.

Amazing Amazon

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: deforestation animals)

WORLD'S BEST PRESENTATION 2008

TIPS TO USE PICTURE IN MS WORD EFFECTIVELY

Microsoft Word is used extensively by students,and teachers in the classroom and for submitting assignments. A picture when added to the assignment,brings out the creativity.Many use just the "copy,paste" method.But the whole assignment can be made more interesting when the images added are strategically placed and formatting is made use of.Text wrapping options can be used to make it visually appealling.
Watch the following video for more engaging tips.

TIPS TO USE IMAGES IN MS WORD MORE EFFECTIVELY

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PowerPoint In The Classroom

DAILY DISCOVERIES

HOW TO ADD ACTION BUTTONS ON PPT

PowerPoint presentations can be made more interesting when action buttons are used.The presenter or teacher in the classroom can hide a particular slide and recall it in the slideshow as she is explaining.She can also make sure that the slideshow resumes to where she left off earlier.You can add forward buttons and back buttons.Watch the following video to use powerpoint more effectively.

HOW TO ADD ACTION BUTTONS ON PPT

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FREE ONLINE MINDMAPPING TOOLS

Visualization of subject matter on any given topic is easily understood by all. Presentations for business meetings are more effective when powerpoint presentation is used. The teacher in the classroom will find it easier to engage her students if she uses visuals such as a mindmap or a ppt as discussed in earlier post.
Mindmaps can be easily created with the use of mindmapping tools that are available online. Several mindmapping software found online are free to use.Concept maps,tree diagrams,bubble diagrams,spider grams,logic diagrams on any topic are available on mindmap directories.
Teachers have found mindmapping with mindmeister 2.0 particularly useful.
A comprehensive Mindmapping software and information website
Extensive resources can be searched to find the topic of your choice at the following websites if you do not want to create your own.
Mindmap Directories
mindmappedia
mindmap library
mindmap search

Recommended Reading: How To Mindmap

FREE ONLINE BOOK SUMMARY GUIDES

Julius Ceaser,or any William Shakespeare play for that matter,is difficult to understand by a large percentage of students.
Supportive notes on synopsis,themes,charactersketches,and on each Act will aid understanding.Free study resources are available online for the student that misses classes or needs to supplement her study.Book summaries,Study guides and notes are found easy to read online or downloadable.You may also download to an ipod to read or listen on the go.Subject wise or topic wise search can generate the required content from the following websites.These websites offer notes for free and your grades are bound to improve after a thorough understanding of your subject matter.
Cliffnotes
Sparknotes
Pinkmonkey
Bookrags
Novelguide
Gradesaver

FREE PPT LIBRARY FOR TEACHERS

PowerPoint presentations are increasingly being used by every teacher to aid in classroom teaching.If you as an educator do not have time to prepare a ppt for a particular topic,you are free to alter readily available ppts on the said topic and use it.
PPT Library
PPT World Of Teaching
PPT Station

Free PPT Templates,Tutorials,Tips and Tricks are found at
Brainybetty
PPT Templates for use in the classroom

Recommended Reading:Powerpoint In The Classroom
How To Add Action Buttons On PPT
PPT In Education-Cell Structure

FREE INTERACTIVES FOR E-LEARNING

Teacher resources are aplenty on the web,but my favourite free resource is learner.org. Online interactives,video on demand subject wise and grade wise content are all at your mouse tip.Resources found are for K-12,college and adult.So,take your pick,keep on learning and keep your brain active,for learning is a lifelong process and keeps your grey cells from aging.It is part of The Annenberg Foundation.

INDIAN FESTIVALS AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

India is a nation that prides itself about its tradition,culture and is comprised of a diverse population with several religious beliefs and customs.
Students are so caught up today with homework and coaching for various extracurricular activities,that they have little or no time or energy left to read.Free time is spent visiting malls or playing video games.Reading has been confined to school books.Most do not know the significance of the holidays declared,whether public holidays or religious occasions.Attempts made by parents to educate their children regarding tradition and culture are not adequate.The blame is laid out squarely on westernization.General knowledge regarding our nation is fast becoming a zero.Unless a student is preparing for some Quiz contest, he does not think it necessary to retain important dates like Independence Day,or Gandhi Jayanti in his memory.Are teachers to blame for this?Or is it the parents?Parents of today,once students of yesteryears,knew all the important dates and could write an essay about any of the national holidays of India, in any 2 languages besides English.When given a project or an essay to write on one of these,today's student is contented to smartly log onto the internet and do his research to complete his work.
Ganesha Chaturthi was celebrated with idols of all sizes in all parts of the country on 3 rd September.How many of our children know the story of Ganesha? New clothes,eats and festoons are only remembered,not the story.
Today being Teachers Day in honour of Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan,a great teacher and former President of India,schools have their children on stage to entertain their teachers. Awards and citations are conferred on their best teachers.Some students bring little gifts or flowers for their favourite teacher.
For more on Indian Festivals and Indian National holidays,click HERE.