Woopid is site that lets users watch video tutorials about all things technology. It is an easy to navigate site with hundreds of videos on using software and hardware products on all major computer platforms. A great site for technology trainers, teachers introducing basic computing functions to students, or just anyone who wants to learn something new.
If you want to learn how to use a new Web 2.0 tool or a new software program, sometimes there’s just no substitute for being shown what to do. However, while instructional videos can be great, it can be hard to know which one to choose. Who wants to wade through 10 minutes of poor quality video only to find it’s not what you wanted anyway! A search on popular video sharing sites won’t necessarily find what you’re looking for either … and certainly won’t tell you what’s good and what’s not. Enter Lookah.tv.
Lookah have done the hard work for you by collecting the best instructional videos about using popular software programs and Web 2.0 tools, and brought them together in one place. Every video has been watched and vetted by the site’s reviewers to ensure the quality and content make it one worth watching.
How can I use this in the classroom? Lookah is a great tool for teachers who are not the worlds greatest experts on a particular piece of software. It has specific tasks for each application on the site and each video is short sharp and to the point. I would also recommend this for professional development for teachers also.
Alternativeto is a great web resource that allows you to find either both free or commercial alternatives to your favourite piece of software. For instance when I searched for a free alternative to Nero Burning ROM AlternativeTo offered me 15 alternatives.
You can filter by platform and all software is rated by users to see what is worth downloading and what is worth leaving behind.
I will use this quite a bit over the next few months as I put together a new image for our 200 new machines arriving at the end of the year. Check it out for yourself here.
Lesson Plans, Teaching Ideas, Classroom Posters, Educational Apps, Tech for Teachers & Students.
Kevin Cummins
