Q: I need to make my presentation for an online class to look more exciting but I don't have much time. Is it any new tool out there? Please help.

A: For making your presentations, check out and take advantage of Adobe Spark app while it is free - https://spark.adobe.com/

This tool provides an easy way to communicate your stories visually, adding audio and even animation. It is very user-friendly for Mac and PC users.

Q: My question is about creating math equations in LMS. How to meet accessibility standards? What would you recommend?

A: A credit for this answer goes to my colleague, Julie Allen, who "found an online tool that will generate MathML code from a standard equation: https://mathmlcloud.org/#/. It’s really easy, and the code displays well in Bb [Blackboard]." This tool should work on any platform according to the  MathML Cloud website.

Q: I'd like to know about how to integrate automation in my virtual classroom. Do you know any tools that help you to create connections between your apps and automate repetitive tasks?

A: Check out the collaborative education tool Teamie - a cloud-based collaborative learning platform. "Use any of Zapier's 500+ connected apps to bring robust information right into your Teamie classrooms, such as articles from a RSS feed, videos from YouTube or Vimeo, and from social sources like tweets and Tumblr posts. You can even use native Zapier apps like Schedule to create specific posts each week in Teamie, or our Weather app to let your classroom know if it's going to rain on any given day." (Retrieved from Alison Groves' post) There are many tools that connect apps and services. Zapier is just one of them. Watch this video about Zapier in action. The article in a PC magazine provides a comparison with similar tools. I guess it is time to try Zaptier for my blog!

Q: I just learned about this very cool animation tool, QuartzCode, that can make your online content more engaging...but it is MAC only and I am a PC user. Is it something similar to Quartz Composer in Windows?

A: QuartzCode is awesome! vvvv is the closest to it on the PC. There are many other animation/visualization/simulation/Web Rapid Prototyping tools that you can borrow from the music and advertisement industries such as Magic, Spout, resolume,  etc. The Udemy course is available to teach you how to create mobile and web interactive prototypes and designs with interaction and animation with Quartz Composer. Sounds like a good investment and fun. Check this forum for more.

Q: Does anybody use IPAD to record screen? If so, what app do you use? I can’t seem to find anything that can do screen recording directly from IPad.., for our Chemistry classes, we do need iPad to pencil the screen (for Mac users), also like to record the screen. – currently, we have to mirror to macbook then record screen from there.

A: ScreenChomp from Techsmith is free and allows you to record simple whiteboard type videos. It sounds like you just need to record a video on what is being written on an iPad and this is exactly that. It uploads the videos automatically to their server so it doesn’t allow you to download a copy but it does provide a URL to the video that can be shared with anyone. You can also upload Photos and images(jpegs of slides from PPT).
Credit: ASU CLASS Collaboration group

Hackathons as a New Pedagogy | Edutopia

Hackathons as a New Pedagogy | Edutopia

Q: I wanted to pick your brain for your latest suggestion on easy, free slide show software. I want to just create a slide show with still jpeg images and add audio (probably an mp3 music file). Do you know what would be the best way?

A: so true, Prezi is not free anymore, Brainshark too. Wondershare slideshow advertises free download but I doubt it, don't waste your time.

Here is a link to an article 5 Ways Students Can Create Audio Slideshows
but I didn't try software listed there.

I looked at Google slides, it is free. You can't insert audio though, only youtube video. It is possible to create every slide as Youtube video and insert it in Google slides - odd process...

There is Movenote. It works with Google drive and allows you to add video or audio to your slides:

By Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Instructional Technologist, Instructor

July 7, 2014

I have used MoveNote to create tutorials for faculty. Faculty have taken to it like wildfire – they love how easy it is to record a video screencast that looks beautiful. Faculty at my institution are also having students use MoveNote to present and share projects and students are replying to each others’ MoveNotes online with the video reply feature.
Videos hosted on MoveNote.com are essentially shared as “unlisted” (available to those who have the link) — important share this with students if they create content.
One correction about the above review: There is a free version of MoveNote available (at the time of this writing) and the app is free for educators.
https://edshelf.com/tool/movenote/

People suggest using Google sites or google forms instead - you can create pages with Google sites and add sound there or add link to your slide:

Here is one way.
Just type in something like sound1 and link it to a sound file on the web:
 navajopeople.org/audio/audio2.wav
or in Google drive:
googledrive.com/host/0B6w5xqxWfszZTnZJUlh0QVlWWkk/Loop-Ambient-4.mp3
It will open in a new window. Just close the window when your done listening.

Remember that you can record your narration using audacity, save it in your Google drive and link to a word on your slide - like "click here to play audio".

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/docs/1xy9YwNIB7Q

My friend uses jing. If you have iPad look for Adobe Voice; it "is a free iPad app that lets you make an impact with an amazing animated video".