stich.it - bundle URLs and only send one link

Stich.it is a website that allows you to copy in multiple URLs and then provides you with a single, short URL to use to share all of those sites. 

For instance, here is a Stich of all of my blogs:  http://stich.it/siMTg5MQ  

(Yes – shameless self promotion.)

It works in any browser (so far as I can tell), but it seems to look best in Google Chrome.  Love it!

Downy Unstopables are Scentsational

Normally I wouldn't blog a product review unless I got something out of it, but I adore Downy Unstopables!  You add these little pellets to your wash, and it boosts the scent.  The amazing scent stays in the fabric long after it's washed too.  My sheets smelled so fresh for days after washing.

Just one of my new favorite things.  I believe this to be truly scentsational!

Kristy: Audacity

How dare I enjoy part of a professional development, right? Regardless, I did. I already played with Audacity once, but I got to play in it again for a few hours today.

Audacity is a free audio editing download. If you haven't played with it before, you may want to consider doing so.

Here's my (rather lame) creation, but you get the point.

Kristy: Clustrmap

I think I have already explained that I'm fond of widgets, but this one is extra neat. Clustrmaps let you track the visitors to your website, blog, or wiki. I love how it isn't just a counter, but it tracks the locations of the visitors. Fun stuff!

Kristy: VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a tool I learned about during the Blogs, Wikis, and Web 2.0 book study I completed that Kiki Evans facilitated. I loved this book study, and I especially loved VoiceThread.

I finally got around to finishing a VoiceThread introduction to the author of this blog, me. The blog's other contributor - my husband - is interlaced as well.



Here is a VoiceThread I used in my Business Management class. The complexity of the questions progressed throughout the assignment, as it was the first time I utilized this tool in the classroom, and I was trying verify the students understood how VoiceThread worked and I was trying to inform the students about various business concepts. I was afraid to lose someone.



I personally prefer keeping VoiceThreads moderated, because it allows you to check for accuracy before accepting a post, checks for appropriateness, and keeps the students from hearing one another's answer just to cheat.

Kristy: acapela.tv

I’d never seen acapela.tv (http://www.acapela.tv) until today, but I already love it. It’s this fun website with a bunch of premade movies that you can put a string of text into and it turns your text into a new movie.

For an example, see here:



Another example of how it could be used in a classroom to introduce a new topic or unit is here: Introducing Vocabulary

It takes seconds to create a great product, and you can even choose your accent!

Kristy: Favorite Travel Sites

Those who know me know I love to find a travel bargain. I’ve been asked many times what sites I use, and I have to admit that there are a lot of them. Different sites have different bargains, and I usually check them all.

I’ve included many of these sites here in this comprehensive list:

Flights:
Airfarewatchdog.com - an airfare compiler that posts both advertised and unadvertised flights and notifies you of travel deals. You can also sign up for emails about flights from your preferred airport or flights from one airport to another. They’ve also created this handy travel engine comparison chart: http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/4771853/chart-how-airfare-alert-sites-compare/?source=facebook

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch - I love this site too. It’s a great way to find the best prices for certain flights. If it asks, you can just log in as a guest.

http://www.seatcounter.com/ - helps you figure out how many seats are left in a flight class

http://www.kayak.com/
http://www.travelocity.com/
http://www.expedia.com/
http://www.dohop.com/
http://www.yapta.com/
http://www.farecompare.com/
http://www.orbitz.com/

Trips:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ - great for travel advice, things to do, and finding highly rated yet inexpensive hotels

http://www.independenttraveler.com/
http://www.travelocity.com/
http://www.expedia.com/
http://www.orbitz.com/
http://travel.yahoo.com/

Cruises:
http://www.cruisecompete.com/
http://www.cruisecritic.com/

Happy Travels...