Typeit!

 On of the complaints I hear from foreign language teachers  from time to time is about typing accents and special characters.  Our SWIFT page is one example where you can't type them.  This website, Typeit, allows you to type special characters until your little heart is content and without keyboard combinations!  Once you have said what you need to say in French or Spanish, you cut and paste your text into your Swift page, word doc, or what have you.  Very cool!

 

Not only would this be useful for teachers and students doing their day to day homework, but it would also be handy for kids quoting a foreign author in a paper.  Or, for writing to parents.  

 

Thanks, yet again, to Free Tech 4 Teachers.

Universal Leonardo

This site, Universal Leonardo, is a beautiful way to explore the many, many accomplishments of Leonardo da Vinci. The site was originally set up as an adjunct to a museum exhibition, which is now closed. You can explore his paintings, drawings, and his writings. One of the features I liked best was the magnifier that appears with his drawings and paintings. With it, you can more closely examine his work.

This would be a terrific way to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Leonardo's works and curiosity. It would also be a good place to send students as they are studying the Italian Renaissance as it not only has works by da Vinci, but some of his peers as well.