Timetoast

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What is Timetoast?
Timetoast is a FREE online Web 2.0 tool which allows users to create an interactive timeline in as much or as little detail as they like. The completed timeline can be published online and embed coding is provided to allow display on a variety of sources including blogs, wikis, and course management sites.

Timetoast can be accessed here: [|www.timetoast.com]

Help Resources
Unfortunately the site itself does not offer much in the way of help resources. This is in part because of the ease of using the tool. However, there is an FAQ section though the information is limited. This can be accessed [|HERE]

In addition there are several independently produced videos which give some of the basics on getting started and using timetoast.

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 * **Sign Up:** Sign up is easy. After providing a Username, password, and email a confirmation email is sent. Once the user responds to this they are ready to begin creating.
 * **Create:** A new timeline is given a name and a picture to identify it. Once created the user is ready to begin adding "events."
 * **Add events:** An event is simply a point on the timeline. When creating an event the user can enter a title, date, image, and hyperlinks to a variety of content including webpages and multimedia.
 * **Add a sequence:** A sequence is essentially a timeline within a timeline. In my example below there are 2 sequences titled "Pre US Involvement" and "WWII"
 * **Publish**: When ready the user simply clicks on the "Change Status" link and the timeline is made public. Once published links are provided to embed the timeline on major social media sites as well as the basic embed code for use on those sites not listed.

=Challenges= There are very few difficulties in using this tool. Primarily, the lack of a tutorial embedded on the site is a problem but figuring out how to work with the tool is very simple. There are only a few buttons to learn, in part because of the simplicity of the tool. It would be nice if the tool offered more options to include multimedia such as video embeds but for a free resource it is still pretty cool!

=**Curriculum Area**= Secondary Social Studies: US History

=Educational Objectives= The lesson idea supplied below addresses the following PA Social Studies Standards:
 * 1) Chronological Thinking: Sequence of historical narrative, Time Lines, Context for Events
 * 2) Analyze Historical Sources: Data in maps/graphs/tables, Historical Perspective

In addition, the following NETS standards are addressed:
 * 1) Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
 * 2) Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
 * 3) Select and use applications effectively and productively.

=Lesson Idea= This lesson is intended for use in my 10th grade US History class. Currently, students are often asked to create timelines of major events but these are done on paper- occasionally on poster board for classroom display. The use of timetoast allows for an ongoing project through the course of the year. At the start of the year students would register for timetoast accounts and begin a "Course of US History" timeline. As the class moves through the year, each unit would require students to add content to their individual timeline detailing 4-5 major events from each unit. By the end of the course, students would have an interactive record of all material covered in class including brief text explanations, images, and links to additional resources on their topics. These completed timelines could then be embedded into students school ePortfolios for a demonstration of learning.

=Sample Timetoast= I created this in about 30 minutes from first going to the site. This included registering, learning to use the tool, and creating the timeline.

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