tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61488126664751380562024-03-14T01:09:58.886-04:00Paul and Todd's Excellent Ed Tech AdventureThis most excellent blog promises to provide useful educational technology information for the everyday teacher that either uses technology a lot or just wants to use it a little more in the classroom. Join the adventure!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-4341962736296292962013-03-22T12:50:00.000-04:002013-03-22T12:50:01.672-04:00Google KeepWatch out Evernote, Google is coming your way. Google is trying out a product similar to Evernote's popular note keeping service. It is called <a href="https://drive.google.com/keep/" target="_blank">Google Keep</a>. (If you have Google Drive.) There is also an app at <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd" target="_blank">Google Play</a>. Here is a quick video:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UbvkHEDvw-o" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Give it a try and see if it is better than Evernote or just a copycat service. But as a lot of people are saying on the Web, don't get too attached. Google has a habit of removing services that we all love. <br />
<br />
RIP Google Reader. Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-90117037465419249122013-01-14T19:49:00.003-05:002013-01-14T19:49:18.581-05:00Ebook GlueI just got a tweet the other day about a new Website called <a href="http://ebookglue.com/" target="_blank">Ebook Glue</a> that lets you take a Blog, RSS feed, or Atom feed URL and turn it into an Ebook. It will give you a shareable link where you can download either ePub or Mobi formats. Here is an <a href="https://ebookglue.com/share/8FYKFAUTRnEGiM7ABJwB5a" target="_blank">example of the Ebook for this blog</a>. After trying it, the pictures and videos that are embedded did not show up, but the links and the text worked great. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18bemh8x8dy8ojpg/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18bemh8x8dy8ojpg/original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I think this is a great tool for English or Language Arts teachers that want their students to write using blogs and then publish their finished products as Ebooks. Downloadable to your favorite device. Cool!<br />
<br />
Thanks for the tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/ronhoutman" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01689c;">Ron</span></a>!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-71995740359980013192012-12-21T12:48:00.000-05:002012-12-21T12:49:29.442-05:0010 Tech Skills Every Student Should HaveJust read a great article posted on <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/index" target="_blank">Tech & Learning</a> about the <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3776" target="_blank">10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have</a> by David Andrade. I though it hit the nail right on the head with the skills listed. Also helpful was the multiple links under each item as a resource. Great job!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-87916986581836932812012-12-12T10:42:00.000-05:002012-12-12T10:42:15.784-05:00An Alternative to Pandora?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.minnierose.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Songza_icon_copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.minnierose.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Songza_icon_copy.png" /></a></div>
A collegue of mine just told me about a new music site called <a href="http://songza.com/" target="_blank">Songza</a>. It is a new (at least to me) that is quickly challenging sites such as <a href="http://www.pandora.com/" target="_blank">Pandora</a> or <a href="http://www.spotify.com/" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. The big appeal seems to be no audio commercials. Give it a try. I just downloaded the app on my iPhone and it is also available for Android. <br />
<br />
Have fun listening!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-38910908635441966052012-12-05T13:16:00.001-05:002012-12-05T13:23:50.344-05:00Code School<a href="http://www.codeschool.com/?utm_source=KickStarter&utm_medium=Project%2BStory&utm_term=codeschool&utm_campaign=TryiOS" target="_blank">Code School</a> is a great site and service for those of you who teach programming, program yourself, or just want to pass it on to that one kid that needs something extra. Explanation video from Kickstarter:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qh4EnQuOoO8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Sounds pretty cool. Of course it is so cool that most of the courses cost money. Rats! But, there are a few free courses to wet your appetite. <a href="http://www.codeschool.com/?utm_source=KickStarter&utm_medium=Project%2BStory&utm_term=codeschool&utm_campaign=TryiOS" target="_blank">Code School</a>, check it out.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-62395774622210640122012-11-19T10:53:00.000-05:002012-11-19T10:53:04.929-05:00Blended Learning ExplainedOver the past year or so, I have heard the term "Blended Learning" tossed around my high school quite a bit. If you have never heard of the term, or have and are unsure exactly what it means, the following video does a great job of breaking the concept down and explaining it. After watching it, even I understood it.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ggRYRAzDb28" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Is this type of instruction something that would work well with your students? I tend to think that it is great for some and not great for others. Not surprising, huh? <br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping in!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-59632978052671857612012-10-26T14:06:00.001-04:002012-10-26T14:06:47.162-04:00Food for Thought on EducationFood for thought on a Friday. Agree or disagree (and I do), it brings up some great points for us to think about.<br />
<br />
<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/quYDkuD4dMU?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/quYDkuD4dMU?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/ronhoutman">Ron</a>!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-68808549284779893152012-09-25T10:59:00.001-04:002012-09-25T10:59:26.358-04:00Question Your YouTube ViewersI saw a <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/20/youtube-video-questions-editor/" target="_blank">tweet</a> the other day that mentioned <a href="http://youtube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> was testing out a feature that would let you ask questions of your views throughout the video. I think that is a pretty great feature for educators. Apparently, you could go to your analytics page to get the answers. Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/video_questions_beta" target="_blank">where you can turn</a> on the feature or turn it off.<br />
<br />
That is it. Sorry no movie that I could find. But, for those of us that use screen casting regularly in class, it could be a very cool feature.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-8139403854308655552012-09-17T22:26:00.000-04:002012-09-17T22:26:00.832-04:00Today's Student?I love this video. Not just because it does such a great job of copying <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/" target="_blank">Lee LeFever's work</a>, but because I want this to be my student. I want my students to leave my class armed with this type of knowledge and know-how.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="415" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XwM4ieFOotA" width="520"></iframe><br />
<br />
Absolutely love it!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-7914355010858988722012-09-09T22:04:00.000-04:002012-09-09T22:04:40.131-04:00Game Making with Construct 2Anyone who is teaching a programming, Web Multimedia, or Gaming course might want to check out Construct 2 from <a href="http://www.scirra.com/" target="_blank">Scirra</a>. There are three down-loadable versions (one is free). Check out the info video below.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5RlSmkSbleI" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Looks promising. There are multiple tutorials to get started and an arcade to test out games. I also like that you can publish to multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, and others. Give it a try and let me know what you think!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-56939354575494523192012-08-16T18:01:00.000-04:002012-08-16T18:01:00.304-04:00Google Offline EditingGreat news for all of you Google Docs users. Offline editing is back after a several year absence. Now, if you don't have an Internet conncection, no problem. Make your updates and they will be automatically be updated when you do connect. Here is some <a href="http://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107972">info from Google</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is also video. WARNING: No sound! :(<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ffyUJPwTkBU" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Please be aware that to edit offline you will need the latest Chrome browser or OS. Also, offline editing is currently only available for docs. Google is hoping to extend this capability to spreadsheets and presentations in the future. <br />
<br />
But for now, Google docs users should rejoice about this update!<br />
<br />
Thanks.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-32306372058312229732012-08-10T16:02:00.000-04:002012-08-10T16:02:00.174-04:00Google Apps ScriptGoogle is at it again. Trying to make Google Apps better and more flexible. They have introduced <a href="http://www.google.com/script/start/" target="_blank">Google Apps Script</a> to help automate tasks such as mail merge. Here is an overview:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zgSVP9Pd-B4?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
Pretty useful stuff if you are into programming or just like tinkering around under the hood. Because of the use a Javascript and the HTML editor available, <a href="http://www.google.com/script/start/" target="_blank">Google Apps Script </a>sounds like it could fit into a Programming or Web Development class. I am not teaching programming this upcoming fall, but will definitely look into in the future. <br />
<br />
Thanks for visiting!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-62578000516488468472012-07-30T15:29:00.000-04:002012-07-30T15:29:00.924-04:00PDF Help with PDFescapeWe all deal with PDFs on a daily basis on the Web. We get them as attachments, read them, create them, and sometimes need to edit them.<a href="http://www.pdfescape.com/" target="_blank"> PDFescape</a> is a great tool to help you do all of these tasks. Did I mention it was free also? Below is a great overview of <a href="http://www.pdfescape.com/" target="_blank">PDFescape</a> by <a href="http://www.askbethz.com/" target="_blank">Beth Ziesenis</a> to further explain how it works.<br />
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lnai60RcTjI" width="420"></iframe><br />
Pretty cool online tool. I have to filll in PDF forms all the time and hate printing and filling it out by hand. I have also tried editing a PDF with PDFescape and it worked out great. I am definitely going to keep <a href="http://www.pdfescape.com/" target="_blank">PDFescape</a> in my online toolbox for future use. You should too!<br />
<br />
Thanks for visiting.<br />
<br />Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-27320024097087525442012-07-20T13:30:00.000-04:002012-07-20T13:30:01.992-04:00Common Craft VideosSo, I was going to re-post this great older post on <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/" target="_blank">Common Craft</a> videos and Lee Lefever, but ended up deleting the whole post. So now, you get a "new" post on this fantastic video site. The old saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words", but how many words would a great video be worth? Especially if it was explaining a computer concept or some new Web 2.0 tool? Priceless. Let's go to a video example of Common Craft's work:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B8aYoVpdz8o" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
As you can see, these videos are great and all over <a href="http://www.youtube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> as well as the <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/" target="_blank">Common Craft</a> Website. They have a ton of computer videos, as well as videos on recycling, elections, and even <a href="http://youtu.be/bVnfyradCPY" target="_blank">zombies</a>. (My personal favorite.) Check out <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/" target="_blank">Common Craft</a> videos and try them in your classroom. You won't be disappointed.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-25066612119673911022012-07-12T15:07:00.000-04:002012-07-12T15:12:09.317-04:00Lean a foreign language with Duolingo?If you teach a foreign language or trying to learn one, especially Spanish, a new site named <a href="http://duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Duolingo</a> might be a good fit for you. <a href="http://duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Duolingo</a> is trying to translate the Web one sentence at a time into different languages. Here is how it works:<br />
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WyzJ2Qq9Abs" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />Pretty neat idea. I doubt that using <a href="http://duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Duolingo </a>will having you speaking Spanish by itself, but it is definitely a great way to practice. Sounds like a great activity to start off class with each day. Give it a try, it could turn out to be muy bien!<br />
<br />
Thanks!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-52581513354553438382012-06-29T10:50:00.000-04:002012-06-29T10:50:00.146-04:00Dropcanvas for collaborationI am all about collaboration and sharing of files when it comes to student projects or teachers working together. Normally, groups can share documents with Google Docs, Dropbox, or a Wiki. <a href="http://dropcanvas.com/" target="_blank">Dropcanvas</a> helps groups share multiple files by creating a canvas that you can quickly create, add files to, and then share by email, social media or embedding it. It was very easy to sign up (you actually don't even need to register) and easy to use.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sPTo0MgdAMM" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I like <a href="http://dropcanvas.com/" target="_blank">dropcanvas</a> because you can share multiple files in one place quickly. Pretty cool. Give it a try with your next collaborative project.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-34307631348835614022012-06-22T11:05:00.000-04:002012-06-22T11:05:00.114-04:00Time Machine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I stumbled across this when I was putting some stuff away in my closet. Remember when this was state of the art technology?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60v9KYHiBUG8XHpEg-PrwkVMQ_vW7Hakjv_Lq4RBmiUftTLaxS5wTkEIE9eMzZAILm8_AKVWmxSfg7o-JshXo5JiQ1Mx0S2rM3WevtiuW5A5h2EHoFFMdUbD5Jg0rPpHSLHJgazPCpA/s1600/sony+mavica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60v9KYHiBUG8XHpEg-PrwkVMQ_vW7Hakjv_Lq4RBmiUftTLaxS5wTkEIE9eMzZAILm8_AKVWmxSfg7o-JshXo5JiQ1Mx0S2rM3WevtiuW5A5h2EHoFFMdUbD5Jg0rPpHSLHJgazPCpA/s320/sony+mavica.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-39701286244860929372012-06-14T10:50:00.000-04:002012-06-14T10:50:00.367-04:00Stay Organized with EvernoteOne of my goals this summer beside looking into Pinterest and alternative sites to use besides <a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/" target="_blank">Google Apps for Education</a> is to try out <a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>. I have it on my iPhone and have clipped a few items, but I am just not comfortable with it yet. If you are unsure of what Evernote is, watch this video.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Pjn6YkCY2yA" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
With all of the 1:1 or tablet programs out there these days, Evernote is a great tool for students. See what an actual student has to say in this video.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ueQUoeXBfHU" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
There are a TON of great tutorial videos on YouTube. Give it a try this summer. <br />
<br />
Thanks.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-80247200662289142822012-06-07T08:34:00.000-04:002012-06-07T08:34:00.372-04:00Learni.stLast week, I had a post on trying out <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and how it might be useful in the classroom. I recently got a tweet from <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ronhoutman" target="_blank">Ron Houtman</a> about a new site that is currently in beta called <a href="http://www.learni.st/" target="_blank">Learnist</a>. This site is being developed by <a href="http://www.grockit.com/" target="_blank">Grockit</a> and hopes to be a Pinterest for education with their slogan being "share what you know." <br />
<br />
Learnist is developing a site that will allow you gather various resources from the Web, whether it be videos, images, blog posts, Wikipedia articles, etc. and put them together into a logical order with notes or explanations that people could follow and learn from. It is a great idea for teachers who use resources on the Web on a regular basis. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ILzYzDnxarw" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
At the moment, you can only request an invite (which I have), but you can visit and check out some of the beta creations that others have made. Good stuff! I love this idea and can't wait to try it. My summer to do list just got longer. I will let you know how it goes when I get my invite.<br />
<br />
Thanks!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-52053766270223669792012-05-31T09:41:00.000-04:002012-05-31T09:41:00.672-04:00Pinterest in the Classroom?I was at the <a href="http://www.macul.org/" target="_blank">MACUL</a> Conference back in March and hear a lot about a site named <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. Other educators that spoke of it were absolutely hooked on it. If you have not visited or heard of Pinterest, think of it as an online bulletin board that you can "pin" your favorite things. Pictures, videos, links, etc. Here is a quick video to explain more.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31721796" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
A lot of the talk I heard about Pinterest had to do with its possible used in education and in the classroom. I will be honest, I don't know enough about it to have an opinion one way or the other. My hope is that you will explore what Pinterest has to offer and see if you can use it. A note of caution, Pinterest is not filtered or offer and EDU version at the moment, so be careful with your studetnts. I requested an invite this morning and am eager to try it out this summer. In the mean time, here is a great post from Pearson School Systems on <a href="http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/blog/?p=424" target="_blank">Four Ways to Use Pinterest in Education</a>. Let me know what you think after you have tried it or if you already have let me know your thoughts.<br />
<br />
Thanks.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-12844574607805796502012-05-25T07:54:00.000-04:002012-05-25T07:54:00.474-04:00SlideRocket RevisitedIn my quest to find decent online tools for my students to use that are not name <a href="http://docs.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Docs</a>, I talked about <a href="http://www.sliderocket.com/" target="_blank">SlideRocket</a>, an online presentation tool. My students had the choice to use SlideRocket or Prezi for a class presentation. SlideRocket worked well and the students seemed to enjoy it. It has a feel a little closer to PowerPoint and that appealed to some. I had to present to my district's board of education last week and chose to use SlideRocket. I liked it a lot. <br />
<br />
Now, with <a href="http://www.sliderocket.com/launch/google-edu.html" target="_blank">SlideRocket's partnership</a> with <a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/" target="_blank">Google Apps for Education</a>, students have one more choice to publish their work online. If you haven't tried SlideRocket out, give it try!<br />
<br />
Thanks.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-60251692569532321432012-05-18T08:13:00.000-04:002012-05-18T08:13:00.452-04:00My BYOT Experience at SchoolAre you thinking BYOB? No, definitiely not. BYOT means Bring Your Own Technology. More specifically, to school or your work place. BYOT is a craze that is somewhat taking the nation by storm and creating a lot of discussion in schools about how we should look at technology and our students. Their are school districts out there, <a href="http://www.foresthills.edu/" target="_blank">Forest Hills Schools</a> near Cincinnati for one, where BYOT is where it is at. Students are encouraged (expected) to bring their own computer to school. Whether it be a laptop, netbook, tablet, iPad, iTouch, Nook, Fire, etc. Students supply their own technology, not the school. Interesting concept, huh?<br />
<br />
We are interested in fostering the idea of BYOT at the high school here in <a href="http://www.spartaschools.org/" target="_blank">Sparta</a>. With that in mind, I organized a BYOT Day at the high school last week. My hope was that teachers would plan some sort of activity during their class period to use the technology that students brought in that day. The staff was asked on a volunteer basis if they wanted to participate. About 25% chose to try it. I was able to email out information about activities that they might try such as <a href="http://socrative.com/" target="_blank">Socrative</a>, <a href="http://www.todaysmeet.com/" target="_blank">TodaysMeet</a>, <a href="http://www.khanacademy.org/" target="_blank">The Khan Academy</a>, and <a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com/" target="_blank">Poll Everywhere</a> to name a few. I had students create a commercial advertising BYOT Day and I even went on the announcements to talk about it. Some students were a little apprehensive about bringing in devices fearing theft or loss.<br />
<br />
Results were positive. A lot of students brought in devices. I saw a lot of laptop and iPads. In just my classes, about 70-80% of my upperclassmen had devices with Web access. My freshman class ran around 40%. There were a few filtering options and a few connectivity issues with the wireless, but overall the day went very well. As I was driving home that day, I had a few thoughts. First, students love technology. If we can harness the tech power that they own and bring to school everyday, that is a lot of technology in the classroom that the district doesn't have to purchase, maintain, and replace. Second, there is a segment of the student population out there that does not have any of the devices discussed above. We have to make sure to include them in the process with technology that they can checkout or simply include them in a group or pair them up with someone with technology. Finally, teachers need training. A lot of it. There are some teachers that were hugely supportive of what I was trying to do and I thank them. They were willing to step out on a limb and try something new. That is hard, but great things can come of it. There was also that segment of the teaching staff that wanted nothing to do with BYOT Day, which is fine, but you can only keep your head stuck in the sand for so long. Technology is all around us. Catch the wave or be crushed by it. <br />
<br />
Based on the success (small sample size) of our first BYOT Day, I may try another one next month before school is out for the summer. I think that BYOT has merit and is the future. Is my school ready to go both feet in yet, no. But, if we start small, and build some trust and momentum, we will be ready in the future.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by.Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-24029355152992518472012-05-10T08:40:00.000-04:002012-05-10T08:40:00.317-04:00Google Search EducationI have always tried to teach my students good search skills. There is so much out there on the Web, that if you can filter down information and find what you need in a fast and efficient manner, you are ahead of the game. Google has just come out with <a href="http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation/" target="_blank">Search Education</a> to help teachers everywhere in the process of teaching students how to get better at their search strategies. Because you want it, here is a video:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v9yZco8bwI8" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Go Google! There are several things I like about this site. First, there is a need. An important one. Everyone should know how to search efficiently. This site will help teachers and students. The quote in the video said it all, "there will be a divide between those who can search and those who can't." Be one of the people that can search. Second, Google provides lesson plans. Third, Google provides webinars for teachers. Many teachers are afraid of technology and using it because they are not good at it. Google tries to help with that by providing free, on your own time trainings. Finally, A Google A Day Challenge. Google is providing us with a specific challenge problem to use the search skills students are learning. They are categorized by subject area. A great sponge activity at the beginning of the class. There you have it, another tool that Google has provided for education. Try it out. I am definitely going to.<br />
<br />
Thanks for visiting!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-9152828882339677482012-05-04T07:47:00.000-04:002012-05-04T07:47:00.203-04:00Google DriveJust as I start my search for alternatives to <a href="http://docs.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Docs</a>, they come out with <a href="https://drive.google.com/start#home" target="_blank">Google Drive</a>, their cloud-based storage system that is, of course free, and starts at 5 GB of storage space. Here is you video:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wKJ9KzGQq0w" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
This is Google's answer to the very popular products <a href="http://dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a> and <a href="http://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">SkyDrive</a> that are already out there. Now, I have not been able to use Google Drive, because it is not running yet, but I am sure it will work seamlessly with all of the the other Google products that it is partnered up with. They always do. It will be interesting to see how they do stacked up against Dropbox which I like very much. (My account is up to 50GB of storage for free by the way.) But, as everyone in the world goes wireless and cloud computing takes over, cloud storage with its anytime, anywhere access has been wildly successful. Why shouldn't Google get a piece of the pie. It just makes sense.<br />
<br />
When I have had a chance to try Google Drive, I will be back with an update. Thanks for stopping by!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148812666475138056.post-51605653240021047222012-04-28T08:53:00.000-04:002012-04-28T08:53:00.610-04:00SlideRocketI am on a quest! A quest to find Web 2.0 tools that are better than those offered in Google Docs. If you remember from my last post, my students (and myself) were fairly disappointed with quality and usefulness of the productivity tools offered in Google Docs portion of Apps for Education. So, here we to with <a href="http://www.sliderocket.com/" target="_blank">SlideRocket</a>. Cue the informational video!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nija_9mLTPE" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
When student's do presentations today, they are robust. They are connected to sound or video on the Web. I really enjoy <a href="http://www.prezi.com/" target="_blank">Prezi</a> and the ease that it incorporated the Web into my presentations, but had trouble with it when it came to my iPad. SlideRocket offers an iPad App, but I have yet to try it. Another feature that looks promising is the feature where your viewers can rate your presentation. I like that feature in the classroom because it will add some feedback to students as they present. You can even see which slide is viewed the longest or most. Fun! My freshmen class has been working on their Hero Project for a few weeks, and I have given them the choice of using SlideRocket or Prezi <br />
So far, the results have been good. About a third of my students have used SlideRocket and have liked it. It has a slight learning curve, but my students caught on quickly. One of the requirements was to include a video in the presentation and SlideRocket made that very easy. It was great for publishing and sharing online also. For those wondering about SlideRocket in an educational setting, wonder no longer. <a href="http://www.sliderocket.com/launch/google-edu.html" target="_blank">SlideRocket EDU</a>. I will definitely be exploring this collaboration with SlideRocket and Google Apps for Education. It looks promising. <br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!Paul and Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394490643782576502noreply@blogger.com0