Web of the Week Wednesday: NoradSanta

Web Address: http://www.noradsanta.org/ Just in time for Christmas.  NoradSanta Here are other Holiday Resources if you are celebrating something else.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Where in the world are you?

The Global Positioning Satellite system has become almost as ubiquitous as electricity for many of us.  We are so used to being able to use our phones to find everything from driving directions to a local pastry shop.  But with the growth of this system and it's usefulness it has had one shortcoming on the iOS platform.  You can only get a GPS reciever by purchasing the more expensive 3g/4g iPads or an iPhone.  What about an iPod?  No luck, until Now!  Well actually 2010 but I just found out about them.  It is a dock connecting GPS receiver.  It works for any of the iOS devices. Now, you might say to your self, "Self, Why would I buy this the increased price is the same as buying a dedicated GPS or the same as the extra cost to get GPS included in an iPad?" Well, I would say to yourself.  It comes down to one word. Transferencability. 1 of these devices and a classroom set of iPods could allow multiple students to enable GPS and location features when needed.  This means the iPod touch can take Geo-Tagged photos and then the student can hand off the receiver to another student and continue working on editing photos or creating a slideshow.  Even better in my mind is the GPS Pro.  It is a GPS receiver and autologger (meaning it can keep track of tracks, stops and locations) Better still it uses BlueTooth to transfer the information to iOS devices.  So this will allow 1 receiver and up to 5 Devices to connect.  I think this would be great on a Geocaching road trip. Another benefit of both these equipment add ons is that there are a multitude of Mapping/Location apps.  The limitation of a dedicated GPS receiver is that often they are like a paring knife.  Extremely useful but in only a very narrow use.  A swiss army knife can do lot's of things pretty well.  This is the iOS approach.  With the variety of Apps it is possible to do Geocaching, Turn by Turn navigation, and find coffee shops, and then take a run and keep track of where you went all on the same device. Of course, there is the option I would prefer to see.  The one the Android Market has taken.  Incorporate GPS receivers into the WiFi devices.  I have had two Android Tablets and there are a handful of handheld devices that all have GPS built right in.  So take a look at where in the world you are.  Let us know in the comments if you have tried out this device and what you use location services for on your mobile device.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Get a better Outlook on email

There are a variety of web based email systems out there to choose from.  Gmail has been on the rise, Yahoo! and AIM are still going strong. And then there is Hotmail.  Hotmail was one of the earliest free web-based email services and still boasts at least 330 million users.  Hotmail (and all of Microsoft's services) has gotten a facelift. If you are already a Hotmail user you can go to http://www.outlook.com and login.  All of your emails and contacts will be there and you can use a new cleaner interface.  There are tutorials, and welcome emails to get you started but one feature to look at is the new email alias.  This allows you to essentially use two different emails that come to the same inbox.  You can choose from .outlook.com; .hotmail.com; or .live.com as your domain. If this doesn't convince you to take a look at Microsoft, then there are some other things to consider.  Gmail has updated their iOS app and made it a genuine app.  This means you can do a few new things including using the App with up to 5 Google accounts. Apple is not to be left out.  iCloud will let you create an .icloud.com alias and receive email at http://www.icloud.com as well as on your iOS devices.  These options let you really expand your capabilities and give you a throw-away email for using with online companies, one for personal or business transactions and yet another for family. So take a look around and see what email can do for you.  When you have looked them over tell us in the comments which you prefer and why.

Web of the Week Wednesday: One Hundred Free Books

Web Address: http://onehundredfreebooks.com/ It's easy to find free books for your chosen eReader.  Many, many, many classics are out of copyright and now reside in the public domain meaning you can download them for free.  Most of the stores for the various devices distribute these Classics free, or they are available at http://www.gutenberg.org. But there are others.  One Hundred Free books shares free Kindle Books.  Basically you could find this yourself by picking a genre on www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/ and then sorting by price from low to high.  One Hundred Free Books however, peels back the wrapper of Amazon and lets you see things more easily.  Most of the free books are independent or small time, but they can make for an enjoyable indulgence into seeing what you can get for free.  Please be aware that some titles are not intended for younger readers and that UEN is not responsible for any content on the site nor is it endorsing the site. Just offering it up for your consideration.  If you do find an excellent title please share your link in the comments.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Don't Go Paperless

A few months ago, during a staff meeting one of my respected colleagues shared some exciting and different ways of using a low tech solution in the high tech classroom.  Paper Foldables.  I had seen these before and even made a few in classes I was in but for some reason they really just caught my attention. The suggestion in our staff meeting was that creating foldable research projects for our Pioneer Class could make the class more exciting.  And it has.  I have taught about Pioneer and UEN resources several times in the months since this meeting and had a lot of fun giving grown-ups paper and glue and scissors so they can create a paper pyramid of learning mobile (pronounced mo -beel) or a 1-cut 8 page book.  There are lots of sites out there to learn about Foldables and here's a list from Larry Ferlazzo Another site from another colleague is this one here: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/lapbooking_resources.php

Web of the Week Wednesday: PowToon

Web address: http://www.powtoon.com

There are a variety of Presentation tools out there on the interwebs but occasionally one comes along that really changes things. PowToon just might be one of them. This online tool allows you to create quick short simple explanations of complex ideas. It is a great site for building the introduction to concepts in class. In addition to the great options for individual use, you can also get Educator Pricing. It brands the videos as PowToon4edu but other than that it's pretty much the same. It costs $75.00 a year which is a bit pricey, but there is a free version which allows fewer downloads and shorter Presentoons but for the money it's worth it. You can find the educator pricing here: http://www.powtoon.com/pricing/edu/

Tech Tip Tuesday: Make a Ringtone

If you are an iOS user, you may be like me and disappointed that they took away the feature that allowed you to create RingTones from your music. If you look around on the interwebs you can find instructions for doing it manually. It involves several steps and renaming and moving files. It seems to be all legitimate since you own the music. But it is a lot more convenient to just buy the music ringtones so thats what a lot of people do.
On Android, I had a great little App called RingDroid it allowed me to trim a 30 second section of any song on my device and then save it to the RingTones settings.  It was pretty great.  I have looked around for something similar on iPhone.  No such luck.  But if you are looking do to this I did find a great little App in the Mac App store. Free RingTone Maker allows me to browse my playlists and music from iTunes. I can then trim the section I want to make a ringtone and with just a couple of clicks it puts the trimmed file back into iTunes as a RingTone.  It also works by dragging and dropping .wav and other files into the App and even lets you directly record using the onboard mic.
Give it a try!

Web of the Week Wednesday: FictionDB

Web Address: http://www.fictiondb.com/

There are other sites out there that let you manage and organize your books, but this adds a few great twists. First, it has one of the best series organizations I have seen. It is easy to find all the books in a series and sort them chronologically.  When searching Amazon republications often cause confusion and make it difficult to find the first in a series.  FictionDB lets you sort, organize and manage your books Try it out!

Tech Tip Tuesday: Look Ma! No Hardware.

When the first iPad was released one of the deepest frustrations with it was the fact that it wouldn't mirror the screen. Teachers wanted to be able to show their students what was going on. Trainers and instructional coaches wanted to be able to show teachers what was on their screen. No such luck With the release of the iPad2 and the increased power it became possible, but if you used the cable then you took this wonderful magical mobile device and effectively anchored it.

Then the Apple TV allowed you to throw your screen to an HDMI Connected device which meant you needed help to get it to a VGA Projector. OR you could buy a Document Camera for a variety of prices. I used a HueHD for a long time  to share my iPad screen. But recently some colleagues and I  have come across two amazingly useful tools that let you lose the hardware: 

AirServerApp This little app is software that takes advantage of the AirPlay feature of the iOS. Apple's iOS allows most iOS devices to mirror their screen to an Apple TV. The app essentially allows the iOS device to recognize a window on the computer an Apple TV. So now with your computer already connected to a projector you can share your screen to your computer and it will project to the screen.

 ReflectionApp This app does mostly the same as above. It is a little more expensive. Reflection offers 1 license while Airserver offers licenses on 5 computers.  The main advantage Reflection has is that it shows the iOS screen with a Skin that looks like the device. This makes it a bit more obvious that you are sharing your screen. So for just a few dollars you can now share your screen and leave the hardware behind.

A history of the World in 100 Objects

Web address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/about/british-museum-objects/

Recently I finished Psych - the whole series.  In a fit of self disgust for watching 5 seasons (that's all that is on Netflix) and approximately 60 hours of Gus and Shawn's shenanigans, I decided to try something more productive. I started looking around and discovered some really great podcasts. My favorite: A history of the world in 100 Objects.  The site has high resolution images of the objects and you can listen to the podcast or download it.  At about 15 minutes each I can usually listen to 3 to 5 of them a day while checking up on email.  But please Watch Out.  Not all the objects nor all the podcasts are for younger viewers.

Find your Place in the World

There are lots of tools and methods for mapping our world. One good definition of technology is: tools humans use to interact with their world.

Everything from using a stick to draw in the dirt, to sextants and astrolabes, right on up to the most complex of GPS systems are technologies for mapping our world. GIS is an acronym for Geographic Information System. If you would like to learn more about using these softwares well. Right now you can learn even more: ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) is a premier provider of all kinds of Mapping software, data, and professional development. If you want to learn more about a course available this summer then Vist the TG3 page to learn more and apply.

QR Treasure Hunt Generator

Web address: http://www.classtools.net/QR/create.php

Ever seen one of these crazy things???

  Well whether you have or haven't it's worth know what they are and a cool website to use them with.  They are called a QR (QuickReader) code and are sometimes also referred to as a 3-d barcode.  Normal barcodes are just lines and based on the thickness of the black and white lines a certain amount of data can be stored in the barcode.

 

The more complex QR codes can contain more information. You can imagine it like overlaying two barcodes perpendicular to each other. There are lots of apps out there that read these codes. ScanLife and TapMedia (http://www.tapmedia.co.uk/more-apps.htm) both provide apps for all the platforms. So back to the Web of the Week!, this nifty page will let you create a QR code treasure hunt. The kids scan the codes with whatever device they have and they get a quiz! This can be posted around a room or around a school for kids to go and look for.

Keep the electrons flowing!

 I usually plug my phone in to charge every night and unplug it first thing in the morning.  Some days i will still have 30% left at the end of my day but more often I find myself dismissing those reminders that my battery is low by 3:00 p.m.  What is a tech addict to do?  How to I keep those tweets twittering?  Well one way is extra batteries? But wait, you can't change your battery?  Or you carry a tablet and a phone? Well there is a solution.  A great one or actually two: Zagg makes a small plug in charger that also carries a few different sizes for more or less charge (and more or less money) depending on your needs (and pocketbook) Mophie makes some extended battery packs for the iPhones but if you have a tablet or other type of smartphone or even and iPod touch they also make a battery pack that will recharge about anything.

Rover - The Browser for Education

With Adobe announcing that they will no longer be developing Flash the future of interactivity on the web seems to be following the vision Steve Jobs had for it. HTML 5 allows most of the kinds of interactivity that formerly required the intense system use of Flash but at a fraction of the computing power. But for those of us in education who are still using Flash based sites and want to continue to use them there is Rover - The Browser for Education. It is a tool that allows you to access Flash sites on an iPad. Give a test drive and see what you think. Share some of your favorite Flash based education sites in the comments.

Web of the Week Wednesday: PrimaryPad

Web address: http://primarypad.com/ 

Sometimes you want quick easy login free collaboration.  While GoogleDocs gives us some rich, robust and protected options for collaboration PrimaryPad lets you do it quickly and without students needing a login.  

 This technology was also used to create http://typewith.me/ and was purchased by Google to form the foundation of their latest updates to collaboration in real time. Learn more about Google's interactions with EtherPad here: http://etherpad.com/ So this week you kind of got 3 for 1!

Tech Tip Tuesday: Go Mobile with the Common Core

If you are looking for a good way to incorporate the Common Core Standards into your class what better way than going mobile? The Common Core Standards were developed in a project initiated by the National Governors Association. These standards are available on Mobile Apps.  You can look up and see which standards apply to a specific Grade Level.  Having these standards at our fingertips can be a great first step to allowing these standards to change our classroom practices. Get the Apps Here:

Android

iOS

Science mythology

I am a trained scientist and science teacher.  I have done real science (only a very small amount, but I counted prairie dog burrows for 3 weeks for the BLM) I say this to preface what I am about to say.

Science is a myth. It is almost a religion. It has it's own orthodoxy, it's own priesthood and even it's own robes. Now don't get me wrong, because I love science. I actually even agree with the orthodoxy, but it's important for us to come to terms with some things.

Early mythology, legend and belief systems were fundamentally and basically established on a couple of principles.  People observed phenomena and needed explanations.  With limited powers of observations they generated the best explanations possible.  This often involved invoking supernatural beings, beings that existed beyond the visible world. Forces outside of their ability to actually observe but real.

Is science any different.  we have dozens of forces, particles, strings and even dark matter that can't be observed only predicted and hypothesized.  Our Scientific explanations aren't fundamentally better than any other explanations.  They are based on more observations but still require, like the early explanations a certain amount of trust, acceptance of certain premises, faith if you will.  But viewed from inside science gets that.  Really good scientists know that they are seeing as through a glass darkly, the truths they want to someday fully bring to light.  So do all seekers of truth, they understand that the truth is absolute, but our understanding of it is relative to our own position.

Emotionally Involved with Machines

I have to admit something. I am involved. Involved with machines. Most of us techie teachers get this. I know I have heard this before. I know I have read it, and I get it.

So, what do I mean? Well I am not having some kind of weird relationship with my computer!!! Or am I? I recently read two books that were significant, but since I am updating this blog post months after I began the draft, I can't remember them.  The ideas were these.
On incident referred to the grief people experience, even trauma, when a computer crashes. The other book detailed the experience people have when they lose a spouse. When a couple live together for a long time they begin to depend on each other for mental processes. For example, I remember dates and events really well. My wife remembers where my keys are.  We come to depend on someone else for certain mental processes.  We essentially offload certain things. Our memory expands into the other person. The trauma and loss we feel when we lose a spouse through either divorce or death we lose mental capacity. With our devices we are doing the same thing essentially.  We our offloading our mental capacity into a device. It serves as our memory and our reminder and we become literally, emotionally involved with our machines.

One of the things, that I have noticed about this in my self is my reluctance to offload to someplace I won't be able to access it.  I am very leery of the online storage systems that are "the latest and greatest" because I worry that they will lose them.

So, I am emotionally involved with my machines.  Essentially my little mobile device is acting as part of my brain.

Scheduling Yoga!

I used to joke with students that if they just let me run things we could really have a nice school schedule.

I used think there were at least 3 or 4 good ways to fix the school schedule.

4 days for students 5 days for teachers

If teachers gave up their prep time (for secondary teachers) and we extended the length of the school day we could have the same amount of instruction time. Now, this may mean we teach fewer things but  we could be more focused with that teaching. We would have longer times in each course like an A/B Block day and we as teachers would have an entire day for Prep and Professional development each week. As a teacher I could plan and get prepared for the entire upcoming week without interruptions. I could update all the grades every week.

There are other options, I just love this idea.

Effective Learning at Hogwart's School of Wizardry

I want my kids to go to Hogwarts.

Why you may ask? For Defense agains the Dark Arts? Herbology? Care of Magical Creatures, or is it just that I want my kids to live at a boarding school so I only see them for Christmas Holiday and a 8 weeks in the summer (hmmm tempting especially for teens but no). No, the reason I want my kids in Hogwarts is because this is quality education. Think of some of the things that they have at Hogwarts

• Small Class size- There are only about 16 Griffyndors per year
• Flexible Schedules Double Potions gets more time
• Effective Intramural sports
• Advisory Teachers
• Customized schedules beginning in Grade 8
• Focused Career Counseling and career courses
• Practical Lab Experiences
• Extensive social learning and group work

If you take a look at what Hogwarts offers to it's students, it is pretty exceptional.  I want my kids to go there. In fact.  I would love to teacher there.  I wonder if there is an opening for Muggle Studies?

Tech Tip Tuesday: Apple iOS 6, 6 New Things!

Apple released iOS 6 in anticipation of the arrival of the iPhone 5 (Does anyone else agree that they should get those two lined up? Dear Tim Cook, please don't release a new iOS until 7 with the iPhone 7.  Just sayin')

Well here are 6 changes to the iOS that will make a difference!

1. New Maps! Apple has cut ties with Google in a lot of ways, which is sad since they used to play so nicely together, but for a variety of reasons Apple opted to go with their "own" map app.  Technically, they bought it from TomTom and it has some distinct improvements.  Turn by Turn voice navigation on all iPhones, doesn't matter which carrier, you've got it.  For those on a throttled data plan this may be an issue since both the maps and voice are handled via your data network.  Favorite improvement - Faster Mapping


2. No YouTube - The quaint and quirky retro TV is gone. YouTube as an Apple distributed App is no longer available.  Never fear, YouTube released an iPhone App even before the update.  This seems to fall along with the rift between Apple and Google, but the new improved Google distributed App is still free and has better integration with my Google Account. There are more sharing and favoriting options that integrate with my Google Account. Favorite improvement - Love the YouTube Icon
   
   [caption id="attachment_1475" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Old YouTube icon"][/caption]
   
   [caption id="attachment_1476" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="New YouTube icon"][/caption]


3. FaceBook Integration - While separating itself from Google, Apple has been cozying up to the two biggest Social Media Networks.  Twitter and Facebook are even more fully integrated.  You can now sign into Facebook in the Settings area just like Twitter.  You can share more easily from all kinds of places to Facebook.  Photos are also more easily uploaded and tagged Favorite Improvement - Contact Integration


4. Notification Center - The notification pull down now has a couple of new features: Tap to Tweet and Tap to Post.  'Nuff said
   
   [caption id="attachment_1478" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Notifications iOS 6"][/caption]


5. Brand New Share Menu - It's Prettier and therefore easier. You can actually see exactly what you are choosing to share too.  On a related note there are new privacy settings in Settings and when you tap and hold in Mail you have options to insert a photo/video.  All related to better sharing with more control over privacy!
   
   [caption id="attachment_1479" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Share Menu"][/caption]
   
   
   
   [caption id="attachment_1481" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Insert Photo or Video"][/caption]


6. Brand New Emojii - Granted this is a silly one, but there are now new emoji icons you can use in messaging, mail and all over the place. Sometimes these don't translate when you text other phones but they can still be pretty cool.  You can turn on emoji in the Settings area.  This is also where you can turn on alternate language Keyboards as well.
   
   
   [caption id="attachment_1482" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Keyboard Options in Settings, General, Keyboard"][/caption]

Web of the Week Wednesday: Sports n' Science

Web Address: http://sportsnscience.utah.edu

The University of Utah has done more than create scholar athletes, they are creating a tool to create a whole new generation of scholar athletes and emphasize the scholarship of athletics all in one. The new Sports n Science page combines the latest science surrounding sports with the high engagement of college athletics to create an enjoyable mix of  sports and science.  The website has links to information and will be hosting YouTube videos to explain the science behind things like punting a football.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Pick your Tablet

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Apple iPad( left) vs Kindle HD 8.9" (right)"][/caption]

There have been a couple of big announcements about Gadgets in the last few weeks. Amazon announced their latest updates to the Kindle line.  The new Kindle HD has higher resolution and now comes in a new larger 8.9 inch screen (Amazon will also be keeping the 7" screen model) With Amazon providing a rich, and robust content store and running the Android Operating system it is head to head with Apple's iPad.  No new iPad was announced this week, but the pocketable gadgets all got an update.  Apple announced updates to their iPod Nano, it will get larger again after getting smaller last time.  Apple seems to be having a lot of trouble defining this device. If you look at a history of the Nano you can see that more than any other it's form factor has changed. The iPod Shuffle is a close second. The iPod Touch was also updated and got a colorful make-over.  The iPhone 5 was also launched and the biggest update for the newest iOS devices is a larger screen. The screen will now accomodate true widescreen ratios.  This might be forthcoming in a new generation of iPad, but in a move that didn't surprise me in the least, Apple did not announce an iPad mini.  Whether there will be a place for a screen size between the iPad and iPhone is up for debate, but my guess is we won't see one until there is compelling evidence that people prefer the smaller size screens.

So which tablet for you? right now the question comes down to factors: content and cost. The Kindle HD 8.9" comes in at only $299.00 for a wifi 16GB version. With an Amazon Prime account it will include streaming of a wide variety of video from Amazon's services. It will run the majority of Apps you might want on an iPad and will allow you to stream any content you purchase through Amazon.  The audio content especially is nice. It is yours. You get mp3 files that belong to you.  No DRM just files. However, Kindle's eBook format is the opposite.  DRM and you never really see the files.

iPad weighs in at a heftier $499.00 (or $399.00 for the previous generation) but also has a really robust content store and with recent (the last few years) changes to iTunes most of your music is yours without DRM. Amazon offers apps to access your content purchased from them, so if you already have a lot of content with iTunes the iPad may be the way to go.

Having trouble deciding.  Go take a look at their specs and take some time to think it through.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Apple iPad

Web of the Week Wednesday: PrintablePaper.net

Web Address: http://www.printablepaper.net/

Do you need that specific graph paper, or a special score sheet or just some other peculiar paper but all you have is a computer?  PrintablePaper has a variety of printable papers.  Score Sheets for games and activities, a variety of Graph papers and styles, music paper, quilt papers, and even templates.  This page does have a few adds and clickthroughs before you can download the documents but when you get them they are amazing printable papers you can use!

Tech Tip Tuesday: Test Your Creativity

Recently, I was reading an article on creativity and the article referred to a pretty fun little test. You can take the test here to find out how creative you are likely to be.  Visit the test: http://mycreativityskills.com/ .

But even more fun that is a test designed for managers and teachers. You can take an inventory of how well you encourage creativity in your classroom and with your students.  Visit the test here: http://mycreativityskills.com/managers

Wednesday Web of the Week: UEN Core Resources

Utah's Core resources have morphed and expanded and evolved over the years,  UEN has been there to help support and curate resources through the years.  Check out these pages for help teaching the Utah Core!:

• http://www.uen.org/commoncore/


• http://www.uen.org/core/science/super_resources.shtml


• http://www.uen.org/core/socialstudies/resource.shtml 

The Utah State Office of Education also conducted a series of Core Academies this summer to help improve teacher's readiness in teaching the rigorous standards for Utah Students.  You can find information about these at: http://www.schools.utah.gov/core/Educators/Core-Academy.aspx

Tech Tip Tuesday: Excel at games!

We don't often think of Excel as a tool for interactive multimedia, but it can be done.  Check out the site below for some cool ideas for using Microsoft Excel to create games:

• http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/excel_games.html

 

Web of the Week Wednesday: Socrative

Web Address: http://www.socrative.com

With more and more students bringing mobile devices to class it's nice to have a use for them that is engaging instead of distracting. Enter Socrative.  Socrative is a clicker App with a twist. Many physical clickers require some kind of local network, often via bluetooth. This requires software, hardware and drivers on your local computer. Socrative eliminates that with a cloud based tool. Teachers create an account and then as long as the site is not blocked users login to the the site on any browser. Mobile browsers work best, but it works fine on a desktop machine too. There are apps for Android and iPhone. It is also compatible with any device with a browser especially a mobile browser. Teachers and students can access Socrative in their browser and then choose the correct portal Teacher or Student. This makes Socrative work even on older devices that you can't install the app on.

Socrative routes the teachers questions to each student and the responses back to their teacher through their website. This makes the tool really great. There is no need for all the devices to be on the same network, no need for purchasing hardware or  for all students to have the same device even students in a distance learning situation could respond  through the Socrative system greatly heightening the effectiveness and engagement available.  Socrative will also deliver your data to you so you can analyze it or import it into your Grading Software.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Androidify your Education

Much is being said about tablet computing today in education, but let's be honest, people aren't calling it tablet computing. They aren't calling them tablets, they aren't discussing mobile devices in education, not in a genuine way. Educators are talking about the iPad in education, and who can blame them. With an overwhelming majority of the market for tablets and Apps for everything why would you look at the major competitor? Here are some reasons:

1. Android works with Google Apps for Education You can use your current Google Apps login to access the features of an Android device and with the Google Device Policy App you can even set security features.


2. Android Devices have GPS. Several devices including the Samsung Galaxy Player and the Creative Zen Touch 2. This allows the device to be used for all sorts of GeoSpatial Learning activities.


3. Seamless integration with your current Google Account. If you already have a Google Account it is the key to opening up the device and all the resources. Also, most of your current online tools have a mobile counterpart including: Picasa, Google Drive (Formerly GoogleDocs) and the Play.Google store


4. People might already know Android. Android phones are outselling iPhones in the Global Market (Apple still seems to edging out Android in U.S. markets) but chances increasing that people know Android.


5. Lots of options! This can be both a boon and a bane of Android. Following the Model of Microsoft, Google bought and then developed and marketed the Android OS and let others build hardware.  Google also opted to make Android OpenSource this means that manufacturers can essentially rewrite Android's internal workings to match up to their device. Sometimes this is great, sometimes this falls flat and you get a much less consistent ecosystem where Apps will work on one device but not on another. The boon is there are some 7 inch tablets selling for under $100.00 and as noted above there are some pocketable devices for under $150.00 that incorporate GPS and Cameras, media players, media creation, email, and a wide variety of features available through the Apps on Play.Google.com. Options aren't limited to just the devices either. There is a lot more flexibility about what Apps ca

As true competition begins to develop in the tablet environment there could be some really good reasons to adopt Android.  When you are fully onboard just Androidify

Web of the Week Wednesday: Gapminder

Web address: http://www.gapminder.com

Mind the Gap!  This phrase in England refers to the 'gap' between the platform and the London Underground rail cars.  To mind the gap is to be cautious not to fall in a hole.  GapMinder helps you avoid the holes and pitfalls of faulty thinking.  The site shows data on a wide variety of topics, mostly related to populations and demographics so you can avoid the 'gaps' in your thinking.  One interesting and insightful item is the CO2 emissions by population ( You can also compare it by Gross National Product and a variety of other factors) This Gap shows what has happend over the last approximately 200 years regarding CO2.

If you want more information about CO2 emissions you can also visit www.uen.org/climate for Climate Science Resources

Web of the Week Wednesday: Gapminder

Web address: http://www.gapminder.com

Mind the Gap!  This phrase in England refers to the 'gap' between the platform and the London Underground rail cars.  To mind the gap is to be cautious not to fall in a hole.  GapMinder helps you avoid the holes and pitfalls of faulty thinking.  The site shows data on a wide variety of topics, mostly related to populations and demographics so you can avoid the 'gaps' in your thinking.  One interesting and insightful item is the CO2 emissions by population ( You can also compare it by Gross National Product and a variety of other factors) This Gap shows what has happend over the last approximately 200 years regarding CO2.

If you want more information about CO2 emissions you can also visit www.uen.org/climate for Climate Science Resources

Tech Tip Tuesday: Learn with Microsoft

Microsoft Partners in Learning has helped educators collaborate and connect.  Partners with Microsoft create tools or develop new ways to use tools specific to the teaching profession and to learning.  TeachTec has a list of the resources that are out there.  There are a lot of them.  Things like Chemistry Add-ins for word to allow you to create better handouts and tests to how-to's on using your email better.  So pick one and learn something with Microsoft.  Tell us your favorite in the comments.

Site: http://teachtec.cloudapp.net/

Tech Tip Tuesday: Learn with Microsoft

Microsoft Partners in Learning has helped educators collaborate and connect.  Partners with Microsoft create tools or develop new ways to use tools specific to the teaching profession and to learning.  TeachTec has a list of the resources that are out there.  There are a lot of them.  Things like Chemistry Add-ins for word to allow you to create better handouts and tests to how-to's on using your email better.  So pick one and learn something with Microsoft.  Tell us your favorite in the comments.

Site: http://teachtec.cloudapp.net/

Wednesday Web of the Week: It it were my home

Web Address: http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/

Where would you live if you could?  New Zealand? Iceland? Spain? the Phillipines? Well, if you were every wondering about what it would be like to live somewhere else, you can get a snapshot of it at www.ifitweremyhome.com this site allows you to compare the United States to a long list of other countries, some of which fare better than the United States and others where you would fare worse.  The site looks at a dozen or so factors for liveability and then tells you whether those factors are higher or lower than the United States.  Try it out.

And to add to what you have there also check out CultureGrams in the Pioneer Library for even more information.

Wednesday Web of the Week: It it were my home

Web Address: http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/

Where would you live if you could?  New Zealand? Iceland? Spain? the Phillipines? Well, if you were every wondering about what it would be like to live somewhere else, you can get a snapshot of it at www.ifitweremyhome.com this site allows you to compare the United States to a long list of other countries, some of which fare better than the United States and others where you would fare worse.  The site looks at a dozen or so factors for liveability and then tells you whether those factors are higher or lower than the United States.  Try it out.

And to add to what you have there also check out CultureGrams in the Pioneer Library for even more information.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Culture you can download

CultureGrams is a fantastic site that brings together a wide array of resources about just about every country in the world and all the Canadian Provinces and United States.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

Pioneer: Utah's Online Library gives access to CultureGrams for Utah Educators, others can find out how to purchase access at: www.culturegrams.com. Normally schools (or as in the case of Utah, states) license CultureGrams for use in their classrooms.  But one thing that often gets overlooked are the Photos, Videos and Slideshows that can be downloaded or linked to for multimedia presentations.  There is even a Citation Generator that helps students develop good habits about using online materials.  So go ahead download a little culture today.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Culture you can download

CultureGrams is a fantastic site that brings together a wide array of resources about just about every country in the world and all the Canadian Provinces and United States.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

Pioneer: Utah's Online Library gives access to CultureGrams for Utah Educators, others can find out how to purchase access at: www.culturegrams.com. Normally schools (or as in the case of Utah, states) license CultureGrams for use in their classrooms.  But one thing that often gets overlooked are the Photos, Videos and Slideshows that can be downloaded or linked to for multimedia presentations.  There is even a Citation Generator that helps students develop good habits about using online materials.  So go ahead download a little culture today.

Wednesday Web of the Week: Smithsonian Source

Web Address: http://www.smithsoniansource.org/

Teaching with primary source materials is an excellent way for students to truly experience history.  They can draw their own conclusion and make their own observations.  For History it is the equivalent of carrying out your own experiments in Math or creating your own works in Art.  Smithsonian Source makes it much easier with both resources for teachers and search tools for students.  So go read something Original!

Wednesday Web of the Week: Smithsonian Source

Web Address: http://www.smithsoniansource.org/

Teaching with primary source materials is an excellent way for students to truly experience history.  They can draw their own conclusion and make their own observations.  For History it is the equivalent of carrying out your own experiments in Math or creating your own works in Art.  Smithsonian Source makes it much easier with both resources for teachers and search tools for students.  So go read something Original!

Tuesday Tech Tip: Join UCET

UCET: The Utah Coalition for Educational Technology is a fantastic organization dedicated to improving learning by through the effective use of technology.  Each year UCET hosts a conference where teachers and technology specialists from throughout the state and a few other places as well come together to share and collaborate.  This year UCET will be held at Jordan High School this weekend March 2 and 3, 2012.  Join us if you can. UEN will be doing multiple presentations and has a booth in the vendors area.

UCET also sponsored the first ever SUECON in conjunction with UELMA: Utah Educational Library Media Association.  SUECON was so well received that it will be back for a second year.

Find out more at http://www.ucet.org or http://suecon.org/

Wednesday Web of the Week: Wallwisher

Web Address: http://www.wallwisher.com/

Wallwisher is a unique online bulletin board.  It lets you and other's create a bulletin board and cover it in Sticky notes.

Wednesday Web of the Week: Wallwisher

Web Address: http://www.wallwisher.com/

Wallwisher is a unique online bulletin board.  It lets you and other's create a bulletin board and cover it in Sticky notes.

Tech Tip Tuesday: What's in a name?

A while back we did a series on file extensions. File extensions are the 3 characters after the file name that tell the computer which program to use to open the file.  The extension allows you to control  your files by designating the default program used with various file types.

But what about the file name?  In the olden days of computers there were limits on both the extensions (3 characters) and the file names (8 characters). In those olden days those of us who were using computers came up with all kinds of clever tricks for shorthand with filenames.  Including adding the date or severe truncation and often leaving out vowels.  Both the filenames and extensions have a lot more flexibility now but some tricks can still help.

When you are sorting files to find items, it is helpful to use the alphabetical sorting option.  But what if you have a dozen files that start with 'M', or what if you have an important file you want to be easy to find.  Try some of these tricks:

• add a '1' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the top)


• add a '!' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the very top)


• add a 'z' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the bottom)

Previously, you couldn't add spaces into file names, but now they are open game. The operating system might still truncate the file name but you will probably not ever really see the truncated version.  But adding longer file names can help you find things easier when you need them. Using underscores or dashes will allow you separate one part of a filename from another.

Finally, since you are allowed greater lengths it can be helpful to name files with the date it was created or the date it was created for.  When you do this it is good to keep in mind that this date won't change with each modification.  Also, because the computer sorts without regard to anything but the actual numbers it is useful to follow the YYYY-MM-DD pattern.  I discovered this because some programs by default use this to create folders for each day's work.  I add the date to the beginning of files that are date sensitive.

Another big help came when I realized I could use file names to help me sort student work.  When teaching PowerPoint™ to students I needed a way to organize their work fast.  I came up with this pattern #lastname,firstname.***  Where the # represents their class period and the * represents the appropriate extension

So give it a try and give it a name

Tech Tip Tuesday: What's in a name?

A while back we did a series on file extensions. File extensions are the 3 characters after the file name that tell the computer which program to use to open the file.  The extension allows you to control  your files by designating the default program used with various file types.

But what about the file name?  In the olden days of computers there were limits on both the extensions (3 characters) and the file names (8 characters). In those olden days those of us who were using computers came up with all kinds of clever tricks for shorthand with filenames.  Including adding the date or severe truncation and often leaving out vowels.  Both the filenames and extensions have a lot more flexibility now but some tricks can still help.

When you are sorting files to find items, it is helpful to use the alphabetical sorting option.  But what if you have a dozen files that start with 'M', or what if you have an important file you want to be easy to find.  Try some of these tricks:

• add a '1' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the top)


• add a '!' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the very top)


• add a 'z' to the beginning of the file (to sort to the bottom)

Previously, you couldn't add spaces into file names, but now they are open game. The operating system might still truncate the file name but you will probably not ever really see the truncated version.  But adding longer file names can help you find things easier when you need them. Using underscores or dashes will allow you separate one part of a filename from another.

Finally, since you are allowed greater lengths it can be helpful to name files with the date it was created or the date it was created for.  When you do this it is good to keep in mind that this date won't change with each modification.  Also, because the computer sorts without regard to anything but the actual numbers it is useful to follow the YYYY-MM-DD pattern.  I discovered this because some programs by default use this to create folders for each day's work.  I add the date to the beginning of files that are date sensitive.

Another big help came when I realized I could use file names to help me sort student work.  When teaching PowerPoint™ to students I needed a way to organize their work fast.  I came up with this pattern #lastname,firstname.***  Where the # represents their class period and the * represents the appropriate extension

So give it a try and give it a name

Wednesday Web of the Week: Prezi U

Web Address: http://edu.prezi.com/

Super Short post because the information is already there for you, Prezi has created a new educational community for sharing materials, tips and tricks to using Prezi to teach.  Learn about the announcement here!

Wednesday Web of the Week: Prezi U

Web Address: http://edu.prezi.com/

Super Short post because the information is already there for you, Prezi has created a new educational community for sharing materials, tips and tricks to using Prezi to teach.  Learn about the announcement here!

Tuesday Tech Tip: Take Note!

The other day I was in a meeting and needed a colleagues email.  I was pulling out my phone and looking for a quick way to take note of it.  I had lost my favorite notes app on my Android phone, so I was scrambling to find a way to jot down this email, (I don't know why but I didn't want to open Contacts).  While I am frantically scrambling around, my colleague pulls out a tiny notebook, writes his email with a pen and then tears out the sheet and hands it to me.

Sometimes low tech is faster!

In another meeting, one of my other colleages was talking about the importance of having an Ubiquitous Capture Device. Well, that is simply something you can use to record things as you think of them.  Something like this!



Something as simple as a few index card held together with a binder clip can greatly enhance your chance of recording and remembering something.

When you pair this with apps on your phone, you can also digitize this.  EverNote a website, App (for iOS and Android) and Desktop Client, allows you to take notes on all kinds of things and one of my favorites, take photos to add to notebooks.  When I am done with a paper that I want to capture the information from, I use EverNote to snap a picture and add it to the appropriate notebooks.  Then I can recycle the paper, of course, you could also just put a date on the index card and put it in a recipe box for a low tech solution.

Tuesday Tech Tip: Take Note!

The other day I was in a meeting and needed a colleagues email.  I was pulling out my phone and looking for a quick way to take note of it.  I had lost my favorite notes app on my Android phone, so I was scrambling to find a way to jot down this email, (I don't know why but I didn't want to open Contacts).  While I am frantically scrambling around, my colleague pulls out a tiny notebook, writes his email with a pen and then tears out the sheet and hands it to me.

Sometimes low tech is faster!

In another meeting, one of my other colleages was talking about the importance of having an Ubiquitous Capture Device. Well, that is simply something you can use to record things as you think of them.  Something like this!



Something as simple as a few index card held together with a binder clip can greatly enhance your chance of recording and remembering something.

When you pair this with apps on your phone, you can also digitize this.  EverNote a website, App (for iOS and Android) and Desktop Client, allows you to take notes on all kinds of things and one of my favorites, take photos to add to notebooks.  When I am done with a paper that I want to capture the information from, I use EverNote to snap a picture and add it to the appropriate notebooks.  Then I can recycle the paper, of course, you could also just put a date on the index card and put it in a recipe box for a low tech solution.

Teaching is hard work

I have been out of the classroom for a while. We took a small hiatus from our face to face classes in order to renew our agendas and syllabi. But for the last two days I toughs PowerPoint 2010for teachers. Wee do just the basics, inserting text, images, audio video, and the other basic content types. It was so much fun to actually teach again. I have been teaching my college class, but it is somehow much different. There is a sense of lightheartedness about teaching teachers who don't get a grade and who really see what this is going to mean in their classroom. It was a long hard two days though because I forgot what it takes emotionally to be on for 8 hours solid. But a lot of things came together to really make it work. I chose a new sample project on Internet Safety which worked very well and is something all the teachers could relate to. I then chose a new model project to show off how to get resources and Amphibians was a great choice too because there are RS if resources available. It also makes a good model for story boarding. All in all a very good couple of days.

Web of the Week Wednesday: Collaborate Instantly!

Web Address: http://todaysmeet.com

There are lots of great tools for online collaboration but some are much quicker than others.  One of those is Today's Meet.  Today's Meet allows you to quickly create a room where you can have others contribute to a conversation.  This works as a back channel or chat while you can be discussing something else.  It can also work very well to take questions from a large class.

One feature which can be very helpful is the expiration date.  Today's Meet expires after a set time period making it great for use during an activity that you don't need to archive.  Finally, it works really well from portable devices like iPods, Android devices and other tablets.

Web of the Week Wednesday: Collaborate Instantly!

Web Address: http://todaysmeet.com

There are lots of great tools for online collaboration but some are much quicker than others.  One of those is Today's Meet.  Today's Meet allows you to quickly create a room where you can have others contribute to a conversation.  This works as a back channel or chat while you can be discussing something else.  It can also work very well to take questions from a large class.

One feature which can be very helpful is the expiration date.  Today's Meet expires after a set time period making it great for use during an activity that you don't need to archive.  Finally, it works really well from portable devices like iPods, Android devices and other tablets.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Stream Media

There are lots of tools out there that allow you to do more with your TV.  As the prices for large  LED/LCD Televisions keeps coming down they are becoming a potential option for the classroom.  they require less complex installations than projectors and also generally have a longer life.  For those who don't have a projector a large TV might work.

One of the things that you can do with these devices is stream media.  There are several different devices out there including

• Apple TV


• Roku 2 (XS or HD)


• A variety of Blu-Ray Players


• Gaming Devices like: Xbox 360, Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii

These devices allow you to connect to a Wi-Fi network  and stream a variety of services: The most common are Hulu, Netflix and Pandora.  The first two are video resources and the third is Audio. These devices can also sometimes be configured to play media from your computer.  These types of devices then can be used to stream media you use in the classroom.

You can see CNET's review of some media players here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20025670-1/which-streaming-media-device-is-right-for-you/

Wednesday Web of the Week: WorldWide Telescope

Web Address: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx

Sometimes you learn about something, here about it a few times and then it falls out of your line of vision and your forget about it, at least that happens to me.  The WorldWide Telescopes is just such a project.  This tool allows users to experience everything from the very simplest and most basic interaction with the night sky to rich immersive planetarium events.  There is a Windows Desktop Client and a rich Web client that allow you to experience and author tours of objects in space.

Through an Ambassadors program the WWT can become even more rich and useful in the classroom. You can find tours,  find out how to get started and get Classroom Resources.

So take a peek at the night sky right from your computer!

Thour

Wednesday Web of the Week: WorldWide Telescope

Web Address: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx

Sometimes you learn about something, here about it a few times and then it falls out of your line of vision and your forget about it, at least that happens to me.  The WorldWide Telescopes is just such a project.  This tool allows users to experience everything from the very simplest and most basic interaction with the night sky to rich immersive planetarium events.  There is a Windows Desktop Client and a rich Web client that allow you to experience and author tours of objects in space.

Through an Ambassadors program the WWT can become even more rich and useful in the classroom. You can find tours,  find out how to get started and get Classroom Resources.

So take a peek at the night sky right from your computer!

Thour

Web of the Week Wednesday: www.tarpits.org

Web Address: http://www.tarpits.org/

Looking for a really good source of information about Ice Age fossils and creatures.  The Page Museum is the official Museum associated with the Rancho La Brea Tarpits and you can find all kinds of useful and amazing things.  One of the really great features is the Timeline.

Web of the Week Wednesday: www.tarpits.org

Web Address: http://www.tarpits.org/

Looking for a really good source of information about Ice Age fossils and creatures.  The Page Museum is the official Museum associated with the Rancho La Brea Tarpits and you can find all kinds of useful and amazing things.  One of the really great features is the Timeline.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Use your iPod as a Mouse

There are lots of Apps out there that allow you to control your computer with your iPod, but one of my favorites comes from one of the best builders of mice on the planet.  Logitech has long been a premier manufacturer of all kinds of computer pointing devices.  The Touch Mouse App allows you to control your nearby computer through WiFi as long as you also install a small application on the computer.

Find out more about it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/touch-mouse/id338237450?mt=8

Tech Tip Tuesday: Use your iPod as a Mouse

There are lots of Apps out there that allow you to control your computer with your iPod, but one of my favorites comes from one of the best builders of mice on the planet.  Logitech has long been a premier manufacturer of all kinds of computer pointing devices.  The Touch Mouse App allows you to control your nearby computer through WiFi as long as you also install a small application on the computer.

Find out more about it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/touch-mouse/id338237450?mt=8

Web of the Week Wednesday: UETS

Web Address: http://www.uen.org/k12educator/uets/

If you haven't seen it or heard about it.  There has been some work going on behind the scenes.  Recently the Utah Effective Teaching Standards.  This list encompasses what is defined as effective teaching for teachers in Utah.  The standards include three major aspects: The Learner and Learning, Instructional Practice, and Professional Responsibility.

Take a look at this list and see if there are some ideas for you for this year.

Standards are also available for Principals and other Leaders here: http://www.uen.org/k12educator/uels/index.shtml

Web of the Week Wednesday: UETS

Web Address: http://www.uen.org/k12educator/uets/

If you haven't seen it or heard about it.  There has been some work going on behind the scenes.  Recently the Utah Effective Teaching Standards.  This list encompasses what is defined as effective teaching for teachers in Utah.  The standards include three major aspects: The Learner and Learning, Instructional Practice, and Professional Responsibility.

Take a look at this list and see if there are some ideas for you for this year.

Standards are also available for Principals and other Leaders here: http://www.uen.org/k12educator/uels/index.shtml

Tech Tip Tuesday: Top Tech Skills

A while back I ran across a post about 20 Technology Skills that Every Teacher should Have It got me thinking?  What are the top skills Utah teachers need and is it different.  I think it is.  Here's my list

UTIPS

my.uen (at least as portal to OnTrack and the UEN tools)

UEN's Lesson Plan Tool

Curriculum Search

email filtering, sorting and rapid handling

A blog tool

Pioneer Library Searching

What do you think are the essential Technology Skills for a Utah Teacher?

Tech Tip Tuesday: Top Tech Skills

A while back I ran across a post about 20 Technology Skills that Every Teacher should Have It got me thinking?  What are the top skills Utah teachers need and is it different.  I think it is.  Here's my list

UTIPS

my.uen (at least as portal to OnTrack and the UEN tools)

UEN's Lesson Plan Tool

Curriculum Search

email filtering, sorting and rapid handling

A blog tool

Pioneer Library Searching

What do you think are the essential Technology Skills for a Utah Teacher?

2012 - Wednesday Web of the Week

Web Address: http://quizlet.com/

Learn Vocabulary, Anywhere!

2012 - Wednesday Web of the Week

Web Address: http://quizlet.com/

Learn Vocabulary, Anywhere!

2012 - A great new year

For the start of this year I thought I would kick things off with a great tool I have been using now for a few months.  Google Tasks.  It originally appeared in GoogleLabs as an add on to Gmail and then was added to Google



calendar and now it's a full fledged feature.  it is still attached to Gmail and Calendar, but you can also access it on Android phones, easily as a Web App on the Chrome store and in the Android Market place.  If you are signed in to your Google account you can find your tasks in Gmail by clicking on the Mail Button in the upper left corner and then choosing Task.

It is also available as a calendar and when you turn it on in calendars it opens a pane on the right handside of your calendar and lets you schedule tasks to take place at a certain time.  It has become my



replacement

for sticky notes and since it works on my Android phone it is literally everywhere with me.

Additionally you can access Tasks in any Browser including Safari on iOS devices by going to http://mail.google.com/tasks/ig

So plan your day, your week, your year.  What's your tech or educational New Year's Resolution.  Let us know in the comments.