Tech Tip Tuesday: Get more from your Whiteboard

Interactive Whiteboards, Smart® Boards or just using a projector and screen in our rooms requires some adjustments to the way we teach.  Being able to use the current tools for teaching is an important part of being an effective classroom teacher.  Tech and Learning recently published their own Blog post about how to use Whiteboards more effectively.

Check it out: http://www.techlearning.com/blogs_ektid30092.aspx

Wednesday Web of the Week: UEN Smart Tools-Activities

Web Address: http://www.uen.org/activities/

The Utah Education Network has a whole suite of Smart Tools.  One of those tools is the www.Activities editor.  This tool allows you to quickly create a list of links and relevant questions.  You can even set it to expire and become unavailable after a specific date.

Learn more about how to create your own Activity at: http://www.uen.org/tutorial/activities/activities.shtml

Tech Tip Tuesday: Get a Mobile Translator

There are so many devices that are easily portable nowadays, and so many of them can access the web.  Having a mobile translator is nothing more than having your web enabled mobile phone.  One of my very favorite translation tools is www.google.com/translate but even better in many ways is the mobile version of the site.  If you visit the Google Translate on a mobile device you will see their mobile optimized version. It lets you quickly enter a word or phrase and automatically detects the native language and returns a translation.  It also keeps a running list of the terms you have translated, making it a great way to see a list of vocabulary.

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Use this in the classroom on the iPod touch, and you have a world of culture at your fingertips.

mobile site: http://translate.google.com/m

Wednesday Web of the Week: Visit a museum!

Web addresses: http://www.onlineutah.com/museums.shtml or http://www.utah.com/museums/

With Summer right around the corner, what a better way to enjoy it than visiting a museum!  It's a great 2 for one deal too, because you get valuable teaching ideas, tips and  maybe even materials, plus you get to see some great places in Utah.  Make a day of it and visit a museum in a different city.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Find your stuff!

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and many teachers are packing away boxes of handouts, activities and lessons.  Books and materials get packed into their own box, crayons and markers in another.  What about your files on your computer.  Managing your files can be a lesson in itself, but there are some easier ways to work with your digital cupboard.

If you are a Mac OSX user, you need to know about Spotlight.  Spotlight is the all purpose search tool on the Mac.  In the toolbar upper right hand corner, you find a tiny magnifying class.  This is your Spotlight.  Clicking on this brings up a search box just start typing and you will see results.

WIndows users aren't left behind either.  In Windows XP there was a pretty good Search function. It was enhanced for Windows Vista and again for Windows 7.  Now the Search box is right on the Start Menu. Do you have dozens of programs and don't remember quite where your Calendar 2.0 is found?  Start typing in the search box and your computer will help you find it.

Learn more about the Windows 7 Search features.

For the true digital packrat with so much stuff they can't find any of it, you can go all out and install Google Desktop.  This uses Google's technology to search the files on your computer. There's a version for Mac and Windows.