Tech Tip Tuesday: Shorten your Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

Today, many of us spend a lot of time surfing the web and finding great resources we want to share, but often the web address fluctuates from bulky to downright unwieldy.  An example: You want to share a google spreadsheet you have created but it's really long. Not something you want to write on the whiteboard.

Other sites are much the same.  Automated systems create bulky URL's on

GoogleDocs intentionally creates a lengthy web address or URL to make it unlikely that someone will accidentally locate your spreadsheet without your permission.  (If you aren't sharing your spreadsheet they can't see it anyway, but if you make it public anyone with the URL can view it)  There are many services that make short work of chopping down a long URL

http://tinyurl.com

Tiny URL has long been a big player in the business of making web addresses shorter.  They have a simple direct interface.  The user pastes the url into a box and you get a tinyurl.com/****** back.  One of my favorite features of this is that it creates a single tinyurl for each site that runs through their system.  So even if 200 people shorten the url for that amazing NPR report, it's the same tinyurl for all 200 people.

http://bit.ly

bit.ly is a new player in the URL shortening business, but they have gone from a bit player to a major player by doing two things tinyurl doesn't.  First, you can use it just like tinyurl, but to make it more useful you can also create an account.  This account lets you store and refer to your bit.ly urls.  Since you can store them you can also analyze them.  These two features make bit.ly a good choice for URL shortening.

http://goo.gl

Google has gone goo.gl.  Goo.gl allows you to shorten URL just like tinyurl and bit.ly and has the huge advantage of being Google.  It links to your Google account, has analytics and the largest most powerful search engine on the web behind it.  This just launched  and looks to be an amazing new choice for URL shortening.

Word of Caution- UEN does not promote the use of url shorteners, but they can be useful in specific situations.  Be aware that these work by redirecting you from the shortened url to the full url and therefore do not provide away around Local Internet Filters.  Additionally, check with your local IT folks for policies or suggestions on using these tools in your specifici situation.

Wednesday Web of the Week: Ghosts vs Zombies

web address: http://www.uen.org/tv/scifi/

This month begins a month long smackdown for UEN's SciFi Friday series.  Each week KUEN Channel 9 aires a great old sci-fi movie.  This month you get to vote on which one we all watch.  Check it out and vote for Ghosts or Zombies.

You can also subscribe to the podcast right here: Science with the Show

Tech Tip Tuesday: Use your camera as a scanner

Sometimes nothing but a good quality flatbed digital scanner will do, but other times you are in a hurry.  Digital cameras have gotten better and better and now it is often pretty easy to 'scan' something you need with your digital camera or even your camer on you cell phone.

Case in point.  You are in a hurry to get a PowerPoint ready and you absolutely must have the chart on page 32 of the student's mathbook.  A quick check online tells you it isn't available on the textbook's website so you want to scan it, but...the scanner is down in the media center.  Grab your digital camera, keep a steady arm, use the autofocus.  You've got it!

Wednesday Web of the Week: www.storyplace.org

web address: http://www.storyplace.org

Today it is becoming increasingly useful to accomodate Spanish Language resources.  StoryPlace helps do that and it greatly enhances English reading skills as well.  StoryPlace has two portal one in English and one in Spanish.  Both list and review excellent children's books and have games, printable activities and resources for teaching literacy.  Check out the "Cuentas Divertidos" to listen to a story about you!

Tech Tip Tuesday: Get more out of your textbook

In today's digital age there is often a desire to move away from textbooks, but textbook companies are learning that.  If you have a good textbook chances are it has a good website and online resources to back it up.

Check for your textbooks website and learn what resources are available.  Often you can find online videos, audio files, even worksheets, and tests.  Some textbook companies also offer the complete text of their books online and self tests for evaluating understanding.

Another great tip regarding textbooks is to use competing textbooks websites.  Often the book your school purchased will have a competitor that will have some of their materials available online for free.  Reviewing those can be a great help and provide another perspective on topics you are teaching.

UEN hosts the State Core Curriculum and attached to each course is a list of textbooks that have been suggested for use.  Try it out here: http://www.uen.org/core/

Or to learn more about the textbook adoption process watch Faculty Lounge episode all about it.