Friday, September 28, 2012

Google Field Trip - app that finds info about where you are


Field Trip

Google has a cool new app for Android, called "Field Trip". It helps you find things about what's around you. It runs in the background and when you get close to something interesting, it pops up with details about that location. You can use it to learn more about historical locations, buildings, stores and restaurants and more. It takes information from a variety of sources, along with your location data, to produce these results.



This would be a great app to use with students, as they could explore their own school and neighborhood for interesting locations. It would also be great on real field trips to find out more information about where they are. You never know what they, and you, might find that's interesting or cool.

It's free on Google Play. Go get it and explore your world.



Related:

Android Resources for Education 







Google Play Store vs Apple App Store - my experience



I am an Android fan and user. However, I have a loaner iPad for testing and reviewing apps. I also have a webOS tablet. I've used the app stores for all of them, and Apple's is the worst in terms of customer experience.

1. Google's Play Store and Palm/HP apps were easier to search and easier to install (no need for iTunes!). I could even browse the sites and select the app to be downloaded to any of my devices remotely.

2. iTunes. It is still sad that I had to download something to search and install an app on a different device. Searching isn't great either.

3. Redeeming a gift card/code. In both Google and webOS, you just click "buy" for an app and then it asked you for a code. With Apple, you have to redeem the code first, and then wait for the balance to show up in your account, and then go buy the app.

4. Reversing a mistaken install. Apple - once you buy it, it's a nightmare to get a refund if you mistakenly bought it. Google - one click and it's done. This gives you a chance to make a mistake or realize it's not the app you were looking for.

5. The app information is also better, in my opinion, on Google Play. More info as to it's permissions, features, updates, screen shots, and more. Plus, I love the related apps search and results on Google better than iTunes.

Maybe it's just me, but you would think a company like Apple that prides itself on customer experience would provide a better app store experience.




Edmodo and Common Sense Media release free Digital Citizenship resource for Educators

Edmodo
Digital Citizenship is an important topic and something that we must teach our students (and ourselves) in today's digital world.
Edmodo, a great educational app, and Common Sense Media have created a Digital Citizenship Starter Kit that teachers can download to use with their students. It is an  page PDF file that is free.

The Digital Citizenship Start Kit includes a poster and lessons and activities that cover topics such as privacy, internet safety and security, plagiarism, and cyberbullying.  You can also join the Digital Citizenship Community on Edmodo.




In addition to the starter Starter Kit, Common Sense Media and Edmodo are participating in Digital Citizenship Day in New York on October 2nd. Check out the Edmodo group (for teachers and students) for more details on the day and the Town Hall for teens, hosted by MTV executive news producer and hip-hop artist, Sway Calloway.


Related:

Edmodo - awesome free social learning network - has free Digital Citizenship poster for download
(not the same as the one today)

10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have


Google Docs can import old Office Formats, but exports them as new format

Google Docs Logo
Google Docs will no longer export files into the old Microsoft Office Formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt). Instead, it will download the files as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx. You can also still download files in .odt, .rtf, .pdf. .txt formats. This will also affect Google Apps accounts. (And Google Drive since that's where everyone's Docs are going.



You can still import these older Office file formats, but if you then export them, they will export in the new formats. This may cause a little bit of an issue with some users, including schools still stuck in Windows XP and Office 2003 or earlier.


There is a workaround though - install the free compatibility plugin from Microsoft so you can open the modern Office file types. I've already done this because I have Windows 7 at home and receive a lot of files from people using the newer version of Office. Without this plugin, I wouldn't be able to even open any of these files. This is something everyone should have done by now, especially with more and more people using the newer versions of Office.

Access everywhere

Other options are to use Google Docs instead of Office, convert Office files to Docs files when uploading (which is what I usually do), or keep the Office files in a service like Dropbox or Sugarsync (which is what I do for files that I don't want to risk having formatting losses when being converted).

All of the options are free and only take a few minutes to implement.

I see a lot of people complaining at the beginning, but it really isn't as big a deal as many news outlets are making it out to be.






Thursday, September 27, 2012

Kustom Note - templates/fields for Evernote Notes



Evernote, one of my favorite and most used apps, is a great note taking, web clipping, and organizing app. The notes are free form though. You can make your own templates and copy/paste the template into a new note, but there is now a better way. Evernote Trunk is a collection of apps that work with Evernote. Each year, Evernote holds a conference and contest for develops and this year, Kustom Note won a Silver DevCup award. It was well deserved.

Kustom Note is a app that works with and integrates into Evernote and allows you to create custom note templates with fields similar to databases. You can also use pre-made templates. These templates can help make your note taking more organized and efficient.

For example, you could create a template based on how you like to take meeting notes, class notes, or a template for teacher observations, lesson plans and much more. Students could set up class note templates based on the class and the format they like.



Here is a list of many of the features Kustom Note has:

  • User Friendly. No seven-level menus to go through. Once logged in you are 1 click away from taking a note.
  • Set a default notebook for each form template you have.
  • Configurable tags. You can set your tags once for each note form template, new notes will be automatically tagged for you.
  • Preset title prefix and suffix. Set that once and it will be applied to all new note titles created with that template.
  • Include fields in note title. Set fields to be included in the note title which means you get meaningful titles without doing anything.
  • SmartField - Movies. A non-conventional field that shows up as an autocomplete field that searches for movies.Select a movie and it will magically render a beautifully designed snippet with the poster, ratings, stars and links to IMDB, RotternTomatoes and to book tickets on Fandango.
  • SmartField - Music. Selecting one of your template fields to be SmartField - Music, same as for Movies, it will display an autocomplete field that matches against Artists, Tracks, and Albums and renders an amazing snippet about that song or artist, with an album art graphic and links to iTunes.
  • Set your fields to be required, such fields won’t be allowed to be left blank in creating notes.
  • Flexible and constrained. Pick a type for every field and and once set, rules like email format, URL or numeric would be fully enforced.
  • Date and Datetime easy entry. Note creation forms will automatically have date and time selectors for easier and valid values entry.
  • Preset values to select from. For field types like Multiple checkboxes, Single Select, Multiple Select or Radio Group, you create a set of possible values that will be presented on creating notes.
  • Set multiple attachments of files and images with structure and rules for a note template.
  • Take notes in style. No more bland and boring notes. With KustomNote you initially get two themes to select from with color variations (all themes are fully ENML compliant).
  • Icon Stamps. Mark your templates with icons to be easily recognizable. Notes created are automatically stamped, stored and shared with the icon selected.
  • Set email reminders. Once set for a day and time, KustomNote will send you an email reminder to remember that appointment or movie note.
  • Share your templates. Get some good karma and share your amazing templates. You can share your note template forms to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Browse and use public templates. If can use some help with setting up templates for effective note-taking, browse public templates created by other awesome KustomNoters, clone them and make any changes you like.
  • Everything in one place. With KustomNote you get all those 9 yards, create, update and list your notebooks and notes within the application.
  • KustomNote is mobile and everywhere. With an effective responsive design you can access KustomNote from your desktop computer, iPad or smartphone.
  • Customized notes for applications like Peek is a breeze, it would be a template with two fields Question/Hint & Answer with the Question field set to be used in the note title.
  • Evernote is huge in Japan (also). KustomNote fully supports the Japanese language for the whole interface and data entry.
See all the features for yourself at http://kustomnote.com and start creating note forms for your calories log, workout log, travel itineraries, homework's, your medical appointments, your children art collection and vaccination shots, your pets log, workout and medical records.. well, you get it, for everything in your life!

A new feature is the ability to integrate your Google Contacts and Google Calendar with Kustom Note.

Future updates that are coming include offline access and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The site does have a mobile version for use on your mobile device.

Find Kustom Note in the Evernote Trunk.



Related:

Evernote for Education - resources, tips, help, ideas and more

Evernote Trunk - applications, hardware, and more that works with Evernote

10 Great, Free Apps for Students for Notetaking and Class Planning



HelloFax - Free Online Faxing and Doc Signing

Application

HelloFax is a web service (that also has a Chrome extension) that allows you to send faxes and sign documents, all online. No need to print, sign, scan and then send. No need to keep a fax machine (and the phone line) anymore either.

It integrates with Google Drive, making it easy to keep track of your documents. You can easily send and receive faxes just by entering the fax number. A fax sent to you gets forwarded to your email as a PDF file. You can also use it to sign and fill out forms. Upload a document, fill it out, and then send it via fax or email.



HelloFax creates it's own folder in your Google Drive account to make it easy to find all of your sent and received faxes and signed documents.

The free plan offers 5 free pages faxes, unlimited signed emails, and 5 signature requests. If you need more, there are different plans available.

This is another great resource to go paperless and save money.



Related:

Google Drive - online document storage and access to Google Docs

Tips, tools and resources to go Paperless

FaxZero - free internet faxing







RockMelt - web browser and social media all-in-one


RockMelt - Not a browser. A WOWser.

RockMelt is a free web browser that blends social media into the browser to keep everything in one place. It is similar to Chrome since it is also based on the Chromium web browser and fast and secure.


The difference in RockMelt is that it combines your social media networks into your browser. In the browser  itself are notifications from Facebook, Twitter, news, your emial, and more. You can easily share what you are viewing online through social media, and quickly chat with friends. You can also sync so you can access the latest news and your bookmarks from anywhere. There is also a quiet mode to let you get work done without distractions.


RockMelt is like Chrome and Social Media collided like peanut butter and chocolate did in the Resse's commercials.

This could be very useful for people who use a lot of social media during their day and convenient for people to use at home.


Related:

Google Chrome Web Browser

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more





Google Maps goes Underwater! Explore the Great Barrier Reef



Google Maps is a great resource for more than just finding your way around. It includes street view, inside building views and panoramic views, along with other resources that make it great for education. Take virtual field trips around the world and take virtual trips to museums.


Google has just announced a new set of panoramas in Google Maps - The Great Barrier Reef. I'm a SCUBA diver and the Great Barrier Reef is a place I'd love to dive. But, I have a back injury and can't dive for a while, so this is very exciting for me.

You can now explore coral reefs in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii. You can find fish, sea turtles, manta rays, and much more. There is also more information about the reef at the World Wonders Project. Teachers and students can explore this awesome underwater world and learn more about the habitat and species living there.

Google also has a complete underwater collection, featuring a Google+ underwater Hangout from the Great Barrier Reef.

Check out the interactive map and video below.

Related:

More great resources and information about Google Maps in Education. 
(indoor maps, wonders of the world, virtual field trips, and much more.)

Google for Education Resources
(all kinds of great resources, tips, and ideas for using a variety of Google apps and resources in education)










Source: The Official Google Blog


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Infographic on Technology in the Classroom - What Teachers Want



An interesting infographic from PBS on what teachers want for technology in the classroom:

Related:

10 Essential Educational Resources for Teachers - my list







TechForum NY is October 19th - register today for great PD



TechForum NY, sponsored by Tech&Learning Magazine, is Friday, October 19th at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY (670 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591). Registration and continental breakfast begin at 7 am with the opening keynote starting at 8:15.

Join us for a day of learning, sharing, collaboration and more. There will be a keynote address, breakout sessions, and round table sessions where everyone contributes in a discussion on the topic at hand.

Some of the topics: technology in the classroom, Social Media in Education, New Tools for Educators, meeting the needs of students, assessment, educational use of iPads, Evernote, Google for education, technology and special education, STEM resources and much more. I'm presenting on Evernote and Social Media in Education.

Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee. There are also two refreshment breaks in the morning (included) which gives you time to network with other educators and check out the vendor displays. At the end of the day, there is a reception (included) hosted by the vendors with food and drink and time to network some more.

There is still time to register and attend:
Tech Forum New York: Insight & Innovation for Technology Leaders
Friday October 19, 2012 | Westchester Marriott | Tarrytown, NY

Join Tech & Learning magazine for a day of networking and professional development.

Register today for $185 per person – that’s a $104 savings! Use code NY12GRM

Register here. Program Information here.

Hopefully we'll see some of you there.


Tech&Learning Magazine is a great resource for educators (both print and online) and is FREE for qualified educators. The website and magazine have lots of great resources, product reviews, ideas and much more. Check out the Blogs for great articles from educators around the world.




Evernote for Administrators - some ideas and tips



Evernote is a great resource for teachers and students. Take notes, organize information, clip web sites, research, lesson plans and more. But it is also a great tool for administrators.


All of the notes can be created and accessed from desktop computers and tablets and smartphones, so it's easy to use and access.

Evernote can be used by administrators for:

1. Teacher observations and evaluations - take notes in the observation and then share the note with the teacher for review and comment.

2. Meeting notes - take notes at meetings

3. Share Meeting agendas and notes - create the agenda in Evernote and share that note with attendees.

4. Student notes - use to document student conferences, parent contacts

5. Random notes - take notes, tasks/to do's, and more at any time and access from anywhere.

6. Reference notes - policies, procedures, contacts, notes, and more, all in one place.

7. Model technology use for teachers and students

8. Journal - keep a journal of daily activities, ideas, issues, and more

9. Task list - create task lists to keep you organized and on track


These are some of the ideas I had for administrators to use Evernote. What ideas do you have?


Related:

Evernote for Education Resources





Google Code-In 2012 - contest for High School Students


GCI-2012-b

Google has announced Google Code-In 2012, a contest for high school students. It is in it's third year and will begin on November 26th. The contest is for 13-17 year old students and is all about software development. It runs from November 26th to mid January and there will be 20 grand prize winners. The grand prize winners, along with a parent/guardian, will get a trip to Google Headquarters in Mountain View California.

The contest has tasks that are related to current open-source projects. These projects have worked with students before in the Google Summer of Code college student program.



Students will have to write or re-write code, create documents, do research and outreach tasks, QA and more.

This is a great opportunity for high school students interested in coding and computer science.


Related:

Google for Education Resources

Free Computer Science Resources

Learning HTML Code - some resources to get started

Google Code University - free computer science classes




Monday, September 24, 2012

Tools for Changing/Improving PD and Meetings


Professional Development and Faculty Meetings are typically held face-to-face and many times are longer than they need to be, or too much time is spent on things that only affect a small percentage of those present. There are some tools and resources that can be used to change how and when PD and Meetings are held.

Access everywhere
1. Google Docs/Google Drive - use Google Docs for meeting and PD agendas and shared resources. Participants can edit it in real time, or offline, for collaboration and meeting notes and minutes. Share the agenda ahead of time. Don't print things anymore.





2. Google+ - use Google+ and create a Circle for your PD or meeting groups and hold online discussions, post resources, and more, all online.



 

3. Google+ Hangouts - use this video conferencing tool to hold virtual meetings and training sessions.



4. Evernote - use Evernote to take meeting notes, prepare resources for PD, and then share all of that with others. Limit paper and make it easier to share resources.



5. Edmodo - Edmodo is a closed, private social network. You can set up groups for meetings and PD and share resources, have online discussions, and more using it.

edcamp
6. EdCamp model - the Edcamp model puts the participants in the driver's seat for PD (and meetings) and allows for PD to be more meaningful.


What ideas and resources do you use for meetings and PD?




comPADRE - free resources for Physics and Astronomy students and teachers


ComPADRE - Community for Physics and Astronomy Education

comPADRE is a great resource for Physics and Astronomy teachers and students. It is a network and collection of free online resources for students and teachers. The collections are organized by Students, Teachers, and Faculty (higher ed). Resources include tutorial sites, games, research, career information, online magazine, teacher lesson resources, and much more.

Here are three collections for teachers, along with two other recommended ones.



There are also community resources where you can connect, collaborate, and share resources and tips with others. One of the resources they have in their collection is one of my favorite for Physics Students - the Physics Classroom. There are many other great resources here too.

If you teach, or take, Physics or Astronomy, or know someone who does, this is a great resource to use and share.


Related:

Great Physics Resources for Students and Teachers



LearnMe Calendar - help young students learn about calendars and dates





LearnMe Calendar is an app that helps young students learn about calendars. It is touch based and interactive and is very easy to use. As the students work through using the app, they learn more about today, tomorrow, weeks, months, holidays and more. There are educational games built in to help students learn.

It works like a regular calendar, allowing students to add events, navigate around a week or month or year, and adds other features, like a drag and drop game for US Holidays, matching game, and a test. 




It was easy to install and use and is a great resource for young students to learn about calendars and dates.

It is available for Android and iOS for $2.99



Blabberize - make any photo "talk" - great for student projects



Blabberize is a fun way to create projects. The site takes any picture and allows you to make it "talk". It animates the mouth on the picture (or add a mouth to a plant or inanimate object) and adds your voice to it.


It is a lot of fun, but also very educational. Students can use this to create a project, presentation, public service announcement, etc. They have to be choosy about the picture and then write and record relevant speech for the photo. An example I've seen was a polar bear and the script was about the polar bear being endangered, it's habitat, hunting and feeding and more. You can also browse other Blabbers to use or to get ideas.

Fun and educational!

GoAnimate! Make Amazing Animated Videos


Make a Video Online with GoAnimate.com

GoAnimate is a site that lets you easily create animated videos. There is a free version and a discounted education version. The free version allows you to easily make the videos, record your own voice or use the built in ones, and share the video. The Schools account is a private environment, with school safe content and moderation available and includes all of the premium features at a discounted rate.



GoAnimate can be used for teacher presentations, student projects, tutorials, ELL/ESL training, and much more. Students can have fun creating a presentation. They will learn the content, as well as how to organize a presentation and follow certain guidelines. There are great help tools available and the character creator makes it easy to create the characters in your video.

Here's an example of one on Diffusion and Osmosis
http://goanimate4schools.com/public_movie/0ZVm9NFo0EC8/1



GoAnimate4Schools.com: Diffusion & Osmosis by Paul Tan

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate4Schools. It's free and fun!


You can also browse for already created videos to use with your classes.





Friday, September 21, 2012

Loopster - Free Online Video Editor



So, I'm watching American Chopper and Paul Jr. Designs is working on a new motorcycle for a company called Loopster, that has something to do with online video work. I go check it out and, lo and behold, it's a free online video editor! Very cool.

Loopster is a free service that let's you easily create and edit videos online. This is great for student projects and teachers looking to create videos. Since it's all online, there is no software to download and you can easily use it on thin clients.


You simply upload your videos, edit them, and then share them.

Easy to use, free, and easy to download and share videos. Check it out.



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