Chanatown

Three Things I Learned About Microsoft SharePoint Today

2011-09-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

This week, I had a few epiphanies with regards to using Microsoft SharePoint. Although I have been training the majority of new teacher website requests using Google Sites, we continue to have a large contingent of teachers using SharePoint for their site construction and we continue to use the platform for many department Intranet and special project sites. Forced to tool around the admin site of things, I made a few interesting discoveries that will help many of our teachers and add functionality to several sites. These features may not be anything new to you, so feel free to bypass this post. Otherwise, read on for the eye-opening discoveries.

Copying Links/Lists

One of our teachers had collected a sizeable number of links on his course site and asked for a way to copy these links onto another site. Looking at the standard links library, there didn't appear to be an easy way to accomplish this request. Unlike Document Libraries, links libraries did not have the wonderful "Open with File Explorer" option that enabled simple drag and drop capabilities. Instead, the action I choose to explore instead was the Edit in Datasheet option (found under actions). In this view, one can copy/paste URLs (TIP: select them in their column, not as entire rows) to and from different link folders. You may have to switch back to standard view a few times, as the folder names will not be shown, though the folder order is preserved. Again, not as elegant as a drag/drop, but at least it is functional.

Emailing Attachments Directly to a Document Library

Similar to many organizations, we have shared document folders on our server, which house items that need to be accessed by various members of a department or interdepartmental. Although we are moving more towards using Google Docs for this kind of thing, the familiarity of our current system and a vast amount of content prevents a full switch from taking place. That being said, a major deterrent to using our server for storage is that one can only access these documents when in the building. SharePoint sites offer a solution, but the perceived clunky design of the platform often scares users away or transforms what should be simple tasks into more complicated ones.

I was asked to investigate a possible document storage solution for a project, and I quickly discovered an underutilized feature in SharePoint that has potential to really support our user base. When creating a document library, you are given the option to "allow this document library to receive e-mail." For one reason or another, this feature was not working for us before, and I never really thought much about it since. For this project, I realized that it was the perfect solution, as teachers can send attachments via email and their items will go directly into a Document Library organized into folders by their last name. You have the option to group by e-mail subject as well (see Incoming E-mail settings in the document library settings), but I really like the grouping by sender as it involves the least amount of work for the end user. Our teachers simply need to send an item to an email address that you designate, and the attachments will soon appear. Project submissions, group collaboration documents, absence lessons plans, all are potential uses for this feature and really only scratch the surface.

Navigation = Quick Launch and Top Link Bar

Lastly, this one was a simple discovery, but for some reason really plagued me for a little bit. When we made some changes to the admin side of SharePoint recently, a few familiar menu items disappeared from the Site Settings control panel. Namely, the Quick Launch menu and the Top Link menu were no longer to be found, and these were quite important in helping teachers organize their site. I soon realized that these were both lumped into the appropriately named "Navigation" menu found under Look and Feel. Here, you can easily edit, delete, and add links to your website with ease, and the menu toolbar is helpful in explaining your options. One somewhat hidden component is the "Show subsites" checkbox at the top of the page. This is unchecked for us as a default, and only when checking this box do our users get to see additional subsites in their navigation menu. This was an important discovery as many teachers create separate sites for each of their courses.

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Live @ ISTE 2011 - The All-Inclusive Classroom Website

2011-06-29T07:41:00.000-05:00

The following is the live feed (or if you're reading this after the event - the archived feed) of a presentation at ISTE 2011 titled "The All-Inclusive Classroom Website: How to Stop Collecting Paper Forever"

The session took place on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 from 8:30-9:30 am (EST) at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=c9408b9dc4" &amp;gt;Live @ ISTE 2011 - The All-Inclusive Classroom Website&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

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Teacher Computer and Laptop Discounts Available For Apple, Dell, and HP

2011-05-18T16:12:00.001-05:00

Image by najeebkhan2009 via Flickr

Teacher discounts can be found in various places, ranging from online book stores and office supply stores to cell phone bills. One of the questions I get asked often as a Technology Integration Specialist is the availability of discounts on computers, so I thought I'd share a few resources and provide a quick summary of what is available. I'll continue to update this post as other opportunities arise, so feel free to leave a comment if you know of a particular program not mentioned here.

Apple Store for Education - Although you likely will not be getting a price break on that iPad 2, you will be in line for some savings on most Apple computers and laptops. The savings generally run between $50-100. Bring in your educator identification to the Apple Store and receive similar price breaks.

Dell - Member Purchase Program and University Store - When it comes to PCs, you have more options from various companies, though customer preference or previous experience with a particular brand may steer you more towards or farther away from a particular company. Dell offers discounted pricing through a member purchase program, and since we have a considerable number of Dell machines, we have a member ID to offer to our teachers. However, Dell still allows you to shop the store without an ID.

HP Academy (HPA) - Hewlett Packard runs a private store that requires you to sign up for access to special pricing on their products as well as a periodic newsletter. You'll see a special "HPA" logo on eligible products and discounts range from a few bucks on a low priced netbook to hundreds of dollars on a high performance laptop.

Although these are certainly not the only computer makers and distributors, many of the other companies including Lenovo (a possible 5% discount exists), Toshiba, Acer, and Asus don't seem to have a personal purchase program in place for teachers. They all have education initiatives, and if your school has a specific relationship or makes the bulk of its computer purchases with a particular brand, chances are you may have access to special pricing. Ask your IT department or Tech Coordinator for more details.

For more information on how to choose a computer for a teacher, please read my posts here.

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How to Convert a PDF, JPG, PNG, or GIF file into Editable Text for Free Using Google Docs

2011-04-26T16:01:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had a request to convert a PDF into an editable document, and although we have access to Adobe Acrobat Professional, that would have meant assigning a ticket and waiting for an install on the user's machine. Instead, I remembered and then recommended that the teacher try the "Convert PDF to Google Doc feature." Before completing selling it to other teachers with similar requests, I gave it a quick test run with the following results.

How It Works:

To get started, you'll need to log into your Google Apps account and click on Documents. Select your PDF file to upload and (this is important) check the box where it says "Convert text from PDF or image files to Google Docs Documents." Next, click on Start Upload, and wait for the link to your Google Doc to appear. The process is a bit longer than the regular "Word to Google Doc" conversion, but most multi-page documents I tried were converted in under a minute. Google Docs uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and anyone familiar with using a traditional flatbed scanner will recognize the OCR acronym as this was commonly used when users wished to convert a scanned document into editable text. Thus, what's really cool is that Google Docs will attempt to handle .jpg, .png, .gif files in addition to PDFs.

The Results

Of course, the conversion depends partly on the quality of the PDF, and keep in mind that we are converting text from the PDF and not the images. Thus, there will be large gaps where the images may have been, special formatting including indents and paragraphs may be missing, and the OCR program does not do well with headers and footers. Still, when focusing on text and text only, Google did a fine job. Testing the converter with an image worked as well as seen in the screen shot. I liked how Google includes an image of the original above the editable text, thus allowing you to see where it had any trouble and thus enabling you to make edits on the spot.

Conclusion
There are plenty of times when teachers find themselves in situations where it would be useful to copy/paste a selection of text from a PDF. This could be a scanned test or assignment that predates access to computers or something that they no longer have electronic access to. The option to convert text from a PDF or an image file such as JPG, PNG, or GIF into a Google Doc (and subsequently a MS Word file if necessary) is a valuable one to have, and integrating it with Google Docs make it even easier to access for everyone.

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Real Time Collaboration Using Prezi - Classroom Observations

2011-04-20T16:01:00.006-05:00

This week, I had a teacher request an introduction and ongoing support for Prezi. I'm a big fan of the zooming presentation editor and have written several posts about the tool. For this assignment, the class was divided into 3 groups, and each group had approximately 6-8 students. This represented a perfect opportunity to test the collaborative features of Prezi in a live student environment. After some minor testing with a few dummy accounts, we were ready to go.

Collaboration similar to Google Docs
Sharing a Prezi with other users is as simple as sending an email link. Although I would like the ability to just add collaborators as we do in Google Apps, the share link is very easy and once students clicked on the link, they were automatically shuttled into the presentation. Note that each user must already have a Prezi account, as those without will be prompted to login when clicking on the shared link for the presentation. There is also a 10 person limit when collaborating on a single Prezi.

As real as real time can be
I was thoroughly impressed with the speed and stability of the collaborative features found in Prezi. We had between 6-8 different students all working on the same Prezi canvas simultaneously for a 42 minute class period. This was pushing the program towards the 10 person maximum. The students were inserting text, images and video, rotating and resizing all throughout the time. Since many had prior experience using Google Apps, the ability to collaborate was no longer a novelty, but instead a means to an end in terms of producing a final product that combines their shared research. Although one could press save and then refresh to insure the viewing of the most recent presentation, most students simply prodded along and when their screen automatically refreshed, new content contributed by their fellow group members would appear on screen.

Suggestions for your classes
Of course, not all was perfect in Prezi land. When students were first introduced to the collaborative features, there were the usual complaints of "where is my image?" or "who deleted my stuff?" that come with real time group sharing of work. Also, since there's a big blank open canvas initially when working with Prezi, we found it helpful to use frames or have each group member carve out some space to work. When the number of embedded videos and images increased, choppiness with simultaneous collaboration increased as well. Also, Safari proved to be inferior to Firefox and even Internet Explorer in terms of browser choice. Lastly, there's potential for students to focus too much on the look and feel of the zooming features, but we found that most students were focused on their projects and not distracted by the technology tool shortly after the initial exploration.

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Free iPad and iPhone Math Apps - Limited Time Only

2011-04-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves free apps, especially when they normally cost a few bucks. Well, coinciding with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference, McGraw-Hill is giving away all of its Everyday Math apps for free. This will only be valid through the end of the conference, April 16, so stock up now as the apps are normally priced at $1.99.

Available apps include: · Addition Top-It™ - Subtraction Top-It™ - Beat the Computer™ - Name that Number™ - Equivalent Fractions™ - Tric-Trac™ - Monster Squeeze™ - Baseball Multiplication 1–6™ Facts - Divisibility Dash™

The apps are available for iPhone and iPad and can be viewed on this website as well as through the iTunes Apps Store.
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Software Review: Microsoft Mathematics 4.0 - A Must Download for Math and Science Teachers

2011-04-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

Recently, I received an email alerting me to a new offering from the folks in Redmond, Washington. With a title like Microsoft Mathematics 4.0, I was immediately attracted to what was potentially in store. A well written paragraph offering "a large collection of tools, tutorials, and instructions designed to help you tackle math and science problems quickly and easily" hooked me in further, though Microsoft had me at the price of "free." Let's take a look to exactly what one gets with Math 4.0.

Installation - The lightweight program was quick to download and easy to install. The product website features a teacher's guide as well as an 18-page step by step document to help you get used to the program. My recommendation is to jump right in and start exploring after installing, but once you do, you'll soon realize (in a good way) why there's 18 pages of documentation.

Worksheet - The program contains two tabs - Worksheet and Graphing. On the left side of the screen, there is a fully featured graphing calculator, though it is not identical to the ones typically used in classes. I was immediately drawn to the large text box on the bottom where I was prompted to "Type an expression and then click Enter." After punching in a simple slope-intercept equation, the program posted a solution that solved for x. Better yet, upon clicking the "+" sign next to solution steps, I was able to see how the problem was solved, including detailed narration of each and every step.

Graphing - Switching over to the graphing tab, I entered the same simple slope-intercept equation, and upon pressing graph, I had a 2D plot on screen and totally movable. Graph controls include a Trace playback which gives you coordinates of every point along the graph, and you can stop or pause and drag the cursor to any specific point on the graph. The graphing tool handles inequalities (with shading), parametric equations, circles, and more.

Home: Aside from the above mentioned features, Mathematics 4.0 comes with an Equation Solver, which allows for quick access to the viewable solution steps as discussed above. Under Formulas and Equations, you can choose from many popular items, including the ideal gas law for chemistry. Users apply some plug and chug, only this time, the application does the chugging for you, again showing you the steps taken if you want to see them. Triangle Solver offers the option to calculate missing sides or angles and shows you the rule, triangle type or additional info (altitude and area) for the created triangle. Lastly, a Unit Converter is included for all of this metric conversions that so gave us fits in science classes.

Even More? Yes. With the ability to export to Word, save your graph as a picture file, and inking capabilities (can you say Tablet PC? integration?), this little program has all the perks for exactly the right price. I can think of two downsides: 1) Windows only (duh, it's Microsoft) and 2) the calculator is not a graphing calculator emulator, meaning it doesn't have the same look and feel as the calculators that many of our students use on a daily basis. A small price to pay for such a robust product. I strongly recommend this for all math and science teachers.

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What Will It Take for iPads To Be In Every Classroom?

2011-03-31T06:34:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Ever since the iPad came out in April 2010, I've often been asked about whether schools will be adopting iPads for 1:1 initiatives and when they will be replacing textbooks. Although there are plenty of great apps available, a few case studies where schools have successfully deployed hundreds of iPads, and a promising application that could potentially supplant the traditional hardcover, the actual deployment, management, and overall usefulness of iPads in the classroom (and in my case, a high school classroom) remains to be explored. With the release of LanSchool's iPad application coupled with iPad 2 or better yet for school budgets, less expensive original iPads, the 1:1 discussion can resume (and judging by the comments in Engadget's article, it can get pretty heated).

By pushing out questions to students and soliciting responses from their iPads, LanSchool's app can effectively replace student response systems or "clickers" as they're commonly called. Granted, LanSchool's question push feature is only one small piece of the classroom management solution. The rest of the student side of the application remains to be bare bones, but appears to include individual messaging, formative assessments, and monitoring through a teacher console. In my mind, several initiatives still need to happen before iPads (other tablets are possible, but Apple definitely has its front foot in the door) will fully invade the classroom.

What would really be beneficial would be a system similar to a WebEx, Adobe Connect, or DimDim console, where a teacher could share his or her iPad screen with the class, and students can take personalized notes, engage in discussions, pull in information from an online textbook, and record video, all from the their individual iPad.

More textbooks still need to become available through iBooks, an app such as Inkling, or (and this could be the direction we're going) educators could decide to abandon the traditional textbook in favor of more interactive means of delivering content. Sites such as Khan Academy where instruction comes in the form of specialized video demonstrations, and Discovery Education Streaming, where video clips can be custom assigned to students and more individualized learning (including differentiated instruction) can occur.

There needs to be an easy way to store, manage, and update a set of iPads. As it stands, teacher workload is often at a maximum, so the process needs to be efficient. I'll leave it to the entrepreneurs to come up with a well designed contraption that will charge and sync the iPads (wirelessly preferred for both accounts). If Apple can design a "smart" cover that magnetically attaches and can power on the iPad, I'm confident we can get something created for our storage, charging and syncing solution.

Lastly, we need to realize that our thinking on how to use the iPad will probably evolve over time. I still don't foresee students doing much typing on the device. You can show me all the videos you want about people typing fast on the iPad, but I'll postulate that the majority of users will always be able to type faster on a traditional keyboard. Instead, our students will use the touch features to explore, annotate, and create. Rather than typing, they will touch and swipe. Presenting PowerPoints will be replaced by creating movies, and a five paragraph essay will be supplemented with an audio recording of the student's work. Show me the above in a high school, and I'm all in for a classroom set of iPads.

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Suggested Web Cams to Use With Skype

2011-03-22T16:01:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Interestingly, I had multiple requests yesterday (including one from my father in-law) asking about what web camera would best work with Skype. At ETHS, we are starting to get more classrooms involved with possible exchanges and Skype is a natural and economical resource for connecting two sides of the country or the world together. In an attempt to leverage our increased deployment of over 70 document cameras this year, I had a teacher test our CP-155 document cameras with Skype, and although we successfully connected with video, she informed me that real-life usage proved to be less than ideal. To the defense of AverMedia, when I asked a representative about possibly Skyping with the doc cam, they discouraged me from proceeding. It's just not meant to be a web cam at this point in time. Thus, we take a look at some hardware options designed to bring your video into the world of Skype.

Wait, do I have a camera already?
The first thing I would recommend is to check to see if your existing laptop has a web camera already. Most new portables, including the budget friendly netbooks, come with web cameras nowadays, and although these won't impress viewers with quality video and superb sound, they often get the job done. Plus, with the hardware built into the machine, setup couldn't be easier and there's no USB cables or other extra wires to worry about. Most portables will also feature a built-in microphone, so that solves both audio and video. This includes Apple Macbooks, as Skype is compatible with both PCs and Macs alike.

What's my budget?
At ETHS, we chose to purchase one of the more expensive consumer web cameras for use in our professional development lab in preparation for upcoming video conferencing opportunities. Specifically, we chose the Logitech HD 910, and I was impressed with the ease of setup, as well as the picture quality for such a small, sleek camera. Considering the amount of money saved on travel expenses for conferences, a $79 web camera seems to be a worthy investment for institutions looking for a simple and cost-effective way to Skype.

Name brands and product reviews
HD video is probably not a high priority for parents and grandparents looking for a way to connect with their family. Also, if schools are interested in purchasing cameras in bulk, a lower priced option would be beneficial. I have had solid experiences with Logitech, and they have a product line that extends from a less than $20 camera all the way up to the HD 910 at $79. There are several steps in between, each offering minor feature modifications, so it's really just a matter of what you're willing to spend. The other main competitor is Microsoft, and I had a positive experience with the LifeCam VX-3000 (currently under $25), and they also offer both higher and lower priced products, including a solid HD camera in the HD-6000. Skype also recommends an in-house model (Freetalk) in their page of suggested cameras. The Freetalk is going to be the most compatible with Skype as well as the cheapest for the feature set. That being said, the HD 910 won a three-way shootout as posted on Engadget.

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Linkable - The Best Way to Share and Organize Links?

2011-03-02T16:01:00.003-06:00

Article first published as Linkable—The Best Way to Share and Organize Links? on Technorati.

In the past year, I've created so many accounts that all promise to do the same thing: keep track of my bookmarks. Delicious, Digg, Stumble Upon, you name it - I've signed up for it. However, I have not kept up with any of these, and none have come close to satisfying my desire for something simple, visual, and efficient in keeping track of all the cool new tools and websites that come my way. And that is when I found Linkable.

Setup
I discovered Linkable during a workshop given by Elaine Plybon recently at the Illinois Computer Educators conference. As mentioned above, I have been looking for an easy way to collect bookmarks and organize them into categories for our teachers. Once I signed up for an account, I quickly created a tab for TechStaff, though I could easily see creating additional tabs for personal links. You're limited to seven tabs, though you can get a free one by signing up here. Also, by adding the "Save to Linkable" bookmarklet to my browser, I am now able to quickly add any website to my Linkable page.

Collecting and Organizing
Getting the links is the easy part, and many of the popular social bookmarking sites make it easy for you to do just that. With my categories, I'm able to intuitively drag and drop links anywhere on the screen. Linkable also works smoothly with browsers allowing you to import links already saved. New links are housed in the Inbox (though you can specific a category when you first save them), and they can easily be dragged into the appropriate category. Be sure to "unlock" bonus features (see upper right of your Linkable) so you can access right-click functions including duplicating and deleting of links.

Sharing
Now that I have a reasonable number of links, I am ready to share my collection with others. The Share option under the category drop down menu allows you to send via email, link to, or even embed your links on a webpage. Again, this will be handy when I want to share just a subcategory of links to a specific group of teachers. I don't have to worry about distributing an overwhelming number of links or setting up multiple URLs in an email. Of course, you also have the option to keep a linkable tab private, so only you will have access to any links stored there.

Next Steps
Linkable is still an alpha product, meaning that it is meant for early adopters and the company is soliciting feedback on their product. However, in my limited use, the application feels very polished, and though it may not be bursting at the seams with features, it accomplishes a simple task in an elegant manner. The application is ad-supported, so you will encounter some ads on the side and bottom, though they don't intrude too much with the interface. With traditional bookmarks staying with the browser, I highly recommend an online option such as Linkable to teachers and anyone interested in saving time over the long run and saving links forever indefinitely (be sure to unlock the save bookmarks to a file for this statement to hold true).

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Searching for the Upside of Student Irrationality

2011-02-28T15:32:00.002-06:00

Having read and enjoyed Dan Ariely's first book, Predictably Irrational, I was excited about plunging into the follow-up titled The Upside of Irrationality. Also, after reflecting on how SuperFreakonomics (a similar book with some overlapping experiments) can save education, I set about reading Ariely's work with the mindset of an educator. Below are three chapter connections as they apply directly to the classroom.

Meaning of labor - In a poignant story about a male worker who gets disillusioned after his PowerPoint presentation gets shelved, I am reminded of how our students experience homework in their classes.Often, homework is processed on a two-way street, but it is a small and narrow side street, meaning that assignments usually start and stop with the teacher. As a technology integration specialist, I see homework possibilities expanded to include sharing and collaborating with classmates, and in the case of many Web 2.0 assignments, students can share their creations with the world. This gives them an instant audience and motivates them to produce a high quality product.

The IKEA effect - Similar to how we might overvalue a piece of furniture that we assembled, a student may have a similar feeling towards a class project or a successful performance on a test. Overvaluing an assignment in this case can lead to positive outcomes, as students will put more time and effort into a class that they are excited to participate in and are consequently proud of the work that is produced in the class. The same can be applied to teacher-created lessons. It's one thing to download and modify an existing lesson plan from the Internet. It's a completely different scenario to create something from scratch. I get this sensation often when I train on SMART Notebook. Although I am quite familiar with the "let's not reinvent the wheel" attitude, sometimes we just have to invent a different type of wheel.

Empathy and emotion - One of my greatest fears when leaving the classroom to be a full time professional staff developer was losing the ability to empathize with students and teachers. Thankfully, I continue to draw upon and reference my experience working with students for 10 years, and I have even applied lessons learned from my very first year of teaching. Even as I am now responsible for over 200 teachers and potentially up to 2,800 students, I aim to establish relationships with each and every teacher who asks for technology assistance. Whether it is responding to a question on how to configure Outlook or an invitation to lead a department workshop on Google Apps, I try to engage in as many opportunities to work with colleagues in small group environments as possible. By developing these interpersonal relationships, I earn the trust and respect of the teacher, and our professional relationship grows as a result.

ICE 2011 Poster Session: Teacher Websites - What Works, What Doesn't, What To Do?

2011-02-24T05:57:00.008-06:00

Welcome 2011 ICE Attendees!

Here are the links to my poster resources:

Embed/Link to Prezi

Teacher Websites - What Works, What Doesn't, What To Do? on Prezi

Embed/Link to Full eGuide (version 1.0)

Open publication - Free publishing - More ice11

Link to Poster Handout

Link to ICE 2011 Wiki

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EdTech @ETHS Vol.1 Issue 5

2011-02-17T05:59:00.000-06:00

Inside this issue:

Black History Month on Discovery Education Streaming
Announcing "TechSpace" (ETHS)
Google Apps Transition (ETHS)
Best iPhone Apps
EdTech Conferences
and more!

Open publication - Free publishing - More monthly

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Previewing the New Google Groups - Why Teachers and Students Will Love the Changes

2011-02-14T06:01:00.003-06:00

Perhaps, it's because I use Groups mostly through our school domain, which is not currently set for pre-release features, or perhaps, it's because I've been so consumed with other work, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the new Google Groups features when logging into my personal Gmail account this morning. Apparently, users were given opt-in options starting late last year, but I swear the link only popped into my account recently. Anyways, here's three reasons why educators may be particularly interested in the new Groups.

Improved user interface
Visually, one of the first things you'll notice is the newer interface. Compared with the original look and feel of Google Groups, the new features resemble Google Reader in a good way, with users able to see descriptions of the groups, number of topics, and a snippet of the last post. Also, though not shown below, there's a left sidebar which similar to Reader, allows you to quickly reference recently viewed groups, previous searches, and favorite groups.

Before

After

Rich Text Editing
I think the best improvements are found in the message editor mode. As seen below, users now have access to a rich text editor, with the most important features being the image upload, hyperlink, and attachments. We have several Google Groups at school where students need to cite resources, share documents, and peer edit essays/reviews. The ability to include hyperlinks, share pictures, and attach their files is a huge step forward in making the Group more functional for classes.

Before

After

A Better and More Powerful Search
I was excited to see a revamped search bar, and my first few searches revealed fast and accurate results. I was able to search within all of my groups, a particular group, and even drilled down to a single topic, all notable improvements over the older interface. However, during my testing, I ran into some problems as I looked for terms that I knew existed in posts, but they were not coming up in results. Assuming this gets fixed (and since search is what Google is known for, it's a safe bet that it will get fixed), students and teachers will find it a lot more efficient to search for and find posts.

Google claims that this is the first of a series of updates to Groups, and all of the admin features are still accessible only in the older interface. Still, there's lots to be excited about with the new Google Groups. Specifically for educational use, the tool has the potential to give every student a voice in class discussions, as well as offer a safe and accountable tool for teachers to use in administering online assignments.

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Alternatives to PowerPoint (with samples)

2011-02-09T14:19:00.003-06:00

Today, I gave a short presentation/demonstration to a class of AVID students on alternatives to PowerPoint. Starting with the mention of the familiar phrase "Death by PowerPoint" and a slideshare by Alexei Kapterev, I then discussed a few quick and easy options for our students. Descriptions of each after the jump, and a webpage with examples can be found here.

SlideRocket
Although this is essentially a slide presenter tool like PowerPoint, SlideRocket takes the entire operation to the cloud. However, unlike many cloud applications, this one looks and feels just like a full editor, complete with snazzy transitions and cool special effects. Granted, whenever I train on Google Apps, I usually downplay the need for such devices. Still, students often complain about the lack of transitions, so with SlideRocket, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Prezi
I've shown a fair amount of love to Prezi on this blog with posts on how I use it (without getting dizzy) and why I like it. I think students will find Prezi useful when planning presentations, as they can just throw out all of their ideas and brainstorms before ever having to worry about the order in which to present them. Zooming in and out (as long as you don't overdo it) adds to the fun, and this feature really piqued their interest and kept them engaged (which is what a good presentation should do anyways, right?)

Animoto
I have been a huge fan of this application from the first time I used it. Having created several videos for applications, including my Google Teachers Academy submission, I've enjoyed watching Animoto grow and mature to include more themes, a tighter interface, yet still maintain a positive brand presence for education. They are very quick to approve accounts for education, and you get a 50-user code for your classes to upgrade to their plus plan which includes unlimited full length videos.

Glogster
I'll be honest in that I haven't jumped on the Glogster train, but I included it in case students had experience with the tool in middle or elementary school. To me, it seems a bit chaotic, right down to the dashboard where you are frequently encouraged to upgrade your free basic subscription multiple times. Still, I do like the creativity that students can display when making their posters, and the ability to easily add media makes the tool attractive (but potentially distracting) to viewers.

GoAnimate
I used to promote xtraNormal, but when they decided to more down the paid route, I quickly found a free and potentially better application in GoAnimate. The premise is similar in that you can simply add text, scenes, actions, and you've got the making of an animated movie within minutes. Compared to my experiences with xtraNormal, I found GoAnimate to be faster, more responsive, and overall a better product. Here's hoping someone doesn't create an iPhone commercial and crash their servers. Do note that there is still a potential cost element in GoAnimate, and today, I did experience some lag time on their Text-To-Speech component.

UPDATE 2/25: GoAnimate4Schools offers a free account for teachers and their students for animations up to 2 minutes long. I just applied and ~~will update this post when I've received access~~ received access within a few days (as notified). ~~They said that it will take a few days due to a high demand.~~

Again, check out the sample page which has creations using all of the above. I purposefully tried to use the same images and theme in each, and by no means are any of them any good. I mainly wanted to show that I could make each presentation in under 15 minutes, not just to prove that I could make a lame presentation, but rather to show how easy each of the tools can be to learn. That being said, each tool is rich enough to create a really stunning presentation. Just ask these guys who used Google Docs to make something amazing (and gather 1,000,000+ views on YouTube.)

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Chrome OS Notebook Cr-48 Review: Thoughts for Education Deployments

2011-02-04T06:07:00.001-06:00

When I recently discovered that Google had resumed sending out Cr-48's, I was being picked up by my wife and we were on our way to our first date night as parents without the baby. I promptly asked,

"Did I receive any packages today?"

She casually replied, "Oh yeah, there was one."

"And...?" I pondered.

"Oh, it just said Chrome on it." Classic, and thus began my weekend, chock full of exploration and excitement over the new hardware initiative from the folks in Mountain View. After a week of playing and a day long conference, here are my thoughts and how they tie in with future education deployments.

Why Chrome Notebooks May Displace Netbooks for 1:1:

Full Keyboard: The typing experience is pleasant as the full size keyboard bests any and all netbooks with anything less than 100%. I did not have to adjust to any diminished size or awkward key placement. Instead, it was typing as usual, as it should be. Students should not have to hunt and peck for keys when writing a paper or performing research. Speaking of keys, I'm a big fan of the special keys on the top row, particularly the dedicated browser back and forward keys, along with the full screen key. And yes, I like that there's no CAPS LOCK key. Other than writing CAPS LOCK, I don't ever type in all caps and neither should our students.

Build Quality: Initial reviews pointed out that the notebook is rather dull in design keeping in mind that the machine is not intended for public consumption. However, I will argue that the rubberized matte look and feel of the notebook is rather pleasant and functional. Not slippery like an aluminum Macbook and unadorned with logos and stickers as PC laptops generally are, the Cr-48 achieves its design aesthetic in that it represents a minimalist machine which is what the unobtrusive Google OS is striving for. With the included sticker set, you do get some customization capabilities, and I wouldn't be surprised if a "Powered by Google" moniker appears on these machines when they are eventually released.

Bright Screen: Although not as vibrant as an Apple iMac or Macbook display, the screen on the Cr-48 is surprisingly bright and clear. When compared to some PC Tablets and netbooks that I've used, the Cr-48 more than holds its own in terms of brightness and resolution. The fact that it is matte instead of glossy is observable in rooms with strong lighting as well as outdoors. I think this is a smart decision for schools given the amount of fluorescent lighting that is often used in today's classrooms.

Power and Connectivity: Since unboxing and the initial full charge, I've only managed to discharge the battery once in a week. Granted I did not use the machine as my full time computer during the weekdays. However, this past weekend, the Cr-48 made its conference debut, as I used it to take notes and prepare blog posts, all without a hitch. Thus, an impressive display for a standard battery, tons of standby time and enough juice to probably power a few classes' worth of instruction. This is critical when dealing with limited charging options for students in 1:1 environments. Despite some spotty wireless coverage at the conference, the Chrome OS notebook was able to find all available networks and connect with ease. Unlike the often confusing networking icon on PC's, the wireless signal icon in the upper right of the Cr-48 is familiar enough to users of any major smart phone or portable music device.

Bonus: I don't know why it took playing with the Cr-48 for me to realize that the Chrome browser allows for pinning of tabs, but I'm now hooked. What is new and home only to the Cr-48 (I believe) is the feature that the Gmail pin glows (white orb slides by top of pin) whenever there's a new email message. Sweet! On top of that, the speed at which the machine boots up, resumes from sleep, and signing in/out are all as fast as advertised. I will say that the Apple Macbook gives the Cr-48 a run for its money in terms of time from resume, but Chrome certainly wins in all other categories.

Why Chrome OS Notebooks are Still Beta:

The Trackpad: Of course, not all is rosy for the Cr-48. The biggest disappointment thus far has certainly been the trackpad. This isn't anything new, as the poor performance has been noted in several other reviews. In short, the trackpad has issues when using the index finger to scroll and then your thumb to click on the mouse. That particular motion has given me many problems, and I just can't seem to get it right despite adjustments in sensitivity. However, I will add this observation: the trackpad is still very usable if you use the tap to click feature. This includes using two fingers to scroll - it works. The problem is that if you've used any Apple multi-touch device, you get spoiled as their trackpad is simply outstanding. Thus, users grow accustomed to the near flawless experience they have when using a MacBook, iPod or an iPad. I assume the Google engineers will have a fine working trackpad in time for release, and this will be important as students tend to get frustrated with a poor trackpad experience (just ask them about those miniscule square pads on their netbooks).

Where did all of my programs go? The biggest strength and selling point of the Google OS may also likely be its biggest downfall as any 1:1 initiative with these notebooks will require a major paradigm shift for our students. Programs such as Microsoft Office or its free open source alternative Open Office are still included on most netbooks as backups for students when Google Docs is not available or good enough. Thus, the Cr-48 represents a full, no-holds barred commitment to the cloud, and those with spotty wireless networks better brace yourselves. That being said, I can only imagine a world that grows without wires, and the future looks more and more like it's going to be run on servers as opposed to local machines. This is the bet that Google is making, and since they're driving a large part of the ship, I'm confident we'll be able to get there.

What about the specs? Interestingly, I neglected to include the hardware specifications for the Cr-48 notebooks. This happened for two reasons. One, I just plain forgot. Two, and more importantly, it just doesn't matter. Whether the notebook is equipped with a high speed CPU, a ton of RAM, and a huge hard drive simply doesn't come into play with Google's operating system. Although you can get the full detail on specs (and a solid review) here, the so-so numbers and the component brands that make up the Cr-48 don't mean as much when you rely solely on the cloud for usage. This could prove to be another interesting shift in thinking as hardware makers move forward with new products.

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EdTech @ETHS Vol.1 Issue 4

2011-01-24T09:51:00.000-06:00

Inside this issue:

Exam Week Workshops (ETHS)
Ideas for Second Semester Technology Integration
LiveScribe SmartPens Pilot (ETHS)
Best iPad Apps
EdTech Conferences
and more!

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How Can Reading SuperFreakonomics Save Education?

2011-01-17T13:44:00.000-06:00

Imagine walking into a Chemistry classroom and seeing the following on the chalkboard:

Today's Agenda: Chemical Reactions

Now, picture this on the board instead:

Today's Question: What happens when I mix these two things together?

Which would grab you and more importantly, which would grab most students, thus enticing them to become engaged and motivated for class that day? I suspect the latter, and it dawned on me even more after reading SuperFreakonomics just how effective essential questions can be.

Why Do I Get So Hooked on Reading These Books?
In both Freakonomics and the follow-up SuperFreakonomics, authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner sprinkle in questions such as "Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?" or "How is a Street Prostitute Like a Department Store Santa?" all throughout their written work. Now if you're like me, you become instantly curious with such questions, and you want to dive into the books to find the answers. In the classroom, essential questions can act as similar eye-catching, thought-provoking, head-scratching pieces designed to hook students on the day's lesson or the course's current unit of study. A properly created essential question should not have an easy answer, should be broad enough to cover multiple topics of study, and should inspire students to become active thinkers in class.

How is Freakonomics Just Like My Chemistry class?
With a cleverly crafted essential question, teachers can engage their students to think about the core concepts in ways that apply to their current interests. Although Dubner and Levitt often provide a short answer to many of their included questions, there still remains the in-depth analysis and thought provoking conversations that readers will hopefully engage in after completing the book. As a former science teacher, I would tease out topics with questions such as "What's so periodic about the periodic table?" and I would often answer questions with more questions (yeah, I was one of those teachers.) In science, the idea of discovery and searching for answers is inherent, but the same process can easily be applied to other subjects. Thought experiments can transform a dull history class into an engaging one in seconds.

Can Essential Questions Save Education?
I will admit that when I first started learning about essential questions, I was not that impressed. The concept seemed overly simple, and so much work and emphasis were placed on developing only a few sentences. After reading both Freakonomics books, I gained a new appreciation for how essential questions can be used in class. Although they are nothing new to the education scene, if essential questions can successfully hook students into lending their attention to the subject, they've already achieved a big part of the overall goal of motivating our students. Further, if the questions can inspire additional questioning, motivated research, or stimulated discussion, then they have the ability to do far more. At the price of a few sentences, the use of essential questions in class can be deemed a quick and cheap fix similar to those mentioned in the the second book.

More information about Freakonomics can be found on http://freakonomicsbook.com/

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Google Global Science Fair - Calling All Student Scientists

2011-01-11T15:09:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to compete against (or hopefully compete with) prestigious contests such as the Intel Science Talent Search or Siemens Science and Technology Competition, Google's stepped into the arena with the Google Global Science Fair. Open to all students from around the world ages 13-18 and working individually or in groups of two or three, the contest represents a nice opportunity for students to get involved and excited about science, technology, and of course, some valuable experience using Google products. I like that the process seems a bit more open to all students (not just the already scientifically inclined) and less intimidating than the aforementioned contests. Check out the promo video below, and sign up here to register.

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Prezi for iPad App Review

2011-01-10T21:41:00.001-06:00

Lo and behold, just as I was about to make some edits on an existing Prezi for an upcoming presentation, I find an announcement for a free Prezi app on the iPad along with a "win a free iPad" contest on their website. If there was a web 2.0 tool that was just destined to become an iPad app, I would say Prezi is it. With its zooming presentation format and the drag, zoom, and slide interface, the multi-touch capabilities of the iPad seem to lend themselves perfectly to a well designed application. Let's see what the Prezi folks have created, shall we?

Upon opening the app, there's a simple login welcome message and a demonstration Prezi for those unfamiliar with the tool. No additional account information is needed as the app pulls up your Prezis in no time once you log in with the same credentials you use on the full web site. Once logged in, your current Prezis, their last updated date, and their size are all listed on screen. Tapping on a Prezi prepares the presentation by downloading all media associated with it from the web. This can take a few seconds or upwards to a minute or more depending on the size of your Prezi. It is worth noting that an Internet connection is needed to view any of your Prezis, as even ones that were previously downloaded did not seem to have a cached version available.

Once in the presentation, I couldn't help but notice that things just weren't quite the same as in the web version. As mentioned in some early app store reviews, text and images often seemed a bit out of place, some of my videos were not available, and crashes were observed during several of my early tests. On a more positive note, the app takes a noteworthy first step towards taking an innovative web 2.0 tool and creating a serviceable iPad app without altering the interface. As one would hope, zooming, sliding, and using multi-touch gestures to explore a Prezi on the iPad made for an enjoyable experience, and if developers continue to work at improving Prezi's iPad version, the app would make for a fine accompaniment to the full web tool.

Thus, the question might be whether the developers will have enough incentives to improve the app, and who might benefit the most from a quality iPad Prezi app anyways? If editing were enabled, I could see many users exploring the app more regularly, but as it stands, a view only version only entices me to review my existing Prezis or reminisce on older presentations. I still maintain that Prezi is a great alternative to PowerPoint, and I also believe that it can be a transformative tool in aiding brainstorming and presentation planning. Should more features were incorporated into the iPad Prezi app, you could argue for the Prezi's addition to the list of must-have apps for any iPad classroom initiative.

Prezi for the iPad is available for free in the App Store.

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LiveBinders - Collaboration Goes Live and ePortfolios Revisited

2011-01-07T16:37:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in my first post about LiveBinders, I am working with our Literacy Coordinator on an ePortfolio solution for our Humanities classes. As we finalized our setup this past week, I was pleased to discover that LiveBinders recently introduced their collaboration feature. A quick look at this new and exciting feature after the jump.

As we go head first with some progress monitoring, we decided to develop a template for teachers to use in collecting and comparing student work samples throughout the year, and with students in other classes. We debated whether to use Google Sites or another Web 2.0 tool, but ultimately decided on LiveBinders for the reasons discussed in the first post. This week, we set up a binder for each of three teams of teachers who all teach the same subject. With the new collaboration feature, we are now able to share each binder with the individual team teachers so they will have individual access and the ability to add items in the preset tabs and subtabs.

Reminiscent of the easy collaboration setup found in Google Apps, LiveBinders simply asks for an email address and all users must have a LiveBinder account. Thus, although it does not allow for anyone with the link to edit (as is the case with Google Docs), the ability to collaborate with users on a binder or a portfolio is probably the most impressive (and essentially required) update for the web 2.0 tool. Once shared, the binder appears in your shelf, and you can sort based on binders you own, those you've shared, and those that have been shared with you. I found it very easy to collaborate, and I'm optimistic that our teachers will feel similar.

One part of the interface that took some getting used to was how only one item is allowed per tab or subtab. This can make it a little too easy to upload a document and supplant the existing one in the same tab. We also had a brief scare when we couldn't copy a binder or share the portfolio with new collaborators. This turned out to be a small glitch and the very helpful and responsive technical support team from LiveBinders informed us that this will be fixed in a future update. Lastly, I've experienced some browser crashes, but we believe that this was due to multiple users working in the same subtab at the same time. Even Google Apps experiences some difficulty with this scenario from time to time.

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Paid Xtranormal vs. Free Animoto - Which Business Model will Win?

2011-01-04T15:59:00.001-06:00

In education, the word "free" is music to a teacher's ears. The same applies for this Technology Integration Specialist, and one who was bummed to discover that Xtranormal is now operating on a paid premium business model. As another option for an Asian Studies project, a teacher offered Animoto and this service remains free to educators and students. Which tool will benefit more from the Xtranormal shift to paid only?

Will the future be free?
Some say that it is only a matter of time before many of the Web 2.0 tools that we have grown to love suddenly lose their generosity and deliver paid only options. One of the biggest services to abandon free accounts in 2010 was Ning. However, users quickly found ways to either keep their Nings alive through sponsors or funding, or they found the next best free alternative as a replacement.

You can thank the iPhone 4.
With Xtranormal, the company experienced a huge lift when a clever video showcasing the iPhone vs. the HTC Evo went viral. Xtranormal saw an opportunity to make money and took it, and who could blame them? Educators should note that the company is still offering a free account for teachers, but you will need to request it directly through their help support system. They are very specific in that they will not be accommodating requests for classroom codes or free group accounts, so your students will be stuck with a limited number of options. One of those options is to still complete the video and only use the preview function which is free. Publishing the video will cost you 100 credits (not to mention the cost of the actors, sets, and other items), so you're looking at a quickly rising cost of production with 1,200 credits setting you back $10.

There is such a thing as a free video.
At Animoto, things work a little differently. If anything, I've had better successes with setting up free educator accounts for our teachers. Response times have been shortened, as the Animoto team has recently confirmed our all-access passes within a few hours or less. Also, if students forget to enter the promo code when creating accounts, or if they already have an existing account with Animoto, the account settings now allow for the code to be added. I didn't recall having this ability before. Codes are good for 50 students, so two or three (using multiple email addresses) should be enough for a full class load.

Thus, we reach an interesting point. Will Xtranormal still be a go-to choice for teachers and students? As with many technologies in this day and age, alternatives such as GoAnimate seemed poised to take the place of a tool that may quickly fall out of favor of educators. This will be an interesting case to keep track of in 2011.

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EdTech @ETHS Vol.1 Issue 3

2010-12-17T10:49:00.002-06:00

This issue's applicable to those outside of ETHS as well as you'll find articles about Expanded Google Apps including Blogger, Tech Tips for Final Exams, some holiday tech gift ideas, and more.

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Getting Things Done: Using Gmail, Toodledo, and Evernote to Achieve Inbox Zero

2010-12-17T06:01:00.004-06:00

Many people often ask how I manage to juggle so many different responsibilities and still be able to stay on top of it all. I'll admit that since the little one came along in mid-November, things may not be quite as tidy and organized (especially around the house). However, I'm hoping that the systems and routines that I have worked so hard to start and maintain will continue to exist during fatherhood. I've been meaning to read up on David Allen as he seems to be the guru on Getting Things Done (GTD), but in the meantime, I've managed to develop some processes that help me out. Here are a few examples of what I do and how I use technology to keep everything straight:

It all starts with email.

I remember when I first started using email (or even telnet!). Instead of writing letters or making phone calls, I would send a short message to a college friend 2,000 miles away. Flash forward ten years, and email has become the single most important medium of communication for me. However, instead of dealing with simple messages such as "What are you doing this summer?," I'm now using email for everything from personal correspondences to teaching an online Chemistry course to finalizing eBay transactions. That being said, I probably get over 100 emails a day just in my personal account, and this number is probably small compared to the inboxes of some of you reading this.

Where does it all go?

Despite receiving hundreds of emails each week, my Inbox is usually kept to a bare minimum. In fact, it is often a cause of distress when my Inbox contains more than 10 emails. To achieve this feat commonly referred to as "Inbox Zero," I have a few triage options in place when it comes to handling new emails.

Step 1) Reply and then Archive.

This is the easiest way to handle emails. Whenever possible, I try to write back to any new emails as soon as I get them. If a simple response is all that is needed, I won't waste time reading and then replying later when I can respond immediately and then archive the message. With Gmail's archive feature, I don't have to worry about saving the email into a specific folder (like I used to with Outlook). Instead, I can couple the archive with the search feature to find any email I've read or replied to within seconds.

Step 2) Get it on the Calendar

For emails that contain information about events, such as Evites, meetings, or appointments, I simply set up a calendar event and copy/paste the important information into the details portion of the item. Gmail even has an automatic event recognition feature to help you get started, but I just enter it manually to avoid any inadvertent errors. Since Google Calendars allows for sharing of calendars, I am able to add events to my personal, work, my wife's, and our joint calendar, so any newly emailed event can find a place on a calendar and free up valuable space in my Inbox.

Step 3) Making a To Do out of it

I have used an electronic to-do list for important and recurring tasks for years now, starting with Remember the Milk and now using Toodledo on a daily basis. When an email contains information that I'll need to address at a later date or time, I'll create a task and similar to how I handle calendar items, I'll copy/paste any important information into the details section of the task. Links to websites (for coupon codes for example) or a link to the archived email itself can be copied directly into a task, and again, this helps clear my Inbox.

Step 4) Notes vs. Emails

Occasionally, there's information in an email that I'll want immediate access to and not have to worry about using keywords to search and find. In these cases, I'll copy/paste the message and create a note in Evernote, a great application that clips everything from web pages to emails and stores them in a scrapbook like application. The cross platform support for Evernote is outstanding, as I have apps on every computer, my old iPhone, iPad, and Android phone, meaning I have access to all of my notes no matter the location or device. At work or anywhere else for that matter, I can also access Evernote through their web application, so my important information is never more than a few clicks away.

Anytime, Anywhere

With the four steps listed above, I manage to not only keep my Inbox down, but I stay on top of appointments, meetings, and correspondence with all of my friends, colleagues, and strangers such as my blog readers. And one of the best parts about mobile technology as it develops is that it allows users to complete tasks such as the steps above at any time, and in any place. I hope that these tips help you become even more productive as well. Feel free to leave a comment with suggestions, tips, or insights into how you manage to get things done.

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Google Chrome OS Notebooks and Education: What Cr-48 Means for Classrooms

2010-12-09T12:40:00.000-06:00

To think, I was excited just over the release of a native Google Reader app to the Android Market last week. This week, we get an entire bookstore, a preview of the new Google operating system, and a sneak peek at the notebook that will be the first to demonstrate the capabilities of the new OS. Thoughts on the those other items will have to wait, as I am most excited about the possibilities of Cr-48 (the cool code name for the notebooks) and education.

Nuclear Stability
First off, I have to give props to Google for throwing in the Cr-48 moniker. As a Chemistry teacher, I appreciate the tiny detail that went into using the element symbol and the mass number, though I was intrigued that "48" was used. I am glad that they didn't just spit out Cr-24 since that is the atomic number (most recognizable on the periodic table) as this would confuse our budding chemistry students. However, "48" was still an interesting choice since it is not one of the three stable isotopes of Chromium. In fact, the half life (how long it takes for 1/2 of the isotope to decay) of Cr-48 is just over 21 hours. If only that referenced the notebook's battery life, we'd be in business. In the end, Cr-48 just had a better ring to it than Cr-50, Cr-52, Cr-53, or Cr-54.

Less booting, More working
Teachers using netbooks for 1:1 initiatives or those using laptop carts such as the ones we have for several classes at ETHS will rejoice with the announcement of a boot time of about 10 seconds. Honestly, anything under a minute will be a welcome sight given the fact that it often takes at least this long to start up our Windows XP and 7 based netbooks and even longer to log into desktops. With less time lost to starting up and logging in, students get more time to use the notebooks for their intended purpose. Since our schedule features daily 42 minute periods, every minute is precious.

Need for Speed
Google has built its brand name on a speedy search, and its Google Chrome browser often delivers a fast, no-frills web experience. This seemed to be the inspiration for the new Chrome OS, as users simply login at the beginning, and they then have access to their email (Gmail) productivity apps (Google Docs) and other services (Apps through the new Google Web Store). The result will hopefully be a quick and efficient way to get students directly to their work. I like the approach of creating a tool that doesn't dazzle you with looks, but rather focuses on speed and efficiency. Time will tell whether Google has the right formula with its shift in operating system.

Connect Anywhere
WiFi is becoming more widespread, as more homes are connected, and entire cities begin building public hot spots. However, we clearly are not at a point where everyone has access to the Web, and once students leave their connected schools, many find their homes isolated from the Internet, or they rely instead on a smartphone (mostly for Facebook). With Google's partnership with Verizon, the opportunity to purchase a reliable connection nearly anywhere can potentially bring all students to the same playing level. Schools may begin looking into partnerships with wireless companies to augment their 1:1 initiatives and in turn save money on hardware solutions within the school.

Sync and Durability
Perhaps, the coolest thing about the new OS is how little dependency there is on the native machine. As mentioned in the demo, a user's email, docs, and apps simply pick up where they left off. Logging into Google Chrome on one machine will produce a similar experience when logging into a Cr-48 notebook, and so on. For students, this would prove useful as they often work in a variety of environments ranging from school, to home, to a friend's house. For IT staff, this could mean saving valuable time and resources when a student experiences difficulty with a machine. Instead of losing time to re-image a notebook, trying to repair it in house, or worse yet, waiting for a third party to fix it, a student can get a backup notebook and pick up right where he or she left off.

I am excited at the possibilities that this project may potentially bring, not just because of the Google branding, but because the company brings a new and innovative way of thinking about notebooks, operating systems, and the user experience. I predict that this won't be just another tech tool that gets lost in the shuffle.

Click here to apply for participation in Google's Chrome Notebook Pilot Program. Good luck!

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