The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness

Dictionary of Numbers - Putting Numbers in Human Terms

2013-05-17T13:14:00.003-05:00

Numbers. We see them everywhere and we share them in our classrooms, but often times when we are sharing numbers with students they struggle with comprehending how those numbers equate to real life or relating them to something they might be more familiar with. Dictionary of Numbers is a Google Chrome extension that helps to try and make sense of the numbers we encounter on the web. The extension will take a number and put it into human terms. For example, "4 million people" means little, but "population of Kentucky" will help to mean more and make numbers more relevant.

The extension works in several ways. Dictionary of Numbers searches through the page for numbers it can understand and when it finds one, it will add in an inline explanation for that number in human terms. The extension also contains a search as well, so if a you are teaching a lesson and it involves numerical data that you want in human terms, Dictionary of Numbers will help.

For more information, see the video below.

h/t to Lifehacker for the find.

Five From my Feedly

2013-05-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

Another solid job of blog posting by the people in my Feed.ly the past two days. Speaking of two days, that is how many students have left in school for us. Hard to believe how fast the year has gone by. Looking forward to summer break and hitting the golf course.

1.) Tip of the Week: End of the Year Self-Reflection and Student Evaluations is a post by the History Tech blog that I read. Reflection is a large part of being a teacher. Teacher evaluation is changing in Kentucky and part of the process will be student evaluation. This post provides some samples of evaluations that students can use for evaluating their teachers.

2.) Four Approaches to Getting Content OFF Elementary Students' iPads - No Email, No Problem, Part 2 is a guest post on Free Technology for Teachers. Teaching high school I failed to even think about how "being under 13" prevents elementary students from having access to tools that high school students have access too. If you are an elementary school using, or contemplating using iPads, this is a must read.

3.) How Can I Make My PowerPoint Presentations Amazing is a post on Lifehacker that I thought was worth sharing, because even with all the new "Web 2.0" tools available, it is still the predominant lecture method in schools. If it is going to be used, it would be worth while to ensure that it is a presentation that really gets participants attention.

4.) Yesterday was a big Google conference and they unveiled a ton of new software and upgrades. One of those was the Google Play Music All Access. Streaming music is popular (and although it takes up bandwidth in schools, it is still a tool to be utilized) and more companies and apps are getting into the music industry through streaming music. Google Play Music All Access: Should It Be Your New Streaming Service? is another post of Lifehacker that helps readers understand the differences between various streaming music services.

5.) With the end of Google Reader comes a need for a new RSS service and for some teachers starting something new when it comes to technology can be frustrating. Over at The Edublogger, the Educators' Guide to RSS and Google Reader Replacements is a great post for teachers looking to keep their RSS feeds going and are wondering about possible alternatives for Google Reader.

Clickberry - Make YouTube Videos Interactive

2013-05-17T10:14:00.000-05:00

Clickberry is a new service that allows users to tag and add aspects to their videos during play. The tags can provide names, information, links, pop-ups and more. Clickberry requires users to install an extension in Chrome or Firefox to use the service. Users can define clickable regions within the video enabling users to highlight important moments or important parts of a video. The service also becomes a social service as users can add Facebook "Like" buttons as well. For an introduction, see the video below.

For those iPhone Users, there is the Clickberry Tagger app that allows users to tag and make videos interactive from their phone.

For Windows, Mac, and iPad there is the Clickberry Interactivity Creator.

I could see teachers utilizing the service to help students identify people in videos that they are studying or helping students focus on an important fact shown in the video. Videos can be a valuable tool in the classroom if used correctly. Often times students have trouble focusing and discovering what to look for while watching a video. Clickberry could provide teachers a way to incorporate content information into the videos they are watching.

Five From My Feedly

2013-05-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

Another week has gone by and a few days remain in the 2012-2013 school year. Below are 5 recent posts from my Feed.ly that I wanted to share. Feel free to pass these along if you like them as well.

1.) Last week was "Teacher Appreciation Week" and Angela Maiers has organized her Favorite Posts for Teacher Appreciation Week. Great posts for a quick pick me up.

2.) Those of us with 1:1 or BYOT programs in our schools should be familiar with Backchanneling and how to utilize it in the classroom. The Langwitches Blog recently had a post Stepping Up the Backchannel in the Classroom. If you find yourself wanting to utilize this tool and strategy, or are looking for a way to improve, this would be a good starting point.

3.) The Speed of Creativity has done some posts recently sharing classes use of "Paper Slides" as an project in their classrooms using the technology that has been made available to them. Here is an example of a Paper Slide Project related to the Egypt After Arab Spring. Paper Slides are becoming a popular project method for classrooms to present information. I have recommended it to several teachers through the past couple years.

4.) Looking for some blogs to start reading? Free Technology for Teachers is a blog a follow and he recently shared his Ten Blogs I Read First and thought it would be a great share for those looking for blogs to start following.

5.) Lifehacker is a blog that I had seen before but never really followed until recently. They recently shared a post comparing Evernote and Springpad and which someone would use to help them get organized. If you are unsure, this would be a good start.

Star Wars Crawl Creator

2013-05-13T14:57:00.000-05:00

While reading through my Feed.ly I came across the Star Wars Crawl Creator on the Whiteboard Blog and was immediately intrigued because I am a big Star Wars fan. I immediately thought how this could be a cool way to introduce a lesson or an activity for the day. You could even type in your agenda and share it with your students. Of course over time this would be "just another tool," but as often as you can change up the monotony of a classroom, the better.

Students could also utilize this tool as well.
1.) Define vocabulary
2.) Introduce a topic in a project
3.) Summarize a short story, movie, or unit of content.

To utilize the Star Wars Crawl Creator, you just edit the title, subtitle, and body. You can then preview what it looks like and share it by using a link or embedding it on a webpage or other presentation tool. By email or if you use Facebook and Twitter in your classroom you can share it that way. Helpful for students that are absent.

You can see a sample below of this blog post.

TIME Timelapse Powered by Google

2013-05-09T14:57:00.001-05:00

While looking through my Feed.ly I came across the blog update on the Google Blog talking about their collaboration with TIME magazine on their Timelapse Project. Through this product users can view images of anywhere in the world from the best quarter century and see how they have changed over time. The images provide users with an opportunity to see how their world and even their local community has changed. Timelapse can provide geography and science teachers a new way to teach the environment and the impact of humans, pollution, weather, and technology on our planet.

While looking further through my Feed.ly I cam across a post on Free Technology for Teachers discussing the project and realized that it was not limited to just certain areas of the planet and thought it would be neat to examine where I currently live. In 2005 we had an F4 tornado come through our community. It was the largest tornado on record that year. By using the Timelapse Project I was able to find and identify the before and after of the impact the tornado had on our community. You can see the before and after photos below where I have highlighted the area. You can see a dark green area (trees) completely changed brown after they were all knocked down. I am really intrigued by the relevancy the Timelapse Project can provide in classrooms.

Before the Tornado

After the Tornado

How could you use this in your classroom?

Flowboard - A New Way to Share Everything From an iPad

2013-05-08T12:25:00.001-05:00

Flowboard is a free iPad App that allows users to create presentations and digital stories on the iPad with a simple user interface design. Each screen uses simple touch gestures to create the presentation and then presentations can contain buttons, videos, and galleries to make a presentation interactive. Once a presentation is completed a Flowboard is shared by providing a URL that works on any browser or within the app. Once shared, the Presentation can be viewed online or offline.

Content for the Flowboard presentation can be utilized from your Dropbox, Facebook, Box, Instagram, or a Google Image Search. An upgrade to Skydrive and Google Drive would make it much more beneficial since districts are mainly Google and Microsoft users.

To see a sample Flowboard, which is actually a UsersGuide, CLICK HERE.

ExamTime - Transform Your Learning Potential

2013-05-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

ExamTime is a students study solution by offering several different ways to prepare for exams. Testing has always been a part of education, it is just in a grander scale now. Students need ways to prepare for the assessments in their classrooms in ways that can benefit them. ExamTime offers students the ability to study using mind maps, flashcards, goal setting, and reviewing. Students can share study guides and notes that they have created with other students and for studying on the go, they can use the mobile app when development is completed. ExamTime is currently free and as the site grows, premium features will probably cost in the future. To see ExamTime in action, check out their sample study resources. You can also see the informational video below.

EduClipper - Pinterest for Educators

2013-05-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

Back in December I wrote about EduClipper when it was in it was still in its infancy stage. It is now out of beta and has added several new features and can become a great homepage for teachers looking for resources, documents, videos, and classroom ideas. The layout for EduClipper is very similar to Pinterest, so if you are users of Pinterest then you should be very familiar with how to use this service. Educlipper allows users to do several things within the website without having to leave the page, which makes it much easier to keep and share.

By creating an account you can clip links, documents, videos, images, etc to your board and then follow other educators and share what they have clipped. There is also a bookmarklet for easily saving what you find on the web and there is also a "Follow Me" option for your blog, wiki, or website. If you are a user of Google Drive, you can embed your Google Drive into your Board for easy sharing.

I am currently not in the classroom, but those teachers that are will be glad to know that you can create different boards for your classrooms in order to share with your students and vise versa. Creating a class is very simple. You give it a name and then you can add your students or take the access code that is provided and share it with your students. The content controls in your settings allows you to control what students have access to and what they don't have access too.

Thanks to Free Technology for Teachers for sharing this update. For a quick introduction, see the video below:

Brainscape - Learn Faster with Flashcards

2013-05-08T09:31:00.004-05:00

Brainscape is a learning service that allows users to create flashcards and then control their learning based on how well they can recall the information they are studying. Brainscape is a step above other flashcard services by providing users the ability to add pictures and audio to their flashcards. The audio aspect is definitely an improved feature for ELA and Foreign Language learners. At my school we offer a medical terminology class and I could see it useful there as well. Brainscape also offers a free iPhone app that allows users to download their flashcards too so that they can study on the go.

Brainscape offers users the ability to see different levels of what they have learned and what they don't know at all. This allows students to focus on the areas that they are weakest in. There are also flashcards that are already created that users can find and start studying immediately for a fee. Users can create an account using standard log in information or connect with their Facebook. See the video below for more information.

Will Google Glass Change How Schools Take "Field Trips?"

2013-05-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

Image Credit: http://www.samgrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/GoogleGlassesinLogo-640x378.jpg

While looking through my Feed.ly I came across this post on Free Technology for Teachers and was intrigued by the question about whether or not Google Glass will impact the future of Field Trips. The post centered around the following video:

It is interesting to think about how this technology could change "virtual" field trips, but replacing field trips to local attractions I think is probably not going to happen. However, the ability for teachers to connect with other teachers across the world and participate in discussions and field trips of global attractions would be a beneficial aspect of this technology. I can imagine schools getting a virtual field trip to the Great Wall of China, The Pyramids, CERN as in the video, watching a production at the Sydney Opera House, or visiting various museums from all over the world (although I wonder about security issues).

I think about inner city and low income schools and how money is not necessarily available to take field trips. I could see Google Glass being utilized to assist those schools in taking a field trip to places within their city and within their state. I remember in high school taking a trip to Washington D.C. Several students could't afford the extra cost on top of what they didn't get through fundraising. Those students missed out on the Holocaust museum, the Smithsonian, Vietnam Memorial, etc. This technology could provide opportunities like that for students.

It could also have an impact on "pen pals." Students from other countries could use the technology to learn about the life and culture on a daily basis of students in other countries, with the hopes of possibly meeting in the future. There are several interesting opportunities where I could envision this technology being utilized in the classroom; especially if it becomes more mainstream and affordable.

What are your thoughts on this?

Five From my Feedly

2013-05-06T12:32:00.004-05:00

Two from Free Technology for Teachers this go around. The first 10 Tools for Cropping, Resizing, and Enhancing Images Online. Several of these tools are new to me so I definitely plan on checking them out. The second is A Short Course on the Origins of Writing. An interesting video and TED Ed Lesson that focus on the origins of written language.

From the Edublogger is Tips for Creating Secure Student Passwords. In the age of online learning and mobile learning it will be important that students create safe passwords and protect their digital footprint as much as possible.

From the Innovative Educator comes 5 Ways to Use Pinterest as a Creation Tool for Learning. I have recently caught on to Pinterest but have not yet thought about the best ways to use it in education. The post provides some interesting ways to do so. If you are using Pinterest for personal interest, this blog post might help you discover some professional uses as well.

From History Tech comes an interesting post about What the World Eats. It shares images and costs of a weeks amount of food from various countries from around the world. It is great for offering a perspective to students about the cost of eating and also can teach a lesson about being grateful for what they do have. It also showcase an interesting economic perspective as well. Highly recommend checking it out.

Buncee - Create in a Unique, Fun, and Social Way

2013-05-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

Buncee is a way to create interactive multimedia using various tools and devices that can be shared publicly or kept for private use. Users can easily add personal photos, text, drawings, and other online content (YouTube, SoundCloud, etc) onto a digital canvas. There is a mobile app (Free and Pro) as well that can be used to create a "Buncee." You can learn more about the mobile applications here. Users can create an account using an email or log in using various social media platforms. To learn more, see the video below.

Generated Paper - Plenty of Printable Paper Options

2013-05-03T13:19:00.002-05:00

I know that there is a major move towards 1 to 1, BYOT/D and other options, but not every school is fortunate to be in a situation to have those tools available to them. With Generated Paper users can download from over 40 different templates various types of paper for free into a PDF file.

Generated Paper options include various types of lined and graph paper for note taking and math classes, elementary based paper for learning about letters and handwriting, games (like Sudoku and Tic Tac Toe), wire-framing, business, music, foreign language, and calendar templates. If a customize option is available, it will allow users to make edits to the page prior to downloading and printing.

BingoCardApp

2013-05-01T15:25:00.002-05:00

BingoCardApp is a website that makes it easy to create and print your own Bingo Card. By creating an account users can save cards for later use. If you want to print more than 8 cards, you would also need to create an account. The user interface is simple to use and any teacher looking for good review can utilize this tool. It will of course require quite a bit of ink on your part, but once your print them, you have them to use in the future. Below is a sample of what the tool looks like to create your Bingo Card. The creator of BingoCardApp is also responsible for the JeopardyApp.

Swipe - Easy, Simple, Interactive Presentations

2013-05-01T15:19:00.000-05:00

Swipe is an easy way to create, share, and interact with presentations. Swipe can be used on any device with a modern browser to build and deliver presentations. There is not an app to install. Users can broadcast live for anyone to see, no matter where they are. Swipe is currently in beta, so potential users must email to claim an invite. To learn more, see the video below or view a sample presentation.

Stampsy - Create Digital Media Content on an iPad

2013-05-01T15:12:00.002-05:00

Stampsy is a free app for iPad that allows users to create and share digital media content through several easy to use tools. A "Stamp" is a unit of content that you create that can have up to 10 pages. A grid in the background helps users create well-balanced designs. Users can add images, enter text and arrange them to fit the needs of the project. All the tools use Drag and Drop features. Stampsy allows users to change font styles and colors while organizing this in a way that creates the best look every time. Each "Stamp" has a unique URL that can be shared on the web to be read. Stampsy would make a great addition to iPad schools looking for a tool to create Digital Photostories.

In the classroom, a teacher could create a network for their students to share their Stamps with the rest of the class and create an easy way to present their projects. The only drawback at this time is the requirement to use a Facebook account to log in. Hopefully this is fixed in the future for true potential classroom integration.

You can find the App in the iTunes App Store.

Time to Vote for Doodle 4 Google

2013-05-01T14:45:00.001-05:00

Back in January I wrote about this year's Doodle for Google Contest and it is now time for us all to vote for our favorites. From today through May 10th, voting is open for the 50 state winners in five different age ranges. I have to say that these are some great images and it is great that Google continues to help schools find a way to include art in their schools. The winning Doodle will be placed on the Google Homepage on May 23rd. The theme was "Best Day Ever" and I have to say that kids all over the country have had some pretty good days.

To vote, visit The Doodle 4 Google Voting Page.

You can also view the finalists from each state as well.

Five Found From my Feedly

2013-04-29T13:29:00.000-05:00

Another week has gone by and it is time for another dose of posts that I read from my Feed.ly Reader. It is starting to grow on me after being used to Google Reader for so long. There are several features that I am still getting adjusted too, but so far Feed.ly is working out just fine as a replacement.

1.) So....You Wanna Use Blogs in the Classroom is a great introduction post to learning about blogging in the classroom. More and more students and teachers are turning to blogs as a way for students to write and then publish their writing. From the Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom.

2.) 12 Ways to Integrate (Not Just Use) Technology in Education from Edudemic provides a chart showcasing the differences between Using Technology and Integrating Technology.

3.) What is the Role of the Librarian is a great post for helping all of us Educators remember the importance of the Library in the school system. Google has definitely changed how research is done, but utilizing the library and the librarian is still very important. From Educational Origami.

4.) 17 Awesome Google Chrome Extensions interested me as I have finally made the switch over to Google Chrome for my everyday browsing. There are several extensions that could be very important for educators inside and outside the classroom. From A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet.

5.) StudyBlue Announces Annual Teacher Appreciation Program "Thank a Teacher a Latte" is a post from Educational Technology Guy that helps to explain the program and how students, parents, and other stakeholders can get involved in thanking a teacher our our ever important job.

EntourageBox - Allow Others to Upload to Your Cloud Storage

2013-04-26T08:15:00.002-05:00

EntourageBox is a service that allows users of DropBox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3 to share their account with friends (or in educators cases fellow teachers or students) so that they can upload files to your cloud storage. By using EntourageBox you are giving access to others to a public folder within your cloud storage where they can upload files.

Using the service is very simple. You just choose your cloud storage service, allow EntourageBox to connect with your cloud storage service, and then choose or create a folder that you want others to be able to upload too. After that, the service will generate an upload URL that you then share. For security, you can provide a password as well if so desired. You also can deactivate the URL at any time, so if you wanted to use it for a single upload you could. The service is completely free.

I could see teachers utilize this service that use Google Drive as a way for students to submit assignments or projects. Principal's could use it as a method of collecting lesson plans or meeting minutes from committees and departments. EntourageBox could be very helpful in removing the clutter from emails with attachments.

RollyPolly - Interactive Video

2013-04-25T15:57:00.003-05:00

RollyPolly is a new option in making watching videos interactive. One problem with videos is being able to comment and discuss the video WHILE the video is playing. RollyPolly lets users comment and interact with videos in real time which helps to improve engagement. Users can sign in to comment using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or by creating a free account. RollyPolly supports Vimeo, YouTube, and Brightcove. As users comment on the video, the comment is organized by the time stamp that the video was playing at that time which makes it easier for users to see discussion points based on the video. There is also a polling option for letting others know whether you like the video or not.

You can use RollyPolly without an account by just providing the URL of the video and then choosing the layout for the commenting section. The service will provide you a URL or HTML code that can be pasted onto a blog or webpage. If you create an account can track videos, get analytic's, and have some other options for the video as well. You can see a sample image and video below without creating an account.

I could see RollyPolly being used in the classroom for students to discuss the video they are watching while also asking questions about a certain point in the video as well. Students could use this for video projects to gauge student's thoughts about their video as well.

Five Found From My Feedly

2013-04-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

Weekends bring about a lot of great information from educators across the world. Here are five from the past few days that I think are worth sharing.

1.) Happy Earth Day!! Free Technology For Teachers has provided 10 Educational Resources for Earth Day.

2.) Looking for some summer reading? 8 Education Technology Books Ever Leader Should Read and 7 Must-Read Resources on Social Media for School Leaders would make a great starting point for a list to select some books from.

3.) The new Classroom 2.0 Book which contains several education and technology related articles is a great starting point for new teachers looking for some teaching and learning strategies. You can find more information at Never Ending Search.

4.) May is just around the corner and so is Cinco de Mayo. If looking for some resources for your classroom, Larry Ferlazzo has a great page with his Best Sites for Teaching and Learning About Cinco de Mayo

5.) 55 Content Curation Tools to Discover and Share Digital Content is a great list for people who are looking for the best way to learn what all is out there and then save and share it when they find it.

AppoLearning

2013-04-17T14:51:00.001-05:00

AppoLearning is a resource for teachers looking to learn about the best educational iPad apps available. Experts on the site evaluate and score apps across grade levels and through multiple categories to make finding an app even easier. Apps are scored based upon Educational Content, Kid Appeal, Assessment, Features and Design, Value, and Safety and Privacy. Users can look for apps from early childhood through high school. If a category is unavailable, users can also request one.

There is an app of the week and a blog that can be followed to learn about other educational technology interests. Each app provides scores, content information, and a direct link to the app on iTunes. If you find yourself using an iPad in the classroom a lot and think you could become an expert, the opportunity is also available to do that.

If looking for an iPad app for your classroom, give AppoLearning a try.

Five Found From My Feedly

2013-04-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

With the move from Google Reader to Feedly, here are five resources that were shared this weekend that I thought readers of this blog might be interested in.

1.) 18 Fun Resources to Help Kids with Vocabulary comes from A Media Specialists Guide to the Internet.

2.) How to Determine Reading Level of a Document comes from the U.S. Government Teachers Blog

3.) Come Relax and Learn With Me This Summer is from Free Technology for Teachers and provides information about professional development he is offering this summer.

4.) 10 Current Events Resources is from Edudemic provides resources for teachers looking to integrate several current events.

5.) The National Digital Public Library is set to launch and the Never Ending Search Blog provides you some necessary information for learning about this great resource.

World Art Day Resources

2013-04-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't know, today is World Art Day. In celebration of Art, I wanted to share some Art resources that you might be interested in utilizing in your classroom or sharing with students.

1.) The Google Art Project - This is a tool that puts thousands of pieces of Art at your fingertips. A great resource for not only art teachers, but also Social Studies teachers as well.

2.) Art Finder - A place to find and purchase Art from all over the world.

3.) Picasso Head - Create your own version of a Picasso.

4.) The Endless Mural - An interactive and collaborative Art website built in HTML5

5.) DrawSpace - Learn to draw with over 200 free downloadable lessons. With a profile, users can keep track of progress.

6.) 50 Awesome and Inspiring Blogs for Art Teachers and Top 20 Art Blogs for Educators.

7.) SmartHistory from Khan Academy - The leading open educational resource for Art history. The content is free and high quality.

8.) ArtLex Dictionary provides definitions for over 3,600 terms used in discussing art and visual culture. There are also thousands of supporting images, pronunciation notes, and quotations as well.

9.) Artcyclopedia is like a wiki for art. Tons of information, images, and other resources for art research.

10.) Artist A Day provides visitors with information and resources related to various artist. A great way for students to visualize various types of art from all kinds of different artists.

11.) Scoot and Doodle is a collaborative drawing environment that uses Google + Hangouts.

12.) Psykopaint allows users to turn images into abstract art and apply shadows to pictures.

13.) My Oats, This is Sand, Jackson Pollock, and Bomomo provide some fun art creation.