Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch

Google+ Hangouts on Air

2012-02-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to score early-adopter status for the new Google+ Hangouts on Air and just gave it a try! (Here are the directions for joining a Hangouts on Air session.)

When hosting a Hangout on Air, the first step is to make sure your log-in to YouTube is the same as your log-in to Google+. Once the Hangout on Air is over, a private recording is sent up to your YouTube account automatically. It took about 15 minutes for the 13 minute Hangout to process and show up on YouTube. Once it is up in YouTube, you can make it public or give access to specific users, change the licensing, set up moderation privileges, and so on. The Hangout recording as showcased on YouTube is embedded below.

I posted the info about the Hangout on Air to both my Twitter feed and within Google+. It was early (8:30am ET), so it took a bit for someone to join.

Screenshot from video of a Google+ stream

I only had one participant join the actual hangout, but others were viewing it in their Google+ stream. (I received comments and questions from them later in my Google+ stream.) I could not see that, since I was the host, but my participant screenshared what that looked like. Here is a screencapture of his Google+ stream.

The set-up of the Hangout on Air was simple, the resolution of the screensharing was AWESOME, and those that were able to watch the broadcast live had good things to say. I was a little disappointed that the chat area within the Hangout and the chat among the Hangout participants does not show up in video, but you could overcome that with a screenshare of a tool such as corkboard.me or Wallwisher if you wanted to capture the "chatter" and gather feedback.

If you have any other great ideas for the use of this tool, add a comment! I am thinking that I could easily stream my presentations from conferences if I wanted to. It would be a virtual presentation and a permanent recording all in one!

PhatPad review

2012-02-01T12:41:00.004-05:00

I received a review copy of PhatPad for iPad a while back, and have spent some time showcasing it at conferences and in small group sessions.

The PhatWare Web site states: "PhatPad turns your iPad into an advanced brainstorming tool. Draw, write, and type your ideas then instantly share them via email, WiFi sync, Dropbox, or presentation mode. PhatPad’s digital ink technology and handwriting recognition engine allows you to scribble handwritten notes and drawings and convert them into digital text, or perfect geometrical shapes." You can also export the document out to a printer, to Google Docs and to Evernote!

PhatPad 2.0 came out earlier this week ($4.99 in the iTunes App Store), and it is optimized for iOS 5 as well as including handwriting recognition for English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. (There is also an Android version of PhatPad, but it only recognizes English at this time.)

Rather than give you an overview of what it can do, please view the video below to find out its main capabilities, which, by the way, are awesome! Following the video I will share some discoveries and thoughts I have for the use of PhatPad for the iPad in the classroom.

DEFINITIONS

So, now that you know the basics of what PhatPad can do, let me share some of my discoveries! First, once you convert a word to text, you can tap and hold the word and show the definition of the word. This is one way for students to verify that the handwriting-to-text conversion produced the correct word!

INCLUDED CLIPART

In addition, as you saw in the video, you can insert your own image from your Photo Library or take a new picture with the iPad's camera, but PhatPad comes with a TON of clipart, too! There are 28 categories including computers, communications, construction, database, education, emotions, food, fun and toys, medical, music and instruments, networking, transportation, and more! The clipart can save a lot of time with student projects, since they do not have to go out on the Web for images, check the Creative Commons licensing, get it into the Photo Library on the iPad, and then add it to the document. They can simply look through the included clipart and pick something appropriate!

INFOGRAPHIC CREATION

As I was playing around with the clipart, I realized that PhatPad can be used as a layer-based image creation, tool, too! That means the clipart, text, and images can be "piled" on top of one another. I started making a rudimentary infographic, and realized that PhatPad could be used for this purpose, even if just to create the first draft of an infographic a student is creating as an assessment. (More details about using the infographic as an assessment may be found here.)

OTHER FEATURES

There are additional features that would be useful in a classroom setting, too. First, there is the ability to create multiple pages and use a presentation mode to move through the pages. In addition, a student can create voice notes to go along with the pages and even create an automatically-running presentation with the voices notes by setting up the slide timings. You can read about all of the features in the PhatPad for iPad 1.5 User Guide

LAST THOUGHTS

After spending time reading the manual and experimenting with PhatPad for iPad, I am amazed at the number of features it contains! Creative teachers and students could come up with many ways to use this software to support teaching and learning. Are you already an educator or student using PhatPad? If so, please leave a comment and share the ways you use it personally and professionally.

An interactive white board in your teacher tote bag!

2012-01-28T11:02:00.000-05:00

Learning Resources recently sent me their new now!Board, a tiny, portable, interactive whiteboard tool, to review. What a neat device! It turns any surface into an interactive whiteboard and all you need is a computer and a projector!

now!board package contents

Those of you who follow me know that I love cases, and the main components fit nicely in the included 10" x 7" x 2" case.

To set-up the now!Board, I simply installed the software on my laptop, hooked up a projector, hooked the now!Board camera via USB to my computer, and placed it about 12 inches behind the projector, pointing at the surface I was projecting on.

I launched the software, adjusted the angle of the camera, and started to calibrate the now!Board on the wall in my house. It was hard to find a blank wall in my house and the projected image was extremely keystoned which made it difficult to calibrate all the points. I decided to find a dry erase board at the right level and try again.

The now!board wand, camera, and stylus

Once the projector, image, and now!board camera were pretty much level with each other, the calibration was a snap! I used the handheld stylus on the right for calibrating. This was also the stylus I used for the movie below. This stylus is intended for use with a dry-erase board or regular whiteboard. It has the ability to right-click, too. The 24" wand (on the left in the photo) is for using with surfaces the handheld stylus might scratch up or for younger students so they can reach the projected tools and images.

The tool set in the software offered all the necessary IWB tools including screen capture, scaling, an on-screen keyboard, blank whiteboard desktop, and more.

I did a short Jing screencast of my computer screen as I used the now!Board software tools via the handheld stylus on the dry-erase board.

The now!Board would come in very handy for sharing among classrooms and rolling computer carts, since nothing has to be mounted on the wall or classroom board to hold it, any surface can be used to project on, and it is very easy to set-up and calibrate once everything is close to being on the same level.

Teachers have asked me if the now!Board can be used with an iPad in the mix. I decided to test out some options. I first hooked the projector and the now!Board camera to the computer and launched the now!Board software. I wirelessly streamed the computer screen to the iPad screen via Splashtop Remote and Splashtop Streamer. I could not use the tools effectively, though, using the iPad as the "stylus". I could definitely use the arrow and control file menus and such and pick any tool on the tool menu. But I had a hard time highlighting and drawing. I was envisioning that someone could be at the projected image using the now!Board stylus and someone else could be remotely using an iPad, but that did not pan out as a viable option. It was only a trial run to see what would happen and who knows what will be available for the iPad in the future to make it work!

Here is a brief hardware set-up video, produced by the company, to give you a better feel for the hardware set-up process. A series of tutorial videos come on the software CD.

And here is the short (2:35) product video, created by now!Board.

The now!Board portable interactive whiteboard device will start shipping in April of 2012. You can find out more about it and pre-order it for $499 at the Learning Resources site now. You can also follow them on Facebook to keep up-to-date!

Cool stuff from BoxWave

2012-01-20T18:47:00.001-05:00

Derek Gillette of BoxWave recently contacted me and asked me to review a few items that I thought might be useful for schools. I went through their online catalog and picked out the items below. Please let him know if you are interested in purchasing any of these items yourself or need a quote or volume pricing for your school or district!

BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds

The first thing I looked at was the BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds. BoxWave has always been in the forefront of the retractable cable devices and I have used many different types of cables from them over the years. This set of in-ear, stereo headphones are retractable and come with three different size ear tips and a clip you can attach to the cable reel to hook it to your collar or jacket if you wish.

BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds

With the one-to-one initiatives and laptop and tablet carts in schools, I notice many students using their own headphones in class. However, I also notice the amount of time it takes students to unwrap the tangled cables that are wrapped around the stuff in their backpacks or purses! The retractable cable on this headset solves that problem and saves precious class time.

The BoxWave In-Ear miniBud headphones are very comfortable, the sound quality is great, and very little sound would "leak out" to surrounding students with the in-ear design.

Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter

Tri-Connect Mini Display Port Adapter

The second item I asked to review was the Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter. This under-$12 device provides three different connection types to your Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air with the Mini DisplayPort. It includes the laptop to DVI connection, the one encountered on many external monitors and LCD projectors; the laptop to DisplayPort connection, the full-size version of the Mini DisplayPort on the Macs which is slated to become the the future VGA and DVI replacement; and the laptop to HDMI connection, to hook up the laptop to flat-panel TV's and many new LCD projectors.

For classroom use, you probably already have a laptop to VGA adapter for use with an LCD projector or flat panel TV or monitor. However, VGA is an analog connection, and use of a DVI or HDMI connection is so much clearer for the viewer! As schools get new devices in the classroom, they should consider accessories such as this Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter to make sure teachers have the connection they need in their classroom, in the conference room, and in the auditorium for projecting their Mac laptop.

Manila Leather Envelope

Manila Leather Envelope

The third thing I asked to review was the Manila Leather Envelope for my 11.6" Macbook Air. (For those of you that follow my blog, you know I am a bag and case "connoisseur"...okay, junkie!)

Ever since these Manila Leather Envelopes first came out, I really wanted to see one in person and I was not disappointed! It is pretty much the coolest case on the market, IMHO. I was surprised at the quality of the leather and the soft inside lining. The Manila Leather Envelope also has reinforced corners which protect the laptop even more.

These Manila Leather Envelopes are available for tons of devices-- the Macbook Airs, the iPads, the iPhone 4 and 4S, Amazon's Kindles and Kindle Fires, many brands of smartphones, all the e-readers, and Android tablets like the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab. (You can find links to all the cases starting on this page.)

Are these the definitive case for school-owned or one-to-one initiatives? Well, they look like a school supply, protect the devices with a form-fitting case, and are just so "cool for school"!

Thanks to Derek Gillette of BoxWave for allowing me to have a day of fun putting the BoxWave products through their paces and coming up with ways they would be useful for the classroom, students, and teachers! Don't forget to contact him for pricing or a quote if you need one!

I love bags and cases and holders...

2012-01-18T07:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, I admit it. I love technology bags and holders of every type. I have roller bags, Vera Bradley laptop-holding bags and backpacks, neoprene cases for the Macbook Airs and iPad, and many, many more bags. I mean, it's like shoes...you have to have ones for the right purpose, right?

In any case, I thought I might share some of my newest bags, sleeves, cases, and holders with you, in case you are thinking about what works and what does not!

Tech Bags and Sleeves

The 11.6" Macbook Air is a hard item to find a special bag for. Here are some of my favorites.

Roocase 11'6" netbook case

Roocase has a bag in their netbook category that is for 11.6" items. It fits the small MBA well and you can even fit the iPad and cables in the bag, too. It comes in various colors, is sturdy, and has rubberized "feet" on the bottom to keep it clean when setting it down. The laptop compartment is padded and has a Velcro closure. (I also have the larger version for the 13.3" Macbook Air.)

Be.ez LA Robe Allure

My favorite sleeves for my iPad and the 11.6" Macbook Air are made by Be.ez and are hard-sided and sturdy. The model is the LA robe Allure sleeve for iPad and 11.6" MBA. The LA robe Allure is also available for the 13.3" MBA and 13.3" and 15.4" Macbook Pros.

Tocano Finatex Extra Small

When I am really traveling light, and just want my iPad, my 11.6" Macbook Air, and my iPhone, I take a bag that I found in an airport technology shop-- my Tocano Finatex Extra Small. It holds all three items without any cases on them.

Sherpani Flite FL

The rolling bag I take with me most of the time is the Sherpani Flite FL. It is very well-made, has rolled handles to hold as well as a shoulder strap in case you do not want to use the extendable handle, and has a sturdy strap on the back for attaching to other luggage handles. It does not have an attached laptop sleeve area inside, but has a nice elastic strap for holding your laptop in place in its own sleeve. It is well-sized at 16.5" x 13.5" x 6". You often find it for sale on Overstock.

Tech Cases and Holders

I have all different types of cases for my iPad2. Again, it depends on how I am planning to use it as to which one I take with me!

One that I use around town is the YakPak Portfolio Case. (I picked mine up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.) It is a nicely lined case with places for business cards, a small tuck-in area, and can hold the iPad with the Magic Cover on the front or back behind elastic corner straps. It is minimalist, but protects the device well.

IPEVO Typi Folio Case

When I need to have a keyboard with me, I use the IPEVO Typi Folio Case and Wireless Keyboard. What is nice about this well-made leather case, is that the keyboard is easily detached and used on the table. This comes in handy when you are working with someone since they can then see the iPad's screen easily or can share in the typing tasks! The Bluetooth keyboard has a nice touch and lasts through about 12 hours of typing.

IPEVO Typi Wireless Keyboard

The case itself is not bulky, and you can access all the ports on the iPad while the case is on and there is even an opening in the back of the case for the camera lens.

It is available on Amazon or from IPEVO.

When I am presenting with the iPad, I have three different iPad holders I can use.

Higher Ground Podium iPad 2

The Higher Ground Podium iPad 2, which is a sturdy, reinforced nylon case like all of Higher Ground's products, also includes an innovative strap/Velcro method of adjusting the viewing angle of the iPad2 to your liking. This really helps when presenting on the podium, too. The iPad is held in by the built-in silicone case.

Higher Ground Podium iPad 2

However, the coolest thing about the Podium iPad 2 is the built-in elastic hand holder on the back. (Not just a simple strap!) You can see from the photo that you slip your hand through the elastic and grip the edge of the case. It makes you feel safe carrying your iPad around the classroom, workshop, or conference area since you have a really good grip on it!


IPEVO Perch

The next item I use when presenting is the IPEVO Perch Desktop Stand. This iPad stand easily rotates from landscape to portrait mode and is a perfect "perch" for the presenter podium when using the iPad to present my talks. The Perch has a weighted base that comes in three lengths-- the small height I use at the podium, a taller one for using while sitting in a chair, and the tallest one that is its own podium! The Perch is available through Amazon or IPEVO.

Merkury Innovations Swing Stand

And, finally, the last iPad stand I use lives in my tech stuff carry bag. It is the Merkury Innovations Swing Stand. It is lightweight, foldable, allows the iPad to be either in landscape and portrait mode, and is easy to use on the tray table in the airplane! It also works with any tablet or eReader, too.

Addendum 1/19/2012: I have been wanting one of the Pan Am retro bags and finally found the Pan Am Secret Agent laptop bag at a "reasonable" price (and with a coupon) on Punk.com. They have just come out with a new version of this bag, which costs about 30% more, and I like the original one better, so I finally made the purchase. Can't wait to use it!

What is your favorite tech bag, sleeve, case, or holder? Please share in the comments and include a URL so I can look at it! Thanks!

Pen with a purpose

2012-01-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

I had an electronic pen many years ago, even before tablet PCs were out, and it worked pretty well, but technology sure has improved this type of gadget!

I just purchased a Livescribe Echo 8 GB Smartpen Educational Bundle.

The bundle includes

The smartpen, 2 ink cartridges, 2 pen caps, and the USB cable
A small starter notebook
Livescribe Connect and Desktop software
One license for a Livescribe Self-Paced Training Course
The K-12 Idea Book
A non-inking stylus
The My Script Software for handwriting-text conversion

Livescribe Echo Smartpen

This smartpen can do so much, I do not know where to start! It has both a camera on the tip (which records your writing) and a mic on the side (which records your audio) and the ability to attach a mic/headphone to the top to make your audio recordings cleaner.

You control the collection of data by the pen by using special paper (which you can print out on your own printer, too) and by using special control areas on each page of the notebook to start the recording, set a bookmark as you go along, and playback, in addition to some other functions.

Controls on special paper

You hook the smartpen up to your computer with a USB connector when you are ready to move the files off the pen. You can then send the recordings to various places including your computer, your own Livescribe site, Evernote, Facebook, and, with certain models, Google Docs and Google Sites.

If you save the recording to your computer, the pencast, as the recording is called, gets wrapped in a PDF file that anyone with Adobe Acrobat can watch and listen to.

If you save the recording to your Livescribe site, you can make it public, send others a URL, and even embed it your blog or Website, like mine below. (Click on any text that is not yet green and you can see that the audio attached to that spot in the recording is played.)

A5 Starter Notebook p. 2

brought to you by Livescribe

The pen does much more, too!

Once you create the file and move it to your Livescribe Desktop software, you can click on any word in the file and hear the audio.
As with the Windows TabletPC OS, you can conduct a search on any word across all of the handwritten notes.
There are over 125 (mostly paid) applications you can install on the pen that do any number of things. The pen has a small OLED area, which is utilized by the pen software and installed software.
You can record just audio with the pen, without any special paper, if you wish.
With the My Script software (included in this bundle but not in the regular package you find at your local retailer) you can turn the handwritten text into typed text by OCR'ing your notes.

Livescribe supports K-12 use of the smarten with a site that includes ideas, as well as incentive programs for educators including the Livescribe Ambassador program.

If you are an educator and are interested in purchasing the educational bundle, please contact Debbie Yasenka of Engaged Learning Solutions at 404-731-3504 or via email at dyasenka@engagedlearningsolutions.com for information and pricing.

Using ePub books on the Kindle Fire

2011-12-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

Since the Kindle Fire is an Android device, there is a way to install the OverDrive Media Console to download ePub books from your local library. Of course, there are now Kindle downloads available in OverDrive, and you would pick those first. But sometimes the title is only available in ePub format or the Kindle copy is out.

Here is how you do it.

Overdrive site

On the Fire, you will need to do two things first.

Go to Settings, More, Device, and turn on "Allow installation of Applications from Unknown Sources". (You can turn this off when you are done with this install.)
Go to the Amazon Android store and download AndroXplorer, which allows you to browse the file structure on your Kindle Fire.

Using the Android Web browser, go to http://overdrive.com/Software/omc

Click on the Android option to download, and look right below the box for the link that states "If your device does not support Android Market, you can download OverDrive Media Console for Android from OverDrive." (Screenshot on left.) Click on that link.

Accept the licensing terms and you will see a short pop-up stating "downloading application". You will not be able to see the application in your Kindle Fire App menu yet.

Open the AndroXplorer application you downloaded on the Kindle Fire and navigate to the sdcard directory and then the Download directory. You will see "ODMediaConsoleSetup.apk" in the Download directory. Click on it and it will install the OverDrive Media Console on your Kindle Fire. (You can delete this downloaded file later once everything works.)

Add your library to the OverDrive app, and you can visit your public library's OverDrive site and download Adobe ePub books. If you do not have an Adobe account, you will be prompted to create one within the OverDrive app when necessary. OverDrive shows up in your App menu, now, too!

Kindle Fire: First Impressions

2011-12-01T20:15:00.001-05:00

Well, I took some time and worked with a friend's Kindle Fire and was actually quite impressed. While I was presenting in New Hampshire, I went out and purchased one.

I am really impressed with the device. Is it an "iPad replacement" for me? Absolutely not. The iPad borders on being a laptop replacement with its larger screen and thousands of apps that can do most anything!

The Kindle Fire is an Amazon device that delivers their movies, music in the Amazon Cloud, and, of course, their eBooks, in a small tablet form factor.

The screen is responsive, the tablet is speedy, and it fits easily into one hand for holding. With this size (7.5" x 4.7" x .5") one can actually put it in a purse or deep jacket pocket for carrying around. The battery life seemed to last a long time, although I did not watch any videos in full yet...just tried out the Amazon Prime customer list of free flicks!

Since I am not a regular Android user, I fumbled around a bit with navigation to the non-Amazon and Web stuff, but am slowly learning. There are few buttons and icons to pick, so, once I got over that, I was fine!

I can search the Amazon App Store by title of app, but not all applications in the regular Android Marketplace are available for the Kindle Fire. The only one I really miss not having is the Sling Player Mobile app, but perhaps it will come. The interesting thing is, when searching, one sees the titles that are available in the Android Marketplace when typing the search term, but they are not listed as downloadable. It is quite a downer to see the app on the list, but then not be able to download it for the Kindle.

I still prefer reading my books on the e-ink Kindle Touch, and reading on the Fire is not unlike reading with the iPad and iPhone Kindle app. It's okay for short periods of time, or when you are in the dark, but the e-ink is much kinder on the eyes.

For someone who does not have a tablet, the Kindle Fire, at $199, is a nice device to get you started. Of course, at the big box tech store where I purchased it, I was answering all types of questions and concerns from shoppers-- it is just something I do this time of year when shoppers have that dazed and confused look on their face.

Here are some links to reviews of the Kindle Fire that go into more depth than I do:

Kindle Touch 3G: First Impressions

2011-11-17T16:36:00.001-05:00

I finally was able to purchase the Kindle Touch 3G today. It was not even out for demo yet, but they pulled it out of a carton in the back of the store. I quickly tweeted about it, and, based on some of the responses I received, I realize that everyone has not been following this new device as closely as I have been!

Quick overview: This is the fourth generation Kindle and the first to have a touch screen. There have been Kindles with rocker arms, five-way controller buttons, and keyboards. I have had each version and really love the Kindle. My reasoning is simple. You can read outside in the bright sunlight and the battery life lasts forever.

The current Kindle line-up is a bit larger. As I explained to both the employees of the store I was in and potential purchasers, it does take a bit of thinking about before you decide what to buy.

The Kindle Fire is Amazon's new Android-based tablet. It does not have full access to the Android marketplace, but it seems to be intended to be used with Amazon's books, music, and videos. It also has additional apps available. (If you are an Amazon Prime member, you get access to some free books and movies.) I already have an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7", so, while the Fire is a great price ($199), I really did not need another tablet. And, since my goal was an e-ink device that is not backlit, easy on the eyes, can be used outside, weighs hardly anything (7.8 oz), and lasts forever on a charge, I never really had any intention of buying the Fire. However, if you do not own a tablet and want to step into the electronic book world and other media and apps as well, you should take a look at the Kindle Fire. Make sure to hold it in one hand for a while and read a bit in the store, to see if the 14.6 oz weight is okay for you.

If you are not interested in the Kindle Fire, there are some additional features you need to think about with the rest of the Kindle line-up.

Do you want WiFi or WiFi and 3G? (You also should realize that you can just hook the Kindle to your computer if you do not have WiFi available and load it up with books.)

Do you want "special offers" or no "special offers"? There is a price savings on the Kindles that contain special offers. The offers show up when the device goes to sleep, as screensavers, and at the bottom of the home screen.

Do you care about being able to have the book read aloud for titles that have that option enabled? Do you care about the ability to play music on the device while you read? Different models have different capabilities.

The entry-level Kindle sells for $79 with special offers and $99 without. It only comes in WiFi, does not read text aloud to you nor play music, and uses a five-way controller to highlight letters on an on-screen keyboard when you want to search for a book. It does have physical buttons along the edges to turn pages and additional buttons at the bottom for navigation. If you just want an e-reader this one is a good choice.

The Kindle Touch is WiFi only and sells for $99 with special offers and $139 without. This Kindle allows you to touch the screen to turn pages, flick up to scroll through chapters in books or view your lists of books, pinch to change the font size up or down, and type easily on an on-screen keyboard for all input boxes. The touch screen is very accurate from my brief experience so far.

The Kindle Touch 3G has both WiFi and 3G access, in addition to all the features on the Kindle Touch. It sells for $149 with special offers and $189 without.

Every Kindle owner who has Amazon Prime now also gets access to the "Kindle Owner's Lending Library" with access to download a free book each month. This option is not available on other devices (like tablets) that use the Kindle App to read books-- it is only for any Amazon Kindle owners.

I debated about which model to purchase. The Kindle also has an experimental Web browser that, before this version of the Kindle, allowed you to go anywhere on the Web. With the 3G model, you could tweet, check email, get directions and more, wherever you were. The experimental browser on the new generation Touch 3G now only goes to all Web sites over WiFi, so I had decided on the Kindle Touch with no special offers.

(Added later today: I found out that you can unsubscribe from special offers if you feel they are intrusive from your "Manage My Kindle" page on Amazon. You pay the difference that you saved-- in my case, it would be $40 if I decided I hated the ads.)

However, when I saw screenshots which showed how unobtrusive the offers were, I opted for the $149 Kindle Touch 3G with offers. This will allow me to download books where ever I am, and it was only $10 more than the Kindle Touch with no offers I had been considering. The experimental browser over 3G only goes Amazon and Wikipedia but goes everywhere over WFi. (One other point...with any Kindle version you get free WiFi access at any AT&T hotspot.)

In addition, in case you missed it, Overdrive (online e-book library) now offers books in Kindle format for any of the Kindles, back to version 1. Visit your local public library's Web site, enroll for Overdrive if they offer it, and search the library collection by Kindle format. Once you check-out the Kindle book for 7 or 14 days, it shows up in your book list on Amazon.com and can be sent to your Kindle.

My initial impressions of the Kindle Touch is that the screen responds well to direct touches, it is easy to turn pages since you do not have to swipe (although you can if you want), and it is much smaller than the previous Kindle Keyboard. I love it!

Did you get one of the new Kindles? What do you think?

(11/18/11) I looked at all the cases and settled on the M-Edge Latitude for the Kindle Touch. It is a zippered slip-case that is small, hard-sided, and holds the Touch in with four corner anchors. I read the Kindle with no case, but I feel better knowing it will not fall out of the case when I unzip the three sides! I picked it up at Staples, it is not yet on Amazon's site, and you can, of course, get it from the M-Edge site. It sells for $34.99.

Share your iPad app list with others

2011-11-09T07:41:00.004-05:00

Tom Barrett tweeted a question today asking how to share your entire iPad app collection with someone. After a little research, I came up with a post on this page and followed the directions. Here is the first of the 12-page app list on my iPad.

First page of PDF printout of my iPad apps

Since the directions I found were posted back in 2010 (and I was using a Mac) I went through the steps again. Here are the edited directions for creating a list of the apps on your iOS device to share with others.

Open iTunes on your computer.
On the file menu, pick VIEW-AS LIST
You can pick a column to sort by for the final list, for instance name, genre, etc.
Select PRINT from the file menu and, in the print dialog box, select "Song Listing" and, in the in the theme drop-down box, select "Custom".
Click the "Page Setup" button and select landscape mode to avoid word wrapping and click OK.
Click PRINT in the print dialog box which will take you to your regular print menu where you can pick a printer or print/save to PDF to get a PDF file.


Screenshot of the choices in the dialog boxes

Thank you to Tom for posting the question. This is an easy way for us to share our list of apps!

AppleTV, Airplay, and VGA

2011-10-25T12:17:00.000-05:00

I really love the AppleTV and AirPlay combo which allows me to mirror my iPhone 4s and iPad2. However, if I am going to move to the iPad as my presentation device, I would like to use it wirelessly, too. And, more importantly, the iPad's 30-pin connector port can be used to keep it charged, rather than being taken up by the VGA dongle.

After some discussions with Steve Dembo (@teach42), he told me he had used a device to do this already. I did my research, did some reading, and decided to try it out. The device I used is called the "LinkStyle HD Video Converter" and is available via Amazon.

A couple of notes:
A simple VGA to HDMI connector will not work for this purpose.
For hookup to a television monitor, you may need a pin-pin VGA cable. (The converter box has a port, as does my television.)
Since VGA does not carry audio, you will need a separate audio cable. The converter box has an 1/8" jack (headphone and computer speaker size) for audio out. You can plug speakers right into the converter or use adapters to get it to whatever your audio output device needs.

It was easier to create a graphic then explain the process, so you will see that below.

Click on image to enlarge

Serendipitous Discoveries

2011-10-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

I am creating a presentation dealing with online tools and utiities for my January webinar for the edWeb.community, PD in Action, and I am learning some new features of the tools that I have used for a long time! It is always a good thing to go back and re-visit the features of the tools because, over time, they all become better and better!

For example, I am typing this blog entry in ZohoWriter and I am going to post it directly to my blog from within ZohoWriter. It will be interesting to see how that works out. (Well, I could not do a direct post, but I was able to save it out of ZohoWriter as HTML and past the HTML into Blogger. I assume I could not do it since I have a custom Blogger URL.)

In addition, when doing research for the presentation dealing with strategies for the role of teacher as facilitator to support student learning, I bumped up against the "flipped classroom" model. I had been hearing about it for a couple of years, but never really had investigated how it works and the impact it has on student learning. (Where have I been?) What a great model!

I have to give it more thought, but I do not know if every teacher can totally "flip" their classroom. A blended model of some "flipped" days and some "non-flipped" might be a great topic for a PLC and for teacher or curriculum team goal-setting for a school year. Here is a overview of the model from the teachers who developed it, Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann.

Wonder what other discoveries I will find today?

BTW, If you are interested in the upcoming webinar, just sign up for the "PD in Action" community and you will find the information about the next four months of presentations.

iPads in the Classroom

2011-09-25T10:03:00.001-05:00


http://www.flickr.com/photos/timlauer/5407980960/

As many of you know, I have created an "iPads in the Classroom" support page here: http://linkyy.com/ipad. I include tutorials, lists of apps and related materials, a special education section, a Blooms/iPad app section, and a section dealing with successful uses in the classroom.

Since school has started, I have been monitoring a Google Alert in my Google Reader, selecting "iPads in the classroom" as the key phrase I am interested in. I am amazed at the number of posts on this single topic in such a short period of time! The posts come from media outlets, parent Web sites, teacher blogs and wikis, school district media briefs, and many other places.

It is interesting to me that many of the posts are extolling the fact there are now iPads in the classrooms in their school, district, state, etc. I am waiting patiently for follow-up information on how the devices are being utilized to impact teaching and learning.

I know we are early in the game, but let's get to it, fellow educators! Those of you that are lucky enough to have a 1:1 tablet initiative, please post your findings on a daily basis. Even a simple Twitter post (hashtag #edtablet) with the URL of your blog, wiki, Weebly page, Google doc, or to where ever you are publishing your insights, data, or cautions, can help others convince their administrators or school boards that a personal portable device, with a student 24x7, can impact teaching and learning in a real way!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kathy's Konsumer Korner (v.1)

2011-09-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share some of my new technology gadget finds (okay, purchases) with you. Perhaps they might meet a need for you or for another tech geek in your life!

ZuniConnect Travel Router (Zuni Digital)

This tiny 802.11n router (3.86" x 2.37"x 0.65") allows you to hook to a wired connection and create a wireless access point or it allows you to hook to an existing wireless connection and create a wireless hotspot for other devices to connect to. The ZuniConnect includes two USB charging ports, too, and comes in a study case with a tiny Ethernet cable and the AC adapter. (Amazon $49.95)

iHome IB969G Charging Station (iHome)

I have lots of gadgets and also need more desk space. This charging station includes a single iOS sync/charge connection, an iOS charge-only connection, and two USB ports to charge two other devices. The front pulls open to hold an ereader or other small tablet. It is perfect for holding my iPhone, iPod Nano, Kindle, and iPad. (I still hook to a USB port on my computer for the iPad since I want to sync and charge. I use the second charging port for my Garmin GPS). One downside is that the weight of the iPad makes the station a bit tippy, but I you can just weigh down the front underneath and all should be fine! You may have to buy inserts for the iOS charging docks if the device you have needs a different one. (Amazon $44.24)

Nikon Coolpix S6100 Touchscreen Digital Camera (Nikon)

I admit it. I love Nikon cameras. I have a Nikon DSLR, the Nikon P7000 midsize, and now have the Nikon Coolpix S6100 as my point and shoot. I had been playing with this camera at the store for a while. I was first attracted by the 7X optical zoom (28-196) and also by the ease of use a touchscreen provides. It has vibration reduction, a motion sensor to allow you take moving photos with less blurring, and even has a Best Shot Selector which take ten shots and picks the sharpest image for you. There is a Smile Timer which does not take the photo until the subject smiles and an in-camera Red-Eye fix. But, the touchscreen is the best feature. No dials to turn or joysticks to wiggle and it takes no time at all to learn how to use it! Oh, and it takes good pictures, too! (Amazon $164.00)

Video Capture for Mac (Elgato)

I had some videotapes I wanted to transfer to my iMac and I mistakenly thought I could do video-in to my camcorder. I searched for various solutions, and came up with the Elgato Video capture for Mac. One end is a USB connection and the other end includes S-video, composite video, and two audio connections. I know that S-video and composite are not at the top of the heap of video quality, but ease-of-use trumped video quality for me. (And the quality was just fine, by the way!) The ability to put recorded videotapes into our one remaining VCR and hook up the Elgato to the video and audio-out jacks of the VCR and record directly into the computer was great! You can record in both MPEG-4 and H.264 formats. (Amazon $77.99)

That wraps it up for this edition of Kathy's Konsumer Korner! Let me know about new things you have found in the comments!

Leadership Day 2011: Honing Your PLN

2011-08-05T07:46:00.013-05:00

Year 5 of the Leadership Day initiative, spearheaded by Scott McLeod, is being held today. I had not been aware of it in years past.

The instructions are for educational technologists to "blog about whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs, wants, resources, ideas, etc. Write a letter to the administrators in your area. Post a top ten list. Make a podcast or a video. Highlight a local success or challenge. Recommend some readings. Do an interview of a successful technology leader."

Some of things suggested to help out administrators are to help them with strategies for determining:

what it means to prepare students for the digital, global world in which we now live
how to recognize, evaluate, and facilitate effective technology usage by students and teachers
what appropriate technology support structures (e.g., budget, staffing, infrastructure, training) look like or how to implement them
how to utilize modern technologies to facilitate communication with internal and external stakeholders
the ways in which learning technologies can improve student learning outcomes
how to utilize technology systems to make their organizations more efficient and effective

I have not participated in this initiative in the past, but I think it is an extremely important event. And, in addition, just the process the for the day is a way to mentor for administrators how to communicate, use their PLN to spread the news and to learn about new initiatives, and use the "power of many" for all types of things.

Patrick's post that led me to this initiative

For instance, I learned about #LeadershipDay11 this morning, via Patrick Larkin (@bhsprincipal) on Twitter. He is an important part of my personal learning network because, as a school principal and very involved in social media and training of other administrators, he brings a new dimension to the type of information I receive. He consistently targets successful practices in technology use in schools but it is through the eyes of an administrator. Patrick is someone I happen to know in real-life, too, but he was a trusted source of information well before I ever met him in person.

Administrators need to hone their personal/professional learning network in this way. Start following Patrick on Twitter, and then take a look at who HE follows. He is an expert in his field, and chances are very good that he follows many other experts that one can learn from.

Result of advanced search in Twitter search tool

Or simply use the Twitter advanced search tool to search by various topics you are interested in and find some people to follow. But, don't forget to "pay it forward"-- become a participant in the process, too. Answer questions posted by others or re-tweet great posts to your followers.

Screenshot of recent #edchat post

Administrators should also pencil in the weekly #edchat session on Twitter or read through the archives to explore new ideas, tips, tricks, and find others to follow.

This same skillset is what we are trying to help students develop as we prepare then for the digital, global workforce and world-- find the experts, participate in the process, and collaborate. With the information explosion, there is no way anyone can know everything. However, knowing where to turn with a question or when trying to keep up with what is going on in a certain field, is a skill that will lead to our students to become lifelong learners!

Kudos to Scott and all the other bloggers who will contribute today!

Open letter to parents: Laptop choice for college

2011-07-27T10:48:00.000-05:00


CC: www.flickr.com/photos/utnapistim/73429019/

Around this time of year, as the back-to-school sales start showing up online and in stores, I receive emails from parents who are asking my advice about which laptop to purchase for their college freshman. Of course, I have to write back and ask some additional questions about their choice of OS, their planned laptop budget, what major the student is planning to pursue, what else besides schoolwork the student wants to do with the computer, if the laptop is going to be the single machine of the student's, and what school their child will be attending.

The last question is really the most important. I have heard horror stories from college students who purchase a laptop online or in the store of a retailer. Then, at some point during college (usually when they need it the most) the laptop breaks down. The student winds up spending hours on the phone with the laptop manufacturer's tech support or winds up being without the laptop for a few days after they drop it off at the retailer's repair shop.

There are tons of laptops on the market to pick from, but my recommendation is for the student to purchase it through their college's online store. Many colleges have standardized on a Windows-OS laptop brand and the Apple laptops. By purchasing the laptop through the college, the student receives an academic discount as well as the peace of mind to realize their college usually has brand-certified repair personnel either on-staff or on-contract. The student can simply walk into the technology department in their college bookstore and get the help they need. (In addition, at this time of year, there are online purchasing incentives with the purchase of a laptop for college. For example, a Windows-based machine over $699 garners the student a free xBox360 and the purchase of an Apple laptop comes with a $100 gift card to the Mac App store.)

Some things to consider:

A budget for a laptop that will serve a student well will not cost under $1000. Matter of fact, that should be the starting point. Parents should plan to spend $1000-1500 for this new laptop. If a student has a decent desktop, and will only be using the laptop for taking notes in class, then a less-powerful and cheaper one (or even an iPad and external keyboard! will work. Most of the price of a laptop is determined by the processor and its speed, the amount of RAM (4 GB minimum!), the video card RAM (512 or better) and the size and type of the hard drive. (The screen size is part of the cost, but, sometimes, the smaller screens carry a premium price!)

Even if the laptop is also going to be the student's desktop machine, do not go for the massive 16-17" monster machine. It is way too heavy to lug around and will not fit nicely on a college chair-desk. Keep the weight of the laptop to under 5 pounds. A 13 or 14" (maybe even a thin 15") with a decent resolution will be just fine. The price of a large external monitor for the student's desk, if the student feels they need a larger screen at times, will be under $150. (I currently like the Acer S211HL BD 21.5" monitor ($140) because it is really bright and crisp.)

Wait until the student visits the college bookstore to purchase their Office or iWork suite, since the academic pricing in the college store is often the best pricing.)

I also am often asked if the laptop will be able to last through the student's college career. I tell them, with the wear and tear on a laptop that is carried around in a backpack, used everywhere from the cafeteria to the campus bus, it is likely that a second laptop will probably be needed at the beginning of junior year.

Any thoughts to contribute to the conversation?

Ruminations on the first month of retirement

2011-07-14T05:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/
klm_digital_snaps/5910285716/

It has been almost a month since I left the office for the last time and, although I do not think I look as relaxed as those retirees that come back to visit the school, I am getting there!

The ISTE11 Conference was first on the retirement "to-do" list. This year's conference in Philadelphia was just buzzing with positive energy! The sessions were varied and well-done, and the entire event was one of the best ISTE Conferences I have attended. My infographics presentation was well-received and the poster session I co-presented with Kim Conner, my district's middle school ITS, dealing with our "Manufacturing Across the Curriculum" Verizon Foundation grant was fun to do, too!

From there it was on to Hershey, PA to visit a high school friend and then home to get ready to travel to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts to present at the Southern Berkshire Educational Collaborative where I presented to a great group of principals and educators. David Warlick and I tag-teamed throughout the two days, and we seem to complement each other-- his down-home, southern charm is in direct contrast to my rapid-fire New Jersey style, but it seemed to work well!

In between, I have had time to try out all the new tech things that have been introduced. Google+ was released and I had the luxury of time to try to wrap my head around it and to attend and host lots of hangouts with friends and edtech colleagues. It takes some getting used to, but there are plenty of instructional videos available to help you out. And, there was the new Skype-in-Facebook to try out, too-- a one-to-one video conferencing option built into Facebook. It is smooth and easy to use!

I have signed agreements with McGraw-Hill, Follett, and eGenio, all to provide some form or another of professional development over the next year or so. (Watch for announcements of all kinds of Webinars if you are interested!) I continue, of course, to take care of my Discovery Education site, Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators and will continue with that as long as they will have me!

If you are interested in learning more about the use of infographics as a classroom assessment tool, I am teaching a 9-week, online graduate course this fall through our state ISTE affiliate, MassCUE. And, I continue to teach the Web 2.0 course in the Wilkes/Discovery Education Instructional Media program. You do not have to be in the program to take a course, and the courses are all practical and would support any level and any curriculum.

In addition, since I now have the time, I will be presenting at lots of places during the school year. The list thus far looks like this. It is exciting to be able to have the chance to provide professional development to educators around the country!

People tell me I will miss "school" once September comes. However, as I think about my previous job, which included taking care of the infrastructure, participating in data projects, Web publishing, doing the tech purchasing, meeting DOE requirements and filing reports, monitoring tech support for 1200 computers spread across 8 sites, and providing professional development when it fit into all of that, I realize that I will not miss most of it. I will miss the teachers and students who were the reason I did what I did, but now I can concentrate on what I love the best-- helping teachers with strategies, tips, tricks, and information to embed technology meaningfully into their curriculum to best support teaching and learning!

The times they are a changin...

2011-06-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

I have four more work days and then 3 professional days for ISTE11 left in my Massachusetts teaching career. I recently had a taste of my "new" life when visiting Buffalo Public Schools the week before last and Fort Bend (TX) ISD this past week. It is a lot of fun to speak to teachers and learn about their district tech priorities. I think I probably learn more from them then they learn from me!

My plans for retirement are heating up! I am excited to have contracts with McGraw-Hill and Follett in the area of edtech professional development. I will still be teaching my Wilkes/Discovery Master's classes, working on my Discovery page (Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators) and I have six presentation gigs lined up between now and December!

Spotlight Speaker
Infographics in the Classroom as a Creative Assessment
June 27, 2011; 2:30-3:30 pm in PACC Grand Ballroom B
Poster Session
Using the Manufacturing Process Across the Curriculum to Target Literacies
June 29, 2011; 8:00 -10:00 am in Poster Session Area (Broad St. Atrium #30)
ISTE Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA
June 26-29, 2011

Presenter
Infographics in the Classroom as a Creative Assessment
Twitter for Administrators
Connecting Your Classroom to the Future
South Berkshire Educational Collaborative, South Barrington, MA
July 11 and 12, 2011

Keynote and Workshop Presenter
Rhinebeck Central School District Superintendent's Conference Day
October 7, 2011

Featured Presenter
4 presentations TBD
GATEC Conference, GWCC, Atlanta, GA
November 3, 2011; Time (tentative): 3:00-4:00 pm and 4:15-5:15 pm
November 4, 2011; Time (tentative): 8:30-9:30 am and 9:45-10:45 am

Featured Presenter
Infographics in the Classroom as a Creative Assessment
Connecting Your Classroom to the Future
Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference, Manchester, NH
December 1, 2011; 10:00am-11:00am and 1:00pm-2:00pm

Keynote
Infographics in the Classroom as a Creative Assessment
R.I.P: Respect for Intellectual Property
Mid South Technology Conference, Memphis, TN
December 8 & 9, 2011

I have a couple of other irons in the fire, too, but news of those will have to wait.

People ask me if I feel nostalgic about retiring from my district. I don't. I see it as an exciting new chapter in my life with the opportunity to grow my knowledge and expertise!

The times they are a changin'....

Moving a video into Keynote (finally!)

2011-05-06T18:49:00.003-05:00

Okay, I was determined to use the iPad to present yesterday, so I had created the presentation on the desktop in Keynote and moved it to the iPad through the file sharing in iTunes. I just dragged it to the area next to the Keynote app and it moved over to the iPad the next time I synced. You can see this below. (Fig. 1)


Fig. 1 Moving a Keynote file from the computer to the iPad via iTunes

The presentation worked perfectly when I tested it via the VGA connection. All embedded movies worked, and things looked great! However, before I presented, I found another great video to use in the presentation. I only had the iPad, and did not know how to get the video into the PHOTOS app on the iPad, which is the only place Keynote on the iPad would pull it from. I tried iWork, DropBox, iDisk, and emailing the file to myself. I could play it on the iPad, but not insert it into the presentation.

It seems as if the only way you can get a video into the PHOTOS app is by using the computer you regularly sync with. I first tried loading the video into iTunes, and syncing, but that put the video in the VIDEOS app on the iPad which Keynote cannot import from.

So, here is my solution.

Fig. 2 Folder on computer containing images and videos

Go into the Pictures folder on your computer.

Create a folder (mine is called "_pics for iphone") (Fig. 2)
Put the photos AND videos you want to use with Keynote on the iPad into this folder
Go into iTunes and choose the PHOTOS tab.
Chose to "sync photos from pictures" (instead of iPhoto). (Fig. 3)
Pick "selected folders"
Check "include videos"
Check the folder you created which contains your assets.

Fig. 3 Setup in iTunes for syncing a particular folder of images & videos to the iPad

The items now all wind up in the PHOTOS app, as you can see from the screenshot below. (Fig. 4)


Fig. 4 Photos and the video in the iPad Photos app

Once you open Keynote on the iPad, add a new slide, and chose the MEDIA tab, you can easily chose the video from the PHOTOS app to embed into the presentation. (Fig. 5)


Fig. 5 Selecting the video file from the Photos app in Keynote on the iPad

And, finally, the video is embedded in the Keynote presentation on the iPad. (Fig. 6)

Fig. 6 Media embedded in the Keynote presentation on the iPad

You will need to know this process if you are planning to add media to a presentation you create on the iPad or add media to one that you have moved from the desktop to the iPad. I hope this blog post helped you out! (And, by the way, giving the presentation from the iPad yesterday was a breeze!)

Addendum (5/8/11)

When creating a Jing screencast sometimes, even after embedding it on Keynote for the Mac and moving the file to the iPad, the video is not accepted. I have found that the best format for videos to put in Keynote presentations on the Mac to make sure they work on the iPad, are mp4s with the codecs of H.264 and AAC.
I also found out that embedded audio files in a Keynote for the Mac presentation don't move over to the iPad. I had to make little movies of static images and put the sound files as the audio line in the mp4 in order to play the sounds in Keynote on the iPad.

Addendum (5/13/11)

Mike Wakefield sent a comment yesterday, but due to the "great Blogger outage" it was lost. He states "Kathy - I had no problems with a video (h.264) I e-mailed myself on the iPad2; when I touched the reply/fwd arrow in the (iPad) e-mail app, I just hit the "save video" option and it popped it right into my Photos file on the iPad. From there, I was able to bring it into Keynote with no issue." I tried it and it worked like a charm...thanks, Mike!
@WebGalPat on Twitter tried a "regular" mp4, and it worked just fine, too! Thanks, Pat!

Learning Keynote for the iPad

2011-05-01T15:20:00.010-05:00

I have moved myself from PowerPoint to Keynote on the Mac in the last year for creation of my presentations. For those of you that do not use Keynote, there is one major difference between Keynote and PowerPoint.

When I create PowerPoint presentations with linked videos or audios, I had to make sure to bring the media files along with my presentation when I went out to speak. Keynote, on the other hand, embeds all the media files right within the Keynote file itself, so I only have to take one (large) file with me! This is a huge relief for those of us that were always worrried that we might forget one of the linked videos for our PowerPoint presentations!

When Keynote for the iPad came out, I was very excited since it was very easy to move my Keynote files from my computer through iTunes, iWork, or my iDisk to Keynote on the iPad. All the sound files, movies and the standard transitions and timings worked great on the iPad. And, once the latest version of Keynote for the iPad came out, and I could see my presenter notes on the iPad while presenting, I began to present directly from the iPad with the VGA-out connector!

The one thing I had not done was create a Keynote presentation on the iPad itself. I purchased the Visual Quickstart Guide, Keynote for the iPad, by Tom Negrino and found that it is really well-written. As one that learns well from manuals, I read it through it and tried some things out.

However, an iPad app, Tutor for Keynote for iPad by Noteboom Productions, was recommended by my friend Midge Frazel, and I decided to demo it. It is made up of a series of screencast tutorial videos and is chunked beautifully! The speaker's voice is calm and low-key, and the tutorials are very easy to follow.

Screenshot from Tutor for Keynote for the iPad

The screencasts are broken up into the follow chapters:

Introduction
Presentation Sample
Presentation Sample Close Up
Keynote Interface
Virtual Keyboard
Themes
Working with Slides
Skipping Slides
Working with Objects
Deleting Slides and Objects
Working with Text
Working with Media
Working with Tables
Working with Charts
Working with Shapes
Hyperlinks
Copy and Paste
Transitions
Magic Move Transition
Using Builds
Presentation Notes
Laser Pointer
Sharing
Conclusion

After watching the entire series of tutorials and experimenting with Keynote on my iPad after each chapter, I realized that Keynote on the iPad is full-featured enough for teachers and students to utilize it for creating their presentations. You really do not need to have access to a presentation program on a desktop if you have an iPad. With the purchase of the Keynote for the iPad application for $9.99 and this Tutor for Keynote for iPad app for $3.99, you and your students can have both a wonderful tutorial series and the software you need to create stunning presentations with enough bells and whistles to keep any student engaged!

Winner of the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z!

2011-04-22T18:08:00.008-05:00

Thank you to all the educators who participated by populating the spreadsheet with almost 200 interactive tools that would take advantage of the touchscreen on the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z. The spreadsheet is located here if you are interested in viewing the list of the tools!

As the rules stated, if there were any duplications of tools submitted, the later submission was deleted from the spreadsheet before I picked the winner. (There were five duplicate sites submitted.)

I used the Random Name Generator suggested by Richard Byrne, to pick the winner. It is a great little tool and one you should put in your classroom technology toolbox!

The winner of the Lenovo M90z is Megan Black!

Screenshot of the result from the Random Name Generator

Congratulations to her, and thank you again to everyone who participated! And thanks also to Lenovo and Ivy Worldwide for running this contest!

If you wanted some other chances to win a ThinkCenter M90z, take a look at the list below for additional giveaway contests!

Lenovo M90z Giveaway Participants

Site	Start	End Date

Free Tech 4 Teachers	Apr 14	Apr 18
Ilja Coolen \ ICSS	Apr 15	Apr 19
Physician Mom	Apr 16	Apr 20
Scrubd In	Apr 17	Apr 21
Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch	Apr 18	Apr 22
Steve Hargadon.com	Apr 19	Apr 23
Box of Tricks	Apr 21	Apr 25
Clinton Fitch.com	Apr 22	Apr 26
Around the Corner	Apr 23	Apr 27
Tech Savvy Ed	Apr 25	Apr 29
Small Biz Technology	Apr 26	Apr 30
Ablet Factory	Apr 27	May 1
Click Newz	Apr 28	May 2
Geekazine	Apr 29	May 3
21st Century Education Technology	Apr 30	May 4
A GeekyMomma's Blog	May 1	May 5
Marsha Collier's Musings	May 2	May 6
VA Networking	May 3	May 7
Your Virtual Assistant	May 4	May 8
Jake Ludington's Media Blab	May 5	May 9
Mobile PC World	May 6	May 10
Dangerously Irrelevant	May 7	May 11
Bud the Teacher	May 8	May 12
Kikolani	May 9	May 13
Geeks To Go	May 10	May 14
Chad Lehman.com	May 11	May 15

Bloomin' Google redux

2011-04-12T08:11:00.002-05:00

There has been much positive feedback to my Bloomin' Google page (http://kathyschrock.net/googleblooms/) Thanks to all who sent me notes!

But, through my Google Alerts, I have seen that others are questioning the use of the tool and where I placed things and the limiting of the creativity of teachers. (Geesh!) There were various reasons for its development and why I put things where I put them.

Finding and utilizing ALL of the Google Tools gave me a good 100 hours of experience across the board. I was able to eliminate the tools that are just information sources and focus on the rest.
Being an a avid follower and studier of Andrew Churches work with the Revised Bloom's Digital Taxonomy for the past year, I feel I really understand how it works. I had created, with his permission, my own version of the triangle using mainstream Web 2.0 tools and utilities, and had been showcasing that in various presentations.
As a Google Certified Teacher, I wanted to see if Google even HAD the tools to target each level of the taxonomy. I made the decision as to what level I assigned them to based on my years of experience with teachers and students and curriculum and assessment.
Another of my goals was to introduce teachers to the "less common" tools in hopes they would explore them. I, too, found out so many cool things about the tools while working on this project. I have since adapted my presentation about the Digital Taxonomy to showcase the lesser-known Google tools that can be used at various levels.

I stand by my choices, and could have included the rationale for why I put things on the various levels. It truly was hard to do, and I put a lot of thought into it. However, I felt it was better if I stepped back and allowed the creative teacher minds to contribute to the spreadsheet of ideas both with their successful practices and ideas sparked by "Bloomin' Google".

In addition, there has been some chatter as to the Creative Commons license type I assigned to the information I created. I don't want alternate versions out there that are attributed to me. This one is mine, and you can use it, but think about ways you can develop your own.

For instance, if you are a content area teacher, create a Digital Taxonomy using the online tools and sites relative to that content area. (You are the creative content expert, not me!) Provide the justification for what you picked or provide a form for others in your content area to add to the information you present.

I hope this provides information in addition to the 140 character tweet that announced the project and the previous blog post!

Kathy

Lenovo Thinkcentre M90z Contest (April 18-22)

2011-04-10T08:16:00.049-05:00

I am part of the second round of the giveaway promotion of the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z. This promotion, administered by The Influential Network on behalf of Lenovo, has people in various jobs create a contest to support their area of expertise. Each giveaway is run for 5 days and, once it is closed, a single winner from each contest is chosen to receive a ThinkCentre M90z from those who participate in the contest.

There are a few of us in the educational technology field participating in the giveways, and, since one of the participants has his contest running first and had the same idea as I did, I am going to change my parameters. Richard Byrne will be gathering the information I was interested in and there is no reason to have it duplicated.

I posted a blog entry about my initial impression of the Thinkcentre M90z here a few months ago. You might want to read it and read up on this great new machine!

My contest runs from April 18, 2011 at 6am (UTC -4:00) until April 22, 2011 at 7pm (UTC -4:00). The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on this site at 8pm (UTC -4:00). My contest will be open to anyone in education (whether practicing teachers, undergrad or graduate education students, or educational consultants) and will ask participants to contribute an online resource that works well (and is pedagogically-sound) using the touchscreen of the Lenovo.

Our students are very "into" touchscreens with the influx of tablets into schools and their own personal lives. I have seen young children try to use a desktop computer's screen as a touchscreen, and, of course, it does not work!

However, this model of the Lenovo Thinkcentre M90z DOES have a touchscreen, so I will be asking you to find some good resources to take advantage of that capability.

The link to my contest page is here. Below, you will also find links to all of the others who are participating in this giveaway and the dates of their contests (and you will find some really cool new blogs to follow, too!)

Update April 18, 2011: Link to my contest page!

Lenovo M90z Giveaway Participants

Site	Start	End Date

Free Tech 4 Teachers	Apr 14	Apr 18
Ilja Coolen \ ICSS	Apr 15	Apr 19
Physician Mom	Apr 16	Apr 20
Scrubd In	Apr 17	Apr 21
Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch	Apr 18	Apr 22
Steve Harg adon.com	Apr 19	Apr 23
Box of Tricks	Apr 21	Apr 25
Clinton Fitch.com	Apr 22	Apr 26
Around the Corner	Apr 23	Apr 27
Tech Savvy Ed	Apr 25	Apr 29
Small Biz Technology	Apr 26	Apr 30
Ablet Factory	Apr 27	May 1
Click Newz	Apr 28	May 2
Geekazine	Apr 29	May 3
21st Century Education Technology	Apr 30	May 4
A GeekyMomma's Blog	May 1	May 5
Marsha Collier's Musings	May 2	May 6
VA Networking	May 3	May 7
Your Virtual Assistant	May 4	May 8
Jake Ludington's Media Blab	May 5	May 9
Mobile PC World	May 6	May 10
Dangerously Irrelevant	May 7	May 11
Bud the Teacher	May 8	May 12
Kikolani	May 9	May 13
Geeks To Go	May 10	May 14
Chad Lehman.com	May 11	May 15

Google Tools and Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

2011-03-30T05:14:00.006-05:00

Facts.

Leslie Owen Wilson provides a good overview of Anderson and Krathwol revised Bloom's Taxonomy which was updated in 2000.
Andrew Churches developed a model, called Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, to highlight the use of tools and technologies at each level to facilitate learning.
Alex Ambrose (2009) created a site dedicated to his idea of Googlios, the use of Google tools to support the creation of student ePortfolios to enhance their personal learning environment.

After looking through the wealth of information offered by Andrew and Alex, and having already developed my own version of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy with my favorite Web 2.0 tools for students to use at each cognitive level, I decided to combine the two-- a Bloom's Digital Taxonomy using ONLY the suite of tools offered by Google.

Boy, was I surprised! Even as a Google Certified Teacher, there were so many cool new tools that I did not know about! Google has purchased some already created, and there are some neat ones in Google Labs, which, hopefully, will "graduate" soon and become part of the core group of Google Tools.

I explored 51 Google tools as I figured out how they met Andrew's criteria for each level of the Bloom's Digital Taxonomy. I justified their use, and some appear in all levels, some in various, and some only in a single level. In my presentation about "Connecting Your Classroom to the Future", I am redoing the section which highlights Web 2.0 tools and highlighting instead the "less-mainstream" Google tools.

I developed a clickable graphic to allow educators to make their own judgments on how the tools can be used to support student learning at each level. I know you creative educators will come up with great ideas to for their use. (Hum, I think I will add a Google form to that page to allow educators to contribute their ideas, too!) The screenshot of the very busy graphic is below, and you can find the information and clickable graphic at this URL: http://kathyschrock.net/googleblooms/

http://kathyschrock.net/googleblooms/

Let me know via email or comments or Twitter what you think of it!

First impressions of the iPad 2

2011-03-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I ordered the iPad 2 at 4am yesterday morning, but it was not going to arrive for more than a week, so I just went to my local Best Buy and was able to get the same model I had ordered in my hand today! (Online inventory reporting is a great thing!) Got the white, 64gb, WiFi & 3G, AT&T version.

With a simple call to AT&T, I was able to transfer my unlimited data plan to the new iPad 2 without a problem. (Hint for anyone else who is planning to do that-- sync the new iPad to your iTunes account and transfer all the stuff from your old iPad over before you call, so you do not have to stay on the phone for 30 minutes with AT&T. They were very helpful, but wanted to make sure the transfer of the account worked, so I had a lovely conversation with the agent about any number of things as all of my data and 253 iOS apps and 700 songs moved to the new device!)

Reasons I purchased the new iPad 2

Craved the mirroring of the screen via the VGA dongle which makes training and showcasing apps oh-so-nice! I know, I could have jailbroken the old one, but did not want to go that route.
The two cameras, one for Facetime and one for photos and video so I can now use all my cool iOS photography apps on the iPad. I can also take movies and dump them right into iMovie or ReelDirector on the iPad 2.
Reportedly (and oh-so-true!) faster app launches
I so wanted a white iPad. I was tired of the black-on-black color scheme.


Mirroring of the iPad 2 onto my TV

Things I did not really care about but which are very nice

The new one is thinner than the original but very sturdy
It is lighter, too, but it does not really seem that it is 15% lighter.
The new cover, which I was not going to get, but did. Besides keeping the screen very clean, the ability to type on the slant and, more importantly, hold the folded back cover in your hand as you use the iPad, is a big plus. Plus the magnetic way it attaches and turns the device on and off is very neat!

If you have any questions or want me to try some things out, please let me know!