The best of Google

Recently, I attended the TCEA Conference and Convention. At the conference, I had the pleasure of listening to Amy Mayer of friEdTechnology. And, along the way, I picked up a few new Google Apps and extensions that are must haves!

Check them out!

Fun video on Chrome: Chromercise

Apps (Search for these in the Chrome Web Store):

• Read & Write--good app for allow kids to listen to text
• Chromespeak--will read text on Websites for you--
• Webpage screenshot--can edit Webpages
• TabScissors--combines all Chrome windows into one
• TabGlue
• AdBlock: blocks all ads on Websites
• Save to Google Drive
• Window Resizer
• Evernote Web Clipper
• Clear History
• ScreenLeap
• Big G Black Bar Sorter
• Follow J.R--http://www.jrorinion.com
• Quixey
• PicMonkey--Really cool avatar! (can open up in Google Drive)
• MarkUp--can mark up a webpage and publish that mark up
• Sound gecko--will record a webpage and send it as a mp3 file
• incredible startpage--share at next Tech Thursdays
• Fun tip: in Google Docs, go: up, ,up, down, down, left arrow, right, left, right, b, a, enter...this will reverse the screen
• dotepub...good for  viewing on idevices
• reportive...it pulls up anything about a person when you email them
• boomerang...use to resend emails if don't receive: --add-on for gmail so you can control when you send or receive emails

Extensions (Search for these in the Chrome Web Store):

• goo.gl
• Last Pass--saves all pws
• Buffer App: creates a Tweet from whatever page you’re one-will send out when necessary
• Amazon Wishlist
• Awesome Screenshot
• Delicious Bookmarks
• AdBlock
• IE Tab

Drive Apps (Search for these in the Chrome Web Store):

• Aviary?--currently not working
• PowToon
• LucidChart
• picMonkey

And, some other great links to Google:

• www.wdyl.com : What do you love?
• www.lmgtfy.com : Let me Google that for you?
• Custom Search Engine: http://www.google.com/cse/
• Great sites to put in a custom search engine:
• www.wolframalpha.com
• www.eol.org
• www.eoearth.org
• Search Education: http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation/index.html
• Teach Parents Tech: www.teachparentstech.org
• latitude.google.com: Latitude--can find your friends
• Think Quarterly: www.thinkwithgoogle.com and http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/issues/open/
• Create YouTube channels
• ed.ted.com
• Chrome plug-in: Turn off the lights

Also, you can check out my TCEA presentation that showcases some of the extra Google wonders.

Happy Google-ing!

Jumping on the lip dub bandwagon

Recently, as part of the Follett Challenge, my school created a campus-wide lip dub, modeled after some other greats:

• Meadow Lane Elementary Lip Dub
• Shorewood High School Lip Dub (done backwards!)

However, we only had two weeks to create our own lyrics, beat, and audio recording AND...assign classes themes, students roles in the lip dub, and TIME the lip dub to make sure it only lasted five minutes from point A to point Z. The most challenging aspect was making sure we made it to each target/location in the school by the specified time and that the students were ready (with PreK and Kinder, this proved difficult). 

In the end, all students came prepared, dressed in red and blue (our school colors) and equipped with the appropriate technology to represent their class.. 

Check out the finished product: Forest North: The Movie.

And, be sure to vote on the video starting on February 6, 2013 through March 18, 2013. 

formMule--the best thing since sliced bread

Want to automate your "contact us" feature so that, whenever someone completed the Contact Us Form, it automatically sends it to the correct person? Do you want to automate a principal's observation checklist so that, whenever a principal completes the information about the observation, it automatically sends a follow-up email to the teacher? Well, formMule is your answer! Check out this great appscript available in Google's Script Gallery!

http://www.youpd.org/formmule

Lip Dubs invade school

Though, it's kind of 2010 all over again, lip dubs are a great way to get the whole school involved in a technology production. One standard feature of a lip dub is one video run without any cuts. However, what if a lip dub was done with an added technological element? Or, students put on their own lip dubs to showcase a topic. 

For instance, we are in the works of creating our own lip dub that showcases digital literacy at our school. Students and staff will hold up signs explaining the aspects of digital literacy that are present AND students and staff will play out digital literacy scenarios. 

Though entertaining, lip dubs actually involve a lot of planning and practice as a community. Check out some of these videos to get your creative juices flowing:

Here's one done at an elementary school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcSjbuUVQDo

Here's one with teachers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzDFuCIcxtkAnd, here's one done at the Seattle Children's Hospital in the cancer ward: http://gawker.com/5908947/this-lip-dub-at-seattle-childrens-hospital-will-make-you-cry?post=48487211
An edited lip dub: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iBK9q8-9doLip-dubbing backwards (my personal favorite): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7TI-AJi2O8

Creating GeoMaps in Google Spreadsheets

An often underused feature of Google Spreadsheets is the chart feature. When you create a spreadsheet from either a spreadsheet or a form, you have the ability to insert a chart with selected data. That chart has great educational potential.

For instance, you can make a GeoMap chart to show regions where more people live or where more people  want to travel, etc. You could also do one over political turmoil. As students enter in data, they can plot a variety of charts.

Check out some of the great charts Google offers tutorials on (beginning with Google's GeoMap chart):

Google Charts and more!

Digital Learning Day

Are you celebrating? If not, find out why you should!

At one of my campuses, we are using Digital Learning Day, February 6, 2013 (second inaugural) to bring in local "techsperts" to speak to our students. We are have students showcase their own digital learning to the community. And, we are using the day to celebrate the ways in which our students are prepared for the 21st century.

Interested? Read more here.

Want to participate? Find out more ways!

Ready to spread the word? Start now!

Digital Learning Day is sponsored by AT&T, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ISTE, SMART, Pearson, ETS, Intel, Verizon, and many, many more.

Check out Digital Learning Day and see what you can do to celebrate student, teacher, and community achievements.

Google Literacy?

What does meaning literate mean in the age of Google and new technologies?

Dan Russell of Google gives a great lecture on new age literacy. He is one of their lead "searchers" and defines a new way of acquiring, gathering/building, and sharing knowledge.

Check out his speech to Princeton University in February 2012:

http://hulk03.princeton.edu:8080/WebMedia/flash/lectures/20120228_publect_russell.shtml