iPod Touch training

The last three Tech Tuesdays have been devoted to training on the iPod Touches.

Technology Tuesday 11/16

Teaching Activity: ABC Soup

List the ABC's on poster paper, a sheet of paper, or in a google doc. The students have to come up with a word or phrase that begins with each letter of the alphabet. The topic can be an introduction to see what they know about a subject, a review to see what they learned, or something as simple as things they are thankful for as the Thanksgiving season is here.

Discussion of iPhones/ iPod Touch software, tips, and tricks - with many more to come.

Technology Tuesday

For making a comment by Friday at 2:30 your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize. You can make a comment about anything related to technology - good or bad.

Technology Tuesday 11/9

Today's topic was two teaching ideas using Google Docs and Google Presentations.
1. Stick Figure activity is where the student or a group of students tell what they see (know), hear or say, and the strengths of a topic on a stick figure of a person. This could be used as a google Doc with one group doing the "see", one group doing the "hear", and one group doing the "strengths or facts".
This also could be done with the Airliners or the new Averpens. A hard copy will also work. The stick figure was drawn with the drawing tools in Google docs.

2.  Three Facts and a Fib is where there are four statements about a topic. Three of the statements are true and one is false. The students have to choose which is the Fib (false). This could be used as an introduction to a class, a closure activity, or review for a test.

Tech Tuesday 11/2/11

Technology Tuesday

The main topic today was presentations in Google docs and how to create them. Presentations is a "lite" version of PowerPoint. The main advantage is it online; therefore, it is always accessible to you wherever you are.

Technology Tuesday

I also encouraged teachers to add their favorite Apps to the worksheet that I created last week.

Cool iPod/iPhone Apps

Tech Tuesday 10/26/10

Tech Tuesday Presentation


The discussion was about how we could use iPods in the classroom and training for them. I know a lot of you have iphones, and may be addicted to an app or two.  I created a Google Doc spreadsheet for teachers to add their favorite apps - educational and non-educational. Here is the link for you to add to or to browse what other people are doing with their iPhones and iPods.

Cool iPod/iPhone Apps

Tech Tuesday 10/19/10

Technology Tuesday

Technology Tuesday October 12

Technology Tuesday October 5

Technology Tuesday September 28

Posting Grades.

Meet your new Mac.

Google Docs - upload a file

Uploading a document

You can upload existing documents to Google documents at any time. Here's how:

1. Click the Upload button at the top of the sidebar in your Docs list page.
2. Click Browse and select the document.
3. Click Open.
4. Click Upload File. The uploaded file appears in your Docs list.

Technology Tuesday September 28

Assignment:
Vertical minutes
Horizontal minutes
uploaded file

Technology Tuesday 9/21

Sharing Google Docs

You can still share your docs with as many or as few people as you like.There are three different visibility options: private; anyone with the link; and public on the web. You can see how your doc is set by looking at the icon right next to its title.

Private All documents start out as private. When you create a private doc, you are the only person with access to it. And from there, you can grant access to other people. Anyone trying to access the document will have to sign in to their Google Account to verify that they have access to the doc. It's also good if you want to collaborate with just a few people.

Anyone with the link A doc set to Anyone with the link is like an unlisted phone number. In the same way that anyone who knows an unlisted phone number can call it, anyone who knows the web address of a doc in this category can view it. Anyone with the link is a great setting if you want to give easy access to information to a bunch of people.

Public on the web Set a doc to public if you want to make it publicly available to anyone. Public docs may get indexed by search engines (like Google Web Search), can show up in search results, and anyone who finds the web address of the doc can access it. Public on the web is a great setting if you're trying to get the word out about something.

Click 'Share' to open Sharing settings

• Change your doc's visibility option -- just click Change to the right of the visibility option.
• See who has access to your doc -- their names are listed in the window, along with whether they can view or edit.
• Add editors or viewers by name -- just click the white space below 'Add people' and type any email address.
• Reset your doc's web address -- just click Reset link under the doc URL (Anyone with the link docs only).
• Remove editors and viewers, or adjust how much access each person has.
• Transfer ownership of your doc to someone else. Just choose 'Is owner' from the drop-down next to any person with access to the doc.

Assignment:

Open To Do list - add a few entries.

Start another document - Christmas list.

Share one of these documents with a colleague. Make changes and edit.

Tech Tuesday

iGoogle- starting with Google documents

Technology Tuesday - September 14, 2010

First - a Google account is required.

If you do not have a Google account you must set one up here. 

There are different ways of getting started using Google documents: 

• you can create a new online document, 
• you can upload an existing one,  
• you can use a template from our templates gallery.

Creating and saving a document

To create a new document, on the right side click the Create new drop-down menu, and select Document.
As you're working on your document, click the Save button in the top right corner of the document, enter a name for the document in the window that appears, and click OK. Then, you'll see your document in your Docs list.

To save a local copy of a document, you can download it to your computer. To do this, open your document, click the File menu and point your mouse to the Download as option. You'll see these file types: HTML (zipped), RTF, Word, Open Office, PDF, and plain text. Select a file type and click OK in the browser window that appears.

Assignment:

• Create a Google account if you do not have one.
• In Google Docs, create a new document for your "to do" list and save it.

Tech Tuesday Presentation

A New Search Engine - Wolframalpha

This was passed on from Shelli Neely.

Wolfram|Alpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com/) is a relatively new addition to the expanding list of Internet search strategies. Its developers call it "a computational knowledge engine." It is designed to not just look up answers like other search tools, but to calculate answers based on questions asked it, using an ever-growing collection of data. Currently, it contains 10+ trillion pieces of data and 50,000+ types of algorithms and models. 

Some Wolfram|Alpha Basics to Try:

• Enter any date (like June 15, 1800). You'll get time from today, major holidays observed, historic events on that day, daylight information and the phase of the moon for that date.
• 
  
• Enter any city (like New York). You'll get population information, location and coordinates on a map, a local map, current local time and weather, economic indicators (such as cost of living index, median home price range, unemployment rate, and total sales tax rate), other indicators (such as violent crime rate, property crime rate, and average daily traffic delay), geographic properties, nearby cities and counties, and nicknames.
• 
  
• Enter any two stocks (like IBM Apple). You'll get the latest trades and tons more financial information and graphs.
• 
  
• Enter any calculation (like $250 + 15%). You'll get the answer and steps in how it was arrived at.
• 
  

Enter any math formula. You'll get the formula graphed, solved, and with accompanying information.

Other Interesting Features:

• Enter any two names (like Andrew, Barbara) and receive estimates on births with those names and current population graphs.
• Enter any food (like 1 apple + 2 oranges) and receive complete nutrition facts on both foods individually and together.
• Enter any measurement (like 45 mph) and receive unit conversions.
• Enter any chemical formula (like H2SO4) and receive the chemical names, structure diagrams, basic properties, and more.

Enter any musical notes (like C Eb G C) and receive music notations, keyboard displays, scale information, and play the notes themselves.

Power Point Palooza

Don't have time to create your own PowerPoints? Well, then look through these. They are already made for you. Downloading the powerpoints to your desktop is the best way to open them.

http://www.pptpalooza.net/

Computer Games and Activities

http://www.abcya.com/

This is a website that is full of fabulous educational games, activities, and tools for elementary students in all subject areas. 

Respond to Blogs

(I copied this from Keelie's blog)

I just recently learned about the no-reply commenter. I was one and I didn't even know it. I am happy to report that I am no longer a "no-reply" commenter.
The reason?
If you have your account set up just right you can respond to comments on your blog in email form. It is very cool. If this appeals to you, then this is what you need to do.
Go to your dashboard.

1. Right beside your profile pic, click on edit profile.
2. Make sure the box that says "show email" is checked. Save.
3. Go to your blog Settings.
4. Click on the comments tab.
5. Scroll all the way down and enter your email addressin the email notification box. Save.
6. You have to do steps 4-6 for each blog that you have.
7. That's it.

Now you will receive an email each time someone leaves a comment on your blog. If that person has checked the "show email" box on their blog, you can click "reply" on the notification email and send an email directly to them. Other bloggers will now also be able to reply to your comments in email form. If a person has not done this, in the "from" line of the notification email it will say "no-reply commenter" and you will not be able to reply to those comments. Clear as mud?
I LOVE this! I always want to respond to comments on my blog, but am afraid that the person who left it will not come back to check. This way I can be sure that I haven't wasted my time and they will hear from me.
Thanks to Keelie for bringing this neat little trick to my attention.

Free Music for Videos

http://www.freeplaymusic.com/

Graphic Organizers

Worksheet Works - Graphic Organizers
http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscellanea/graphic-organizers.html

This tool allows you to create and print customized graphic organizers. This came from Tammy Worcester's website. This tool is easy to use and very self-explanatory. The on-screen prompts will guide
your through the simple steps.

How to Do a Cute Font for your Blog Title

This is a website that gives directions on how to do a cute font for your blog titles. This website also has some other great ideas.

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/tutorials/how-to-use-a-cute-font-for-your-blogger-post-titles.html

Here is another great website for creative, cute blogs:

http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/blog-secrets.html

Save files as a PDF

Every program running in Mac OS X has the ability to create a PDF File from the print dialog window. Simply choose File - Print, but instead of clicking Print choose Save as PDF. Then select the desired location and file name for the converted PDF file. 

Walmart Gift Card Give Away

Middle School Teachers:
You may either make a comment to the earlier post about how you can use technology in your classroom or you can respond to this one to be entered in the give away.

The question to answer is to make a brief comment about one of the sites you looked at today during our time together. Make sure to include your name on the post.

Signature Files

This is a sample of how to use a signature for each post.
http://www.mylivesignature.com is the website to use.

Survey - Free Walmart Gift Card giveaway

This is an example of how a blog could be used as a student response journal.

For GMS teachers:

How can you use a blog in your classroom? Leave me a comment.

Under Major Revision

Notice there are pages or tabs at the top now. After going to the TCEA convention, I have decided to update this site to be user friendly and to include the many great websites that people need to be aware of. I could not decide between a webpage, a wiki, or a blog, but I decide on this format after several of the teachers that went to Austin with us chose to use blogs. Also it was easy since I already had this one created.

Hot Topics at TCEA 2010

Excel Tip

Here is an update for the Excel Tricks and Tips.

This was not included on the handout.

How to get your students at the top of every page of your mastery without copy and pasting the row at the top of each page. This is for printing purposes and this is different than freezing the panes that we did in the inservice.

To Repeat Rows (names of students) for Mastery

View > Page Layout

File > Page Set Up

Sheet tab

Print Files > Rows to Repeat at Top Click on grid at end of box.

Highlight the row of your worksheet where the students' names are. You should see a formula appear in the box with $ signs.

Click OK. Now at the top of each page will be the students' names.