The Comprehensive Google Drive Guide for Teachers and Students

ETML Google Drive Guide

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/01/the-comprehensive-google-drive-guide.html

Med Kharbach as assembled a convenient list of Google Drive links for teachers who use (or want to use) this this powerful web-based tool.

"Google Drive is one of the fundamental tools in our digital toolkits as teachers and educators. Whether you want to compose a document, create a presentation,  design a sheet, or share a beautiful drawing you made, Google Drive provides you with the tools to do that on any device and anywhere you are with an internet connection.

He's also put together some links to educator created google forms:

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/01/tons-of-google-forms-for-teachers.html

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Piktochart Infographics

Complex information in an easy to read format.

http://piktochart.com/education/

"Infographics are being used by students to display the assignments, summaries or results of their projects. The process of an infographic creation tests their skills in sketching/planning, researching and distilling large amount of data, as well as graphic literacy. Their ultimate goal is to present a lot of complex information in an easy to read format."

Watch it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZPmZ2HCna4

How-to PDF

Link

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"Tell About This" app

A simple way to tell a story

http://www.tellaboutapp.com/

Easy to use and easy to share. Teachers can quickly create story prompts of their own.

"The app is designed for kids to effortlessly browse and respond to interesting visual and auditory prompts. It also provides families and educators a platform to create a custom experience for storytelling, generating ideas and thinking out loud."

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The Powerful Computer in Your Pocket: Using Smartphones in the Classroom

Beyond scapegoating the phone

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/12/10/fp_passanisi_peters_smartphone.htm

Shara Peters and Jody Passanisi teach in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades at an independent school in the Los Angeles area. They have some interesting things to say about the use of smartphones (call them "pocket PCs"?)

snip..." Once we move beyond this idea of scapegoating the phone and realize that computers and phones can do the same things, then perhaps we can begin to see the applications in the classroom for these powerful computers. Even more, we can begin to reimagine the classroom, taking into consideration all of the things that a smartphone can do for our students' learning."

Read the full article for more.

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Imaginative education through coding

Growing computer science education.

http://code.org/

(intro video on the home page)

Code.org is a non-profit foundation dedicated to growing computer science education.

"Tynker (a Silicon Valley start-up) has announced that they have created 8 new interactive tutorials that will be accessible during Computer Science Education Week on "Hour of Code".  Hour of Code will be hosted on  http://code.org and give any student, parent, and teacher an hour to experience the fun and imaginative education program."

This link to the tutorials is here: www.tynker.com/hourofcode

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10 top time-saving tech tips from David Pogue

Be a power user!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=QoT0-2vu9m4

David Pogue shares some quick tricks in this amusing TED Talk to streamline your tech life! He writes the tech column for the New York Times every week, and in Scientific American every month. He's the host of "NOVA ScienceNow" and other science shows on PBS, and he's been a correspondent for "CBS Sunday Morning" since 2002.

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Here Are Hundreds of Free Textures

Digital Art Resources?

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/hundreds-free-textures/

Tom Kuhlmann shares some resource sites he's found.

"Today I am sharing some sites where you can find free textures (and other assets) that can be used for commercial work. Since the licensing terms may change, be sure to read them before using for commercial projects. However, at the time this post was published all of the sites allow free commercial use."

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Showbie - The paperless classroom made simple

Hand out and collect with the iPad

http://www.showbie.com/

In-box and out-box, all on your iPad. This free app has a great set of features that lets you share assignments, give feedback and collect assignments, all from the iPad - no email addresses are needed. Students join a class by simply using a clourse code provided by the teacher. Here's a short video that outlines the features:

http://support.showbie.com/knowledgebase/articles/117354-showbie-for-teachers

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Haiku Deck - some new (and not so new) features

Do you love Haiku Deck but wish you could customize more? Here are some features users wish that Haiku Deck offers, that are already available! (From Nov newsletter)

• Change the font: Click or tap THEME (top middle), then scroll left or right to explore different options. More: Presentation Templates with Pizzazz.  
• Change slide order: Just press on a slide for a second, and then drag it to its new spot.  
• Resize images: In the iPad App image preview screen, just use your fingers to pinch and reposition an image. {Coming soon to Web App!}  
• Turn off paid images: From the iPad App main screen, tap the Settings gear (bottom right), then adjust the "Show Premium Images?" setting.  
• Adjust capitalization: From the iPad App main screen, tap the Settings gear (bottom right), then adjust the "Use Auto-Capitalization?" setting.  {Coming soon to Web App!}  
• Copy and modify a Haiku Deck: From the iPad App Main Screen, press and hold any deck to copy it. {Coming soon to Web App!}
• Export to PowerPoint or Keynote: Publish your deck using the iPad App, then tap PPT/Keynote. {Coming very soon to Web App!}
  

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lingro: word lookup made easy

Make any webpage definition-rich

http://lingro.com/

Lingro turns any webpage into a clickable interactive text that supplies you with an instant translation of the word you are struggling with. Rather than translate the entire passage, users can practice reading in their second language with comprehension support only a mouse click away. It even works English to English. For example, an HTML article from EBSCO can be viewed with Lingro to provide a built-in English dictionary!

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Museum of Science and Industry - app GoREACT

Make the world your laboratory!

http://www.msichicago.org/online-science/games-and-apps/goreact/activities/goreact-1/

Play with the iOS app, or use the web-based version.

"Experiment with chemistry virtually anywhere with goREACT! In this drag-and-drop laboratory, combine elements from the Periodic Table to create chemical reactions and discover the chemistry in the world around you! With goREACT, you can become a virtual chemist. Whether you're a novice or expert, the free play and guided modes make it fun and fascinating."

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McLaren's Workshop App

Spark student creativity - video animation maker

http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2013/08/01/how-to-use-the-new-mclarens-workshop-app-in-your-classroom/

"The McLaren's Workshop app is free to download, and comes with options that allow you to upgrade various features and enrich your animation experience. It lets you make your own films, using 3 animation techniques made famous by McLaren: paper cut-out, etching on film and synthetic sound creation. It also gives you access to 51 films from McLaren's collection, including 11 documentaries about McLaren's techniques. Before getting started, screen one of these docs for your students to help spark their creativity and get them acquainted with the medium."

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Rhythm Cat - Learn To Read Music

Make Rhythm and Note reading fun

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rhythm-cat-learn-to-read-music/id488167475?mt=8

Rhythm Cat is a fun way to learn to read beats. Tap and hold the green button to copy the note duration. The app adds complexity as you progress. You get rated after each level is complete, and once you master it, you get to move on. (The makers of Rhythm Cat have also produced Treble Cat and Bass Cat: games that help students learn to read notes in both clefs.)

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Flippity.net: Easily Turn Google Spreadsheets into Online Flashcards

Are you a googledocs user? You'll love this!

http://flippity.net/

Yes, you can use Google Docs templates to create your flash cards (https://docs.google.com/templates?q=flashcards&sort=user&view=public) but flippity is so easy, you might want to skip all the templates and give it a try. Clean interface, the ability to put in images, shuffle, randomize - it's all here. Changing a card stack is as simple as republishing your spreadsheet after you make any additions. It even comes with a QR code so kids can access the stack from the projector. Brilliant. Try it.

(Here's a sample.)

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Neuratron's NotateMe App For iOS and Android

Convert written music instantly

http://www.musicedmagic.com/tales-from-the-podium/neuratrons-awesome-notateme-app-for-ios-and-android.html

NotateMe takes hand-written music, made with your finger or a stylus on your device's screen, and instantly changes it into a form than can be printed, edited, or exported to a music notation program.

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