Merry Christmas Tech Tip

As we look back on 2013 and look forward to 2014, I just wanted to share a few things that came across some of my social networks this week (all relating to Google).

 

1) The year in review from Google - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv-sY_z8MNs

2) New Google Spreadsheets (for all you spreadsheet addicts) - http://googledrive.blogspot.com/2013/12/newsheets.html

3) Working with attachments in Google mail - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/attachments-in-gmail-now-with-power-of.html

Google is always changing the way many of it's features work, so if you want to read up on some of these, I would encourage you to follow the Google Blog.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

I wish each and everyone one of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next year,

Gregg

Tech Tip - Nov. 25, 2013

I know I have been a bit behind getting this out. Sometimes, it is a challenge. While we take time out

to spend time with family, I thought maybe this would be something we could all learn a little from, kids and adults. This message is from Kid President, maybe you have seen it, maybe not. Take 3 minutes out of your day to watch.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5yCOSHeYn4&list=SPzvRx_johoA-YabI6FWcU-jL6nKA1Um-t&index=1

Also, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, there are hosts of sites available for you to check out. Here are a few.
CybraryMan - Thanksgiving links:
http://www.cybraryman.com/thanksgiving.html 

 Scholastic - First Thanksgiving - Virtual Field Trips and Slideshow:
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm 

Log into Learn360 and Search "Thanksgiving" - there are 40 results that cover this topic.

There are 14 results for a "Thanksgiving" search on Thinkfinity.org
http://www.thinkfinity.org/api-search-standard-keyword.jspa?mode=keyword&keyword=thanksgiving&subject=All&search=Search 

"Happy Thanksgiving!" to all of you - Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Nov. 4, 2013

Where did the Google bar go in gmail?

So, the Google Bar is gone! What gives? It used to be when you logged into Gmail that you would have a bar across the top of your window where you could easily access your other apps (calendar, google drive, sites, etc.) That bar is no longer there. Instead, it has been replaced with a drop down that you can find in the upper right hand corner of your window (see screen shot). So, you just press that tiny icon and then you can easily switch between apps.

Happy Goog'ling,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Oct. 21, 2013

One of our schools asked me to create a video on how to delete cookies, cache, etc from web browsers. Although this is a picture of my mac, it will be the same for the WIndows versions of Firefox and Chrome.

To delete browser history, cache, and cookies on Internet Explorer (version 9), please follow this link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/how-to-delete-your-browsing-history-in-internet-explorer-9

It is important to do this at least once a month if you heavily use the Internet. I do this sometimes even once a day when sites do not respond as I think they should. It does help.

Here is the video...enjoy

http://www.esu4.org/movies/compcleaning.mp4

Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Oct. 11, 2013

One thing I found out last week at the NETA Fall EdTech conference (http://www.fall.netasite.org) was the google cultural institute.

The nice thing about this website is that you can go to places around the world through the google art project, the world wonders project, and archive exhibitions.

Each of these sites are unique. The google art project allows to you to zoom in and actually see some of the brush strokes.

The world wonders project uses the google street view option found in google earth to be able to view these objects in a three dimensional view. Go to Stone Henge, the areas of Pompeli, or the Great Barrier Reef.

http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home

Enjoy,

Until next week,

Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Sept. 25, 2013

As I was going through some items - I found some cool resources. We've all heard of the eagle cam that has been set up in Decorah, IA. You can see the eagle's hatch their eggs as they put a camera right near the nest. It is pretty neat. It is currently off air, but comes online in the winter/spring (http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles)

There are tons of other web cams to use with kids. Another one I came across is the Rowe Sanctuary in Kearney. You can see the sand hill cranes as they make their way through the area. (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rowe-sanctuary-s-crane-cam) - here is the actual website for more information about the sanctuary (http://rowe.audubon.org)

The San Diego Zoo has several web cams to choose from - Panda Cam, Polar Cam, Elephant Cam, Ape Cam, Condor Cam, and Kaola Cam (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/)

Want to see aquatic animals, then head on over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium cam (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/cam_menu.aspx)

So, as you study animals and habitats, see if you can find a live camera feed that would help with your curriculum.

Enjoy,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Sept. 16, 2013

If you follow technology news, you will know that Apple made a pretty big announcement a few weeks ago. Two new phones were introduced - the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. With the introduction of these new phones, Apple also introduced iOS 7. For those of you with iPads in the classroom, then that means change for you. iOS 7 is set to launch this week (Sept. 18). There are some new features involved that you can learn about before downloading. On your device, it will come down as a software update. For more information about iOS 7, please refer to this website:

http://www.apple.com/ios/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-features-com

Secondly, I read an interesting article entitled "2 Basic Ways on How to Add Technology to Your Curriculum." The first involved taking a tried and true lesson plan and finding a way to integrate technology into it. And, the second, talks about getting into a little social media. Open twitter and find some folks to follow. A great resource on twitter would be #nebedchat (Nebraska Educators Chat). Here is the link to that article for more information:

http://www.edudemic.com/how-to-add-technology-to-your-curriculum-the-basics/

Until next week,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Sept. 5, 2013

Hello! I certainly hope that you find these "little" tips useful. It really helps me to kind of do a little research to find some resources that may work for you, whether you work with students or you work in the ESU/NCECBVI offices. I believe there are always resources that can help us learn.

So, with that, next week will mark the anniversary of 9/11. Do you remember where you were when the towers were struck? I certainly do and can remember watching that horrific event at a school where I was teaching. Nobody knew for sure the tragic events that would follow and the days and months of investigation that ensued after the attacks.

As I think about that day, there are tons of resources out there marking the anniversary of that event. Here are a few:

CybraryMan's Sept. 11 resource page:
http://www.cybraryman.com/september11.html

On Learn360, click the calendar and see what resources are offered for 9/11or enter that in the search field. There are approximately 100 resources on Learn360 for all age levels. Remember, every teacher in Nebraska can have an account to Learn 360. Speak with your Media specialist or contact me if you do not have an account.

Speaking of Learn360, I would also like to share some new content that was released.

The Magic School Bus Audio Books - Search for The Magic School Bus and you will get some results for audio books for kids to listen to.

The Fat Boy Chronicles - These videos follow a young boy as he struggles with a new school, his weight and bullying. Search for The Fat Boy Chronicles for more information.

SunBurst Visual Media - Sunburst Visual Media has partnered with Learn360 to bring over 3,000 titles to this platform. From "You Can Succeed in School" to "The ABC's of Hygeine", these videos can help teach a lot of different topics that students deal with on a daily basis.

Until next time,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - August 28, 2013

For this week, I thought I would share a couple of new web sites I found over the summer. There are tons of new websites created everyday, so these are just a couple that I thought could help teachers and staff.

One of the apps reviewed on the graphite website!

1) Graphite.org - Graphite is a free service by Common Sense Media. It allows teachers to find apps, games, websites, and digital curriculum related to student learning. Check it out.

2) free.ed.gov - While this site is in beta mode, it too offers teachers the ability to search learning resources related to specific curricular areas.

That's it for this week. If you have a tech tip that you would like for me to share, please let me know and I will be happy to share.

 Until next week,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - August 20, 2013

For this week - A Google Chrome Tip. Google Chrome is a browser that can be installed on any computer.

With it, comes a bunch of options. So, the question - What happens when I have a personal google account and school account with a google domain? Can you manage both?

The answer is, yes, you can. There is a multiple user option in Google Chrome. Here is a help screen that will allow you to set that up. With this option enabled, I can quickly switch between my personal google account and my school's google account. I have attached a screen shot of what that looks like when logged in. This only works for google chrome.

Here is the page to get you started:

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2364824?hl=en

Here is what my screen looks like when using this feature:

Weekly Tech Tip - April 22, 2013

This week, April 26, is Arbor Day! In preparation of this day, here are some resources you might find useful. These come from Cybraryman.com (Jerry Blumengarten). He has a ton of resources and the link below will take you to his page on Plants. If you scroll down, you will see Arbor Day resources listed on the right hand side.

http://www.cybraryman.com/plants.html

Enjoy,
Happy Arbor Day!
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - April 17, 2013

This weekly tech tip involves earth day resources. PBS (NET virtual library) sent some really neat resources to my email. I wanted to share these with you.

So, here they are...I hope they are helpful! Earth day is +Monday, April 22, 2013.

Taking Root - Grades 9-12 - Environmentalism in Africa

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/266bf6c6-f637-403c-b4c1-39c5ab487ae6/taking-root-classroom-module/

Waste Deep - Grades 7-12 - Human Impact on Environment

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/930d15c4-5137-46f3-a9d8-39b8cd8d27f9/930d15c4-5137-46f3-a9d8-39b8cd8d27f9/

Where We've Been, Where We're Headed - Grades 6-12 - Environmental Stewardship

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/kqedq11.sci.earthdayspecial/earth-day-tv-special-where-weve-been-where-were-headed/

Water Conservation and Unit Conversion - Grades 5-8 - Math and Environment

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/midlit11.math.splestim/unit-conversion-water-use/

Scientist Profile - Grades 4-6 - Renewable Energy Scientist

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/b682894d-7c73-4339-b2ce-3a8c4ebcab94/b682894d-7c73-4339-b2ce-3a8c4ebcab94/

NoWhere to Hide - Grades K-8 - Effects on Pollution

http://net.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.oate.nowherehide/nowhere-to-hide/

Similarly, if you log into Learn360, you will get 200 hits on Earth Day resources. If you use the calendar, once you login, you can click it and find earth day resources that way as well.

Enjoy,

Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - April 11, 2013

I was reading through some previous emails and came across this gem today. 10 of the best virtual field trips from eschool news. Check out the "Artic Adventure" or walk through the "Museum of Natural History." If you are in the mood for chocolate, click on the "Hershey Factory" link to see how chocolate is made.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/04/07/ten-of-the-best-virtual-field-trips/

Enjoy,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - April 2, 2013

One of the things I try to do each day is follow some technology news. I try to read about new things, not only involving educational technology, but technology as a whole.

So, as I was reading yesterday, I came across some interesting articles - Google's Beta called "Google Nose", YouTube was shutting down it's servers, Twttr was only going to let you use consonants, and Nokia came out with a new microwave. As I started reading these stories, it dawned on me that these were simply April Fool's jokes. I mean, how could google create an engine that let's you smell through your device? And, how could twitter stop you from using only consonants?

As I read these, it reminds me that not all the information you receive is correct and accurate. We have to use reasoning skills as well as research skills to either agree or disagree with what we may find. And, we have to teach our children the same. So, the next time you hear you can smell something through your device, you might want to think twice.

Google Nose
Twitter Joke
Nokia Microwave
YouTube shutting down

Until next time,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - March 21, 2013

I started using Boomerang Calendar the other day. This has really saved me a lot of time when it comes to google mail and calendar dates. I created a quick screen recording for you to follow. Check it out - it is less than 5 minutes long. Enjoy....Gregg

Weekly Tech tip - March 14, 2013

We have Mobile Apps -

We partnered with Crescerance to create a mobile solution for both ESU 4 and NCECBVI. If you have a mobile phone - iOS or Android - feel free to download our apps and Check them out. You can get the iOS apps on the app store in iTunes and the Android apps can be downloaded from Google Play.

ESU 4 Apps:

iOS:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educational-service-unit-4/id608194180?mt=8

Android:
goo.gl/PMDdl

 

NCECBVI Apps:


iOS:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nebraska-center-for-education/id608277111?mt=8

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crescerance.NCECBVI&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd

Weekly Tech Tip - March 1, 2013

This week's tech tip comes from Free Technology For Teachers. I am a huge advocate of video in the classroom. One of the highlights of Free Technology For Teachers discussed the use of the BBC YouTube channel. So, I'm sending this link on. I've watched a few of these video clips and they are very intriguing. Give it a try!

BBC Channel on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/user/BBCEarth?feature=watch

If you don't know about Free Technology For Teachers, you might check that out as well.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

Gregg