Weekly Tech Tip - Feb. 24, 2015

When posting things online or to a webpage, or even an image on a letter, we need to make sure that we are trying our best to use copyright free images. By doing so, we keep ourselves free from any misuse of copyright policies.

 I spent a morning last semester listening to this very topic of copyright from the American Library Association. The speaker was very informative on copyright issues and also gave some thought as to what constitutes fair use. I want to specifically focus on finding copyright free images today.

Go to http://images.google.com and type in something that you want to find an image for, such as 'horses.' When the image bar loads, you will see a button for "Search tools" on the right. From there you can choose "Labeled for noncommercial use" under "Usage Rights." See the screen shot below for your reference.

I hope this helps,
Have a great week,
Gregg

Happy Valentines Day - Tech Tip

It has been awhile since I posted a technology tip. However, you are not forgotten as Valentine's day is just around the corner. For this post, I turned to my tried and true webpage from CybraryMan. Here is a list of resources for Valentine's day. There are quite a few links on this page, so take some time, and find some resources to fit your classroom when you study Valentine's day. Or, maybe you just want to find an activity to use with a student you work with or maybe during a workshop. From the history of Valentines day to math problems to art and crafts, there is something for every grade level and curriculum on this page.

Weekly Tech Tip - backup

Happy Holidays! This tech tip comes from a conversation that I had with another colleague the other day and it is one which happens at least once a year. The question: "Does the organization back up our computers off site?" Simply stated, do we have a way of backing up every computer off the main site where you work. For example, if you work in Auburn, do we back up your computer to a server at NCECBVI and vice versa? The answer is no. We do, however, have backs up in place for most of you, if not all of you. Those external drives on your desk serve as a back up. In case of a tragic event, where your computer and your external drive is gone, then nothing would be available for you to retrieve.

So, how can this be resolved? There is no simple way to make sure that all your data is valid even if you do back up. We cannot, with 100%, guarantee that your backups will work should you lose your hard drive on your computer. However, I would suggest that you back up your important documents to Google Drive. We have been using Google for a few years and Google for Education just announced that all accounts get unlimited storage. You can check out your google drive settings to see your results (your result will be unlimited storage if signed into your domain account). So, my suggestion would be to create a folder on Google drive and call it 'Important'. Then, simply make copies of your important documents and drag them to google drive. If you download the google drive app, and sync your documents to your hard-drive, it will be even easier.

My suggestion always has and always will be to make sure your important files are safe somewhere. We rely on software to perform scheduled backups and that does not always work.

Until next time,
Gregg

Flash Cards and Jeopardy using a Google Spreadsheet

In reading through some of my online articles, and learning from my PLN on twitter, I came a cross this website called Flippity.net. It is pretty simple, yet elegant. As a classroom teacher, you can create flashcards for your students using a google spreadsheet. Or, better yet, your students can create flashcards for themselves.

Just recently Flippity announced that is now offers a Quiz show (very much like a Jeopardy board). You can have control over the topics and the questions. You just simply download the Google Spreadsheet and your off and running in a few simple steps. 

So, as you work with students and teachers, give Flippity a try. I know I will.

Happy Holidays,

Enjoy,

Gregg

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on an iPad

You can now download and use Word, Excel, PowerPoint on an iPad. Microsoft just announced that

you can get a free subscription to it's office based suite - Office 365.

To do this, go the app store on your iPad and search for Word. Find the app that is built by Microsoft office. Do the same for Excel and Powerpoint.

Once downloaded start the app, and sign up for a free Office account. This will allow you to create and edit documents. If you do not create an account, you will only be able to view documents.

For more information, please check out this article.

Enjoy,

Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - Countdown Timers

I'm always trying to find quick and easy tech tips that I think might be useful to those working with students as well as those of us who work with teachers. One of the items that I use for some of my workshops are countdown timers. When I give folks five or ten minutes to work on a website or talk about a particular strategy, I want to give them the full five or ten minutes. Countdown timers come in handy for that very purpose.



If you go to Google and you type "timer 1 minute" where the 1 can fluctuate to any number, you will automatically get a countdown timer. Give it a try!

If you want some timers that have a little more flare, those that include graphical representations, then you might search youtube for a specific timer. There, you can find tons of timers to suite your needs.

Enjoy,
Gregg

Weekly Tech Tip - "Ok, Google"

This week's tech tip comes from the Official Google Blog. I was reading an entry about teen's use of voice search. Google has found that teens use the voice search more than adults. Why? If you read entry below, the entry shows statistics and reasons why teens use this option.

After I read this, I thought about how I relate to my own kids. We use google a lot to find things for us - directions in the car, the hours of a particular store, to text each other, etc. As we talk with our kids, it also brings home the point of searching with a purpose. Use the voice commands necessary and efficiently to get your desired search outcome.

Here is the entry should you choose to read it:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/omg-mobile-voice-survey-reveals-teens.html

If you are not sure how to use Google's voice search, here is the help page to get you started:
https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2940021?hl=en

Happy Thursday,
Gregg