Google Sites

Google Sites is a great tool for the classroom!  After a few tutorials, I was ready to start on my site.  I got the site set up without any problem, but needed some inspiration for the content.  I looked up a few example classroom sites and got an idea of what would be included in an elementary school class website. 

The process of creating pages and editing them was fairly simple.  With a little practice, the navigation became easier and adding additional content was actually fun.  I was able to set up a classroom site with a home page, a subpage for personal information about myself and a subpage for how to contact the teacher.  Then I set up an Assignments page in  "announcement" form and added a few posts.  I set up and Important Dates to Remember page, where I added a classroom calender from my Google Calendars.  Then I added a Reading List in "lists" form. 

I added a link to the Reading List to the Home page so it would show a quick view on the opening page.  I also added a link under the Reading List on the Home page to a "Recommend Reading List for 4th Graders" of a classics book list on www.commonsensemedia.org.  I also added an image to the Home page and a picture to the About Mrs Goins subpage.

The part I spent the most time on was actually the background.  The atomic learning tutorials showed how to add images and links but did not show how to add a background.  Since it was recommended we start with a blank page, the site was very boring.  Finally I found a tutorial on Youtube on how to add backgrounds.  It was in the "Manage Site" option under the "Open More Options Menu."  It took a few minutes to figure out how to manipulate one thing at a time and add a custom background image.  I could have spent a lot more time working on this part, if I didn't have any other responsibilities.  I definitely enjoyed the designing process.

I could definitely see myself using this app for my classroom in the future, as well as recommending it to other teachers.  I liked the idea of having a page on the school website where all the classroom sites could be accessed.  This would make it so much easier for parents to know each year, as their children progress, where to get the class website.

https://sites.google.com/site/mrsgoinsclass/

Disciplines in Educations

The following are apps that could be used in the classroom to aid in teaching math, language arts, or science:

1. Where Do Balloons Go, by Jamie Lee Curtis - This book app has tons of animation.  There are extra interactive buttons to create your own journey along with the balloons.  As the balloons travel the different pages, many of them allow you to animate the characters by dragging a fan across the page, move the page to see more of the scene or even try an activity.  Some of the activities included making your own balloon animals or even creating your own play on stage.  This book would allow the child to explore the story and take their imagination to a new level.  They can read it themselves or hear it read to them while they take in all the interactive components.
2. Math Drills Lite - An app for quizzing on the four main math computations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  By choosing one of these drills, a selection of equations are displayed on the screen one at a time to be answered as quickly as possible.  If a student is having trouble with a particular problem, a counting scale displays across the bottom with a "count-by" numbering system.  This helps the student to think in increments of that number to answer the question.  Afterwards, you are given an opportunity to go back and correct any questions that were answered incorrectly.  This app allows you to build speed and sight skills for the most basic math problems.
3. Planets - As students are learning about the solar system, this app allows them to see it in both 2D and 3D perspectives.  In the 2D screen, there is a flat view of the sky.  In the daytime, this screen displays a compass with the suns location.  If you click on the sun it will give you the sunrise and sunset times.  At night, this screen will display the night sky view with a flat view of the stars and the constellations.  Any planets that can be seen from this side of the horizon can be tapped on for more information about when they will rise and set.  The 3D screen will show the sky from a 3D perspective.  It can be moved by dragging the screen to see a different point of view.  It also shows the ecliptic line where all the planets line up.  There are different views that can be displayed besides the visible, such as gamma ray, x-ray, infrared, microwave and radio.  There is also a tab called visibility that gives the time-frame for visibility of each of the planets, the sun and moon.  By tapping on any of these icons more information can be found about the planet's size, orbit, moons and rotation.  The next tab is the globe.  It shows a 3D view of the earth as it spins.  You can manipulate it to a certain point by dragging or pinching.  When you are not touching the screen it will go back to spin mode.  Based on the time of day, it will show the side of the globe that is in the day time from a light view and the opposite side in night view.  There is also a button at the top to switch from earth to any of the other planets as well.  This is an incredible app for showing the world as only the technology of our day could provide. 

Literacy for Education

Preparations

1. My Spelling Test App - The Spelling Test app allows you to create your own list of spelling test apps.  In order to create tests you must spell in the words correctly and voice record saying the word as well as a sentence using the word.  It takes an average of 4 minutes to create a test.  The student can then play the words and use the keyboard on the iPad to spell the words that they are hearing.  The student presses "next", then the app tells them if they spelled the word correctly, then announces the next word in the test.  If it is incorrect, it will show how to spell the word correctly in red.  At the end of the test it will give a list of words, how they were spelled and how many were correct.  It can also be used on a Smart Board to involve the entire class in review of spelling words.
2. Dictionary.com App - The Dictionary app is a great tool for your tablet or phone.  Anytime you are unsure of a word's meaning, the definition is at your fingertips.  It also has the ability to playback the pronunciation of the word so you can actually hear the word spoken.  You can also search for a word with the voice command option.  This option allows you to speak the word and it will look up what it thinks you said.  There are other great features to a dictionary app as well.  One is the thesaurus to look up words that are similar.  This can be a great tool when writing a paper or just expressing a thought without using the same word over and over.  This app also has a "Word of the Day" feature, helping to build your vocabulary.  There is a playback for this word, which can be quite handy since many of these words you may never have heard before.  Overall, this is a very useful app for students, teachers, professionals or anyone.  I personally use this app on my phone on a regular basis.  It is wonderful for breaking a word down that may be familiar, to get a deeper meaning as well.

Presentations

• Educreations App -   This is an app that allows you to make an instructional video to help teach a concept.  To begin the video, press the record button and begin the instructions using your voice and the whiteboard on the screen.  The board has the option to use four different colors to write with, which can be useful in showing different steps of problem solving.  The undo and redo buttons can be a great tool for this as well.  By pressing the undo button you can go back to the beginning to explain the process again without having to rewrite it, or just back a couple of steps.  The redo button will rewrite the steps as you go forward through the problem.  You can also add additional pages to the video up to seven pages.  Images can also be added to the presentation.  Once added, there is a hand button that will allow you to manipulate the image such as zoom in or out and rotate.  You can also annotate the image by drawing right on the picture.  By underlining, circling or X-ing you can use this feature to further explain your solution.  Once your video is complete, stop the recording, save and then choose who you would like to see the video.  It can be seen by a specific person, a group of people or a whole school based on your selection. 

Stories

• Comic Life App - An app that allows you or your student to create their own comic stories.  It begins with choosing either a blank page or a template to write your story.  You can edit the template by tapping on the title to change the text.  Then tapping and adding pictures.  Once you have pictures you can use the draw feature to add shapes of your own to the page.  The shapes can be manipulated to change size and shape.  Thought bubbles can then be added with text to create the story.  Multiple pages can be added by choosing another template or adding a blank page with the same theme and creating your own layout.  If you choose a template, there are multiple layouts that can be added.  Once the comic is complete, you can save as a PDF and share it with others through email or social networks.  It can be opened in any program that can open a PDF document, such as Google Drive.  Once you have saved the comic, you can go back anytime to edit, make a copy or delete.  This could be a great way to get kids excited about writing their own stories.  

Drawing

Google Drawing could be a great tool for the classroom.  Its ability to create and manipulate shapes and insert text could make it useful for many things, such as creating flow charts, instructional writing, making posters, awards and certificates.  These things can make a lesson easier to create, saving the time it might take to search for a template or adjusting an existing template to fit a particular need.  It can also be used from within an existing Google document to add a graphic so an idea is more easily understood for the visual learner.  It can be accessed from the Insert tab, choosing the Drawing option.  Images can also be added from your hard drive or the Web to a document, then using Drawing you can add text, arrows, call outs or any other annotation that would help explain a point about the image.

The lesson plan for elementary level was called "Exploring Shapes."  With access to Google Drawing, the students could copy a document and then manipulate as they were instructed.  The document included a few shapes that they would be instructed to manipulate, rotate, create and flip in various ways.  Including the terms rotate 90 degrees, flip horizontal, flip vertical and students are learning geometry in a new interactive way.  The creativity they would be able to express while learning about shapes could be as individual as the person creating.  While exploring the shapes, students would be learning the different attributes of the shape.  Distinguishing between the defining attributes vs. non-defining attributes.  Then be able to draw shapes given certain attributes.  These skills are part of the Common Core State Standards.  The students are meeting the standard while it feels like they are playing.  They can add text to the shapes and identify what they are drawing, from which their grade would be taken.

Another idea for using Drawing to meet CCSS is to use it to help students organize thoughts as they read.  They can create idea webs or mind maps to put their thoughts into an organized visual display.  By creating this form of visual map, students can focus on a particular idea and see how it relates to the rest of the text as they begin to put their ideas into words and make conclusions.  The standard states that students must "read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it."  By using Drawing, teachers can help students meet this standard by making their own mind map or creating a template for them to fill in.

In exploring the Drawing program, I made a quick certificate to award for students achieving a simple goal.  A small gesture like a certificate to a child can be an easy way to motivate in a big way.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1WhsTUM-v0-V2ECBv51fzKPVf29zs3YiMeClGc2pW3HM/edit?usp=sharing

Mind Map - created as a template to help students organize thoughts about characters in selected reading.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/141ewFRnHvxgANQfA02Kja-BvyQSOlv1TSxkUUX_52mI/edit?usp=sharing

iPad Basics

Using an iPad can have many advantages for learning, conducting business or for personal use.  A few are discussed in this post concerning productivity, storage, eReaders, and web browsers.

1.  Pages, the equivalent of Word in the Microsoft program, seems very user friendly. Like any word processing document, once you have the content on the page the variance comes in the editing. With the exception of location, Pages has very similar controls as Word. Changing the font, size and style of the words are all the same basically.  However, the difference seems to be the ease of adding and editing art and graphs. Being able to add a picture to your document and edit at the same time is a huge plus for Pages. The graphs also seemed very easy to manage as well as having the 3D appearance which enhances the look of a document.

Using this program on the iPad can make it a little more complicated. Using the touchscreen to do some of the modifications can become a little more tricky. For example, without the arrow keys from a keyboard, changing the size and appearance of shapes on a document can require the use of both hands or one large, very flexible hand. Moving an item to Google Docs from an iPad or iPhone also requires a few extra steps than it would on a computer. 

 

Additionally, the iWorks programs have the advantage of auto saving. Unlike Word, there is never the fear of losing content because of lost power, a system glitch, or maybe just forgetting to press the save button.

 

2.  Saving to the cloud is also an advantage that is standard with iWorks. Other programs can make it possible to save a Microsoft document online such as Google Docs and box.net.  Google Docs can also create word processing document, whereas Box is primarily a site for storage.  They do offer different levels of storage and the ability to share content with others.  Setting up an account was very easy, as well as moving documents.  They also have an app for your mobile device to access your documents with ease on the go.

 

3.  iBooks is the eReader from Apple that is standard on iPads.  It is simple and easy to use.  With features including organizing books and PDFs into collections.  This can be done by using the two categories mentioned as well as creating your own categories for these items.  There is also a "hidden" search option that can be accessed by touching on the background of the bookshelf and pulling down.  This feature can search your library for specific titles or content.  It also has a built-in dictionary that can be accessed just by tapping on the word you want to look up.  And the feature that gives it the most advantage over the Kindle app is the ability to go straight to the book store and download books.

 

The Kindle app has some great features as well.  While a book is open, you can search the content for specific words and it will highlight those words throughout the book.  This could be very useful when looking for something specific to quote or using it for research.  You can also highlight text, share the text, and add notes for future use.  The downside to this app is that when using it on an iPad, you have to go to the search engine, set up an account with Amazon (if you don't already have one) and order books there.  Then go back to the Kindle app to view.  This is because Apple requires a percentage of all purchases made directly through apps.  In order for Amazon to avoid paying Apple, the purchases must be made through their website.

 

4.  Safari is a great web browser on Apple products.  It has very useful features such as:

• Search within a web page - there is a button above the keyboard that comes up when you touch the search box that allows you to search for something specific within the web page you are viewing
• Reader tab - when you press the reader tab a the top of the page, it takes off all ads and graphics that do not belong to the particular article you are reading, making it easier to view the content
• Share - it also has a share button at the top that allows you to share the page in several different ways: email, facebook, twitter, etc.
• Reading list - can save web pages that you can access when you are offline.  For instance if you know you will be out of a WiFi area ahead of time, you can save sites to the reading list and look at them while you cannot access anything else online.
• Add a webpage to homescreen - if there is a certain webpage you access on a regular basis, you can add it to your homescreen as an icon for quick retrieval
• iPhone to iPad - through the iCloud, you can have a webpage on your phone and your iPad can bring up the same site without having to search or type it in (as long Safari is turned on in the settings of the iPad)

Another web browser to consider is Rover. It is an app that is designed to help iPad users access educational content that requires the use of flash or java.  It is powered by iSwifter which is the world's first cloud streaming platform for mobile devices.  It works as a "middleman" streaming flash and java data.  It streams video off a server not a web browser.  Since it is streaming, the amount of bandwidth that is used is much larger than the amount required when accessing these programs from another type of computer.  The amount of bandwidth used is important in a school setting that only has a limited amount of internet transfer ability to run several systems throughout the building.  When most or all bandwidth is used to power one or two iPads, the system becomes very still or stops working.  When using Rover, the picture is also choppier and has a delayed response.  However, if you want to access something that requires flash from an iPad or iPhone, it is the only option at this point.

Forms

Google Forms is an app used for gathering information and analyzing data.  It is a great tool for teachers, students, professionals and personal use as well.  Forms can collect any type of information electronically.  Once a person is given the form's unique URL, it can begin gathering information.  The link can be shared through social media, email or embedded in a website.  The data collected goes directly into a Google Spreadsheet.  There it can be analyzed, organized and viewed in chart or graph form.

The appearance of the form can be displayed in a range of varieties and styles.  From plain, to professional to fun for whatever the project requires.  It can also include seven different types of questions:  text, paragraph text, choose from a list, checkboxes, multiple choice, scale or grid.  The variety of options can support any type of questionaire.  Another option that I thought was unique is the ability to lead the questionee to a different set of questions based on a certain response.  In this way, you can get deeper information from each person individually in the same questionaire.  There is less need for follow-up.

These features give students and teachers a tool to help meet yet another Common Core standard.  According to the standards, students will "present information, findings and supporting evidence."  Using Google Forms they can actually gather information from peers, parents, and other community members then use that information to make decisions and form conclusions about a topic.

From a teaching perspective, the most impressive feature is the self-grading quiz.  Being able to give students a quiz through email or embedding it in a class website, has many advantages including motivating kids to want to take the quiz using technology.  But the best part is that it is self-grading.  Once the quiz is set up in Forms, and sent out to participants, it is converted to a spreadsheet.  The results are automatically fed into the spreadsheet where formulas can be entered to calculate the score of each quiz.  Additional information can be gathered from the quiz, like what the average score was and which questions were missed most often.  The results can also be viewed in graph form as well.

There are additional uses for teachers to gather information about students.  For example, tachers can create forms that will track specific students' grades, behavior, and assignments.  This information can then be emailed to the parents or shared with other teachers.  There is also a feature for advanced users called Google Apps Script that will automatically email a parent the information gathered by the teacher.  Everytime the form is submitted, the program will send the email automatically.  For students who need additional monitoring, this seems like a great option.

Below is the simple survey that I created:
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlnlNpa7QhwrdEluZkVZVWcwY1JfRnBlX0pmY190dkE&usp=sharing

Tablet Uses and Tablets in Education

With regard to the many different types of tablets on the market, there are basically 7 general uses to consider when comparing the systems. They are as follows:
Apps - It is important to recognize that apps do not work across operating systems, although some apps have similar versions that will work together in a number of different operating systems. With Apple's iOS, most apps that work with an iPhone or iPod Touch also will work with an iPad, but will have different versions for the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad. The Android operating system has more variation, since Kindles and Nooks will only use apps developed explicitly for them and sold by Amazon and Barnes and Noble, respectively. The actual number of apps available at an Android OS level is actually a comparatively small amount of the total number of apps at Google Play. The total number of apps reported are:
Apple 700,000
Amazon 70,000
Barnes & Noble 9000
Google Play 500,000Books - Some of the tablets were developed originally as eReaders, such as Amazon which uses unique ebook formatting (.amz) to their books cannot be read by other readers without a complicated (and likely illegal) conversion process. The other three ebook vendors use a standard ebook format called ePub (.epub). All 4 vendors use cloud storage of whatever is purchased, which is a great help. All 4 vendors can also read pdf files (.pdf). Apple has some very unique and important connectivity to media and apps for a mixed media book experience -- and offers iAuthor software for educators to make and distribute similarly constructed materials on their own.
Internet - All 4 vendors under discussion provide good internet and email functions. There really are only 2 issues to differentiate the vendors here: the use of Flash and the use of cellular connectivity. The issue of Flash being unstable, according to Apple, has made it difficult to deliver large video and interactive files across the internet without it. Partial alternatives have been established, however, it is a weakness to be overcome. The issue of cellular connectivity, is that not all tablets offer this option. For someone who needs to be able to work where there is no WiFi, this option can allow them to continue to access the internet wherever a cellular connection can be made. One would then also have to consider the additional cost of the cellular service as well as any contracts that may be required.

Newspaper/Magazine - Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Google all offer Newspapers and Magazine subscriptions on the various devices that host their software. Apple has a separate app, Newstand, while the others incorporate these periodicals into the same reader software as is used for their books.
Movies/TV/Video - There are four ways to use movies, TV shows, and video on the tablets:
Subscription - Amazon Prime, Crackle, Hulu, or NetFlix all offer the ability to view movies and television shows for a monthly fee. The least expensive way to access a large quantity of movies and TV. Purchase - Amazon, Apple iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play all sell movies and TV shows, usually as soon as the DVD version is released and at pricing comparable to new DVDs.
Rental - All vendors permit rental of movie titles Free - YouTube, TED talks, Break, Apple's iTunes as iTunesU and Podcasts are all free options for viewing videos. Crackle also became free relatively recently.
Music - Apple iTunes originally developed the concept of selling music online, cut by cut, instead of a full album. Amazon was soon to follow, and building from its CD merchandising well may be equal to Apple. Google Play is a more recent development, and may not be as broad as the other two vendors in title offerings. Barnes & Noble does not appear to be selling emusic for Nooks, at this time.
Software - This option really applies primarily to the Microsoft Surface that promises to use standard Windows 7 software, soon Windows 8. However, Apple also offers much of its software for the iPads, but the software has been re-formatted for the mobile market and folds in with the overall Apps market. The size of Windows software means these tablet must have very large solid state memories - far larger than any other tablet, in order to offer even close to a reasonable amount of storage for software, apps, and saved files. All together this becomes a very expensive system. But for the person who does a large amount of productivity work and needs a lighter more compact devise than the laptop, this is an interesting option.

Tablets in Education

Tablets can be an incredible way to teach across many subjects with one device.  One huge advantage is that education can be delivered at precisely the teachable moment and point of instructional need, whenever and wherever that might be.  Without having to carry around a huge backpack full of books for each individual subject, it is feasible that most textbooks could be housed in one small, light-weight device that could be carried in hand.

Purchasing the tablets can be justified, at least partly, against the purchase of textbooks.  Replacing a tablet is cost efficient compared to replacing a whole set of textbooks. Because once the content of the textbook is purchased and on an account, it will not have to be purchased again if a tablet is damaged.  Unlike the damage of a paper book.

Many school are at least testing these tablets, knowing that this is the future classroom.  There are varied responses to the type of tablets that are chosen for these tests as well as the experience during the test.  It seems several schools chose the Nook based mostly on the support factor.  Barnes and Noble offer training for teachers and staff to introduce them to the tablet and how it works, as well as provide in person support from their stores if any of the devices has a problem that cannot be taken care of over the phone.  And should any of the tablets stop working, it could be taken to the store for replacement.  This seems reasonable considering the learning curve with such an innovative device.  The price also makes Nook a viable option since budgeting is a huge issue in schools.

One school had difficulty with the guidelines of Amazon.  After purchasing the Kindles, Amazon updated the End User Agreement to require each device be register to a separate account, eliminating the ability to file share.  This also made it impractical for librarians to manage devices and content.

Many schools however are testing Kindle and are happy with the results. Kindle offering the ability to rent text books gives them an edge in the education market, allowing students to get the book for a limited amount of time at a fraction of the price.  Also, students provided with Kindles, which can hold some 1,500 digital books, can simply download the copies they need, without burdening a school’s media center.

When it come to apps, the iPad seems to be the showstopper.  The selection of apps puts them at the front of the pack in terms of uses for the device.   

there are general applications – like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote – that can be applied in many different learning scenarios, and there are specific applications designed for particular subjects.

　

there are also applications designed to support teachers in the managing and delivering content including the distribution and collection of assignments, grading, as well as feedback and improvement. Some applications also allow both students and teachers to access files on school networks – like ClassLink’s LaunchPad app.

Apple has even created an app that can be used to deploy and mass configure many iPads, iPhones, or iPods. Apple Configurator makes it easy for anyone to mass configure and deploy iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in a school, business, or institution.

For many schools, the major factor for not choosing an iPad is price.  It has proven on many occasions to be a supior device but when it comes to purchasing a large number, cost is a final determinant.  However, when compared to the cost of a computer, this definitely makes them within reach for most schools. 　

Spreadsheets

The spreadsheets program by Google is a great asset for teachers to use in the classroom.  It has the same great features as the other Google Apps, such as collaboration and cloud storage.  Of all the programs, however, spreadsheets is probably the most complex.  It seems difficult in the beginning, but the more you use it and learn how each function works, it is an extremely useful program.

Because it has the collaboration feature, data collected can instantly be shared, modified, and presented in graphically appealing ways with charts and gadgets.  It is primarily a program to organize math data, but can be used for many other subjects as well.  Integrating math into other classes is important for learning about decision making.  Being able to present information in a concise, easy to read format, will help to convey an idea and persuade others of a particular point of view.

The Common Core Mathematics Standards guide the teacher to instill into the student certain behaviors and ideas that make them develop critical thinking with mathematics.  Being able to apply the knowledge they have gained in math and relate it to other fields of study through those same processes will help them build the critical thinking skills required to be successful in college and career.  Usually people to whom one would be presenting to in the workplace, are pulled in many directions and time is a very valuable commodity.  When an idea can be presented quickly and easily understood, it is more likely to persuade rather than an idea that requires a lot of reading and time to comprehend its effects.

In my first career, I was a clothing buyer for a department store.  Because most decisions were made based on financials, Excel spreadsheets were a necessity for sharing information.  Every idea that was presented had to be accompanied by a spreadsheet displaying how it would be accomplished and what the outcome would be as it related to numbers.  At some point in every business, numbers have to be considered.  That is why learning spreadsheet software is vital to one's career outside of school.  School, however, is the best place to learn how to do spreadsheets.  Having a class on how to use a spreadsheet is a great way to get introduced to the program.  Learning the complex uses, such as formulas and functions, usually comes once you are familiar with the basics and have a need for using these functions.  It is a program that one could probably never stop learning how to use in a new and different way.  

Being somewhat familiar with the Excel program, though it has been a while since I have used some of the more complex features, Spreadsheets was very similar in its maneuvering.  I thought, for the most part it was just as easy to use and manipulate the data just as I had done in Excel.  A few things I found while doing our project that I liked better about Excel were:  in copying and pasting, items did not always translate as copied, especially formulas; resizing columns and rows was more cumbersome; and it seemed to take longer to process certain commands.  Otherwise I think it will just take time to learn to navigate the new program, as some commands were just located in different places than in Excel. 

Overall, to be able to access a program of this quality for free is a huge plus for school.  It will help them to be able to reach the Common Core objectives without having to buy programs for every computer.  And again, the ability to share a project and see the changes made by others in real time is an amazing tool for learning and time saving.

Here is the link to my gradebook spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlnlNpa7QhwrdC0ydXNlQUhQT1oyZDN2YVJfRS1fRnc&usp=drive_web#gid=0

Google Presentations

Presentations by Google is a great resource for many of the same reasons as Docs.  It is easy to use, can be shared, collaborated, and it is free!  All of which make it ideal for the classroom.  Children from a very young age could make a presentation without difficulty.  Which is important in fulfilling the requirements of the Common Core.

Teaching communication skills is crucial in helping a child succeed.  Giving children tools to make an exciting presentation can inspire confidence in his knowledge of the subject at hand.  Preparing a great presentations in early grades will help students to begin developing and building their skills each year.  Getting them ready for a life outside of school.

The Common Core State Standards for Speaking and Listening require students to have an extensive set of skills in presenting information.  It states, "Students must learn to work together, express and listen carefully to ideas, integrate information from oral, visual, quantitative, and media sources, evaluate what they hear, use media and visual displays strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt speech to context and task."  Presentations has tools to help in all these areas.  The collaboration feature allows students to work together, requiring them to express and listen to ideas of their partners.  Being an Internet-based program, it already has access to information that can be added to their presentation with a quick search and click of a button.  Whether it is images, videos, animation, graphs, tables or anything else that could help tell their story, it can be added easily.  Presentation also allows them to share their work with other students, teachers or even their parents.

Making a presentation helps students to learn how to organize information and make it flow smoothly to the audience.  The audience may be a fellow student in the early stages, but eventually it will be a potential employer.  Teachers not only have the responsibility to teach a subject, but to use technology to enhance the learning opportunity and meet the standards.

The standards increase in complexity over the span of a student's education, leading up to the creation of "living presentations."  This requires all the components to accumulated into a larger presentation.  It is interactive with teachers, peers and professionals in the field.  The Common Core goal is to prepare students to create work that matters and that can contribute to the knowledge base of the topic. 

Here is a simple presentation I did for learning ABCs:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D1JXphUwBv4iBZJIGNoDIrUMMLBqX8AIsP3q3Dc7yOE/present?ueb=true#slide=id.p

Tablet Options

In reviewing the information on tablets, I began with an open mind.  I was not personally bent on proving any certain one was superior to another.   I realized quickly that there are many options to review with a plethora of information concerning each one.  Given the time frame to complete the task, and my level of technical expertise, the decision seemed to be relatively...easy.  Not because my research was exhaustive, or conclusive, but because I seem to keep asking the same question: How could this be better than the iPad?

It is obvious that 17 million+ people find this product, the iPad, quite adequate for their needs.  According to Forbes, it still owns more than half the marketshare for tablets.  Although the android tablets are more than adequate for performing most tasks and most available according to price, the market is fragmented and products vary by brand.  There are 11 Android tablets (not counting eReaders) and now Microsoft has introduced another alternative, or two, as well.  Many of them are basically the same in features: size (8, 16 or 32 GB), dimension and display (7-10"), most were dual core with the exception of the Nexus 7 which is quad core.  Only two have cellular ability, though all have WiFi and most have Bluetooth.  So there seems to be some duplicity among the products offered varying somewhat by minor details like which way the camera faces.  Kindle and Nook having been introduced as eReaders, are designed to be just that yet have the capability to do more especially with the introduction of the Fire models.  These models can not only read books but play music, movies and apps at a fraction of the cost of the iPad.

While Apple being designed in part around educational needs seems to be an optimal choice for schools.  The product is superior in many ways such as graphics for educational apps, number of apps available, a closed system making it easy to for schools to maintain, and now a variety of options in price and functionality.  It offers a cellular capability option on all models but is not standard, and all come WiFi and Bluetooth.  With each introduction there is an upgrade to the screen, camera or processor.  While the Android market seems to get broader, the Apple continues to go deeper in its offerings.  The only drawback I could find, except price, was the issue of Flash and the inability to play some interactive games and programs online.

The Microsoft option is an interesting addition to the market in that its primary design is productivity.  In order to be effective at the Window operations, however, it has to be larger than most other tablets and price is on the higher end.  It is interesting because a large number of people who are carrying around laptops for work, would love to see a slimmer, lighter weight option to transport while still being able to perform all that is necessary where work is concerned.  It does not offer a cellular capability option at this point.

In conclusion, I would recommend the iPad for its operating systems capabilities, its large apps library and its closed system and easy maintenance.  The cellular option I do not see as necessary in a school program because most schools have WiFi and students would not be taking them of campus to need cellular connection. 

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a great companion to Gmail.  I have never used the calendar before but could definitely see its advantages in the future.  Several features were appealing to me.  These are the ones I thought would be most helpful:

1. I use the calendar on my phone daily to make sure I don't miss any commitments, appointments or tasks.  Google Calendar has an option to sync with your phone so there is no need to enter everything twice and risking over commitment or forgetting an event.
2. The ability to share calendars could be extremely helpful within a family or workplace.  Being able to see what my husband's schedule looks like and compare to mine could save time when making commitments.  In a work place, the ability for a supervisor to see her employees calendar can help her to be able to schedule meetings, events, etc.
3. Sending invites for an event straight from your calendar keeps you from having to get out of you calendar and into email just to let others know about an event being set up.  It also has the ability for invitees to respond and for you to track their responses. 
4. Notifying of an upcoming item on the calendar is a wonderful feature.  This is great for someone who is at their desk most of the day.  However, for someone who is on the go, the ability to notify through text message of an upcoming item is even better.  Google calendar can send notification through email, pop-up message, or text message.

Gmail

As a Gmail user, I am somewhat familiar with the day to day functions of the email process.  However, reviewing the tutorials, I picked up a few features I had never used before.  I was also reminded of the importance of some of the unique feature Gmail offers.

1. Tasks - Being able to set up a task reminder is helpful when you get an email that requires an action.  Sometimes you have so many emails that require action that you get caught up in one and forget about another.  I found you can set up a task with a specific date and time to complete and actually link the related email to the task.  Saving time that would have been spent searching for the email.
2. Conversations - A feature I knew about but appreciate the time it saves by not having to go back through all the emails to find reply messages.  Other email accounts list each email separately with no easy way to organize a conversation.  Only sorting all emails by sender, date or subject, unless you are extremely organized and file all emails in a folder as soon as they are read.
3. Mail Fetcher - If you would like to centralize all your contacts and emails to one account, you can simply have Gmail fetch all your information from another account and it will be moved all at one time.  You can also select to only move contacts or to move only email.  It also has an option to continue moving email for the next 30 days.
4. Adding to Calendar - By clicking on "more details" inside a particular email, you can add an item from the email your calendar.  Saving the added step of getting out of email and into your calendar to add an appointment.
5. Filtering - I have not had to use the filtering function for day to day functioning, but I have only used this account for personal email.  As a professional account this feature would be extremely useful in allowing you to organize emails that come in as well as existing emails as they relate to a particular subject or person.

These, as well as many other features, make Gmail a superior choice for email.  And the fact that it is all free is a definite plus as well.

Google Drive/Documents

Google is now offering an alternative to Microsoft Office or Apple Pages, called Google Drive.  A word processing program, that is essentially accessible from any where there is an internet connection.  With this program, a student is no longer tied to one specific computer or hard drive.  He can become a mobile learner.  One example that was given in the handout said a student could begin working on a writing project in the school's computer lab, then later add content during English class on a tablet, the revise the paper at home on the family's PC.  This is possible through the use of Google's cloud.  Using the cloud gives unlimited storage space on Google's servers for Google Docs and up to 5 gigabytes  for other formats, including Word, Pages, PDF, or video files.  This is a comprehensive way to store all your documents in one place.  As student could virtually work wherever and whenever the inspiration hits them.  And they would also never have to be concerned about whether the right program was installed on the computer to which they have access.

Additional advantages make it an attractive option for schools as well as personal use.  For one, and quite importantly, it is free.  There is no software to purchase.  Schools can also take advantage of what is called Google Apps.  A special account that can be set up for a school, business or other organization as a subset to the larger Google community.  This allows the school to control the site and monitor the activity of students.  It does require an permission slip signed by parents for anyone under 13 years of age since each child would need a Google account to access it.  Which could be a concern for parents with more conservative views about the computer access of their children (myself included).  However, this could also be a huge plus for schools who do not have a large budget for technolgy.  They could have access to all these latest programs as well as unlimited data storage without having to bog down their own servers or spend and absorbent amount of money on programs. 

Another advantage is its ability to share and collaborate with others at the same time.  According to Google, up to 50 people can work on the same document at the same time.  I cannot personally understand how that could be,  but it definitely sounds interesting.  It has a feature that will allow students and teachers to see revision history of the document so they can return to a previous version if needed.  And it saves the work every two seconds automatically.  Since Common Core is a huge concern for educators, this feature will make the revision, editing and rewriting requirements much simpler.  Being able to collaborate with a teacher, get immediate feedback, make changes, and even publish a document without ever leaving the program is a huge timesaver as well.

One purpose of the Common Core initiative is to better prepare students for college and beyond.  One of the ways outlined is getting technology introduced and even required as low as kindergarten.  This will help them to have a wealth of 21st century skills to help prepare them for the future.  The Google Documents program, on many fronts, seems to be an exciting and interactive way to teach children the skills of writing and technology at the same time.  With the program's ability to meet many of the standards for the Common Core while providing a cost effective option for schools, I see this being a homerun for everyone involved.  

Professional Blogs

Professional blogs can be very interesting and informational.  The type of blogs that one might be drawn to would vary based on interest, content, goals and even personality.  Though the blogs on our list were all education related, they had very different perspectives, layouts, themes and designs.  They were all as different as the people who created them, of course.  In my estimation that is the point.  A space for one to personalize their thoughts, likes/dislikes, share experiences, and pass on information among many other things. 

The blogs one might choose to follow would probably be determined by how one relates to the areas mentioned above.  One thing that I noticed first was the layout and design.  Many were very wordy and packed as much content in as possible.  I found this a bit overwhelming and had difficulty knowing where to start.  However, if this was a blog I was familiar with and enjoyed the content, I would want to know as much from this blogger as possible.

I enjoyed reading a few of the blogs that were simple and easy to follow.  Some of the blogs, especially the ones that were more tech informational, were over my head and I had no idea what they were talking about.  Though, I am sure they have an audience that enjoys that sort of information (i.e. Dr. Krug).  I appreciate that there are people who love to share information in an organized way with people who have similar interests.  Pictures and videos are a powerful way of communicating an idea in a short amount of time.  Some of the blogs had great videos and pictures from youtube and flicker that I might be more likely to spend time on than reading a long written post.

Blogging seems like a very practical way of sharing information in our technology driven society.  While time is the most valuable commodity in our fast-paced world, and computers are as accessible as paper and pencil (sometimes more so), a blog can be a multi-purpose outlet for writers and a great way to connect quickly for readers.

Keyboarding

The typing tutorials and games online are a great resource for anyone, especially for the classroom.  These free websites are perfect for everything from learning to type for the first time to helping an experienced keyboarder improve speed and accuracy.

Learning to type can be frustrating, but a couple of websites like typingweb.com, typingclub.com, and typingstudy.com allow you to start gradually and work your way up a lesson at a time.  Some of them will even keep up with your progress if you want work on it over a period of time.  These would be great for teaching younger kids as an introduction to keyboarding.

For someone with more experience there are some fun sites like speedtypingonline.com that will allow you to quickly test your typing skills.  You can also continue to exercise your skills to improve speed and accuracy by taking more of these pop-up quizes.

And for the gamer inside everyone, there are typing sites like freeonlinetypinggame.com and typingmaster.com that help you build up your keyboard navigation skills in a competitive, fun environment.  Since you are competing against yourself and working toward building a skill, it is a great way to have fun while learning.  This could be a wonderful tool for the classroom and the home.  The only drawback I saw to these sites is that with some of the games you have to enter your name and email address to play.  But not all the games require it.

Mac OS

The MAC OS

The most appealing attribute of the Mac seems to be the ease of use.  The introduction of the "point and click" idea, as well as the ability to control and innovate continue to make the Mac advantageous from a  users point of view.

However, being an IBMer for most of my life, can tend to make this a little less friendly when trying to complete simple tasks (like turning it on and using the mouse/track pad).  For those who have worked extensively on the Mac, these small challenges could seemingly be overcome with a bit of practice.

The many advantages (i.e. media tech, graphics, etc) of the Mac make it an appealing option on many fronts barring the initial cost of acquiring the system.