Personal Learning Networks

This week I had a chance to explore various Personal Learning Networks.  I found some really great resources, and also realized not everything technology related is for me!  Through my investigations this week, I was introduced to an AMAZING resource that can be used for more than just a personal learning network: Diigo.

A Diigo account is completely free, although you are able to upgrade to a premium account if you choose.  I'm a fairly frugal girl, so I chose not to explore anything related to a premium account and stuck with the free one.  My exploration of this site couldn't have come at a more fitting time in my life!  I was not able to bring my work computer home this weekend, so I did not have access to my wonderfully organized list of favorites and bookmarks located on my computer.  Lesson planning felt like I was reinventing the wheel!  If only I had known about Diigo sooner, I could have avoid one serious headache.

Diigo is a site that allows you to keep all your favorites from the world wide web in one simple to access location.  Gone are the days of being able to access your favorites only from a single computer!  Beyond proving you a place to organize your favorite sites, Diigo also allows you to search for what others are using.  The world around us is changing so much that it can be difficult to keep up-to-date with the best that education has to offer.  Through Diigo, I was able to search for my specific teaching wants and needs.  I was provided a list of sites to explore, the majority of which I had never even heard of!

For more information about Diigo, check out the video below!

Staying Connected

This week I began my final classes needed for completing my Masters!  I look forward to all the new learning that will take place over the next seven week.  This week, I got to focus on educational blogs that can guide me as I continue to pursue meaningful ways to integrate technology in my classroom.  While I love a good blog just as much as the next teacher, keeping up-to-date on blog posts can be incredibly time consuming.  This week, however, I was introduced to Feedly, which is a great way to keep up with all my favorite blogs in one simple location!  Not only does Feedly allow me to keep up with all my favorite blogs, it is incredibly able to use!  An account is free and you have several different options for signing up for an account, including using an existing google account.  For more information on how to use Feedly, check out the video below!

Google Sites

This week I had the opportunity to pull together everything I have learned so far in my Google Tools for Educators class.  I must say it has been a whirlwind of new learning!  I've discovered several new and unique ways to integrate technology into my classroom.  Google Earth and Google Story Builder were definitely my favorites along the way!

In the end, I was able to create a Google Sites that can be used to keep parents and students up-to-date regarding the team I coach at school: Stucky Academic League.  I did have some struggles along the way, but overall Google Sites has been an extremely useful tool!  The Google Site I created for my Academic League team is viewable only with whom I have shared the link.  Because the site will eventually contain pictures of the team throughout our season, I have chosen to NOT share the link on this blog.  I have, however, included a video tutorial below on how you can create your own Google Site!

YouTube and Picasa

This week I had a chance to explore different features that YouTube has to offer, as well as, Picasa.  I'm definitely excited to incorporate some of these into my classroom!

I frequently use YouTube to locate videos that I can use in my classroom, but I have been completely missing out on YouTube Education!  It can be a struggle to find a student-friendly video on YouTube given the sheer number of videos available.  Time is a very precious resource for most educators, so wading through thousands of videos is not always an option.  YouTube Education allows you to search for educational videos only, which can be a huge time saver!  Click here to check out YouTube Education.

I also had the opportunity to explore TubeSnack, a site that allows you to create custom playlists.  I found it to be very easy to use.  It allows you to search for videos using key words or phrases just like you would on YouTube.  You can also use the url from a YouTube video to find the video on TubeSnack.  A plus to using TubeSnack is that you don't need to create a separate account; you can log in using an existing Google account.  Check out my TubeSnack playlist here!  You can also click here for more information.  The only down fall I encountered while using TubeSnack is that you have to pay for a premium membership in order to download your playlist.

This week I also had a chance to explore Picasa.  I vaguely remember using Picasa in the past, but didn't stick with it.  It has some really great features that includes the ability to make photo collages, as well as, picture slide-shows.  Picasa can also be set to sync to your Google Photos.  One feature I did not like, however, is the automatic scan feature.  Upon downloading, Picasa scanned and uploaded all of my pictures files present on my computer.  You do still have control over which albums automatically sync with Google Photos; however, if you accidentally saved a picture file to the wrong folder on your computer, it could be automatically uploaded. I wasn't really a fan of this, because I like to be slightly more selective in what I do and do not share.  Even though, I'm not completely sold on Picasa, I do think it's worth checking out!  Check out the video below for more information.

Google Tools

This week I wanted to share a couple Google Tools I found useful/engaging.  The first tool is ZygoteBody, formerly known as Google Body.  ZygoteBody allows the user to explore the human body and its various systems.  ZygoteBody includes both a male and female model that can be manipulated and moved to better explore.  ZygoteBody is free; however, there are certain features that are only available with a premium membership.  Premium memberships can be purchased for $4 per month, or at a discounted rate of $38 per year.  Check out the video below for more information!

Another Google Tool I was able to explore this week is Google Story Builder.  Google Story Builder is a fun new way to tell a story!  It looks just like typing on a word processor.  It allows you to easily add new characters and even music to your story.  Google Story Builder can be a fun and engaging classroom tool for summarizing and story telling.  Check out the video below for more information, or click here to view my Google Story and get started on your own!

Customized Search Engines

Internet searches provide users with a wealth of knowledge at their finger tips.  Search engines can be powerful research tools, but they can also be overwhelming for students who are not yet able to discern valuable information from junk.  Custom search engines provide teachers the ability to limit where their students can look for information.  Custom search engines also allow for a more focused and safe approach to student research.  Click here for more information about creating your own custom search engine!

Because Science changes so quickly, I have found it necessary to supplement my curriculum with internet sources.  To help refine student searches, I have created a custom search engine to help guide my students to school appropriate and educational sites.  Check it out below!

Tips and Tricks for Maximizing Gmail

I don't know about you, but my inbox can go from empty to absurd in a matter of minutes! I receive hundreds of emails a day from a variety of senders and I do not have time to spend sifting through them all.  I needed a solution and I believe I have found it!  That solution is a combination of using plus addressing with my existing email address and applying filters.

I recently discovered I can alter my existing gmail account to customize it for various purposes.  For example, instead of using my original gmail account, I can use mygmail+education@gmail.com to sign up for educational sites!  The emails I receive from the sites I sign up for using this email will still find their way to my original gmail account.  You can view the video below for more information on using plus addressing with your existing gmail account to create unlimited email addresses.

Using plus addressing is only part of the organized inbox solution.  The second part involves setting up filters to organize your incoming mail.  Going back to my previous example of using mygmail+education to sign up for educational sites, I can set up a filter to recognize this specific email address.  By applying filters, I can organize my inbox into easy to find and access categories.  View the video below for more information on how to set up filters in your inbox!

I hope you found these tips as useful as I did!