A Whole New World in Google Earth

To the best of my recollection, this was my first time using Google Earth.  However, I am confident that this is a site that I will begin to frequent.  I choose to watch a few of the atomic learning lessons to help me best navigate the capabilities of this site.

I had the most fun playing with the layers that one can choose from.  The hyperlinks embedded on this virtual globe is an educational gem mine for all age students.  Whether they choose to watch a time elapsed construction of a city or just review climate differences.  This site can aid teaching all key subject areas.

After viewing both the elementary and middle school idea sheets.  I found lesson ideas on everything from geography to lessons exploration of America.  So often when we teach in a classroom, students have very little comprehension of the vast world that they live in.  Many have often never left their region or state.  Google Earth allows (especially less privileged children) world travel.    The hands on exercises will provide kinestetic, visual and auditory learning opportunities.

The Google Gallery/ Tours option is a bit like having your own tour guide.  This would be a handy tool for planning school trips or even classroom field trips.  The blogspot was also interesting .  I found tools for charting forest fires and floods.  With all of the apparent natural disasters that have occurred in the recent years, this feature brings current events into the classroom.

I look forward to continuing exploring the World in my classroom through Google Earth.

Google maps

I was fairly familiar with Google maps before tonight.  As my husband is a world traveler, I often look up his locations and search out webcams in his area.  I will confess that I am often disturbed by the satellite imagery that I find when he is on our military posts/bases in unfriendly territory.  This easily accessible information is a definite breach to our security, as it is to many public figures who face "stalking" and threats from unstable followers.

I hadn't noticed the ability to read the imbedded Wikipedia links now on the maps.  I do think that this is a helpful addition and can even be more useful in the education setting.

Aisling's Math Tour is an interesting site to show students how math fits into our everyday lives.
A tour of the places that shows my "travel" around the globe, while figuring out problems about these places in my math book is the claim made about this site.  While I didn't really discover any problems, per say, the numerical data reported on this site at different travel destinations was interesting.

My favorite find was googletreks.  I think that this will offer the most opportunity for incorporating map with subjects other than social studies into the classroom.  For example, the detail map below was one of the best I found.

"Mrs. Clark's World Landmark Math

This map is designed to challenge students in grades three through five,with mathematical problems related to tourist attractions around the world. Students will choose landmarks and math problems,to add to this site over the next three months."

Time Zones is often another difficult task for students to master, so Google Maps offers an interesting graphic way to show and teach this material.

frustration on the site

I attempted to create a website for my Wednesday night girls Bible Class that I teach all school year.  The problem with this was when I originally selected my template I chose the classroom option.  Very bad decision on my party.   I assumed that modifying it for a church Bible class would be quite easy.  It was not.  Everything from trying to link my church's homepage to posting a scripture verse of the week became a laborious task that could not be accomplished in 1/2 hour.  I was having to override every topic heading and even the default selection heading of link.  After working on this for about 30 minutes and not getting very far, I came to the conclusion that deleting this site and recreating a new one would be a much quicker option.  However, when trying to do this, I was told that the site that I had created would be held in storage for 60 days, so I would lose my site name if I started over.

I then tried and tried to find a way to alter my web template, but had no success.  So I concede to resign my site name and start from scratch.  I looked for a fitting templete, but church didn't fit, family didn't quite fit.  I think organization may be the closest match.

 My class is dedicating to training girls to grow into the Proverbs 31 woman that God would have them be.  I teach the girls cooking, sewing, handicrafts and many other attributes from Proverbs 31.  So I think that it would make an awesome website.

For what it is worth, since very little was accomplished  here is the link. 

https://sites.google.com/site/jewelclass/home

Life's a Picnik

Picasa touts that Picnik is "Photo-editing awesomeness", indeed it is.  While the premium version offers some mega-awesomeness, I could easily make for fun times with the free version.

 While searching for some negative reviews of Picasa the most common seemed to be the claim that it is difficult to use and that the frequent upgrades make it even more difficult.  Although I haven't used it enough to discover this for myself, I did find the atomic learning site on picasa training to be very thorough.  My first response to entering the site was a bit overwhelming, but this was largely due to fact that I didn't have any photos stored on my host computer and very few online for me to access.

The two features that grabbed my attention were the label and star system.  With them,  not only could I view Christmas photos, but also photos of each of my daughters with different searches.    I also have the ability to rate the quality of a photo and then can choose to sort for only those with a certain star rating. 

A second productive feature is the digital scrapbooking.  With this feature, photos can be arranged in a collage and captions can be added.  When Dr. Krug mentioned the ability to commercially print on their site, I expected to find a very small number of advertised supporting photo printers.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to 15 different service providers: free enterprise-friendly.   I like to give personalized gifts with photos on things such as mugs, water bottles and even cakes, so I think the picasa/picnik package with be a great combo to continue to help me in the is area.

Internet Hide and Seek

Tonight I learned some basic to complex search tools to use with Google search engine.  To begin with I learned about a simple subtraction method (-).  When placing a minus in front of an item, google will exclude this option as it searches.  The site used the example of a jaguar.  If a person wanted to find out about the animal jaguar, they might choose to type -cars to limit the search results.

I also learned that you can adjust your search results to be based on reading levels.  This could be a handy tool for an elementary teacher to use when helping her students find usable research for their age-appropriate level.

A more advanced tool was the wonder wheel search option.  I could have used this option this year while homeschooling my daughter as she prepared her research paper.  When I queried her on her topic, she said "basketball."  I tried to explain how that topic was too broad.  How neat it would have been to show her how to think about a more specific topic using the wonder wheel.  I can use this same method in teaching my students research methods and topic selection.  As they move from wheel to wheel the options of research become more refined.

Another exciting find was the advanced image search option.  Being able to specify size, colors, file type can greatly enhance presentations and documents.

Lastly, I enjoyed playing with the Google squared search tool.  I personally tried to compare hotel choices for our family vacation, but I play around with other searches like "Christian nations" and a broad comparison of at least 25 countries was listed.  This would make a nice comparative research tool for students

Google Drawing

I attempted to use Google Drawing a bit tonight.  Unfortunately, my lack of artist skills and little know how of using Drawing left me a bit short.  I tried to find an atomic learning link to better explain the capabilities, but again came up short.  I then clicked on the help key within google drawing only to be disappointed once again.  The option of watching a video introduction was not specific to Drawing, instead it was a general video of the advantages of using Google documents.   I look forward to more tutorials being developed as this application ages.

I can see how children would thoroughly enjoy the art abilities available in this application offers.  Each year my daughter's school hosts a technology fair (similar to science and social studies fairs).  Each student is required to produce one technology based project.  Most of the work for this project is done during technology class time, however, the projects are sent home on discs for the children who wish to enhance their projects on their own time.  Most of the projects are age appropriate with many at the elementary grade doing a pictorial book report.  In the past, most of this work has been done on PowerPoint.  However, I would like to recommend that they better utilize Google apps.  The student can use both presentation and Drawing for these projects.

iPad Apps

I explored 3 iPad apps tonight. 
The first two were "Matematics" :) apps that appeared to be similar in function, yet one was far superior in utility.

1.  McGraw-Hill's Beat the Computer, Multiplication was the weaker of the two math apps that I played with.    In this game, the user completes 20 single-digit multiplication problems and attempts to answer within the allotted 20 sec time the computer affords the user.  How long the user takes to answer is then tallied at the bottom of the screen with the higher scores being better.  This would be a great tutorial for students needing assistance on speed and accuracy of multiplication, but I would prefer to use the Math Drill Lite app described next.  I found two-digit responses a little difficult to type in and often the first digit wouldn't register and I would miss the problem. 

2.  Math Drills Lite had a much greater usability.  It offered addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and mixed options.  The user was also able to choose between the review or practice (time) portion of the application.  This program hosts a setting tab where the user can adapt the keypad for left handed users or change the display screen colors to red/green for visual enhancement.   Upon completion of the timed practice the user is given a MPH speedometer on their screen and told what the duration of their trip was and how many pit stops that they had to make--making the app very visually stimulating and fun to use.  The app does offer a full-version for $1.99 which allows 10 student to personalize their setting .  It will keep a score/test history and when retesting will emphasize those problem previously missed or slow responses.  In addition progress for all students can be tracked with graphs.  What an incredible skill tutoring option for teachers!!

3.  The brainstorming application that I chose to work with was Idea Sketch.  I think this would be a great tool for Language/Arts.  This would help students with developing their writing skills when faced with a writing prompt.  Furthermore, creative writing teaching can be enhanced with this app.  To use it, an individual enters a topic.  Then they name an idea and choose a shape and color to represent their idea.  The idea then shows up in a visual format.  Once several ideas are determined, the user can click on an icon to put the visual in outline form.  They are then able to organize their ideas and move the order of the their ideas, thus creating the beginning to an essay.  Another neat option is the ability to add a description and notes to each individual idea.  This great visual tool can help many writing deficient students.

iPAD in the classroom

I am very excited about the potential uses of iPADs in school.  The cost debate citing iPADs as more cost effective than traditional textbooks is very convincing.  Of some concern is what happens when a student destroys or loses and iPAD?  With textbooks today, the threat is often made that the student's parents will have to pay to replace the textbook, yet my personal experience is that this isn't normally the case.  From what I have experienced, the school usually takes the loss.  While the data on a destroyed iPAD is still accessible, replacing the $500 device could get very pricey.
I see the classroom uses as endless.  This captivating technology is certain to spark children's interest.  My favorite link location for some of the possibilities is http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/05/interesting-ways-to-use-ipad-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29&utm_content=Google+Reader. 
This site lists 55 different ideas for using the iPAD in the classroom.  It spans various ages and subject matters also.

I enjoyed using the iPAD as a reader.  As a personal confession, I have had difficulty downloading books onto the reader that I purchased my husband for Christmas.  I am not certain if our limited rural internet access has played a hand at my difficulties or if it is downloader ignorance.  Any how, I enjoyed the note taking, highlighting  and interactive feature of the iPAD reader.  I do wish that it had a page back function.  When I was in the middle of a book and clicked on a link for additional information, once I was done reading the additional information, I had trouble finding my original place.  Once a reader became familiar with this, it could be remedied by placing a bookmark on the page before clicking on a link.  However, as a new user, I found this a little frustrating.


I think that students could easily replace textbooks and reading books with E readers.  This would eliminate concerns when students all wanted to read the same book.  Recently, my daughter's reading teacher taught a short block on the Titanic.  She was down to only two reading books left on the subject matter as it seems that her others had mysteriously "walked away."  Having these books available on EReaders would help prevent such future losses and in particular, the iPAD could offer even more student-centered education involvement.

Googles' secret FORMula

I created this very simple survey using Google Forms.



I have been very impressed with Dr Krug's forms method of assigning, grading and being able to see our performance data.  This ability to provide such instant feedback is very helpful in teaching and learning. I am eager to utilize this capability in my classroom. The plethora of themes available are another lively feature.

I like the ability to insert different types of responses from scales, to multiple choice and even determine is a response is required.   This forms can be emailed to potential respondents or even embedded into websites.  Very cool options to get maximum participation.
 I look forward to analyzing the response data once a survey is complete.

Now where did I put that list of websites?

Every time I come across an interesting website, I right the link down on a slip of paper, a handy paper napkin, the back of my checkbook, or my course notebooks.  The problem with this recording methods is recollection.  Chances are that these slips get wet, tossed out when I clean out the car or I forget what the note is about.  Like any organization device.  The initial set-up is the most tedious step.  Yet, the benefit of tracking and being able to re access sites of interest will be beneficial.  While the site itself is simple and somewhat bland in appearance, Bookmark is a easy to use and helpful website revisit and navigation tool.

Library Thing is another great organization tool.  While I would never take the time to catalog our home library, I could see myself using this site for a classroom book listing.


Google reader is another exciting Google discovery for me.  I have high expectations of using this site to help declutter my desktop and dining room table :) I liked being able to subscribe to and tab several of the sites regarding my hobby and professional interests as well as being able to read through the daily news headlines.    I can see using this in a classroom setting to allow children to keep up with the current events, yet not overwhelming them with too much information.  Perhaps setting up a classroom Google reader with a simple headline page would be of academic benefit.

SPREADSHEET

This was my first time creating with Google Spreadsheet. I have viewed documents in it before, but never created with any spreadsheet other than Excel. My favorite finds were by far the gadget selections. I also stumbled across the fact that Google offers a nice option of stock photos for enhancement to any Google document. Usage on Google Spreadsheet looks very similar to Excel. Another educator note is that in the script gallery there are actually education applications (grade assessment and GPA) to install. Whether using the spreadsheet for data calculation or just column presentation, I think that Google Spreadsheet can easily meet my spreadsheet needs. 

 

I really liked the data collection lesson plan samples provided for us to preview. The clean and linear presentation makes for easier reading and comprehension for children.

 

I can see myself using the below listed gadgets as fun ways to track classroom discipline for elementary age children.    For example, once we get the worm ### long then we will have an insect hunting adventure.  The way that we grow our worm is for no one in the class to have any tickets pulled (no poor discipline).  These visuals are also great for math and data collection lessons.

1.  Bars of Stuff   

By The visapi-gadgets project

Fun bar charts using images of trains, chocolate, worms, and more.

2.  "Pile" Chart

By Anonymous

Show piles of Money (US $100 bills) which scale to the values in the spreadsheet.

These next two finds could serve ase great tutoring and lesson review/study gadgets.
1.  Word Study Gadget

By Pamela Fox

Create interactive flash cards. You can guess using word jumbles, type-ins, or multiple choice, and you can choose to have the hints come from Google images, Google translation, or your own spreadsheet.

2.  Flash Cards Gadget

By Seth Glickman

Easily create flashcard sets. HTML is allowed. Ideal for foreign language vocabulary sets, AP Chemistry common ions... anything you'd use flashcards for. Remove cards from view once you know them well enough, shuffle the remaining cards, change languages and more!

Giddy for Google

I could have spent the remainder of the evening "playing" in igoogle and with the calendar.  I was already very familiar with the gmail features available and use them quite regularly.  Just today, I sold a goat by attaching some adorable photos of the kid to an interested party.  I haven't used the chat function, because I only chat online with my husband when he is abroad and we have used the Skype video chat exclusively.  I have used the signature block also.  I use it as a marketing tool for my home-based business.  One new function that I did discover is the multiple star system.  In the past, I have starred items of key importance.  I now realize that I have the ability to color code my star system. 

A more exciting discovery was the benefit I see in using the calendar options.  Sharing family birthdays will be of great benefit when several family members utilize this program.  Student birthday could also be added in a school setting.   Marriage enhancement is another side benefit.  Family's can put children's school functions to include times and locations so that each parent can plan for and attend these events.  Team teachers can also share their individual projected lesson plans with one another or with incoming substitute teachers.

IGoogle was my favorite new find of the night.  I had never visited or used this function and boy, did I have fun designing my page.  I changed the theme, added a scripture and motivational thought of the day.  I put my 2 favorite mind games and many other personal likes on this page.  The convenience of having news, weather, a to do list and other things that I usually search out on the internet in one place on my IGoogle will be nice.

Google Docs: a collaboration gem

Need to work on a class project, publish a newsletter with multiple submitters, determine a unit budget spreadsheet with inputs from all division chiefs (even those out of town)?  Google documents is a viable option for you.
In particular for educators, google docs presentation makes working from home on class collaboration projects much easier.
While it doesn't offer all of the formatting themes and animation gadgetry that PowerPoint does, the usage is almost exact.  Utube even provides some great video tutorials on creating these google presentations.  Google docs presentation offers several themes for a simpler design.  One of the biggest advantages to having various contributors for the presentation is that the group doesn't have to worry about differing software version sand other non-compatibility problems. I did find the drawing capabilities of Google docs also a little limited.

Bottom line for advantages:
Google docs:  Free and Collaboration
PowerPoint:  Don't need internet access to work on presentation and more bells and whistle capabilities for a more in-depth and creative product

Browsing Browsers

Interesting time spent tonight hunting browsers.  I had always used the standard pre-downloaded explorer browser on my home operating systems until my sister-in-law recommended Firefox several years ago.  Since, then I have become a somewhat frequent listener of Kim Commando and have heard her laud the security advantages of Firefox.  So, I have stuck with it.

However, after tonight's perusing, I may consider changing.  I will first want to research the security of the other browser options.  The two that I used tonight were:

1.  Chrome:  I found it to be very fast and it has a much cleaner bar area.  I liked the how when I opened a new tab that all of the recent pages that I visited showed up.

2.  Safari:  At first I was somewhat unimpressed with this browser.  That was until I discovered the small boxes/ new tab key.  It was a little hard to find, since I didn't know what I was looking for, but it was very impressive once I found it.  It was almost like I was viewing a panoramic magazine.  The two choices of top sites and history made internet hunting very fun and easy to read.  At this point, I think Safari will be my new choice of browsers (assuming it is secure).







 

Google Documents enhance collaboration

I thought that I had used Microsoft Office/Works almost exclusively.  Yet, when I opened my documents tab in my gmail account, I was reminded of the few times that I shared documents with others in google docs.  In particular: with my real estate agent when she shared our projected closing statements; with the barter organization that I am involved with that sends me documents; and with a small business broker on projected expenses.  Each of these people were obviously already aware of the google capabilities had no trouble viewing/sharing documents.  I have however, have encountered others who stated that they couldn't open the document I sent them.

This is what leads me to a major assessment of google documents.  While I was very excited after watching the youtube video on the potential of google documents.  I look forward to teaching students on their ability to to collaborate on group projects.  This asset overcomes many objections to time/travel constraints.   The biggest downside I see currently is the limited number of people aware of this capability.

We play an important role in showing our students the advantages to using these google features, but as far as being able to incorporate it into our personal lives, we face the constraints of others' ignorance of its existence.

Typing/Keyboarding

Several years ago I had the privilege to teach a high school keyboarding class in a private school in Kansas.  What I discovered was truly amazing.  I had one particular student from Pakistan that was already proficient in keyboarding before the course began.  When I questioned him on his ability, he explained that in his country that keyboarding was taught in 3rd grade!   3rd grade!!!

So that brings me to this question, when is the appropriate age to teach keyboarding?  Children are now using computers at toddler ages.  So, if they aren't taught, they will teach themselves.  These self-taught methods are inevitably a hunt and peck method.  Can we then adequately unteach these poor habits and reteach proper keyboarding techniques for speed and accuracy?  Is this a problem?

Having reviewed 3 of the available freeware online sites, I may have stumbled across some important games to put before children.


  1.  Keyhero.com is a site for older children/adult who already have keyboarding skills.  It tests for speed and accuracy and then flags areas for improvement and posts high scores.

2.  Learntotype.com requires an account sign-up to begin, but waives this requirement for K-2.  However, within this kids version, keyboardingtyping skills are not taught only mouse, arrow key and letter search and find skills tested.

3.  Freeonlinetypinggames.com was the gem mining find of the night.  This site has a specific kids secion that offer some great graphic and sound enhanced games, but most importantly this site offered a tutoring link.  This link specifically teaching hand placement and keyboarding lessons.  One note of caution, the script font used in the typing tone music game made it hard to tell which letters were which.

blahh---ging

I have refused to blog in the past.  I have even gone so far as to mock those who have blogged, questioning why anyone would think that someone would care about their opinions.

Yet, in retrospect, I do listen to verbal bloggers.  I love newstalk.  So, that brings me to my new discovery.  The blogs that I have visited in the past are not of value to me.  They were mostly just babble. In selecting blogs to follow I will now consider the following:

1.  Is the content of interest/value to me?  I will look for blogs on specific subject matters that interest me.

2.  Is the author of the blog of credible source?  My purpose of reading the blog will best help me assess this.  I must assess if I am reading it for mere entertainment, educational value or advice.  When searching out advice, authors with a Biblical Worldview will be of the utmost importance to me.  However, for educational value I will not always read authors' content that I agree with, but rather those that challenge my opinions.

The first thing that I looked at when reviewing the sample education sites was to read the author's bio.  I want to know who this person is.  I feel that this will best help be understand why his viewpoints are as such.  For example, Jeff Utecht and Clarence Fisher are both international educators, so their insights might have a whole different appeal to a reader than adult educator, Curt Bonk.

Little of Bonk's materials is directly transferable to the elementary classroom beyond the broad generalities of things like being flexible, cheerful and optimistic.   Utecht seems to share interesting finds as well as highlights of his teaching experiences in Thailand.  While I'm sure there are educational material that I can appreciate, I think my time would best be served by speaking with my contemporaries or teachers I know personally and admire.

Overcoming the Mac Attack

Okay, so my first night on a Mac was this eve.  My confession: I like most people resist change--the fear of the unfamiliar.  Many years ago the base newspaper that I oversaw was laid out on Mac and my staff swore that layout and design was far superior on the Mac systems.  I just worked to keep them happy and Mac funded.
But now I ponder what happens if this future teacher is given an "Apple."  I will have to invest the time in Atomic learning.  This tutorial is very informative, but I imagine will take a long time to master.  However, regular use will be the greatest teacher.  Like learning a second language or learning to serve a volleyball.  You can be shown something, but practice is what leads to perfection.  Simple shortcuts that we PC users take for granted will have to be explored.  So here is to the few MAP Mac Magellans :  Let the exploration begin......