New Google Drive Tip- Publish Google Docs As Web Pages

7:16 PM    

July 31, 2014
Here is another handy Google Drive tip that is often overlooked by many teachers. Did you know that you can publish a Google Doc, presentation or sheet as a web page? Yes you can write a document or create a presentation and share it as a web page that students can access using the URL you share with them. Here is how to do it:

Open the document you want to publish as a web page. Click on file then select "Publish to the web"


Please note that when you publish a Google Doc or Sheet, you can uncheck "Automatically republish when changes are made" to make sure that the published version does not update as you make changes to the original file. Google Slides always auto-updates so that changes made to an original presentation will be reflected in the published version.



Courtesy of Shake Up Learning

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11 Great Search Engines for Social Science Researchers

4:54 AM    

July 30, 2014
In today's post I am sharing with you some interesting search engines ideal for folks in engaged in social science research.Researchers working in the fields of psychology, anthropology, and related subjects will find great results using these search engines.

Behavioral Brain Science Archive:


Check out this searchable archive to find extensive psychology and brain science articles.
In this research network, you can find a wide variety of social science research from a number of specialized networks including cognitive science, leadership, management, and social insurance.
Find a journal with Psycline’s journal and article locator, a tool that offers access to more than 2,000 psychology and social science journals online.

Search the languages of the world with Ethnologue, offering an encyclopedic reference of all the world’s known living languages. You’ll also be able to find more than 28,000 citations in the Ethnologue’s language research bibliography.
Use this site from the University of Amsterdam to browse sociological subjects including activism, culture, peace, and racism.
Check out this guide to find all of the sociological resources you’ll need on the internet. The SocioWeb offers links to articles, essays, journals, blogs, and even a marketplace.
With this custom Google search engine, you can find open access articles about archaeology.
Search or browse the Encyclopedia of Psychology to find basic information, and even translations for information about psychology careers, organizations, publications, people, and history.
Through this database, you can get access to anthropology reviews, look up publishers, and find resources available for review.
This anthropological online search includes both general search of 4,000 periodicals held in The British Museum Anthropology Library as well as Royal Anthropological Institute films.
Political Information is a search engine for politics, policy, and political news with more than 5,000 carefully selected websites for political information.

Source: Online Universities
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Google Hangout for Teachers- A Comprehensive Tutorial

3:13 AM    

July 29, 2014
Google Hangout is an excellent service  that enables both one-on-one  and group chats with up to ten people at a time.Google Hangouts are not all video based. You can hold a hangout using only the textual chat functionality or you can add voice. There is also another great feature called hangout on Air. A Hangout on the Air is a Google hangout that is broadcast both on YouTube both through your Google+ page . It’s a great way to have a “public” event or get more people involved in the conversation!


Image source:http://leanderisd.org/
 The purpose of this post is to share with you a handy video tutorial to help you make the most out of Hangout in your instruction. Some of the things this tutorial covers include:
  • Types of Google Hangout:
  • How to create a Hangout
  • How to add people to a hangout
  • How to record a Hangout history
  • How to archive a Hangout to retrieve it later
  • How to delete or block individuals from a Hangout
  • How to use text chat Hangout
  • How to send an image in a Hangout
  • How to add people to circles from a Hangout
  • How to start a video call in the Hangout
  • How to manage the settings of a Hangout

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This Is How to Create Videos in Google Drive

4:52 PM    

July 29, 2014
This week's tip for teachers is about creating videos in Google Drive. As you know, since the  time Google made it possible to integrate third party apps into Google Drive, there appeared a wide variety of excellent applications that are deemed to enhance the overall performance of your Drive . One of the essential apps that I think every teacher should connect with Google Drive is called WeVideo.



WeVideo allows you to easily create and share videos and short animations. Using WeVideo app with Google Drive will enable you to create videos right from your Drive. The video below will walk you through the entire process of how to do it. Enjoy



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8 Good TED Talks on The Origin of Ideas

4:43 PM    

July 29, 2014
Looking for some great TED talks to watch this weekend ? Here is a collection of 8 talks compiled by the folks in TED covering one single theme: the origin of ideas. Yes, this is the very same theme that Steve Johnson intensively investigated in his momentous book" Where Do Good Ideas Come From?". Besides Steve's talk you will also find talks from some prominent thinkers in the field of personal development and cognitive science. Enjoy

1- Where Good Ideas Come From



2- Your Elusive Creative Genius



3- How to Start A Movement



4- How to Get Ideas to Spread



5- Where Does Creativity Hide



6- When Ideas Have Sex



7- Embrace The Remix



8- 4 Lessons on Creativity


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A Great New Google Drive Cheat Sheet for Teachers

5:06 PM    

July 28, 2014
Here is a new excellent Google Drive cheat sheet created and shared by Shake Up Learning (one of my favourite blogs for Ed Tech). This cheat sheet is created after the latest updates to Google Drive and as such it is the most recent visual guide to the new Google Drive. The main things covered in this cheat sheet are :

  • Create, upload, and organize
  • Files, folders, and search
  • Details, activities and settings
  • Google+ Integration.


This cheat sheet is available for free download from this link. You can also make a copy of it to your Google Drive from this Link.


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ePortfolio Checklist for Teachers

4:49 PM    

July 28, 2014
Following the posting of ePortfolio Resources for Teachers somebody emailed me this visual  which I want you to check out as well. This visual created by Chelmick features 6 components your students should consider when composing their ePortfolios. You can use this checklist in class to give students an idea about the things they need to incorporate  in their ePortfolios.
Why Use ePortfolios ?
According to Cornell University, there are different learning purposes and benefits behind using ePortfolios.
A- The learning purposes of ePortfolios include:
  • Reflecting upon learning processes and outcomes.
  • Organizing and presenting learning accomplishments.
  • Developing self-assessment skills.
  • Representing learning experiences.
  • Developing multimedia skills.
  • Creating electronic text for specific audiences.
  • Learning how to use technology to support lifelong learning.
B- The learning benefits of ePortfolios include:
  • Personalizing the learning experience.
  • Allowing students to draw connections between their various learning experiences over the semester and beyond.
  • Seeing progress over time.
  • Enhancing critical thinking.
  • Evaluating and assessing student products and processes.
  • Assessing course learning outcomes.
  • Gaining insight into how students experienced a curriculum

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11 Amazing Evernote Features Every Teacher Should Know about

4:38 PM    

July 28, 2014
Evernote is a powerful note taking web tool and mobile app. It is definitely an elemental component of teachers workflow. I have been using it for a few years now and I just can't live without it now.Evernote enables you to take notes in both text and audio format. Your notes can also include images,videos and even files. Evernote is available across different devices so that everything you do with Evernote on your computer can be automatically synced to your Evernote account on your phone or tablet.



After writing about the apps teachers can use to enhance their Evernote experience, today I am sharing with you this excellent video tutorial created by Scott. In this video, Scott outlines  11 important tips to help you tap into the full potential of Evernote. These are :

1- Create a series of unlimited notes within notebooks
2- Stacking notebooks or grouping several notebooks under one category
3- What are tags and why they are valuable
4- How to use search feature on Evernote to help you find information that you need in quick and efficient way.
5- The ability to share notes with people via a link
6- How to share notebooks with others
7- How to send stuff into Evernote via an email address
8- How to use Web Clipper to bookmark and save web content to your Evernote
9-Add audio clips to your notes
10- How to use the "take a snapshot" functionality in Evernote
11- How to add attachments into Evernote




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Great ePortfolio Resources for Teachers

11:44 PM    

July 28, 2014
With the massive uptake of web 2.0 technologies, the concept of portfolios has migrated to the cloud giving rise to what is now termed  electronic portfolios or ePortfolios for short. An ePortfolio is similar in essence to the traditional pen and paper portfolio but with a set of added advantages. For instance , ePortfolios are accessible anywhere anytime with internet connection. Also ePortfolios allows for a wider inclusion of different multimedia items such as videos, podcasts, audio recordings, slides, text, images and many more.

Image source: Tektab

Why Use ePortfolios ?
According to Cornell University, there are different learning purposes and benefits behind using ePortfolios.

A- The learning purposes of ePortfolios include:

  • Reflecting upon learning processes and outcomes.
  • Organizing and presenting learning accomplishments.
  • Developing self-assessment skills.
  • Representing learning experiences.
  • Developing multimedia skills.
  • Creating electronic text for specific audiences.
  • Learning how to use technology to support lifelong learning.

B- The learning benefits of ePortfolios include:

  • Personalizing the learning experience.
  • Allowing students to draw connections between their various learning experiences over the semester and beyond.
  • Seeing progress over time.
  • Enhancing critical thinking.
  • Evaluating and assessing student products and processes.
  • Assessing course learning outcomes.
  • Gaining insight into how students experienced a curriculum

If you are planning to further explore the concept of ePortfolios and probably try it with your students in class then here are two great resources you should definitely keep with you. These are :

1- ePortfolios Guide from CUCTE


This page from Cornell University Centre for Teaching Excellence provides some key insights and ideas to help you understand and better use ePortfolios with your students. It particularly covers the following items:

  • What are ePortfolios?
  • Why use ePortfolios?
  • How can you get started with integrating ePortfolios?
  • How can you introduce ePortfolios?
  • What are some ePortfolio learning activities?
  • How can you assess ePortfolios?
  • What can be done with the final products?

2- ePortfolio Resources


This is an excellent Pinterest board packed full of resources related to digital portfolios. This board is run by Lisa from TechChef4u.

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Kahoot- Excellent Web Tool for Creating and delivering Quizzes and Surveys to Students

11:31 PM  ,  

July 28, 2014
Kahoot is another great student response system that teachers can use to create and deliver quizzes and surveys to students. Kahoot provides a learning environment that is ideal for engaging students for it incorporates the precepts of both game-based learning and inquiry-based learning. Kahoot allows teachers to create quizzes and surreys that include a wide variety of multimedia elements such as videos, pictures and text. Each quiz you create can be accessed by students across different devices . Also teachers have the possibility to create time-controlled quizzes. You can set a specific period of time for the answer of each question. In this way students are rewarded not only for the correct answer but also for their timeliness.



How does it work
As a teacher you can create a Kahoot account using a valid email address. Once you are logged in you can then use the creator tool to build quizzes and surveys to deliver to your students. Don't worry Kahoot provides step by step instructions on each step of the process so you won't have any problems creating your quizzes. Now that your activity is ready you can ask students to join in. Kahoot does not require students to open an account to use it. Students need to go to Kahoot.it then enter the PIN you give them .


Ways to use Kahoot with students
There are different ways to use Kahoot in your classroom. Here are some of them:

  • Use it to collect informal feedback from your students
  • Assess students comprehension of a lesson
  • Poll students on matters related to the learning taking place in class
  • Host discussion panels in class where students not only answer questions but also pose their own questions

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9 Characteristics of A Leading Educator

10:18 PM    

July 28, 2014
A few days ago I came across a post published by Teachthought on the 9 roles for teachers that lead. This post was based on a book that has recently been published under the title "The Educator As A Maker Educator". The book is authored  by Jackie Gerstein (most of you would recognize her from her popular blog User Generated Education). As the book was both cheap ($2,90 on Amazon) and short (only 61 pages) I bought it and read on it on my kindle the same day. This book is an intellectual journey into the depths of the theoretical ideas  that informs progressive education. It highlights the role of educator as a maker, which is an idea rooted in the experiential insights of John Dewey.

The concept of  educator as a maker is further illustrated by the 9 roles Jackie thinks should be present in every teacher who is to lead a successful learning experience. These roles are :


1. Process Facilitator for producing, assessing, developing, creating, revisiting, revising

2. Lead Learner

3. Safe Environment Manager–creating environments where learners feel free to take risks

4. Relationship Enabler & Builder for face-to-face, online PLNs, and mentors

5. Technology Tutor

6. Tour Guide Of Learning Possibilities

7. Facilitator Feedback

8. Normalizer of ambiguous problem finding and solving; framer of “failure as iterative”

9. Resource Suggester and provider

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10 Great iPad Apps I use As A PhD Student

8:52 PM    

July 27, 2014
When I first bought my iPad a couple of years ago, I never surmised that I would be using it for anything else other than reading PDFs and  eBooks my Kindle App. Now that I am  doing my PhD studies I can not conceive of my life without it. Besides doing most of my readings on it, I also use it for a wide variety of scholarly purposes from taking notes, creating mind maps, storing and sharing files on the cloud, to scanning and turning images into PDFs. Here are 10 of the apps I use almost on a daily basis and that help me with my PhD studies :



1- Evernote

Evernote is a powerful note taking web tool and mobile app. It is definitely an elemental component of teachers workflow. I have been using it for a few years now and I just can't live without it now.Evernote enables you to take notes in both text and audio format. Your notes can also include images,videos and even files. Evernote is available across different devices so that everything you do with Evernote on your computer can be automatically synced to your Evernote account on your phone or tablet.
2- DropBox / Google Drive

These my favourite cloud storage apps I use to store, save and share my files and documents. Both of these tools offer a decent amount of free storage. The added advantage of Google Drive especially with the recent updates announced by Google few weeks ago is the ability to create documents , slides, and spreadsheets on the go.

3- BlueFire

This is my favourite app for reading, highlighting and annotating PDFs. With just a tap you can highlight, bookmark, annotate, look up a definition and share excerpts via email, Facebook and Twitter. Have a large library of eBooks? You can organize your books into collections. Want to export your annotations? You can do that too! Looking for a particular passage? Search results are presented in their context, making it easy to find the exact character name or passage you’re looking for.

4- Notability


This is another of my favourite apps I use almost daily.Write, illustrate and annotate using gorgeous ink. Notability's zoom window helps you quickly and clearly draw every detail, while the palm rest protects your notes from unwanted marks. Choose the right pen and paper for any project.

5- Mendely

Mendeley is your personal research library. Carry thousands of PDFs in your pocket. Read and annotate them on the go, search your entire library, and easily sync everything between your iPhone, iPad, and Mendeley Desktop (available on Windows, Mac, and Linux).
6- Scanner Pro

I use Scanner Pro to quickly scan and save digital versions of paper documents. Scanner Pro transforms your iPhone and iPad into portable scanners. It allows you to scan receipts, whiteboards, paper notes, or any multipage document. Scanned documents can be emailed and printed, uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive and Evernote, or simply saved on the iPhone/iPad.

7- Wunderlist

Wunderlist is the easiest way to manage and share your daily to-do lists. Wunderlist syncs across all your devices to keep you on top of all the things you want to do, from anywhere. Easily share lists with your colleagues, friends and family to collaborate on anything from team projects to group dinners.
8- Easy Bib

Create accurate MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations in seconds by scanning a book bar code or by typing the name of a book. Build and manage your works cited. Once done, email your citations and then export your citations to EasyBib.com's popular bibliography management service.
9- Log MeIn

Remotely access your PCs and Macs over WiFi/3G with LogMeIn for iOS on your iPad or iPhone. It allows you to :
  • Access your home and work computers on the go
  • Control your Mac or PC as if you’re sitting right in front of it
  • Get to your computer files and edit then from your iPad/iPhone
  • Remotely run any application on your computer from your iPad/iPhone

The Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks and PDFs on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You’ll have access to over 1,000,000* books in the Kindle Store plus hundreds* of newspapers and magazines.

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Three Good Interactive Visuals on SMAR Model for Teachers

8:15 PM    

July, 2014
In today's post I am sharing with you three interactive visuals on SAMR model created on ThingLink. Besides providing iPad apps that fit in with each of the categories of SAMR: redefinition, augmentation, modification, and substitution, these apps are also hyperlinked so you can access them with one click and right from the visual itself. For more resources on SAMR please see this page.

For those you not yet familiar with SAMR model, SAMR was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentadura as a model for technology integration into the classroom. It is presumed to help teachers make a better leverage of technology in their teaching. SAMR stands for :

Substitution
This is the stage where you use technology to substitute what you could have done with pen and paper. one popular example of this is using word processor to type a story instead of handwriting it.

Augmentation
This is where technology is used to carry out learning tasks in relatively more efficient ways. the technology here only adds value to the assignment and does not transform how it is done, examples of this include using spell checker, grammar checker or electronic dictionary. This one introduces small noticeable improvement.

Modification
This is the level where technology is being used more effectively not to do the same task using different tools but to redesign new parts of the task and transform students learning. An example of this is using the commenting service in Google Docs, for instance, to collaborate and share feedback on a given task task.

Redefinition
If you are to place this level in Blooms revised taxonomy pyramid, it would probably correspond to synthesis and evaluation as being the highest order thinking skills. Redefinition means that students use technology to create imperceptibly new tasks.  An example of redefinition is "when students connect to a classroom across the world where they would each write a narrative of the same historical event using the chat and comment section to discuss the differences, and they use the voice comments to discuss the differences they noticed and then embed this in the class website".

Here are three good interactive SAMR visuals. Hover your mouse on each visual to see the embedded links.

1-



2-




3-





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