KimP’s Blog

Spent all day Sunday at the Google Workshop for Educators here at NECC, where the Google suite of apps and Apps were explored and explained. I can see that I will have to make the time to explore and play further.

The day was really hands on and active, with opportunities aplenty to try out, ask for help, share ideas, set up accounts and play with the applications.

The huge size of the group meant that there were educators of all experiences and teaching levels – who were able to share what they were doing or ask questions for clarification that really helped everyone get the most out of the session.

I had already heard (and seen on their blogs) lots of really exciting ways to use Google apps from Tom Barrett and Ollie Bray so I was hoping to get some more info on how to use the apps I knew of and the many others that I knew were available.

I wasn’t disappointed with the day – I learnt about many cool apps and features that I will use with my kids back in class. Here are some of the ones I like most:

·      Google Search (!!!!!!! Yes I know its basic – but wait just see!) Click “Show Options” and then Wonder Wheel – a basic visualiser of the search results. Timeline – another option which puts all the search results in a timeline (obviously!) great for disasters, geography.

·      Google Books – I’d like to play with this one a bit more, waiting for some ideas on what to do with this!

·      Google Forms -  interesting tool that I think the kids  could use as well as the teacher – they could make their own revision quizzes, own tests, and surveys too 

 

The session was supported with lots of online info, presentations, videos etc so that we can explore further in our own time. Check out the swag of goodies given out – gotta love a freebie

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Hmmmmm now to see how many of these great apps are not blocked by the department when I get back to school!   ;-(

 

 

Washington DC, is a big place – the buildings are big, the roads are big, the sidewalks are big, but the Washington Convention Centre is bigger than big!

It takes up 3 blocks and is over 4 storeys tall. It’s spacious, well planned and state of the art! I can’t imagine it full of people, but have been led to believe it will be by Monday when the NECC conference begins for real.

I am here early on Saturday morning to take part in Edubloggercon, described as a fringe event to NECC proper. It’s an “unconference” organized and attended by bloggers and Classroom2.0 participants.

First up is a “Web2.0  Smackdown!” led by the pumped and exuberant CoolCatTeacher herself, Vicki Davis! The smackdown is a bit like a UK TeachMeet on uppers! Its fast, very fast – each presenter has 3 minutes to share a web2.0 tool that they use with their class. Much cheering, clapping and woo-ooing goes on – it’s loud and fun!

Here are the apps that caught my imagination on the day:

QR reader - scan and read mobile barcodes (QR-Codes)

Take pic of bar code – taken to web page, domain or website OR ON YOUR PHONE

Launch the picture – email to yourself

Take photo of the code

 

Google - Similar searches

Go to – More, even more, labs

“similar searches” – eg similar images search

pick an image that I am looking for – click Similar images – just like the image I picked

 

Images –Comp fight + Flickr storm

Look for related tags, related photos and can custo

mise even further options to customise, refine searches

flickr search tool

Searches text

Flickr stream of pictures for students to use = keep images on a tray = one URL to  link to all of the photos

 

Cover It Live - Live Blogging tool that allows you to broadcast live commentary to your readers.

Everything that is typed into the event is kept

Back stream, Chatroom,

Use in classroom for reflective pieces = panel function

 

Fur.ly

Fur.ly allows you to create one URL from a bunch of links. Just enter your desirable choices, and fur.ly will do the rest (Slideshow navigation look & feel).

A series of web pages like a tour for kids to follow.

Start at one page and move through the linked pages.

 

 

Issuu.com

Takes any sort of document and turns it into an online book.

Turns pages like a book

Embed codes – to add to wiki/blog etc

 

Twoogle

Twoogle provides an easy way to search Twitter and Google simultaneously, from the same site, displaying its results side by side.

Type in something and get google result and twitter result on same page

 

Tag Galaxy

Visualization tool. Browse through Flickr photos in 3D with this flash application.

Type in tag, brings in photos onto a globe

Generate conversations within the classroom

 

Tineye.com

Reverse image search engine.

Search engine for images

Tracing images and where they have come from

Egs of photo hopping

 

Noteflight

An online application that lets you display, edit, print and play back music notation with professional quality, right in your web browser. 

Play the music

Collaborate with others

Use with Jam studio – put in chords – links, backing tracks, instruments, kids can add own voice, raps etc

Opus09.ning.com

 

 

Whew!! heaps there to investigate over the next little while!

Have you used any of these applications with your class? Please, let me know what you’ve done  - thanks

 ;-)

PS – Here is the live stream that happened during the event:

Coveritlive – Edubloggercon We2.0 Smackdown

Thanks Kristin Hokanson

And Jim Gates pointed out that I

“… missed one. The wolfram Alpha/Google extension for firefox. When you search Google it automatically searches WolframAlpha to show both ersults. An amazing search engine, that Wolfram Alpha.

Screenshot: http://twitpic.com/8kfna
Extension: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12006

Thanks Jim and Kristin – now we are up to date!