There is a simple "trick" that you can use to save space on your bookmark bar, allowing you to maximize the available space for your most visited pages.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Chrome Trick: Favicon Bookmarks
If you are a fan of bookmarking pages in your web browser, you have probably run into the problem of running out of space on your bookmarks bar. The whole point of bookmarking a page is to get to it quickly. Adding folders and additional layers of organization becomes cumbersome and defeats the purpose of bookmarking in the first place!
There is a simple "trick" that you can use to save space on your bookmark bar, allowing you to maximize the available space for your most visited pages.
There is a simple "trick" that you can use to save space on your bookmark bar, allowing you to maximize the available space for your most visited pages.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Free Plagarism Checker for the Classroom
The internet has given us unlimited knowledge and information at an instance notice. Generally, this is a good thing, but sometimes students get lazy and use the web in ways that are inappropriate in an academic setting -- plagiarizing work from web sources.
The benefits of the web far outweigh the risk of inappropriate use. As educators we should strive to train our students on acceptable web behavior including the habit of summarizing, quoting, and citing sources. Despite our best efforts, some students choose to bend/break the rules of fair use.
It is important for educators to be aware of the tools and resources that are available to monitor and deter cheating in the classroom. Turnitin.com is a tool that can be used to check written work for plagiarism. It is a very sophisticated and effective web resources that can quickly scan and find portions of a paper/essay that have been copied from the web or another paper. The downside to turnitin.com is its price, which is prohibitive for many individual teachers and many schools. The service also requires a bit of legwork on the part of teachers and students.
A free, simple, alternative that I have been using for several years is "The Plagiarism Checker" from dustball.com. Paste in a bunch of text from a suspect paper and The Plagiarism Checker will quickly perform a Google search of multiple portions of the submitted text in an effort to match
The basic service is free to use. A more advanced and accurate checker is available for $8/month.
I have personally used this tool on student work. Some students were vindicated while others were busted.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Welcome to the Philippines!
For the past 18 days I have been in Pangasinan, Philippines working with Rushton Hurley, Kim Randall, and Leslie Fisher to train 106 Filipino teachers on the use of technology in education. Together we led the first international partnership between the Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) at Foothill College and the Philippine government.
I have never worked with a more eager or persistent group of educators. During our 18 days we encountered the following challenges:
I have never worked with a more eager or persistent group of educators. During our 18 days we encountered the following challenges:
- Poor internet connections
- Power outage due to plugging in 100+ devices.
- An earthquake (no joke)
- Extreme heat (95+ everyday) with limited air conditioning.
- Scheduled power outage for the entire region (brought in generators)
- Small classrooms with 30+ teachers and computers
Despite these challenges the teachers showed up each day with enthusiasm and a hunger to learn more. We front-loaded our instruction, giving the attendees a ton of new things to try. Remarkably, many of the tools that I take for granted were brand new to this group: Google Drive, Twitter, Jing, Google Image search, Edmodo, Prezi and more. For most of the teachers, this was their first exposure to web-based tools.
The main purpose for the KCI Pang program (as we call it) was to transform these teachers into local leaders and EdTech advocates who will work with others to begin a movement within the nation to create dynamic classrooms. This is an exciting time in the Philippines which recently added grades K, 11, and 12 (previously only 1-10), made K-12 education compulsory, and adopted Google Apps for Education across the entire country.
As part of this 2 week program, each teacher created two videos and one classroom lesson (here are a few). For a considerable number of the participants, these were the first videos they had ever created. They were excited to learn that they had the opportunity to have a global voice through the power of web-based tools.
It was refreshing to work with a group of educators who are passionate and hungry to learn new things. If I ever get an opportunity to come back, I will take it!
The main purpose for the KCI Pang program (as we call it) was to transform these teachers into local leaders and EdTech advocates who will work with others to begin a movement within the nation to create dynamic classrooms. This is an exciting time in the Philippines which recently added grades K, 11, and 12 (previously only 1-10), made K-12 education compulsory, and adopted Google Apps for Education across the entire country.
As part of this 2 week program, each teacher created two videos and one classroom lesson (here are a few). For a considerable number of the participants, these were the first videos they had ever created. They were excited to learn that they had the opportunity to have a global voice through the power of web-based tools.
It was refreshing to work with a group of educators who are passionate and hungry to learn new things. If I ever get an opportunity to come back, I will take it!
Pursuing Entrepreneurship
I don't post personal news on this space very frequently, but there have been some significant developments in my life that have a direct connection to the focus of this blog.On March 1, 2013, I left the classroom and school administration in a formal capacity.
I did not have a negative experience with my employer. Actually, I am still very proud of what they are doing and the direction they are heading. I had a great six years with them and continue to work with them in a part-time capacity.
One thing I have learned about myself over the past six years is that although I am an educator, I am also an entrepreneur. I can't help it. Entrepreneur's like to stir things up; push against the status-quo, break things, and make lots of mistakes. Some of my interests aren't directly related to education; this change will allow me to pursue those passions as well.
I am not leaving education. I will still be heavily involved as I continue to provide educational technology consulting to schools around the world in a full-time capacity. At this point, working to help schools integrate technology into the curriculum in meaningful ways and motivating individual instructors to create dynamic classrooms is how I can best impact the lives of students and education as a whole.
I have a few projects in the works that I hope will be a benefit to my fellow educators. Some are still in the idea stage, others are already moving forward.
In addition to continuing and expanding my consulting business, my wife and I will be opening a retail store in our hometown of Brighton, Michigan. This is something that we've been interested in doing for a while and something that our entire family can contribute toward.
I'm not going anywhere and the focus of this blog will remain the same. I'd love to continue to connect and share with you. Connecting and sharing with others is what motivates me to continue to seek excellence.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Connecting through EdTech Conferences
In April I presented several session at the 2013 Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) conference in Detroit, Michigan. This year was one of the largest gatherings in the history of MACUL with over 4,000 educators in attendance.
State-level EdTech conferences provide tremendous opportunities for making connections with other like-minded educators. These connections can lead to amazing collaborative opportunities. If you aren't connected with your local EdTech organization, here is a list of ISTE affiliates across the US.
Below are links to the three presentations that I gave this year at Macul13. I hope that they will be helpful to someone and start you on a journey toward improving your instruction and providing your students with opportunities to create, collaborate, and communicate.
The Digital Natives are Restless
Today’s hyper-connected, Facebook using, youtube posting, always moving digital natives are restless. They are tired of being confined to the classroom, relegated to turning in insignificant assignments and kept in their seats. This session will explore the characteristics of "digital natives" and the responsibility educators have to challenge them. The digital natives are restless and they need our help.
Online and blended learning is becoming increasingly common in the K-12 environment. The unique needs and dispositions of K-12 students require a new examination of how online courses are structured and delivered. This session will feature practical suggestions for structuring blended or fully online courses. This honest presentation will discuss the good, the bad, and the challenging aspects of online and blended learning.
Are you a Web Ninja? Here are some exciting, surprising, and downright awesome web-based tools that you can use to increase your personal productivity, communicate with others, and be more effective as a teacher or administrator. Explore and become a Web Ninja!
State-level EdTech conferences provide tremendous opportunities for making connections with other like-minded educators. These connections can lead to amazing collaborative opportunities. If you aren't connected with your local EdTech organization, here is a list of ISTE affiliates across the US.
Below are links to the three presentations that I gave this year at Macul13. I hope that they will be helpful to someone and start you on a journey toward improving your instruction and providing your students with opportunities to create, collaborate, and communicate.
Today’s hyper-connected, Facebook using, youtube posting, always moving digital natives are restless. They are tired of being confined to the classroom, relegated to turning in insignificant assignments and kept in their seats. This session will explore the characteristics of "digital natives" and the responsibility educators have to challenge them. The digital natives are restless and they need our help.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
#macul13 miGoogle Give-Away!
This annual gathering isn't the only event sponsored by MACUL. On November 4-5 the second annual miGoogle conference will be held at Brighton High School in Brighton, Michigan. This event will feature hands-on workshop and breakout sessions to help educators harness the power of Google Drive, Calendar, Sites, Gmail, Chromebooks, Forms, and more.
During the 2013 MACUL conference five free registrations will be given away. To enter the contest, complete any/all of the steps below. The five highest scoring individuals will receive complementary registration to the conference on November 5, 2013. Good luck!
To learn more about the miGoogle conference, visit miedtech.com.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMonday, March 18, 2013
Top Podcasts for Educators
I grew on on radio. My family didn't even have a TV until I was in high school and we never had cable. Radio was our TV. Podcasts have always been a favorite form of media for me, fitting nicely into the "on-demand radio" category. Here are the podcasts that I listen to regularly.
EntreLeadership (Dave Ramsey) - this is a business focused podcast under the Dave Ramsey brand however the show is hosted is Chris LoCurto who features short excerpts from Dave's business seminars and interviews with well know guests. This show features quality interviews and solid leadership advice and motivation.
The Unofficial Linchpin Podcast (Andy Traub) - This podcast is the namesake of a book by Seth Godin. The premise of the show is to find and highlight individuals who have become linchpins by creating something of value for others. The guests on the show vary greatly, from well know business leaders to regular people who have started or done interesting things.
Seth Godin's Startup School (Seth Godin) - Seth is one of my favorite bloggers and online personalities. He has a tremendous ability to convey simple truths. A year ago, Seth hosted a three day "school" with several dozen individuals; regular people who were starting new things. This podcast is a recording of the event. It's raw, unpolished, and a bit haphazard, but contains lots of good ideas. 15 episodes.
The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast (Andy Stanley) - Andy Stanley is the pastor of the second largest church in America and the author of many books. In this podcast, Andy discusses leadership principles that are applicable to all industries. Each episode features an intelligent and challenging discussion on a practical aspect of leadership.
The State of Tech (Sean Beavers, Eric Curts, Eric Griffith) - an EdTech podcast with an Ohio flavor. These three guys have a lot of fun together and put on a good show. Each show includes a run down of recent tech news and a discussion of a worthwhile topic. The State of Tech is available in both audio and video form. You can also participate in their live recordings on Google+.
The Google Educast (EdReach collaboration) - A weekly run-down of news, tips, and tricks centered around the Google web ecosystem. I am a previous contributor to this show, but haven't had time lately to join in. If you are a big Google Apps users, this is a good podcast to listen to or watch.
TEDTalks - These 18 minute presentations feature some of the sharpest minds in the world. If you subscribe to this podcast, be prepared for some wild topics! Nothing is off limits. One minute you are learning about Agile Programming and the next you're listening to an episode by the world's leading mushroom expert. I tend to pick and choose which episodes I download on this one, but there is usually something worth listening to.
Oh, in case you are wondering, I am an iPod/iPad person, so I listen to all of my podcasts via the Apple Podcast app. The Podcast section on iTunes is very comprehensive and a great place to find new shows.
EntreLeadership (Dave Ramsey) - this is a business focused podcast under the Dave Ramsey brand however the show is hosted is Chris LoCurto who features short excerpts from Dave's business seminars and interviews with well know guests. This show features quality interviews and solid leadership advice and motivation.The Unofficial Linchpin Podcast (Andy Traub) - This podcast is the namesake of a book by Seth Godin. The premise of the show is to find and highlight individuals who have become linchpins by creating something of value for others. The guests on the show vary greatly, from well know business leaders to regular people who have started or done interesting things.
Seth Godin's Startup School (Seth Godin) - Seth is one of my favorite bloggers and online personalities. He has a tremendous ability to convey simple truths. A year ago, Seth hosted a three day "school" with several dozen individuals; regular people who were starting new things. This podcast is a recording of the event. It's raw, unpolished, and a bit haphazard, but contains lots of good ideas. 15 episodes.
The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast (Andy Stanley) - Andy Stanley is the pastor of the second largest church in America and the author of many books. In this podcast, Andy discusses leadership principles that are applicable to all industries. Each episode features an intelligent and challenging discussion on a practical aspect of leadership.
The State of Tech (Sean Beavers, Eric Curts, Eric Griffith) - an EdTech podcast with an Ohio flavor. These three guys have a lot of fun together and put on a good show. Each show includes a run down of recent tech news and a discussion of a worthwhile topic. The State of Tech is available in both audio and video form. You can also participate in their live recordings on Google+.
The Google Educast (EdReach collaboration) - A weekly run-down of news, tips, and tricks centered around the Google web ecosystem. I am a previous contributor to this show, but haven't had time lately to join in. If you are a big Google Apps users, this is a good podcast to listen to or watch.
TEDTalks - These 18 minute presentations feature some of the sharpest minds in the world. If you subscribe to this podcast, be prepared for some wild topics! Nothing is off limits. One minute you are learning about Agile Programming and the next you're listening to an episode by the world's leading mushroom expert. I tend to pick and choose which episodes I download on this one, but there is usually something worth listening to.
Oh, in case you are wondering, I am an iPod/iPad person, so I listen to all of my podcasts via the Apple Podcast app. The Podcast section on iTunes is very comprehensive and a great place to find new shows.
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