tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66272229249144709922024-02-19T06:05:48.775-05:00FringeEdTechUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-65237982332159394012015-11-09T20:39:00.003-05:002015-11-09T20:39:42.656-05:00OLC 2015 - Wrap Up<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) hosted the 21<sup>st</sup> annual international conference in October. Situated at the Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, the conference welcomed 1,800 onsite attendees (with another 1,300 people virtually attending) from over twenty-six countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think the best way to describe the conference is “immense”. There were over four hundred informational sessions (probably around twenty-five or thirty per session), along with dozens of discovery sessions happening in the vendor hall. I found that I was torn between five or six extremely appealing options every session.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Admittedly, I tend to be attracted to sessions that deal with emerging technologies, but there was something for everyone at this conference. The OLC conference is aimed at Instructional Designers, Distance Learning Directors, and faculty. While there were a few sessions dedicated to policy and administration, I think most of the sessions were a solid “where the rubber meets the road” mentality. I would strenuously recommend attending this conference in the future for faculty and staff that like to keep their thumbs on the pulse of higher ed and emerging technology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few of the sustained themes offered throughout the conference were open educational resources (OER), meaningful discussion forums, and gamification (although the trend seems to be avoiding “gamification” as a moniker and instead leveraging game dynamics in the classroom). Although all three of these have been on the radar of educators, it was refreshing to see multiple examples of how they are being implemented in online learning. Given the immensity of the conference, it was easy for attendees to gain multiple perspectives and implementation ideas for any particular technology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FAVORITE SESSIONS</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The presenters were high caliber at OLC. Most of the presentations were a happy mix of theoretical framework and practical take-aways. The following highlight four of my favorite presentations. Note that the links will take you to the specific page at the OLC website that provides not only an abstract, but a link to the PowerPoint or PDF resources. A comprehensive list of the sessions can be found at the <a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/all_sessions" target="_blank">OLC conference website.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/udoit-no-you-do-it-how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-accessibility" target="_blank">UODIT, No, You Do It: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Accessibility</a> by John Raible and Nancy Swenson from the University of Central Florida</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This work won an Effective Practice award, and deservedly so. UCF designed an add-on to their LMS, Canvas, that will walk through an entire course and check the content for accessibility. As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive solution I’ve seen to the accessibility problem that is plaguing higher education. UDOIT will provide a report that shows the faculty (or course designer) all the issues in the course, and provide them with ideas of ways to fix them. The best part is that the user does not need to go to each piece of content individually - they can remedy all the issues from one screen. Unfortunately, this software is only available in Canvas (although they published the code as open source, so hopefully someone will adapt it to Blackboard and Moodle).</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieePW5YpkTa7YdGENGbYt1eCLJDdJFKWhv5rPYfYVWwqZIgCVOl4ykYR5qjUH6R0tuaJRqAG2F1TsB_uX9MUiPwCDhBrohPD39BZPD1bXXzleWYwdLLR5cxy8WCh6W7Y1foc1xALUKrZQ/s1600/OLC-UDOIT-Screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Displays the report from running UDOIT in a course - aggregates all the accessibility issues and offers way to fix them." border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieePW5YpkTa7YdGENGbYt1eCLJDdJFKWhv5rPYfYVWwqZIgCVOl4ykYR5qjUH6R0tuaJRqAG2F1TsB_uX9MUiPwCDhBrohPD39BZPD1bXXzleWYwdLLR5cxy8WCh6W7Y1foc1xALUKrZQ/s400/OLC-UDOIT-Screenshot.png" title="Screenshot of UDOIT in action" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Screenshot showing accessibility issues</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://secure.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/how-game-dynamics-not-gamification-will-save-higher-education" target="_blank">How Game Dynamics (not Gamification) Will Save Higher Education</a> by Kevin Bell from Northeastern University</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Engaging and practical, this talk provided the participants with a fundamental understanding of some basic game dynamics as well as pathways and examples to introduce them into the classroom. The slideshow in the conference notes is good, but does not accurately reflect the potency of game dynamics. If this talk becomes available as a video (or if you have the opportunity to see Kevin Bell present), take advantage of it.</span></li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZFozJkJJ1erualRqD6yp9rMavIQ0cWMgCrBFusjQ1_g1i-jytZVg9A50wI_OKUA6uqR4khVhyphenhyphenwDpOffX1K1t5QoS2j3X-LP7rljgj9f2KAyLKeH3nk-yyAAHS-5oJouKpJIgdTFaYaM/s1600/OLC-Game-Dynamics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Instead of a steady climb up a hill on a bike, the path goes up, down a bit, up more, down a little, up even more, down just a little. Ultimately, the path gets to the top of the hill, but it's not a steady climb." border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZFozJkJJ1erualRqD6yp9rMavIQ0cWMgCrBFusjQ1_g1i-jytZVg9A50wI_OKUA6uqR4khVhyphenhyphenwDpOffX1K1t5QoS2j3X-LP7rljgj9f2KAyLKeH3nk-yyAAHS-5oJouKpJIgdTFaYaM/s400/OLC-Game-Dynamics.png" title="One slide from the presentation showing the ebb/flow of challenge in a course" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Games allow players to achieve a skill and then<br />practice with it before taking on another challenge</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/opening-opportunities-students-and-faculty-university-transitions-open-and-digit" target="_blank">Opening Up Opportunities for Students and Faculty: A University Transitions to Open and Digital Resources</a> by Jill Buban from OLC</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jill outlined the process she used to provide affordable alternatives to textbooks and course material that best meet the course and program outcomes. The process changed the OER strategy of the institution, and in one year went from only 18 courses to 324.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8stVACIhBUs2XMElI6RYS5iyGl26E0FUOZ00F30Wh-rr7rQXDBDvgnPe8_c74nGPIBwzW7ZRZyEmDqyDC-Nygdelmzy4KiaRvIchwUK8Xb6s5FukVyGgVBbPzTU11V59N1DHv3vFVaPA/s1600/OLC-OER-Ladder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cycle for implementing OERs" border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8stVACIhBUs2XMElI6RYS5iyGl26E0FUOZ00F30Wh-rr7rQXDBDvgnPe8_c74nGPIBwzW7ZRZyEmDqyDC-Nygdelmzy4KiaRvIchwUK8Xb6s5FukVyGgVBbPzTU11V59N1DHv3vFVaPA/s400/OLC-OER-Ladder.png" title="Cycle for implementing OERs" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A continuous cycle for OER adoption</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/get-ready-your-close-strategies-creating-awesome-instructional-videos" target="_blank">Get Ready for Your Close-up: Strategies for Creating Awesome Instructional Videos</a> by Karen Costa from Southern New Hampshire University</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Karen shared an incredible wealth of information for making videos. From software to storyboarding to sharing platforms to scripts, her talk was loaded with helpful, practical tips. There was a lot of participation from people in the room, offering up tips and software they found helpful. This talk was very engaging, and a great starting point for anyone who makes instructional videos.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEh5z3ciF1nlh9BCC0XGuwGA8uB4IteNyPiOQp-RB-f37EteYt23Z-uSKXoobFJjUJHMFzgZT-YZ5TW3XJ2dW80cmg3FxtnIcvYACwVJb3hvtB-nQLGLV-ohi4bmmf-SigHGMhxGkfNU/s1600/OLC-Video-Making.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="These steps sum up the conversation in the presentation regarding the filming process: 1. No script, be real 2. Keep going, mistakes OK 3. High energy 4. Field trips" border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEh5z3ciF1nlh9BCC0XGuwGA8uB4IteNyPiOQp-RB-f37EteYt23Z-uSKXoobFJjUJHMFzgZT-YZ5TW3XJ2dW80cmg3FxtnIcvYACwVJb3hvtB-nQLGLV-ohi4bmmf-SigHGMhxGkfNU/s400/OLC-Video-Making.png" title="Screenshot from presentation talking about creativity" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Karen's nomenclature is awesome</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOTABLE AWARDS</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were a few standout concepts and exemplary practices that were given prestigious awards this year. The “Best in Track” list is published on the <a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/best" target="_blank">OLC website</a>, and offers links and abstracts to amazing presentations in each track.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year, Alex Pickett assisted OLC in an effort to provide the first ever “<a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/all_sessions?field_001conf_track_value_many_to_one=All&field_001conf_topic_value_many_to_one=Spanish+Language" target="_blank">Spanish Presentation per Concurrent Session</a>”! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year also saw a devoted track to <a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/tracks?field_001conf_track_value_many_to_one=HBCU+Innovations+%28Historically+Black+Colleges+and+Universities%29" target="_blank">Historically Black Colleges and Universities</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Open SUNY COTE was presented with an <a href="http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/news_item/online-learning-consortium-announces-recipients-2015-olc-awards-effective-practice-awards/" target="_blank">Effective Practice</a> award for OSCQR. The <a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/open-suny-cote-quality-review-oscqr-process-and-rubric" target="_blank">presentation</a> that Kim Scalzo and Dave Ghidiu gave was an overview of Open SUNY and COTE, followed by a live demo of the OSCQR Rubric and Dashboard.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKOvY0V9w5cUj-ELD2UKZATkJmnsZXy0nxpJM1NxPYSdlxhSqjgTTcBf5vtXTpXt3dAfDU7GyYunKWLxuhZLe9zuRfZ3m4tB7cpxUvVKi7BCgsnjNiEM9jT4laUk0d512g2dtvU7-vUM/s1600/OLC-Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Awards lined up on the table" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKOvY0V9w5cUj-ELD2UKZATkJmnsZXy0nxpJM1NxPYSdlxhSqjgTTcBf5vtXTpXt3dAfDU7GyYunKWLxuhZLe9zuRfZ3m4tB7cpxUvVKi7BCgsnjNiEM9jT4laUk0d512g2dtvU7-vUM/s320/OLC-Awards.jpg" title="Awards lined up on the table" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shiny</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CONCLUSION</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You should totally plan on attending next year! The conference really has something for everyone in distance learning. It’s a great look at new tools, applicable implementations, and practical guides. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus, it’s in Florida - although I did not get out much because the conference is stacked with opportunities to network and learn. By the way, I ate the absolute best hamburger of my life while at the Swan and Dolphin. There’s a restaurant called “<a href="http://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/menus/restaurant_menus/fountain/fountain_menu.html" target="_blank">The Fountain</a>”, and (in addition to the ice cream stand there) the Fountain Signature Burger was out of this world. I’m not even joking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mark your calendars for November 16-18, 2016 at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando. And if you run into any members of the planning team, be sure to congratulate them on a phenomenal job with the conference.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-86932905946425252132014-05-08T09:36:00.000-04:002016-07-19T13:44:50.430-04:00The Best Piece of Advice I Can Give<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGb3XM3DjQDWpvIaAFOXPihAguy-K3JXvQ-gicbFH33VUra9cJPC4ZCFhI7Gd0ldm9Qy3OF_YMdIyTHQ4a8eAnlyvO8Gl3gM-mjTlbGQOP2LzT8HKvImapK80NC_nc2TGyYLtxji2lGs/s1600/FET-Button-260.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGb3XM3DjQDWpvIaAFOXPihAguy-K3JXvQ-gicbFH33VUra9cJPC4ZCFhI7Gd0ldm9Qy3OF_YMdIyTHQ4a8eAnlyvO8Gl3gM-mjTlbGQOP2LzT8HKvImapK80NC_nc2TGyYLtxji2lGs/s1600/FET-Button-260.png" width="0" height="0"/></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Note: Yes, there is some really good advice in here, but you'll have to either suffer my ramblings for a few paragraphs or scroll down for a bit. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think that teachers unanimously agree that the two most popular questions are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What did I miss when I wasn't in class?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What's my grade?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happily tools like Blackboard, Moodle and SchoolTool are have been developed to help make the learning process more personalized and portable for students. In the K12 realm, it even helps give parents some traction for their student's success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But when I taught Computer Science, there was a much more annoying question. Something that plagued me - not because it was so annoyingly popular - but because it provided insight into the product of our educational system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A question that, because it was asked with such frequency over so many years, leads me to conclude that it wasn't a specialized question that surfaced because of a particular language my students were learning, or a difficult topic that we were covering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The question was:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"What would happen if I do this?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I first started hearing that question, I thought it was reasonable. After all, I was a Geometry teacher, and it's often a good idea to let students ponder and discuss the "what if's" in the world. Especially in Geometry, where it's hard to visualize different scenarios (happily, products like <a href="http://www.keycurriculum.com/" target="_blank">Geometer's Sketchpad</a>, <a href="http://twbs.in/port/gb/" target="_blank">Geoboard</a>, and <a href="http://www.geogebra.org/cms/en/" target="_blank">GeoGebra</a> have helped tremendously with visualization). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But in a science class, "What would happen if I do this?" isn't a legitimate question. My response evolved into, "I don't know. Try it and find out".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe it's because in Chemistry labs, it's not a good idea to let students pour all sorts of chemicals together. The <i>experiment</i> part of Chemistry should be controlled to some extent. Even in Physics, there's probably a cause for restraint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe it's because no one thinks Computer Science is a science. And (worse yet!), maybe we don't treat it as a science. Maybe it's more like a foreign language class, where students learn how to translate thoughts into another language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or maybe it's because schools don't let students play much. Maybe kids don't get to be kids these days. Maybe schools are so concerned with tests and evaluations, that it's often quicker to give kids the answer than it is to let them figure it out on their own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I submit that Computer Science is probably the purest science that can be taught, because it is the <i>only</i> class where students can try <i>whatever they want</i> and risk nothing. Science - the systemic study of the world through probing and testing - isn't mimicked in Computer Science; science is <i>enabled</i> in Computer Science. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is no better representation of logic, planning, implementation, evaluation, and refining than Computer Science.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As long as students hit </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ctrl + S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> every few minutes to save their work, there is no harm in trying things. The most sincere way of learning how to program (or do anything on a computer) is to try things and see what happens. That's how lessons are learned. That's how those networks between dendrites are formed. By probing. By extending. By telescoping. By seeing what works, and what doesn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of what I've learned on a computer falls into three categories:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things I learned because I accidentally hit the wrong keys (for instance, in Excel I hit </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ctrl + D</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> instead of </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ctrl + C</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and realized that it copies the contents of the cell directly above the cell you're in) <b>[30%]</b>.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things I learned because I just pressed a button, not knowing exactly what it did <b>[40%]</b>.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things I learned by Googling it <b>[30%]</b>.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would even venture to say that the mentality of clicking on things and pressing buttons is a good metaphor for life. Believe it or not, I have friends that can't use a screwdriver (not a powered one - I'm talking about the traditional hand tool). But they lack the confidence to try it out. They are afraid to try. Even when there is nothing to lose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess my philosophy is, "What could go wrong?". Google isn't afraid to try new endeavors. They know that some of their ideas will fail. But at least they try. And they learn from their mistakes. Book publishers only make money on twenty percent of the books they publish. I don't think there is anything wrong with trying, and then failing. Maybe Computer Science gives students an opportunity to fail with no negative consequence. Heck, even raising your hand in class to volunteer an answer is risky - but sitting in front of your own computer with no one watching is as safe as it gets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, on to my piece of advice. I like to start and end every training (no matter what) with this:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<hr />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">"If you don't know what a button does, press it. You can't really do any harm. And if you press a button and break the computer, well, at least in this computer lab it isn't even your problem".</i><br />
<hr />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I find that sometimes people I'm training just need that reassurance. Maybe it's because in the days of Windows 3.1 and Apple IIe's, it was easy to screw things up. But not so much today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The moral of the story? Every student should take Computer Science, and no one should be afraid to press buttons on a computer. There's very little that could go wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-8329298016767048232014-04-30T22:40:00.003-04:002014-04-30T22:47:47.692-04:00Believe What You Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXbIcfKHDzOjIlfF3zHNxd9zavLHDI4JDChaogMlOOsASEnaqUVrGrKNoYGpaS33AGXpIwF23NRI0nXJcUKPVDog9rSOgQS8jS8_bp1kWvRzMHd4MjaPgOulGdZOqtpNv1FaWjmFj56k/s1600/Barry-Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXbIcfKHDzOjIlfF3zHNxd9zavLHDI4JDChaogMlOOsASEnaqUVrGrKNoYGpaS33AGXpIwF23NRI0nXJcUKPVDog9rSOgQS8jS8_bp1kWvRzMHd4MjaPgOulGdZOqtpNv1FaWjmFj56k/s1600/Barry-Square.jpg" height="0" width="0" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I finish designing an online training for our faculty who are migrating to Blackboard, I'm reminded of a simple problem with a simple solution, although many people don't even know the problem exists (and what tools are available to fix it).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem is <i>compliance</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compliance means that visitors of your website can consume it. For instance, for visitors with vision impairments, it is important to have alternative text with images so that screen readers can describe the image appropriately. For users that are hard of hearing and Deaf, videos should provide closed captioning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside of education, compliance is a good thing to do. It makes your content more universally accepted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the scope of education, however, this failure to comply could result in a lawsuit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happily, it is very easy to add captions to videos. There are free resources that make the job easy to do (Chromebook friendly, too!), and it is very simple to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we begin, check out this quick video (less than 40 seconds) with closed captioning (to enable the closed captioning, click on the "CC" button in the bottom right).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UaXUNPyUfbw" width="560"></iframe></center>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This video was made with the <a href="http://www.screencastify.com/" target="_blank">Screencastify</a> extension (which automatically uploads to YouTube - <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2014/03/screencastify-me.html" target="_blank">check out my tutorial</a>) and then captioned with the video editing tools in YouTube (did you know you can edit video right in YouTube?).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's how to do it:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 1:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go to YouTube after uploading a video. In the upper right of the screen, click on the gear icon and choose "Video Manager".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRyfP46-EafjGTy9NG81J-AvFbfJJMG_lPg2EOhU6OL_mlUs2McNNMTpF1gUaUCkLCsUD05_LiP7ghvn8d69MkEmatToQLgSZh0JQPSYjwVJS6YtG3S5qGLCNZ27JlRACMhJesClcNe0/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+01+-+Video+Manager.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Choose "Video Manager" from the gear drop-down in YouTube" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRyfP46-EafjGTy9NG81J-AvFbfJJMG_lPg2EOhU6OL_mlUs2McNNMTpF1gUaUCkLCsUD05_LiP7ghvn8d69MkEmatToQLgSZh0JQPSYjwVJS6YtG3S5qGLCNZ27JlRACMhJesClcNe0/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+01+-+Video+Manager.png" height="400" title="Choose "Video Manager" from the gear drop-down in YouTube" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Betcha didn't even know this was here.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 2:</b><br />Choose a video, and use the drop-down next to "Edit" to select "Captions". By the way, this is one of the ways to access the editing features (like video editor, enhancements, and music).</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORDOaD8kEmuHytbBpsDSuDYn_s2DQA68qO3FRCmLJWpZqX-t-p5yiTvYve4XwSu9DlnQiPn5mmVuvnprBOGigEycdbJglo-uZTgvW7KqTVGCc5odJ3zVq2psB_8UriuEmge9Sr-7ZCIY/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+04+-+Caption+Drop-Down.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Choose "Captions" from the Edit menu" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORDOaD8kEmuHytbBpsDSuDYn_s2DQA68qO3FRCmLJWpZqX-t-p5yiTvYve4XwSu9DlnQiPn5mmVuvnprBOGigEycdbJglo-uZTgvW7KqTVGCc5odJ3zVq2psB_8UriuEmge9Sr-7ZCIY/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+04+-+Caption+Drop-Down.png" height="592" title="Choose "Captions" from the Edit menu" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I bet you <u>really</u> didn't know this was here.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 3:</b><br />Click on the "Add Captions" button, and choose "Transcribe and sync". </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV1waeWuJHhHNpDdwrFbxXjG-WmuJOL5uTsF4QXvoPihRZOGTHjS4NnsQvYGcnMcZWtqFryYV7XFe5FMCeCezXp-kmTro1i21yN3SjMicd1_IXjRu7lxnKpod8hLHGWY8IH_H6d69MAM/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+05+-+Add+Captions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Click "Add captions" to, well, add captions" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV1waeWuJHhHNpDdwrFbxXjG-WmuJOL5uTsF4QXvoPihRZOGTHjS4NnsQvYGcnMcZWtqFryYV7XFe5FMCeCezXp-kmTro1i21yN3SjMicd1_IXjRu7lxnKpod8hLHGWY8IH_H6d69MAM/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+05+-+Add+Captions.png" height="332" title="Click "Add captions" to, well, add captions" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hit "Add captions" to, well, add captions.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 4:</b><br />YouTube has a feature that will play the video, and then stop playing when you start typing. This makes it easy to transcribe the whole video. There are even shortcut keys (SHIFT + LEFT to rewind and SHIFT + SPACE to pause and play).</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvioTtaC-xD9VfBzzQr4C1C-30BvMSSRPhPX7mCpjCLZojo4t4b9h1Ow4Y6QhhV_tqKPg4GSpr8PV3yJMLj3ioqqPAgY4XPOj9i0GDJ9W1vIgnNQWvz8O1a171R3_ao8sCVXQJIlaRE8/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+06+-+Captioning+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Just type what you hear" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvioTtaC-xD9VfBzzQr4C1C-30BvMSSRPhPX7mCpjCLZojo4t4b9h1Ow4Y6QhhV_tqKPg4GSpr8PV3yJMLj3ioqqPAgY4XPOj9i0GDJ9W1vIgnNQWvz8O1a171R3_ao8sCVXQJIlaRE8/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+06+-+Captioning+(1).png" height="640" title="Just type what you hear" width="622" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This part of the process is very enjoyable if you like hearing yourself talk</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6QnYXiDj2Wp8iAvqku6TiJKsGgur14EADKF_7lBTVEFIROzfNrrCVgu5sAvN1duZWZg6XJ40R-CVN-DkUccqBtuceyI14RIBjVLOqEkMkFqcWfKguXxxVKeQMpsqlDc7IC-3RQG9ONE/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+08+-+Captioned.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What a video transcription looks like, before the sync" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6QnYXiDj2Wp8iAvqku6TiJKsGgur14EADKF_7lBTVEFIROzfNrrCVgu5sAvN1duZWZg6XJ40R-CVN-DkUccqBtuceyI14RIBjVLOqEkMkFqcWfKguXxxVKeQMpsqlDc7IC-3RQG9ONE/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+08+-+Captioned.png" height="608" title="What a video transcription looks like, before the sync" width="640" /></a><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">STEP 5:</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dude. Hit the "Sync" button.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij30N363s2ZOHOOcSY8drv8GJewK1iAOl9yQDKieRlglUZiKYYGuZlMOrTplp9Sk1zWD1fLr-jIf9hh1KWBv9FlwBIZxaqYzJWHIQN-yxd4xzjJt1zYvx5xi5JFlob3EPDiJX0gQO7Y88/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+Sync+Button.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Sync" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij30N363s2ZOHOOcSY8drv8GJewK1iAOl9yQDKieRlglUZiKYYGuZlMOrTplp9Sk1zWD1fLr-jIf9hh1KWBv9FlwBIZxaqYzJWHIQN-yxd4xzjJt1zYvx5xi5JFlob3EPDiJX0gQO7Y88/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+Sync+Button.png" height="182" title="Sync" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'N Sync.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><b>STEP 6:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Check that the captions are synced properly. Once YouTube is done crunching the captions, you can go back in and take a peek at them. Sometimes you'll need to manually tweak the time stamps (for when the text should appear or disappear).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">
<span id="goog_1270766621"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bAT69cuYJTQFb6vT5A1TkOGzx5aDqX2MymEu0c9ynqL8DEjIwyba5Qak_vbE5imecwLinTfTlwiQ5_K-kKkwtFyj-ecXJhZzhHvrtizzk5owTha85BO5fzbk0Rcazc3OFuQKGqzxCx0/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+11+-+Tweaking.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Tweak the syncing if needed" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bAT69cuYJTQFb6vT5A1TkOGzx5aDqX2MymEu0c9ynqL8DEjIwyba5Qak_vbE5imecwLinTfTlwiQ5_K-kKkwtFyj-ecXJhZzhHvrtizzk5owTha85BO5fzbk0Rcazc3OFuQKGqzxCx0/s1600/FET+-+CC+-+11+-+Tweaking.png" height="468" title="Tweak the syncing if needed" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Transcribing puppets is mentally taxing. They make up a lot of words.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So. That's it. If you host your video in YouTube, you're done. I usually plan on taking about three minutes to transcribe and tweak for every one minute of actual speaking. The process is very simple. And the return on your investment is immeasurable. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to read more nerdy stuff (about Camtasia, Ensemble, and converting </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.srt </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.dxfp</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), read on. Otherwise, see you around.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually do most of my captioning in Camtasia (and the process is strikingly similar). Actually, one workflow change that I make is having the software "convert" my voice to text (there are a lot of errors, despite substantial calibration) and then fixing the errors. Both Camtasia and YouTube do this. And both let you export the closed caption tracks as </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.srt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> files, which can be converted to </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.dxfp</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> using this <a href="http://www.3playmedia.com/services-features/tools/captions-format-converter/" target="_blank">free service at 3playmedia.com</a>, and then uploaded into Ensemble (if you host video content there, you'll need to convert to </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.dfxp</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and change the extension to </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.xml</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). Ensemble only accepts </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.dxfp</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as an </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.xml</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> file, so the conversion is necessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. I'm really done nerding out now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-5061340925842741742014-04-14T14:34:00.000-04:002016-07-19T10:41:31.842-04:00Playing With the Blogs - by Kenny Bloggins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvy1nzLF0PKhEf91YlitoxFChqqqkq8W5t6oaT0Q2wEXDI2MDmamKdWRLOE3p57-2BsS3d8ysb8ps7yPIRDkmmwWQhWnI8c-rqWs6xg00go6UPrqkyqcb5AE29nnVnvElq7ZBxZrAIcs/s1600/FET-Playing-260.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvy1nzLF0PKhEf91YlitoxFChqqqkq8W5t6oaT0Q2wEXDI2MDmamKdWRLOE3p57-2BsS3d8ysb8ps7yPIRDkmmwWQhWnI8c-rqWs6xg00go6UPrqkyqcb5AE29nnVnvElq7ZBxZrAIcs/s1600/FET-Playing-260.png" width="0" height="0"/></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blogs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blogs are one of those things that have been around <i>forever</i> in the intertubes. Some blogs are great. Some blogs are awful. But blogs are empowering in that anyone can blog. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone has opinions and perspective. Blogs - despite being one of the oldest modes of participative web technologies - are still one of the staples of internet conversation. The tools have gotten better, and we've (as a society) discovered more ways to enhance them and make them engaging. But I'm going to share a few tips and observations I've learned about blogging, and then in my next post, I'll furnish some examples of how to use blogs in education.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Use images.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Images certainly add visual appeal to a blog. But there are two other reasons why images should always be employed.</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pinterest will only allow you to pin sites with images. If you don't have an image, you can't be pinned. And Pinterest is a beautiful way to promote your idea quickly.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Regardless of how your blog is set up for viewing, it may look radically different on a mobile device. FringeEdTech looks just like a plain ole' blog when you visit it from a computer. But from a mobile device, it uses images. So I make sure to place a nice image in my blog.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xfdHGUFdF9f8lY4DtM1QAakGzyeCXzO88ER0jHNB1UCPqiC0bAL_HLhfvj8gfi2JWxvRqpqv_lyqbxKd81_5QdMCwD19pZo1SATu_vCQzBboZFsUm5kdixFzlW6xTL1L09ISxcnTTkI/s1600/FET+-+Bloggins+-+Mobile+View+-+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How FringeEdTech resolves on a mobile device" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xfdHGUFdF9f8lY4DtM1QAakGzyeCXzO88ER0jHNB1UCPqiC0bAL_HLhfvj8gfi2JWxvRqpqv_lyqbxKd81_5QdMCwD19pZo1SATu_vCQzBboZFsUm5kdixFzlW6xTL1L09ISxcnTTkI/s1600/FET+-+Bloggins+-+Mobile+View+-+Border.jpg" title="How FringeEdTech resolves on a mobile device" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Pictures appear, by default, in the mobile view.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other things to keep in mind when using images:</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Always</i> use the </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> text when using an image. This is the text that is read on screen readers for visually impaired readers. There are only a few ways to make a blog incompatible to all visitors, and this is one of them.</span></li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Credit photos when you use them. Google's <a href="http://www.google.com/advanced_image_search" target="_blank">advanced image search</a> has a feature called "usage rights" that helps you find images with specific licenses (including free to use!). You will find some great stuff at the <a href="http://search.creativecommons.org/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a> website.</span></li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want software to edit photos, I would certainly recommend <a href="http://www.pixlr.com/" target="_blank">Pixlr</a>. It's a complete suite that has hardcore software known as <a href="https://pixlr.com/editor/" target="_blank">Pixlr Editor</a> (think Photoshop) as well as lightweight stuff like <a href="https://pixlr.com/express/" target="_blank">Pixlr Express</a> for some nice filters and borders. The whole suite is free and plugs in to Google Drive. For a quick peek, <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/12/some-pixlr-dust-for-holidays.html" target="_blank">check out the blog I posted</a> in December of 2013.</span></li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I always center my images. I think it makes the page look better. While it's true that an image surrounded by text looks professional, that doesn't always translate well on mobile devices and certainly is problematic if you elect to publish your content in an eBook. The post I did on "<a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/11/mobile-mentality.html" target="_blank">mobile mentality</a>" digs a bit deeper into this. </span></li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the same reason, I also prefer to have a border on all my images. Some blog platforms will allow you to put a border on the image, but there is no guarantee that when someone is reading your blog, the border will be there (because of RSS feeds and mobile viewers). So I always add a 2 pixel border on my images before I put them into the blog. Now I <i>know</i> my readers will enjoy the benefits of a border because it is part of the image. I use <a href="http://pixlr.com/express/" target="_blank">Pixlr Express</a>, although <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a> does the job too (and also plugs in to Google Drive as well).</span></li>
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</ul>
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Test your blog.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And test it before you go live with it. I use Blogger, and there is a "Preview" function built in. Unfortunately, it does not show dynamic content (like photo sliders, videos, links etc.). For this reason, I have another blog set up in Blogger called "Diagnostic". Whenever I'm using content that the previewer won't render, I'll copy my entire post from FringeEdTech and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">paste</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> it into the Diagnostic one (the Diagnostic blog is not listed, and I delete each post as soon as I'm done testing). The, I'll go "Incognito" ("Private Browsing", "InPrivate" - read my <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/hiding-cookies.html" target="_blank">blog about private browsing</a> if you want more information) and check all the links and embedded content to make sure they are functioning properly. Once I'm convinced, I'll delete the post from Diagnostic and publish it in FringeEdTech.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I try view my blog posts on a mobile device frequently. I have the Blogger app (which is not all that spectacular, although viewing my blog on it is the same as viewing it on a mobile device through the web browser). I also have the <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/glimpse/mlkphfapecjniljjgjbcbopfgcjdmche?hl=en-US" target="_blank">Glimpse extension</a> in Chrome which gives me a perspective of the mobile version.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also use the private browsing function whenever I test a link in my blog. I want to know it works for <i>everyone</i>, not just me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Find the "sweet spot" for publishing.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a few different schools of thought about the best time to publish, but my friend (and fellow blogger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpertlyMade" target="_blank">Erin</a> publishes on Wednesdays. It makes sense to me, so I try to do that, too. I think Wednesdays or Thursdays are good, and I try to publish in the morning. I suspect that Mondays and Fridays are pretty busy, and who doesn't love some fresh, easy reading during the middle of the week. And I also try to announce a new posting via Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest. I bet more people are listening in the morning than at nine in the evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Find your voice.</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like my blogs to be very conversational and playful. Since most of my blogs are explorations (and borderline tutorials), I like to have an inner monologue feel to the post. It takes time to figure out your voice, although it may come easier to you than it did to me. I feel like the evolution of many blogs are evident. There's usually a big difference between the first few blog posts and the most recent ones.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You should also consider what your blogging style is. I like to do one meaty blog a week. Sometimes it's just a diatribe, although most of the time I want the posts to be nice resource for people to come back to. One of my favorite blogs to read, <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/" target="_blank">Free Technology for Educators</a>, has multiple posts a day. I don't know how Richard does it, but it's pretty awesome (you should also follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/rmbyrne" target="_blank">Twitter</a> - not only do his tweets contain great tips, but I learned a lot about good tweeting just from watching him). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you find your voice, one thing is important - <i>be reliable </i>(see the "sweet spot" tip above). I read an article about <a href="http://jennamarblesblog.com/" target="_blank">Jenna Marbles</a>, and it mentioned how she religiously posts a new video on YouTube every Wednesday. I like that for a few reasons. For starters, it is incentive to work on my blog (Wednesdays and Thursdays are manageable goals). Additionally, Jenna's fan base now has expectations. I bet if she missed one or two, her fans would forgive her. But sporadic posting leads to sporadic consumption. She has a fanatical fan base, and they have demands!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also decide if you want to monetize. Many bloggers do - and that's great. Why shouldn't you be compensated for quality writing. Some of my blogs take upwards of nine or ten hours to create - time I could spend doing something else. So I understand why bloggers want to monetize their content. I, personally, don't monetize. That's just my preference. I tested it out, but it didn't really appeal to me. If my blogging is so profound and perfectly crafted, maybe someone will hire me to blog someday. That would be <i>sweet</i>. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've also read a few bios from bloggers disclosing affiliations, sponsorships, or advertising deals. I've never been in that position before, but I know that if I were affiliated with an organization or compensated by a company, I would certainly disclose that. You should definitely check out <a href="http://buzzmachine.com/about/" target="_blank">Jeff Jarvis' blog</a> (pay attention to his disclosures). And if you haven't yet, I would <i>highly</i> recommend reading <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061709719" target="_blank">What Would Google Do?</a></u>, a great book that Mr. Jarvis wrote. I'm not his primary audience (it's intended more for business owners), although I took away an awful lot from his anecdotes (especially regarding social media).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Think carefully about your layout.</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are hundreds of articles and blogs devoted to choosing your platform. I think two of the biggest are Blogger (I use it) and WordPress. I prefer Blogger because I thrive in the Google ecosystem, I am talented enough with HTML to do some swanky things, and because it's free. WordPress has more plugins and templates, but there are some people who don't have very <a href="http://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2013/04/27/free-wordpress-hosting/" target="_blank">good things to say about it</a>.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I pay for the URL name (it's only about twelve dollars a year, so I can swing it). This way, I don't have to have the ".blogspot" in my URL. Twelve dollars is a small price to pay for a professional URL (of course, I also have other derivations like "FringedTech" just to catch people who type in the wrong URL).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get a "favicon". That's the little icon that appears in your web browser (either in the search bar or the tabs). There's plenty of tutorials on how to create them (and add them to your blog). Currently, mine happens to be a shrunk down version of my logo. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO-diS-0VeyeXlJSkIeeou-MedQOJTq1v1DNFuyB7VfYD_0Z340L1kVM7yprsFneGk744tVbIe6OqNdBDxScrkFtokaXRDkW-6YfXcoCTAFcwB3R09w71xij-WqivgcQ9WTC0nt54bDc/s1600/FET+-+Blogging+-+Favicons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Example of "favicon"" border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO-diS-0VeyeXlJSkIeeou-MedQOJTq1v1DNFuyB7VfYD_0Z340L1kVM7yprsFneGk744tVbIe6OqNdBDxScrkFtokaXRDkW-6YfXcoCTAFcwB3R09w71xij-WqivgcQ9WTC0nt54bDc/s1600/FET+-+Blogging+-+Favicons.jpg" title="Example of "favicon"" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>My fave favicons</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't go overboard with widgets. Widgets are the extra information on a blog (for instance, I have the "Popular Posts", "Blog Archive" and "Follow by Email" widgets). Sure, they are cool, but they can increase load time and make your site looking tacky. Be smart about which ones to add.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I stripped out the Blogger header and footer (the things that says "Powered by Blogger"). I thought my blog would look more professional. It's not hard to do - I just Googled it and found a solution that took sixty seconds. Just be sure that when editing the HTML for your site that you copy and paste the functioning code somewhere so that if you muck things up, you can always paste it back in.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of HTML, there is one trick that I like to do with numbers and bullets. I prefer spaces between each item. For instance,</span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line one</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line two</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line three</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is less appealing to me than:</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line one</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line two</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is line three</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All I did was add the </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> tag in the HTML. Easy to do, and way prettier to look at.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW8H4Nwv2SxwgZ_ONLuD4Xc3ycthgUbca90HfBZYUb6BNjREJMirwUjmm8c_kKRxQXzU_xJVD2ykP1bCPtyEIp-aZfB_Pk3zCq3qXWScW0O7iDP7vS-RaVcR_FRqugizLu-fLTFQjSI0/s1600/FET+-+Blogging+-+BR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adding the <br /> tag" border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW8H4Nwv2SxwgZ_ONLuD4Xc3ycthgUbca90HfBZYUb6BNjREJMirwUjmm8c_kKRxQXzU_xJVD2ykP1bCPtyEIp-aZfB_Pk3zCq3qXWScW0O7iDP7vS-RaVcR_FRqugizLu-fLTFQjSI0/s1600/FET+-+Blogging+-+BR.jpg" title="Adding the <br /> tag" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you need a break...</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Be a part of the blogosphere.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being a blogger is good, but being a blogger that can engage other people and reference other bloggers is much better. There's "street cred" to be had. And it builds your fan base (and thus your exposure). Holly, a runner I know, has great engagement on her blog, <a href="http://fueledbylolz.com/" target="_blank">FueledByLOLZ</a>. She asks pointed questions and interacts with people who leave comments. It gives her readers a sense of ownership.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But more importantly, interact on other people's blogs. That will get you exposure to interaction as well as the opportunity to read some really great blogs. Or terrible blogs. When I was a student teacher in 1999, I had a really great supervising teacher and a really poor one. I learned an awful lot from the great one, but I learned just as much from the bad one (I learned what not to do). Reading blogs will give you perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Get social.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not even going to go into ways to become involved in social media, but I will tout the value of it. Use social media! Twitter is a great way to draw people to your blog from companies or products you reference in a tweet. Mention "Microsoft" in a tweet about your most recent blog about Publisher, and you'll be visible to the four and a half million people who follow Microsoft on Twitter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't really promote myself on Facebook, although if I have a particularly relevant post that I think many of my Facebook friends will benefit from, I'll post them in my status. But in general, I don't like doing that. I suppose I could create a Facebook page for FringeEdTech, but I haven't yet. I also maintain a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/fedtech/fringeedtech/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> board. One note about Pinterest - make sure you pin the URL that goes directly to your recent post, not just to the URL of your blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also love Google+. For me, Google+ is <i>the best</i> place for me to find more information about my passions and career. Google+ is a great venue for targeted, niche insight. Especially for me, as I love all things tech. So I make sure to post every time I publish a blog (Blogger will automatically prompt me for that anyhow).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing I do when I post a link to my blog is shorten the URL. I like TinyURL because it allows me to customize my new, shorter link. Sure, other services provide an even shorter link, but I can customize my link as <a href="http://tinyurl.com/FET-Blog1">tinyurl.com/FET-Blog1</a>. It's free advertising! I can brand the link with my initials (FET).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Use pages.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blogger and WordPress both offer you the ability to publish <i>pages</i> as well. Pages are merely venues for you to put content up that isn't a blog. I have a page for my biography and one for presentations I do (this is great advertising - whenever I do a presentation, I put all my content up on my blog. That way, I ensure that everyone there can access the material <i>and</i> I introduce them to my blog!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can hide pages, too. This means they aren't visible to viewers, but you can always access them directly by punching in the URL. I do that sometimes for things I want to share with certain people, but don't want to make public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One last lesson about blogging - don't put as many links in one post as I just did. I went link crazy. But that's because I think there is a lot of valuable information that demands further exploration. So go explore!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's everything I know about blogging. I hope there's something you can takeaway from this post. I'd be interested to hear how you use blogs in your classroom. Please also comment on tips that you have for bloggers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you do want to read some more quality blogging information, Richard Byrne also has a blog dedicated to people who want to increase their blogging efficacy. Check out <a href="http://wormsinthefridge.com/" target="_blank">WormsInTheFridge</a>, but specifically <a href="http://wormsinthefridge.com/2014/01/05/secret-successful-blogs/" target="_blank">The Secret to Successful Blogs</a> and <a href="http://wormsinthefridge.com/2014/01/05/making-time-blog/" target="_blank">Making Time to Blog</a>.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-77124616652738293672014-04-03T10:17:00.002-04:002014-04-15T09:17:28.696-04:00Take me to Embed or Lose me Forever!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FringeEdTech is designed to help educators maximize the potential of existing technology - not necessarily the newest, latest, and greatest (although I did just order my Amazon Fire TV today!) toys. So today, I'm not talking about a sweet, shiny new thing. I'm talking about an old philosophy and technically easy idea to implement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm talking about embedding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I work in the Office of Online Learning at the college I'm at, but that's a bit of a misnomer as faculty leverage our learning management system (LMS) to deliver content in face-to-face courses as well as hybrid and online. Using an LMS is great, even if it is just a repository to hold files (like a syllabus, handouts from the class, etc.). Most LMSs make it easy to administer assessments, collect assignments, and participate in discussion forums. Therefore, many of our faculty use our LMS (we currently use ANGEL, but we are in the middle of a migration to Blackboard - <a href="http://www.moodle.com/" target="_blank">Moodle</a>, <a href="http://www.coursesites.com/" target="_blank">CourseSites</a> and <a href="http://www.eduongo.com/" target="_blank">EduOnGo</a> are great systems, too). Even if you don't have access to an LMS, the following holds true for general websites, as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overwhelmingly, I see a huge philosophical mistake when it comes to distributing files (for today, I'll use PowerPoint as a euphemism for any attachment). The easiest way to get a PowerPoint to students in an LMS is to attach them, but there are many reasons why it is better to embed the file. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When a presentation is embedded in an LMS, it renders nicely. No extra clicking or downloading. Here is what it looks like in Blackboard when a student encounters an embedded presentation:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9i5cV2alfJe4ep_Zv2m9oOa1vS0YRFLHK8f0Kz0_Uw8LdKSpi1spcQ-hhWm2m45iTsansOzqzf9tb8rLBFlQqCqLe8LAsuR5yHeTeTN_pf5Qj1d-nPYpgm6pqyfh_2cfizKQGNvIxHg/s1600/FET+-+Embedding+-+HP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Embedding ensures a smooth, seamless educational experience" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9i5cV2alfJe4ep_Zv2m9oOa1vS0YRFLHK8f0Kz0_Uw8LdKSpi1spcQ-hhWm2m45iTsansOzqzf9tb8rLBFlQqCqLe8LAsuR5yHeTeTN_pf5Qj1d-nPYpgm6pqyfh_2cfizKQGNvIxHg/s1600/FET+-+Embedding+-+HP.JPG" height="553" title="Embedding ensures a smooth, seamless educational experience" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, this presentation makes subtle references to Harry Potter. Cistem Aperio!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Juxtapose that with attaching a file in ANGEL:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOutPnkNTyx5w-7Dn4bRCDhBAhTrN1iEf6R-egjJKmtBNJ5UbjQ4mFXKhyphenhyphen5L5K5TX9ohcClDJBBS6Zu4Ygn6W7SVNLNUq19U25hg4CTtdlRWYysTYTYiJeymVpVnTFRGFT9JwA0ByOMI/s1600/FET+-+Embedding+-+ANGEL+-+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Attaching a file can cause great confusion for the student" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOutPnkNTyx5w-7Dn4bRCDhBAhTrN1iEf6R-egjJKmtBNJ5UbjQ4mFXKhyphenhyphen5L5K5TX9ohcClDJBBS6Zu4Ygn6W7SVNLNUq19U25hg4CTtdlRWYysTYTYiJeymVpVnTFRGFT9JwA0ByOMI/s1600/FET+-+Embedding+-+ANGEL+-+02.JPG" height="420" title="Attaching a file can cause great confusion for the student" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DANGER WILL ROBINSON! The dreaded "Red Text Countdown" is ANGEL's defense mechanism to clarity.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In no particular order, here my compelling reasons why embedding is far superior than attaching files:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>No need for external software</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best example of this is when Office 2007 rolled around and faculty were distributing </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.docx</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> files to students who only had Office 2003 and <i>couldn't open them</i>. Shame on Microsoft for not addressing this sooner, but shame on faculty for not understanding this was an issue for their students. Even today, this is problematic. As more and more students consume content on mobile devices, it's hard to know if the user will be able to view attachments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But more importantly, if you embed a Google Presentation (I'll use Google products in the discussion today, although OneDrive is a viable - albeit inferior - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">substitute</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) in your LMS, students don' have to manage dozens of files for the semester. If you think poor file management is not an epidemic, look at the desktops of your colleagues and try to make sense of the files littered about. And I shudder to think about managing downloaded files where some are on my iPad, some on my phone, some on my desktop and some on my laptop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Version control is not an issue, either. If I embed a Google Presentation today, but make changes to it next week, students will always have the most recent edition - this isn't true with attached files. I would have to redistribute the updated PowerPoint.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students can assimilate content into their own cloud</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In most institutions, students lose access to their courses when the semester ends. That's it. All the experiences in that class terminate. All the content is inaccessible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you use a cloud service to host your content, students can apprehend it into their own cloud (this is especially true for Google Drive). Generally speaking, it is easy to take an embedded Google Document and capture it into your own collection. While this may be a deterrent to some, I would posit that <i>anything</i> you put in your course can easily be apprehended by students; you can't protect your content (and the Instructional Designer in me asks why you would want to). More and more students are arriving at college already accustomed to Google Drive (thank you Google Apps for Education), and many colleges and universities are even adopting the Google platform.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embedding Google Documents helps the student retain the information from their class for as long as they want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Students don't leave the environment</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was in fifth grade, Mr. Massa was reticent to have me leave the classroom and go to the bathroom (a sentiment many teachers share). There is a common fear that students will get distracted and either A) take some detours on the way back, or B) never come back. YouTube is the perfect example. Why would you link to a YouTube video when you can embed it? Giving a YouTube link to a student is like giving a one hundred dollar bill to a five year old in a candy shop - if they ever come back, they'll be exhausted, lost, and all hopped up on goofballs. We understand this; that's why YouTube makes it easy to embed videos and why most LMSs have tools built in to embed a YouTube video. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same is true with documents. Don't give students a wild goose chase; provide a clear, concise way to consume the information. This is the twenty first century! We should be able to embed content in lieu of attaching it. It's way more convenient for the student. It's all about encapsulating the experience so students don't need to go to other software to view documents that are made available to them. </span><br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15OsY6K9hHxZk2kVszmqFV9ss1FgrsHkBn0b6vZF6oW0/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Faculty can modify content without being in the LMS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, this is the game changer. If I am sitting at JiffyLube, getting my oil changed and thinking about how I can tweak some content I posted in Blackboard, I might not be able to do it easily if the content resides in Blackboard. The <a href="https://www.blackboard.com/platforms/mobile/products/mobile-learn.aspx" target="_blank">Blackboard Mobile Learn</a> app is geared towards students, and using the web interface from a mobile device to modify content isn't the easiest thing to do. And <i>boy</i> do I hate authenticating into Blackboard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter Google Drive. I can modify my content ridiculously easy from my mobile device, and the changes will propagate into my LMS (assuming I embedded the Google Documents) instantaneously. How awesome is that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Easier to push out updated content</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I alluded to this earlier, but this is such a potent idea that it is worth repeating. <i>Content will never have to be redistributed</i>. Let's imagine I teach five courses a semester. Even better - let's assume I'm an adjunct at three different colleges. If I have a document, say a PDF that has a brief biography of me, as well as contact information and how I can be reached, and I distribute it on day one, it's in everybody's hands. Now, let's say something changes and I need to modify it. Hey, these things happen. Well, now I have to modify it and push it out to three different systems. However, if I had designed it in a Google Document and embedded it (even better - <i>published</i> it ), then I can instantaneously push the changes out to all instances of where that one document resides.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is especially handy if you have multiple venues where your content is accessible. But let's face it, if you build content into your LMS the old fashioned way, you might find out down the road (if you teach at another institution with a different LMS or your current institution elects to use a different LMS) that the content might not transfer well. You'd be insulated from this if you choose to embed your content (because the HTML code for embedding tends to translate from LMS to LMS).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Productive cloud software is more collaborative than most LMSs</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blackboard, ANGEL, Moodle, and many of the other learning management systems are great. They do a wonderful job of managing learning. But they were not built to be collaborative. The next generation of LMSs have a more collaborative flavor, but really still lack the collaborative tools that other platforms have. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, Google Drive and OneDrive were built with collaboration as the focal point. So it seems to be a no-brainer - use the framework of the LMS to organize the information, and embed the really collaborative tools like Google Documents. Most students probably will not even recognize that an embedded document is not native to the LMS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An decidedly beneficial byproduct of using the model of embedding is the collaboration that is opened to faculty. Sure, ANGEL has LORs and Blackboard has Content Collections, but neither one of those mechanisms are truly easy to use for faculty collaboration. It is very limiting. Once you start using Google Drive (or OneDrive), then it instantly becomes a lot easier to start collaborating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Automatic backups</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, there are features in ANGEL and Blackboard to back courses up. The system administrator might even have scripts to do that for you automatically. Where I work, every Friday we automatically backup any ANGEL course that has been accessed in the past ten days. There is a sense of safety there, but that doesn't preclude catastrophes from happening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Drive will backup every single change made to any document (with the ability to revert to any particular version). And that happens with no extra effort from you. So whereas content created in an LMS may or may not be backed up reliably, all content in Google Drive (and OneDrive) are always saved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all this said, there is one <i>extremely important</i> thing you need to know - to enable the content such that anyone can view it - not just Google Drive or OneDrive account holders, you have to change the permissions. Roughly speaking, you typically want "Anyone with the link" to be able to view (or comment, or edit) a document.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don't like HTML code, or you are not familiar with sharing in cloud services, then come back on May 15<sup>th</sup> to get a free book on embedding in the framework of an LMS. An intrepid librarian and I have joined to create an OER book that covers the rationale (and the mechanics) of embedding within an LMS and LibGuides. You can <a href="http://www.openlmsbook.com/" target="_blank">see our work in progress here</a>, but come back in mid May for a truly spectacular show.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to close by briefly outlining why I prefer Google Drive over OneDrive. I think there are three distinct advantages to Google Drive:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Drive is much easier to edit on mobile devices. OneDrive requires extra software and subscriptions whereas Google Drive is free and encapsulated in one clean, concise app.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharing on OneDrive is less intuitive and harder than Google Drive.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embedding a OneDrive product into an LMS is risky because it is easy for students to leave the LMS (engaging full screen mode on an embedded PowerPoint opens another tab with the document in OneDrive). Google Drive does not hijack the browser.</span></li>
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So, that's it. I am fully aware that the topic of embedding might seem daunting or technically too complex, but I assure you that if you can copy and paste, you have the requisite skill set to embed anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am also fully aware that some of the concepts I've presented today might be a little polarizing in the tech geek world. But That's why there is the ability to engage in conversation! I would love to hear what people have to say (I do not, by any means, presume that my ideas are the best presentation methods). I do stand by my assertion that Google Drive is a better alternative than OneDrive for embedding content, though! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me know what you think in the comments below. Extra points to the first person who can attribute the movie that the title of this post is based on.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-69047036667147072122014-03-27T12:13:00.000-04:002014-03-27T12:18:10.347-04:00ScreenCastify Me!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love recording my screen. I love it. It's an extraordinarily potent way to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">asynchronously </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">teach and demonstrate . </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you are creating lessons for a flipped learning experience or you are making tutorials be able to capture action on your monitor, s</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">creencasting is an integral part of education now</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I submit that TechSmith's Camtasia is the industry standard for educators. It is very reasonably priced, and provides a complete solution. Their lightweight version, Jing, is great for quick screencasting. I use Screencast-o-Matic occasionally, as it is quicker (but offers less flexibility). It's a moot point though, on a Chromebook, as none of those tools will work (they require either installation or Java). It's also a moot point if you just prefer to <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">live in the cloud</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As tools for cloud productivity increase, we've been holding out for the silver bullet to screencasting. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technically</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, it's been around for a while in the form of Google Hangouts and screen sharing, but the process is cumbersome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, </span><a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/03/three-ways-to-create-screencasts-on.html#.UzJCKKhX-uZ" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Richard Byrne blogged about the three ways to screencast</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in a recent post. I like a lot of what he said. He reviews the pros and cons of different screencasting solutions, but I wanted to dive a bit deeper into what I believe to be one of the most seamless solutions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.screencastify.com/" target="_blank">ScreenCastify</a> is an extension in Chrome, and it's pretty slick. It works out-of-the-box, is ridiculously easy to use, integrates with Google Drive, and is free! I'm not saying I wouldn't ever use Camtasia, Jing, or the like. I'm saying that there is a trade-off. Heavy weight software like Camtasia affords you more options (like professional editing, for example). ScreenCastify does not. I don't think that's a bad thing - it's just a different tool. For professional grade tutorials, I'd probably use Camtasia. But for most of what I do, I think ScreenCastify is perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get started, go to the Chrome web store and search for ScreenCastify (or click <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screencastify-screen-vide/mmeijimgabbpbgpdklnllpncmdofkcpn" target="_blank">here</a><span id="goog_2133275533"></span><span id="goog_2133275534"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoatW7sIWOkcokPwccra0nYOkc81EAfe1o8iUEJV6iBfDpikoNAfRR6lHZLNhRnWkbH0UukXQCHMtvA5l4767BFWORcK_yt-_c1EKAsvfBdxzTZtaSDE8F54FVHK4irMQWWkPITpiS-o/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Chrome+Store+-+2px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ScreenCastify in the Chrome Store" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoatW7sIWOkcokPwccra0nYOkc81EAfe1o8iUEJV6iBfDpikoNAfRR6lHZLNhRnWkbH0UukXQCHMtvA5l4767BFWORcK_yt-_c1EKAsvfBdxzTZtaSDE8F54FVHK4irMQWWkPITpiS-o/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Chrome+Store+-+2px.png" height="210" title="ScreenCastify in the Chrome Store" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A few clicks away from awesomeness.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Install it. It's harmless.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wG42qQWPVzSCIB2h5FpUdjJWHvVc3m7ac33FchDj2e0JVNTm5-uNxhBXb46sGw3iIZsuUCsaKmfKZTzYnpYE1rQRk8SBy8mpMxOn7TPh7veVagIZzoKXp4hFZmZmd7VDd8OojL6X5MQ/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Confirm+Installation+-+2px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Permissions for ScreenCastify" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wG42qQWPVzSCIB2h5FpUdjJWHvVc3m7ac33FchDj2e0JVNTm5-uNxhBXb46sGw3iIZsuUCsaKmfKZTzYnpYE1rQRk8SBy8mpMxOn7TPh7veVagIZzoKXp4hFZmZmd7VDd8OojL6X5MQ/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Confirm+Installation+-+2px.png" height="221" title="Permissions for ScreenCastify" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loving their logo.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you click the icon in the Extension Bar in Chrome, a menu will drop down. Here's the important part - the default options really should be tweaked to optimize productivity. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Modifying the options" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2S_8Qo0kqC9TqMogfXNiW6z7cbqkrYIxFDDPk2rT2rkk2VsS4uPwG1Q5ErSDKryCqkDjC4HX784QTkcGjl1Rw_3nnGB0q2zWFX9c30XRNS8-QuJfdB-8fTGuObJ1QwWvjFP4qsI4CU0/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Extension+Dropdown+-+Options+-+2px.png" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Modifying the options" width="274" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The default options should be tweaked. A lot.</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2S_8Qo0kqC9TqMogfXNiW6z7cbqkrYIxFDDPk2rT2rkk2VsS4uPwG1Q5ErSDKryCqkDjC4HX784QTkcGjl1Rw_3nnGB0q2zWFX9c30XRNS8-QuJfdB-8fTGuObJ1QwWvjFP4qsI4CU0/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Extension+Dropdown+-+Options+-+2px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things to consider:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This menu allows you record the entire desktop (instead of just the current tab) which is a good option if you plan on using multiple tabs (although this is experimental right now and on a traditional computer - not a Chromebook - requires a modification in your settings for Chrome).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should probably change the "Target frame rate". Ten FPS (frames per second) is very laggy. You can up it to 25 (which is pretty dang good). </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also elect to record the cursor (which is the default, but is only an option when recording one tab - not the whole desktop).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider if you want the audio to be captured from the tab that is being recorded or from the microphone.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, decide if you want to embed the webcam video in the bottom-right corner or not (by default, this isn't selected). The Instructional Designer in me endorses this practice, as it humanizes the lesson that is being captured. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not on this screen, however, is another setting that should be tweaked. Right click on the ScreenCastify icon in the Extension Bar, click on "Options". Alternatively, click on the "Extension Options" link at the bottom of the menu that appears if you left click on the ScreenCastify icon.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUysd9qy7BR9Z3EySk5zzJkuOlPefmfM10OsIwQI-YM8WT6PoFaEtQScAYw2qYoF-AGahnDcSlHZRmJ8yuJmDT4Pj2vQNktGw5ZgTH0kpDSDGA1xlpCRC94KH2ugkLQKHTMmneXoe98vE/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Right+Click+-+2px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Accessing one more option screen in ScreenCastify" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUysd9qy7BR9Z3EySk5zzJkuOlPefmfM10OsIwQI-YM8WT6PoFaEtQScAYw2qYoF-AGahnDcSlHZRmJ8yuJmDT4Pj2vQNktGw5ZgTH0kpDSDGA1xlpCRC94KH2ugkLQKHTMmneXoe98vE/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Right+Click+-+2px.png" height="268" title="Accessing one more option screen in ScreenCastify" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>See all of those extensions? That's what PRODUCTIVITY looks like!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By default, ScreenCastify will publish any video to your YouTube account with a "Public" setting. I recommend changing the setting to "Private". It can be changed later if you want to share it (I usually choose "Unlisted" (which is the same as sharing files in Google Drive by "Link only"), and then embed the video where I want it to be seen). The problem is that if a video is published on YouTube and it isn't private, subscribers will get a notification (which is not desirable if you aren't quite done with the video, or if the content isn't aligned with your normal video posting habits).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1eLvzRVfmN0RxpVQc1CV9Gi1lnE7WcVdlpplMSHz5cvsubw_Wr5EYiPVYOH4DQELaEOv9UzmQsTy5Bl007hhxwr-zhl84S195BcKSGY8WoeELyjl3z5ZW-WOPE_i5_Jimu00wb1hN_I/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Options+-+2px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Important options for YouTube!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1eLvzRVfmN0RxpVQc1CV9Gi1lnE7WcVdlpplMSHz5cvsubw_Wr5EYiPVYOH4DQELaEOv9UzmQsTy5Bl007hhxwr-zhl84S195BcKSGY8WoeELyjl3z5ZW-WOPE_i5_Jimu00wb1hN_I/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Options+-+2px.png" height="210" title="Important options for YouTube!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I know how you like options, so I have options for your options</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it. You're ready to go. Whenever you want to capture the screen, just click the ScreenCastify icon in the Extension Bar. Hit the "Start Recording" button, and make a video!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find it easier to use the keyboard shortcuts, as they eliminate the need to navigate menus with your cursor when recording. Access this menu by clicking on the "Extension Options" link on the ScreenCastify menu, or by managing the extensions via Chrome.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsQeFRbpSZ4dVVgqcwkHlOLGhsVmpEjBYDJItrd_oS9qGe1Wgxm-thq3RqJn2QLP0gtQ9sN8yMF5WPED6uzRpmU13Fs2wqkwk_vjeAk46kBl6ILZczgnAIi73sSlBEFVhAQ5MZRDFmlQ/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Keyboard+Shortcuts+-+2px+-+B.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Keyboard shortcuts" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsQeFRbpSZ4dVVgqcwkHlOLGhsVmpEjBYDJItrd_oS9qGe1Wgxm-thq3RqJn2QLP0gtQ9sN8yMF5WPED6uzRpmU13Fs2wqkwk_vjeAk46kBl6ILZczgnAIi73sSlBEFVhAQ5MZRDFmlQ/s1600/FET+-+Screencastify+-+Keyboard+Shortcuts+-+2px+-+B.png" height="218" title="Keyboard shortcuts" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Control + Shift + S = ScreenCastifying like a BOSS.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few tips for screencasting:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you plan to type while making the video, be aware that most embedded microphones will pick up the clack of the keys. You may be better off using an external microphone that is close to your mouth, or a quiet keyboard. I like to use a USB keyboard and move it as far away from my microphone as possible. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experiment first. Don't try to do a six or seven minute clip right off the bat. Get used to the tools. Watch the videos you make. Learn from those experiences. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With photos, it's easy to correct a bad photo with software. Audio is a different story. If you don't start with good audio, you will not be able to enhance it easily. I'd recommend investing in a good microphone if you intend to do a lot of screencasts. You might even consider a "pop filter" to help reduce the "puh" noises from words with a "p" in them. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's okay to make mistakes. It's human. I think that making small jokes, clicking on the wrong thing once or twice is okay. People trip over words in a face-to-face class, so why should it be different for an online video? Videos that have personality and shy away from the sterile environment of a robotic presentation are engaging. Embrace that!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As mentioned earlier, think about including your face in the lower corner (captured from a webcam) when making the video. This personal touch has been proven to help students feel like they are part of an individualized experience. Just be aware that you won't see the rectangle in the lower corner as you are recording, so be aware that content on the screen in that region may be obscured by the video of your face.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also mentioned this earlier - <i>use shortcuts! </i>It will help keep your presentation on point (you won't be flinging the cursor all over the place trying to click on the start/stop functions). You can also pause the recording with the keyboard shortcuts.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are using a Chromebook and recording the whole desktop, hide the Shelf (analogous to the Taskbar in Windows or the Dock on a Mac). Otherwise, if you have the video stream from your webcam included, it will look odd as the webcam rectangle is a bit transparent and will be distracting as it goes over both the screen and the Shelf.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a script prepared. Or at the very least, have an outline. If you don't know exactly what to say, it will be evident. You don't want to appear unprofessional.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Film with good lighting. For me, it's easier to get good lighting during the day. But I can make do at night in a well lit room. I usually use the onboard camera to check the framing before I start recording.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be conservative with hand gestures in the webcam. It can be distracting. One unfortunate byproduct is that webcams can sometimes distort scale, so in the video I demo here, it looks like I have freakishly large hands (admittedly, they are large - just not freakishly over sized).</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it! You can go out and record your own screencast now. Don't be afraid. Poke. Prod. Figure it out. But know that Screencastify gives you immediate access to a cloud based solution for screencasting. Go out and have fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have any questions or comments, make a screencast that clearly articulates your concerns, and send me the link!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-57859257767462692692014-03-20T12:48:00.000-04:002014-03-20T15:44:26.011-04:00The Art of the Screenshot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: none; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eXE8sbWWoIU28QMTt9YFkq_6jqbAzDbi74p2fLelnnHuzEW49gc4KSlWLAsEl-oMla5LKs7yp7bK4xVbcjkwhOTDvM1N6CtXz734wwdALHFeJZe8rLvJrKvjAFfGGRSKAz8SyoSwTi4/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Helmet+-+Trans+-+SMALL+-+Off+Center+-+Border.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eXE8sbWWoIU28QMTt9YFkq_6jqbAzDbi74p2fLelnnHuzEW49gc4KSlWLAsEl-oMla5LKs7yp7bK4xVbcjkwhOTDvM1N6CtXz734wwdALHFeJZe8rLvJrKvjAFfGGRSKAz8SyoSwTi4/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Helmet+-+Trans+-+SMALL+-+Off+Center+-+Border.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have nothing bombastic to share this week - only a refinement on the age-old practice of screen capturing. But technology doesn't need to be new or shiny or in-your-face. Sometimes, the subtle technologies are the best. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/11/snagit-annotateit-shareit.html" target="_blank">posted last November on TechSmith's Snagit</a> extension for Chrome, and covered the basic mechanics and workflow of using Snagit (which is still my primary screen capture tool). But r</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">egardless of how you elect to capture screenshots (Google Screen Capture and Awesome Screenshot from Diigo are good), there is an art to screenshots. The following is a reproduction of the inner monologue that goes through my head as I create screenshots. I know this sounds trivial, but it is extremely important to craft the screenshot well. A picture is worth one thousand words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, in addition to being great teaching tools, images serve at least two other purposes. For starters, it's a bit more social because pages with no images cannot be shared on Pinterest (which is a great educational tool, by the way). Additionally, you might not realize that just because <i>you</i> view content one way doesn't mean that everyone else sees it the same way. Browser extensions change the rules a little bit. Even mobile views are different! This blog, <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/">www.FringeEdTech.com</a>, is not organized in a graphical scheme for desktop computers. But the mobile site is:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2D0A_dhbQ5TNAYbN6ItL2VOnh3ChBCVIxu6d6isNp3-SOo-g20Fi8LrNI3DxqxPcwQYiRjcNNjKewaAQ05Z_YGAEIEq08JUhDlCrjqnTU0WiYUYs6fxaHRr1LjGT2j7HtuUllYlI4HM/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Mobile+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mobile version of this blog." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2D0A_dhbQ5TNAYbN6ItL2VOnh3ChBCVIxu6d6isNp3-SOo-g20Fi8LrNI3DxqxPcwQYiRjcNNjKewaAQ05Z_YGAEIEq08JUhDlCrjqnTU0WiYUYs6fxaHRr1LjGT2j7HtuUllYlI4HM/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Mobile+View.jpg" height="320" title="Mobile version of this blog." width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You never know when images will pop up.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lesson? Use pictures if you want to look great across devices, you want to be shared socially, and you just want to be cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But back to the point of today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When making tutorials (for faculty, staff, or students), it is important to give context to the image. For instance, when I make training material, it is important for me to not assume the audience is even remotely familiar with the software. Consider the following image which shows an entire screen in Blackboard:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_45nFUZrWEUZOUaP6SOLJ5ha40eXR1BYNEmYIGjeGCWESF_pPNvwaRh4ecOaGcLmketNm4OfZdrR-PjI0nXhQ1GlRRQx7XOUxXiN5sBn8Ye4-_pXbRqAVrdBfGQi5fItH-TK87UCu634/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Whole+Screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Entire screen shot from Blackboard." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_45nFUZrWEUZOUaP6SOLJ5ha40eXR1BYNEmYIGjeGCWESF_pPNvwaRh4ecOaGcLmketNm4OfZdrR-PjI0nXhQ1GlRRQx7XOUxXiN5sBn8Ye4-_pXbRqAVrdBfGQi5fItH-TK87UCu634/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Whole+Screen.jpg" height="231" title="Entire screen shot from Blackboard." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Help! Blackboard looks overwhelming!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While this is a true depiction of how the screen looks (in this case, I'm showcasing Blackboard). there are a few tweaks that will make this a better image. I should really focus on the part of the screen that I'll be talking about (the main canvas where the text editor is). As it stands, this image is daunting. There is an awful lot of vestigial information in this image. For someone unfamiliar with bookmarks and extensions in their browser (or even unfamiliar with Chrome), this screenshot could be disconcerting. I don't need all the stuff on the screen - just a portion of it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That yellow Course Menu on the left side of the screen? That's a whole different topic, unrelated to the text editor box. So I can get rid of that, too:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn13p02sIr0ZmVQnE1wCcRvm3LytK2-JsrvLD2EyzDEU73iWIG7rKaRxAKGEdJS0ZePf1_EnEDSzgiWsS73rJCoelgjUuqp4w7YGIf4B8rGeJeg6FSdyIj5tMJyipVkQuasikQqXtHaTg/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+02+-+No+Context,+No+Cutoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot that is too narrowly focused." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn13p02sIr0ZmVQnE1wCcRvm3LytK2-JsrvLD2EyzDEU73iWIG7rKaRxAKGEdJS0ZePf1_EnEDSzgiWsS73rJCoelgjUuqp4w7YGIf4B8rGeJeg6FSdyIj5tMJyipVkQuasikQqXtHaTg/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+02+-+No+Context,+No+Cutoff.jpg" height="203" title="Screenshot that is too narrowly focused." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is too simple.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a little better, as I've trimmed off a lot of the unnecessary information. But one thing I like to do - a little artisan flair - is to trim just a hair more off the image. Looking at the bottom of the above image, it is unclear whether the text continues past the border, or if it is all contained in the text box. If I crop the image (or just capture it about half an inch up), then there is no ambiguity. If I could cut off the bottom half of the text, the reader knows that the text does, indeed, continue past the frame of the image. It's a subtle notion, but this simple maneuver can help visually inform the reader:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNw5ZUk0-grG3AIShh3Vtc3Ru4St48xxcbfc9ZynDefzry4zhmdaRu3W2glBtdtdS20RSfJWSXSBmvYguzoWrD5KcwLVxEOG8k90u8DGBbpXG86Y4_yZpzduj1ZiXyHJXyW9nHj7OwIUA/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+03+-+No+Context.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Intentionally cutting off text helps provide context." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNw5ZUk0-grG3AIShh3Vtc3Ru4St48xxcbfc9ZynDefzry4zhmdaRu3W2glBtdtdS20RSfJWSXSBmvYguzoWrD5KcwLVxEOG8k90u8DGBbpXG86Y4_yZpzduj1ZiXyHJXyW9nHj7OwIUA/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+03+-+No+Context.jpg" height="196" title="Intentionally cutting off text helps provide context." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting off the bottom half of text like a BOSS.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is much better! But I'm not done quite yet. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem here is that I'm not doing the readers any favors by limiting the scope of the image exclusively to the area I'm talking about; someone who is reading my tutorial on Blackboard probably isn't that comfortable with Blackboard, and this picture yields no context. It's not easy to see where this particular region would appear in the framework of the software. So, I think I need to take another one that captures <i>some</i> of the surrounding area of the screen so readers can have a better feel for where the image came from. Guess I'll include <i>part</i> of the yellow Course Menu, just to give some context. This time, I'll still remember to cut off the bottom half of the text.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4DcbghrjkqreKGkQQXPRIjH21nYTnBCxtfJRBkvsJ8elmrQSsPU8rinGkvsN6NyZb8ilv3-1H8FB5Y4PfTPERghQCOs46WA4b3csLwxBd7UpofRMIXxDjA6Ujt40VyLu1Be4VZ8oYLM/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+04+-+Good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A well informed screenshot." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4DcbghrjkqreKGkQQXPRIjH21nYTnBCxtfJRBkvsJ8elmrQSsPU8rinGkvsN6NyZb8ilv3-1H8FB5Y4PfTPERghQCOs46WA4b3csLwxBd7UpofRMIXxDjA6Ujt40VyLu1Be4VZ8oYLM/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+04+-+Good.jpg" height="207" title="A well informed screenshot." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nailed it!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this well-framed screenshot, the main focus is clearly on the text area. I've eliminated confusing unimportant information (like the address bar and bookmarks). I provided context for where this region is (by including part of the yellow Course Menu and part of the upper frame). I even cut off the text at the bottom (and the top!) to let people know <i>something</i> is happening beyond the bottom of the image, but it's unimportant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the art of the screenshot extends beyond the cropping of the image - you have to be aware of placing the image into the document. In general, I recommend a border (nothing obscene, but one or two pixels - abbreviated as "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">px</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" in editing software - should be sufficient). Just something to set it apart from the background (as a reference, the above images all have a </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2px</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> border. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You also need to think about how the image looks on your page. Sometimes it's desirable to not have a border. If you want a transparent image, save it as a </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.png</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (or, less optimal, a </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.gif</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). Those file types are the most common for transparency. But again, you have to be careful - transparent images on a white background may be appealing, but if you (or someone else, or a third party extension in a browser) change the background color, all bets are off. I've included examples below of images that are full (like Dylan, the French Mastiff) and should probably have a border, as well as examples of my Iron Man helmet (if you haven't seen the <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/happy-halloween_31.html" target="_blank">creation process behind it</a>, it's an interesting read).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note that the following two examples are identical images, although one is transparent (which will most likely render as a white background on your browser), and the other is on a pink background (to demonstrate how transparent images might not be the best option). I intentionally did not put borders around these two images:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp2lpFLUOv6u0haz5Iqia29WaLgoXRcJfKo16lBtotCxfyXssA-lNbcjHFhnVzd4lVNT5TEFQw-NX4KQKJK0WDYH5HFTLdIQgXP3bo76xdbNw2HuptBlbdeXDZrU_W5kHfNGC3w60bKE/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Aggregate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Examples of transparent graphics, with and without borders." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp2lpFLUOv6u0haz5Iqia29WaLgoXRcJfKo16lBtotCxfyXssA-lNbcjHFhnVzd4lVNT5TEFQw-NX4KQKJK0WDYH5HFTLdIQgXP3bo76xdbNw2HuptBlbdeXDZrU_W5kHfNGC3w60bKE/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Aggregate.png" height="320" title="Examples of transparent graphics, with and without borders." width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Iron Man, dinosaurs, and dogs. Borders optional.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst63h0Xsd_P-Dw3X8j4w2IBRCiqkcRM0YP2u7cdXectpRIGWheYjxwWmuvLZ2uwY3DPuamDWYj3M9F4NLx0LyboBybyuh3TgFGaIqDzUW9RayzXer6QRNW0WoGxrNB4xHMvv_zV3fql8/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Aggregate+-+Pink.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Examples of transparent graphics with a pink background, with and without borders." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst63h0Xsd_P-Dw3X8j4w2IBRCiqkcRM0YP2u7cdXectpRIGWheYjxwWmuvLZ2uwY3DPuamDWYj3M9F4NLx0LyboBybyuh3TgFGaIqDzUW9RayzXer6QRNW0WoGxrNB4xHMvv_zV3fql8/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Aggregate+-+Pink.png" height="320" title="Examples of transparent graphics with a pink background, with and without borders." width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ew. Just... ew...</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget that whenever you place <i>any</i> image on a page, you should add text to the "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" tag. This is for visitors to your site that are visually impaired - the browser or screen reader will process the "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" text in lieu of the photo. Sometimes you have to hard code this, but most editors have that functionality built in (in Blackboard, it's known as "Image Description", and in ANGEL, "Alternative Text":</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NiPV7MwjLLvDaEiySRc7WC4DO-5hMWp85x_tEKw-03iQCbuIMLxU9uqqSbc8sU_XK0V2VWdyBcrBXo38SY3MXMYFAAwoQkIRKx4WJL2knVLiZLxODwRief41t-BZ_XKxByQUWBZsWaY/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Alt+Tag+-+Aggregate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Examples of "alt" text." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NiPV7MwjLLvDaEiySRc7WC4DO-5hMWp85x_tEKw-03iQCbuIMLxU9uqqSbc8sU_XK0V2VWdyBcrBXo38SY3MXMYFAAwoQkIRKx4WJL2knVLiZLxODwRief41t-BZ_XKxByQUWBZsWaY/s1600/FET+-+Screenshots+-+Alt+Tag+-+Aggregate.png" title="Examples of "alt" text." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just added "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" text to this image about "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" text. Meta.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I hope that this paints a nice picture of how to create a neat screen capture (and what to do with it when you're done). Remember that the detail and craftsmanship can speak volumes for your image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you use screenshots? What are some ideas to add to making the "perfect screenshot"?</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-70733636712468000212014-03-12T13:52:00.000-04:002014-03-12T13:52:11.856-04:00There's a Stormboard a-brewin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: none; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUi-J-1JT5-QEb9y34HEdlcXV3Q7TXVptzo4_MlPlKeclPoHYDeY_hH5gJkci2NMb-iqekTJttuklv6T8p6vNfqBLE_7hUHxEIhHSNCZFsd0EIx2A6Io4MeXhqjC8OM-zqSGa_hjbtQc/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+LOGO+-+Square.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUi-J-1JT5-QEb9y34HEdlcXV3Q7TXVptzo4_MlPlKeclPoHYDeY_hH5gJkci2NMb-iqekTJttuklv6T8p6vNfqBLE_7hUHxEIhHSNCZFsd0EIx2A6Io4MeXhqjC8OM-zqSGa_hjbtQc/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+LOGO+-+Square.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
In the spirit of adapting technology to the classroom, today I'd like to showcase a new product that I have been playing with the past few days. Initially, it seems that <a href="https://www.stormboard.com/" target="_blank">Stormboard</a> has it's greatest strengths in industry and business, after playing with it for a bit, I think it has a lot of merit in the educational realm, too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtUUPQmWgJwZYFBvtWXZ6orehK16DNiq04sN6j34y2Ek-3i2wXZ7CsbhglM3sCxKJ8AuKCvnnzi1RkwvCDpfp31Y-TrDvycktaw6j4YZH_dYE18X7kJNYkHKmMhsRiI9F30UrWe0yqfs/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+Logo+-+600x150.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stormboard!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtUUPQmWgJwZYFBvtWXZ6orehK16DNiq04sN6j34y2Ek-3i2wXZ7CsbhglM3sCxKJ8AuKCvnnzi1RkwvCDpfp31Y-TrDvycktaw6j4YZH_dYE18X7kJNYkHKmMhsRiI9F30UrWe0yqfs/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+Logo+-+600x150.png" height="80" title="Stormboard!" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stormboard.com/" target="_blank">Stormboard</a> is tough to describe in one word. It's a sticky-whiteboard-collaborative solution for brainstorming - which makes it great for distance collaboration in a synchronous or asynchronous environment. The name "Stormboard" is an amalgamation of "brainstorming" and "whiteboard". You can see why it would be great for businesses. It's a completely interactive canvas for team members to post ideas, rearrange the ideas, comment on the ideas, and vote (the voting mechanism is actually really neat - more on that later). Here's a screenshot of what the canvas looks like (zoomed out so you get a sense of the scope):</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmM6Dga8qfICR2FFMtDbo7RB9zIdPJrsMsQcRXM2TlzKpv1ylGZPopMsMEtvwkn66HdTgg7RrvAynj1WIkf8k-r1Zn9Yes5Fn0xBa1nA-u_hjN3T1TuJFiyewJciQR9nUawJ6ngibotA/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+Screenshot+-+SWOT+(No+EN+-+2px).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmM6Dga8qfICR2FFMtDbo7RB9zIdPJrsMsQcRXM2TlzKpv1ylGZPopMsMEtvwkn66HdTgg7RrvAynj1WIkf8k-r1Zn9Yes5Fn0xBa1nA-u_hjN3T1TuJFiyewJciQR9nUawJ6ngibotA/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+Screenshot+-+SWOT+(No+EN+-+2px).PNG" height="302" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SWOT Team!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The guiding philosophy of Stormboard is "one minute to learn, five minutes to master". If something is so complex that it takes more than a minute or two to learn, then you won't see it in Stormboard. While this may sound like a loss of features, it turns out that I really like the spartan interface. Everything you need to be productive - and none of the distractions like cute font decorations - is strategically embedded <i>exactly where you need it</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only thing you can create in Stormboard is a "Sticky". It's that simple. Like putting Post-It notes on a whiteboard where you've drawn a grid (or matrix, or timeline, or whatever template you use). That's it. Of course, you can put a Sticky that contains text, an image, a video, a free-hand sketch, a document (think Word or PDF), and even a "Stack". A Stack is just a better way to organize real-life stickies that overlap each other and are related.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are few other nifty things you can do with the Stickies (like change the color, make them a "Title Sticky" or lock them), but in general you just create Stickies and organize them however you like (by dragging and dropping - you can even drag a Sticky into a Stack to add it to that stack).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Lf1p4tBIjCPSm8TR1RYeauzYMj5e0uG9hYGk-B1frD-lndAIG141WfDtQ8r15qcRvmOaClcebfuq4PulePQCjjCYfgF9JNPeSDU5S2paBU-UDBAwLsHJjn1FhEsgqP4Rt6MNcoWnOvw/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Options.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Options for stickies." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Lf1p4tBIjCPSm8TR1RYeauzYMj5e0uG9hYGk-B1frD-lndAIG141WfDtQ8r15qcRvmOaClcebfuq4PulePQCjjCYfgF9JNPeSDU5S2paBU-UDBAwLsHJjn1FhEsgqP4Rt6MNcoWnOvw/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Options.JPG" height="246" title="Options for stickies." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sticky notes have never been so versatile!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should really try it for yourself to see how easy it is. Sign up at <a href="https://www.stormboard.com/" target="_blank">Stormboard</a> today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I talk about how I might leverage this in the classroom, I'd like to outline reasons why I think Stormboard is the best-in-show for brainstorming software.</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's simple. The guiding philosophy behind Stormboard ensures that it is clean and intuitive.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't use Flash. So iOS users can partake in Stormboarding! In fact, the interface on the iPad is <i>really </i>slick (the zooming gestures are quite helpful).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The designers did a great job of understanding their customer's needs. I say this for two reasons. First, there is a public forum where beta testers could list ideas for product features. Many of those features have been realized. Second, they really limited the tools to make the product more streamlined. You can't change fonts, draw connecting lines, or do anything that will detract from the intent of the product. At first I felt limited, but after kicking the tires, I realized just how clean and effective the product is <i>because</i> of this.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've outlined a few examples of how I might use Stormboard in my classroom. At the bottom of this post, look for information to access my Storm (Stormboard lingo for where all the action happens!). You'll need to setup an account - but it's free. In the screenshot below, I created four different Stacks of Stickies. Each one has a different flavor of how it could be used.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8sCSl8TfTTJPns-vjuYlxd76TQU26nMV7Zs4J5zSdT3je6BqroISNPBmFgBSQ2p2ar53ayVoBnSLF8icYdls12CMoTA0xeWKq2atNU5js_XkqoZHzflTKmljfSaPO0RqCeNTSEZDEIU/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+My+Stacks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Examples of stacks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8sCSl8TfTTJPns-vjuYlxd76TQU26nMV7Zs4J5zSdT3je6BqroISNPBmFgBSQ2p2ar53ayVoBnSLF8icYdls12CMoTA0xeWKq2atNU5js_XkqoZHzflTKmljfSaPO0RqCeNTSEZDEIU/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+My+Stacks.JPG" height="171" title="Examples of stacks." width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aggregating Student Work</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Distributing workloads and aggregating knowledge has been a staple in education forever (Jesse - go home and research prime numbers and Jamie - go home and research abundant numbers. Tomorrow, I want you to present your findings to the class). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the book <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Google-Do-Reverse-Engineering/dp/0061709697" target="_blank">What Would Google Do?</a></u> by Jeff Jarvis, we are regaled of a tale when Mark Zuckerberg was trying to cram for an exam in an Art History class at Harvard. With only a few precious hours left, he downloaded all the art he knew would be on the exam. He made a webpage that displayed each piece of art, and a box underneath it that could be typed in. He then emailed his classmates and told them he made a study guide - they should write down all the relevant information in each box. Pretty soon, students were correcting other students and the information became more accurate. Needless to say, Zuckerberg aced the exam. The funny thing is that the class performed - on average - better than on most other assignments. Crowd-sourcing rules!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for this example, I wanted to tap into the crowd-sourcing mentality in a classroom. I created a Stack called "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", and in it I have a few more Stacks (yes, you can nest Stacks infinitely):</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Characters and their symbolism</b><br />In this Stack, I have several categories, and I could assign each student reading the book to create a Sticky with their analysis of their character and put it in the appropriate category. The work is distributed among everyone, and the one document is a graphical, interactive venue where students can go to bone up on all the characters.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZLIBLtcCMwkAQcXLzmauVwNlF2TdnxSYaclKn_59g9QEAAIIgpZFk6qAbah4XMeMC2DlFvF_UIPzf5bLl_MMBbiN69wmE6Ei0uTyaZbF5_9a1qfzlhKK5gc5ashJxfN0Fk8oA7UVXow/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Characters+and+Symbolism.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: bold; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Characters and their symbolism." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZLIBLtcCMwkAQcXLzmauVwNlF2TdnxSYaclKn_59g9QEAAIIgpZFk6qAbah4XMeMC2DlFvF_UIPzf5bLl_MMBbiN69wmE6Ei0uTyaZbF5_9a1qfzlhKK5gc5ashJxfN0Fk8oA7UVXow/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Characters+and+Symbolism.JPG" height="186" title="Characters and their symbolism." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nurse Ratched: Worst nemesis. Ever.<br />In the history of the world.</i></td></tr>
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</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Quotations</b><br />In the spirit of discussion forums, I posted several quotes from the book. Students can comment on each quote and have a dialogue as a class. While some might argue that an actual discussion forum in an LMS is a better solution, I would counter with two points. Some schools don't have a learning management system, and no discussion board that I'm aware of in an LMS allows the graphical organization that Stormboard does (in other words, the quotes can be grouped geographically by theme, by who said the quote, or any other way).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbcXRpkqoMnh55VFeHVSxoVqtTT_-0pd-iyHhvysKVw14wuKECBc28gVdA1BFFKJDgl95jRwdox2tFe9KDicslBRNgoFVBxmNuVkARa4kpZyqrNr2673TqXuZSGJ2l27f2HcQNXXXMKQ/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Comments.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Viewing a comment attached to a sticky." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbcXRpkqoMnh55VFeHVSxoVqtTT_-0pd-iyHhvysKVw14wuKECBc28gVdA1BFFKJDgl95jRwdox2tFe9KDicslBRNgoFVBxmNuVkARa4kpZyqrNr2673TqXuZSGJ2l27f2HcQNXXXMKQ/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Comments.JPG" height="325" title="Viewing a comment attached to a sticky." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adding comments to a sticky is hard to do in real life.</i></td></tr>
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</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Project Management</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this scenario, you could manage a student's (or group of students) project. You could create a Storm for the entire class (in which case each student or team could see all the Stickies in the Storm) or a Storm for each team. Whatever the case, you could elect to set up the hierarchy with Stickies and Stacks, or leave that as a collateral learning opportunity for the students. At the end of the day, you have access to see the entire planning process during the project (did I mention that you can run reports, too, and see who is contributing what?).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this example, I chose to use a popular assignment from most beginning computer science courses - programming an ATM.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpWK29VYLtpSwxjTsSKcp7EV5n3Jc6HpI2P9ovYZoHt1YJKAq9dFRL_CtnYpiJ2UPlY9UxRguKZhDu_Y72-A2qc31IsY67bmh93TYm4GxnFvSNwGkvJQay1NTJ4YcmjXGLoDj4V4L32M/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+ATM+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Delegation of tasks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpWK29VYLtpSwxjTsSKcp7EV5n3Jc6HpI2P9ovYZoHt1YJKAq9dFRL_CtnYpiJ2UPlY9UxRguKZhDu_Y72-A2qc31IsY67bmh93TYm4GxnFvSNwGkvJQay1NTJ4YcmjXGLoDj4V4L32M/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+ATM+3.PNG" height="275" title="Delegation of tasks." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ATMs are powered by stickies. I knew it!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the above example pertains to programmers (I would assign each function to a different student, although I would probably design the architecture above with the class as it's projected on a screen so the flow of program design is demonstrated), I hope you could see how with a combination of Stacks and Stickies, it would be very easy to organize an entire class project.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Graphical (and Justified) Voting</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although there is an on-board voting system, I like the potential to use Stormboard as a graphical (and also qualitative) voting system. Before I describe this, it is worthwhile to mention the resident voting system. Every person is allotted a finite number of votes per storm (the default is ten). In situations where voting is required, participants can allocate these votes how they see fit - they can distribute them across a few different ideas they like, they can not vote at all, or they can devote all of their votes to one or two particular Stickies. In this example, students can vote on the ambiguity of characters in popular television shows (note that the "2" in the little box in the top row Jack Bauer Sticky indicates that he received two votes):</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVebuir6KAdW9GXxo1IO4l-zZQhoYsSZiv0_amH2ACb4UJjWKTWWf1YyoWYvw2u-WxEYvveYCYtzG_q1SPz0x8I_It-dLX_DyT8fovG8yw_9XMjm3327lBhrnwFVfzH3Nla0bqtEtJfm8/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Voting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Voting by casting votes." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVebuir6KAdW9GXxo1IO4l-zZQhoYsSZiv0_amH2ACb4UJjWKTWWf1YyoWYvw2u-WxEYvveYCYtzG_q1SPz0x8I_It-dLX_DyT8fovG8yw_9XMjm3327lBhrnwFVfzH3Nla0bqtEtJfm8/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Voting.JPG" height="347" title="Voting by casting votes." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank goodness 24 returns this Spring.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for a more interesting voting mechanism, the teacher can organize a different Stack for each character, and let students place as many Stickies as they want in the appropriate area. Any Sticky they place should justify their position. Once all the notes are placed, the class can review it together and have some dialogue:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vP_CR_VvLpjCjB9n85bs-v86CXlaKc1_4hJtKx5MEE3m5x9R7E7DK0Q6QZMFijv4fi3ZfjTMIFO_yhcWLXOcNULfmeZ_qZEKEmsWKcmyLf21koFYj2V0qy_5gEo-H_Id8sS6N7psamk/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Voting+(Graphical)+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""That's Jack Bauer!"" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vP_CR_VvLpjCjB9n85bs-v86CXlaKc1_4hJtKx5MEE3m5x9R7E7DK0Q6QZMFijv4fi3ZfjTMIFO_yhcWLXOcNULfmeZ_qZEKEmsWKcmyLf21koFYj2V0qy_5gEo-H_Id8sS6N7psamk/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Voting+(Graphical)+-+Copy.JPG" height="443" title=""That's Jack Bauer!"" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of a sudden, Jack Bauer doesn't seem like that good of a guy...</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Braindumping</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working for the Educational Technology Services division at Monroe Community College has afforded me a perspective of services that I hadn't really considered as a teacher. Every year, we gather at tables in a big room and host a "braindump". In this exercise, we are given a few problems that need to be solved, and each table is responsible for generating lots of ideas to tackle each problem. We write these ideas on sticky notes, and then try to group them within common themes. Each table merges their responses with an adjacent table, and then categorizes those as well. This goes on until all the stickies are grouped together. Clearly, there is a lot of waste (stickies, poster paper, and <i>time</i>). The solution? Create a Storm. Participants can record their ideas in real-time (did I mention how fast the synchronizing happens? It is virtually lagless, if that's word), and they can be organized quickly. This is also beneficial because participants not at the braindump can still contribute (either synchronously or asynchronously). Plus, all the work can be saved (via Stacks of similar topics). Additionally, people could vote on items (which lends a more authentic view to how serious a problem or how good a solution is).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider a braindump for a mathematics department at a school:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgur93UTaVgZE-sCvpymyV1hYWmKYmpExBu9Re-ylRRWzC7Vt1NaWOrrcMdw7lArgKyICEF9h4mB85pzhJsgtquNc-dpoInR-Nh_cfg33RdFkFTQNsOIzRYCQ1_cpdEdAnUaA2ylVWAUPA/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Braindump.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Braindump." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgur93UTaVgZE-sCvpymyV1hYWmKYmpExBu9Re-ylRRWzC7Vt1NaWOrrcMdw7lArgKyICEF9h4mB85pzhJsgtquNc-dpoInR-Nh_cfg33RdFkFTQNsOIzRYCQ1_cpdEdAnUaA2ylVWAUPA/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Braindump.JPG" height="418" title="Braindump." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mathematicians are always trying to quantify everything.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hosting Content</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it is possible to create a Sticky that houses a document, conceivably Stormboard could be the first graphical content management system (at least that I'm aware of). While there are still some kinks to work out (currently documents cannot be embedded - only uploaded or downloaded - although I suspect enhanced functionality would come later), the notion of being able to visually structure the content is pretty appealing. I'm not proposing that Stormboard could replace Moodle or Blackboard - they are two completely different products. But I do think that if educators just need a lightweight, customizable framework for housing content (as well as using Stickies for brainstorming, commenting, videos, etc.), then Stormboard is an elegant solution.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Feedback</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When giving students the rights to fully manipulate Stickies, you are also giving them a voice. I think it would be an interesting experiment to get feedback (on a lesson, on an assignment, on a test) using Stormboard. One of the trending topics (<a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2014/02/on-horizon.html" target="_blank">check out my blog on the Horizon Report</a>) is analytics. The ability to gain insight on the efficacy of what we, as educators, are doing is huge. It could help us shape our lessons better. We could identify weaknesses in our assessments and pinpoint places where students struggle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While that conversation is for another day, let's examine how Stormboard could act as a sounding board for our students.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could host a Storm that hast Stacks for each assignment or lesson I want feedback on. Students can place their Stickies accordingly, and someone might even be appointed to curate them into common themes. Not only is this a benefit to me, as the instructor, but it also instills a sense of ownership to the students. To say nothing of the fact that if thoughts were collected over the course of a day or two, there is even a lesson in categorizing the comments. Heck, this whole exercise might even be a good springboard for a civilized, responsible conversation on the temperature of the class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, if you've made it this far, I suspect you are excited to use </span><a href="http://www.stormboard.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stormboard</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To see the Storm I curated as I was crafting this blog, head over to </span><a href="http://www.stormboard.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stormboard</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and create an account. Once that is done, you can join my board by using the following credentials in the "Join a Storm" box on your dashboard:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ID:</b> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">77407</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>KEY:</b> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">food1833</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNp36cyo-AI-bVQlyg3KpxqYgGlJAcaIbmRdmzY1v16dkZgQvdX0hyphenhyphenVgNaUWcyE0XEiwtviT6dDTwXUYbnjaxve8Q5J5X7NzowXUg3ChVM1yVrJxQCBgHQB0QV7wanz4Fo2uhTz-iq-Y/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Join+a+Storm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Join my storm!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNp36cyo-AI-bVQlyg3KpxqYgGlJAcaIbmRdmzY1v16dkZgQvdX0hyphenhyphenVgNaUWcyE0XEiwtviT6dDTwXUYbnjaxve8Q5J5X7NzowXUg3ChVM1yVrJxQCBgHQB0QV7wanz4Fo2uhTz-iq-Y/s1600/FET+-+Stormboard+-+DEMO+-+Join+a+Storm.JPG" height="149" title="Join my storm!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Join the party!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news if you're an educator! You can get a <a href="http://stormboard.com/main/pricing_edu" target="_blank">free account by going here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, I'm very pleased with the product. I think that it has a lot of potential in the educational realm. There is only one feature that I wish Stormboard had - the ability to share a Storm so that you don't need to login to <i>view</i> it. As a classroom teacher, I would love to be able to create a board and make it openly available so that my students could see it without logging in (and better yet, their parents could see it). I don't think not having one is a deal-breaker - I just think it would be a useful feature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go check out </span><a href="http://www.stormboard.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stormboard</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Experiment with their templates. Get a feel for how the product works. Check out all the cool things (like reports, activity, PDF exports and all sorts of cool things I didn't even mention) that you can do with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have suggestions on how you might use Stormboard in your classroom, leave them below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's noteworthy to mention that as I write this, a legitimate storm is a-brewin' in Rochester, New York. Most schools are closed as we anticipate up to two feet of lake effect snow. This means that I won't be going to work today - I'll be playing with Stormboard!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-74574618786051407802014-03-07T09:46:00.001-05:002014-03-07T10:00:29.530-05:00And Then I Was Like...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's face it - brevity is en vogue right now (think Twitter and Vine).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So today, I thought it would be appropriate to explore a toy that <a href="https://twitter.com/Dan_Feinberg" target="_blank">Dan</a> brought to me a few weeks ago. I don't know how long it's been around, but I haven't seen <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">andThenIWasLike</a> used in a classroom setting yet, so I thought it might be cool to generate some feasible implementations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The premise is very simple - use your webcam to record a 3 second clip, and then the server-side software will render it into a moving </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.gif</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> image. You have the opportunity to trim it before the process is finalized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's so slick and intuitive that I won't even do a tutorial. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish4GwlPdFw4elJVzFBPlXNumzfxO2yvlavyXP9dEo60dnwLfYsYfYthILW0ercXqUGEun37TSwN99eFvH99wFjiBzLeQgucCTV82csiJ5Y9qaxd8N1-WLYzBkVzGUkFs2_7X4YkEj_Uo/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Batman.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Batman logo spinning!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish4GwlPdFw4elJVzFBPlXNumzfxO2yvlavyXP9dEo60dnwLfYsYfYthILW0ercXqUGEun37TSwN99eFvH99wFjiBzLeQgucCTV82csiJ5Y9qaxd8N1-WLYzBkVzGUkFs2_7X4YkEj_Uo/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Batman.gif" style="border: 5px solid black;" title="Batman logo spinning!" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was created by graphic design superstar <a href="https://twitter.com/ellenflaherty" target="_blank">Ellen Flaherty</a> and developer extraordinaire <a href="https://twitter.com/adampash" target="_blank">Adam Pash</a>, who both have a shared passion for </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.gifs</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this technology lends itself well to the languages and arts. For example, in a sign language class, it would be easy to make some simple, quick phrases. They can be placed anywhere in a learning management system (much easier than videos that require editing and also eat up space - moving </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">gifs</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> are much more lightweight). In an initial ice breaker discussion forum, students could sign their name and share with everyone. Or better yet, the instructor could have a sizable bank of these, and then make a quick, ten question quiz that's timed (two minutes seems reasonable) where students have to translate them. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZIrpjsw63af5u6Kf4npXfH38QMX-Xg0XMJzNaDM5cweEHLoAs6H_Ex0eewKjqTgizRlc5JfzNcVbvhkbfcLId_rDD9XCV4chjPeSEQWFXWON9EkauauH3t46JhayGkZfg8BwZS1KY4o/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Signing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="You're favorite food, what?" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZIrpjsw63af5u6Kf4npXfH38QMX-Xg0XMJzNaDM5cweEHLoAs6H_Ex0eewKjqTgizRlc5JfzNcVbvhkbfcLId_rDD9XCV4chjPeSEQWFXWON9EkauauH3t46JhayGkZfg8BwZS1KY4o/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Signing.gif" style="border: 5px solid black;" title="You're favorite food, what?" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Erin asks, "What's your favorite food?"</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an instructional standpoint, a professional interpreter I know - Sarah - suggests the following:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In ASL grammar, there is the foundation of the language called <i>classifiers</i>. Each <i>classifier</i> represents multiple concepts. For example, the "#1" <i>classifier</i> can represent anything from a pencil, to a person, to a mustache depending on orientation, context, etc. I would sign 'pencil rolling off table' using a <i>classifier</i> which would take one second and then I would show a real pencil rolling off a table so you can visually compare the two and see how it's possible to think in pictures."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For an English class, students could make a quick, snappy review about the reading they just did for homework. Heck, any teacher could have their students post a <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">andThenIWasLike</a> which reflects their reaction to an assignment. In addition to being fun (oh, by the way, students could tag them with a custom tag from the instructor so they are all aggregated in one spot), this is an easy way for the teacher to gain ad hoc feedback on their lesson (or assignment, or problem set).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_zoD-wAVgEmW0imwO2sqN3hLeaefhDggrRvEYNT4H0YdtZHt8Ad7EBHz8s1rB_HeYlA7sDgkA0AS9vdqvgDlumxGIB2ebkvWNbC-4fMLm3uy2xadNTOYL9EDxZPXv8hH4XieR1Be1qw/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Book+Report.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="One thumb up!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_zoD-wAVgEmW0imwO2sqN3hLeaefhDggrRvEYNT4H0YdtZHt8Ad7EBHz8s1rB_HeYlA7sDgkA0AS9vdqvgDlumxGIB2ebkvWNbC-4fMLm3uy2xadNTOYL9EDxZPXv8hH4XieR1Be1qw/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Book+Report.gif" style="border: 5px solid black;" title="One thumb up!" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Fastest book review ever.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For totally online courses, it is the responsibility of the instructor to cultivate a sense of community with their students. What better way to do that then have a discussion board where students have to express themselves in three seconds or less? Granted, some learning management systems (like Blackboard) have an on-board YouTube plugin. But that requires a larger time commitment <i>and</i> a YouTube account that necessarily needs to be linked to Blackboard. <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">AndThenIWasLike</a> doesn't even require an account (although you can create one!). It's just plain ole' fun.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf94XKNafZiVoF79WCmApNdRJ7z4Ny2qNBnvNRh8-l1QOCo1-ZcFfAYr8OkvrBek6bkyPn5xfNE_Eoeu_xSyH9sM_tHE0SX7uZbGxk-17vFHejALwzz4ibkn7jJSwQ3baWdGLk4yQDO4/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Viking+II.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Good thing I'm wearing a helmet." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf94XKNafZiVoF79WCmApNdRJ7z4Ny2qNBnvNRh8-l1QOCo1-ZcFfAYr8OkvrBek6bkyPn5xfNE_Eoeu_xSyH9sM_tHE0SX7uZbGxk-17vFHejALwzz4ibkn7jJSwQ3baWdGLk4yQDO4/s1600/MOVING+GIF+-+Viking+II.gif" style="border: 5px solid black;" title="Good thing I'm wearing a helmet." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome students, I'll be your professor for this semester!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A creative writing teacher might have their students go to Twitter and search for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23andtheniwaslike&src=typd" target="_blank">#andtheniwaslike</a>, choose a tweet with a moving </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.gif</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and then write a story behind it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a more longer term basis (although the final product would be brief), any project could be captured at various stages and chronicled in a series of these </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.gifs</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. A FIRST Robotics team could capture key moments (the initial unboxing, the first time the robot runs, funny things that happen during build season, clips from regional competitions) and then aggregate them all one one page. By the end of the season, the team has a dynamic yearbook. A visual history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">AndThenIWasLike</a> could be used as a marketing tool, too. Stitch together a strip of these images on a website for a school football team, or some pics from the Halloween parade at the elementary school (although the product is designed to run from a webcam, it's easy enough to bring a laptop to most places students would be).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, I'd like to suggest that <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">AndThenIWasLike</a> could be used in a film class or creative writing class as a lightweight storyboard. I was inspired by co-founder Ellen Flaherty's use of <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">AndThenIWasLike</a> to construct a <a href="http://ellenflaherty.com/about/" target="_blank">neat record of her day in a series of images</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At any rate, if you haven't played with it yet, go there and do it. It's fun. It's easy. And frankly, it's a little addictive. Despite the maximum duration of only 3 seconds, there is a craft in maximizing your message in that time. <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">AndThenIWasLike</a> is easy to use, but harder to perfect. There's probably a lesson in there somewhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check it out. Come back here and post your <a href="http://andtheniwaslike.co/" target="_blank">andThenIWasLike</a>. Or suggest ways it can be used in the classroom.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjJS0NxTCLfAr7GsngVBnvhCl68ozuvTQ4y0rvIjAvu3bA-3sbsI4N224DysN85o5ytbgGydDAfU2EtaifRTev-ZQxmpOIJ7y9wh6wSbnm6rQxfHDV_sbtow-nTe3ntxLPRzjsOo2rMo/s1600/FET+-+ATIWL+-+Make++Gif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="...and then I was like..." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjJS0NxTCLfAr7GsngVBnvhCl68ozuvTQ4y0rvIjAvu3bA-3sbsI4N224DysN85o5ytbgGydDAfU2EtaifRTev-ZQxmpOIJ7y9wh6wSbnm6rQxfHDV_sbtow-nTe3ntxLPRzjsOo2rMo/s1600/FET+-+ATIWL+-+Make++Gif.jpg" height="108" title="...and then I was like..." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>...and then I was like...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently in the Office of Online Learning at the college where I work we were investigating options for online registration (for staff development). Our college has a few generic systems in place, but nothing was really precisely aligned with what we needed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an avid Google Doc user, I suggested using Google Forms to capture registration data. Getting the forms to work is a no-brainer (I even designed it with data validation and different paths, based on answers). But we needed to be able to cut-off registration once all the seats filled. For our purposes, we didn't need the data to integrate with our student information system, because Google Spreadsheets would dump out a nice Excel file that could be used with our bigger, more robust Access database.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Google Drive offers a spectacular suite of tools. Add to that the thousands of people around the globe that contribute their knowledge and talent, and the breadth and depth of utilities is astounding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So the question was, how do we manage cut-offs? Sure, we could keep an eye on the registration, and modify the form every time a course closed, but that isn't precise (nor is it scalable).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tapped my buddy Malcolm, who is a programming genius, and he came up with some code in Google Scripts to accomplish the automatic cut-off. While it worked, it's really not user friendly if the form is to be adapted to other, non-technical users throughout the college.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I happened upon a script in the Script Gallery (for Google Spreadsheets) called "<b>formRanger</b>". And. It. Is. Awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Essentially, you design the form, fire up <b>formRanger</b> in the "responses" spreadsheet, and it </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will populate the drop-downs (or multiple choice questions) of the corresponding form with information from the spreadsheet. This is useful if you constantly change the selection items in a form (for instance, a weekly reading list or different types of projects for students to select from). I find it much easier than working directly with the options in a form.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But there is another technology in the showcase today - and that is basic Google Sheets logic. Nothing hard, I promise. But Brian Gray has a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxO3ZkG_TcI" target="_blank">sweet tutorial</a> on a way to make a column in a spreadsheet dynamic, based on availability. So the idea here is to merge the two technologies. Use Brian's magic to have a column appear of all courses that aren't filled, and then Andrew Stillman's <b>formRanger</b> to bring those choices into the form.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This, I believe, will be my longest, most technical (read: boring) blog to date. I promise a fluffier one for next week. T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oday's blog will appear intimidating. But I swear - it is not terribly difficult. I rank it a 3.5 out of 5 for difficulty. Just stay the course!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMHQGSXkldsLj9CaMNfa-W_J7lgnve_dEwRVS4kAiPhb-TOfvFN1Nh-tD2LpmuwHOozFeOLYAi3OLYUqAwVjaZWBuOdPGHoW7Bc57POOs43se0X2upG8L0d_H9vDFO4s9Wk1oU3tVxhw/s1600/FET+-+Computer+Rating+(SMALL)+-+3-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="3.5 out of 5" border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMHQGSXkldsLj9CaMNfa-W_J7lgnve_dEwRVS4kAiPhb-TOfvFN1Nh-tD2LpmuwHOozFeOLYAi3OLYUqAwVjaZWBuOdPGHoW7Bc57POOs43se0X2upG8L0d_H9vDFO4s9Wk1oU3tVxhw/s1600/FET+-+Computer+Rating+(SMALL)+-+3-5.png" title="3.5 out of 5" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3.5 out of 5? That's only 70%<br />difficult. Pssshhhh...</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So without further ado, I present <b>formRanger</b>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>STEP 1: Create a Google Form</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Google makes it very simple to create forms - it is easier (and slightly more robust, in some ways) than creating assessments in most learning management systems (and the process is almost identical). The only catch - you can't activate the coveted "Script Gallery" from the new Google Spreadsheet, so make sure you either disable the "new Sheets" (<a href="https://drive.google.com/settings?id=docs" target="_blank">go here</a> and make sure "Try the new Google Sheets" is not checked) or re-purpose an existing spreadsheet/form that was created with the older version.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For demonstrative purposes, I've created a very simple form:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS5C-BKNNtmirXdvpiaIYo0o23Wk3WbwHatds45wlmaVtKOH3hpJ7doLPac69RuDy70Da41qrGg5Kq3WqPD4g74I7Lqm1zxjlyrJCObjn6kg1eYEXWtxtKZPmRNEt5fLtRDRzp-Gr8ng/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Sample+Form+(WHOLE)+-+Border.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Registration form (Google Form)." border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS5C-BKNNtmirXdvpiaIYo0o23Wk3WbwHatds45wlmaVtKOH3hpJ7doLPac69RuDy70Da41qrGg5Kq3WqPD4g74I7Lqm1zxjlyrJCObjn6kg1eYEXWtxtKZPmRNEt5fLtRDRzp-Gr8ng/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Sample+Form+(WHOLE)+-+Border.PNG" title="Registration form (Google Form)." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Perfect form.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since we will be populating the drop-down list (or multiple choice, etc.) based from the Google Sheet, no need to enter values.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJioROou6CPi2hbdFiAWvcxHZMR8lsfAfTfBXkwZ-OHzfxFLy5goeQ-8AucNYFAnlR2emTc6BK-k3E6UuVLFiWL_3IgoJci_RMkFumxEWi-jUQrOh0nv0cD7wkWQAhV8Nq1fI-ojc0RXY/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+List+Example+-+Border.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="No need to put choices in." border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJioROou6CPi2hbdFiAWvcxHZMR8lsfAfTfBXkwZ-OHzfxFLy5goeQ-8AucNYFAnlR2emTc6BK-k3E6UuVLFiWL_3IgoJci_RMkFumxEWi-jUQrOh0nv0cD7wkWQAhV8Nq1fI-ojc0RXY/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+List+Example+-+Border.PNG" title="No need to put choices in." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't worry about filling in options, the formRanger will do that!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>STEP 2: Go to the Google Sheet (Responses Spreadsheet)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Google will automatically create a spreadsheet where the responses go, based on the questions in the form.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNMaro-Ur-fceflifuvx83hDwrMhScCzXu4daGno3UyiCBUoX4B_muOyAPV9ISYsSEIfvDuzEOFwjEKIHx_Ide3YwlaWspBvBHXLfI3vxsVtAn2Te5NwYNifCtSjhgOhMpwOhqD4Si1Q/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+View+Responses.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="`Click on "View responses"." border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNMaro-Ur-fceflifuvx83hDwrMhScCzXu4daGno3UyiCBUoX4B_muOyAPV9ISYsSEIfvDuzEOFwjEKIHx_Ide3YwlaWspBvBHXLfI3vxsVtAn2Te5NwYNifCtSjhgOhMpwOhqD4Si1Q/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+View+Responses.PNG" title="Click on "View responses"." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ever take a screenshot of a cursor? You have to be super quick.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, you should check to make sure that you have the old Google Sheets (don't worry, you'll be able to go right back to the new Sheets when you want). The best way is to go to the "Tools" menu, and see if it has "Script gallery".</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKo_jiomsIKdQGdw9VadxKL4CQQ9BYs7ZRclOmuur3pbCA-cmzoIFNS5emfKkO6tNYO_q87SGiShIRipNEnJ-7qaibjPdrMHBnX7Fgc0Zu8FU2wqu3N3WTTmu1ANKRO1r742qWtdRULmo/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+Old+Sheets.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Make sure the "Tools" menu has a "Script gallery" option." border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKo_jiomsIKdQGdw9VadxKL4CQQ9BYs7ZRclOmuur3pbCA-cmzoIFNS5emfKkO6tNYO_q87SGiShIRipNEnJ-7qaibjPdrMHBnX7Fgc0Zu8FU2wqu3N3WTTmu1ANKRO1r742qWtdRULmo/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+Old+Sheets.PNG" title="Make sure the "Tools" menu has a "Script gallery" option." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're in business!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>STEP 3: Get formRanger and install it</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Search for "<b>formRanger</b>" in the search box. Note that you will need to install it for this particular sheet, but you can check the <a href="https://github.com/NewVisionsScripts/formRanger" target="_blank">code out at GitHub</a> if you're curious.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKbeipLhR18oUEvZADCY33uh_-fx9Dq-IPcXV8Rk7hLUDRIO4bsEC36_no_m9qi3P1ouiZqMWYs7178TAEF0q2TNl35Luk3RMv32lWe9f-zRvzbCL_1i4pCV47XoUYO7BWID6gk4eGX0/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+Script+Gallery.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Install formRanger v1.0.6 (2/4/14)" border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKbeipLhR18oUEvZADCY33uh_-fx9Dq-IPcXV8Rk7hLUDRIO4bsEC36_no_m9qi3P1ouiZqMWYs7178TAEF0q2TNl35Luk3RMv32lWe9f-zRvzbCL_1i4pCV47XoUYO7BWID6gk4eGX0/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Offs+-+Script+Gallery.PNG" title="Install formRanger v1.0.6 (2/4/14)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">formRanger sounds like it should have theme music.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it's not enough to install it, the script needs to be authorized. This is the scary part for some people, because the permissions might be offputting. I briefly reviewed the code, and I didn't see anything malicious. I also have a pretty good feeling about Andrew Stillman, the author. He seems legit (by the way, you should check out some of his other scripts for Google - this guy makes workflow and teacher productivity scripts that outperform many big services).</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOd27fOxQLFitBH68gOlnrvPuIXzUlYUHfSxfwTHEMA09CDhFhWXCcQ6rn12bEcBYXNlXPZmSCJE4zokIXU1awtbrcu48zmpVm48ccLK1AE4uknRu0P1xie7bDqGvvVxjy5ktTwgM2n4/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Authorization.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Authorize!" border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOd27fOxQLFitBH68gOlnrvPuIXzUlYUHfSxfwTHEMA09CDhFhWXCcQ6rn12bEcBYXNlXPZmSCJE4zokIXU1awtbrcu48zmpVm48ccLK1AE4uknRu0P1xie7bDqGvvVxjy5ktTwgM2n4/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Authorization.PNG" title="Authorize!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No worries - go ahead and authorize.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next step is to run the initial configuration. It's painless! By the way, if you've made it this far, keep going. I know what it's like to skim through a tutorial with pictures and get overwhelmed. Don't worry! This isn't bad at all.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJM9ZP6EemMB6IEalvXba9UaU7SCSMqUX9x9qRDAX2bFVpuklO5ZFMVhIxVELW4DQa0M1fMCZ41izEJl1WgGCapbN0n50u3gDSBSIvO7AOFIYvkyz_NWykDa796uQb8oZc3f6jv333_c/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Initial+Config.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Run the initial configuration." border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJM9ZP6EemMB6IEalvXba9UaU7SCSMqUX9x9qRDAX2bFVpuklO5ZFMVhIxVELW4DQa0M1fMCZ41izEJl1WgGCapbN0n50u3gDSBSIvO7AOFIYvkyz_NWykDa796uQb8oZc3f6jv333_c/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Initial+Config.PNG" title="Run the initial configuration." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Initial configuration" makes you sound like a<br />programmer. Or a robot.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>STEP 4: Populate the form with choices from the Sheet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again, <b>formRanger</b> is really intended for populating choices in a form question through the spreadsheet (saving you from having to edit all the choices in the form each time you want to deploy it). The <a href="http://cloudlab.newvisions.org/scripts/formranger" target="_blank">walk through from Jay Atwood</a> does a really good job explaining this. But we want to leverage a little more out of it. Essentially, we want the list of options to be dynamic (so in my example, let's say there are five opportunities for Session I training dates, and four opportunities for Session II. Each session can accommodate 30 people, and I want the drop-down list for Session I to only show sessions that don't have 30 people yet enrolled. So we have to do a little magic here - we have to somehow make only the viable training sessions appear in a list. If you're an Excel wizard, then it isn't hard. But if you're not, you can just pay attention here. Or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxO3ZkG_TcI" target="_blank">check out that tutorial on YouTube by Brian Gray</a> that I mentioned earlier, who does a tremendous job explaining it (although his video talks about a previous version of <b>formRanger</b> - but his video is still worthwhile).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Buckle your seat belt, it is going to get a little intimidating. Below is a screenshot of the original form data spreadsheet, with two entries.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqS-CJ1Xmj4YsSWRRNSg5MCN9tFXN50C-n7iRSm4GwpLMoV9balemUq-Ks4zjIDY4mSagAUvO2XkHW2F_rzzChSHKbmkKvHkNRgt0qfBvq8IZUWTF_NO9iMss4qaKIU4XO_wDE8g72w8/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+FormData.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Original form data" border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqS-CJ1Xmj4YsSWRRNSg5MCN9tFXN50C-n7iRSm4GwpLMoV9balemUq-Ks4zjIDY4mSagAUvO2XkHW2F_rzzChSHKbmkKvHkNRgt0qfBvq8IZUWTF_NO9iMss4qaKIU4XO_wDE8g72w8/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+FormData.PNG" title="Original form data" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Original form data</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Create another sheet in your Sheets document. This is where your options are going to come from. Note that in my form, I have two drop downs. I think it is sufficient to show the "magic" on one of the spreadsheets, and you can replicate it on your own. I called my sheet "Choices for Session I" (and "Choices for Session II" for the other sheet - although they could both reside on the same sheet, if desired).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I created six columns: </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Session Title</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (where I put the options for training classes - ultimately, this is what will show in the form), </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Response Counts</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (which will have a formula that counts the registrants from the Form Responses), </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Response Limits</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (which I hard code "30", as that is my "cap"), </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Filtered Sessions</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (another formula will be in here in a minute), </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Backup Text</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (which will be the message displayed if all sessions are filled), and </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Available Sessions</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (which will also have a formula and will be the ultimate decider of what is displayed in the drop-down for the form - either the remaining days, or the backup text).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiff_J-eZa3T6yrSNzIActjgXSE0Fdhxu4nULxDas8xu-FnZt3XNNP286-8obABfuZRRVRah101op2qJcKbczSShQjkmiP4NLGhyphenhyphenklsEdCk3D77fmQ1w1P-G8ZtSyt1y0ct2ua1-wAUb3w/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Choices+Spreadsheet+-+Clean.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hardcoded data (no formulas... yet)." border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiff_J-eZa3T6yrSNzIActjgXSE0Fdhxu4nULxDas8xu-FnZt3XNNP286-8obABfuZRRVRah101op2qJcKbczSShQjkmiP4NLGhyphenhyphenklsEdCk3D77fmQ1w1P-G8ZtSyt1y0ct2ua1-wAUb3w/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Choices+Spreadsheet+-+Clean.PNG" title="Hardcoded data (no formulas... yet)." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's what the "Choices for Session I" spreadsheet looks like before I put formulas in. All the data you see here should be populated by YOU.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <b>Response Counts</b> (Column B), we want to tally up the number of times each of the respective Session I dates have been selected. On the actual registration sheet, "Form Responses" (which is the default name), Column E (in the form data) is where the users choice for Session I training will appear. So we need to do a simple </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">countIf</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> statement that counts data in Column E from "Form Responses" and compares it to each of the respective data from Column A in "Choice for Session I" sheet. So, in cell B2, use:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">=countif('Form Responses'!E:E,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #109618; white-space: pre-wrap;">A2</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then drag down the handle to apply that formula to B3-B6. Unless you already have data in the "Form Responses" sheet, you should have all zeroes.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, even if you don't use Excel or Google Sheets often, the </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">countIf</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> function is really handy (as is the </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">countA</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> function, which will just count any cell in the range that has <i>any</i> data in it).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZX_14Q5kkzt2zuITK7I3yxlxVABefh8ipdu_KJ0KDc6vjSVl_sxlKs_j9BZ-Ve-frETs-uK377g53cVfmuwiJUSQ1YpZXBPuwiJTXqvotWiOXK9TwGPY1252PmVKmVIMnh9A4OvaQUio/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+B.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Results of the "countIf" function." border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZX_14Q5kkzt2zuITK7I3yxlxVABefh8ipdu_KJ0KDc6vjSVl_sxlKs_j9BZ-Ve-frETs-uK377g53cVfmuwiJUSQ1YpZXBPuwiJTXqvotWiOXK9TwGPY1252PmVKmVIMnh9A4OvaQUio/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+B.PNG" title="Results of the "countIf" function." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is what Column B should look like right now.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the <b>Filtered Sessions</b> column, what we really want is a list of all sessions that are not filled up yet. This isn't too bad, either. The </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">filter</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> command looks at a column of data (in the biz, we call that an "array"), and compares it to some specification. in this case, we want to filter all the choices from A2:A6, and look to see if the number in the corresponding cells of Column B is less than the value of the adjacent cell in Column C. Here's what you should use (change your range if you have a range that isn't the same as A2:A6):</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">=filter(</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">A2:A6</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">B2:B6</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">C2:C6</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's it! I actually submitted some registrations from the live form before taking the next screenshot </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to show you what Column D will look like when people start registering. Note that the options for Wednesday and Thursday are not in Column D, because they both have 30 people registered. In the words of the immortal Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (portrayed by the memorable George Peppard), "I just love it when a plan comes together".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrUgTJvEaxdU2I2SLz0JBPitKxFBhamDOInJfN2viOWvHRnWbZEAiX3-FMAuQXp8XRRPf8qKM05lwfRg1ilbHMDGSUCQi8rA5keY5qqLXqVb9HAQ4K5AAi3JHceG2QCQh_Guw1fmekxI/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+D.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using the "filter" function." border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrUgTJvEaxdU2I2SLz0JBPitKxFBhamDOInJfN2viOWvHRnWbZEAiX3-FMAuQXp8XRRPf8qKM05lwfRg1ilbHMDGSUCQi8rA5keY5qqLXqVb9HAQ4K5AAi3JHceG2QCQh_Guw1fmekxI/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+D.PNG" title="Using the "filter" function." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is what Column D should look like.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, we are almost done with the magic. Theoretically, Column D should always be the most up-to-date list. The problem is that if all the sessions are filled, then Column D has some wonky behavior (it starts returning errors).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Therefore, Column F, <b>Available Sessions</b>, needs to display </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>either</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the remaining sessions <i>or</i> the "Backup Text". This is extra nerdy spreadsheet stuff. If you really want to understand it, just know that spreadsheets get sassy if you try to use cells with errors in them (and go look up the </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">iserror</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> function). Otherwise, just copy and modify this, as needed:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">=if(not(iserror(</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">D2</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">)),filter(</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">D2:D</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">,not(iserror(</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">D2:D</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">))),filter(</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">E2:E</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">,true))</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">This next screenshot shows Column F when there are still some available sessions, and then when all the seats are filled:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl-qJmw68hs-Wbs4GeHS8WF1AkZqutXHaHqBlGAmSMBwoM8qwSAyQoYtxy0T8inTwDsP_yqy5UBbeMuzzoziwvfXjMW-upBJLMWhoktj_VgxUK7PY3zmv7rW7VlRP4mniwOu08eFN7k8/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+F.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Before and after!" border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl-qJmw68hs-Wbs4GeHS8WF1AkZqutXHaHqBlGAmSMBwoM8qwSAyQoYtxy0T8inTwDsP_yqy5UBbeMuzzoziwvfXjMW-upBJLMWhoktj_VgxUK7PY3zmv7rW7VlRP4mniwOu08eFN7k8/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Column+F.PNG" title="Before and after!" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look at how Column F behaves based on the contents of Column D.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">OK. So where are we? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh yeah. We just used some magic to make Column F have an up-to-date list of all available courses (or a pleasant message if there are none).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<hr width="80%" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back to <b>formRanger</b>! We need to use <b>formRanger</b> to tell the Google Form to use choices from Column F of the affiliated spreadsheet. So, here it goes. Go to the <b>formRanger</b> tab in the spreadsheet, and select "Assign form item(s) to column(s)". Scroll down to the proper questions (in my case, I need question 4 (denoted by Q4). I checked "Populate options from column", and then I made sure that the "Sheet" field had the proper sheet ("Choices for Session I"), and the "Column" field indicated the "Available Sessions" choice.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdGLJFWA5JI8dxEC82HCRMeWqZV0YXZpciMzBRsembwsSt0Tu6oNwcFcU3c9ooQ-E4CiGM6DmQR31SMHHmlSS9ywOobT9ApsiTL08bccEW3JoWHgnYhNkB3S4AaWxsDbOda0WllhSNmg/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Assigning+Form+Data+II.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Linking the columns to the form." border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdGLJFWA5JI8dxEC82HCRMeWqZV0YXZpciMzBRsembwsSt0Tu6oNwcFcU3c9ooQ-E4CiGM6DmQR31SMHHmlSS9ywOobT9ApsiTL08bccEW3JoWHgnYhNkB3S4AaWxsDbOda0WllhSNmg/s1600/FET+-+Cut-Off+-+Assigning+Form+Data+II.png" title="Linking the columns to the form." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure the settings are accurate, and they correspond to the proper question on the form.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All the heavy lifting is done! Use the "Refresh form" option from the <b>formRanger</b> tab, just to make sure the form gets updated. If you want, use the "Set triggers for form refresh" option from that tab, too. The options are:</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every time the form is submitted</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For registration cut-offs, this is probably your best bet</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every time the spreadsheet is edited</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is particularly handy if you are re-purposing the form or constantly changing the information; not so much in this registration example</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every five minutes</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now go look at the form (either in edit mode, or the live form) and see how all that hard work paid off! I've linked to both the form and the spreadsheet. Feel free to do what you want with them. And if you ever meet Andrew Stillman or Brian Gray, be sure to thank them. Also, check out some more of Andrew's scripts - they will blow your mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are reading this, then congratulations! You've made it! I promise something fun, easy, and fluffy for next week. Until then, have fun with your cut-offs (forms and/or jeans).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<center>
<hr width="80%" />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjXVZ_L-QpX8dFo3aHA2eGlfd29YV0pvOEFvai11ZEE&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Spreadsheet & Form</a></span>
</center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-66038651312208403282014-02-22T01:49:00.004-05:002015-02-11T09:01:27.819-05:00Your Life Will Never be the Same - Lucidpress.com<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you know me, then you know I have a fetish for desktop publishing. While extolling the virtues of desktop publishing (and constantly teasing a tutorial in the coming weeks), I often maintain that Publisher is the best kept secret for educators who make their own publications and handouts (<a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/12/paper-technology.html" target="_blank">remember that piece I did on Paper Technology</a>?).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you read my blog often, you are also probably keenly aware of my propensity to work in the <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">cloud</a>. While championing Google Drive as the best solution (compared to OneDrive, Box, iCloud and Dropbox), I've found a collection of sites and apps that allow me to be extraordinarily productive from any computer, anywhere. While I typically rely on Google Docs, sites like <a href="http://www.compileonline.com/" target="_blank">compileOnline</a>, <a href="http://www.comslider.com/" target="_blank">comslider</a>, <a href="http://www.pixlr.com/" target="_blank">Pixlr</a> and a few others help to round out my productivity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I just stumbled across <i>the</i> game changer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fans of <a href="http://www.lucidchart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lucid</b>chart</a> may have been introduced to <a href="http://www.lucidpress.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lucid</b>press</a>, a cloud-based desktop publishing venue. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do not believe I have encountered cloud-based software as elegant, potent, and user friendly as this one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is intuitive to use (as far as desktop publishing software can be), has amazing collaboration tools, and - most spectacularly - has a wonderful interface for creating interactive media publications. That's right! Interactive!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's difficult to articulate the impressive nature of the software, so watch this video (the best 60 seconds of your day), and see what you're missing if you don't use <b>Lucid</b>press:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happily, all the popular features of desktop publishing software (Microsoft Publisher and Adobe InDesign, for instance) are retained. And in the spirit of productivity, most of the keyboard shortcuts are present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For desktop publishers, here is a screenshot of the working environment:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlRTXHNrMRecj6sRtSdzkk6b6wkXvJsENpwhIsQyzPSl7zYUOpyU5E-79vqnnN6O4N0-Tl6yEe1lvmMDzZgqogjJpHsK6IV9pXu2OwISklaYljsX3OiIYMXl05DuKbhLCV3gCTb2wYPg/s1600/FET+-+Lucidpress+-+Snagged+-+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snagit of Lucidpress in action." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlRTXHNrMRecj6sRtSdzkk6b6wkXvJsENpwhIsQyzPSl7zYUOpyU5E-79vqnnN6O4N0-Tl6yEe1lvmMDzZgqogjJpHsK6IV9pXu2OwISklaYljsX3OiIYMXl05DuKbhLCV3gCTb2wYPg/s1600/FET+-+Lucidpress+-+Snagged+-+Border.jpg" height="336" title="Snagit of Lucidpress in action." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It's easy to appear productive if you have desktop publishing software open on your computer.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And all the content is published directly on the <b>Lucid</b>press server, so there is no need to find hosting solutions. In fact, publishing can be updated at any time, and the changes will be pushed out in real time. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently it is free, though Lucid Software has mentioned a freemium model in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an educator, imagine the possibilities. The ability to create any publication (for print - like handouts) from any computer (no need to scramble to find training or licenses for Publisher or InDesign) is there. The ability to make interactive "yearbooks" for sport teams is simple. Perhaps a public speaking class can have one page of a "book" dedicated to each student - a bio, some photos, and a YouTube clip of their speech on each page. Flipped classrooms can now create brilliant, aggregated documents with multimedia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The publication below took me about 45 minutes to create (although I had the assets already, and I am pretty proficient with Publisher and InDesign). It's only one page, but showcases some of the abilities of <b>Lucid</b>press. Just as an aside, this document is about 10 megabytes, but I used some pretty high resolution photos in the slider.</span></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" src="http://pub.lucidpress.com/4de7-0c80-53083683-889c-42dd0a009107" style="height: 360px; width: 480px;"></iframe></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://tinyurl.com/FET-LucidpressDemo" target="_blank">For a full sized version, click here. Try it on your mobile device!</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it for this week. I can't persuade educators to learn how to use desktop publishing software, but I can encourage it. Please, please, <i>please</i>, look at breaking into desktop publishing. It is a hundred times more powerful than simple word processing, and - although difficult to learn at first - is well worth the time invested. Even if you elect not to use the interactive elements (which are eye-popping), the content can be exported as a PDF (and stored directly to your Google Drive!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Update [February 11, 2015] - if you haven't seen <a href="https://www.canva.com/" target="_blank">Canva</a> yet, you <i>must check it out</i>. It is a dream for people who want to design eye-popping publications. The tools are great, the interface easy to use, and the workflow is seamless. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for a blog post of this in the next few weeks.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-37775053741403470042014-02-15T13:12:00.001-05:002014-02-15T13:13:32.072-05:00SERIES: DIY - Lectern<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a huge advocate of DIY (Do It Yourself) in general, and classroom technology is even more fun to explore from a DIY perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a classroom teacher, I used SMARTBoards as they became available. But somewhere in the evolution of the SMARTBoard, I started using a Tablet PC. I've tried most of the different presentation software, but I still think the SMARTNotebook is the way to go. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were some deficiencies with the SMARTBoard. In the early days, there were no short-throw projectors, so there would always be cords across the room. And I'd cast a big shadow across the board. Now, the newer boards ameliorate all these issues, but I still have to turn around and face the board (read: not my students) when writing on it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I really wanted a lectern. I wanted to face my students (and perhaps even be a little mobile). The technology these days really cater to that mobility. There are dozens of apps, devices, and workarounds to presenting (even wirelessly) in a classroom. I've seen it done with tablets, phones, computers, you name it. But it's nice to have a lectern to accommodate the device.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truly, the lectern is the underrated home base of a mobile teacher. That's right. The technology I'm talking about is old school. This piece of technology allows the instructor to maintain eye contact with their students. And it provides a natural home to a computer, tablet, or notes. This post goes out to Erin Maney <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpertlyMade" target="_blank">@ExpertlyMade</a>, who inspired this lectern. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the years, I have developed numerous lecterns that are easy to make and fairly portable. I've included pictures at the end of the more robust versions (one is a desktop version, and one is full size). They are both made out of wood and some hardware, and did not take much to create. But the actual message today is on the ultra-portable one I just made. It has a total cost of about $20, weighs under a pound, and folds up to about 20" by 16". Here is the final product:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLk4J-yg4QXQoqJ6oU_9w7fC47eq-vRRW-Y0a1Nu94x4kRdcWHmR-7x-Z-QTaqoFvF395gttxwn-THwp8vDrjKnCNK5efO9fy140AJP0CfuEHlAbnWquhIfok9gZtbgMzIqIAqG8ZX-k/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Finished+Product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Portable, lightweight lectern." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLk4J-yg4QXQoqJ6oU_9w7fC47eq-vRRW-Y0a1Nu94x4kRdcWHmR-7x-Z-QTaqoFvF395gttxwn-THwp8vDrjKnCNK5efO9fy140AJP0CfuEHlAbnWquhIfok9gZtbgMzIqIAqG8ZX-k/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Finished+Product.jpg" height="640" title="Portable, lightweight lectern." width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You, too, can make one of these for less than $20!</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipM-nd38qqUexsSPPLAy1gUdXT317uBzyfBXU04w_2lNcltNR1OMYadah3lWMxEf56puSOJHMOxLyWm-2KzCDerY6w8NJO5_MycvpXbPwnuSF-4UMqN-brCOlarU7aUc3NrdtMfXc6WJI/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Finished+Product+-+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DIY lectern holding up heavy books!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipM-nd38qqUexsSPPLAy1gUdXT317uBzyfBXU04w_2lNcltNR1OMYadah3lWMxEf56puSOJHMOxLyWm-2KzCDerY6w8NJO5_MycvpXbPwnuSF-4UMqN-brCOlarU7aUc3NrdtMfXc6WJI/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Finished+Product+-+Collage.jpg" height="400" title="DIY lectern holding up heavy books!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at all those heavy books.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Folded up, the lectern is less than an inch tall:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsIoVhz98ZdS1epYZdzLmtXA_3wBseq5yeTgd4PcafCbbdZZZfeBH4fQw_7e9PtCLRDYH1lf8zYorbnCaU8601SXjWpUYe-AKduoMv8H-p2g355YlScVAUi07v2tFeTgyVU7bpQtYMW0/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Folded+Up+and+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Folded up portable lectern." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsIoVhz98ZdS1epYZdzLmtXA_3wBseq5yeTgd4PcafCbbdZZZfeBH4fQw_7e9PtCLRDYH1lf8zYorbnCaU8601SXjWpUYe-AKduoMv8H-p2g355YlScVAUi07v2tFeTgyVU7bpQtYMW0/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Folded+Up+and+Cropped.jpg" height="137" title="Folded up portable lectern." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Honey, I collapsed the lectern.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make this lectern (by the way, it's certainly strong enough to hold any laptop that I've put on it), you'll need:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">X-ACTO knife (I prefer the "Z Series" - it's what I used for my Iron Man foam build)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spare blades (cutting through cardboard dulls the blades quickly)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cork-backed metal ruler (any straightedge will do)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharpies (to draw lines)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elmer's display boards (2)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used the corrugated cardboard, but the foam ones should work just as nice</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting mat</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact paper (if you want it to look sweet!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scotch "Restickable Dots" (if you want to put some decorative logo on the front of the lectern)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Incidentals (Elmer's glue, craft sticks, etc.)</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT9Lo3XlD115qPbpoC0a3kTCxAa9v6L21ObaE-XQjfGVgpTP2cfr-1apk6cvzDIwwkUgU-dCrAYjXt8_N02pEY_kJQ8WSuD1oAI3iNg_hzOipvcFCYJ7YwqSbROgJSEFHpb5crmIx2iQ/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Supply+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tools of the trade." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT9Lo3XlD115qPbpoC0a3kTCxAa9v6L21ObaE-XQjfGVgpTP2cfr-1apk6cvzDIwwkUgU-dCrAYjXt8_N02pEY_kJQ8WSuD1oAI3iNg_hzOipvcFCYJ7YwqSbROgJSEFHpb5crmIx2iQ/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Supply+Collage.jpg" height="400" title="Tools of the trade." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I. Love. Office supply stores.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The real secret here is the display board. When making lecterns, the hinge is always the trickiest part. In the wooden models (shown at the end of this blog), getting the hinges to work properly is irritating and the most labor intensive part. Enter the display board. The only downside is that you're locked in to prescribed widths (I made mine out of the 20" width, but I bought a 24" display board, too, just in case I needed extra pieces - which I did).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I did was make an approximation of the slope I wanted for the desk part, cut it out, and use the scrap as a guide for the other piece. It's important to leave the "lip" or "tooth" part (as a resting spot for the mini-shelf that will hold the computer). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, I used a piece of cardboard from the second display board that I bought as the "working area" or "desk". I just trimmed it down to fit. I wanted it to extend a little beyond the width of the lectern. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also traced one of the side supports onto another piece of scrap, so I had a support to put in the middle (a 20" span is too much; I wanted two, 10" spans). All three supports are the same size, and I notched the working area to receive the supports. I used the notches in the working area as a guide to where to notch the base support (gives more stability).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L_CRvJVcImHuoOutjGhPgUPB5p8mxvK_gT2HLQWSOdy6C1s25_JaLt_j5ILeq5hKH8zV3aIuL1xXLgCNkPHmqOqxAeaG_qEE5OD16EhcjbjfTFQk5JCQ3aUz-FOjNFX6ARcb21UE_3I/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Assembling+Pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Assembling the pieces." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L_CRvJVcImHuoOutjGhPgUPB5p8mxvK_gT2HLQWSOdy6C1s25_JaLt_j5ILeq5hKH8zV3aIuL1xXLgCNkPHmqOqxAeaG_qEE5OD16EhcjbjfTFQk5JCQ3aUz-FOjNFX6ARcb21UE_3I/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Assembling+Pieces.jpg" height="640" title="Assembling the pieces." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready to form lectern! Activate interlock! Dynatherms connected! Intracells, up! Mega-thrusters are go!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was at this point when I realized that there was a flaw in the plan - the base support is not sufficient. The lectern wanted to bow out, so I needed some way to tension the base support. So I re-notched the three supports in the following fashion:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYNKTjZr3DN5qPdiaqkDdoyme1BfXvRHkAEpngJqNTVurHcm6Sx48h4A91lm3F49z2Uvb0FjTkU3_YibWXCGa04qYR8lK7fKstTmNWCjip0ZYydn522ZG_SHEb8NeN-JYCdOEHRAaeLc/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+ReNotched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A deeper notch." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYNKTjZr3DN5qPdiaqkDdoyme1BfXvRHkAEpngJqNTVurHcm6Sx48h4A91lm3F49z2Uvb0FjTkU3_YibWXCGa04qYR8lK7fKstTmNWCjip0ZYydn522ZG_SHEb8NeN-JYCdOEHRAaeLc/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+ReNotched.jpg" height="400" title="A deeper notch." width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Re-notched, and ready to go!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, when assembled, the base board support falls into the newer, recessed slot. This locks the pieces together, so it becomes much more stable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last construction step was to create the shelf that the computer rests on. I just cut a strip of cardboard - about 1.5" wide - to the length of the working area. Then, I reinforced the back of it (I could have used a piece of scrap metal or a ruler or a piece of wood, but I just glued craft sticks onto the back). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmlkOTovDy3iYLdDvcq5LE4mngEA5Ok4A6LP37EG8yOgavyIh8VyRSbk0P2o9C3QlH37bvL4v3FHesq-q5bGmgrW3vuRsaQCFX7YiaFbiNFQ6zOjx4gitMSbA_CDAuzedgTFIKlKHWHU/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Craft+Sticks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Add craft sticks for support." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmlkOTovDy3iYLdDvcq5LE4mngEA5Ok4A6LP37EG8yOgavyIh8VyRSbk0P2o9C3QlH37bvL4v3FHesq-q5bGmgrW3vuRsaQCFX7YiaFbiNFQ6zOjx4gitMSbA_CDAuzedgTFIKlKHWHU/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Craft+Sticks.jpg" height="400" title="Add craft sticks for support." width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finally! A good use for craft sticks!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last step is just decorating. I opted for wood grain contact paper, but use your imagination! Working with the contact paper was easier than I thought it would be. I just used my X-Acto knife to trim it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's it! The whole process takes between two and three hours. Perhaps Elmer's will start manufacturing these - they are very convenient if you are going out to run a training, and they are also useful to have in your classroom if you want a lectern for special occasions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKG4djamJfyeyq70EIp_K_nuQupHGEeu3WZP879AmBYxSNFjgF1_CUspEIWUICyIkbfDa-kefDAf7wdqgkoS7uZp0Hk3PhMr9KK57sk5h8FhqEvhDNqI0ykRijrlsp85Lw5YUF6tV22Q/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Final+Lectern+(TRANS).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Official FringeEdTech Lectern" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKG4djamJfyeyq70EIp_K_nuQupHGEeu3WZP879AmBYxSNFjgF1_CUspEIWUICyIkbfDa-kefDAf7wdqgkoS7uZp0Hk3PhMr9KK57sk5h8FhqEvhDNqI0ykRijrlsp85Lw5YUF6tV22Q/s1600/FET+-+DIY+Lectern+-+Final+Lectern+(TRANS).png" height="259" title="Official FringeEdTech Lectern" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The official FringeEdTech Lectern.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are photos of my wooden ones (plans available upon request). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-22259609041945600552014-02-05T17:04:00.004-05:002014-02-08T16:39:38.563-05:00On the Horizon...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don't know what the <a href="http://www.nmc.org/" target="_blank">New Media Consortium</a> is, you should get acquainted. The NMC is an amalgamation of educators, visionaries, boards, staff, and everyone critical to the lifeblood of the future of education.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QpEDF0rZ4uhLuufRqB8piyJkP2K8q-Askv-mhQCWa1u-5c14WImPvi4sINZELHyBW1B_EjuOv9FQ7INYm_I7CY4k_6QidEAC-frAYEMN2eNImfUMhWcRt1gP1xxwjll4kYLAomSvkCw/s1600/LOGO+-+NMC+-+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="New Media Consortium" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QpEDF0rZ4uhLuufRqB8piyJkP2K8q-Askv-mhQCWa1u-5c14WImPvi4sINZELHyBW1B_EjuOv9FQ7INYm_I7CY4k_6QidEAC-frAYEMN2eNImfUMhWcRt1gP1xxwjll4kYLAomSvkCw/s1600/LOGO+-+NMC+-+Border.jpg" height="200" title="New Media Consortium" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>New Media Consortium - soothsayers of education</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They spark "innovation, learning, and creativity". The website has many valuable resources, but I find the Horizon Report to be one of the most compelling documents for educators. If you haven't read it yet, check it out. The actual Horizon Report Series covers much more than just education (museums, community colleges, general technology), although I really enjoy reading the Higher Ed and K-12 reports.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can download previous reports from the <a href="http://www.nmc.org/horizon-project" target="_blank">NMC website</a>, and I would certainly suggest taking a look at the 2013 reports.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-horizon-report-higher-ed" target="_blank">Horizon Report: Higher Education Edition (2013)</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-horizon-report-k12" target="_blank">Horizon Report: K-12 Education Edition (2013)</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each report has a few different versions. The actual <b>report</b> is larger (around 45 pages), and is a great read for nerds like me. The <b>shortlist</b> tends to be a bit shorter (maybe 20 pages), and centers around the finalized list of trends and technologies, and how they contextually relate to education. The <b>preview</b> is released ahead of the other two, and is an unofficial list with brief explanations of the technology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2014-horizon-he-preview.pdf" target="_blank">preview for the 2014 Higher Education</a> report is available (and so is the <a href="http://www.nmc.org/news/its-here-horizon-report-2014-higher-education-edition?utm_source=nmc%20news&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=NMC%20Horizon%20Report%202014%20HiEd%20Edition%20News%20Story" target="_blank">whole report</a>!), but I've outlined the main points below (as well as inserted my thoughts in italics). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Key Trends Accelerating Ed Tech Adoption in Higher Education</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast Moving Trends: Those likely to create substantive change (or burn out) in one to two years</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Online, Hybrid, and Collaborative Learning<br /><i>We've already seen a proliferation in online learning, and it is gaining traction. According to the <u><a href="http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/changingcourse.pdf" target="_blank">Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States</a></u>, only about 30% of Chief Academic Officers surveyed believe in the full legitimacy of online learning, and 32% of students surveyed are taking at least one online course. But online learning is one of the most transformative and rapid changes we've seen in education in a long time. Even K12 institutions have started leveraging the use of courses (due to course enrollment issues, smaller course catalogs, and increased opportunities for students). It seems to me the infrastructure, student desire, convenience, and fiscal realities will help online education manifest itself. The discussion about online learning typically doesn't address the empowering byproduct, but I think it's worthwhile to mention that students can decide when and how they want to learn. The ability to shift their learning around their lifestyle is a radical change for education. And the power to review content whenever it is needed or wanted inherently gives more control to the students' learning.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Media Use in Learning<br /><i>Twitter and Facebook are far from being a staple in the landscape of education, and most efforts are not well documented. However, the <a href="http://newmedia.unm.edu/initiatives-projects/nextgenlms/index.html" target="_blank">next generation of learning management systems</a> (like Blackboard 9.1) have a social layer integrated. I think we'll see more of this, even outside of an LMS. After all, wouldn't it be great to have a system where students can recommend classes, supplemental resources pertaining to a class, homework help, and even a referential rating system on content an instructor posts? Current reports see Facebook losing momentum among adolescents, but be on the lookout for Instagram, Vine, and other social tools finding their ways into the classroom. A great example of a <a href="http://instagram.com/ohheyitschaz" target="_blank">student using Instagram</a> made headlines recently (by recreating photos of all the Presidents of the United States), but it won't be long before we see classroom teachers, administrators, or institutions figuring out how to push out their messages, increase retention, and enhance the educational experience.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mid-Range Trends: Those likely to take three to five years to create substantive change</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Creator Society</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>If you're not a maker, you're missing out on creating and gratification. The growth of so called "Maker Spaces" across America has only increased recently. Typically, a space is equipped with tools, materials, instruction, and creative people who gather to... well... make! The <a href="http://www.rochestermakerspace.org/" target="_blank">Rochester Makerspace</a> in upstate New York has 3D printers, sewing machines, a full-blown wood working shop, and other tools. They run instructional sessions, host people who want to make projects, and add value to the community (for instance, by adding planters or benches to local parks). I think colleges should have a bifurcated reason for maker spaces: it provides inherent skill-building in problem solving and creating, and it also is a marketable resource for communities. Furthermore, it's a great learning opportunity for students who can work as "maker concierges" and help community members realize their projects.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Data-Driven Learning and Assessment</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Pearson does this exceedingly well, and this is why institutions should be frightened. Because Pearson gathers statistics from college students, and can help shape a better program. Pearson knows where students struggle. Pearson knows which topics are easy for students. Pearson knows what parts of which videos are watched over and over. So when Pearson creates an online college that goes head to head with colleges and universities, they will have a more refined product. That's why it is in the interest of colleges and universities to use analytics now. They need to be able to respond to the needs of students. In a way, libraries have been doing this for a while (think Patron Driven Acquisition). It's an oversimplification, but the fundamental theory is there - providing a more polished experience for the patrons based on analytics.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slow Trends: Those likely to take more than five years to create substantive change</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agile Approaches to Change<br /><i>There's really no surprise here - the eternal difference between successful businesses and educational institutions are the speed at which they can adapt. I feel as if I've seen more agility at tackling problems in schools lately (think online learning, the Academies Model, flipped classroom, more apps and devices), and that is a good thing. I think institutions may have larger barriers (funding, contractual issues, technology gap for students), but I'm happy that there is movement. I suspect in the next five to ten years, we'll see radically different implementation models of change in schools. The Horizon Report suggests that schools have a lot to learn from the way startups are run.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making Online Learning Natural<br /><i>The humanization of online learning is a field we are learning more about. We know that the quantity (and quality) of instructor interactions is the most important indicator of success in a class, but we are finding out more about online learning every day. Just this past week, I was involved in a conversation of faculty analyzing an instructional video. They felt that the narrator, who was making mistakes (but correcting them!) and making jokes, was able to establish a sense of realism to the course. A well polished, perfectly produced video sometimes seems institutional and "mechanical". Little details like this make the online environment a more welcoming place. I also read a study that claimed that online tutorials and lessons are more likely to be liked if the instructor had their face in a small window on the screen - they were more personal. All these examples demonstrate the need to increase the natural feel of online learning.</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Significant Challenges Impeding Ed Tech Adoption in Higher Education</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Urgent Challenges: Those which we both understand and know how to solve</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Low Digital Fluency of Faculty<br /><i>Although this seems like an easy problem to solve - invest more in staff/faculty training - the problem is often complicated by contracts, time shortages, and money. I think if institutions emphasize the need for training (and provide adequate support), the problem will be easier to solve. But the bigger problem (as mentioned in the Horizon Report) is that learning to be digitally fluent is not a technology issue, it is - fundamentally - a thinking issue. Showing someone how to use an LMS does not make them an expert in teaching online, it just makes them an expert on the mechanism for teaching online. But the problem is bigger than that - many people undervalue the need of learning systems, and focus on the tools. I think once schools reframe the way training sessions are structured, there will be an improvement in technological fluency.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Relative Lack of Rewards for Teaching<br /><i>There isn't much to add to this, although I thought the Horizon Report perspective was interesting - they claim that a University's ranking is based more on research (60%), which diminishes the focus on teaching.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficult Challenges: Those we understand but for which solutions are elusive</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Competition from New Models of Education (MOOCs, Micro-Learning)<br /><i>I think there is a pattern (not only in education, but everywhere) of eager adoption without proper evaluation. There is a <a href="http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/" target="_blank">great video on The Onion</a> reporting that Apple has released a new device. The "Mac Wheel" is infinitely more difficult to use than any other device, but Mac users can't wait to get it because "I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and from Apple". While I don't think schools suffer this level of adoption, I think that promising technologies like MOOCs, flipped learning, and bring your own device (BYOD) are brought in without enough thought of proper implementation and long-term uses.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scaling Teaching Innovations<br /><i>I think there are an awful lot of intrepid educators introducing new ideas into the classroom, but there typically isn't a rigid support structure to make these ideas widespread. Education is seldom the originator of innovation (case in point - the Khan Academy, one of the most revolutionary, transformative changes in education, was started by a hedge fund manager), because historically institutions don't reward (or propagate) innovations.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wicked Challenges: Those that are complex to define, much less address</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Expanding Access<br /><i>I see an issue with not only marketing the high quality materials (to disseminate the good materials from the bad), but also in making these materials available. The technology to consume free resources are not free (computers, internet access, mobile devices with plans) have a cost associated with them. Interestingly, the Horizon Report cites a different challenge - students who consume this information may not be college ready - as a bigger challenge. Whatever the challenge, there is no doubt that resources such as Wikipedia, Khan Academy, and edX and the like will provide quality opportunities for students everywhere. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keeping Education Relevant</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>The concern here is that educational institutions are at risk of failing because of their business model. Between free opportunities (Khan, MOOCs, etc.), the justification of college learning is getting narrower. There is also a big push for community colleges to fill the gaps that colleges can't (specific trades, certifications, two year degrees for relevant programs). For these reasons, it is important for colleges to really examine where they fit in the changing landscape. Monroe Community College, for instance, works in concert with the local businesses to identify the largest employment needs (today, it is CNC machining). Programs can be developed and implemented, and partnerships can be established with local employers.</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Important Developments in Educational Technology for Higher Education</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flipped Classroom</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>It seems that I encounter different levels of flipped classroom adoption everywhere I go. There's no doubt that schools everywhere are working on different ways to bring in the philosophy of flipped education. And why shouldn't they? It helps students learn at their own pace, frees up classroom time, and is something that can be slid into a classroom one lesson at a time (it does not need to be done all at once). The bigger challenges are hardware, software, venues for creating, and training.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Analytics<br /><i>As mentioned earlier, learning analytics have the potential to improve the delivery of content. Any feedback system that delivers a product, gathers data, and can analyze that data in hopes of providing a more concise delivery in the next cycle is better than current systems. The natural tendency is to look at the improvements of content. If many students visit the same page or watch the same video, it probably means they don't understand the content. But, given a data set big enough, a system might even be able to determine patterns and profile the learner. Optimistically, software may be able to refer the student to a different class or different content (that more closely resembles the student's learning habits). Amazon has wonderful mechanisms for referring users to applicable products. And eBay thrives on "street cred", or the reputation of the seller. Both these are fine examples of where analytics have a huge payout.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3D Printing</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>This is already a hot topic in education (and the Maker movement). Just this past month, ISTE provided a list of the best 3D printers on the market in their <a href="https://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading" target="_blank">Learning and Leading</a> magazine. Just like self-publishing and eBooks opened the gateway to the general masses, 3D printing will help innovators and creative people design and produce their own creations. There are reports out there already of doctors who can "print" out body parts in hospitals. But schools are poised to help empower students to create anything they want - and even monetize it as fundraisers! By the way, ISTE (and <a href="http://makezine.com/" target="_blank">Make Magazine</a>) list the <a href="http://printrbot.com/" target="_blank">Printrbot</a> as a "best value". You can buy it for $399 (knock $100 off if you are willing to assemble it yourself!).</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Games and Gamification</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You also can't go anywhere without hearing about gamification. If gamification wasn't a potent tool, games like Words with Friends, Angry Birds, and Candy Crush wouldn't be earning about one million dollars a day. It's not necessarily about making things fun, it's about making them competitive. Games that challenge people to compete against themselves, as well as against others, play on the competitive nature of people. Why settle for two stars on a level if you could play just a little bit more and get that coveted third star? James Paul Gee talks about the "regime of competence" - when games hover just above your current level of ability. But practicing, probing, and thinking helps you get better. Games like Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Age of Empires and Call of Duty take forty, fifty or sixty hours to complete. Now imagine if schoolwork were able to engage students that much.</i></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quantified Self<br /><i>The ability to track data relevant to oneself is known as "Quantified Self". Nike+ has a "Fuel Band". There's the FitBit. Theres the Pebble. While all these devices are useful for tracking lifestyle (sleeping habits, fitness, etc.), Google is also on a mission to monitor blood sugar through a contact lens. Google Glass tracks daily activity. Even a smart phone can track where you've been (and make predictions on where you're going). But the pockets of data that describe us are all over. Imagine aggregating all that data. What if there is a way to track your driving habits (how you accelerate, break, maneuver) that cross-referenced with local environmental data (weather, for instance), real-time traffic patterns and gas prices. You could get a focused report on where to fill-up. Or reminders about when (and where) to bring your car to get scheduled maintenance. And that's just driving. Consider everything you do. How you spend your money. Your dietary habits. Your fitness rituals. Your daily path. How much you read and when you read it. Grocery shopping. We're starting to see apps emerge that already streamline (or at least monitor) these processes. Amazon even just announced (the Motley Fool describes it better than me, but it's all data-based) the seeming ability to <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/01/25/amazon-inc-introduces-a-new-feature-mindreading.aspx" target="_blank">ship items before you order them</a>. And Microsoft, with it's new CEO Satya Nadella, just intimated that they will focus efforts on going through vast amounts of "big data" and leverage results into "quick data" that will help guide strategic decisions for companies. It's all about data these days.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Virtual Assistants</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Lastly, the notion of "Virtual Assistants" is catching on. Even today (though Horizon predicts this won't be a bigger deal for another few years), we have services such as Siri and the "Google Concierge" that look at your habits and provide predictive information based on your current activity and past trends. It's a little alarming (albeit convenient) to look at your phone and have it tell you how much time it would take you to where you're going right now (even though you never told your phone where you're going!). Multiply that by a hundred-fold, and you'll have virtual assistants. Netflix and Amazon have been making predictive suggestions based on your past history for years - and they are scarily good at it. And if you want a lighthearted (though potentially scary) take on virtual assistants, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc" target="_blank">check out the trailer for Her</a>, a non-too-distant futuristic movie about a man who falls in love with his virtual assistant (in this case, an operating system).</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congratulations for making it through this post! Now, go out and read some of the Horizon Reports. They are much longer (though hopefully less boring)! While you're waiting for the full 2014 report, check out these publications that I found particularly interesting:</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2014-horizon-he-preview.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">2014 Horizon Report Preview</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-technology-outlook-community-colleges.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">2013 Technology Outlook for Community Colleges</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-Horizon-Project-Summit-Communique.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Future of Education: The 2013 NMC Horizon Project Summit Communiqué</a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-53357851841265938932014-01-23T10:26:00.002-05:002014-02-05T17:08:04.038-05:00Chromebook > MacBook<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A colleague sent me <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-01-22-why-sla-ditched-macbooks-for-chromebooks" target="_blank">this article</a> about why the Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a well-respected magnet school in Philadelphia, switched from MacBooks to Chromebooks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's an interesting read. And while the article intimates that the decision was fiscally driven, it is my prediction that this ends up providing a more enriching experience for the students.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a large technology gap between high school and college. Having worked at both, it is obvious to me that the vast majority of high schools cannot provide an adequate digital literacy foundation, and the expectations of colleges are usually too high. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether it is a financial issue (schools cannot provide the appropriate technology for their students), a training issue (schools cannot provide enough training for their students), or a philosophical issue (schools are unwilling or unable to permit students to bring their own device), high schools and colleges have a large disparity in their student technology expectations.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0tW1B430-ZxEQEo_ojLcRd2M_eJCN7EF96caU9i8pkHhaXWor99qRa9cjqN_C_nM1plbU9se45MGB889R7Gkb3-voZ_mR3i4BwB7U5L21CR3G-4mqQq_ZVl0_PUNodX77mzLVYgHKQg/s1600/Chromebook+vs+MacBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image of the "Mac Guy" and "PC Guy" from https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-01-22-why-sla-ditched-macbooks-for-chromebooks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0tW1B430-ZxEQEo_ojLcRd2M_eJCN7EF96caU9i8pkHhaXWor99qRa9cjqN_C_nM1plbU9se45MGB889R7Gkb3-voZ_mR3i4BwB7U5L21CR3G-4mqQq_ZVl0_PUNodX77mzLVYgHKQg/s1600/Chromebook+vs+MacBook.jpg" height="162" title="Image of the "Mac Guy" and "PC Guy" from https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-01-22-why-sla-ditched-macbooks-for-chromebooks" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Justin Long was better in Die Hard.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe Chromebooks provide some collateral learning for the students. Namely, </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cloud-based computing isn't an afterthought; it's the inspiration for building it. And cloud-based computing is where we operate <i>today</i>. It's not only important for students to know how to wrangle files in the cloud, it is imperative if they want to find a job after college because great cloud computing skills are a dipstick test for computer literacy.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's so easy to </span><a href="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-install-linux-on-a-chromebook-and-unlock-its-ful-509039343" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">have Linux running <i>concurrently</i> with the Chrome OS</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And Linux is a great tool for becoming digitally literate</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The app store has many free productivity and educational tools. It's important for students to discover their own personal workflow, and how to be productive with the computer. I cannot overstate this enough - an alarming number of students enter college with computers and tablets, but have no idea how to leverage them in their learning.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Docs is a tremendous tool for group collaboration - much more impressive than iCloud from Apple. And being collaborative <i>naturally</i> (instead of having collaboration be the focus of a project, Google Docs allows students to focus on being productive - the collaboration is just a nice addition) is an important lesson.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lessons about syncing across devices are much more apparent when working with Chrome and Chromebooks; although I like the syncing on Apple devices, it is a more potent lesson in Chrome.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using Chrome apps effectively means being a bit more critical with permissions, and really understanding what access students are willing to give. Critical thinking skills are a lost art in students of all ages. This is a fine example of how to evaluate what students are getting, and if the access it asks for is appropriate.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is going to sound harsh, but there is some truth to it. But I think that MacBooks tend to "spoon feed" users. You don't need to be computer savvy to use one. That is one of the draws to a Mac - that it is easy to use. But in the process of making a beautiful, slick experience, Apple has numbed the user to a big part of digital agility (file management, troubleshooting, an understanding of what happens under the hood). Chromebooks provide a much better experience for users who want to squeeze every drop they can from their computer usage. Put another way, if I were hiring a person and had two identical candidates, but one was proficient with a Mac and the other with a Chromebook, I'd lean towards the Chromebook user. I just think there is more authentic experience with a Chromebook user. Anyone can be good on a Mac, but it takes a higher level of conceptual knowledge to be proficient with a Chromebook.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to shaping a more analytic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> user, Chromebooks are hot-swappable, they are substantially cheaper (I recommend the Acer c720, which goes for around $250), and they are easier to manage for classrooms. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay tuned tomorrow for some insight on the Horizon Report. In the meantime, go get a Chromebook.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-4464141212422675792014-01-16T16:24:00.003-05:002014-01-16T16:27:35.512-05:00SERIES - TechBitz #1<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every now and then, I come across some useful tools that I want to share. So, I've started an intermittent series called "Odds and Ends" that will feature several useful (and possibly tangential) things I've come across that may provide value to your classroom, your workflow, or your personal workflow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following, presented in no particular order, are tools I find particularly useful or interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>THE FRUGAL FILMMAKER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an educator, I've had some opportunities to create productions or help students create movies. I have neither a background in film nor a familiarity with production. But I know a phenomenal YouTube tutorial when I see one, and the Frugal Filmmaker does it right. Watch a few of his videos - even if you don't play with movie production often, his videos may inspire you. I appreciate them for three reasons:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is creative. Insanely creative. Many of his rigs are made out of nothing more than PVC and roller skate wheels. I appreciate ingenuity, but when it is applied so many times in so many different ways, I appreciate it even more.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an instructional design perspective, these videos are amazing. The flow of the tutorials, his narrations, and even the pacing is spot on. I don't know if he has experience in education, but he certainly frames his tutorials through the lens of a production neophyte.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the very limited experience I have in video editing, I know that there are some very subtle, easy things you can do to dramatically increase the production value. Video isn't like photography. In photography, you can always fire up Photoshop and fix a bad picture. Video doesn't work that way. It really needs to be done right from the get-go. And acquainting yourself with these tutorials will give you ideas, inspiration, and instruction.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/thefrugalfilmmaker/featured" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> to gain some insight into film production. He also successfully launched a Kickstarter, and blogs about it <a href="http://filmflap.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">on his blog</a> (which also has some great information). I wish I had known about this when I was coaching, as I was responsible for many videos (video analysis, interviews, end of the year slide shows) or as the SADD advisor (mock car crash).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnO96oTFLGbnD7bN_hD0cLwv_TO1VVFoiat5IyBWAmHqWGb15-KpdHdC_ePVUE1Mo-GAwWpg0tmrJlXYMWi0O-qWzCjs_vAMc7P3WJ2ARpVyWbye2pRwnx3yolzdR2o2olUE2-zI0vAA/s1600/FET+-+TechBits+-+FrugalFilmmaker+Banner+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Frugal Filmmaker (image from https://www.youtube.com/user/thefrugalfilmmaker/featured)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnO96oTFLGbnD7bN_hD0cLwv_TO1VVFoiat5IyBWAmHqWGb15-KpdHdC_ePVUE1Mo-GAwWpg0tmrJlXYMWi0O-qWzCjs_vAMc7P3WJ2ARpVyWbye2pRwnx3yolzdR2o2olUE2-zI0vAA/s1600/FET+-+TechBits+-+FrugalFilmmaker+Banner+-+BORDER.jpg" height="104" title="The Frugal Filmmaker (image from https://www.youtube.com/user/thefrugalfilmmaker/featured)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hollywood blockbusters made for the amount of change in your pocket.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>TWO STEP VERIFICATION</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is an increasing trend in internet security, and as an educator, I know that sometimes it is difficult to keep on top of new trends if they aren't explicitly pushed out to you. This is something that is easy to setup, and the return is gigantic. Essentially, you set your Google account up so that if you try to log in to a Google product with the proper credentials, it will ask you to authenticate a second time by texting you a password. It's almost instantaneous, and you just enter in the number they text you. With two step verification established, if someone has your password, they still can't access your Google account. More companies than Google do this, and the second verification doesn't need to be a text message (you can pick your preferred method). But as more and more of your personal life and workflow depends on cloud services, you might want to check it out. Check out <a href="http://www.google.com/landing/2step/" target="_blank">this link to the Google two step verification</a>. And a nifty logo I <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/11/snagit-annotateit-shareit.html" target="_blank">snagged</a> from their website.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrRu4TDA_sceYlBtOE5WJ32sOhrFEfMajT9vwETrMMuY6VmWeqOaLEbhJnaEPX0FEGZXId8gxmZRa1gNJgOUrgE7LTZIuSHv5cu2fiQKaPAJQUDOEsy-C6cfwwOYdIwcAoOhlWJPKVwU/s1600/FET+-+TechBits+-+Double+Verification.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="This thief is thwarted (image from http://www.google.com/landing/2step/)!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrRu4TDA_sceYlBtOE5WJ32sOhrFEfMajT9vwETrMMuY6VmWeqOaLEbhJnaEPX0FEGZXId8gxmZRa1gNJgOUrgE7LTZIuSHv5cu2fiQKaPAJQUDOEsy-C6cfwwOYdIwcAoOhlWJPKVwU/s1600/FET+-+TechBits+-+Double+Verification.png" height="189" title="This thief is thwarted (image from http://www.google.com/landing/2step/)!" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It will take more than a mask to get access to my Google stuff!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>OMG! CHROME!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like Google products, and you like Chrome, then you <i>must</i> check out <a href="http://www.omgchrome.com/" target="_blank">OMG! Chrome!</a> It's a website that discusses bleeding edge Chrome technologies. From Chromebooks to browsers to hardware, OMG! Chrome! will offer breaking news and lots of tips. Follow them on <a href="https://twitter.com/omgchrome" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/omgchrome" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://plus.google.com/+Omgchrome/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a>. I don't follow an awful lot of people on Twitter, but the tweets from OMG! Chrome! are worthwhile.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf0lMcS3IKRCIcUT24UlZM_DVQ0xiz1MhQMn5dihFImy4gNEAuA-G9QkUP73XNkfqVssQD12_xtxn3EEWRjZvRgKzgIwwJx4Ovk0_mIMmWeml5ffal024ZSgQCSfGRPT3onK__JDG7Cg/s1600/FET+-+OMGChrome+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="OMG! Chrome! is a great resource (logo from http://www.omgchrome.com/)." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf0lMcS3IKRCIcUT24UlZM_DVQ0xiz1MhQMn5dihFImy4gNEAuA-G9QkUP73XNkfqVssQD12_xtxn3EEWRjZvRgKzgIwwJx4Ovk0_mIMmWeml5ffal024ZSgQCSfGRPT3onK__JDG7Cg/s1600/FET+-+OMGChrome+Logo.png" height="200" title="OMG! Chrome! is a great resource (logo from http://www.omgchrome.com/)." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Er. Mah. Gerd. ERMAHGERD!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>OODALICIOUS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a huge fitness guy. I try to run a few times a week, and I try to eat relatively healthy. A few years ago, my twin brother developed some software for his masters in Computer Science, so I tested it out. Obviously borne from the twisted mind of a computer scientist, <a href="http://dev.oodalicious.com/" target="_blank">Oodalicious</a> is the concatenation of "OODA" (an acronym that stands for <i>observe, orient, decide, </i>and<i> act</i>, and is intended to help guide decisions and future actions on previous observations)<i> </i>and a bastardization of the word "delicious".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It tracks caloric intake (food you ingest) and caloric outtake (based on your metabolism and any activity you do throughout the day). Three years later, I use it religiously. Now as I'm starting to train for a marathon, it's important for me to track what I eat and how I exercise so I can keep an eye on my overall fitness. Sure, there are plenty of meal tracking and fitness tracking websites out there, but I like this one. The best part is that there is both a <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/oodalicious/pjkkmknjeffoafilihlkafpkpofpajhn" target="_blank">Chrome app</a> and a <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/oodalicious/iefkpmimpeibbpdnehedkkgdjkfihmhi" target="_blank">Chrome extension</a> that work into my daily schedule. I prefer the extension, as I'm in front of a computer most of the time (I also have a shortcut on my smartphone that brings me directly to the mobile site).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a teacher, I found that it was sometimes hard for me to find time to exercise. So it became more important to me that I eat right. Once I started using Oodalicious, I became acutely aware of just how awful I was eating. The collateral learning in Oodalicious is that you become intimately aware of the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) that you consume. In the beginning, I was manually entering all my macronutrients into Oodalicous, but now I only have to if the food I'm entering is not in the database already. But I liked that because I knew just how awful the convenient fast food I was eating was. I see where my nutrition stands at any time in the day (or the past seven days), and sometimes it's a wake up call to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I include Oodalicious in this installment of TechBitz for a few reasons:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it is a quality piece of software, and it has helped me become more aware of my nutrition (and before I used it I <i>thought</i> I was in tune with my body... but I was <i>wayyyyy</i> off).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a great example of levering Chrome (the extension makes it sooo easy to enter food, which is really the limiting factor of many online calorie trackers).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My nerdy brother made it.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQrcOSAtbfr7WNAVhjN3cFMiJ4wra-tDJZUkFvgVXixGftRxn2HeOcCslhfKDcS2_KLjMN5bfo6B46NmTe5TAAyMf2KQ35CnpfsratcN7ey1HPwZxPU_ydfuZ_WJOonDjtdhOVvLcojA/s1600/FET+-+TechBitz+-+01+-+OODA+-+Dashboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot of Oodalicous." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQrcOSAtbfr7WNAVhjN3cFMiJ4wra-tDJZUkFvgVXixGftRxn2HeOcCslhfKDcS2_KLjMN5bfo6B46NmTe5TAAyMf2KQ35CnpfsratcN7ey1HPwZxPU_ydfuZ_WJOonDjtdhOVvLcojA/s1600/FET+-+TechBitz+-+01+-+OODA+-+Dashboard.jpg" height="225" title="Screenshot of Oodalicous." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting at my desk, craving some Dove Chocolate Squares.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjLzip6oSTK3rHQhyyPAWxQuGubDzI94NCW2OxvHWtXdhlC1AuiZLKUYRBqxHcVX2Zkp8lgC6ntGQGB8qsSy-CudQduDt6-D6cAVVGyRkW7FEa0BV4aA1fG1JfA2VKwa1NmFRm_kHs3A/s1600/FET+-+TechBitz+-+01+-+OODA+-+Extension+In+Action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rocking my Chrome Extension of OODA!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjLzip6oSTK3rHQhyyPAWxQuGubDzI94NCW2OxvHWtXdhlC1AuiZLKUYRBqxHcVX2Zkp8lgC6ntGQGB8qsSy-CudQduDt6-D6cAVVGyRkW7FEa0BV4aA1fG1JfA2VKwa1NmFRm_kHs3A/s1600/FET+-+TechBitz+-+01+-+OODA+-+Extension+In+Action.jpg" height="343" title="Rocking my Chrome Extension of OODA!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oodalicious on the go! So easy to enter food.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SCANNING SOFTWARE</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most annoying thing to me at educational conferences are all the handouts. I don't like them because I typically file them away and hardly ever see them again. They are bulky. I have to carry them around and deconstruct all my handouts when I get home. I can't easily share them with my colleagues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now I just scan everything on the fly. I leave those handouts for suckers that need paper! I scan them with my phone (if you have an Android, the Google Drive app natively lets you scan in a document with the photo app; if you have an iPhone, there are many apps you can purchase. I've had good luck with <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/finescanner/id534203582?mt=8" target="_blank">ABBYY FineScanner</a> - $1.99). Scanning to PDF is easy - just take a picture of the page(s), trim them with the onscreen menu, and save directly to Google Drive (or your phone, or Dropbox, or wherever).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as a side note, whenever I go to a conference, I take all my notes right in Google Drive and share the folder with my colleagues back home. They instantly get all my information (including handouts), and I have them all aggregated in one spot. Try it. You'll like it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh91BMtoz0lxwg4X7MRzfudfKXNNBs0WvL9AAKzdxAcLqAU9TZnb1L9z1A0cTS6GIfQMSH2MvLyGcIjG0U98Ar4NQLe3clKDM_AcOq3pkr6TALE1AcbKZTyVeF86c6r1HqmlngDYpdZg/s1600/LOGO+-+FineScanner.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ABBYY FineScanner Logo (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/finescanner/id534203582?mt=8)." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh91BMtoz0lxwg4X7MRzfudfKXNNBs0WvL9AAKzdxAcLqAU9TZnb1L9z1A0cTS6GIfQMSH2MvLyGcIjG0U98Ar4NQLe3clKDM_AcOq3pkr6TALE1AcbKZTyVeF86c6r1HqmlngDYpdZg/s1600/LOGO+-+FineScanner.PNG" title="ABBYY FineScanner Logo (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/finescanner/id534203582?mt=8)." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper handouts and brochures are so 2013.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's all I have for today. As I encounter more little tidbits, I'll aggregate them for another installment of TechBitz. In the meantime, I'll be reviewing the Horizon Report in the next week, as well as starting the Microsoft Publisher tutorial.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-90878407552906326632013-12-25T18:11:00.000-05:002013-12-25T20:19:36.080-05:00Happy Holidays!!!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll keep this short and sweet. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go here: <a href="http://www.itsamessage.com/holiday2011/" target="_blank">http://www.itsamessage.com/holiday2011/</a></span></li>
<br>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Type in the address of your home or your school.</span></li>
<br>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy the show.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This neat experiment uses Google Street View, a webGL overlay (for the artistic look on the image), and a snowing animation to bring a nifty, Americana look.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now go enjoy your eggnog!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgLIZZDXpVOe-UBnEtbeo0thvc3vrm1cSlqIDRX7dx5FMr38wTEz4mcnIBDaym0pMBfKBqTRp-ZcdzWuC2anVS9vR3GhSQh0jIVn1uSjNtHUfgI90XuJ86W3iLKk5PZioDX1y46JeG38/s1600/FET+-+XMAS+-+Gibbs+Street.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY." border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgLIZZDXpVOe-UBnEtbeo0thvc3vrm1cSlqIDRX7dx5FMr38wTEz4mcnIBDaym0pMBfKBqTRp-ZcdzWuC2anVS9vR3GhSQh0jIVn1uSjNtHUfgI90XuJ86W3iLKk5PZioDX1y46JeG38/s400/FET+-+XMAS+-+Gibbs+Street.png" title="Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY." width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-46939889025266140812013-12-18T13:52:00.000-05:002013-12-18T23:44:34.981-05:00Some Pixlr Dust for the Holidays!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the countdown to break begins, I was hoping to share something timely with you. I know you all want to see the 2014 Horizon Report from the NMC, but I won't blog about that until New Year's Day (it's a great way to kick off the new year!), so you'll just have to wait.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjmVuupPhchckP3JKCvp5Ht4t28QpKDHzFcEEkVJTjvX3B4rW9kvzzMl-WPNn2ID53UFXPXXc9uWM2CsvYad9r9fiCeXVQ9_8rZFaEJ4wtQHonspgwVDhOo2gtflQ9TcUbV04RcQNbcE/s1600/Runner+-+Senior+Picture+-+Holiday+Edition+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Pixlr Express at it's finest.." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjmVuupPhchckP3JKCvp5Ht4t28QpKDHzFcEEkVJTjvX3B4rW9kvzzMl-WPNn2ID53UFXPXXc9uWM2CsvYad9r9fiCeXVQ9_8rZFaEJ4wtQHonspgwVDhOo2gtflQ9TcUbV04RcQNbcE/s320/Runner+-+Senior+Picture+-+Holiday+Edition+II.jpg" title="Pixlr Express at it's finest." width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Step 1: Get someone with a beautiful smile.<br />Step 2: Fire up Pixlr Express.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Step 3: Easily create awesomeness.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, I'd like to share a tool with you that can bring an element of ownership and personalization to your class. Everyone has a digital camera at school (DSLR, point-and-shoot, cell phone), and everyone can get a Google Drive account (if you don't have one, stop reading this blog and </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">sign up now</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!). In the coming weeks, I'll be discussing how to optimize your cloud productivity, but you can always read about why </span><a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">I prefer Google Drive over the competition</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, the shining star of Google Drives is <a href="http://www.pixlr.com/" target="_blank">Pixlr</a>. Originally a cloud alternative to Photoshop, Pixlr has evolved into three distinct products:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pixlr Editor</b> is an amazing, free, cloud-based alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Unless you're a graphic designer or big into digital editing, you probably won't notice a difference. It's amazing. And it's free. And most importantly, I can edit photos from my Google Drive with it.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pixlr Express</b> is for people who want to augment an image, but don't have the time or technical know-how to do it. It's easy to add pre-fab borders, stickers, effects, and text. It helps you customize a photo with embellishments. It isn't fully featured (you can't always control the intensity or parameters of an effect), but that's the intention.</span></li>
<br />
<li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pixlr-O-Matic</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a retro photo-processing (think Instagram) application that has a playful and fun interface.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The image above was embellished in about five minutes with <b>Pixlr Express</b>, which is what I'll be focusing on today. Sure, there are a number of websites that have similar software, but Pixlr is better for a few reasons.</span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For starters, it integrates wonderfully with Google Drive. If you have a photo on Google Drive, just right click and open with Pixlr (naturally, you have to connect the app to Google Drive first). This totally streamlines your workflow because you don't have to upload the file manually (in fact, </span><a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/11/ifttt.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">if you use IFTTT</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, you can have your phone automatically store your photos on Google Drive).</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pixlr also is a wonderful substitute for Photoshop. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the cloud. For free! And it opens up .psd files from Photoshop. </i></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are Pixlr apps for iOS and Android.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pixlr pushes out seasonal embellishments (which was the impetus for this blog).</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since the holidays are here, wouldn't it be nice to take a photo of your class and give it a professional feel? Put it on your website or Facebook. Tweet it! Print them out and make cards for the families of your students. Or ornaments. I get photo post cards from my friends this time of year, and they always look great (a balance of actual photo and some embellishments); this is an educational adaptation of that idea. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaFHxnheKQrOqqVleWrMUaTRwudhvsGzBznmpN94z4ri0-ufJZQrIM_9_DjfDLRfrQVj7RDvsoVBASmFQveQe5gYabap92CNaBbjOxPZQLJqyS1L2WfxRxV0SXmITfh1E2OfA8UabZ1I/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+BORDER+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Pixlr Express: Extreme Holiday Edition!" border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaFHxnheKQrOqqVleWrMUaTRwudhvsGzBznmpN94z4ri0-ufJZQrIM_9_DjfDLRfrQVj7RDvsoVBASmFQveQe5gYabap92CNaBbjOxPZQLJqyS1L2WfxRxV0SXmITfh1E2OfA8UabZ1I/s400/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+BORDER+%25281%2529.jpg" title="Pixlr Express: Extreme Holiday Edition!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I can't wait to see what they do at Halloween.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to start with a photo. For demonstrative purposes, I want to show you the original photo. Notice there is no border around it. Yes, I know that is poor web design. When constructing my blogs, I usually add the border to the actual image (using Pixlr Express - how meta is that?). But this is the original:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdpx5tbocA34XBGQ0gEjd7-u2K45vxdFmUQeO_tmBngtnZ1EB8cgSPsmbZVOz64ZKsT-QgdSkmCg-o9yL0x8Ky5kDL9krJHIBnGt5cTiu33VEQuFMCbT49QQwdqPURSNSkhuZTnIybtE/s1600/Runner+-+Senior+Picture+-+NO+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Original photo." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdpx5tbocA34XBGQ0gEjd7-u2K45vxdFmUQeO_tmBngtnZ1EB8cgSPsmbZVOz64ZKsT-QgdSkmCg-o9yL0x8Ky5kDL9krJHIBnGt5cTiu33VEQuFMCbT49QQwdqPURSNSkhuZTnIybtE/s320/Runner+-+Senior+Picture+-+NO+BORDER.jpg" title="Original photo." width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Smile! You're about to be Pixlred!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the app is linked to Google Drive, navigate to where the photo is stored and right click. Choose "Open with". A list of all apps that can open up the photo will appear; choose "Pixlr Express" (alternatively, you can create from a URL, webcam, or start a collage - I demo the collage at the end).</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbI9t-kmJiVilVrDg7BtVBiwkJjv40-dukFJxPTkTznQPdxKcRiLuMDlVm-r-HrMJ-feJEt6KPCi1Vkt5DpcU9j-rIhsDN6BGJz6UOoqpUHZophvf85fHYJI8TOFs5Z59Gg1PTqhLg4c/s1600/Screenshot+-+Google+Drive+Files+CROPPED+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Open with Pixlr Express." border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbI9t-kmJiVilVrDg7BtVBiwkJjv40-dukFJxPTkTznQPdxKcRiLuMDlVm-r-HrMJ-feJEt6KPCi1Vkt5DpcU9j-rIhsDN6BGJz6UOoqpUHZophvf85fHYJI8TOFs5Z59Gg1PTqhLg4c/s640/Screenshot+-+Google+Drive+Files+CROPPED+BORDER.jpg" title="Open with Pixlr Express." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You must choose... But choose wisely..."</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once in Pixlr, the standard menu (Effects, Overlays, Borders, Stickers and Type) is accompanied by the "Holiday" menu which has three options - Banners, Stickers, Overlays that coordinate with the Holiday Theme. One note about Pixlr - it is not a design platform for experts, so don't expect dozens of customizations. Pixlr Express is wonderful for adding borders, text, and cute little stickers. You can control the transparency, size, and rotation of most of the objects. Other than that, use Pixlr Editor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KjGXdeeY5SYElo9PG-rfIWikNcNDAqsnRkq3za3oICbMtJzhQ54i2v7eTrqAZFHDYrfm0IPg7zfuNVlS-FuMVPQJr6ZU0wThLTEN4ybzk4ySs3eFKfLrS4jlTQP4qH1_jUgXMAnZ2SA/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Options+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Choose from Border, Sticker, or Overlays." border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KjGXdeeY5SYElo9PG-rfIWikNcNDAqsnRkq3za3oICbMtJzhQ54i2v7eTrqAZFHDYrfm0IPg7zfuNVlS-FuMVPQJr6ZU0wThLTEN4ybzk4ySs3eFKfLrS4jlTQP4qH1_jUgXMAnZ2SA/s640/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Options+-+BORDER.jpg" title="Choose from Border, Sticker, or Overlays." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Holiday embellishments remind me of hot cocoa.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Borders cannot be resized, although the transparency can be controlled and they can be rotated and reflected.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m5MlMIPGXywht7Q0xQB-gZw4mi8wr_7WyZgJrBZJkNAX9WAOXd_YHmqYTIByC4y89YFbnUnMjXZ6IC4XCOJ0oh9IxOzyvlxUK-CCWrAVWZUu3OMpu0d0EcY8Rhti4JsqGaz5ZHhigY4/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Border+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holiday Pixlr Borders." border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m5MlMIPGXywht7Q0xQB-gZw4mi8wr_7WyZgJrBZJkNAX9WAOXd_YHmqYTIByC4y89YFbnUnMjXZ6IC4XCOJ0oh9IxOzyvlxUK-CCWrAVWZUu3OMpu0d0EcY8Rhti4JsqGaz5ZHhigY4/s640/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Border+-+BORDER.jpg" title="Holiday Pixlr Borders." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't decide on just one? No problem. You can choose multiple borders. Seriously.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Stickers can be repositioned, rotated, resized, and recolored (including the transparency continuum). Note that you can add multiple stickers, but the layering is inherent and can't be changed, so plan ahead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL90oLZYyVfrmVFdJHoj-X4tWDIptj0K4rcNNweAcYCSSnPNhXdNxUpPeKFTVsTIKMBlJJ7LExGa-y9xqZTP71KL1Ajgfw2GcGFNdL81CP9-TCA7v5BZ6nTvAKSAcM0wBmQrdZMG2PpM/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Stickers+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holiday Pixlr Stickers." border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL90oLZYyVfrmVFdJHoj-X4tWDIptj0K4rcNNweAcYCSSnPNhXdNxUpPeKFTVsTIKMBlJJ7LExGa-y9xqZTP71KL1Ajgfw2GcGFNdL81CP9-TCA7v5BZ6nTvAKSAcM0wBmQrdZMG2PpM/s320/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Stickers+-+BORDER.jpg" title="Holiday Pixlr Stickers." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fighting... urge... to... give... antlers...</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Overlays can also be reflected and rotated, and the transparency can be altered. Just like the Borders, Overlays cannot be resized.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2jgfvU71O2ne7tnN7QHixDZbENVU7Tfc_5I-f2EYw4L066JdCcXgJfosL0E3Jr9IBJ-fiLODE1DwxdVMIr_dymHZPba1GUzhg41-fT9DB3DyJ4I2NfREUziSjsfbHFhQV71yeB2adYc/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Overlay+-+BORDER+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holiday Pixlr Overlays." border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2jgfvU71O2ne7tnN7QHixDZbENVU7Tfc_5I-f2EYw4L066JdCcXgJfosL0E3Jr9IBJ-fiLODE1DwxdVMIr_dymHZPba1GUzhg41-fT9DB3DyJ4I2NfREUziSjsfbHFhQV71yeB2adYc/s640/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Overlay+-+BORDER+II.jpg" title="Holiday Pixlr Overlays." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Holiday lights: cheesy or awesome? You decide!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naturally, I would recommend supplementing the Holiday embellishments with the regular ones. In the photo below, see the difference between the original (I did put a frame around it) and the final product. In addition to the Holiday package, I used the Border function from the standard toolkit (I use "Pinstripe") and made it somewhat transparent, and I also altered the whole photo with some Effects and Overlays (to turn the blues into reds) before pulling from the Holiday package.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz82nQp1qIRh-3VbJ4xgWFGX7xYEa44SLjDy3PQwPkgof1W1IcQ9g9scgAMbfDOLkDMThp95gFO6ssWKOCxUmxxobREKkiNQ-NPXRALmO6LqWhVNtD-8qu4ejuYm1N6Q0znAft_L-CKrw/s1600/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Two+Up+PNG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Before and After." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz82nQp1qIRh-3VbJ4xgWFGX7xYEa44SLjDy3PQwPkgof1W1IcQ9g9scgAMbfDOLkDMThp95gFO6ssWKOCxUmxxobREKkiNQ-NPXRALmO6LqWhVNtD-8qu4ejuYm1N6Q0znAft_L-CKrw/s640/FET+-+Holiday+Pixlr+-+Two+Up+PNG.png" title="Before and After." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Double trouble.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you start to use Pixlr Express, I'd recommend a few things. First, know that you can apply multiple Overlays and Borders. Second, bear in mind that any new additions will reside over the existing image (so if you have two stickers, the first one you place can be overlapped by the second one you place).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, if you are using this in your classroom, try using the Collage feature (right from the <a href="http://pixlr.com/express/" target="_blank">Pixlr Express homepage</a>), and put a picture of each of your students. In my collage, I've placed images of apps and software I presented on this year. I know. Adorable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Collage feature has more configurations than just the 5x5 grid. You should check it out - there is an opportunity to be very creative.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fOxKUKrcoKyQ6RkNhyphenhyphenvN0AYszv7_wUBDwcZwZf6xqwb0lmbbjQxE1c0SUSSiUwTLduFlIW3ZtDDyb5MOxinUI-tkhMl2dvAObO62jr0RZRM9nZbmcIG1duUJwofZzxcE8dodYY86xeg/s1600/FET-LogoCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Happy Holidays from FringeEdTech!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fOxKUKrcoKyQ6RkNhyphenhyphenvN0AYszv7_wUBDwcZwZf6xqwb0lmbbjQxE1c0SUSSiUwTLduFlIW3ZtDDyb5MOxinUI-tkhMl2dvAObO62jr0RZRM9nZbmcIG1duUJwofZzxcE8dodYY86xeg/s320/FET-LogoCollage.jpg" title="Happy Holidays from FringeEdTech!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays from FringeEdTech!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you do crave something more powerful, than don't forget Pixlr Editor as a cloud-based solution (Chromebook friendly!). If you want Photoshop, try <a href="http://www.gimp.org/" target="_blank">Gimp</a>. It's just like Photoshop but it's free (you need to download it onto your computer, so you can't use it on a Chromebook). If you are a Windows user, you can also install <a href="http://paint.net/">Paint.net</a> which is a lightweight version of Photoshop, but still free.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, if you create something with Pixlr Express, you can submit it for a chance to win a prize. Tweet it with #pixlrholiday (or go to <a href="http://pixlrholiday.com/">http://pixlrholiday.com</a> for more details). The prizes are ridiculously good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay. I'm done. Enjoy the Holidays!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-75820141657276533852013-12-15T03:01:00.002-05:002013-12-15T03:30:08.715-05:00Paper Technology<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps the oldest piece of technology that we use everyday needs to be reframed as one of the most subtly powerful forms of classroom technology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper technology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not talking about origami or <a href="http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/" target="_blank">Pepakura</a><span id="goog_1593063619"></span><span id="goog_1593063620"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>; I'm talking about looking at all the advances that paper, printers, and publication software have afforded us. Today I encourage you to rethink what you print, how you print it, and what you print it on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a preemptive apology - this blog is not going to be short. This entry has taken many hours of work (both from a content and photo perspective), but hopefully the potency of paper technology can be clearly articulated today. To get you jazzed about reading all my thoughts about paper, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">check out these collector cards the FIRST Robotics team I advised made:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO81vHR1dM2jvAtjyUuqsjUi9W3tMsi_y8wcAOWZlxdcjiNlX8-CQCGCjUOfIm2gTSiP7yPHu-TxFkujzY6CmYOba4nuLqygLUCYhWrzDwqcKEMRJVzlfsI1Qddqb_Rst0keVYk6nUx4/s1600/FET+-+Paper+Technology+-+Cards+-+Border+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="FIRST Robotics Trading Cards!" border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO81vHR1dM2jvAtjyUuqsjUi9W3tMsi_y8wcAOWZlxdcjiNlX8-CQCGCjUOfIm2gTSiP7yPHu-TxFkujzY6CmYOba4nuLqygLUCYhWrzDwqcKEMRJVzlfsI1Qddqb_Rst0keVYk6nUx4/s640/FET+-+Paper+Technology+-+Cards+-+Border+II.jpg" title="FIRST Robotics Trading Cards!" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collect them all!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><font size="+3"><center>PAPER</font></center></b></span></center>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, paper hasn't noticeably advanced all that much lately. But, there are different different surfaces to print on. Sure, Avery has a huge catalog of templates (business cards, labels, stickers, etc.). I actually love their </span><a href="http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Products/Avery-Customizable-Marketing-Solutions-I-Am-My-Business-Main-Page.htm?cmp_id=media-uniquelaemail-mybiz" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">small business line of labels</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. But there are other options, too. Most printers will print out on transparencies (just make sure you don't run clear film through a laser printer if it isn't rated for one - the fuser will melt the plastic - and the IT people will give you dirty looks). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Paper Types</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Printing out on transparencies is a great way to add interactive elements to a document. Most biology books have a drawing of the human body on printed paper with "layers" of clear film that can be put on top (one showing the circulatory system, one showing the respiratory system, one showing the nervous system). Sure, that can be created with some patience. But that concept can be applied to other venues as well. Print out an essay on white paper. The first overlay could be a "red pen" that focuses on punctuation. The next overlay could be one that pointed out grammar. Different boundary maps in a history class could demonstrate conflicts over time. Transformational Geometry could be demonstrated with multiple overlays. In these scenarios, the students can be in control of each of the overlays that pertain to their learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cardstock is very cheap and provides structure to printouts. As a math teacher, I used a lot of foldables (printed out on cardstock with "some assembly required" by the students) for different learning aids. It runs through most printers and is durable. Check out these foldables:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years ago, a colleague of mine designed a castle in Microsoft Publisher. It was a mixture of rectangles, circles, triangles and other shapes printed on cardstock. The students had to cut them out, measure the dimensions and compute the surface area. Then, they would assemble the shapes into three dimensional shapes. Measuring those, they could compute the surface volume of the castle. It was pretty incredible. Now with Pepakura, teachers can easily print complex three dimensional shapes onto cardstock (see my <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/happy-halloween_31.html" target="_blank">Iron Man post</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One way to really capitalize on eye-popping publications is to use color printers to print on sticker paper. You can buy actual sticker paper (which is pretty expensive), or you can print on <a href="http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Products/Labels/Shipping-Labels/White-Shipping-Labels_08165.htm" target="_blank">Avery full-sheet mailing labels</a> (less expensive and can be run through any printer). All you need is a cheap guillotine paper cutter (less than $20), and you can have some awesome stickers. In the picture below, all the stickers were printed on the Avery sticker sheets using a Xerox Phaser 8000 printer; it prints using wax instead of ink, so the end product has more structure and - if there is no white showing - can weather the elements more. But more on printers later in this blog.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rwEexFry4ODE41Sq9GIZUToooqtzV9DA3pQ9stwpes1xpzH6ayW_5dDXx_PSFZgCWSBSbYMIl9BPMYi_x-nkWrWe586DQkKG-qLQO_wE6vTaGyaQeuUaAQrVBa1nIcgNAtkaa-WiDps/s1600/Bumper+Stickers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stickers using Avery sheets and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rwEexFry4ODE41Sq9GIZUToooqtzV9DA3pQ9stwpes1xpzH6ayW_5dDXx_PSFZgCWSBSbYMIl9BPMYi_x-nkWrWe586DQkKG-qLQO_wE6vTaGyaQeuUaAQrVBa1nIcgNAtkaa-WiDps/s320/Bumper+Stickers.jpg" title="Stickers using Avery sheets and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stickers are great for sticker albums and propaganda.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget the power of colored paper. Don't be cavalier with your paper color selection; save it for important occasions. Like documents that are critical to the survival of students in your class. Some teachers might elect to color code every unit or chapter. That works too, if you can swing that (your institution might not have limitless supplies of colored paper).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIINohacOI07rLL3PfJYeC1eX_ONek5eEKUtxrCb8J1a1ibllc4tTOTYkHgfExmocp5EgRgUMDI1jpmIkvykuqLQ9NjbR6SGI9JydxqQZiy01cTobghWAmX3AAepiq1_JZ_6S3VI-asI/s1600/Colored+Paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Colored paper." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIINohacOI07rLL3PfJYeC1eX_ONek5eEKUtxrCb8J1a1ibllc4tTOTYkHgfExmocp5EgRgUMDI1jpmIkvykuqLQ9NjbR6SGI9JydxqQZiy01cTobghWAmX3AAepiq1_JZ_6S3VI-asI/s320/Colored+Paper.jpg" title="Colored paper." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>In my class, OSHA Yellow paper is for the most important documents.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also really neat to print on sticker paper, and then stick the publication to sheet magnets (usually very cheap). Great for marketing (make small business card sized magnets) and getting your vehicle into reserved parking at athletic events. For car magnets, get clear "<a href="http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/view/Avery/AVE73603.html?source=cpc-strat&utm_source=cpc-strat&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=parts&utm_keyword=AVE73603&utm_content=Office&gclid=CP-879apsbsCFbQWMgod5zwAyA" target="_blank">self-adhesive laminating sheets</a>" to put over the magnet to provide protection against road debris. Most magnet sheets come in large sizes, so it is easy to make oversized car magnets by printing out a few different stickers and sticking them to one magnetic sheet.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXMkS21Yrw1u4G6dAH4X1tH1jiI67qa9RK1cXGm7bZoHbFiiDFATEhDe8etOr-ukoWHxaW-uktyfKxqz0Ko2g6UHiM-5m6-HLvjNeHZLA3dlqwD1FKLco5Ye2UIhby-7nUjZ_A0iEeOs/s1600/Magnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Car magnet with clear sticker overlay." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXMkS21Yrw1u4G6dAH4X1tH1jiI67qa9RK1cXGm7bZoHbFiiDFATEhDe8etOr-ukoWHxaW-uktyfKxqz0Ko2g6UHiM-5m6-HLvjNeHZLA3dlqwD1FKLco5Ye2UIhby-7nUjZ_A0iEeOs/s320/Magnet.jpg" title="Car magnet with clear sticker overlay." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Everyone thinks cars with magnets are official.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At some point after my first year of teaching ended and my second year started, I lost some items or furniture from my room. I don't think it was malicious, I think that when the floors are redone and all the furniture is brought outside the classroom, some things get lost in the process. The next summer, I was prepared. I bought <a href="http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Products/Labels/Addressing-Labels/Easy-Peel-White-Address-Labels_08160.htm?N=4294967290%204294965558&Ns=Rank|0||Product%20Number|1&refchannel=b3e659baa4c2a110VgnVCM1000002118140aRCRD" target="_blank">mail labels from Avery</a> (no, I don't receive any sponsorship from Avery - I just think they make great products) and printed my name, classroom number and building on them. It helped a lot, and I noticed other teachers doing the same thing the following year.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaczceLuz6PcX7_bSOhm9LQOehhu3TUfX0RHTstBFefUjfVVTlGnasJ8AeOt4KRPeQkfZfh6hZ-LWc9GIKJPoYF-s0skgqr-RV5JBIKJunKKhJawuznKpHM45QjxQojqLAJH5aaXNTZk/s1600/Propery+Stickers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Avery mailing labels." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaczceLuz6PcX7_bSOhm9LQOehhu3TUfX0RHTstBFefUjfVVTlGnasJ8AeOt4KRPeQkfZfh6hZ-LWc9GIKJPoYF-s0skgqr-RV5JBIKJunKKhJawuznKpHM45QjxQojqLAJH5aaXNTZk/s320/Propery+Stickers.jpg" title="Avery mailing labels." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost as effective as a guard dog, and requires less food.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Size Matters</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper types aside, it is easy to forget about other, standard sizes. Most copiers will print on 8.5 x 14 as well as 11 x 17. These papers can yield some really neat products. Booklets are traditionally printed on 8.5 x 11, with one staple in the corner. I think that printing out on 11 x 17 with staples on the spine give a much more professional feel. Many copiers will accept a stack of 8.5 x 11 paper as input, and can be configured at a "booklet" that prints on 11 x 17. This magazine product is really neat.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's professional looking</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you print out an entire unit at once in this booklet form, students don't have to keep track of all the handouts - it is aggregated in this one publication</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Believe it or not, 11 x 17 is actually a bit cheaper than 8.5 x 11</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I used to teach Geometry, I would print out each unit in this "mathzine" (clever name, I know). By the final exam, each student would only have to wrangle the 12 booklets (as opposed to the hundreds of papers they otherwise would have had). The other byproduct of the booklet is that there is no ambiguity as to what needs to be brought to class every day - just bring the mathzine.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pPkJFQPtQ-ThtxrECH2b8gqvCz5EKjM-8v9vguAzFEJe5yLjfcybJb2S0-9am2SSgp-h4uCarCYHLgKT5aVHn0Ng76MaWg5NkiFAWa2zu8GU_zra6fvjj1G9ud2VoLLXN-3b-VkTqNM/s1600/Mathzine+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Mathzine (11 x 17, three hole punched, stapled on the spine)" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pPkJFQPtQ-ThtxrECH2b8gqvCz5EKjM-8v9vguAzFEJe5yLjfcybJb2S0-9am2SSgp-h4uCarCYHLgKT5aVHn0Ng76MaWg5NkiFAWa2zu8GU_zra6fvjj1G9ud2VoLLXN-3b-VkTqNM/s640/Mathzine+01.jpg" title="A Mathzine (11 x 17, three hole punched, stapled on the spine)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the latest edition of Nerd Quarterly!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHgtNAuJT6uB3esyLk-ILTyNcRsIH5jUbzRFskcIIDFYfwgFxEIyuH64EH83kfkax4PHSlqOBzQcaIVbe5XGzKccy59WULYtg2KdN0FHWrHgHzCyVLVZ3q2mI8z02PF-rU-dTrDkHbc/s1600/Mathzine+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="`A "mathzine" in full color (and used as a program for Track & Field)" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHgtNAuJT6uB3esyLk-ILTyNcRsIH5jUbzRFskcIIDFYfwgFxEIyuH64EH83kfkax4PHSlqOBzQcaIVbe5XGzKccy59WULYtg2KdN0FHWrHgHzCyVLVZ3q2mI8z02PF-rU-dTrDkHbc/s640/Mathzine+02.jpg" title="A "mathzine" in full color (and used as a program for Track & Field)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Programs! Get your programs here!</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f87b22kkHuZDGRkdkZ9pE31FQF3Nq54Bb-aNdncrQKUHkFFgvXvx9QNARMsaH2SmwLF7e7rPCf_HptS4_3yg4Jw0ofGOxXROKta3sWfAhGwZ5EK78rgGFScUQH2LcMuu7pVO_PjIq98/s1600/Mathzine+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mathzine in action." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f87b22kkHuZDGRkdkZ9pE31FQF3Nq54Bb-aNdncrQKUHkFFgvXvx9QNARMsaH2SmwLF7e7rPCf_HptS4_3yg4Jw0ofGOxXROKta3sWfAhGwZ5EK78rgGFScUQH2LcMuu7pVO_PjIq98/s320/Mathzine+03.jpg" title="Mathzine in action." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mathzines are great for birthday parties, car rides, and the beach.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And size really does matter with paper. I think 8.5 x 14 gets a bad rap. Most people don't see the beauty in it - all they see is paper that doesn't fit well in a folder. But 8.5 x 14 is really neat when folded in half. Many copiers will accept a stack of 8.5 x 11 and output, in booklet form, on 8.5 x 14. The effect is really neat - a "mini-booklet". These are great as supplements. For instance as a vocabulary book <i>for the entire year</i>. Imagine being able to have every word that is a critical part of the class, listed alphabetically with 2 or 3 blank likes for the student to fill in (you could even insert the unit the word first appears in, or what page they got the definition from). Or a mini-booklet that hosts all formulas for the year. They can still be hole punched (only two holes, but that's enough to secure them in a 3 ring binder). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This example is a portable version of medical information for all the athletes on the Track and Field team I coached (we need this information on us at all times). I juxtaposed the 8.5 x 17 booklet for comparison.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zTDRnuUcSKqVT5K9XZ01e55jXiTFbzuTt-_g19hYRn8B2BthG-cfzGFU-hrFsw_rtC0Ee9QriLHb3OLaVDy3MkT7A_VbVYBDjpOHYTswlveqjrIcLAldbpIGUcuQL9-5viOiUEPD07w/s1600/MiniMeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mini-booklet." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zTDRnuUcSKqVT5K9XZ01e55jXiTFbzuTt-_g19hYRn8B2BthG-cfzGFU-hrFsw_rtC0Ee9QriLHb3OLaVDy3MkT7A_VbVYBDjpOHYTswlveqjrIcLAldbpIGUcuQL9-5viOiUEPD07w/s640/MiniMeds.jpg" title="Mini-booklet." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mini booklets are great when you're in the field.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span><font size="+3"><center><b>PRINTERS</b></font></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There isn't too much to say about printers and copiers. Cheap printers (like most people have at home) have gotten really good in the past few years, but are somewhat expensive to print large quantities. I think the best printers to get are the "solid ink" printers. They are delightful as there is no toner (less mess, less waste). There isn't even a plastic cartridge for the ink - it is sold in giant blocks of wax. Xerox really pioneered this technology with their line of Phaser printers. Not all Phasers are solid ink, but the printers that do leverage this technology are pretty slick. They aren't expensive to buy (you most likely wouldn't buy one for your home, but you might find a good deal on CraigsList that makes it more palatable - like I did), and your school might have some already. When I taught at Honeoye Falls-Lima, we had a lot of the Xerox Phaser 8560's in the district (Xerox stopped making them, but the <a href="http://www.office.xerox.com/printers/color-printers/colorqube-8570/enus.html" target="_blank">Xerox ColorQube 8570</a> is the new incarnation, and looks pretty sweet - and only a $600 price tag!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to being rock-solid machines, they print very fast, smell awesome (like opening a brand new box of Crayola crayons), and have beautiful resolution. Because the ink is wax, the paper gains structure. And (as mentioned before) any document that is all color (no white in the entire document) will have a surface that provides a bit more protection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following samples have been printed on a Xerox Phaser 8560 DN. The "DN" means the printer has the capability to print double sided. Although I printed on regular copy paper the majority of the time, card stock does not play well with double sided printers. Typically, I would print out all my copies of the first page, and then run those papers through again (flipped over) so that the second page would print properly.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7jlYmCimUbAFhK44h5T5ratmELxyKL774p7VDcO5uKHgAsD-kJIARk6xy7tF7c5-wVFESPYYICy0GhH5Rv6ALfZKFUZ8fwreHlesxwNkzoypBWsK8Fvkvnl_LeeCXRha8hB0wDvQ_Bw/s1600/Phaser+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7jlYmCimUbAFhK44h5T5ratmELxyKL774p7VDcO5uKHgAsD-kJIARk6xy7tF7c5-wVFESPYYICy0GhH5Rv6ALfZKFUZ8fwreHlesxwNkzoypBWsK8Fvkvnl_LeeCXRha8hB0wDvQ_Bw/s320/Phaser+01.jpg" title="Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This little gem landed me at Monroe Community College as an Instructional Designer. Or maybe it was the business card sized magnets I made and sent in the thank-you letters. Either way, I owe it to my Phaser.</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dCHIVoJxts2BhPWM-VaU-S1R9Qpp4ZfgwkUsX-ulvIfF1S97A-3fKyCVVdmMCYg-ar1lcDkz1JGxQEGTVCoE0HMf4T9SwJCveGGVcpLQK3LPXHg2Sdb2-rFV3H9aGslQyb63r2XNIGI/s1600/Phaser+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dCHIVoJxts2BhPWM-VaU-S1R9Qpp4ZfgwkUsX-ulvIfF1S97A-3fKyCVVdmMCYg-ar1lcDkz1JGxQEGTVCoE0HMf4T9SwJCveGGVcpLQK3LPXHg2Sdb2-rFV3H9aGslQyb63r2XNIGI/s320/Phaser+02.jpg" title="Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Phaser can print out subtle backgrounds (document made with Microsoft Publisher - see below).</span></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLV_PnSeUHuHdLY-2x6Z1Dp8tqmKlAeVjfGQsIlWn2mZBJdd6cFJquTPwmDEu64t8VQGB4GLnn9XYnzCH3XjzIX6d6VXvZYupoDaL6G67Gbs8humww44B_Mnui3ZcMBbhF8STthZmnjk/s1600/Phaser+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Google Maps, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLV_PnSeUHuHdLY-2x6Z1Dp8tqmKlAeVjfGQsIlWn2mZBJdd6cFJquTPwmDEu64t8VQGB4GLnn9XYnzCH3XjzIX6d6VXvZYupoDaL6G67Gbs8humww44B_Mnui3ZcMBbhF8STthZmnjk/s320/Phaser+03.jpg" title="Google Maps, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Maps + Microsoft Publisher + Xerox Phaser = weather resistant<br />course maps for your next Cross Country meet.</span></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDF13bqYN1fAwG9PPQZ5yX_zLDsaWjvpYFvk6swVMz2gu2NL01BPI4JB44X-Lw4DxagdQ6hReHVUlly6dvesrt-AbIi6fYbeFVjSGQmFQ7N1HmoYjJaVMyP_5Dqzswq63a-ufgHBMxD8/s1600/Phaser+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SIS, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDF13bqYN1fAwG9PPQZ5yX_zLDsaWjvpYFvk6swVMz2gu2NL01BPI4JB44X-Lw4DxagdQ6hReHVUlly6dvesrt-AbIi6fYbeFVjSGQmFQ7N1HmoYjJaVMyP_5Dqzswq63a-ufgHBMxD8/s320/Phaser+04.jpg" title="SIS, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tap into your student information system (SIS) to grab ID photos and make<br />a visual seating chart. Great for substitute teachers.</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSfn3kpGz-_j_qtKa2i-0oPyDl7ZSgn2eFwcF7sUG_p_z6Jv_Gd6BCRTpHgrtvpimMlWpAwhFRGUa_-MND-NfTTMoW4rqWJKeup1JHnPvUbRrmfTJPyLMk0N-exLClZR08T35Uw6L0xA/s1600/Phaser+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="IntoCartoon, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSfn3kpGz-_j_qtKa2i-0oPyDl7ZSgn2eFwcF7sUG_p_z6Jv_Gd6BCRTpHgrtvpimMlWpAwhFRGUa_-MND-NfTTMoW4rqWJKeup1JHnPvUbRrmfTJPyLMk0N-exLClZR08T35Uw6L0xA/s320/Phaser+05.jpg" title="IntoCartoon, Microsoft Publisher and Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.intocartoon.com/" target="_blank">IntoCartoon</a> + Microsoft Publisher + Xerox Phaser + DARE Drunk<br />Driving Simulation = a cautionary tale.</span></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjRFxzroM0dHsZyr5x9j6ZB3xVOUcUMcqGQrGFCuf31jffmYQJi1hm1vzdeex9_VFc-v-pJJurnE-u8YD7eYqv_ZVWUNNHTWloa0HNz1io4kizReCMuv5j_1DqobtGybBTcGQqwFZP4E/s1600/Phaser+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and a Xerox Phaser." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjRFxzroM0dHsZyr5x9j6ZB3xVOUcUMcqGQrGFCuf31jffmYQJi1hm1vzdeex9_VFc-v-pJJurnE-u8YD7eYqv_ZVWUNNHTWloa0HNz1io4kizReCMuv5j_1DqobtGybBTcGQqwFZP4E/s320/Phaser+06.jpg" title="Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and a Xerox Phaser." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a plain ole' document (printed on a Phaser).</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we move on to the next section, also be aware of the capabilities of the copier at your school. It very well might be the case that the copier can handle 11 x 17 and 8.5 x 14. Also, be sure to squeeze every drop of usability out of the copier by using the hole punch feature and the staple feature (don't forget that some copiers can put multiple staples along the edge of a bundle of papers, too).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, some schools have large format printers. They might be in the Technology (Project Lead the Way) rooms, a media lab, an Art room, or even the IT department. Find out if you can use those for special occasions.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span><font size="+3"><center><b>PUBLISHING SOFTWARE</b></font></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only thing I can say here is to <b>start using Microsoft Publisher right now!</b> There is not an eaiser way to create professional grade publications than with Microsoft Publisher. It is probably on your PC right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, getting the hang of it take some time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it can be frustrating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, you shouldn't really use the templates that come with it; start from scratch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I will be doing a series of tutorials in the next few weeks about it. Until then, you can view the <a href="http://www.ryanedtech.com/presentations/FET-Publisher.pdf" target="_blank">training document I made</a>. Keep it. Distribute it. And wait with bated breath until I do the YouTube tutorials. But trust me - Publisher is well worth it. I haven't used Microsoft Word to create documents for my classroom in years. The only downside is that Publisher is <i>not</i> available on <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">SkyDrive</a> yet. So I can't use my Chromebook to design (although <a href="https://habitat.inkling.com/dashboard" target="_blank">Inkling Habitat</a> seems like a promising cloud-based environment for desktop publishing). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Every document in this blog entry was created with Microsoft Publisher. So if you aren't convinced yet, check out some more things that can be created with Publisher. Note that <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html" target="_blank">Adobe InDesign</a> is also a sweet tool for desktop publishing, although it is more sophisticated than most classroom publications need.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rKO9dP0eMpLT88dh0o09c2ST0KZ562YgafyBxtOUv9K8cRoKRoIbG6e4WEzAY_7Ce1biHRKrxJiVQyYbHLtpeucqeePnCa6m7zeWJHzVO9XWFYdCi8ooxibb1f0lnDuzlDhvVpdQwmM/s1600/Prom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Gossip rag." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rKO9dP0eMpLT88dh0o09c2ST0KZ562YgafyBxtOUv9K8cRoKRoIbG6e4WEzAY_7Ce1biHRKrxJiVQyYbHLtpeucqeePnCa6m7zeWJHzVO9XWFYdCi8ooxibb1f0lnDuzlDhvVpdQwmM/s320/Prom.jpg" title="Gossip rag." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Create a sweet gossip rag to recap school events.</span></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVErRLuM-taB1dJApALEARF4EvlOcMasoBNho7mvv7miY93qI5XtJ0kvQHYrdhvhLGOVvdbFMPj5VtpNUge6DNizofsb938rhlR8hiI7xlfi1ZV__hgfzB3BtxifqfSNQeSbV4Jwd24OE/s1600/Publisher+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Event credentials." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVErRLuM-taB1dJApALEARF4EvlOcMasoBNho7mvv7miY93qI5XtJ0kvQHYrdhvhLGOVvdbFMPj5VtpNUge6DNizofsb938rhlR8hiI7xlfi1ZV__hgfzB3BtxifqfSNQeSbV4Jwd24OE/s320/Publisher+01.jpg" title="Event credentials." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add a lanyard, and give your students sweet credentials.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ft3qgYlXuYSRuu70REYYqEmkKu-mMY77pV7GH6gAtxCW-UDd7bOJ-Kd8410HYldv2QSd5tK-HlDTZukp1mcGUJYbTrulir1K5e1P8PXs-k9pZ9zSUBt3ZJDBazPDcOxRdzSAcNKM1TA/s1600/Publisher+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Binder labels." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ft3qgYlXuYSRuu70REYYqEmkKu-mMY77pV7GH6gAtxCW-UDd7bOJ-Kd8410HYldv2QSd5tK-HlDTZukp1mcGUJYbTrulir1K5e1P8PXs-k9pZ9zSUBt3ZJDBazPDcOxRdzSAcNKM1TA/s320/Publisher+02.jpg" title="Binder labels." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handwritten binder labels are for suckers.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtLz9RJ0nVw1x9ZrCIt9ZARKVWS3Fzi0TdYG5LwWuljbIsil6GaBfqd_XS7nkKxCT46SJaSWbyrMWcSEAO2SY28OMxvo9P-kpI0Hj37vtOe7SqywUFfpTI6SkpVZMgCETmjkY5JbAxZ0/s1600/Publisher+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Thumbnailing." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtLz9RJ0nVw1x9ZrCIt9ZARKVWS3Fzi0TdYG5LwWuljbIsil6GaBfqd_XS7nkKxCT46SJaSWbyrMWcSEAO2SY28OMxvo9P-kpI0Hj37vtOe7SqywUFfpTI6SkpVZMgCETmjkY5JbAxZ0/s640/Publisher+07.jpg" title="Thumbnailing." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nailed it! Thumbnail logos made easy!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxyerbhNwoq5lOhv2scjAKOthDoz6lMBrEA6nmuXCaePU3IN71odpwaTpbnURS-6ZACi7hdcl7LVnB-Ri6rv43_eUf3aBWJPJybGWq08afeSs6x99jv5oS_inwGF-gyx8XvRhmUOpNtQ/s1600/Publisher+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Marketing ideas." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxyerbhNwoq5lOhv2scjAKOthDoz6lMBrEA6nmuXCaePU3IN71odpwaTpbnURS-6ZACi7hdcl7LVnB-Ri6rv43_eUf3aBWJPJybGWq08afeSs6x99jv5oS_inwGF-gyx8XvRhmUOpNtQ/s320/Publisher+06.jpg" title="Marketing ideas." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Grab change from the lines at lunch and make iron-on designs look great.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><font size="+3"><center><b>PERIPHERALS</b></font></center></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last class of weapon in your arsenal of paper technology is <i>peripherals</i>. That just means the types of other tools you would need to accentuate your publications. For instance, a laminator. Your institution might have one (they come in different flavors: hot and cold). A hot laminator uses temperature to sandwich plastic (could be soft or hard) to a publication. Most soft lamination is not rigid, although it adheres the lamination directly to the document, so you do not need a border around the document. Hard lamination usually requires about one quarter inch border, as the plastic on top fuses to the plastic on the bottom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is also the notion of a cold laminator. The less expensive machines are <a href="http://www.ssww.com/product/?sku=AC955&cm_mmc=Paid+Search-_-Google-_-AdwordsProducts-_-AC955&aid=GOG&cid=2499" target="_blank">powered by a hand crank</a>, but are perfectly viable for schools or home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In either event, laminating provides protection and professionalism to documents.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeaHay2hkeGq8laedqDq5fuLqGfpu33naPN6YPr7sx403aRgwlX-v1pitLYktOXt0rV6dxjH3VBqV8Jk67Ldg5cVJzz23hix3KfUAQZhft8I8ZeeAtWotrjBL7kSOxqOe2HIsf-Hcdx0/s1600/Lamination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hard lamination for ID badges." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeaHay2hkeGq8laedqDq5fuLqGfpu33naPN6YPr7sx403aRgwlX-v1pitLYktOXt0rV6dxjH3VBqV8Jk67Ldg5cVJzz23hix3KfUAQZhft8I8ZeeAtWotrjBL7kSOxqOe2HIsf-Hcdx0/s320/Lamination.jpg" title="Hard lamination for ID badges." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter Parker never had one of these.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are other tools that will help augment publications. Consider getting an inexpensive guillotine paper cutter, a single hole punch, and (if you are particularly creative) a circle cutter. All of them can be purchased at Amazon, Target, Walmart, or your favorite local craft store or stationery store.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7GCpChpVxk2rHo2hKtx0kt5FnW13rVa7AYNr9lKrfTpD7y2M6J3X1VnWlJ_VfJd8WGEsKfgoHhm1dHx4KvMZ5oiAZylwRjfj5PgYYOKslQAQ65B1biNx_TTymOcxlpTfDf6pw7ddE6o/s1600/Tools+of+the+Trade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Images from: ezscrap.net, www.prlog.org, and ecx.images-amazon.com" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7GCpChpVxk2rHo2hKtx0kt5FnW13rVa7AYNr9lKrfTpD7y2M6J3X1VnWlJ_VfJd8WGEsKfgoHhm1dHx4KvMZ5oiAZylwRjfj5PgYYOKslQAQ65B1biNx_TTymOcxlpTfDf6pw7ddE6o/s640/Tools+of+the+Trade.jpg" title="Images from: ezscrap.net, www.prlog.org, and ecx.images-amazon.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tools of the trade.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A nice example of what a $1.00 hole punch can do to streamline grading:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB3ukFkCOBFrbgHqtpDg_dCj9_AOyE9J0TpQasPOboxA_zCMzW-6jr6ro2AFMR4Yi-FbXcB52rm1ei8TJ7zABkmNpo_MhgJ7_1JORWiecQcw9aJ5ZSjxvS8InP-aAGejvu7bpCZcC8S8/s1600/Holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Homemade Scantron." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB3ukFkCOBFrbgHqtpDg_dCj9_AOyE9J0TpQasPOboxA_zCMzW-6jr6ro2AFMR4Yi-FbXcB52rm1ei8TJ7zABkmNpo_MhgJ7_1JORWiecQcw9aJ5ZSjxvS8InP-aAGejvu7bpCZcC8S8/s320/Holes.jpg" title="Homemade Scantron." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homemade Scantron.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last production tool I leave you with is a button maker. Real-deal button makers are pretty expensive. At least one hundred dollars, if you find a used one on eBay. Alternatively, if you don't need to make that many buttons, try out the Badge-A-Minit button maker. For about $30, you can start making buttons. If you really want volume, step up and buy a more robust device. But the <a href="http://www.badgeaminit.com/handpresskits.html" target="_blank">Badge-a-Minit Hand Press</a> works great for low volume runs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out a nifty YouTube video showing how to make them:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have one of these, and it actually is pretty easy to do. I also know that professional presses are much faster and easier to use. If you have a need to make a ton of buttons (for instance, you coach a FIRST Robotics team), do yourself a favor and buy a more professional press.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, that's about all for today. Before you go, I've included part of the marketing campaign I did for our Track and Field team. I designed them in Publisher and printed them on the Phaser. A lot of them. I put these up all over school. I mean, <i>all over</i>. It was neat because the students in the pictures were like celebrities, and it was impactful enough to get students to come out for Track in the Spring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My closing comment is that it took me about 8 hours to construct this post (far more than any other blog entry to date), and the funny thing is that I just talked about paper. No complex hardware or a suave software tutorial. Hopefully you'll be able to take something away from this post, and if you have more to add, please leave a comment. <br /><br />You could leave it in the comment section below, or you can write it on paper and send it to me.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-49224971306286783772013-12-04T12:23:00.003-05:002013-12-04T12:28:04.441-05:00In Defense of the Chromebook!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I'm all about the Chromebook. I think it's really a misunderstood piece of technology. Techy educators love them, Mac users lament them, and everyone else is caught in the crossfire and do not know who to trust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been a Chromebook user for about a year now. And I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are cheap, reliable, productive, and logical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And sexy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded of just how wonderful Chromebooks are, as I received my second one from Amazon this week. I had been using the Samsung Chromebook for about a year, but I was tired of shuttling it between work and home (such a hardship to port a computer that clocks in at just under 2.5 pounds).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was a good excuse to buy the Acer C720 ($269 for the 4GB RAM version). I won't go into the nerdy details (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-11-6-Inch-Haswell-micro-architecture/dp/B00FNPD1OY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386163874&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+c720" target="_blank">look them up at Amazon</a> if you're interested), but it's sleek, fast, and the touchpad is awesome.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVlwUh1K92HXYuP_4SO5rMpwU0FJEP8cH02iDo7zZw8yfexj83kBBZO-1vh5IVgiBoL5GTDL8xxipz8NKOhk4fzdQIw-MzvetRE98aJLuf-A7P6Wc4wuPqH4thb5Yn2p1pVJzUztxmmQ/s1600/FET+-+Chromebook+-+Twins+-+BORDER.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="For starters, it's cheap. My Samsung was $250 last year, and I snagged the Acer 720 (4GB model) for $269 last week. And feature rich. Both of them have solid state hard drives, web cams, SD slots, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and HDMI out. All that is pretty sick for a light computer." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVlwUh1K92HXYuP_4SO5rMpwU0FJEP8cH02iDo7zZw8yfexj83kBBZO-1vh5IVgiBoL5GTDL8xxipz8NKOhk4fzdQIw-MzvetRE98aJLuf-A7P6Wc4wuPqH4thb5Yn2p1pVJzUztxmmQ/s320/FET+-+Chromebook+-+Twins+-+BORDER.JPG" title="For starters, it's cheap. My Samsung was $250 last year, and I snagged the Acer 720 (4GB model) for $269 last week. And feature rich. Both of them have solid state hard drives, web cams, SD slots, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and HDMI out. All that is pretty sick for a light computer." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Now I can be twice as productive!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of drooling over how beautiful the machine is, I thought it would be appropriate to defend the Chromebook against all the Negative Nancies out there.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hot Swappable</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since all work and information (including bookmarks, extensions, and profile information) is stored in the cloud, Chromebooks are nothing more than gateways. If you break or lose your Chromebook, just log into another one, and you won't skip a beat. Everything will be there. If you don't really leverage the potency of Google Chrome or Google Drive, then you probably won't see the value in a Chromebook. But I suggest you start using <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">Google Drive</a>. The gateway mentality is especially useful in classrooms, where computers can break. With Chromebooks, there is virtually no disruption of workflow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Battery Life</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Acer goes strong for about 7.5 hours, and my Samsung can do about 6 hours. Perfect for the workday (I use my desktop while in my office, but my Chromebook for all my meetings). Extended battery life is great for schools, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Quick Boot Up</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both computers go from a shut-down to fully operational in under 10 seconds (the Acer can do it in about 6). From sleeping, the time is closer to 3 seconds for both computers. When I taught Computer Science at a local high school, older computers could take 10 minutes to boot up (and then install updates). Speaking of updates, the Chromebook doesn't really have any noticeable updates (yeah, there are updates, but they are automatic and blazing fast).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cloud-based Paradigm</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot of collateral learning that occurs with a Chromebook, mostly on file storage and living in the cloud. Naysayers claim that cloud-living isn't safe or effective. To them, I point out that email with web access, bank statements, and a host of other services <i>are</i> cloud-based; chances are you've been living in the cloud without even knowing it. And regardless of if you want to be living in the cloud or not, you probably will be using it in the future. It will slowly creep it's way into your life, bit by bit, piece by piece. One day, you will wake up and realize that most of what you do is in the cloud. And on that day, you will be complete (and you'll think back to today, and wish you had bought a Chromebook). A major criticism of the Chromebook is that "it can't work without internet access". This is not true - a Chromebook can't access the internet without internet access, but it can run offline. Many apps are designed to allow offline work (and upload when connection is restored).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Productive</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most polarizing aspect of the Chromebook is the production value that it provides. Critics argue Chromebooks are only for glorified web browsing. I, however, disagree. I think it's perfect for most people. I work in education, and almost everything I need can be done on the Chromebook. Sometimes people will ask about loading Microsoft Office on to their Chromebook. The answer is no - but that shouldn't be a deal breaker! My snarky answer is, "Why do you need Office? Google Docs functions just as well, but are easier to collaborate with and are more portable". But my follow-up answer is that Microsoft has a cloud equivalent - <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">Microsoft SkyDrive</a> - that allows you to work on Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote) online. For free! And it totally works from a Chromebook.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsWuydDuc825pc1pxu4x1390Xm_4ihEaxhwjKME23eBiwyfZdWIHWZecG7K67nM_SHX1T7fluuAzoMKAFGna3uB3JyrVwTJiRlkZ7sJPoykjnVyPCLDEQgouNUa6Hk13_FsPIqVAaImA/s1600/FET+-+Chromebook+-+SkyDrive+Capture+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using Microsoft SkyDrive on a Chromebook" border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsWuydDuc825pc1pxu4x1390Xm_4ihEaxhwjKME23eBiwyfZdWIHWZecG7K67nM_SHX1T7fluuAzoMKAFGna3uB3JyrVwTJiRlkZ7sJPoykjnVyPCLDEQgouNUa6Hk13_FsPIqVAaImA/s640/FET+-+Chromebook+-+SkyDrive+Capture+-+BORDER.jpg" title="Using Microsoft SkyDrive on a Chromebook" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Word to your Chromebook.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find that I can do some light coding from <a href="http://www.compileonline.com/" target="_blank">www.compileonline.com</a>, as well. In many different languages. I don't code for a living (if I did, I'd use a fully featured IDE on a sweet production machine), but this is really slick as a cloud solution:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uWWKJdyVhhmrUfZEGgdNNa3Uv9Byh-SiL5CFLNitHdTZmXmOgjNc4HKJfHK7_FSoxrOuS9sX_jz81MVjkMQuU3c0iKMX84KVSqNyOai1xWdc8s7LHc-xptdt05sQDln4GogiCt48tFw/s1600/FET+-+Chromebook+-+CompileOnline+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://www.compileonline.com/ as a platform to code in the cloud" border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uWWKJdyVhhmrUfZEGgdNNa3Uv9Byh-SiL5CFLNitHdTZmXmOgjNc4HKJfHK7_FSoxrOuS9sX_jz81MVjkMQuU3c0iKMX84KVSqNyOai1xWdc8s7LHc-xptdt05sQDln4GogiCt48tFw/s640/FET+-+Chromebook+-+CompileOnline+-+BORDER.jpg" title="http://www.compileonline.com/ as a platform to code in the cloud" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Coding in the cloud!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a power user with Adobe Photoshop, but I use it enough to consider myself an average user. It's great if you have a solid computer and a license for it. Orrrrrr.... you could use <a href="http://pixlr.com/" target="_blank">Pixlr</a>. This cloud based photo editing software is surprisingly fully featured, and I use it for whatever editing I need (there is also an "express" version that helps for frames, effects, and other quick fixes). Oh yeah, and it ties in to Google Drive <i>seamlessly</i>. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIrb0SinNjCPbt60XyZYT_cn7hjfrSOPHbWLOqwiSWgFhP3hmIY6gWutXWbx0Cj2oo40xWbQxifBDigs1r1HUn5mhFLRn9sLxUhRavK8fMIYyTC1FQTOPMBlH9lZgp02p7hFdL7-JhSw/s1600/FET+-+Chromebook+-+Pixlr+Screenshot+-+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://pixlr.com/ as a photo editor" border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIrb0SinNjCPbt60XyZYT_cn7hjfrSOPHbWLOqwiSWgFhP3hmIY6gWutXWbx0Cj2oo40xWbQxifBDigs1r1HUn5mhFLRn9sLxUhRavK8fMIYyTC1FQTOPMBlH9lZgp02p7hFdL7-JhSw/s640/FET+-+Chromebook+-+Pixlr+Screenshot+-+BORDER.jpg" title="http://pixlr.com/ as a photo editor" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy sailors!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are merely just a taste of the things you can do completely online. Take a look at your daily tasks. If it is just using a web browser, Office, and some other software that has a cloud equivalent, you should really consider a Chromebook (my favorite, to date, is the Acer c720 with 4GB of RAM). It's a game changer in the sense that you'll be happy to carry around a cheap, lightweight, fully functional device with a long battery life that is more productive than an iPad (I forgot to mention that the Chromebook can process sites with Flash).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong - I have an iPad. And I like it. I use it a lot. But it doesn't have the production quality of my Chromebook. I can't navigate as well. I can't leverage Google Drive as well. I can't multitask as well. I love the iPad for presenting and consuming, but not for producing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to Pixlr, CodingOnline, and SkyDrive, the <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/apps?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=ha-en-na-us-webapp-collections-editors_picks&utm_medium=ha" target="_blank">Chrome Web Store</a> has hundreds of high quality apps that are free (some cost money, but most are free). And you can find extensions <i>and</i> desktop apps there. I have apps for almost everything I do (video editing, video conversion, PDF creating/editing, audio editing, etc.).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I own nine computers, but the Chromebook (despite it's cheap price) is my preferred option. I can do everything I need with it. Everything I do for my blog is done with a Chromebook (web browser, <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit-google-chrome.html" target="_blank">Snagit</a> to get screen shots, Pixlr to edit them).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are a graphic designer, desktop publisher, or video editor, you probably have software and a machine that works for you. You probably wouldn't use a Chromebook for most of your work tasks. But if you are like me (pretty nerdy with a lot of interests but not talented enough to use the Adobe suite everyday), then grab a Chromebook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll thank me next year when you wake up and realize you live in the cloud. </span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-53511513956212750952013-11-27T05:30:00.000-05:002013-11-27T11:20:20.255-05:00Mobile Mentality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A preemptive apology - this post will not be Earth-shattering. It won't be terribly exciting. And it might not even seem like it is relevant to anything you are doing in the classroom.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beauty in fringe educational technology is the subtlety with which it exists in everything you do as an educator. I've said it before - technology isn't really technology until it is </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">used</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and that sentiment translates to all realms of technology. A Smartboard is just a tool. A teacher who doesn't know how to use it properly only hinders the flow of the class, whereas a talented educator is an artist with the Smartboard, painting a beautiful lesson with only the tools that add to the fluidity of the lesson.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sentiment that the technology is a persistent lens through which the educator looks - a unifying theme that quietly runs through every minutiae of the class - is the most important realization in the implementation of technology in the classroom. It is the responsible use of handcrafted, tailored technology that yields a handcrafted, custom, almost artisan experience for the learners.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is with this thought that I introduce a philosophy I call <i>mobile mentality</i>. It's important. It's really important. And unfortunately, it is very underrated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mobile mentality is a guiding principle for how you, as an educator, craft your materials (both online resources as well as documents to distribute in class). More and more students are consuming information on mobile platforms (phones and tablets), although there hasn't really been an effort for educators to bear this in mind as the resources are created.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a few simple guidelines I recommend for designing materials, whether it is for online consumption or as a hard copy to be distributed (the latter is very important, as resources you design now may be put online later, or even translated to eBooks as they become more popular - it's better to future-proof them now as opposed to retrofitting them later).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simple things to keep in mind:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bulleted and numbered lists are okay, but try not to use more than one or two levels of indenting. Sure, on a widescreen computer there are no issues. But when a massively indented list is rendered on a device with a screen that is only 2.5 inches across, it breaks up the text into a disjointed word puzzle. The screenshot below juxtaposes a desktop view with a mobile view.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2QL8UOx_X8PmwsKTtcSAF7C47vWsCGeWUqOxnOoxS94gjG0j8-KfLNg6_VEeN5EFLgAcZBV3vvX8jUX5q1XVdkJk-8Kkr20dbVFn-R7ANbOrJgQUn6vGgBqj9c7o59oioqB_hnDPawk/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Indents+-+Cropped+-+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Side by side comparison: Desktop vs Mobile" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2QL8UOx_X8PmwsKTtcSAF7C47vWsCGeWUqOxnOoxS94gjG0j8-KfLNg6_VEeN5EFLgAcZBV3vvX8jUX5q1XVdkJk-8Kkr20dbVFn-R7ANbOrJgQUn6vGgBqj9c7o59oioqB_hnDPawk/s640/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Indents+-+Cropped+-+Border.jpg" title="Side by side comparison: Desktop vs Mobile" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>E.E. Cummings designs mobile sites. </i></span></td></tr>
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<ul></ul>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tables (and other objects) are better off being based as a percentage (instead of pixels). A table that is 500 pixels wide would spill off the screen of a device that can only display 400 pixels, whereas a table that is 100% wide will always resize to the screen of the device. This is especially important to know when using Blackboard or ANGEL, as the table size defaults to 200px (200 pixels). Replace "200px" with "200%", and you're in business.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PQF23PSRNsxjUxcvw1n2LRaKy1aXAAlljbD_ivQhsRhMWG51pGBPlQ2Ae1ZH1PLs5dhufN-2uXmEUJtGNi-E5Qgenb67g0KzjQZGmq9YL74EolzmOBI4Rgz1-CA6tRI3u1dE7L-OkCY/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+(NEW)+-+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Table - percentage versus pixel" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PQF23PSRNsxjUxcvw1n2LRaKy1aXAAlljbD_ivQhsRhMWG51pGBPlQ2Ae1ZH1PLs5dhufN-2uXmEUJtGNi-E5Qgenb67g0KzjQZGmq9YL74EolzmOBI4Rgz1-CA6tRI3u1dE7L-OkCY/s400/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+(NEW)+-+Cropped.jpg" title="Table - percentage versus pixel" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Size matters.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get crazy with layout. Generally speaking, it is better to be simple. Unless you have experience with graphic design, don't pretend that you have experience with graphic design. When your materials inevitably get converted to eBook form or are put online, the simpler they are, the better. Don't try to group text with pictures. Write some text, center a picture underneath it, and then write more text. It sounds tired and uninspired, but it's guaranteed to look really clean and professional.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jckne26e9w1upa6l-LuhX8PeMZKpoALHw5nwMVlGC-TO7FeVpgNlVBLrcWn6wlwliXv123xDnFy0NH0S1kT7lJ7Iggg0U4aluAWf-2EZbLUe-8VVJKvt1UBDWNc18v6je7D2HgThu2w/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+iPhone+Photo+BOTH.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iPhone view - Complicated versus Straight Forward" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jckne26e9w1upa6l-LuhX8PeMZKpoALHw5nwMVlGC-TO7FeVpgNlVBLrcWn6wlwliXv123xDnFy0NH0S1kT7lJ7Iggg0U4aluAWf-2EZbLUe-8VVJKvt1UBDWNc18v6je7D2HgThu2w/s640/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+iPhone+Photo+BOTH.PNG" title="iPhone view - Complicated versus Straight Forward" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>iFormat is iBetter with iSimplicity.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using tables is a tricky proposition. Tables work better if they only have one or two columns. If the data can be structured accordingly, then go for a table (remember to base it on percentage). Otherwise, consider alternatives. In the following example, the text was broken up by horizontal lines and centered titles as opposed to a table. When rendering on a mobile device, avoiding tables provides a much better experience.</span> </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN67Pka__icrCMlSi5RFncksx4U5IVwn0LYiAjY6Xqnfn5jwTOVvSJoOEBTsEvM2ByYj6IYFxBar9uMb1ugo-xwMd_dZXc7W5y7jVVnxTsnINTeh5lgei2-n_4q0iMhJV3DUK9D8VtjA/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Text+and+Tables+-+TABLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using Tables to organize data." border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN67Pka__icrCMlSi5RFncksx4U5IVwn0LYiAjY6Xqnfn5jwTOVvSJoOEBTsEvM2ByYj6IYFxBar9uMb1ugo-xwMd_dZXc7W5y7jVVnxTsnINTeh5lgei2-n_4q0iMhJV3DUK9D8VtjA/s400/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Text+and+Tables+-+TABLE.jpg" title="Using Tables to organize data." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tables are for suckers.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDW82Edc2YaVgqsNgFxMJBnrCw8n_tv3JwJhNcDqubsEWPxRAk6lAqJyU4RxmqUnkFv0wlDQ5RN1SYwOpRxmzcG4ystWvqdsuqEnvIIXIbFou8AbrFDDhv6x7es2DtWl8uqvjpvpISgqg/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Text+and+Tables+-+CENTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="NOT using Tables to organize data." border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDW82Edc2YaVgqsNgFxMJBnrCw8n_tv3JwJhNcDqubsEWPxRAk6lAqJyU4RxmqUnkFv0wlDQ5RN1SYwOpRxmzcG4ystWvqdsuqEnvIIXIbFou8AbrFDDhv6x7es2DtWl8uqvjpvpISgqg/s400/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Text+and+Tables+-+CENTER.jpg" title="NOT using Tables to organize data." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally! A good use for a horizontal rule!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should probably use the </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">alt</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">title</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> tag when inserting images. The difference between the two tags is small, and unless you are a nerdy web developer, you don't need to know the difference (although you can <a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/image-alt-text-vs-image-title-whats-the-difference/" target="_blank">check out this nice discussion</a> if you want). I usually use the same text in my alt tag as I do in my title tag of any image, but to be in 508 compliance, you <i>must</i> use the alt tag.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Microsoft Word (and most online developing tools) have an often ignored function known as <i>Styles</i>. You've probably seen it, but thought to yourself that it is just easier to highlight, bold, and center a title instead of going <i>all the way</i> to the Style menu. Next time, though, use Styles. They aren't hard to customize, and will save you time in the long run. There are <a href="http://shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/usebuiltinheadingstyles.html" target="_blank">a lot of reasons to use them</a>, but the most important is that if Styles are implemented in Word, then it translates much better when online, as well as when converted to an eBook. </span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know that PDF's are probably the best way to distribute information because anyone can read it, and you know the integrity of the layout is preserved. However, PDF files are probably one of the worst for distributing to mobile devices. Different PDF readers will display the document differently, and there is usually a need to zoom in and "pan and scan" the PDF if reading it on a mobile device. The picture below indicates the inability for mobile screens to display a PDF easily.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEzvyx9OGdwBkOF6IcUwrVv8_P-jtD0UoLkQIb-znTSoMVlD5sekzKXJnOa1zOYfrckCxhns8bl4uqNbuzoKi3PYSMaj7739tDax7a5PqPU29D7R8RBCJE_7XNyZU0P3KximFBXuf3X4/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+S4+-+PDF.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Viewing a PDF on a smart phone." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEzvyx9OGdwBkOF6IcUwrVv8_P-jtD0UoLkQIb-znTSoMVlD5sekzKXJnOa1zOYfrckCxhns8bl4uqNbuzoKi3PYSMaj7739tDax7a5PqPU29D7R8RBCJE_7XNyZU0P3KximFBXuf3X4/s400/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+S4+-+PDF.PNG" title="Viewing a PDF on a smart phone." width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Remember when reading a PDF used to be so simple?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<ul>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put borders around graphics. A thin, "hairline" border is sufficient. But if the image doesn't have a transparent background, it will look like a seventh grade science fair project when it is used on backgrounds different than what it was intended for. Consider this <a href="http://www.containerstore.com/catalogimages/141837/LegoBox_x.jpg" target="_blank">picture of some Legos</a>, which has a white background so it looks nice and neat on this particular page:</span></li>
<br />
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LgXNWRDlVr3OSw9c7NsY61-hYSJUzloi2TBpgzSYC4KUIsLrE0S0E8EhH8Pv1Aiup8QcVdT-G6lsJMHejCvX00Gcf5ner3_bAwhD78CKMfw7Cuk9kbGCfZBK_vCVHayGFfsanZ0vfE0/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Lego+-+WBK.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Legos - White background, but on a white page" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LgXNWRDlVr3OSw9c7NsY61-hYSJUzloi2TBpgzSYC4KUIsLrE0S0E8EhH8Pv1Aiup8QcVdT-G6lsJMHejCvX00Gcf5ner3_bAwhD78CKMfw7Cuk9kbGCfZBK_vCVHayGFfsanZ0vfE0/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Lego+-+WBK.JPG" title="Legos - White background, but on a white page" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem is that when this image is rendered onto a page with a colored background, it becomes clear that the image has a white background and doesn't look quite right. Ameliorate this by putting a black border around the image (either in the HTML editor, or better yet, use photo editing software to put an actual border around the image).</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3RPH5_OVMknZ-SiuchTaWzRFSjyYx8RSYa_SzOhZ1mmPdHrK7MS2UHp_oeoG-TFE8uGl-bafzIZQX9ztOxAwpEkTKyBUlcpO6vOwYZ-0Vx9er5Dt1XUczTpVkprOdo8zLKjvlyMt8zo/s1600/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Lego+-+Different+Flavors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Different types of border control" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3RPH5_OVMknZ-SiuchTaWzRFSjyYx8RSYa_SzOhZ1mmPdHrK7MS2UHp_oeoG-TFE8uGl-bafzIZQX9ztOxAwpEkTKyBUlcpO6vOwYZ-0Vx9er5Dt1XUczTpVkprOdo8zLKjvlyMt8zo/s640/FET+-+Mobile+Mentality+-+Lego+-+Different+Flavors.jpg" title="Different types of border control" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Legos never looked so unappealing.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span></ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I might not have adequately articulated the full impact of the importance of mobile mentality, but trust me when I say it is important. Just because <i>you</i> don't use mobile devices, doesn't mean your clientele doesn't. And just because you don't think your work will ever live online or in an eBook doesn't mean that it won't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, to view any website on your desktop as if it were being viewed on a mobile device, install the Glimpse extension for Google Chrome. It's a reliable indicator of how a site you are on would render on a mobile device.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Save yourself some trouble and embody some mobile mentality. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-89110152828569188312013-11-20T13:18:00.002-05:002013-11-20T23:50:22.020-05:00Snagit. Annotateit. Shareit. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of you have been using TechSmith's products (</span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Snagit</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Camtasia</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Jing</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/screencastcom.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Screencast.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to name a few) for years. And with good reason - they are excellent products. For educators, trainers, and tutorial makers, these products offer free solutions </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and reasonably priced versions)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to capturing and annotating screens.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, they just upped the ante.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TechSmith's products have always been top notch, and have offered great cloud storage. But with the proliferation of Chromebooks and other lightweight devices, web-based solutions have been the predominant trend for software - squeezing out applications that require installation on a computer.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b8eXG64_7Tk3fU9T6KA9SIfb16g5vUJXKUaiACa-qPVw4YVmkzwLmIlBocHP-trEdWNhin7mcrfOa_t0pL8dRMoTcKSU1VzZrxWWITdsGxCeX0kpcPDFuuHpCA6C-tYaT65MWFoUY08/s1600/Snagit+-+Google+Maps.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snaggin a sweet spot!" border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b8eXG64_7Tk3fU9T6KA9SIfb16g5vUJXKUaiACa-qPVw4YVmkzwLmIlBocHP-trEdWNhin7mcrfOa_t0pL8dRMoTcKSU1VzZrxWWITdsGxCeX0kpcPDFuuHpCA6C-tYaT65MWFoUY08/s320/Snagit+-+Google+Maps.png" title="Snaggin a sweet spot!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I just snagged a sweet place in Florida.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, TechSmith officially released </span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit-google-chrome.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Snagit for Chrome</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It is a completely web-based screen capture and annotating tool. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screenshots on a computer (even a Chromebook) are not new. Historically, if I wanted a screenshot from my Chromebook, I would have to use the screenshot function (CTRL + "Window" key). Then edit it (I use <a href="http://pixlr.com/" target="_blank">Pixlr</a>, which is great cloud-based software for editing photos). Then save it in my Google Drive. Then upload it to where I wanted it. It wasn't terribly inconvenient, but it certainly wasn't seamless. Sure, there were other apps out there too. So Snagit for Chrome by TechSmith didn't really introduce a new product; they introduced a new <i>workflow</i>. And that is why the software is so appealing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Case in point - I had been using the Pixlr Grabber app. But it is fairly piecewise, as it interrupts the flow by asking questions along the way to help channel the end product. Snagit for Chrome is quick and to the point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two components that make the Snagit experience top notch - a Chrome Extension that lets the user capture any image from the browser, and the Chrome app that empowers the user to manage all the captures (as well as annotate them).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once both components are installed (it sounds daunting, but really all you do is press a button), it is smooth sailing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first step is to take the screenshot using the Snagit Extension.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DSYqBqMKfY_oCR1z3j-ToM6OTeQo1HrvKa-qKD5FGzPE7_fn02R9rgVa2qQvbrethvSXFB7CX6UHdiSz6c2rooFwbkgZZTIgfyT2aO3-TUJe0MAFDM6f31J2oj-rsQjwjt_777USm28/s1600/Snagit+-+Chrome+Extension+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snagit Extension in Google Chrome." border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DSYqBqMKfY_oCR1z3j-ToM6OTeQo1HrvKa-qKD5FGzPE7_fn02R9rgVa2qQvbrethvSXFB7CX6UHdiSz6c2rooFwbkgZZTIgfyT2aO3-TUJe0MAFDM6f31J2oj-rsQjwjt_777USm28/s320/Snagit+-+Chrome+Extension+BORDER.jpg" title="Snagit Extension in Google Chrome." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After installation, the Snagit extension is poised for action across all your Chrome browsers!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, use the crosshair to define the boundaries of the image. While dragging, the crosshair will display the current size of the image. Alternatively, there is a button in the lower right hand corner that lets the user take a shot of the entire window.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj360_rRjES1Yl40aBI1syZfDxfMua-9VZQ-1_hnz_ii2YRNRH5O888j_TAZPf3SJR4_XGP6NVo089Gu_K75l1Xv_ytppMKBnNB7fV8gUe6-1jrOpyAca1a9TI_hfh9gDqgOe3YKSIzSE/s1600/Snagit+-+Snagging.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snagging a portion of a screen with Snagit." border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj360_rRjES1Yl40aBI1syZfDxfMua-9VZQ-1_hnz_ii2YRNRH5O888j_TAZPf3SJR4_XGP6NVo089Gu_K75l1Xv_ytppMKBnNB7fV8gUe6-1jrOpyAca1a9TI_hfh9gDqgOe3YKSIzSE/s640/Snagit+-+Snagging.png" title="Snagging a portion of a screen with Snagit." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This picture is a snagging a Snagit. Mind = blown.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snagit will automatically pop open the Chrome app, which allows for simple annotations. There are a few things going on right now that are genius in their simplicity:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Opening the screenshot in the app provides a seamless and immediate way to modify the picture.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title of the screenshot can be changed from this screen (this is subtle but distinct advantage over competing software, where the name must be changed from the file structure of Google Drive).</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The annotating functions are simple. More substantive extensions like Evernote are bogged down by the complexity of their functionality, and the user experience is more fragmented.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All changes are saved instantaneously.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The file can be shared immediately.</span></li>
</ol>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkz4wYHJWgan0zmKAfLywsI5lrEryPOMDbdyeO-lETT89gxh6zmDL2-MwCB-JCOFjuow-EU5-NO_CXoV3zOrS06iSiIZ0c4tjvvOHs6AeUSqa9HR1nfcgX5ioivBGR6gIhODGTgkPaWo/s1600/Snagit+-+Side+By+Side+II.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snagit prevails again! Before and after!" border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkz4wYHJWgan0zmKAfLywsI5lrEryPOMDbdyeO-lETT89gxh6zmDL2-MwCB-JCOFjuow-EU5-NO_CXoV3zOrS06iSiIZ0c4tjvvOHs6AeUSqa9HR1nfcgX5ioivBGR6gIhODGTgkPaWo/s640/Snagit+-+Side+By+Side+II.png" title="Snagit prevails again! Before and after!" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Before and after. Snagging is too easy with Snagit.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All images are stored, by default, in the TechSmith folder that is created in the root directory of Google Drive (they can be moved later). Launching the app at any time brings up the current contents of the library, and double clicking on a thumbnail in the library opens up the annotating piece (yes, it is possible to add annotations at a later date, although it appears as if the image is flattened when the software closes, so it is only possible to delete annotations during the session they are made).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zc871S5W7pKBLURpoE__MqpUS6-La0Nlxci23T9SknExietQtu_EM8JwTyfzUwpDH7QCxsdUq3vAuOHvPxpgBrZK-AkY5lT5QTFhd8AWSxib3qUFcsMOBHXJ30iK1IA_RRF1K7OOXcs/s1600/Snagit+-+Library+BORDER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="My Snagit Library." border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zc871S5W7pKBLURpoE__MqpUS6-La0Nlxci23T9SknExietQtu_EM8JwTyfzUwpDH7QCxsdUq3vAuOHvPxpgBrZK-AkY5lT5QTFhd8AWSxib3qUFcsMOBHXJ30iK1IA_RRF1K7OOXcs/s320/Snagit+-+Library+BORDER.jpg" title="My Snagit Library." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Books are for suckers! My library is full of Snagits!<br />(Just kidding. I like books, too).</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, I think TechSmith did it right. They identified a problem that Chromebook users (as well as desktop users who want simple and immediate integration with Google Drive) experienced, and then designed a simple, easy solution.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I have only played with it for a little while, I can already see some classroom applications. First and foremost, I really like the collateral learning that comes from using Snagit for Chrome. As students are transitioning from traditional computing and storage models to more cloud-based models, Snagit provides a tangible example of how to manage files within the cloud (as well as providing stellar examples of how to use browser extensions as well as Chrome Apps). </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is also a teachable moment in copyrights and attributing. Educators should be diligent in helping students properly cite where the screenshot came from (by URL). It would be pretty snazzy if the Chrome App was able to store the URL with the photo so the user could access it at a later date.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also believe there is a workflow lesson and file management lesson in Snagit. Currently, one of the limitations (and I hesitate to even use that word) is that all the Snagit images are stored in a root folder called "TechSmith" in Google Drive. Although not initially an issue, as more images are stored, the library will fill up quickly. The Snagit Chrome App does not seem to recognize a folder structure, so it is probably best to move images to other folders once they have served their purpose. Happily, I have great file hygiene so my Snagit images are filed appropriately.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collateral learning aside, there are other times when I think Snagit for Chrome would be beneficial:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any art class (photography, art history, architecture, etc.) where students need to aggregate photos could use Snagit to apprehend (and comment!) images from online. Those images can be stored in a folder and then shared, or placed into a blog or Google Docs Presentation.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Science classes may find a use for students to label diagrams (anatomy, for instance) as homework assignments.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing intensive classes could use Snagit as a lightweight commenting solution for papers (although there are better options out there, most require the use of accounts). Schools without Google Apps for Education may find better luck using Snagit for Chrome as an alternative to a cobbled together Google Drive solution for sharing documents.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an online perspective, I often hear students claim, "the exam wasn't open for me" or "I submitted it, but I don't know what happened". Snagit for Chrome gives students a chance to create a "Proof-of-Purchase" to capture (and annotate) their submissions or problems they encounter.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I configured a hotkey command to help expedite my Snagit experience, which only furthered the seamless process. Chrome does not seem to allow the hotkeys to work in standalone apps (like my <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/11/improving-my-workflowy.html" target="_blank">Workflowy</a> app), although if I really needed a screenshot of it, I could open it in a browser. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snagit is also now my go-to mechanism for cropping photos. Again, Pixlr is great for photo editing, but Snagit is quicker and easier for cropping. Just open the image in Google Drive Viewer, and Snagit will crop, retitle, and save a new version.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as an instructional designer, making training materials for online resources just got a lot easier. Snagit for Chrome is a great balance of simplicity, storing, sharing, and annotating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should go out and snag it right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-41509217310981115142013-11-13T00:45:00.001-05:002013-12-02T14:48:27.754-05:00Improving My WorkFlowy<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a teacher, I'm always looking for ways to improve my workflow. As an educational technologist, I'm also looking for ways to improve my workflow. As a human being, I am constantly looking for ways to improve my workflow.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeZVsUHczVY08zLHq7vEyCTkxj1izO_iAKjxlQGeQ9l9pMQXetYsEJn9JA8Hh4SVZ9n_W7BHGeoeBy6gwN6ZCD7VrbVAMb3EEf1I0GKOD-6W7Koyz4KXtyXxIiOi37aQGJElnXtQx7Vc/s1600/LOGO+-+Workflowy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Workflowy Logo" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeZVsUHczVY08zLHq7vEyCTkxj1izO_iAKjxlQGeQ9l9pMQXetYsEJn9JA8Hh4SVZ9n_W7BHGeoeBy6gwN6ZCD7VrbVAMb3EEf1I0GKOD-6W7Koyz4KXtyXxIiOi37aQGJElnXtQx7Vc/s200/LOGO+-+Workflowy.png" title="Workflowy Logo" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cool software demands a cool logo.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I've encountered a promising piece of software to do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it's free.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it ties in to Google Drive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it has a Chrome desktop app.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there's an app for my iPhone (Android coming soon, but the browser version works great on mobile devices).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For starters, <a href="https://workflowy.com/" target="_blank">WorkFlowy</a> is a very practical note taking/list making app. It's really an enhanced tool for lists, but also a lightweight project management tool. Where I work, we have the real-deal Microsoft Project. But it is pretty complex for the smaller scale projects my department does. WorkFlowy is the perfect lightweight solution, and has a few features that make the simple interface standout from similar apps:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has infinite indenting (zooming)</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Portions of the list (you decide which ones!) can be shared</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It supports tags which can be filtered</span></li>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">#soon</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - use the hashtag for tasks, timelines, etc.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">@dave</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - use the at sign for assigning tasks to people</span></li>
<br />
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It can be embedded in a webpage <i>and</i> you don't need an account to view a shared, embedded file, so it is perfect for embedding in an LMS</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It copies and pastes spectacularly from a Google Document</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's easy to mark an item as done (and see that it is done)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It lives in the cloud and is <i>easily accessible</i> from any device</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has a "starring" notion, so you can favorite certain pages (which is really just saving different page views, as you are only allocated one "WorkFlowy" to contain <i>everything</i>; you just get to dive deeper to get to more granular items</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even without an account, a viewer of a shared list can print or export the content</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since this blog isn't a tutorial blog, I'm not going to go over how to use it. If you want to learn how to use it, create a free account and then watch the help videos (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6k5sR_4qJY" target="_blank">or watch one of their tutorials on YouTube</a>). But I do want to discuss the merits of using it in the classroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before we get to that, check out the embedded document. Go ahead and interact with it. If you click on the large, light grey circles, you will "zoom" in to the item. At first I just thought this was a really slick visual, but then I realized that honing in on an item allows you to focus on a specific topic (without the distraction of all the other pending tasks). You can also expand the topics by hovering over the text and pressing the "+" sign to expand the list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also try searching for "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">@john</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">", "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">@markV</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">", or "</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">#bringToWork</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" to see projects that are "assigned" to John or Mark, as well as the tag to remind me to bring items to work.</span><br />
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<div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe height="500" src="https://workflowy.com/shared/bbd6b518-127c-61f4-a6a0-0c19dccd5cfa/" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Embedding in a narrow space omits the menus in the upper right hand side, but you get the idea. Try interacting with the lists I've shared. Either click on the circles before each item or expand them with the "+" sign. You can also <a href="https://workflowy.com/shared/bbd6b518-127c-61f4-a6a0-0c19dccd5cfa/" target="_blank">click this link to see WorkFlowy</a> the way it was intended to be experienced.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few thoughts of how this could be used in educational arenas:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AGGREGATING RESEARCH<br />While I think Evernote is a bigger product and has more features, sometimes you really want something simple. For those times, WorkFlowy is the answer. Using the "link only" security by obscurity model (or private invites with the pro version) to invite collaborators (no need for them to have an account). It's great for computer neophyte collaborators, and it's great for people who want fast, portable, and reliable list-making and note taking software.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OUTLINES FOR WRITING<br />They say the art of writing evolution has been lost. I say that it hasn't (Google Documents allow for a granular history of changes, and <a href="http://piratepad.net/" target="_blank">PiratePad</a> even has a sweet "time slider" function that lets you watch the evolution like a stop-action movie). Similarly, WorkFlowy lends itself well to outlining essays, research papers, or any other document. Some people even compose their writing in WorkFlowy.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">JOURNALS<br />For classes where keeping a journal is important, WorkFlowy could provide a perfect solution. The topical organization can be enhanced by having dates and times be sub-headings, and students can share their journal entries with faculty.</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOTES IN MEETINGS<br />Currently, I use Google Drive to manage my notes in every meeting I'm in. I usually copy (or import) the agenda from my email (if I get an agenda), and then I annotate it during the meeting. With a solid hierarchy of folders, this system works well for me. I think it would work really well with WorkFlowy, as well. One deficiency is that WorkFlowy doesn't seem to allow attachments or images (both of which are important to me), but I suspect many people just want a common venue with an intuitive interface for note taking. Enter WorkFlowy.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came across a few other people who have implemented WorkFlowy. Ava Jae <a href="http://avajae.blogspot.com/2013/05/writing-tool-workflowy.html" target="_blank">suggests using it as a brainstorming tool</a>, and I wholeheartedly agree. It seems perfect for brainstorming, planning, and outlining. Paul Wood talks about how <a href="http://www.violinist.com/blog/woodywoodwoodiii/20135/14631/" target="_blank">he used it as a violin teacher</a>. And Margaret shows how it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDb4iwBRJuY" target="_blank">helped her plan her wedding</a> in a three minute YouTube video. I think this piece of software is very extensible, and attractive to users because it is really technology that enables people to effortlessly adapt it to their needs.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One word of caution before you start to use it - the free version only allows for 250 items (so don't start a project or list and find out that you can't use it without paying). The pro version is very inexpensive - $5 a month or $50 a year. With the pro version, you get unlimited lists, backup to Dropbox (which you can do manually), private collaboration, offline editing (which the desktop app supports now), themes, and technical support. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note that you can also extend your free, 250 item quota by getting other people to join.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In general, I'm a fan of the freemium model. And in this case, I upgraded. I really think it's worth it. WorkFlowy is a solid product with great features, and the folks who created it seem like really good people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're still not sold on WorkFlowy, create an account or watch this video. If you still aren't sold, make an itemized list and tell me why.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CSmbnaPZVHE" width="420"></iframe>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Dude. Organize your brain.</i></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-43487048853569842112013-11-07T21:51:00.000-05:002013-11-13T08:43:14.818-05:00IFTTT<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LeGUp3zGFFjRI_P5YlktbF9_OoXqF6LNJaE3wyXLG0wgASGL-9uKCvdHAfklsBfYa-NDzFOFsVi5kMxvVfUZ0XpeG8k5HrCQb3pipbr7YlUz9cYRiyJpO58nPPExKSB4bFXiUliK3wc/s1600/ifttt-logo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="If This Then That" border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LeGUp3zGFFjRI_P5YlktbF9_OoXqF6LNJaE3wyXLG0wgASGL-9uKCvdHAfklsBfYa-NDzFOFsVi5kMxvVfUZ0XpeG8k5HrCQb3pipbr7YlUz9cYRiyJpO58nPPExKSB4bFXiUliK3wc/s320/ifttt-logo.jpeg" title="If This Then That" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If This Then That.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I don't think as many people are using IFTTT (<b>If This, Then That</b> - and it's pronounced as a rhyme with "sift") as there should be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Frankly, it's pretty awesome. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll get to some classroom uses in a few moments, but let's check out what the product does first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Anyone who starts an account at <a href="http://www.ifttt.com/" target="_blank">IFTTT</a> can link many of their accounts (Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, for example) as a "channel". Once a channel is activated, it can be used to create "Recipes". A Recipe automates a task that you might do manually. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd4CgAeF1YlTD0H7vx-1rK0WfUmxduxOJCkYCTPXgO6wyGKMg4_sF3FxB8bQOlt1euEdj1N1wnxwE6gDEI3GjAopNiX-ylOAsgz8CqogUI2QulUaZARjfZ6OwyrKEruipAaCdrOXNxhI/s320/Activated+Channels.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I have more channels in IFTTT than I do on my TV.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the good ole' days, when I received an email with an attachment, I would have to manually put it into my Google Drive. Nowadays, IFTTT does that for me. Lots of people make Recipes. Someone made one that even does exactly that!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="IF (there is an attachment in my Gmail) THEN (save it to my Google Drive)" border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ITbA4FvAfo1hb1kobjuQvvDn01fNVLXEQwuRYS1mtpfEe2ZjJV8DZTgfTyd-fTCWKqRfoq1CaA48mE7wtmeMydT-MTYaG_iRUiijaprEOGONtPOKa2yHe1C4vIht-spEW96HptDMoGw/s320/IF+Gmail+THEN+Drive.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IF (there is an attachment in my Gmail) THEN (save it to my Google Drive)" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saving attachments by hand is for suckers.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did not have to create this Recipe. There are an awful lot of them floating around. IFTTT has a whole </span><a href="https://ifttt.com/recipes" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">bunch of Recipes</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that users have shared so that you can use them. Some of the Recipes are for workflow:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtq5vThTCQhVGz4bO68fFwIMA_6YJi1-B37mE-Ql8h5kp-KO4sQxOGvB9PyRgOPDVsF3Ml6ffe-N01u_6SO7Hok5zQoIWWebJy2OTuFiwvVRmox42bnQR8sJPdHHA-AFxMqE62IrJ2cY/s1600/IF+Contacts+THEN+BackupToGoogleSpreadsheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtq5vThTCQhVGz4bO68fFwIMA_6YJi1-B37mE-Ql8h5kp-KO4sQxOGvB9PyRgOPDVsF3Ml6ffe-N01u_6SO7Hok5zQoIWWebJy2OTuFiwvVRmox42bnQR8sJPdHHA-AFxMqE62IrJ2cY/s320/IF+Contacts+THEN+BackupToGoogleSpreadsheet.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWjVqk3hPeZJJSmHTNEFqKr6s6Q5urTVr37-rBjuEimagji85cZOSuZYRBzLsX8-JKmkWqEPdSIigv_FyOA8qWMe-4VID0PL9W7lRZ3XOQ0OAJ1bDP56OKyVXYwUxYjuHEY_E6Gr9Mg8/s1600/IF+Pocket+THEN+PDFtoGoogleDrive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWjVqk3hPeZJJSmHTNEFqKr6s6Q5urTVr37-rBjuEimagji85cZOSuZYRBzLsX8-JKmkWqEPdSIigv_FyOA8qWMe-4VID0PL9W7lRZ3XOQ0OAJ1bDP56OKyVXYwUxYjuHEY_E6Gr9Mg8/s320/IF+Pocket+THEN+PDFtoGoogleDrive.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4guZC3ZQKLu0Bkzl9QB0SzHqKknuGALMAOvuEFYyY4zyS70jylZ3g4ggia1wVdjygUiPjIv2wv27QJct92FoyyqQW-xMslsShGpif2Nf0axEe37_j-44GTlrK9hPORn4KE4LZpLljrFY/s1600/IF+StockClosingPrice+THEN+GoogleSpreadsheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4guZC3ZQKLu0Bkzl9QB0SzHqKknuGALMAOvuEFYyY4zyS70jylZ3g4ggia1wVdjygUiPjIv2wv27QJct92FoyyqQW-xMslsShGpif2Nf0axEe37_j-44GTlrK9hPORn4KE4LZpLljrFY/s320/IF+StockClosingPrice+THEN+GoogleSpreadsheet.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of them are for aligning your online presence:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnID-dLQLKN9sCI829dDx8jTJNsF0532Quk9M1M9qMVh1vfwNHc9qXb8GcBCh91W2Y7ccTsUWrcMdm9kmqxabGAeJs3j8T6W6UmjfHH5y_Ca-eN_194lHlngc-mJ6USdai3DrhF4jKsI/s1600/IF+FBProfilePicChanged+THEN+ChangeTwitterProfilePic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnID-dLQLKN9sCI829dDx8jTJNsF0532Quk9M1M9qMVh1vfwNHc9qXb8GcBCh91W2Y7ccTsUWrcMdm9kmqxabGAeJs3j8T6W6UmjfHH5y_Ca-eN_194lHlngc-mJ6USdai3DrhF4jKsI/s320/IF+FBProfilePicChanged+THEN+ChangeTwitterProfilePic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yic2iKCl94OcoP9BsvvQQE_IZ6YRIZ3LH5ZLhAWszF3sFhoHL1pPYJwWXTF7e4-cSchCLjCxecsL9mAfCOKw4SfDvVp3RBfwydu8zY68RZWlg9-I7ILELyoBbff2SjhqPGZ62LrKADI/s1600/IF+FacebookTag+THEN+Dropbox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yic2iKCl94OcoP9BsvvQQE_IZ6YRIZ3LH5ZLhAWszF3sFhoHL1pPYJwWXTF7e4-cSchCLjCxecsL9mAfCOKw4SfDvVp3RBfwydu8zY68RZWlg9-I7ILELyoBbff2SjhqPGZ62LrKADI/s320/IF+FacebookTag+THEN+Dropbox.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKjKRBhs-PnClOl8VqTktf_NisEiW3GHFVZ-RJQy8zr4rinpbNbBNRH5_K4sqdwP6K1a1TWlAB31Cqgm6Zm5w-mAKFSxYhyphenhyphenrMMXTc5Uzue5vBXUFzCaTznytDAU7fWH6sn-1QTttFkfY/s1600/IF+BloggerPost+THEN+FacebookPage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKjKRBhs-PnClOl8VqTktf_NisEiW3GHFVZ-RJQy8zr4rinpbNbBNRH5_K4sqdwP6K1a1TWlAB31Cqgm6Zm5w-mAKFSxYhyphenhyphenrMMXTc5Uzue5vBXUFzCaTznytDAU7fWH6sn-1QTttFkfY/s320/IF+BloggerPost+THEN+FacebookPage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And some Recipes are just for making your life better (or more fun):</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvqUumqftqtLWwkiIaxRsuZGAHCjHNWSoTfZhZYedt4reIQJ8rk-US3rhM86GSh5b7ydQvGYlzQTQL_Ps5JpSTAYjYA8Ij0Cq5UYHCRjLwRlo6XmhQyqnrCpIiamALTZQ41Au-DOtzNI/s320/If+FreeITunes+THEN+DownloadToGoogleDrive.JPG" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCoXTcybk_pu8ORLa9E7eg8l47JsQ3k7ffjm68od3MWMltVbJkwsbAvSN8AH_b-qghS69lzI5wjwvuXVwYGPb3XMfWPwbJ4x2UIzmgCraU0fPDHWQ46LtXDVLJs3Okp7HAY-zZyGxNOM/s1600/IF+InstragramLike+THEN+SavePhotoAlbum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCoXTcybk_pu8ORLa9E7eg8l47JsQ3k7ffjm68od3MWMltVbJkwsbAvSN8AH_b-qghS69lzI5wjwvuXVwYGPb3XMfWPwbJ4x2UIzmgCraU0fPDHWQ46LtXDVLJs3Okp7HAY-zZyGxNOM/s320/IF+InstragramLike+THEN+SavePhotoAlbum.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IFTTT supports sites and apps that are not even social media; it can plug into your text messages, your cell phone, or even environmental data like weather. And for all you computer nerds out there, you can even use RSS feeds from websites to construct your own Recipe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKBvG6bQJZIMfbtNzLjAwxakuJ2x3qeXDWD4qXq9SQh3oxLBqJdLPjrOnNf8tfyQGNuRnw5DOhWVLaUaWWlmt38C1krFuXo3g-IaNCKF4JXTy9uYcq6nnAlb2WZcG7vtlGLs-GN9SR_8/s1600/IF+NewMovies+THEN+SendEmailToMe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKBvG6bQJZIMfbtNzLjAwxakuJ2x3qeXDWD4qXq9SQh3oxLBqJdLPjrOnNf8tfyQGNuRnw5DOhWVLaUaWWlmt38C1krFuXo3g-IaNCKF4JXTy9uYcq6nnAlb2WZcG7vtlGLs-GN9SR_8/s320/IF+NewMovies+THEN+SendEmailToMe.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_kSYDxsCXGJ0asQo4t50aNmBRsJlEb3oHJBg1l5r5E4buShQGwqBuLIOuKLJH-EKdHxU4GkaC8l9qBvoPPuXXBRDec6ZAnV-ScawEjN9Aq7z1otgb90G-VRKTaaI-A-GucP5PhvmBWc/s1600/IF+ItsGoingToRain+THEN+RemindUmbrella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_kSYDxsCXGJ0asQo4t50aNmBRsJlEb3oHJBg1l5r5E4buShQGwqBuLIOuKLJH-EKdHxU4GkaC8l9qBvoPPuXXBRDec6ZAnV-ScawEjN9Aq7z1otgb90G-VRKTaaI-A-GucP5PhvmBWc/s320/IF+ItsGoingToRain+THEN+RemindUmbrella.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkzi7ABC5MxU_MiJ3713JV-EuTy5TeG6tj43lFydRYvV6HV9ahuoSOSrGFxFSNzv6xo90fqf5PmmwREPnUn658Sb_CPSrRc54fsYXMIywnFz5numyzeLu4vC0hwvXF1flx3TZid4cHE0/s320/If+SurfsUp+THEN+PhoneCall.JPG" width="320" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings me to my next point - the fun parts of IFTTT. In my opinion, I think there is a deficit of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">critical</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> reasoning skills in education. But IFTTT is a prime example of small problem solving skills that <i>have meaningful outcomes</i>. IFTTT allows you to <i>evaluate</i> an issue - whether it is something to make your life easier or something to be productive - and then <i>create</i> a solution. People see value in meaningful and productive exercises, and I think students would be excited to try it. </span></div>
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<hr width="80%" />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's also the added challenge of <i>chain Recipes</i>. By default, IFTTT allows for a single condition. If <i>something</i> happens, then do <i>something else</i>. But it is easy to have the <i>something else</i> from one condition be the trigger for a subsequent condition. For example:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If a new job opening at a company I follow is posted on LinkedIn, then send an email to my Gmail address with the subject "LinkedIn Job".</i> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can also have a Recipe that says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If I get an email at my Gmail account with a subject "LinkedIn Job", then send me a text message.</i></span></div>
<hr width="80%" />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So one event can start a chain reaction that coordinates your disparate accounts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students in any discipline could certainly benefit by the mental agility of not only brainstorming new Recipes and chain reactions, but also by <i>imagining</i> elegant solutions and really neat Recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An art student might actually generate a real Recipe book (Rolodex style) that has different Recipes on it. Or a web authoring class might be tasked with designing an online repository that stores Recipes and has a searchable index (of course, <a href="https://ifttt.com/recipes" target="_blank">IFTTT</a> has that already, but it's a neat exercise). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There could be a contest in any class to create the most "awesome" IFTTT, as judged by the students. Even if it is unrelated to the class, a ten minute exercise in IFTTT Recipes might be the much needed catalyst to fire up the brain as food coma sits in after lunch. Or a History class might be tasked with coming up with IFTTT's from other time periods.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless, the actual process of designing the Recipe necessarily broaches a few areas of computer programming that have collateral learning to help all students: conditionals, parameters, and APIs (application-programmer interfaces). APIs are really just instructions of what an application needs from the programmer to do it's job properly. APIs are ubiquitous in everything we do (especially in education), although they are very specific in the field of Computer Science. A few examples of colloquial APIs in everyday life are:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A car needs gas if that car is to do it's job; it is up to the programmer (driver) to put the right kind of gas (an octane level of 89 or better, unleaded) in the tank</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A refrigerator needs to be plugged in so it can do it's job; it is up to the homeowner to make sure it is plugged in properly (a 110 volt, ground fault circuit interrupter outlet)</span></li>
<br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An email needs to have a valid email address in the "To" field if it is to be sent (a valid user@domain)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don't really need instructions to do these tasks, because we know. But some things are more specific, especially in programming. IFTTT implicitly has APIs built in to Recipes - in the form of what specific functions each channel can do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch the level of subtle sophistication needed to create a somewhat trivial event of creating an event that alerts me, via text, anytime the New York Times posts an article that mentions education:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 1: Choose a Trigger Channel</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to look through the list until I find "New York Times".</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-qEERMwusVwyZgUcuyhbhfyu9pgiLo74s6_DJ5BHa-Ln7NxLbO8W7lIhrHpS7HeBFaxauAsJDIM3LVMHgSUqpTo3Fz1EKp_3VyHciVX4NfzgE4zATu2v_ULzx37ngwF-RfrWOmBPK5k/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+01a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Trigger Channels" border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-qEERMwusVwyZgUcuyhbhfyu9pgiLo74s6_DJ5BHa-Ln7NxLbO8W7lIhrHpS7HeBFaxauAsJDIM3LVMHgSUqpTo3Fz1EKp_3VyHciVX4NfzgE4zATu2v_ULzx37ngwF-RfrWOmBPK5k/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+01a.png" title="Trigger Channels" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>So many to choose from...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 2: Choose a Trigger</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the actual API lesson - each individual channel has different functionality; in the case of the New York Times, there are eight different options I can choose from.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDVe1FgreJGDr6c928HbrVOFeSFNaQnyvHrDVD-QTv6feWmCsRKYzsxOX7BTPcBxg6IkjK7HWgrmIYxvTi-dQUTPREiCtYoHKbgtI1RaiOKbUrdFmsDglTuTgjPNON7TcGE-DClZXqzQ/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="What can NY Times do?" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDVe1FgreJGDr6c928HbrVOFeSFNaQnyvHrDVD-QTv6feWmCsRKYzsxOX7BTPcBxg6IkjK7HWgrmIYxvTi-dQUTPREiCtYoHKbgtI1RaiOKbUrdFmsDglTuTgjPNON7TcGE-DClZXqzQ/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+02.png" title="What can NY Times do?" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The subtle API: What can the New York Times Channel do for me?</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am going to choose "New article from search". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">STEP 3: Complete Trigger Fields</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the programming biz, we call these <i>parameters</i> or <i>arguments</i>. Basically, it is the specific data that the program should do something with. In this case, my <i>parameter</i> is "education".</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKxRjbixGlPrKdQu8nqdr1AeNCnpM0il3tjXRjgqEyfIg4glqyyM6gXqX0uvQzRbCk3n23Q2h8gDpECpg8q51q_SaFt_pV0_cdq5gzr1_tCrpH1IIoD-6sbM0IG0jebi8SKrJEUhYZD4/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Parameters" border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKxRjbixGlPrKdQu8nqdr1AeNCnpM0il3tjXRjgqEyfIg4glqyyM6gXqX0uvQzRbCk3n23Q2h8gDpECpg8q51q_SaFt_pV0_cdq5gzr1_tCrpH1IIoD-6sbM0IG0jebi8SKrJEUhYZD4/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+03.png" title="Parameters" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"education" is my argument (parameter).</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 4: Choose Action Channel</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that we have a trigger - something that IFTTT is <i>listening</i> for (hey computer science nerds - isn't this really an <i>event handler</i>?) -, what do we want to do with it? Let's pick another channel for the <i>output.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEZzX55s7L3QLddXFaafE18hVWZp3VM-btQSxptKqw1xC5CxlaSfYtcZ5u5Dkr-3C11MQNbrgqqD5JCqqmOD22xmPBwLRheLACW0B_JhbHnpjicKSpnNQsw7z9uCjwh3wuwD15A7jEdU/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Action Channel is Gmail" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEZzX55s7L3QLddXFaafE18hVWZp3VM-btQSxptKqw1xC5CxlaSfYtcZ5u5Dkr-3C11MQNbrgqqD5JCqqmOD22xmPBwLRheLACW0B_JhbHnpjicKSpnNQsw7z9uCjwh3wuwD15A7jEdU/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+04.png" title="Action Channel is Gmail" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And the winner is... Gmail!!!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 5: Choose an Action</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each channel also has unique actions; it looks like Gmail can do only one thing - "Send an email". Happily, that's exactly what I wanted to do!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFchaJE6ePMFqKpkmooMO4n2ljW01sq4h4oXBoz1PVB6b3TZ0bqpbcMUcI2WVIW-JWWqP110KDzrAlcH7SEamtcExyZgoNgOphaQ4eW_ENDP8EBk3w4X8bFDpdDaPPSKDhknhum6bPdJY/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gmail Actions: Send an email" border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFchaJE6ePMFqKpkmooMO4n2ljW01sq4h4oXBoz1PVB6b3TZ0bqpbcMUcI2WVIW-JWWqP110KDzrAlcH7SEamtcExyZgoNgOphaQ4eW_ENDP8EBk3w4X8bFDpdDaPPSKDhknhum6bPdJY/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+05.png" title="Gmail Actions: Send an email" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Easiest API ever.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 6: Complete Action Fields</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I am going to create the parameters for the email that Gmail will generate. The only thing I really need to worry about is the "To address". Other than that, all the other fields are already populated. A particularly intrepid individual may elect to play with the different fields in the body of the email. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7829o7G8Ien8w9WOobt2qc-InKFdnAtOHpnRccv6X2D_N4oyC48cyOeojH2ReAGXsKaBoY1Xt76iPlb13_MAKp02leFf6SogMmjiSpZP_Vt4-3n0bF5sqnxaeVLoy8_gJBVRi1MaUeKs/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+06a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gmail message" border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7829o7G8Ien8w9WOobt2qc-InKFdnAtOHpnRccv6X2D_N4oyC48cyOeojH2ReAGXsKaBoY1Xt76iPlb13_MAKp02leFf6SogMmjiSpZP_Vt4-3n0bF5sqnxaeVLoy8_gJBVRi1MaUeKs/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+06a.png" title="Gmail message" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't speak HTML, so I'm just gonna hit send and hope everything works out OK...</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an added bonus, check out the cool trick with my email address. After appending the "+NYTIMES" at the end of my email, I can setup my Gmail to automatically archive any incoming email with this address to be archived and stored in a separate folder. Now I've created a container that holds only links to New York Times education articles and doesn't clog my inbox. You're welcome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STEP 7: Create and Activate</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A nice little confirmation comes up. Everything appears copacetic, so I am going to click the "Create Recipe" button.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBT0HctyLfnqudNG7Su7Z-YVXawpHpKrSIlVgqVGNJCCer2Z6yk1kTSw88n0drxx4XnaHcgp7PrG0RqVnHrGAbvlCzGL5ya-yjwz2Vil7BFnS7ew3B_nuEveSFkD9qH9KgWY8rUYjaT4/s1600/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Final check" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBT0HctyLfnqudNG7Su7Z-YVXawpHpKrSIlVgqVGNJCCer2Z6yk1kTSw88n0drxx4XnaHcgp7PrG0RqVnHrGAbvlCzGL5ya-yjwz2Vil7BFnS7ew3B_nuEveSFkD9qH9KgWY8rUYjaT4/s320/IFTTT+-+Demo+-+07.png" title="Final check" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I've created my first computer program!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating an event in IFTTT is, essentially, a beginning course in computer science. Conditionals, parameters, APIs... it is certainly a good, practical model for an introduction to computer programs. And creating an event in IFTTT is also a great exercise in procedural thinking and problem solving.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students could also customize IFTTTs for their own classes (send a text message if a tweet from the teacher comes out reminding students of a quiz). I don't think we are far away from integrating learning management systems such as Blackboard or Moodle into the working space of IFTTT.
<b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teachers could even blast an RSS out from any number of personal sources that could then trigger an email or text directly to their students.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out this link for cool Recipes in IFTTT: </span><a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2424078,00.asp" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">PCMag.com's 101 Best IFTTT Recipes</a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And hot off the press! IFTTT just tweeted FringeEdTech that it is now possible to embed any Recipe with just a little snippet of HTML! Read the "How To" page on IFTTT's blog. And certainly check out this example:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a class="embed_recipe embed_recipe-l_27" href="https://ifttt.com/view_embed_recipe/126714" id="embed_recipe-126714" target="_blank"><img alt="IFTTT Recipe: Tweet your reddit comments!" src="https://ifttt.com/recipe_embed_img/126714" width="370px" /></a><script async="" src="//ifttt.com/assets/embed_recipe.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I leave you with this challenge: IF you have a Recipe you find particularly useful, THEN drop a link to the Recipe or describe it in the comments below.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-87547614122417809332013-10-31T22:30:00.000-04:002015-06-10T09:00:50.929-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this post isn't going to really be about educational technology in a traditional sense. Consider this an excursion into "incidental learning" - lessons about educational technology from a seemingly unrelated experiment (namely, building a Halloween costume).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll start off by saying that I appreciate technology. I appreciate how easy the <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">cloud</a> has made my life. I appreciate how well-informed I am because of blogs, discussion forums, and other web 2.0 technologies (by "well-informed", I mean I like the diversity, opinions, and ideas I encounter). And I appreciate how little things - like cars, microwaves, planes, movies - have all been enhanced by technology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My costume, an Iron Man Mark 42 (as featured in Iron Man 3), is a costume that I could not have even fathomed building ten years ago. But technology has made it possible for anyone armed with a hot glue gun, an Xacto knife, and determination, the ability to make something as complex as this:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxWd82IDv8VO1viEj41a6EmdpAIzYz2Oz0GGo8PpAaW7Xj_6lFd9YGDOHrJc2hOzm7z0mcqzxDPk1fuM1OmNE2KLHrFC4QqD3QIGVEK52R5dQKTjOL5bczV-F5xwwE9K4aeO2zWhcVfk/s1600/IM360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxWd82IDv8VO1viEj41a6EmdpAIzYz2Oz0GGo8PpAaW7Xj_6lFd9YGDOHrJc2hOzm7z0mcqzxDPk1fuM1OmNE2KLHrFC4QqD3QIGVEK52R5dQKTjOL5bczV-F5xwwE9K4aeO2zWhcVfk/s320/IM360.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Monroe Community College had a guest lecturer today.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to take you through the entire history of my build, and talk about how technology factors in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I'll start off by reiterating that ten years ago, I never would have dreamed of creating this. But I had connected with an old high school friend on <b>Facebook</b>, Stan, last Halloween (2012), and asked him for some ideas on how to build a hardcore Batman costume. Check out his scary mask and prop collection:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggueVdzp-h7WRaShN7z13wMVy6BzvQcmHola9okHu9j8zH5tOmqEIGUbIShLDiQi1jwU79-CGW5IuzOUmvxvdn0AMepQ_jXW7C2TVO1yWYNepBKG06-FWnAIwikbGyQPfXe9qjeNXwLFQ/s1600/IMG_1860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scary monsters in closet" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggueVdzp-h7WRaShN7z13wMVy6BzvQcmHola9okHu9j8zH5tOmqEIGUbIShLDiQi1jwU79-CGW5IuzOUmvxvdn0AMepQ_jXW7C2TVO1yWYNepBKG06-FWnAIwikbGyQPfXe9qjeNXwLFQ/s320/IMG_1860.JPG" title="Scary monsters in closet" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I want my mommy!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Stan recommended that I check out <a href="http://www.therpf.com/" target="_blank">www.therpf.com</a> - a <b>discussion forum</b> for prop builders, collectors, and costumers ("THERPF" stands for "the Real Prop Forum"). So it was at THERPF that I found answers to my Batman "build" (in the costuming biz, "build" is short for "building a project"). I was able to cobble together a suit in the few weeks before Halloween 2012 from all the threads. In my research, however, I came across an interesting idea that a lot of people attempted - an Iron Man "foam build". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out, some enterprising guy from Canada who goes by the name "Stealth", popularized a way to build Iron Man armors out of just foam. Stealth brought high end costuming to the people! What a hero! Check his work out at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHeroTutorials" target="_blank">The Heroes Workshop</a> channel on <b>YouTube</b>. By the way, I spent countless hours on YouTube over the past year educating myself on how to make my costume. There are other foam build superstars out there, too (like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesbruton" target="_blank">XRobots</a> from the UK), that have contributed so much to the foam build community.<br /><br />I also spent an awful lot of time looking at <b>blogs</b>, <b>Google Images</b>, and other resources to get a sense of the scale of the project I was about to embark on. I was able to aggregate all my online research with <b><a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a></b>, a tool I strenuously recommend to educators and students alike. It is <i>the</i> industry standard for collecting and organizing research. I will be doing a blog in the future about leveraging Evernote in the classroom (and also comparing it to Microsoft OneNote). For a sense of what Evernote can do, you can see all the information I saved on both my <a href="https://www.evernote.com/pub/corydave/batman" target="_blank">Batman</a> build from 2012 and <a href="https://www.evernote.com/pub/corydave/ironman" target="_blank">Iron Man</a> build from 2013. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The actual process of building the costume took about 150 hours, but required not much more than dedication and a tolerance for hot glue burns. The helmet - arguably the linchpin of any good costume - was only the second piece I built. In an effort to show how simple the process is, here is a photo of my helmet.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnBiKmNz05xX0fYVEYTLBrRnVituww8BgDYXwcVSk5G23O9G0G_R9E_DmmBQ7CoSHX4DkQO3w5aQm_dZYjpXR98AgWtI1A2erNBgaJD0vr-nggKD5GAjYmKRWIWSAsJBUTL4Ipm-kMxg/s1600/IMG_1921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iron Man Mark 42 Helmet" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnBiKmNz05xX0fYVEYTLBrRnVituww8BgDYXwcVSk5G23O9G0G_R9E_DmmBQ7CoSHX4DkQO3w5aQm_dZYjpXR98AgWtI1A2erNBgaJD0vr-nggKD5GAjYmKRWIWSAsJBUTL4Ipm-kMxg/s320/IMG_1921.JPG" title="Iron Man Mark 42 Helmet" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can do this, too!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole process of building starts with the design. I'm not talented at <b>3D modeling</b>. I've used <a href="http://www.sketchup.com/" target="_blank">SketchUp</a> a bit (and I love it - I would also recommend it to anyone who is making iBooks with iBooks Author). But some people out there (<a href="http://www.therpf.com/f24/jackieisrockins-iron-man-mk-42-pepakura-files-back-added-first-post-176839/" target="_blank">jackiesrockin</a>, I'm talking to you!) are extremely talented at designing 3D models. And they are more than happy to post them in <b>file sharing</b> sites so anyone can download them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have obtained the files (most of them come in a </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.pdo</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> format), you can load them into the free software known as <a href="http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/download/viewer.html" target="_blank">Pepakura Viewer</a>. It allows 3D neophytes (like myself) to open a </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.pdo</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> file. The key feature of Pepakura Viewer is that it will take a 3D object file and "unfold" it into 2 dimensions so you can print it out on paper. The specifications can be tweaked so that the details are superfine (for assembling cardstock and fiberglass replicas) or somewhat rougher (for a less detailed foam build). If you monkey around in Pepakura Viewer, you can tweak the settings to make the pieces fit you better and also refine or erase detail work for different media. Happily, there are people (like Ironmaided and Speedtrix) who have done this already. All I had to do was find the proper <a href="http://www.therpf.com/f24/jackieisrockins-iron-man-mk-42-pepakura-files-back-added-first-post-176839/" target="_blank">files</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to say that the software is pretty sweet. I could rotate the object. Any time I clicked on a surface, the corresponding unfolded piece was highlighted (and vice versa). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMj89zUsJ3k7DRG2aMBX9F_lPRg0D9HnwMPi18SR4E6LVgAB8Rm10OF5lw3uJt24gBnso7p2bjqNvOafvVGd3LTH1Z4WrAqHLUW-R403LXDKwLs9zqJqqy7zOtlXMcKTFqhQivnkOJg4/s1600/FET+-+Happy+Halloween+-+Pepakura+Screenshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screen shot of Pepakura Viewer in action!" border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMj89zUsJ3k7DRG2aMBX9F_lPRg0D9HnwMPi18SR4E6LVgAB8Rm10OF5lw3uJt24gBnso7p2bjqNvOafvVGd3LTH1Z4WrAqHLUW-R403LXDKwLs9zqJqqy7zOtlXMcKTFqhQivnkOJg4/s400/FET+-+Happy+Halloween+-+Pepakura+Screenshot.JPG" title="Screen shot of Pepakura Viewer in action!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Unfolding the secret to Iron Man's helmet.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqS6nc4d3MvVPhyd3MbLGvofC6Nc1ystHsqFb_Zi9VSlIwpf2k4FupKoQP9zPg49AQpSPCkC0xEOJDvcqKO4n69E3hRGh29VhOeUQMDXdIyzrINg_knWTND9z2KJQ3jKYQ3JKbrziHPk/s1600/FET+-+Happy+Halloween+-+Pepakura+Screenshot+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Another sweet screen shot of Pepakura Viewer in action!" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqS6nc4d3MvVPhyd3MbLGvofC6Nc1ystHsqFb_Zi9VSlIwpf2k4FupKoQP9zPg49AQpSPCkC0xEOJDvcqKO4n69E3hRGh29VhOeUQMDXdIyzrINg_knWTND9z2KJQ3jKYQ3JKbrziHPk/s400/FET+-+Happy+Halloween+-+Pepakura+Screenshot+2.JPG" title="Another sweet screen shot of Pepakura Viewer in action!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Pepakura Viewer let's me pretend I know something about 3D modeling. </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to adjust the paper size (some files were on A4, and I only print on 8.5 x 11), but the whole process was pretty simple. Typically, if there is symmetry in the object (like on the helmet or chest), only the left side is printed - once you cut the pieces out and trace it on the foam, you can just flip the stencil over and trace it again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realized that if I didn't somehow figure out which parts go where, it would be like assembling a puzzle with no picture. So I used the <strong>Snipping Tool</strong> from <strong>Windows 7</strong> and pasted different angles of the 3D image from Pepakura into <strong>Microsoft Publisher</strong>. I was able to physically take a Sharpie and number the pieces once I printed them. Check out my super low-tech screen shot:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAthNycgxtRSOswnewQKVotQpn85RN5ZrKy7Gq7nSlKCEoNqUCGEIZ1O69BTsJFokNlOdGs07YeSN5TwHb8vR1mB0EM8UUmdcfeaikZIZ_5qcN7-NM8K9_TKXNLBMqDu4k45_cAyJIuw/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pepakura Viewer, Microsoft Publisher, and actual paper." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAthNycgxtRSOswnewQKVotQpn85RN5ZrKy7Gq7nSlKCEoNqUCGEIZ1O69BTsJFokNlOdGs07YeSN5TwHb8vR1mB0EM8UUmdcfeaikZIZ_5qcN7-NM8K9_TKXNLBMqDu4k45_cAyJIuw/s320/photo+1.JPG" title="Pepakura Viewer, Microsoft Publisher, and actual paper." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A 3D rendering, converted to 2D, printed on flat paper, will<br />then be turned into a 3D model. Mind = blown.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The preferred medium for foam builds is, well, foam. For some of the smaller pieces (like fingers) I used the small "foamies" you can get at Michael's. But the majority of the armor is made from thicker foam found in anti-fatigue floor mats. After reading about this in the <b>discussion forums</b>, I used <b>Google Shopping</b> to find out where to find the specific foam. I saw that Sears had it in stock, so I <b>ordered it online</b>, and then picked it up on my lunch break (I would later order a second roll from <b>Amazon</b>, as Sears did not have any in stock when I needed more).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Anti-fatigue Floor Mat" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjSe_fwgR0RgXjufs6cAxFqInZra2chcTHWYLVdKgngmCDnYkfL0k_TYYuPNlkxUzU_aZviezq8GUq1E9ji27nVAAX0COdRw2RQEtMPGIEGGFkJ1PHaQPVthk5r8j4-Vs2RI1l3zXASE/s320/photo+2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Anti-fatigue Floor Mat" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This $25 roll of foam will someday be an entire Iron Man armor.</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjSe_fwgR0RgXjufs6cAxFqInZra2chcTHWYLVdKgngmCDnYkfL0k_TYYuPNlkxUzU_aZviezq8GUq1E9ji27nVAAX0COdRw2RQEtMPGIEGGFkJ1PHaQPVthk5r8j4-Vs2RI1l3zXASE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjSe_fwgR0RgXjufs6cAxFqInZra2chcTHWYLVdKgngmCDnYkfL0k_TYYuPNlkxUzU_aZviezq8GUq1E9ji27nVAAX0COdRw2RQEtMPGIEGGFkJ1PHaQPVthk5r8j4-Vs2RI1l3zXASE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I commandeered the dining room table and set out to make a costume! After printing the unfolded pieces, I used an Xacto knife to cut them all out. Then I placed them on the foam and used a fresh Xacto knife (paper dulls the blades very quickly, and you really want a sharp blade for the foam) to cut out the pieces. I also had the reference printouts I made using Publisher. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMC8DoTV63TlacQ10FMciiB-GqTh3RNscyflQIOuvCPg8J7GGRV88TY9_mZejVLM4zev-4y1T_BRvwkTteNYvIb2ms9FwqFFvL1irXvNqV4LKfDL3Wj2rKmgnBJx9VrIETp_Rq_KvanQ/s1600/IMG_1814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Patterns, foam, and pictures of the final product." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMC8DoTV63TlacQ10FMciiB-GqTh3RNscyflQIOuvCPg8J7GGRV88TY9_mZejVLM4zev-4y1T_BRvwkTteNYvIb2ms9FwqFFvL1irXvNqV4LKfDL3Wj2rKmgnBJx9VrIETp_Rq_KvanQ/s320/IMG_1814.JPG" title="Patterns, foam, and pictures of the final product." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Pepakura is Japanese for, "Just do what we say and<br />you'll get a super sweet costume".</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used the hot glue gun to assemble the pieces. I discovered that it is <i>not</i> necessary to bevel the foam if you want it angled; Pepakura Viewer designs the pieces such that when they are assembled, all curves and angles are preserved. For me, this was a humbling lesson. I tend to trust technology to a point, but in my experience the human intellect trumps the computer. It was hard for me to let go of this mentality but I found that Pepakura Viewer was exceedingly precise when it came to designing the pieces. So precise that beveling the edges actually made the pieces <i>not</i> fit together properly. I cached away the lesson I learned (reluctance to relying on technology) for when I work with faculty - now I will recall the trepidation that comes with learning new technologies. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXcvLV1cqgOslL5c5NillnSs1be2ob4a9aNL8ze48EoCf40DV2no8n825PIWL0j9N9ZdAVep3MmO4FkhxTZamR60OZmiBY5HMm9ucjuciPIpzMfEF8lRNN7XNv1NsF8uSU4XoZlodcT0/s1600/IMG_1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Foam leg: Thigh, calf, and boot." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXcvLV1cqgOslL5c5NillnSs1be2ob4a9aNL8ze48EoCf40DV2no8n825PIWL0j9N9ZdAVep3MmO4FkhxTZamR60OZmiBY5HMm9ucjuciPIpzMfEF8lRNN7XNv1NsF8uSU4XoZlodcT0/s320/IMG_1815.JPG" title="Foam leg: Thigh, calf, and boot." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Yes. My Iron Man armor was built on Crocs.<br />I suspect Tony Stark is pretty jealous.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should mention the role that <b>Google Drive</b> played in this endeavor, too. I stored all photos I found online in a folder called "Iron Man" on my Google Drive. I also stored all my plans from Publisher in the same folder. Sometimes I worked from my laptop, sometimes I worked from my desktop, and sometimes I worked from work (only on my lunch break!). Having the centralized location made it so that I did not need to worry about transporting files all over the place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I cut out and assembled all the pieces (I'd estimate about 1100 pieces), I coated them with Modge Podge (to seal the open cell foam), then primed and painted them. I used charcoal and paint to give the "battle damage" look to the pieces. This was partly because battle damage makes the suit look more authentic, and partly because the battle damage hid all the imperfections I made in my suit (give me a break! It was my first foam build!). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvneVs6haUBhg69wSjLGjA_YwOKiv_2GDU6BHCTMBlp945Gs_m9sfG75d4c_jU2uer4QefuktEXdZ5F9GEpDVkoTTZse8UtEhvGfw_3TkRFQKLmF8gA53oPmr609wacIBxRw33crv92I/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvneVs6haUBhg69wSjLGjA_YwOKiv_2GDU6BHCTMBlp945Gs_m9sfG75d4c_jU2uer4QefuktEXdZ5F9GEpDVkoTTZse8UtEhvGfw_3TkRFQKLmF8gA53oPmr609wacIBxRw33crv92I/s320/IMG_1919.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Happily, the people I live with were okay with the<br />house smelling like paint for a few weeks as the pieces dried.</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last detail was the arc reactor. I was running short on time, so I could not put as much detail into it as I had wanted. But I was able to purchase an electro-luminescent panel ("EL" panels were popularized from the recent sequel to Tron, entitled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RiUy23e9s" target="_blank">Tron Legacy</a>). So I quickly made a purchase from <b>eBay</b> and was able to score a sweet panel that would be the centerpiece of my armor.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/A5-21-x-14-8cm-white-cuttable-DIY-EL-Panel-Sheet-Pad-BackLight-Display-Backlight-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/lKgAAOxyKsZRzQ5L/$(KGrHqMOKooFG+FsQhOOBRzQ5Kt5C!~~60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/A5-21-x-14-8cm-white-cuttable-DIY-EL-Panel-Sheet-Pad-BackLight-Display-Backlight-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/lKgAAOxyKsZRzQ5L/$(KGrHqMOKooFG+FsQhOOBRzQ5Kt5C!~~60_12.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>EL panels are great for arc reactors, Tron costumes, and raves.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/A5-21-x-14-8cm-white-cuttable-DIY-EL-Panel-Sheet-Pad-BackLight-Display-Backlight-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/lKgAAOxyKsZRzQ5L/$(KGrHqMOKooFG+FsQhOOBRzQ5Kt5C!~~60_12.JPG" target="_blank">eBay</a>.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's it. I mean, there was a lot of mistakes, lessons-learned, burns, and tedious build sessions along the way, but it was fun. I would liken the experience to people who put puzzles together. There is gratification along the way as sections are solved. But the greatest feeling is when it is all done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was an awful lot of technology that I used in this experiment. And the technology I mentioned (all in bold) is technology that educators use on a daily basis. Technology we take for granted. Technology that we have customized for our personal selves.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Discussion Forums - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YouTube - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evernote - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Images - E</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vernote </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3D Modeling - Pepakura Viewer - Microsoft Publisher - Amazon - Google Drive - eBay - Cloud Computing - Blogs - Snipping Tool - Windows 7 - File Sharing - Ordering Online - Google Shopping</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Oh! And the best part of finishing a foam build? You can <b>blog</b> about it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6UNwHq5sKk7ztTDlhygfI4i2u42M9IQOPHrMR2khO4YFJ6NrsddgWKmVt20HuMR7rCn7cG1tETyBzmnlyZQqi1QaIQnRDtnZIO7twOG94dWBHFhIOgGb0X1wySkt9xA3Lp5ucTBTa6Y/s1600/IMG_1927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iron Man Mark 42 foam build" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6UNwHq5sKk7ztTDlhygfI4i2u42M9IQOPHrMR2khO4YFJ6NrsddgWKmVt20HuMR7rCn7cG1tETyBzmnlyZQqi1QaIQnRDtnZIO7twOG94dWBHFhIOgGb0X1wySkt9xA3Lp5ucTBTa6Y/s640/IMG_1927.JPG" title="Iron Man Mark 42 foam build" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why yes... I did just save the world...</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gmJggD7r2TeoQboDuzPaLvUhj0FvnI565AGgKGyJGpWUCMU9yfSix-i2gF-vLQ1HEW9InhrFx-btskemysuUetVuRsDpzz6Gx4fi34bY3p8rmMKhGWy9XL6p7fKXO-9RP38V9iWsWS8/s1600/IMG_1926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="My brother John as Whiplash and myself." border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gmJggD7r2TeoQboDuzPaLvUhj0FvnI565AGgKGyJGpWUCMU9yfSix-i2gF-vLQ1HEW9InhrFx-btskemysuUetVuRsDpzz6Gx4fi34bY3p8rmMKhGWy9XL6p7fKXO-9RP38V9iWsWS8/s640/IMG_1926.JPG" title="My brother John as Whiplash and myself." width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>After this photo, Whiplash and I duked it out in the streets.</i></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6627222924914470992.post-48664505516719677582013-10-30T17:41:00.003-04:002013-10-31T00:50:05.830-04:00It's (NOT) All About the Pentium, Baby!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whoa! I know what you're thinking! A <i>triple</i> throwback! </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A reference to the Pentium processor from the nineties</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A loose allusion to "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_All_About_the_Benjamins" target="_blank">It's All About the Benjamins</a>", the Puff Daddy song from 1997</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An homage to the perpetually underrated Weird Al song, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_All_About_the_Pentiums" target="_blank">It's All About the Pentiums</a>"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there is truth in the statement. Oftentimes people rely too much on bleeding-edge technology (check out the line at the Apple store whenever a new iteration of a device is released). The crazed frenzy for new technology is misguided; current technology typically satiates (for the most part) whatever needs we have.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was on the local news a few weeks ago talking about "back to school" technology. My position is that it is not worth it to go out and buy the latest and greatest technology. I say this for two reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It is increasingly less important to upgrade hardware.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a world where productivity happens on the cloud, why bother with a faster processor? I can understand if people want devices with longer battery life (although there seem to be plenty of power opportunities in the workplace, schools, and even in public). But faster does not necessarily equate to more speed, especially if work is being done on the server side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The iPad is a perfect example. People were drooling at the prospect of the "New iPad" - with a faster processor, improved camera, and Retina display. The processor ended up being marginally better (the iPad 2 was probably the quickest, snappiest tablet on the market at the time anyhow), and the camera received poor reviews. The Retina display is a bonus if you are a videophile or rely on the device for pictures or movies. But then again, videophiles should shudder at the thought of a 9.7" screen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve Jobs said it best when he envisioned devices as gateways into your personal data - the <a href="http://www.fringeedtech.com/2013/10/head-in-clouds.html" target="_blank">cloud</a> (as Steve saw it) is where the majority of our content would live. Our devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) just provide access. And his vision of an Apple ecosystem to leverage this is, in fact, pretty seamless. But devices are constantly becoming less beholden to specific ecosystems. Google Drive is the quintessential example. Devices are converging to the paradigm of cloud computing, so it really doesn't matter what device you use to access it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You should exploit what you have.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maximizing productivity is the single most important feature of devices. If you have a wonderful workflow that works great - then don't abandon it in the hopes of improving your workflow even more. It doesn't work like that; new does not equal better. It's like those post-apocalyptic movies. The boat in Waterworld was not new, but boy was it optimized for Kevin Costner's character. It was utilitarian - every nook and cranny of that boat served a purpose. And so should your technology. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX3va2n8_gaf4oIoR2jNyqiy0d4eYrh9-K7KTMbUVRPzNNt9OL-17uOn-qgi2VoQYwpRahlkXXRq4onzs9tijwN8oM-xsJ1dF1m_wYrDazz5L-m9uyaOOarSQ4InC6vJ51vEJHghLwjZb/s1600/waterworld2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Trimaran from Waterworld: Courtesy of Blogspot" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX3va2n8_gaf4oIoR2jNyqiy0d4eYrh9-K7KTMbUVRPzNNt9OL-17uOn-qgi2VoQYwpRahlkXXRq4onzs9tijwN8oM-xsJ1dF1m_wYrDazz5L-m9uyaOOarSQ4InC6vJ51vEJHghLwjZb/s400/waterworld2.jpg" title="Trimaran from Waterworld: Courtesy of Blogspot" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX3va2n8_gaf4oIoR2jNyqiy0d4eYrh9-K7KTMbUVRPzNNt9OL-17uOn-qgi2VoQYwpRahlkXXRq4onzs9tijwN8oM-xsJ1dF1m_wYrDazz5L-m9uyaOOarSQ4InC6vJ51vEJHghLwjZb/s400/waterworld2.jpg" target="_blank">Blogspot</a>, for hooking me up with this<br />sweet pic from one of the finest movies ever!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I have nine computers. Most of them are for very specific purposes. Before you scoff, realize that my job <i>is</i> educational technology. But for ninety percent of my computing, I use one device - my Chromebook. I have a $249 Samsung Chromebook, which is probably my least expensive device. It certainly isn't as beefy as my MacBook Pro. Yet I use it the most because it does everything I need it to on a daily basis (I use my MacBook and my PC desktop for heavy lifting in specialized software). And I am universally more productive with my Chromebook than any of my other fancier devices. It has a keyboard (immediately promoting it ahead of my Nexus 7 and iPad 2 in the realm of productivity). It is extremely portable, has an amazing battery life, and because I rely on the cloud for so much of what I do, it is the perfect choice. And <i>because</i> it is cheap, I don't mind if it gets beat up (or even lost!). I actually think that one of the strengths of the Chromebook (or any cloud device) is that losing the device - while it may hurt the wallet - makes it extraordinarily easy to retrieve <i>all</i> your documents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In conclusion, I would again point you to the Horizon Report (both <a href="http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-horizon-report-k12" target="_blank">K-12</a> and <a href="http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-horizon-report-higher-ed" target="_blank">Higher Ed</a> - check out the "Short Lists") as a reliable anemometer for the blowing winds of educational technology. In both 2013 reports, there is no mention of specific devices. We are at a point in our society when we are limited by <i>ideas</i>; physical limitations are not our limiting factor anymore. Flipped classrooms, MOOCs, game-based learning all made it to the Horizon Report.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new iPad Air, somehow, did not make the list (although I'm sure the line for the iPad Air will be unnecessarily long).</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0