Poll Everywhere

I was in a recent professional development workshop, and I got sparked to look at Poll Everywhere again.  Poll Everywhere is a great survey and response web tool.  Using the application, you can create a poll of several questions in which your class or audience can respond to via a web browser, smart phone, or other IOS devices.  The data can then be displayed and accessed in real time in order to generate conversation or track progress of a specific topic.  We used the tool as a way to frame the discussion for the entire PD workshop, and I thought it was a great way to lead off the day.  The tool is a great educational tool, and they offer a free version for teachers to use with a group of up to 40 students.  They also have paid versions if you would like to use it with a larger audience.  I led my next class with a simple question in Poll Everywhere, and it truly led to wonderful dialogue among my middle school students.  Check it out!

Dropbox - Online File Storage

Dropbox is an online file storage tool that let's you access your files from any computer that is connected to the Internet.  I have explained Dropbox as an "Online Flash Drive" except this flash drive will never get left at home when you really needed that presentation for school!  Dropbox offers many plans for you to use including their free plan which offers you 2 Gigabytes of storage.  Dropbox is a webtool, but you can also create a folder on your computer that can sync automatically with Dropbox.  This mean you can still have access to your files when you are not connected to the Internet, and once a connection is made, changes to files are always synced to Dropbox.  They also offer apps for mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad in order for you to view and share files and photos from your devices.  You can learn a bit more about Dropbox here!

Hack Jam Pittsburgh - Programming for Teens

This looks like an awesome opportunity for teenagers to learn about how to create on the web by using programming code and other web tools.  The quote on the website says it all...

“The goal: help millions of people

move from using the web to making the web.”

You can register for the Pittsburgh "Hack Jam"(9/23/12 from 1-3pm) by clicking on this link.

Symbaloo

Since so many tools we use anymore are on the web, we also need a great place to organize and share websites.  There are many social bookmarking tools on the web, and one I have enjoyed using is Symbaloo.  Symbaloo has a great interface where each site is a button in a folder.  You can create different folders of sites, and you can share these folders with other friends connected to Symbaloo.  Symbaloo also offers a great EDU interface, so it is safe to use with your students as well.

Fun Tuesday Post! --- Be Careful What You Find on the Internet!

Here is a fun picture to start your Tuesday!  Also, this is a great picture to lead a discussion on making sure you use appropriate sources for information on the Internet.

ZamZar File Conversion

ZamZar is a website that offers free file conversion for multiple file types.  If you are looking to extract text from a PDF, or open a Microsoft Publisher file on your Mac you can use ZamZar.  ZamZar work likes this, you upload the file to the website, and you choose what type of file you would like in return.  You will be emailed a link (usually within minutes) in which you can download the file to your computer.  It works pretty easily.  Some larger file conversions may take a bit longer, and the results for some files are not always perfect, but all in all it is a great utility!  Another great new feature is the addition to download video and audio files from the YouTube or other sites.  I like using ZamZar to do this, because you can choose what type of file you would like in return.  You simply copy the video link into ZamZar, and choose the video format you would like to use.  You can also choose an audio only (MP3) format if you would just like the audio from the audio track from the video.  Always remember copyright rules when doing any of that as well!  

Quote of the Day

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
~Eleanor Roosevelt