Thursday, April 28, 2011

Free Paid Android Apps on Amazon

"Free" and "Paid" in the same sentence? How can that be? It is true that Amazon now has a daily free paid Android app that they feature. It is a great way to try some of those apps that you weren't sure if you should pay for as it may be a dud and you would have wasted your money.
If you have an Android phone, go ahead and put this link http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011 on your desktop and check it daily. You may find something you can actually use!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Should GPS devices be used to help lower truancy rates?

In Anaheim, California that is exactly what they are doing. Students that have issues with truancy are being required to wear tracking devices, much like those that criminals wear. They are being used as a final attempt at changing their behavior before being referred to a juvenile detention center. One thing to note is that the program is voluntary. Parents have to give permission for their student. The students do not have a choice. Proponents say that "truancy can cause many problems, kids who willingly ditch class are more likely to get involved in gangs, and crimes such as vandalism,theft and drug dealing." Others say it is "coming down too hard and it is a criminalization of kids who have trouble getting to class."
What do you think?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

YouTube Launches "Copyright School"

Today, YouTube launched a brand new "Copyright School". This service is designed to educate YouTube users about their copyright policies. According to their announcement, users who have a video flagged for copyright violations will be required to attend their "Copyright School" before being able to upload more content. You can watch the video below:
You might want to turn the volume down or plug your ears first :-)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

AirPrint - Ever wanted to print something from your iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone? Now you can!

AirPrint lets you print wirelessly from your i-device. There is no software, no drivers or cables. You can just click and the printing takes place in the background, allowing you to keep flipping through your photos. You can print to any AirPrint enabled printer as well as any non-Airprint enabled printer. How to print to a non-AirPrint enabled printer.
All you need is to update your device to the iOS 4.2.1 update!
Here is a demo of how AirPrint works:

Now your students can print their notes, pictures, website research, etc.!
Happy printing!

Monday, April 4, 2011

WEB 2.0 on the Rise for Educators

Need a great free site where you can create online tests, polls, brain games, and flashcards?
"ProProfs, the exceptional multi-tool site that is already on The Best Ways To Create Online Tests and The Best Tools To Make Online Flashcards lists, now may be the number one tool on The Best Sites For Creating Online Polls & Surveys list. Their new poll-making feature has just about everything I’m looking for in a tool to create polls — very accessible, you can easily add images or videos, you can include links, they’re embeddable, there are no limits in the number of responses, you can restrict voting and….it’s free."
This is a tip I found on another great website I recommend you adding to your bookmarks and that is: Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day

Complete Guide to You Tube

Are you using You Tube in your classroom?
Check out this Complete Guide to You Tube by Guiding Tech. You will
find useful tips on downloading, embedding, how to make it safe for kids,
and how to use it on mobile devices.