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Author Archives: Danny Silva

About Danny Silva

Google Certified Teacher, Google Apps Certified Trainer, Agricultural Teacher, Geek

Education tools on the iPhone

15 Feb

I have found some great tools so far to use for teaching with the iPhone.

Lets start with the basics – Software to work with Google.

Google Earth – No explanation needed.

Google Mobile App (Free) – Gives you quick access to several Google Features. Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Reader, Talk, Goog-411, News, Notebook (for now), Photos (Picasa), orkut, Translate, Maps, Youtube, Earth, and Blogger. It will even let you set up for multiple domains.

CalenGoo (Paid) – A great way to sync with your Google Calendar. Syncs both ways. The Publisher is extremly responsive to questions and suggestions.

MiGhtyDocs (Free) – This app will let you cache your Google Docs to your iPhone so you can use them even when you don’t have service.

Next, lets look at apps to help directly in the classroom.

i-Clicker PowerPoint Remote (Free/Paid) – Just like it sounds a remote app to run your PowerPoint. You will have to install an app on your computer, so you will need admin rights or have a good relationship with your IT person at school. The app lets you view the current slide, the next slide or notes that you have saved. It has a timer to help keep you on task, a forward button a back button, and a jump to slide# feature. There are two versions available, the full paid version and the lite version (limits you to 15 slides).

LabTimer (Free) – Simple little app that will allow multiple timers at once. Count up or count down.

a2zPro (Free) – A conversion app with plenty of options, such as Distance, Energy, Length, Pressure, Blood Sugar, Speed, etc…

WordPress (Free) – Simple tool to update your your WordPress Blog. Allows you to save drafts locally to your iPhone before posting. If I could change one thing, I would like to be able to see drafts that are saved on the WordPress website.

Animoto (Free) – This is very similar to the Animoto website that lets you make a quick video. Pick a song and upload some pictures and let it make the video.

Locly (Free) – Great tool when traveling with students. It finds your location and then lets you choose what you are looking for; restaurants, museums, taxis, banks, etc…

Evernote (Free) – One of the best note taking tools on the Internet and the iPhone makes it even more usable.

Speed Dial #1, #2, #3, #4 (Free) – Simple apps to do just what the title says.

SuperDial (Free) – App to make a favorites list to with pictures.

Twitteriffic (Free) – Great free Twitter app for the iPhone. Hopefully the next update will have the ability to retweet.

Twitterlink (Free) – This app will allow you to create a bookmark in Safari on the iPhone which will create a shortened URL for your tweet.

ResponseWare (Free/Paid) – Free to download but you need to pay to register with TurningPoint so it can be used. Those of you that could get some money to buy a class set of iPod Touches would love this app. Allows individuals to answer questions with the TurningPoint response software.

These are apps that I have used and I prefer. Some of you might find an app that you would prefer over the ones I have listed. This is one of the great things about the app store; there are plenty of alternatives.

Please leave comments if you might prefer a different app, or please let me know if I have missed any.

Do You Google? It’s More Than Just A Search Engine

29 Jan

Most educators have heard of Google, but most do not know the extent of offerings that Google has for education. The title of this post is the title of an in-service that I have presented to two different groups of Agriculture Teachers in California’s Central Valley. These two in-services where put on by the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association (CATA). There was a great turn out, about 100 Ag Teachers total attended the two different in-services.

The training consisted of four parts.

First, learn how to share your calendar with others and have a calendar that multiple people can access. This is a great collaboration tool to be used with your students, parents of students, officers, and/or department. What better way to quickly reserve the Ag Truck for Friday to go pick up lab supplies, or to remind the students of the next FFA meeting.

Second, learn how to use Google Docs to make a form to poll your audience. I instructed the teachers how a form could be used to collect data about the students for the annual FFA membership report. The results are stored on a spread sheet each time someone submits there survey. There is also a very nice report that can be generated with charts and graphs.

Third, learn how to create a basic website using Google Sites. Sites can be used in various ways. It can be for a local FFA chapter web page, a place to post information for you class, or even a quick web page for an event the chapter is putting on.

Fourth, learn how tie all this information together. Most of the offerings that Google makes available can be linked very easily. For example the Form created in Google Docs can be posted on Google Sites in a matter of a few mouse click. This same thing can be said of the calendar, Picasa (Online photo sharing website owned by Google) and Youtube (also owned by Google). There are also things called Gadgets that will allow you to use content from other sources on your web page.

The best part to all of this is that is a free service by Google just sign up once for Gmail and you get the rest included. I have provide a link to the site I created to help with the in-service.

Site

If anyone has any great ideas on how they have used Google’s service please leave a comment.