86 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed–Treasure Chest October 23, 2011

Welcome to this week’s edition of Treasure Chest—86 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed.

It’s really difficult to keep up with all that happens in educational technology. This is my attempt to make it just a little easier. I post a Treasure Chest every Sunday!

Featured

• Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Education’s 3200 Error–As I was facing my own 3200 error on Wednesday, it struck me that in the US, we have a whole different standard of measurement for businesses versus schools.
• 6 Reasons EdLeaders Should Let Kids Bring Devices to School | Getting Smart–Bans on student use of mobile devices exist for some good reasons. So why bother considering a change? There are six reasons that school and system heads should consider allowing students to bring their own devices to school.
• 100 Legal Sources for Free Stock Images | Mister Nifty–This list is for those who can’t spend money on images, but need good quality images for their presentations and promotions.
• 20 Presentation Secrets You Won’t Find Elsewhere

• 8 Observations on flipping the classroom – Articles – Educational Technology – ICT in Education–One of the more unfortunate buzzwords to appear in online education circles and the press is “flipping the classroom”.
• Occupy the Classroom – NYTimes.com–Want to close the equality gap? Providing early childhood education would be a great place to start, and it might even pay for itself.
• Why Extracurriculars Shouldn’t Be the First Budget Cut Victims – Education – GOOD–Participation in after-school activities may be more influential on a person’s future success than academic experiences
• Teacher Reboot Camp » Blog Archive » 18 Educational Apps for Halloween–As an educator or parent that has an iPad, iPhone, or iPod you can capitalize on this time to help kids learn while celebrating the holiday. Here are free apps to help encourage math, literacy, and problem-solving skills. Some of the apps are just fun!
• Einstein Would Have Loved an iPad! | Burcu Akyol’s Blog–Einstein, who was never able to recall his own phone number, was famous for not memorizing anything that could be quickly and easily looked up in a standard…
• The Tech-Savvy Digital Millenial: A New Challenge Facing Educators and Institutions « nancyrubin–The tech-savvy millenial demands “educators reconsider learning theories, pedagogies, and interactions with students and peers.”
• Becoming a 21st Century School or District: Use the 4Cs to Support Teachers | Edutopia–Focus on the 4Cs in student work, and meaningful feedback and evaluations for teachers, says Ken Kay in this 6th blog in a series on 21st century leadership.
• Shift to the Future: Open Letter to Prezi

• The 21st Century Principal: 7 Ways Administrators & Educators Can Use Evernote–Recently, I received a email from someone in response to my post The 21st Principal’s Top 10 Web Tools for Administrators asking me to be more specific on how I use each of these tools. Here’s a bit more explanation on how I use Evernote.
• #Edscape « My Island View–The more we educate educators, the more we can educate our children. It is all about continuous learning, and that needs to be promoted. It is that Life-long learning thing, that so many profess to kids, but fail to follow on their own.
• Generational Divide in Education « My Island View–At the pace that things develop today it takes work to keep up. Learning is not a passive endeavor. Too many educators teach that to kids, but fail to practice it themselves.
• 5 Fantastic Resources to Help Your Mom Get Familiar With Internet–Check out these 5 Fantastic Resources to Help Your Mom Get Familiar With Internet.
• Cool Cat Teacher Blog: 10 Ways to be a Terrible Teacher–So, today, I’ll share a few of the things I think make a teacher terrible.
• Bad teachers — Joanne Jacobs–It’s time to talk honestly about bad teachers, writes Andrew Rotherham in Time. “Teachers are not to blame for all that ails our schools,” but firing “some percentage of low performers” would be good for students — and for other teachers.
• The iPad 2 and Apple TV … Ed Tech Industry Killer? | EdReach–What would you rather get for your classroom, an iPad 2 and Apple TV or an Interactive Whiteboard? Are your teachers asking for Interactive Whiteboards? Hold on to that discussion and don’t answer until you know all of the possibilities!

Tools

• The 3 Stages of Twitter Users and The Best Tools For Each–Whether you’re new to Twitter, an experienced user, or a complete Twitter addict, Twitter tools make everything easier. In this article, I’ll suggest some of my favorite Twitter tools for each type of user, so everyone can find something useful.
• 100 Best Mac Apps–On this page, you will find the best 103 Mac applications for all your needs. We’ve taken the effort to categorize the apps and picked only those we…
• With New Google Docs Presentations, Why Use PowerPoint?–Google Docs takes another bite out of expensive Microsoft Office software today with a complete do-over of Presentations. Google Docs slideshows can now be edited live and simultaneously with a team. It enables viewing of revision history, so any team member can go back and see changes made by others. The update also features live chat alongside the editing tools. In addition to the collaboration features, Docs has added new transitions, animations and themes, with which PowerPoint users have been fluffing up their posts for years. The new features are only supported on modern browsers….
• 17 Accessible Web Based RSS Readers | blueblots.com–For those who are looking for a new one or even just to know the options currently out there, this post is for you because we have collected web-based RSS readers helpful even when you move from one computer to another
• 2 Must Have Facebook Extensions For Google Chrome–Everytime Facebook makes design changes, it always break some stuff and add more annoyance. Here’s are 2 must-have Chrome extensions to keep Facebook under control
• Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 : Free Download | The Windows Club–Download Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009, Ashampoo WinOptimizer, Ashampoo Photo Commander, etc, FREE.
• 10 Exciting Apps To Enhance Physical Education – Edudemic–Here are ten advances in technology that can help students learn about health, nutrition, and exercise, while keeping them engaged with technology:
• Free Technology for Teachers: Picfull – Free and Easy Online Image Editing–Picfull is a free online photo editing service that I just learned about last night.
• 8 Hidden Tools In Windows 7 You Still Might Not Know About–Windows 7 is by no means a new operating system. This why I was doubly surprised to realize that there are still some hidden tools in Windows 7 I did not know about. Even if you’re just a regular person who’s been using Windows 7, you might be surprised at some of the things that are built into Windows 7 and require no further download.
• 12 Databases of Twitter Applications for Twitter Addicts | blueblots.com–Here are the 12 Databases of Twitter Applications for Twitter Addicts with excellent features that most of the twitter users need. Check this out! Enjoy!

How-To

• How to Use E-Portfolios (by Işıl Boy) – Teaching Village–Working on the e-portfolios improves students’ learning, and fosters their learner autonomy so that they can feel responsibility for their own learning. Besides, e-portfolios are “inherently motivational” as discussed by Barker (2005).
• Free Technology for Teachers: Help Students Create Strong Passwords–Password Bird is a simple website that asks you three questions then generates a password for you based on your responses.
• The 21st Century Principal: 4 Uses of Dropbox for Teachers and Administrators–Here’s five good ways to use this cloud storage tool as a teacher and administrator.
• Some Websites Are Not Opening On Your Computer ? – Fix The Problem–Some websites are not opening on your computer? Are you facing problems accessing specific websites and it takes forever to load them in your browser? Here is a troubleshooting guide which will help you diagnose and fix the problem in 6 easy steps.
• Facebook Timeline: How to Enable it Now–Facebook is rolling out its new Timeline feature to users gradually over the coming weeks. If you don’t want to wait for it, here’s how to get access to it now.
• How to Remotely Use A PC’s DVD Drive Across Your Network – How-To Geek–If you own a netbook you will know what we mean when we say sacrificing a DVD drive can sometimes be a pain. Net burner sets out to solve this problem by letting you use the drive on another pc remotely.
• The Steps You Should Take to Secure Your Facebook Account–We have written frequently about the various security loopholes that are part of Facebook but never described the step-by-step process that you need to take to lock things down. Now someone has done it for us. Cameron Camp, researcher for ESET, has put together such a step-by-step guide to controlling privacy and security on Facebook. Reviewing this post it is clear that many of us aren’t as secure as we want to be, and we’re not just talking here about our exes or prospective employers being able to check up on us. Camp covers the full breadth of Facebook privacy…
• How to Restart/Fix Printer Spooler in Windows 7–If you start to many print jobs at once you can easily crash the printer spooler service. Here’s how you fix/restart the printer spooler service in Windows
• 15 ways to make your Android phone look like an iPhone | News | TechRadar UK–15 ways to make your Android phone look like an iPhone Apps for the iPhone look : TechRadar UK
• 29 WordPress Tweaks to Improve Posts and Pages–We love WordPress – but not all of us are ready to settle with all its default settings and displays – particularly how posts are displayed
• How to enable HyperThreading in Windows 7–Unleash the processing power hidden in the heart of your Intel hyper-threading processor. Enable HyperThreading in Windows 7 Intel introduced a family
• Box.net: Map Your Free 50GB Account as a Network Folder in Windows–Box.net is now offering 50GB of storage for free. This is great, but there’s no desktop app for Windows. Here’s how to map your Box.net account as a folder on your Windows PC.
• Maximum PC | How To Share Big Files Over the Internet the Fast, Easy and Free Way–The Internet has been around for decades now, and even though we all use it every day, the simple act of sending an electronic file to a friend isn’t always so simple
• Google Teaches How to Stay Secure Online With Good to Know–Google Teaches How to Stay Secure Online With Good to Know.
• The 20 Best Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar Tips and Tricks – How-To Geek–If you have moved from Windows XP to Windows 7, it might take some time to get used to the new Start menu and Taskbar. Here is a list of useful tips to help you make the most of each.

iOS

• 30 Awesome Web Apps for Your iPad–As incredible as it seems, it’s been over a year and a half since the original iPad was released, forever changing what the world thought of tablet computers.
• Apple iPhone 4S (Sprint) Review & Rating | PCMag.com–The Apple iPhone 4S for Sprint makes it easy to call, take photos, surf the Web and play games; the tasks that most people want to accomplish with their smartphones.
• How to Restrict Functions in iOS | Mac|Life–Restrictions in iOS work simliarly to Parental Controls in OS X. It’s an easy way to restrict unauthorized users from accessing certain functions in iOS, and keep the kids away from inappropriate content.
• Use Multiple Accounts For Any Service On Your iPad Using Our Pad–An iPad is designed to be an exclusively personal device. Of course, two or more people can use it, but the default behavior of iPad always makes it think that
• CNET UK Presents: History of the iPhone, dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs on Vimeo

• Fifty iOS 5 tips | Reviews | CNET UK–iOS 5 has landed. Here are 50 tips that will help you get the most out of the latest software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
• Adobe Reader for iOS Now Available–iOS: Adobe has released an iOS version of its popular PDF reader for iOS as a universal app for both iPad and iPhone.
• Use iOS 5′s Shortcuts Feature to Create a Second E-Mail Signature | PCWorld Business Center–Different circumstances often require different signatures. Here’s how to work around iOS’s one-signature limitation. It’s a little clumsy, but it works.
• 29 Excellent iPad Apps for Photographers–Photography lovers will not merely get those great shots from their favourite subjects but would also opt to enhance their photos to make it look better
• 500px for iPad Is a Gorgoeus Photo Browser and Slideshow Creator–500px is a new iPad app that lets you browse some of the web’s most interesting and attractive photos, and then use your iPad as a digital photo frame to display your favorites, the best from the 500px community, or your own photos, set to a soundtrack from your iTunes library.
• Remotely Control Apple TV from Your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch–The Apple TV comes with a annoying small physical remote which is limited. Here’s how to remotely control your Apple TV from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
• You Can Now Create Reminders On Remember The Milk App Using Siri On iPhone 4S [VIDEO] | Redmond Pie–The good folks over at Remember the Milk have managed to integrate Siri with their app. It uses CalDAV, an Internet standard for allowing a client to access scheduling information on a remote server. Follow the instructions below to get up to speed with Remember the Milk and Siri.
• PowerPoint on the iPad? SlideShark makes it happen seamlessly – The Next Web–But understanding that much of the world’s presentation work happens in PowerPoint, the company has branched out to launch its SlideShark product , enabling you to display PowerPoint via your iPad.
• Apple IOS 5 Tip: Take Pictures or Video Without Unlocking Your Device–Apple’s latest mobile operating system, IOS 5 introduced a new feature for quickly taking photos. Some already call this the best feature out of the entire iOS 5 update. Here’s a quick-tip for how it works.
• Record Voice on your iPhone or iPad with Dragon Recorder App–Want to record audio on your iPad or iPhone. The new Dragon Recorder app lets you quickly capture voice notes on your iOS device with a single tap.
• 5 Best Apps for iPad to help you with your studies / education – YouTube

• Burlington High School Principal’s Blog: Top 10 Features of iOS 5 on the iPad From the BHS Student Tech Crew
• 10 Seriously Addictive iPhone Strategy Games–Strategy games and iOS are a match made in heaven. Check out these top 10 titles for anyone who wants to use their brain to win.
• 5 Apps for Creating Interactive Books and ePubs on your iPad
• iOS 5 vs. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich vs. Windows Phone 7.5 Mango – Comparison | Redmond Pie–Hello there, everyone! It’s time to do another post in our series of comparison posts in which, well, we compare stuff. In this comparison post, ‘stuff’ is the three major mobile operating systems – iOS 5, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Windows Phone 7.5 Mango – and it is their feature-list which is compared.
• 5 Free Alarm Clock Apps For iPad || Free Software–Here are 5 Free Alarm Clock Apps for iPad to help you wake up on time everyday. Try any of these 5 alarm clocks for iPad free.

Miscellaneous

• Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero: Top 10 Sites for Educational Games–There’s no denying the appeal that online games have on kids. While this might come w/ a negative stigma there are a lot of online educational games that can be found to not only enhance the joy of learning but strengthen skill sets as well
• Educational Technology Guy: 10 Things Students use technology for in my class–The other day, I posted an article entitled “Technology I use on a Daily Basis – updated for this year” which detailed the technology I use myself to get organized, communicate with students and parents, and as lesson resources and tools. Today, I’d like to talk about the technology that my students use in my class.
• Google+ To Support Google Apps in Next Few Days–Google has announced that Google+ will support Google Apps accounts within the next few days.
• Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns from Pumpkin Masters®–Download free pumpkin carving patterns from Pumpkin Masters® to create a pumpkin masterpiece this Halloween!
• Desktop Fun: Halloween 2011 Wallpaper Collection [Bonus Edition] – How-To Geek–It is that spooky time of year once again and we have just what you need to get your favorite computer ready for the holiday.
• Please Don’t Retweet–I’ve come to an opinion on something (and as with all opinions, it’s about as useful as sesame seeds on a bun):asking for a retweet or mention of something – that isn’t cause related – isn’t cool.
• Maximum PC | Wi-Fi Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to the Wireless Web–We’re going to take a look at some of the building blocks that go into making your wireless network stable and fast, with an eye toward security and standards. We’ll also cover some of the devices that can improve your wireless network and ways you can use your Wi-Fi while away from home.
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich, this is not the treat you are looking for | ExtremeTech–The issue facing Google, and the community that surrounds Android, is the fact that the unification process they so desperately need and want will not happen with ICS, but down the road as the market purges older devices.
• Math Doodling | Open Culture–Doodling — it’s usually a sign of boredom, an escape from tedium. Vi Hart turns it all upside down, and shows how doodling can be an engaging form of…
• 7 Things You Should Be Posting On Facebook–On one of my last articles, 5 Things You Need To Stop Posting On Facebook, I received a comment from a certain Smumdax that basically begged the question, Well. What should we post on Facebook?So dear MakeUseOf readers, I don’t want to only focus on what you need to stop posting on Facebook. As a matter of fact, I believe that there are more things that should be shared than shouldn’t be!
• Maximum PC | The 34 Best Webcomics for Geeks–We collected a list of the best geeky offerings from staff favorites to Facebook suggestions in order to provide you with over thirty hilarious, entertaining and incredibly drawn web comics to secretly read throughout your work day
• New Security Threat: Infected QR Codes–Security experts say QR codes may be the next frontier for cybercriminals spreading malware.
• Official Google Reader Blog: Upcoming changes to Reader: a new look, new Google+ features, and some clean-up–We’re going to introduce a brand new design (like many of Google’s other products) that we hope you love. Second, we’re going to bring Reader and Google+ closer together, so you can share the best of your feeds with just the right circles.
• Six Reasons Why You Cannot Be A Bad Teacher | Burcu Akyol’s Blog–Year 2011. And it is almost impossible to be a bad teacher. Because… If you are a teacher who is passionate about teaching and who considers continuous
• How colleges use, misuse social media to reach students – CNN.com–It was a joyous day for Lucie Fink when she received her acceptance letter from Johns Hopkins University.
• EdTechSandyK: Been Thinking About CTRL+F & Technology Basics–Why do 90% of us, teachers and students included, not know about such a fundamental computer skill?

Video/Slideshow

• Alfie Kohn on Feel-Bad Education – YouTube

• RSA Animate – The Divided Brain – YouTube

• Achilles and the Tortoise – 60-Second Adventures in Thought (1/6) – YouTube–Ancient mathematical trickery proves that a mighty hero cannot overtake a tortoise.

• Teaching Math Without Words, A Visual Approach to learning Math from MIND Research Institute – YouTube

• Sesame Street – What is a computer? – YouTube

Tagged as: Edtech, Educational technology, Resources, Treasure