Upgrade to Leopard or buy a Kindle?

For Mac users, the question is whether to upgrade to the new operating system, Leopard. When it first came out a few weeks ago, I was not convinced that it was worth the $129. After all, my new iMac running Tiger was great and did everything I needed. But now after I have read a few reviews of Leopard, I think it is probably a good idea to upgrade. Time Machine alone is probably worth the money. If you are like me, I forget to backup my files on a regular basis and have no real system for doing it easily. With Time Machine and an inexpensive external hard drive, backing up your files is easy and fast.

How about the Kindle, Amazon's new wireless reading device? While at Starbucks near UCI for my Thursday morning hot tea, I noticed a person using a Kindle at one of the tables. I asked him how he liked it and he showed me the newspapers he subscribed to on the Kindle. He really liked the ability to carry three papers in the palm of his hand and be able to get them automatically each morning delivered directly to his Kindle.
That sounds good, but my labradoodle would have nothing to fetch each morning!

Google Android???

If you heard the announcement about Google's entry into the mobile phone market and are wondering what it all means, then take a look at this article. Basically, Google is releasing free software so that they can start to have access to advertising on cell phones. In return, the customer gains access to Google tools similar to what they have on their desktop computer.

Google may be working toward releasing a phone of their own as well. Keep checking back for news about the Gphone.

How to save video clips

Youtube and other video websites are often blocked by school districts because of their questionable content. However, there are many good videos clips that would be great for the classroom. For example, Youtube is a goldmine for science related clips. I was searching for clips about photosynthesis recently and found everything from college lectures to school projects.
So how can a clip be shown in class if your district blocks the website? The answer is Zamzar.com. Zamzar is a free program that will capture any video clip and save it for you. When you download Zamzar a button is placed on the menu bar of your browser. When you find a good video, select the button and Zamzar grabs the video, stores it on its website and sends you an email link for the download. Once the video clip is downloaded, you can save it to flashdrive or burn it on a CD to use on any computer.

In other news, Apple released its new operating system, Leopard. Leopard has about 300 new features. One new feature, Time Machine, automatically backs up your files to a another hard drive. If you do not backup, then Time Machine is for you. After spending all that time finding and saving good video clips from Youtube, a easy-to-use backup program is a must!

Google Presentations

Google has completed their free online suite of office tools with the launch of Presentations. Like Docs and Spreadsheets, Presentations can be used to create and store PowerPoint compatible files. Fully integrated with Docs and Spreadsheets, it is a viable alternative to Microsoft Office. I intend to introduce my students to presentations because of the ability to collaborate. Now students who need to work together to create a presentation do not need to be in the same location. By sharing the file with one or more collaborators, every member of the group can work on the presentation and the teacher can see what contribution each member made to the project.
I encourage you to give Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Presentations a try. Get started by going to Google Docs and selecting the "new" button. Select "Presentation" and you are on your way.

What hit me?

The start of school, that's what.
Each summer, I have great plans for the new school year. But then the first wave of kids arrive in my classes, the papers start piling up and screaming to be graded and...Well, you get the picture. One thing that I have been able to do is continue reading posts on a Google Teacher Academy group email. Today I ran across two tidbits worth sharing.

The first is a Youtube video by our own California State Superintendent of Schools, Jack O'Connell. Jack went back to school on the first day and posted a short video of his adventures. Most school districts block Youtube, so try it out from home.

The second is a blog by Chris Walsh, who is a Tech Education guru. Chris will be posting a video to his blog , School180, each of the 180 school days this year. He has two young children in a California public school. His videos will record is impressions of the school year. Chris is always good for a laugh and you might even be inspired to try out some of those ideas that you had this summer.

By the way, have you tried Google Sky?? If you liked Google Earth, then just wait until you look into the universe with Google Sky.

Now back to those papers.

Blackboard 7

I have had a couple of requests for help with Blackboard 7 in the last week. If you used Blackboard last year and requested that your classes be transferred over to BB7, then you should be set and ready to go.

If you are new to Blackboard, then the first step is to set up your classes. To get started, log onto the IUSD intranet from a school computer. Select "Information Technology" in the left hand column and then select Blackboard. There is a setup wizard that will walk you through how to set up your classes. Course and section numbers are required so have your class lists on hand. It takes a few days for the setup process.

Confused??? John Pendleton is the new Guru of Blackboard. Ask him for help!

By the way, I love my new iMac. It is fast, has a beautiful 20" screen and works the first time, every time.

New iMac?

Apple announced the new 20" and 24" iMac at a press conference this morning. They have dropped the 17" model and redesigned the case and keyboard. No more white plastic, the new look is brushed aluminum. With a teacher discount, you can get one for about $1100 and they throw in a free iPod nano. Now that is the way to start the new school year in style.

By the way, the new iMac comes with iLife '08 installed. MS Office is available or iWork '08 is fully compatible.

Come back in a few days for a more thorough review.....I am picking one up tomorrow.