Massac Tech Ed

Educreations

2012-01-28T08:58:00.003-06:00

The other day I ran across a wonderful free app/service on the iPad that is certainly worth sharing. Educreations (http://www.educreations.com/) allows you to create and share video lessons on the iPad or from your web browser. It is basically your own record-able whiteboard. After you record your lesson, you can upload it to their site and choose to share it with your students, your school, or the general public. There is currently no directory to search for public lessons, but you can provide your students with a course link or code so that they can access everything you upload to your class.

While the functions are very basic with this app/service, it keeps it easy to use and share.

Substitute Call System Mobile Application

2011-10-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

If you are an iPhone/iPod Touch user, you can download the free SmartFindExpress application from the App Store to use the substitute call system. Please note that the mobile app has limited features.

You can learn more about the app by visiting, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sfemobile1/id388482560?mt=8.

If you decide to download and try it out, make sure you follow the directions in the image below to access your account. Feel free to comment on this post about your experience with the mobile app.

A new look!

2011-10-03T21:37:00.001-05:00

The Massac Tech Ed blog has been given a face lift. You will now see clickable links (Classic, Flipcard, etc.) at the top of the blog that allows you to view the blog however you would like. It is what Blogger is calling, "a dynamic interface." If you blog or were thinking about starting one for your class, this certainly makes it a bit more exciting.

I have turned on the feature for this blog to be viewed easier on a mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.). The district website (http://massac.org) and the high school website (http://mchs.massac.org) will also automatically adjust to your mobile device.

Enjoy!

Make sure you wish...

2011-09-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

...a Happy 30th to Aaron Clark tomorrow!

Welcome Back!

2011-08-25T16:19:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice summer.

As we are now getting back into the swing of things, please remember to submit your tech issues to our trouble ticket system at http://sl.massac.org/ticket.

If you are a new staff member or need a refresher about the Substitute Call system, please email Aaron Clark at aclark@massac.org.

Also remember to visit our technology website at http://tech.massac.org for helpful resources, documents, and other useful information.

Have a great year!

Preview ZIP and RAR Files from Massac Mail

2011-07-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

Opening a ZIP or RAR (compressed/archived file types) can be a bit worrisome especially if you are unsure of the sender. Every once in a while, people try to send viruses through these file types. However, you can now preview ZIP and RAR files directly through Massac Mail (GMail) via Google Docs. You will also be able to download selected items within the files themselves. This can be quite a time saver, especially if you only need a couple of files from the main ZIP or RAR. This feature also works on Google Docs Mobile as well.

Massac Docs Updates - June 2011

2011-06-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting read if you use Google Docs and/or our Massac Docs (from Google).

http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/06/few-improvements-to-discussions-in.html

To access your Massac Docs, visit http://docs.massac.org.

Massac Apps Updates - April 2011

2011-04-13T08:47:00.004-05:00

Here are a few of the newest updates for our Massac Apps:

Please note that these features may not immediately be available, but are intended for release in April 2011.

Sites
- Recovery of deleted sites. If an owner of a site accidentally deletes a site, it will be immediately removed from view but they may recover it by visiting its URL within 30 days.

Contacts
- Add new contact information that will default to “Work” instead of “Home” field types.
- Manage groups more easily by quickly adding email addresses to groups, and picking from a contact’s multiple email addresses to use on a group-by-group basis.
- Revert changes to your Contacts for up to 30 days in case you need to restore deleted or merged contacts, or undo an import.

Spreadsheets

- Ability to hide individual sheets in your spreadsheet.
- Filtering is now available in Google Spreadsheets. Adding a filter onto a set of data can help you quickly narrow down the data set to find the data you need. By selecting a data set, you can filter and sort amongst many rows at once.

Docs

- Documents will now default to a view with page breaks.

Calendar
- Calendar labs will now be available for users to install.

Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office

2011-03-01T20:06:00.004-06:00

Google Cloud Connect is a plug-in to Microsoft Office that allows you to synchronize documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with your Massac Apps and/or other Google Account. Other features include collaboration, document sharing, and offline editing.

After installing the Cloud Connect toolbar to Microsoft Office, you will be prompted to enter your account credentials. You will also have the option to synchronize your files automatically or manually.

This is a handy tool for backing up those important files!

Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7 ; Microsoft Office 2003/2007/2010

Check it out: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/cloudconnect

Google Docs - More File Formats

2011-02-21T10:38:00.004-06:00

Google Docs has now added support for the following file formats:

Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 / 2010 (.PPTX)
Apple Pages (.PAGES)
Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
Adobe Photoshop (.PSD)
Autodesk AutoCad (.DXF)
Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG)
PostScript (.EPS, .PS)
TrueType (.TTF)
XML Paper Specification (.XPS)

To use your Massac Docs account, visit http://docs.massac.org

Google Docs - Updates

2011-02-01T14:17:00.002-06:00

For those of you who are using Google Docs (Our address is http://docs.massac.org), you might have noticed a few changes.

New filters in ‘More options’ making it easier to narrow your search by type, visibility state and other criteria.

A new preview panel on the right side of the document list showing a preview thumbnail, sharing settings and more. If the file is a video, you can start playing it directly from the preview panel or from the recently announced video player.

To make it easier to view photos, you can now click on the magnifying glass on a photo to open a full screen slide-show viewer.

A new view called ‘Home’. The contents of the ‘Home’ view are controlled by you so that the content you access the most often is easier to get to. You can remove files from the ‘Home’ view by right clicking the file and selecting ‘Don’t show in home’ to hide them. And when you need them, these files can always be found later by selecting ‘All items’ or using search.

‘Folders’ have been replaced by ‘Collections’ in the navigation bar. Collections are designed to combine the best features of labels and folders. A file can live in multiple collections, just like with Gmail labels. Collections can also be stored hierarchically, just like folders on your desktop. And of course, collections can be shared, just like you can share docs.

Instead of checkboxes to select multiple files, you can now use your ‘Shift’ or ‘Control’ (Cmd on Macs) keys.

This information is taken directly from the Official update feed from the Google Apps Team. The feed can be found at http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/

Microsoft Math Graphing Calculator

2011-01-31T22:16:00.002-06:00

Ever find yourself in need of a graphing calculator? Don't want to pay 100 dollars for a new calculator? Then Microsoft may have a solution for you. This product used to be $20 but now is free.

Visit this site for more information: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alfredth/archive/2011/01/20/microsoft-math-4-0-and-more.aspx

Visit this site to download the software: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9caca722-5235-401c-8d3f-9e242b794c3a

Enjoy!

Removing Malware

2011-01-31T09:36:00.003-06:00

For intermediate to advanced users (Windows based PCs).

Almost monthly I come across a computer with a fake antivirus program on it. These programs claim that your PC will remain infected until you buy their product. If this ever happens, your computer has most likely been compromised by malware. Some of the common fake antivirus programs are:

-Rogue Antivirus
-Antimalware Doctor
-Super Antispyware

Other than making your computer nearly unusable, these programs often try to obtain your personal information, such as credit card numbers. Below I will offer a solution to rid your computer of this unwanted malware. (Please note that this method does not always work.)

1. If you are able to navigate using your web browser, download this file.
Rkill and Malwarebytes (ZIP)
Alternatively, you may download these files using another computer. I would recommend burning these files to a CD and then placing the CD in the infected computer.

2. Extract these files onto the infected computer.

3. Run the rkill.exe command. It should stop all known malware processes.

4. Install Malwarebytes. If possible, see if it will let you update the database.

5. Perform a Quick Scan using Malwarebytes. I have seen this scan take anywhere from 5 to 45

minutes. Once the scan finishes, click Remove Selected Files. It will prompt you to reboot your computer.

6. Once your computer has restarted, try to update and scan your computer with your antivirus program. If you do not have one, a good free one is Microsoft Security Essentials.

7. After scanning with your antivirus program, perform another Quick Scan with Malwarebytes.

8. If Malwarebytes does not find any more infected files, your computer should be good to go.

Again, this method does not always rid your computer of infection. I have seen it work many times though and it is certainly worth trying if you are up to the task.

3 Useful Massac Apps Tools

2011-01-11T10:32:00.007-06:00

You can access all of these services by using your Massac E-Mail Account

1. Google Chat

Just a reminder that there are a couple of ways to chat via your Massac Account.

Check out the following link for more information

http://www.google.com/talk/

2. Picasa (Photo Editing/Storage)

Check out the following link for more information

http://picasa.google.com/

3. Google Calendar

Use the calendar to keep track of important dates, appointments, or meetings.

Create more calendars to post on your webpage/website to keep your students and parents informed about upcoming assignments, class projects, or tests.

Check out the following link to get started on your calendar

http://calendar.massac.org

If you have any questions on these services, please contact:
Tom - twalker@massac.org
Joel - jthoman@massac.org

Backing Up Files

2010-12-02T09:23:00.004-06:00

I wanted to remind everyone that it is best practice to backup your files. While this is one of those things that we take sometimes take lightly, it is a good idea to have a copy for that worst case scenario.

Below are a few ideas on how and where you can backup your important files.

*Purchase a flash/external hard drive.
-They seem to be getting cheaper by the day and are very simple to use.

*Use your Massac Account. (1 GB Free Space)
-Go to http://docs.massac.org
-Login using your Massac Google Account credentials.
-Click the Upload button in the upper left portion of the screen.
-Here you will see a spot to add files to upload.
-Once you have selected the files you wish to upload, click the Start Upload button.
-Your files have now been uploaded to your Massac Account.

*Use Dropbox. (2 GB Free Space)
-Go to http://www.dropbox.com
-Click Download Dropbox button.
-Follow the Installation instructions.
-It will also prompt you to set up a new account, if you don't already have one.
-By default, you can have a shortcut to Dropbox placed on your desktop.
-You can add files to your Dropbox that will be automatically synchronized to the web.

*Use Windows Live SkyDrive. (25 GB Free Space)
-To learn more about this, please visit http://explore.live.com/windows-live-skydrive

There are other options available, but I at least wanted to share those ideas.

Q&A with OpenDNS: We're being blocked, FCC should act on net neutrality

2010-11-22T13:41:00.001-06:00

From the Washington Post:

Q&A with OpenDNS: We're being blocked, FCC should act on net neutrality

By Cecilia Kang

As the Federal Communications Commission grapples with the timing of a net neutrality vote and Republican lawmakers demand the agency drop it, companies like OpenDNS fear the issue is getting mired in politics.

And that could crush startups like them, says OpenDNS founder David Ulevitch. He says the San Francisco domain name service is already being blocked by Verizon Wireless. He fears other Internet service providers trying to compete with it could do the same. update: A Verizon Wireless spokeswoman said Monday its network engineers "see no issue from our end" and that the service isn't being blocked.

Since it launched with a couple million dollars in angel investment four years ago, OpenDNS has attracted 20 million customers – consumers and businesses such as Staples, Century 21 and Fuji Film – who prefer the service’s domain name look-up service to that of their Internet service provider. Why? Ulevitch says the company is able to more quickly translate Web page addresses like www.washingtonpost.com to The Post’s IP address to serve up sites to users. Its fail rate is zero, compared with ISPs, he says. Check out a review of OpenDNS by the New York Times’ David Pogue for more details on how the service works.

Turns out, Ulevitch said in a recent phone interview, that carriers such as Verizon Wireless, Comcast and Time Warner cable have caught on to the value of their service. Open DNS is able to collect a lot of data about users and their Web surfing habits to serve up targeted ads for users who volunteer to have that information tracked.

The FCC won’t say what its plans are for net neutrality. Many analysts and experts outside the agency are betting on a vote in December. Even if FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski puts the proposed regulation on its agenda next month, the agency has to grapple with its questionable authority over broadband providers.

“There are some cable and phone companies out there that want to decide which apps you should get on your phone, which Internet sites you should look at, and what online videos you can download," a FCC official said in a statement after Republican House members criticized a proposal by Genachowski. "That’s regulating the Internet and that’s what the FCC is trying to stop.”

Here’s an edited interview with Ulevitch for one startup’s view of net neutrality:

Q: Look, net neutrality is just not popular right now in Washington. And ISPs are saying it’s a jobs killer. Do you think you’ve got a shot at a regulation in this Congress?
A: The main point is that we’ve created a massive economy built on the Internet. Fifteen years ago, the Nasdaq had like 12 high-tech companies. Now there are like 6,000 on the stock exchange. We create massive economic value.

Q: Why do you have a dog in this fight?
A: We just want a level playing field. Verizon Wireless is blocking us and there are reports that ISPs want to block OpenDNS. They don’t want third party domain name services.

Q: Why would they do this?
A: We have 20 million users, it’s free (for consumers) and we are making money. We serve search results and ads like Yahoo or Google to people who have opted in and chosen to use my service. So we monetize traffic that way. The ISPs see this as all this revenue they are leaving on the table that they believe belongs to them. I don’t know why they think so because it doesn’t belong to them.

Q: But why wouldn’t it belong to them, if they are providing domain name looks up for their subscribers?
A: Because the browser doesn’t belong to any service provider. But ISPs operate differently. Corporations and individuals are at the edge of the network and ISPs operate at the middle of the network and it would be inappropriate for them to make policy decisions at the edge of the network.

Q: Who else are you competing against?
A: We sit in an interesting place. Google has a Web browser and what they have done in Chrome is to take the address bar traffic back. If people use Chrome, we make less money on our service and that’s find by us because that is fair competition. I wouldn’t put Google on a pedestal for competition but they aren’t telling users not to use OpenDNS.

Q: What are ISPs doing today?
A: They do not want to see DNS traffic, queries and data streams leaving them. In the way we have monetized domain name services, they want to do what we do. But they aren't an opt-in service like we are, and they can also block us, which is what we are concerned about.

And they try to block us in crafty ways. There was a report of an ISP working group whose members said that for "security" reasons, they should block alternative DNS services.

Useful Links

2010-10-10T13:51:00.002-05:00

We have now added a new page listing useful links that have caught our eye. If you have a link that you use, and one you think maybe of use to other teachers, you may email Tom or Joel and we can post your link to this list.

You can find this page by going to the Technology Department Site http://tech.massac.org and go to useful links. or directly by clicking on the following link.

http://sites.google.com/a/massac.org/massactech/useful-links

Updated Massac Tech Site

2010-10-06T08:37:00.002-05:00

Joel and I have updated our Massac Technology Site (http://tech.massac.org) with a few neat features. On the home page you will now find a Systems Status feed that will show projects we are currently working on, updates on outages (InformationNOW, SubCaller, etc.), and other various items. You will also see a feed for this blog and one for general tech news.

The updated tech site also has links for recommended (and free!) software, as well as documents (website reports, technology plan).

Check it out!

Massac Apps (Update)

2010-09-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already noticed, our Massac Apps have gone through some important changes. Your Massac account is now essentially a full Google account. A list of the services available for your account can be seen at http://www.google.com/options/

To access these services (Blogger, Picasa, etc.), make sure to enter your full Massac Email address in the Email field (i.e. twalker@massac.org) along with your password.

Another interesting feature you will find is the Call Phone option in the chat window (bottom left hand side of your Email inbox). As long as you have a microphone and speaker on your computer, you can click this feature and call any US/Canada number for free. (International calling is also available at a cost.)

Enjoy these new features!

Welcome Back!

2010-08-17T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone is off to a good start for the 2010-2011 school year.

This is just a reminder to highlight some of the helpful links for you to use.

Technology Trouble Ticket - http://sl.massac.org/ticket

InformationNOW - http://sl.massac.org/infonow

Computer Lab Sign Up (MCHS only) - http://sl.massac.org/labsignup

Make sure to visit the district website (http://massac.org) and the school sites for up to date information.

Have a good year!

Quick way to your Massac contacts

2010-07-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

If you utilize the online address book in our Massac Apps infrastructure, there is now a short link directly to it.

http://sl.massac.org/contacts

You can also access the Contacts link from your E-Mail Inbox page by clicking the more link (dropdown arrow) at the top of the page and selecting the Contacts link.

If it does not automatically log you in to the contacts page, use your Massac E-Mail username and password to gain access.

Free Anti-Virus (Microsoft Security Essentials)

2010-07-06T07:37:00.001-05:00

One of the better free anti-virus/malware programs I have found useful is Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). The update process is very quick when compared to other solutions I have used or tested. I also found the time when running a system scan to be on par with other programs I have seen. MSE automatically updates like other anti-virus programs and doesn't seem to be a drain on system resources while it is scanning or updating.

In order to use Microsoft Security Essentials you will need to be running either XP, Vista, or Windows 7.

Check it out at...

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Massac Apps (Docs Updates)

2010-06-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share these changes happening to our Massac Apps (more specifically the Documents portion)

From Google

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing important updates to Google Docs for all Google Apps customers. These updates are incremental and will not require you to retrain your users.

● Starting on June 16th, 2010, we will introduce new sharing settings in Google Docs, designed to make sharing easier and to give your users more control over their files. Now your users will be able to assign a sharing setting to a file in just one step and see at-a-glance how each document is shared. To learn more, please visit the help center at http://goo.gl/I8Jp.

● Starting on June 21st, 2010, we will begin activating the new Google documents editor for all users. This new editor offers character-by-character real-time collaboration, better document import fidelity, and many new features like built-in chat with co-editors. To learn more, please visit the help center at http://goo.gl/8Idy.

● Starting on June 30th, 2010, we will begin activating the new Google spreadsheets editor for all users. This new editor offers many new features like an editable formula bar, cell auto-complete and faster performance. To learn more, please visit the help center athttp://goo.gl/Qgze.

Massac Apps (Summer Additions)

2010-05-16T16:06:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,

Hopefully you've all grown accustomed to our new e-mail, website, etc. infrastructure through the use of Google Apps for Education. This summer Google plans to roll out even more additions for our Massac Apps including the following:

-Picasa (Find, edit, and share your photos)
-Blogger (Share your life with an online blog)
-iGoogle (For us, this is already available at http://start.massac.org. Just sign in with your
Massac account to begin)

There are other services that are planned additions, but those above are just a sampling.

Stay tuned, there are some exciting features coming soon!

Docs.com for Facebook Users by JT

2010-05-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

In one of the more recent Facebook updates it was announced that Facebook was collaborating with Microsoft to bring Docs.com to Facebook users. Right now it is in beta but has a fairly short wait time. All it is, is a watered down version of Office 2010, much like Google Docs. That certainly is not a bad thing as the new office is very polished. Take a look at a screen shot of the Docs.com in Chrome.

The only complaint I have so far is that the Docs.com website doesn't look right in Chrome or any other browser I have tried. I had to highlight the top part of the page to be able to see where to click to upload or create a new document.

So what do you need to try out this new service?

You need a Facebook Account, then you can sign up for the beta and they will contact you when they are ready for you to login. If you are just now signing up for a Facebook account, be sure to take a close look at the privacy settings, so that none of your information is shared without your consent.

My opinion on this new service is that it has a long way to go to be as useable as Google Docs, but competition will improve both services.

E-Mail Themes

2010-05-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

Google has finally added the themes functionality to our e-mail. To access this, click the Settings link in the upper right portion of your Massac e-mail page. In the row of links under the word Settings, click the Themes link. You will see several different options for changing your background image and colors. Click a theme and watch the image/colors change like magic!

Have fun!

Drag and Drop Attachments in E-Mail

2010-04-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

This applies only to Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome users for the time being.

This will work for our Massac E-Mail and GMail.

Click the link below.

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/drag-and-drop-attachments-onto-messages.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+OfficialGmailBlog+(Gmail+Blog)

New District Website

2010-04-12T17:09:00.001-05:00

Please visit our new school district website at http://massac.org

Our new method will allow us to work more collaboratively on the district site. If you would like to visit the old site, click the Legacy Site link at the bottom of the links section on the new site. The old site will remain up for the remainder of the school year, then it will be permanently taken down.

Aviary for Massac Apps

2010-03-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

Some more free tools to play with...

Using our Massac Apps (Mail, Docs, etc) logins we now have access to Aviary.

What is Aviary?

"Aviary is a suite of FREE web-based design tools. Aviary offers the power and capabilities of leading desktop editors and design tools, with the freedom and flexibility of browser-based applications. Whether you are trying to edit a screen capture of your website, remix a music track, or create a logo, Aviary has the right tool for you."

After playing around with this for a couple of days, it truly is a great free web-based tool...no installation needed. There are plenty of options to play around with.

You can access Aviary by clicking this link http://sl.massac.org/aviary

from your Mail Inbox page: Click the more link at the top of the page (left side), Click Aviary in the drop down menu

Have fun playing around!

Stellarium for studying the stars.

2010-02-15T14:02:00.001-06:00

I found this great open source program that is available for pretty much any operating system though a new computer would run it well. http://www.stellarium.org/ You can even use a average projector and project this to study constellations, and planets.

Thumbnail View Google Docs

2010-01-28T15:59:00.001-06:00

This is a small change, but a nice one.

Google has added a thumbnail view for Google Docs.

Our Docs site can be accessed at http://docs.massac.org

To change from list view to thumbnail view, click the button as shown belown

You will see a thumbnail display of your files like this

Just wanted to share the update for our Docs.

Online File Storage with Google Apps

2010-01-20T19:09:00.000-06:00

Now this truly is handy.

With your Massac E-Mail (Google Apps) Account, you can now upload, store, and share any file in Google Docs. I attempted this with a song (.mp3) and a picture (.jpg) and it worked. The real power of this lies in the fact that if you are working on a Word Document (2003/2007), Excel Spreadsheet (2003/2007), or PowerPoint (2003) you can save it to your online storage space without having to convert it. This way your files are stored in their original format and are downloadable from anywhere. (I tried downloading from my phone...and that worked too!)

1. To access this visit http://docs.massac.org and login with your E-Mail credentials.

2. In the left hand column, click the button that shows 'Upload'

3. If you are choosing to upload a document and you would like to preserve original formatting, uncheck the box that says Convert documents, spreadsheets, & presentations...

4. Click the Start Upload button. File upload make take a little time.

5. If you click the link that says, Back to Google Docs (directly below the Massac logo), you will return to your file listing and your file will be there.

There are many other options available such as folder creation, color labeling, sharing, etc... but I wanted to make sure that you were aware that this was available.

I believe you each have 1 GB of file storage, so please be aware of the limitation.

Have fun!

Using Word 2007 to Update Blogs

2010-01-16T23:58:00.001-06:00

Do you have Office 2007? If so you have seen the dramatic differences in the user interface. Amongst the changes is the addition of the ability to publish to a web blog. The way that you set this up is to click on the office button and select publish. Then you can select blog. All you have to do then is select your blog provider. Then Word will prompt you to enter in your account username and password. After that you can start publishing directly to your blog from Word 2007!

The Decade’s 10 Big Ideas in Education

2010-01-16T23:37:00.001-06:00

From Scholastic's Blog:

As 2009 draws to a close and lists of the Decade's Big Ideas abound, it only seems fitting that education get its 15 minutes of fame. The education brains here at Scholastic have named 10 Big Ideas in Education from the first decade of the 21st Century--10 groundbreaking ideas that changed the landscape of American Education.

They are:

Alternate Paths to Teaching -- from Teach for America to Troops to Teachers to urban Teaching Fellows programs (like NYC Teaching Fellows and Teach NOLA), schools of education are no longer the only place that teachers begin their careers.

Transformative Technology -- From interactive whiteboards to online education, 1-to-1 computing to eReaders, for the first time in the history of American education, classrooms are increasingly plugged in -- and so are the students.

Accountability -- No matter where you stood in the debate on No Child Left Behind, it's impossible to deny that this decade marked a new era with a shift toward reporting the results for every child in every school.

Data-Driven Instruction -- Once we have data on every student, it's easier to reach them quickly and to teach them better. Data is the new currency of 21st Century schools.

Charter Schools-- While the jury remains out on their effectiveness, there is no doubt that charter schools are incubators of innovation in education and harbingers of parent involvement in schools.

The Rise of Digital Content-- By 2020, 95% of all knowledge will be a search term away -- marking a game-changing move from static pages to dynamic, digitized content.

A Focus on Adolescent Literacy-- With 65% of American 8th Graders reading below grade level, teaching reading is no longer a job just for elementary school teachers. Our middle and high schools are taking dramatic steps to tackle the job of teaching reading to older, struggling students -- ensuring that every child learns to read in an era of global competitiveness.

Books Are the New Black-- In the decade that gave us Harry Potter, Twilight and The DaVinci Code, the hottest accessory is definitely the book. And it's impossible to deny the power that a single book can have on children's feelings about reading. According to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, 74% of kids ages 5-17 say, "Reading Harry Potter has made me interested in reading other books."

It Takes A Village-- More than ever, education is reaching beyond the walls of our schools to build strong communities that support learning both in and out-of-school. From the Universal Pre-K movement and burgeoning after-school programs, to summer reading initiatives and in-school community centers, we're learning that it takes a combination of home, school and community to prepare kids for their futures.

The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-- Although it is the hallmark of only the last year of the decade, with its more than $100 billion dollar investment in America's schools, ARRA represents an historic moment in American Education. While we cannot predict its impact, we can say with certainty that ARRA will leave an indelible mark on this decade of ideas in education.

Ok readers...your turn. What did we miss?

From http://onourmindsatscholastic.blogspot.com/2009/12/decades-10-big-ideas-in-education.html

Groups Profile

2010-01-16T18:54:00.000-06:00

With the addition of Google Groups to our Apps, we now have the ability to create simple profiles using our Massac logins.

1. To access this click this link
http://groups.google.com/a/massac.org/groups/profile?myprofile

2. Sign in with your Apps (E-Mail) Username and Password.

3. Next to the words My profile, click edit.

4. Here you can upload a picture (even crop it!), as well as enter information such as job title, location, quotes, etc.

These profiles are used in the Massac Groups section which can be accessed by visiting, http://groups.massac.org

With the other items Google has added for our Apps over the year, it would appear these profiles are a start to having our own small social network.

Have fun!

Google Talk for Massac

2009-12-07T15:40:00.000-06:00

If you are familiar with instant messaging, Google has a standalone IM application which can be downloaded at http://www.google.com/talk/

Once downloaded and installed, sign in with your Massac credentials

user name: yourname@massac.org
password: your E-Mail password

This will enable you to chat with whoever is logged into the system without having to login to your E-Mail.

In case you haven't found it yet, you are also able to chat within the E-Mail as well. Just double click a contact in the lower left pane to bring up a chat window.

Text Messaging in E-Mail

2009-11-30T15:41:00.000-06:00

Now that we have adopted Google Apps for Education, there are some neat add-ons to explore in your Massac E-Mail. Navigate to your Inbox and click the Settings link at the top right to bring up a screen similar to the one below.

Click the Labs link to the far right. Here you will see a plethora of interesting, useful, and quirky add-ons for your E-Mail. One of the more appealing features allows you to enable text messaging through chat.

By clicking Enable (Text Messaging in Chat) and Save Changes at the top of the page, you will now have given yourself the ability to send text messages through your Massac E-Mail.

To send a text message to someone through the chatting feature in the E-Mail, return to your Inbox page. In the text field above the names in the chat window, type in the cell phone number of the person you wish to send a text message to. You may be prompted to type in a name for that contact. A chat window will appear in the lower right corner, and you can send a text message to them from your E-Mail!

The recipient may also reply to your message from their phone and it will appear in your chat window.

Please be aware that people receiving your messages are subject to fees for text messaging from their mobile carrier. You will see this warning before you attempt to send a message.

Wolfram Mathworld

2009-11-20T13:21:00.001-06:00

Wolfram Mathematics Resource

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/

A wonderful resource for teachers, parents, and students alike. The site features some interactive models that you can manipulate with your mouse.

Prezi - Cool Online Presentations

2009-11-19T14:18:00.000-06:00

If you are willing to explore the options outside of PowerPoint, prezi.com is the place for you.

What is Prezi?

"With Prezi you can create stunning presentations. Instead of slides, you create a large map, and zoom around to show your ideas."

Prezi is free. Just click sign up and you will see the various account options.

The website has a one minute introductory video. It really is an exciting way to give a presentation.

Thanks to Michael Zimmer, Technology Integration Specialist at Hopkins County Central High School in KY for showing this to me. He also runs a Technology in Education blog which is available at http://edutechintegration.blogspot.com

NASA Images - Free Searchable Collection

2009-11-14T12:22:00.000-06:00

From E-School News

"NASA Images" , a service of the Internet Archive is a nonprofit digital library. It was created under a Space Act agreement to offer unprecedented access to NASA media (including images, video, and audio), functioning as a free online library for all of NASA's multimedia content. Users can search for material by keyword or theme (such as Earth, Astronauts, Solar System, or Universe), or they can browse through several featured collections. The site is constantly growing with the addition of current media from NASA, as well as newly digitized media from the archives of the NASA Centers.http://www.nasaimages.org