November 30, 2012

Thankful Fridays 5: a dozen of fun

Filed under: about me,creativity,edtech — Candace Hackett Shively @ 2:07 pm

I poke through well over 100 web sites a week as part of my job with TeachersFirst, so it takes a lot to impress or excite me. I am grateful this final Friday of November for the discovery of Fun Favs. Here is a list of a dozen that have left impressions on me recently.  All have been or will be reviewed on TeachersFirst with loads of classroom ideas. Enjoy some creative play or lasting learning.

3D Photo Cube  What a great idea to make photos display interactively. I love the idea of sharing multi-faceted impressions of an event or person. Think of the pictures you could upload of just one person to show all aspects of his/her personality. It’s just plain visual fun.

LiveTyping  This one looks pretty dumb. Watch someone type as a “recording.” Now think about all the stories you could tell this way. Remember the Google searches during the Superbowl commercial a few years ago? Show what a character is thinking as he/she types a letter  or job application or creates a resume. Record Charlie Brown applying for a job as a football kicker. Record an imagined breakup email. Record an imagined memo being written by your most hated politician. Record a letter to the principal explaining why you had a live pig in your classroom (I once did!). Have fun!

Windmap I actually used  this one during Superstorm Sandy. Apparently a lot of other people did, too. It was quite sluggish. Make weather come to life far more than those static maps or “predictors” on your local TV forecast.  I wonder what other real-time viewers we could invent: see the paths of the grease smells wafting from fast food joints? No one has invented the smellavision, but I am sure there will be an app for that eventually.

Symphony of Science I love experiencing the arts in connection with academics. As an analogous thinker/connector, I always imagine concepts through analogies in visual or artistic form. I “see” poems and words as images. I even experience  numbers via a personal, visual number sense.  So why not experience science as music? This one intrigues me. I want to spend more time with it. Do you ever wonder whether your students personally experience concepts in some unusual way (and are afraid to talk about it for fear of being “weird”)?

Overlap Maps (Do you sense a visual theme here?) This one is simply cool. See maps as overlays so you can compare geographic spaces. I need to see a map when I travel, and I remember directions via the map in my head. But now I can compare places to give them context. How does my planned vacation location compare in size to my city? How does the setting of this novel compare to my childhood hometown? Make geography a toy.

Sodaplay  Yes, you play with straws. Create animated figures that move. Gotta love the web for mess-free “crafts” and animations. Wonderful time waster/creative challenge, depending on how you look at it. How could your students use it to explain something?

Phrasr  A word (or sentence) is worth a thousand pictures. Make words and sentences into a sequence of images. Poetry makes images out of a sequence of words, so Phrasr is another way to engage your visual-verbal mind.  Or simply make a creative sign for your door.

Spectra Visual Newsreader  Arrange your news visually. As a news junky, this one grabs me. My iPad is loaded with visual representations of news and feeds: Flipboard, apps from the networks, Newsstand. This one is online and customizable. I love the idea of hooking kids on current events through the visuals.

Infographics Archive  See the latest and greatest of infographics. Learn (and critique) as you browse this very popular medium. The more I see good and bad examples, the more I respect this way of communicating. I also come to fear it as teh Viewers Digest of information, showing stats and facts

YouTube Time Machine  See times past in the videos from that era. Get lost in the past, perhaps even waxing nostalgic for a favorite TV show from childhood. But you can also build a sense of a time past the same way Madmen rebuilds the sixties. Wouldn’t it be fun to show a few clips and challenge viewers to guess the year?

The final two are for my fellow political junkies:

AllSides As much as we all like to think our opinions are correct, we know there are others who do not agree. This tool lets you see issues from many points of view. Think of it as a 3D scanner for political thought. For those unable to make up their minds, this one is a politikaleidoscope.  During en election cycle — or the approach to the fiscal cliff, you can entertain yourself predicting the next set of soundbytes.

People’s Pie Speaking of the fiscal cliff, what would YOU do about it? Here is your chance to try to solve it without filibuster of news cycle bluster. Decide the priorities for the federal budget using this simulator. P.S. If you do, please sent tips to the folks in Washington.

This has been a grate(ful)  month. Thanks for letting me share it.

 

November 23, 2012

Thankful Fridays 4: Trivial (but useful) tricks

Filed under: about me,Misc. — Candace Hackett Shively @ 10:07 am

I am always grateful for things that save me time or help me find things. In the spirit of sharing, I am passing along tricks that I am grateful to know, discoveries that make my life just a little easier. I show my gratitude by paying them forward.

1. I am thankful for four email accounts, not beause I like reading that much email but because this system keeps things sorted into the right “box”:

  • personal/home email
  • work
  • shopping/travel (includes mileage programs, coupons, saver clubs, etc). All the shopping junk emails and coupons stay in this box!
  • memberships (things I subscribe to or join, including web-based or cloud services). This one gets email subscriptions, wiki-Twitter-blog notifications, etc. I use the same info to set up usernames and PW on all these tools (see below re risky business).

I created the three non-work email accounts using “names” to remind me of their purpose. Fake person for memberships = my son’s childhood imaginary friend. I use it to join the zillions of web tools  where I “belong” and use the same password for all, assuming they are not really important stuff.  I ask myself whether I would care if I lost my work there. If so, I change to a second, more secure password. NONE of these emails uses the same password. Risky business: My financial sites have their very own, secure membership and passwords, not my general “memberships” log in.

2. I am thankful for color coding. I use it in my email inbox (both colored flags and colored highlighting). I use it on files in the Finder [that’s My Computer in WinSpeak] or folders on my desktop. I use it within documents as part if the writing process (green is OK, orange means needs to be revised, etc). I color code to show steps in a process, sort items on a to-do list, and to designate or sort sticky notes on my Chrome app home page. I cannot live in black and white.

3. I am thankful for using Rename to make space on my links bar and add hints to my Bookmarks/Favorites. I right click and rename to give myself hints about log-ins and passwords without actually showing them. I might say PW= usu to indicate use the usual password or usu+BD for usual password plus a birthdate.  I also shorten the full site name that appears  on a bookmark automatically to make room on my links bar: TF for TeachersFirst, for example.

4. I am thankful for meaningful file names. If I cannot figure out what it is without opening it, I have failed. I rename it…. and maybe color code it, too.

5. I am thankful for Command (Ctrl) + F. I can find things in almost any program or web page. I can hit enter to see all the instances of the same word in a piece of writing so I can improve my word choices. I can find a student name in an Excel workbook  with 50 spreadsheets. I can find a certain passage in a long online text, such as a quote within a scene of Shakespeare (when all I know is the act: scene ) or a word in a transcript of a debate. Sometimes I wish I could hit Command+F to find my car keys or pool pass!

6. I am thankful for scheduling tweets. This may seem devious or deceptive, but it allows me to send timely tweets without completely sacrificing my personal life and well-earned leisure time. Hint: I am scheduling this post  to show up online during a day off, and I can even schedule the tweet announcing it. I use Tweetdeck to schedule tweets when I cannot reasonably send them in real time or I am afraid I might forget to send one that is very important. I resist the urge to plaster the world with scheduled tweets like bird droppings. The auto-programmed tweet responses are bad enough!

I am thankful to have figured out or heard about these tips from others. I think of the dad in the original Cheaper by the Dozen, an “efficiency expert,” and I wonder what he would say about these tips and tricks of digital life. I hope they give you something to “thank” about.

 

November 16, 2012

Thankful Fridays 3: Places I go to learn

Filed under: about me,edtech — Candace Hackett Shively @ 5:45 pm


Installment 3 of Thankful Fridays is for my own learning. Most of all, I am grateful to have a job that allows me to learn something new every day, both face to face and in digital venues. Here are five digital places I am glad to “visit” and participate as a learner:

1. Flipboard. At first glance a visual way to “flip” through news articles and pretty pictures,  Flipboard customized  is nothing short of WOW! This iPad (or iPhone) app can teach me via tweets, RSS feeds, magazine articles, and  multiple Flipboard offerings. Yes, I could go to all those places separately, but the abilities to FLIP through them in one place, send things to others, Fav,  and otherwise pull in a customized educational technology collection (and other, non-professional interests) make Flipboard a namesake nominee to steal my employer’s epithet: The Source for Learning! My interests do not easily fit into a box under one label, so no prepackaged collection of Things to Know appeals to all my needs. Flipboard does- easily. My only complaint is that I get sucked into endless learning and lose all track of time. If you try it, be sure to click the magnifying glass to select things you want Flipboard to pull in for you, including your own accounts from various services (Google Reader, Twitter, etc). Sprinkle in a few news services, Flipboard finds, and Twitter hashtags searches “to taste.”

2. Tweetdeck. Are you noticing a Twitter theme here? Although Flipboard displays Twitter searches, people I follow, etc, there are things I love about learning via Tweetdeck. While Flipboard lets me browse through a visual, magazine-esque tweet viewer, Tweetdeck lets me see a load of tweets at the same time in a small space. The visual footprint is tiny, but I can scroll quickly or shoot out questions for instant help. I also like being able to see my new followers, instantly set up a temporary search column and click to learn details about a Twitter user. A couple of weeks ago when Diigo went down, Twitter was the perfect place to find out if the problem was mine or a widespread concern. Unlike mobile-only Flipboard, Tweetdeck  carries my Twitter search settings on all my devices, including my laptop. Handy.

3. Google News. I am a current events junky, and I also have specific topics where I want to stay informed. Google News gives me its own news categories but customizes to grab news on topics I care about. I don’t like the fact that Google may know too much about me, but Google News is worth the compromise. I learn about politics, latest Apple-dropping predictions, public policy debates, and consumer stuff. I change it on the fly. The only drawback: getting sucked in.

4. OK2Ask®. TeachersFirst offers OK2Ask, free online teacher professional development, as a service so teachers can come together  in informal “snack sessions” to learn. What teachers may not know is how much I learn from them as I present, moderate, and talk together. Not a session goes by that I do not hear about a clever teaching strategy, a web resource, a tool, a project idea, or an innovative school policy that I never knew before. At another level, I learn what teachers are most upset about, are seeing in schools  in various locations, and are wishing for. As someone who runs a web site as a service to teachers, this is some of my best professional learning.

5. Edsurge.  As they describe themselves:

EdSurge is an independent information resource and community for everyone involved in education technology. We aim to help educators discover the best products and how to use them and to inspire developers to build what educators and learners need.

For me, Edsurge is like holding an eavesdropping glass up to the door of Edtech Cutting Edge. I hear the inside scoops on new tools, developers trying to find a niche, and educators finding success with technology. I subscribe to the emails even though I an very cautious about inbox overflow. This one is worth more than the space and time it takes. What I appreciate most is the fact that it always leaves me thinking about issues and philosophical underpinnings at the same time as I ponder practicalities of teaching.

As you dig into the turkey this coming week, think about where you can dig into  some new learning for yourself, too. You will be thankful you did.

November 9, 2012

Thankful Fridays 2: Tools to save time and stay organized

Filed under: about me,edtech,Teaching and Learning — Candace Hackett Shively @ 1:41 pm

Installment#2 of this Thanksgiving series shares my favorite tools to save me time digging, hunting, or forgetting things. As a teacher and a parent, I know how easy it is to lose things, especially among pyramids of paper. As a “teacher to go,” i.e. one who works from many locations, I especially value things that help me avoid shoulder injuries from hauling heavy bags. (Too bad the cloud didn’t exist when I taught itinerant gifted and changed schools at noon each day! ) Here are my favorite FREE helpers:

1. Evernote (TeachersFirst review here). This free app runs on my laptop, iphone, and ipad. It works on Windows or Apple devices. It lets me make little “notes” with clips from web pages, images, and reference material that I might forget. The three devices sync from the cloud so everything is available on any device. I have a travel “notebook” with my airline miles account numbers, flight confirmations, and notes about different locations I have visited or want to visit — especially handy in airports! Another notebook includes info about an elderly relative– handy when the doctors ask questions about medications, etc. Another notebook has favorite quotes. Others hold tech info,  snippets of html code I can copy/paste, Christmas giving ideas, shopping lists, etc. The best part is that I don’t leave lists at home on the kitchen island or accidentally throw them away.

2. Dropbox (TeachersFirst review here). This “cloud” storage saves and shares files of all kinds and works from laptop, phone, or iPad. I can share files and keep them to myself. The dropbox shows in my MacBook “Finder” (like “My Computer” on Windows machines). Before meetings, I save agendas to Dropbox and tote nothing but my iPad to add notes. I share photos, edit documents collaboratively, and avoid carrying anything. Of course, logical file naming and folders are a must, and I could max out my free space if I kept too many vacation photos there. I earn more space whenever I refer a friend.

3. Diigo (TeachersFirst review here). Favorite/bookmarks get lost on individual computers, even if you “sync” to mobile devices. You could save Favs in a space like iCloud, but only if you want to log into iCloud from “foreign” machines. And there’s the Win/Mac issue. Diigo lets me save bookmarks from almost any computer or mobile device. Even better, it lets me add comments and SHARE them with other members of the TeachersFirst team. Our reviewers find, share, and track the sites they review as part of a Group on Diigo. I can “send” a site to the team with one click. We use a system of tags to tell teammates who is doing what with each resource. Add the ability to highlight portions of a web page, and Diigo becomes the MOST productive of my organizers/timesavers.

4. Sticky Notes (a Chrome Extension/add on). This is my equivalent of the sticky note on the steering wheel, reminding me: “haircut after school.” It may seem silly, but when I cannot figure out where to put something I don’t want to lose, I use a Sticky Note. The page of Sticky Notes comes up every time I open my web browser (I set it as a home page tab).  I don’t want Mac Stickies that clutter my desktop or others that require me to open a separate program. I almost always  have my web browser open, so the sticky notes are always handy. I can color code them (a favorite strategy for me!), collapse them, stack and rearrange them, etc.  An alternative would be an online stickies tool like Wallwisher, but sometimes I am offline. This tool opens even if Chrome is offline. No, it is not available on my other devices, but I use it for things that are “stuck” as laptop work.

5. Reminders (Mac Mountain Lion equivalent to Calendar “To Do”s  or  Outlook “tasks,” Included on all MacBooks). Everyone needs ToDo lists. Reminders lets me color code items, date them, and see them from any of my devices (thank you iCloud). I keep the “weeklies” list in Reminders so I don’t forget the 11 steps I MUST do each week to keep TeachersFirst’s new content updated. As I do each, I can check it off or re-date it for next week. No lists on my desk. I can set reminders to pester me with alarms, etc. but the visual prompt usually works.

This post makes me sound hyperorganized. I am not. I simply know what keeps me from drowning in paper and frustration. What works for you?

November 2, 2012

Thankful Fridays 1: Inspirations

Filed under: about me,creativity,teaching — Candace Hackett Shively @ 8:30 am

November has five Fridays this year. In the tradition of Thanksgiving, my weekly posts will share things for which I am thankful. I begin by sharing how grateful I am for inspiration sites. These five  thought-provokers offer visual and verbal sparks. If  my brain starves for the stimulation of a quirky question or a glorious graphic, I can inhale bracing breezes for the brain. I am grateful for:

1. Good. The name says it all. I click to find things tagged creativity or DIY or design, and I marvel at cleverness and surprise. I am thankful to see so many examples of people “doing different” as they “do Good.” They explain:

GOOD is learning, doing, improving–together

These are the people who– a few years ago– brought us the Wanderlust interactive reviewed here. Thank you for inspiring me to learn, wonder, and share.

2.  Places that put vastness of scale (and the meaninglessness of minutiae) into perspective: Scale of the Universe 2 (review and teaching ideas here) and Magnifying the Universe (review and teaching ideas here). I am especially thankful to be able to put stressors and annoyances into perspective  and to draw upon the vastness these interactive spaces provide. The very words space and  size melt into a chance to rise above or delve below whatever preoccupies me. I am thankful for the change of perspective.

3. The Art of Science (complete review here). This find from Princeton offers visual proof that science is art and art is science. I would never call myself a scientist, but I am fascinated by the visuals science offers (see #2). I am even more thankful that the scientists  who share images on this site are prove that not all scientists are about data,data, nothing but data. I am grateful for images about seeing and wondering.

4. 101 Questions (complete review here). OK, this one is a little odd, but it does get my creative juices flowing. There is nothing like a visual prompt to get ideas (or questions) moving. If the prompts are good, the questions move from factual and surface level to pretty deep stuff. I am grateful for questions.

5. Co.Create is even better than Good. Why? I keep finding more articles. Just when I am hooked by one title, there is another one. I find myself wishing I could read in two places at once. I honestly have not spent time figuring out who the writers are or where the content actually comes from, but there seems to be an endless stream of things to intrigue and inspire. I am thankful for their “You might also like.”

Why do these matter to a teacher/ website editor/ed tech person? Because I know I need a broader stream of inspiration than simply #edtech and #edchat on Twitter. This morning I ran across a quote from Steve Jobs:

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

– Steve Jobs, Wired, February 1996

Doing my job well — being creative — means I need to continuously expand my repertoire of experiences, and this inspirational five offers endless avenues to creative questions, questions, and images.  I hope every teacher has sites like this and is thankful for the role they play in making you a Thinking Teacher.

Next week: Five things that keep me organized — and I am SO grateful!