Friday, September 28, 2012

Evernote to Tame the Purchasing Paperwork Beast...

I am hopeful that by scanning in my mountains of invoices and paperwork, I can create a paperless purchasing system. Supposedly, each invoice will become a searchable document and I can sort by date, vendor, purchase order number, or even keyword.  Why, you ask, would I want to do that?  I'm often asked to produce an ancient, crackling, dusty invoice.   On numerous occasions, it has actually been located in my mega-notebooks--I have a second desk in my office to hold the mega-notebooks. 

Digging though mountains of paperwork and lifting mega-notebooks is no fun when I'm wearing a super-cute new outfit with sparkly accessories.  And we don't have jeans day very often around here, when I would be appropriately dressed to dig, so I need a new dust-free, manageable system.

Nerd Alert: I ordered a new Scan Snap two-sided color scanner last week.  I got the S1300i model, in case you were wondering.  It arrived today- and I am now entering the details into the Fujitsu website to get my free year of Evernote. (you have to buy a Scan Snap scanner from a list of qualifying models).  Yes, I actually research and compare scanners in my free time, and I once attended, on my summer vacation, an actual real live informational session about scanning.  Knocked my socks off.

Intrigued and ready to shop?  When purchasing your scanner- be sure to read the fine print regarding scanning two-sided, scanning one sheet at a time or "stacking" multiple sheets, etc.  The least expensive model obviously has the fewest features.  And I am aiming for increased productivity- not something that slows me down. 

I will take great notes regarding everything I do.  One of my actual, documented, bona-fide  professional goals this year is to learn the ins and outs of Evernote, and move purchasing to a more paperless system while assisting others in doing so.  I'll be training the other media specialists soon. I really never figure a topic out until I train someone else, so please hang on while I go forth and share.

For now- you can complete step one:
Step one- go to the Fujitsu site and choose a scanner, then apply for a free year of Evernote Premium!  Offer expires November 1, 2012.  If you missed the freebie, just order Evernote on their site and pay for it- no pouting- it's worth it. 

I'll post updates as I learn more about the process....


Saturday, September 15, 2012

Evernote Smart Notebook- A physical notebook that works with your Smartphone and Evernote- WAY COOL!

I have started my Christmas list!! I really want this notebook that allows me to upload digital photos of my notes with Smart Tag stickers to organize "to-dos" dates, reminders, etc.
Love this!!
http://blog.evernote.com/2012/08/24/the-new-evernote-smart-notebook-by-moleskine/


Over the past year or so, Evernote has begun to really focus on the design and experience of our apps. We’ve been inspired by a wide range of companies and products that do this right, from Apple to Uchida Yoko to Moleskine. In fact, in Moleskine, we saw more than inspiration, we saw an opportunity to do something amazing together that fully embodied our Experience First thinking.
Moleskine is the maker of beautifully designed notebooks and accessories that are the go-to choice for creative individuals of all types. While these notebooks are beloved for their quality and style, they suffer from an issue common to all physical notebooks…they’re physical.
That’s where Evernote comes in. We’ve partnered with Moleskine to develop a new, limited edition Evernote Smart Notebook that’s designed specifically for the new Evernote iOS application.
Together, we created a gorgeous notebook that includes a number of special features that allow you to take your ideas off the written page and place them right into Evernote, where they’ll be searchable, organized and available forever.

New Features. Magical Pages. Smart Stickers.

Our goal was to create a notebook that met Moleskine’s aesthetic standards, while adding an entirely new level of functionality. Here’s what we did.
Special pages
The Evernote Smart Notebook comes in two page styles: ruled and squared. For each, we designed a special dotted paper pattern on the pages that was optimized for new features in Evernote…

Friday, September 14, 2012

Want: New Command Laptop Messenger Bag by Timbuk2


The cost of Adapters Adds Up- David Pogue

It adds up/http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/the-cost-of-adapters-adds-up/
David Pogue is one of my favorites- check out his column in the NY Times!

Sketch with Cosketch

Start here!

CoSketch in action


http://www.cosketch.com/

http://www.cosketch.com/

What is CoSketch.com?

Do you have an idea, a problem or just a cool picture that you quickly want to show a friend?

CoSketch is a multi-user online whiteboard designed to give you the ability to quickly visualize and share your ideas as images.

Simple sharing
• Anything you paint will show up for all other users in the room in real time.
• One click to save a sketch as an image for embedding on forums, blogs, etc.

Zero hassle
• Runs in all common browsers without plugins or installation.
• Free and without registration.

Now with Google Maps support!
• Use google maps as the background for your sketches to show directions or share trips.
Read more or just create a sketch and try for yourself. 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

How to Host a Visiting Author

How to Host an Author at Your School

Tuesday, September 18th | 7 p.m.

Are you a local educator who wants to be part of our Authors to Schools program? Come to our workshop on how to hold a successful author visit. Expert author hosts will be on hand to discuss how to do it right, and local author, Laurel Snyder, will offer the author's perspective. Even if we already send authors to your school, we encourage you to attend this informative session so you can learn some great tips to make your next author visit outstanding. RSVP tolittleshopofstories@gmail.com by September 12th!

Scootpad- Free Common Core App

http://scootpad.com/

Mission
Our mission is to fundamentally change how students master foundational skills.
At ScootPad we believe no two students master a skill the same way. Every block of new information needs time to get absorbed in a child's brain. No matter how students are introduced to a skill (teachers, books, videos, games etc.), ScootPad enables mastery through gradual and thorough practice which is personalized to each student - rather than providing a quick fix for problems and gaps.

Personalized practice drives accelerated learning and self confidence in students. One student and one classroom at a time, our goal is to give students around the world a solid foundation in Math and Reading.

Our Commitment to Students: To enable fun, exciting and challenging learning environment.

Our Commitment to Teachers: To enable fully automated practice/homework, real-time progress tracking and in-depth assessments so you can enhance your instruction and provide on-time intervention. Most importantly we will save you time so you can focus on teaching!

Our Commitment to Parents: To provide real-time visibility to your child's progress and proficiency. Most importantly we will make you aware of your child's learning needs so you can help at the right time!



Sign up to be a GOOGLE POWER SEARCHER- Class begins Sept. 24!

http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/course
Click to sign up- It's FREE!

From the course sign-up site:
Power Searching with Google
A free course to help you become a better searcher...
Knowing how to find answers on Google is an important skill in today’s digital age. Taught by Google’s Search experts, this online class will help you search smarter, so you can find the information you need — even in the most challenging situations.

What you'll learn

This is an online, community-based course showcasing search techniques and how you can use them to solve real, everyday problems. Dan Russell, a senior research scientist at Google, will cover topics that will help you:

Find just what you’re looking for, faster
Get right to the most credible sources
Solve even the most challenging questions

How it works

The course begins on September 24 and ends on October 10. Register now and we’ll send you an email when class begins.

Lessons and activities will be released three times a week and you can complete them at your own pace.

You’re not alone! We provide plenty of opportunities to connect with our search experts and other Power Searching participants.
Upon passing the course, we’ll email you a printable certificate so you can show off your Power Searcher status!

Explain Infographics with Legos

Legos seem to catch the attention of students in an amazing way- no matter how you use them in the classroom, the kids all identify with them.
Here's a cool site to help you use Legos to explain the concept of Infographics (see my previous post about Infographics).
http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/2012/9/11/what-is-an-infographic-explained-with-legos.html


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Free Common Core Standards App and Widget!

Common Core app is here-- and it's FREE. A widget can also be added to any site for quick access-- The widget rests on the far right of the site and can be opened quickly when lesson planning or teaching. 

The app is linked here in the app store: 

Access the Standards Anytime, Anywhere.
We've made it easy to access the standards from any mobile device and have synthesized the College and Career Readiness Standards for Language Arts and included the traditional and Integrated pathways for Math.  Download the app today by clicking on the store icons below, or simply search for "Common Core Standards" in theiTunes App Store or Android Market.

       


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

InfoGraphics: Pictures that Teach Clearly

I have a need to learn how to make my own InfoGraphics. I am not really sure why- other than the fact that I like organized, clear diagrams. I love browsing visual.ly.


Here are some tools I plan to try out in my design quest.
Venngagehttp://www.venngage.com/
Infogr.amhttp://infogr.am/
Chart Chooser: http://labs.juiceanalytics.com/chartchooser.html
Visualize app - and a few by the same developer:


Visual Loop- An interesting site to spend time reading: 
http://visualoop.com/181/30-great-presentations-for-people-interested-in-data-visualization



Aurasma App

About Aurasma

Aurasma is a radical piece of technology that represents the future of how we use our mobile devices by bringing the physical and virtual worlds together for the first time.
Available on smart devices, Aurasma was created out of technology that is capable of recognizing images, symbols and objects in the real world and understanding them. It can then deliver digital content in real time, including videos, animations, audio or webpages.
AppStore Google Play Aurasma Lite currently works on the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad3 and more powerful Android devices.
You can download Aurasma Lite or Aurasma-enabled apps created by our Partners for free from your App Store or Google Play.
If you want to get to grips with Aurasma Lite here are some tips to help you quickly start viewing, creating and sharing Aurasma with your friends.
For video tutorials and use-cases, check out Aurasma Lite’s official YouTube Channel.

Aurasma App-  Take a Picture-- Ann an object, etc.


New Alternative to Prezi: Powtoon!


I'll present a session about Powtoon with my fellow tech-minded teacher, David Taube, at our City Schools of Decatur Celebration of Professional Learning day in November.
I will post my notes and other info later...

iBooks Author

My notes from a session about ibooks Author presented by Rita Mortensen:

DigitalContent Creation
iBooks and ePub- what are they, how do they differ, how do you upload to mobile device??
ibooks in education- A HUGE topic this year!


EPUB- electronic publication. unique file extension- .epub
flowable content made specifically for mobile device- enlarge text, etc.
Use an EPUB when... optimized for ibooks
- support for video embedded in a document

Use a PDF- when we want all to stay exactly as it is- preserve content

Use PAGES on Mac- download template on apple website,
free web tool 'dot ePub'  turn any website into an epub

Use Apple iBooks Author template to create epubs and embed video
drag and drop method of creating books
support.apple.com/kb/HT4168


ibooks author app- only works with Lion (10.7)- free templates, hidden gems and free templates in app store
www.apple.com/ibooks-author - sample video

add pics, photo albums, widgets, highlight things to take notes, etc.

epubs is what you'll use if you don't have ibook author

field trip to Apple store...to learn how to do ibooks

tips:
highlighted pages on left menu are a "chunk" and must be moved together
best to enter content into word processor and copy paste in
Widgets that come with program: media, review, keynotes, objects interactive, html, 3D objects. a set on the site of widgets is 40.00.
in design mode- plug in your ipad to laptop and click preview button to see book on your bookshelf at any time.

wontube  is a way to convert things - free in app store - drag video on













Sent from the iPhone of Sandi Dennis



Evernote: The Missing Manual

Make Use Of has a great "Missing Manual" for Evernote- and it's free!
http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/how-to-use-evernote-the-missing-manual