Instructional Technology Blog

Instructional Technology, All things Google, 21st Century Skills, Web 2.0 and beyond . . .

The Complete Guide to Google Wave

November 2nd, 2009 by iTechSpec

Have you caught the Google Wave yet? Well, if you haven’t, you owe it to yourself to check it out. I love using Google Docs and the new Google Wave has been designed to help groups of people collaborate on documents on the web. To me, Google Wave is your email on steriods with all the cool Google collaboration tools built in. I truly loathe sending emails back and forth, back and forth, till their size gets so large and the true reason for the email is lost in all the many emails in my inbox! Then, when trying to figure out exactly what everyone is trying to say, that gets lost in the shuffle too. Google Wave takes care of all that as long as you understand it is like using your email but without all the tons of emails you have to sort through to get your job done. I have to work smarter and not harder and this cool tool will help me do just that. Try it and share how it works for you! Here is a great guide to help you in catching the Google Wave! Checkout this video that helps to explain Google Wave better. Enjoy!

Category All things Google!, Open-Source, Tech Tools, Web 2.0 Tools | No Comments »

Drop.io – A cool way to share anything, anywhere

September 29th, 2009 by iTechSpec

Drop.io is a cool tool used for simple real-time sharing, collaboration, and presentation. Teachers can use it for any content area at any grade level. Drop.io allows you to share text, video, and audio media. Users can share their “files and collaborate in real time by web, email, phone, mobile, and more. Create each drop in two clicks and share what you want, how you want, with whom you want.”

You can also use Drop.io as a bookmarking service. Drop.io’s free voicemail service allows you to make mp3 recordings without the need for any software. Drop.io can also be used to conduct online, real-time, presentations. Best of all, Drop.io is free.

Category 21st Century Skills, Open-Source, Web 2.0 Tools | No Comments »

Webspiration – free online site by Inspiration

January 2nd, 2009 by iTechSpec

Inspiration software has launched the public beta of Webspiration, the new online version of Inspiration. With Webspiration, Inspiration Software offers powerful visual thinking tools combined with Web 3.0 capabilities to create a visual thinking and collaboration environment that creative thinkers can use anytime and anywhere. For those of us who are having budget cuts and need more Open Source applications, this is it! What a great resource for teachers and students. Plus, it can be accessed from anywhere! Cool tool!

Category 21st Century Skills, Instructional Strategies, Open-Source, Tech Tools, Web 2.0 Tools | No Comments »

Google Docs

June 24th, 2008 by iTechSpec

How many of you are going “Google-eyed” for Google Apps?  Well, I for one, am!  I just started last year using one of the Google Apps tools – Google Docs.  I absolutely love it!  It is like a wiki but better in that anyone can edit it at anytime even when others are editing it!  What a cool tool!  I recently was able to introduce it to teachers who will be teaching during the Summer Enrichment STEM Camp I just got funded through a grant I wrote with The Cameron Foundation (thanks!).  I started the doc which is just like a Word document but all online.  The teachers would log in and edit the doc to add to the planning for the camp.  It has worked really well and I have shared it with others who will be partnering with my district in providing services/activities for our students who attend the camp.  If you want a tool to help you collaborate and plan ANYTHING with others, Google Docs is it.  Check out all the other Google Apps as well at http://tinyurl.com/yrhadg Check out this video on how to use Google Docs with your students!

 

Category 21st Century Skills, All things Google!, Open-Source, Tech Tools, Web 2.0 Tools | No Comments »

skrbl – Online Whiteboard

June 15th, 2008 by iTechSpec

Using a whiteboard is so easy now with skrbl.  Now you can have all the features of an interactive whiteboard online and its free!  There is nothing to download, nothing to install and no new tools to learn.  All you have to do is scribble on the skrbl webpage.  You can share with others and even collaborate live for a meeting.  But don’t take my word for it.  Try it yourself at http://www.skrbl.com/

Category 21st Century Skills, Open-Source, Tech Tools, Web 2.0 Tools | 2 Comments »