Googlios - where free Google tools meet ePortfolios

Googlios is a very informative site from G. Alex Ambrose that shows how free tools from Google can be used to create ePortfolios.


The site has examples of Googlios, how to get started, tips and ideas, suggested readings, resources and more. 


If you are interested in using ePortfolios with your classes, this is a great resource. It's also a great resource if you are looking for ideas to use Google tools with your classes. 

Happy EMS Week - thank an EMS provider this week

This week is National EMS Week (May 15th - May 221st). This year's theme from the American College of Emergency Physicians is EMS: Everyday Heroes.

In my other life I am an EMS-Instructor and Paramedic. I have been involved in EMS since 1988 in college. I have not been able to work on the road for the past two years due to a severe back injury, but I still feel a part of EMS as an instructor. I responded to New York City after 9-11 to help out and I spent 15 years serving the city I teach in as a paramedic.

Take this week to thank and EMS provider in your town. The First Responders, EMT's and Paramedics are everyday heroes who are often overlooked by the media and public. Firefighters and Police Officers are usually in the news, but EMS providers, whether volunteer, commercial, hospital based, or municipal, are working everyday, helping people everyday, at the expense of their time, health, and family. EMS providers experience high incidences of knee and back injuries and spend countless hours maintaining their skills. They provide an invaluable, life-saving service, while dealing with drunks, combative patients, rude patients and family, for low pay and minimal respect.

Say "thank you" to one this week to show your appreciation. If you have ever been helped by EMS, share your story in the comments below.

To all my brothers and sisters in EMS - Stay safe out there.


Here is a list of EMS providers who sacrificed their life on 9-11.

eBackpack - educational file sharing and backup

eBackpack is a service that provides cloud file storage and the ability to share files. Teachers and students can use it as a file storage service and teachers can use it to create student eportfolios. It also allows you to share files with others and collect files in an electronic dropbox. It's safe and secure and e-Rate eligible. There are free accounts available with 3GB of storage.

This could be a great resource for teachers to go paperless, create eportfolios and also to provide students with cloud file storage.

Related Articles:

World Backup Day - backup your files! Here are some tips and free resources

Tools to go Paperless (in school and at home)

Cloud File Storage, Sync, Backup

Check out this web page...

Here's a website I think you'll like: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Facebook Friending 101 for Schools

-- David Andrade
Sent from my Palm Pre+

Awesome Library - great collection of resources from the web

Awesome Library is a great collection of resources from the web. It includes over 37,000 reviewed sources from the web, including educational resources. The resources are all organized by topic as shown below.

Each of these topics has sub topics. As you select a topic, it will give suggestions for other pages to try out.

This is a great resource for teachers and students and a great place to start when looking for resources.

Google Announces "Chromebooks" - good idea for education

Today Google announced their  "Chromebooks" - notebook computers running Google's Chrome OS. They will be available in June.

There are two models right now. Samsung has one with a 12.1" screen, 8.5 hours of continuous usage, a mini-VGA port and a weight of 3.26 lbs. Samsung's WiFi model will cost $429 with the 3G model costing $499. Acer's will have an 11.6" screen, 6 hours of continuous usage, a HDMI port and a weight of 2.95 lbs and will start at $349. Both will have 2 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, webcam and an Intel Atom dual core processor.

Chromebooks will run Google's Chrome OS, an operating system that is basically a web browser. This has some great features. It is fast (starts up in 8 seconds) and easy to use. You can access your data anywhere because you end up having it online. It supports all the new web standards and runs Adobe Flash. The Chromebooks come with built in Wi-Fi and 3G to allow you to connect anywhere. The 3G models will include a free 100MB per month of mobile data from Verizon Wireless for 2 years.

Just like the Chrome browser, it is very safe and secure. It is designed to be safe and protect against viruses, malware, and more. It even updates automatically.

Everything; apps, documents, and settings are stored in the cloud, just like using the Chrome browser and Google Docs and apps. There will be offline access to Gmail, Calendar, and Docs also, so in the rare occasion where there is no WiFi or 3G, you can still access your data. There is Google Cloud Print to print things, you can connect devices to upload files, and their is a file manager built in.

There are millions of web apps you can use, including Docs, Evernote, Tweetdeck, and even Angry Birds. All available from the Chrome Web Store. Most are free.

If someone else wants to use the Chromebook, you can have them login with their own Google account, or as a guest. Either way, they can't see your information or data.

Now, why am I writing about this? Because I happen to like Chrome OS and have been using it for quite a while on the Google CR-48 I received a while back and I love it. I was already using Chrome Browser and 90% of what I did was in the browser and web based, so it was an easy transition.

I think Chrome OS is a great idea for education (you can read my original article on Chrome OS for Education here.)

Chrome OS and Chromebooks are good for schools for a variety of reasons. It's a simple login with fast startup, there are no crashes or issues, student data is not on the device, multiple students can use them without worrying about data sharing, and student data and settings are backed up to their Google account. It can run apps virtualized through CITRIX. It is easier on the IT department with less issues and crashes and no software or apps to install and no disc to image. IT can configure and manage the Chromebooks and accounts through the web. There is less work needed by IT and no servers to store data.

Google is also offering a special deal for education, with Chromebooks being offered for $20 per month per student. This may sound like alot, but it includes Google support, updates, and a warranty to replace hardware in the case of an accident. In the end, the warranty, support, and decrease in IT workload will save schools money and issues.

All-in-all, I think the Chromebooks are a great idea for education.

Here is a great article by Vicki Davis about some of the issues that need to be addressed about the Google Chromebooks in Education.


Related Articles

Google Chrome OS - great idea for education!

Google Chrome OS and CR-48 notebook review and 1st impressions

Google Chrome OS CR-48 coming in real handy lately

Google Chrome Web Browser revisited

Living in the Cloud - I'm ready for Chrome OS -Update

Unfettered by Stuff - or "Why I don't lug stuff home every night" 

Symbaloo - visual bookmarking - organize and share

Symbaloo is a bookmarking service that creates visual bookmarks, lets you organize them, and you can also share them. You can access your bookmarks from any computer.

A free account is available. For more features, you would have to sign up for one of the fee accounts.

As seen above in the Symbaloo Edu page, you can organize your bookmarks in different categories. The Symbaloo Edu page has lots of great links for teachers to use, organized by subject and topic.

SymbalooEdu can be used by teachers to create their own bookmark webmix for classes and for themselves. Students can use it to create bookmark webmixes for their classes.

There is also an EduTools page with links to lots of great resources, an educational news page, and a widgets page with calculator, stocks, tasklist, notepad, and more available to add into your webmix.

It is very useful for education and free.

NASA at Home and City - Space developments related to life on earth

NASA at Home and City is a great site from NASA that shows examples of how technologies developed for space exploration are used and applied on Earth.

The site is graphic based, easy to use, and very informative. It's a great resource to share with students to show them how developments for one thing can apply to another.

In the example below, items used in a home bathroom are featured and their link to the space program defined.

US-CERT - Cyber Security Information and Alerts

US-CERT (Computer Emergency Readiness Team) provides response support and defense against cyber attacks for the Federal government. It also shares information and resources with state and local governments and industry.

US-CERT also has alerts that you can sign up for. These alerts warn of cyber security issues, virus attacks, software updates and more. You can sign up for them as email alerts, RSS feeds or by checking the US-CERT website.

This is a useful site to keep abreast of cyber security issues, scams, and more. Share this with your students and other educators.

Tools for Differentiation - helping teachers meet the needs of all learners

Tools for Differentiation is a collection of resources for teachers to help them differentiate teaching and learning to address the needs and learning styles of all of their students.

The site has tips and resources to help teachers differentiate based on student readiness, student interest and student learning profiles. The resources help you differentiate content, process, and products.

This is a great resource for all educators to use in their classrooms.