Okay, I admit it. I love technology bags and holders of every type. I have roller bags, Vera Bradley laptop-holding bags and backpacks, neoprene cases for the Macbook Airs and iPad, and many, many more bags. I mean, it's like shoes...you have to have ones for the right purpose, right? In any case, I thought I might share some of my newest bags, sleeves, cases, and holders with you, in case you are thinking about what works and what does not! Tech Bags and Sleeves The 11.6" Macbook Air is a hard item to find a special bag for. Here are some of my favorites. Roocase 11'6" netbook case Roocase has a bag in their netbook category that is for 11.6" items. It fits the small MBA well and you can even fit the iPad and cables in the bag, too. It comes in various colors, is sturdy, and has rubberized "feet" on the bottom to keep it clean when setting it down. The laptop compartment is padded and has a Velcro closure.  (I also have the larger version for the 13.3" Macbook Air.) Be.ez LA Robe Allure My favorite sleeves for my iPad and the 11.6" Macbook Air are made by Be.ez and are hard-sided and sturdy. The model is the LA robe Allure sleeve for iPad and 11.6" MBA. The LA robe Allure is also available for the 13.3" MBA and 13.3" and 15.4" Macbook Pros. Tocano Finatex Extra Small When I am really traveling light, and just want my iPad, my 11.6" Macbook Air, and my iPhone, I take a bag that I found in an airport technology shop-- my Tocano Finatex Extra Small. It holds all three items without any cases on them. Sherpani Flite FL The rolling bag I take with me most of the time is the Sherpani Flite FL. It is very well-made, has rolled handles to hold as well as a shoulder strap in case you do not want to use the extendable handle, and has a sturdy strap on the back for attaching to other luggage handles. It does not have an attached laptop sleeve area inside, but has a nice elastic strap for holding your laptop in place in its own sleeve. It is well-sized at 16.5" x 13.5" x 6". You often find it for sale on Overstock. Tech Cases and Holders I have all different types of cases for my iPad2. Again, it depends on how I am planning to use it as to which one I take with me! One that I use around town is the YakPak Portfolio Case. (I picked mine up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.) It is a nicely lined case with places for business cards, a small tuck-in area, and can hold the iPad with the Magic Cover on the front or back behind elastic corner straps. It is minimalist, but protects the device well. IPEVO Typi Folio Case When I need to have a keyboard with me, I use the IPEVO Typi Folio Case and Wireless Keyboard. What is nice about this well-made leather case, is that the keyboard is easily detached and used on the table. This comes in handy when you are working with someone since they can then see the iPad's screen easily or can share in the typing tasks! The Bluetooth keyboard has a nice touch and lasts through about 12 hours of typing. IPEVO Typi Wireless Keyboard The case itself is not bulky, and you can access all the ports on the iPad while the case is on and there is even an opening in the back of the case for the camera lens. It is available on Amazon or from IPEVO.  When I am presenting with the iPad, I have three different iPad holders I can use. Higher Ground Podium iPad 2 The Higher Ground Podium iPad 2, which is a sturdy, reinforced nylon case like all of Higher Ground's products, also includes an innovative strap/Velcro method of adjusting the viewing angle of the iPad2 to your liking. This really helps when presenting on the podium, too. The iPad is held in by the built-in silicone case. Higher Ground Podium iPad 2  However, the coolest thing about the Podium iPad 2 is the built-in elastic hand holder on the back. (Not just a simple strap!) You can see from the photo that you slip your hand through the elastic and grip the edge of the case. It makes you feel safe carrying your iPad around the classroom, workshop, or conference area since you have a really good grip on it! IPEVO Perch The next item I use when presenting is the IPEVO Perch Desktop Stand. This iPad stand easily rotates from landscape to portrait mode and is a perfect "perch" for the presenter podium when using the iPad to present my talks. The Perch has a weighted base that comes in three lengths-- the small height I use at the podium, a taller one for using while sitting in a chair, and the tallest one that is its own podium! The Perch is available through Amazon or IPEVO. Merkury Innovations Swing Stand And, finally, the last iPad stand I use lives in my tech stuff carry bag. It is the Merkury Innovations Swing Stand. It is lightweight, foldable, allows the iPad to be either in landscape and portrait mode, and is easy to use on the tray table in the airplane! It also works with any tablet or eReader, too. Addendum 1/19/2012: I have been wanting one of the Pan Am retro bags and finally found the Pan Am Secret Agent laptop bag at a "reasonable" price (and with a coupon) on Punk.com. They have just come out with a new version of this bag, which costs about 30% more, and I like the original one better, so I finally made the purchase. Can't wait to use it!  What is your favorite tech bag, sleeve, case, or holder? Please share in the comments and include a URL so I can look at it! Thanks!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Derek Gillette of BoxWave recently contacted me and asked me to review a few items that I thought might be useful for schools. I went through their online catalog and picked out the items below. Please let him know if you are interested in purchasing any of these items yourself or need a quote or volume pricing for your school or district! BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds The first thing I looked at was the BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds. BoxWave has always been in the forefront of the retractable cable devices and I have used many different types of cables from them over the years. This set of in-ear, stereo headphones are retractable and come with three different size ear tips and a clip you can attach to the cable reel to hook it to your collar or jacket if you wish.  BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds With the one-to-one initiatives and laptop and tablet carts in schools, I notice many students using their own headphones in class. However, I also notice the amount of time it takes students to unwrap the tangled cables that are wrapped around the stuff in their backpacks or purses! The retractable cable on this headset solves that problem and saves precious class time. The BoxWave In-Ear miniBud headphones are very comfortable, the sound quality is great, and very little sound would "leak out" to surrounding students with the in-ear design.  Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter Tri-Connect Mini Display Port Adapter The second item I asked to review was the Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter. This under-$12 device provides three different connection types to your Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air with the Mini DisplayPort. It includes the laptop to DVI connection, the one encountered on many external monitors and LCD projectors; the laptop to DisplayPort connection, the full-size version of the Mini DisplayPort on the Macs which is slated to become the the future VGA and DVI replacement; and the laptop to HDMI connection, to hook up the laptop to flat-panel TV's and many new LCD projectors. For classroom use, you probably already have a laptop to VGA adapter for use with an LCD projector or flat panel TV or monitor. However, VGA is an analog connection, and use of a DVI or HDMI connection is so much clearer for the viewer! As schools get new devices in the classroom, they should consider accessories such as this Tri-Connect Mini DisplayPort Adapter to make sure teachers have the connection they need in their classroom, in the conference room, and in the auditorium for projecting their Mac laptop. Manila Leather Envelope Manila Leather Envelope The third thing I asked to review was the Manila Leather Envelope for my 11.6" Macbook Air. (For those of you that follow my blog, you know I am a bag and case "connoisseur"...okay, junkie!) Ever since these Manila Leather Envelopes first came out, I really wanted to see one in person and I was not disappointed! It is pretty much the coolest case on the market, IMHO. I was surprised at the quality of the leather and the soft inside lining. The Manila Leather Envelope also has reinforced corners which protect the laptop even more.  These Manila Leather Envelopes are available for tons of devices-- the Macbook Airs, the iPads, the iPhone 4 and 4S, Amazon's Kindles and Kindle Fires, many brands of smartphones, all the e-readers, and Android tablets like the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab. (You can find links to all the cases starting on this page.) Are these the definitive case for school-owned or one-to-one initiatives? Well, they look like a school supply, protect the devices with a form-fitting case, and are just so "cool for school"!    Thanks to Derek Gillette of BoxWave for allowing me to have a day of fun putting the BoxWave products through their paces and coming up with ways they would be useful for the classroom, students, and teachers! Don't forget to contact him for pricing or a quote if you need one!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Learning Resources recently sent me their new now!Board, a tiny, portable, interactive whiteboard tool, to review. What a neat device! It turns any surface into an interactive whiteboard and all you need is a computer and a projector! now!board package contents Those of you who follow me know that I love cases, and the main components fit nicely in the included 10" x 7" x 2" case.  To set-up the now!Board, I simply installed the software on my laptop, hooked up a projector, hooked the now!Board camera via USB to my computer, and placed it about 12 inches behind the projector, pointing at the surface I was projecting on.  I launched the software, adjusted the angle of the camera, and started to calibrate the now!Board on the wall in my house. It was hard to find a blank wall in my house and the projected image was extremely keystoned which made it difficult to calibrate all the points. I decided to find a dry erase board at the right level and try again. The now!board wand, camera, and stylus   Once the projector, image, and now!board camera were pretty much level with each other, the calibration was a snap! I used the handheld stylus on the right for calibrating. This was also the stylus I used for the movie below. This stylus is intended for use with a dry-erase board or regular whiteboard. It has the ability to right-click, too. The 24" wand (on the left in the photo) is for using with surfaces the handheld stylus might scratch up or for younger students so they can reach the projected tools and images. The tool set in the software offered all the necessary IWB tools including screen capture, scaling, an on-screen keyboard, blank whiteboard desktop, and more. I did a short Jing screencast of my computer screen as I used the now!Board software tools via the handheld stylus on the dry-erase board. The now!Board would come in very handy for sharing among classrooms and rolling computer carts, since nothing has to be mounted on the wall or classroom board to hold it, any surface can be used to project on, and it is very easy to set-up and calibrate once everything is close to being on the same level. Teachers have asked me if the now!Board can be used with an iPad in the mix. I decided to test out some options. I first hooked the projector and the now!Board camera to the computer and launched the now!Board software. I wirelessly streamed the computer screen to the iPad screen via Splashtop Remote and Splashtop Streamer. I could not use the tools effectively, though, using the iPad as the "stylus". I could definitely use the arrow and control file menus and such and pick any tool on the tool menu. But I had a hard time highlighting and drawing. I was envisioning that someone could be at the projected image using the now!Board stylus and someone else could be remotely using an iPad, but that did not pan out as a viable option. It was only a trial run to see what would happen and who knows what will be available for the iPad in the future to make it work! Here is a brief hardware set-up video, produced by the company, to give you a better feel for the hardware set-up process. A series of tutorial videos come on the software CD. And here is the short (2:35) product video, created by now!Board. The now!Board portable interactive whiteboard device will start shipping in April of 2012. You can find out more about it and order it for $499 at the Learning Resources site now. You can also follow them on Facebook to keep up-to-date! Update May 21, 2012: Last last week I received the new wand for use on surfaces that the hand-held stylus might scratch up. It worked perfectly for calibrating, marking up a projected page and using the menus and on-screen keyboard in the now!Board software on the Mac. Below is a quick photo of my set-up and a screenshot taken from the software. now!Board and stylus and wand set-up Screenshot from within the now!Board software of the projected image   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

I received a review copy of PhatPad for iPad a while back, and have spent some time showcasing it at conferences and in small group sessions.  The PhatWare Web site states: "PhatPad turns your iPad into an advanced brainstorming tool. Draw, write, and type your ideas then instantly share them via email, WiFi sync, Dropbox, or presentation mode. PhatPad’s digital ink technology and handwriting recognition engine allows you to scribble handwritten notes and drawings and convert them into digital text, or perfect geometrical shapes." You can also export the document out to a printer, to Google Docs and to Evernote! PhatPad 2.0 came out earlier this week ($4.99 in the iTunes App Store), and it is optimized for iOS 5 as well as including handwriting recognition for English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. (There is also an Android version of PhatPad, but it only recognizes English at this time.) Rather than give you an overview of what it can do, please view the video below to find out its main capabilities, which, by the way, are awesome! Following the video I will share some discoveries and thoughts I have for the use of PhatPad for the iPad in the classroom. DEFINITIONS So, now that you know the basics of what PhatPad can do, let me share some of my discoveries! First, once you convert a word to text, you can tap and hold the word and show the definition of the word. This is one way for students to verify that the handwriting-to-text conversion produced the correct word! INCLUDED CLIPART In addition, as you saw in the video, you can insert your own image from your Photo Library or take a new picture with the iPad's camera, but PhatPad comes with a TON of clipart, too! There are 28 categories including computers, communications, construction, database, education, emotions, food, fun and toys, medical, music and instruments, networking, transportation, and more! The clipart can save a lot of time with student projects, since they do not have to go out on the Web for images, check the Creative Commons licensing, get it into the Photo Library on the iPad, and then add it to the document. They can simply look through the included clipart and pick something appropriate! INFOGRAPHIC CREATION As I was playing around with the clipart, I realized that PhatPad can be used as a layer-based image creation, tool, too! That means the clipart, text, and images can be "piled" on top of one another. I started making a rudimentary infographic, and realized that PhatPad could be used for this purpose, even if just to create the first draft of an infographic a student is creating as an assessment. (More details about using the infographic as an assessment may be found here.) OTHER FEATURES There are additional features that would be useful in a classroom setting, too. First, there is the ability to create multiple pages and use a presentation mode to move through the pages. In addition, a student can create voice notes to go along with the pages and even create an automatically-running presentation with the voices notes by setting up the slide timings. You can read about all of the features in the PhatPad for iPad 1.5 User Guide LAST THOUGHTS After spending time reading the manual and experimenting with PhatPad for iPad, I am amazed at the number of features it contains! Creative teachers and students could come up with many ways to use this software to support teaching and learning. Are you already an educator or student using PhatPad? If so, please leave a comment and share the ways you use it personally and professionally.   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

I was lucky enough to score early-adopter status for the new Google+ Hangouts on Air and just gave it a try! (Here are the directions for joining a Hangouts on Air session.) When hosting a Hangout on Air, the first step is to make sure your log-in to YouTube is the same as your log-in to Google+. Once the Hangout on Air is over, a private recording is sent up to your YouTube account automatically. It took about 15 minutes for the 13 minute Hangout to process and show up on YouTube. Once it is up in YouTube, you can make it public or give access to specific users, change the licensing, set up moderation privileges, and so on. The Hangout recording as showcased on YouTube is embedded below.  I posted the info about the Hangout on Air to both my Twitter feed and within Google+. It was early (8:30am ET), so it took a bit for someone to join. Screenshot from video of a Google+ stream I only had one participant join the actual hangout, but others were viewing it in their Google+ stream. (I received comments and questions from them later in my Google+ stream.) I could not see that, since I was the host, but my participant screenshared what that looked like. Here is a screencapture of his Google+ stream. The set-up of the Hangout on Air was simple, the resolution of the screensharing was AWESOME, and those that were able to watch the broadcast live had good things to say. I was a little disappointed that the chat area within the Hangout and the chat among the Hangout participants does not show up in video, but you could overcome that with a screenshare of a tool such as corkboard.me or Wallwisher if you wanted to capture the "chatter" and gather feedback. If you have any other great ideas for the use of this tool, add a comment! I am thinking that I could easily stream my presentations from conferences if I wanted to. It would be a virtual presentation and a permanent recording all in one!   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

In addition to presenting webinars and traveling to conferences all over the place, I have decided to start a new side business. It is a face-to-face business which you probably would not expect from me! Right after the holidays, I helped plan and help out at a "Bring your new gadget to the library" night hosted by my town library. We were hoping to get people to bring in their new tablets, e-readers, and digital cameras and to help out with their questions. Over 40 people showed up, which, for our small town, is a big turn-out! The age of the attendees ranged from 50-85. The questions ran the gamut from "How do I get my Yahoo contacts onto my iPad?" to "Can you help me install what I need on my Pandigital tablet so I can use the e-books offered by the library?" Much of the time was spent with helping Kindle, Nook, and iPad owners with the process for getting the Overdrive e-books onto their devices. Along the way, there were tons of other questions, too! I realized there really is not a place where our community members can go to learn the basics of the use of all these new tech devices. It seemed like a niche that was waiting to be filled! I was in the process of getting an office in town, anyhow, so I decided to start a business to support those that need help. I have been open for two days now. The site, which explains the business in more detail, can be found here: http://kackl.net/gadgets.html I will let you know how I make out! And, if I need any help, I will be sure to tweet out my questions to my very smart PLN! :-)   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Reflector is a useful application that allows you to mirror your iPad 2 and newer or the iPhone 4s  or the iPad Mini, to your desktop using AirPlay mirroring on either a Mac or a Windows machine. The application is installed on your desktop or laptop. The positive implications for the education field are huge!!! First, as one that often creates screencasts to help people learn a process, the ability to mirror my iPad screen onto my desktop, and then use Camtasia, Jing, or Captivate to capture the process is huge for me! No more mirroring the iPad onto the TV set using AppleTV and using a video camera to record the process!  Here is a quick, no audio screencast I recently made using Reflector and a screencasting tool. It is a quick overview of where the port settings are found in the email settings on the iPad. (Not quite sure about the resolution settings yet, but you get the idea.) The more important bonus for the classroom setting is that the Mac computer (running Mac 10.6.8  or Windows XP or better) can be hooked up to the LCD projector or whiteboard projector the typical way (usually VGA or DVI). Using the Reflector app, the iPad can wirelessly project onto the computer screen and hence it is shown on the big screen!  (Now works on Windows, too!) The work is all done on the iPad-- the desktop is just the "screen". The iPad can be handed around to students for demonstration of how to use an app, showcasing an online process, or much more! It even sends the audio from the iPad to the Mac, which then, of course, pumps the sound out via more powerful speakers than the iPad has! For those of you that do not know how to find the AirPlay setting on your iOS device, you simply click on the home button twice, and swipe right once for the iPad and twice for the iPhone. For Reflector, you pick your computer and then turn mirroring on, as shown. The AirPlay settings on the iPad All the iOS devices you want to hook to Reflector via AirPlay have to be on the same WiFi network. I just tried the iPad and the iPhone 4s at the same time and they BOTH showed up on the computer screen as you see here: Desktop with Reflector App using the iPad and the iPhone at the same time I am not sure how many devices you can hook up at one time, but it seems, if you had a classroom set of iPads, each student could showcase his or her iPad when appropriate while not being tethered to the projector. And you could screencast those presentations on the desktop for assessment purposes, too! The price of the Reflector Mac App is $14.99 for use on one machine, $49.99 for a 5-pack, and, if you are interested in purchasing more than 20 copies,  drop them an email at support@reflectorapp.com and they will work with you! Update: The Reflector App now does screencasting beautifully! It brings in system audio from the iPad and records that, too. It does not record the iPad "frame". Just the screen area. Update 2 (5/6/12): Another app has hit the market that also allows turns the computer into an AirPlay device to allow wireless streaming from the iPad or iPhone or iPod Touch. This application is call AirServer and it has different features. It can show up full-screen on the computer screen AND it works with both Windows and Macs. It is $14.99 for 5 licenses. It, however, does not do screencasting at this point. Update (6/13/12): The Reflector app is now available for Windows! Update (12/8/12): The app is now called Reflector instead of Reflections. I have changed the name and URL link in this blog. If you have any more ideas for use of this app in the classroom, add a comment!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Thanks to dieselbug2007 on Flickr for this shot. This is how I felt today! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselbug2007/369649914/ I do not often get frustrated with technology. I love learning new things and figuring out the way things work. However, today I set a task list for myself which included creating 40+ screencasts of the iPad as it appeared on the laptop screen via the Reflection app. I turned to Jing Pro to do that type of thing, since it never has failed to deliver. I set the screen capture area, used the iPad to showcase the application I want to screencast, saved the result to my computer, and plunked it into Keynote. However, since Jing Pro (http://www.techsmith.com/jing-pro-retires.html) is going away and with it the option to save locally (you will still be able to save Jings to screencast.com), I thought I should probably try another option to get more comfortable with it. I also needed to bring in some system sound with some of the apps I was screen casting (which Jing does not do).  I knew I had successfully screen captured video and system audio with Camtasia, so I started there.  (I was using my 13.3" Macbook Air.) Camtasia allowed me to re-size the screen, but it did not capture the video, just the audio. I then tried the new SnagIt to see if it recorded system audio, but it kept crashing on the Macbook Air. I asked for help from my Twitter PLN and @ShellyMowinkel let me know that QuickTime Pro on the Mac now had a screen recording component. It worked like a charm for video, but, alas, could not capture system audio. However, it is the perfect replacement for Jing! Thanks so much to Shelly and @timholt2007 who suggested I try it. I decided to download the ScreenFlow app, since there were lots of comparisons to Camtasia in reviews on the Web. It worked well and captured the video and audio, but it only captured a full screen-- not an area. I understand the rationale behind that choice, and the editing of the capture is easy in their tool, but it does add another step to the process. I tried iShowU HD on the MBA, and I could record, but any format I picked as the output format was not recognized by QuickTime for play back. And the update to the app would not go through. On the iMac Since I was having no luck, I was thinking perhaps it was the laptop and not the software.  I sat down at the iMac at home and Camtasia flawlessly recorded the video and audio. Yippee! And, after some research, I found out that an update to v.1.2.2 (which I had not done on the MBA but had done on the desktop) made it work on the Air, too. It seems to be a Lion thing, not a MBA thing! The new SnagIt did not crash on the iMac, but I discovered it did not do system audio anyhow. As far as iShowU HD, I finally got a message that the updater for my version was broken, and it allowed me to download the new version and install the update. It captured video and system audio in H.264 format! Now I have a second app to use! I went back and also installed the update on the Macbook Air and it successfully recorded the video and the system audio there as well. The QuickTime Screen Recorder works well on both devices, but does not record system audio. I also tried Adobe Captivate 5.5, and it creates a great-looking screencast but no system audio recording, either. And, although people tell me ScreenFlow works well, I don't really want to spend $90 (with the educator's discount) on a purchase.  With Camtasia and iShowU HD now both capturing video and system audio on my desktop and Macbook Air, I think I am set! Recap Remember my goal was to capture video and system audio from an iPad being AirPlayed to a Mac screen via the Reflection Mac app. Here is the result of my testing today. I am not saying it is definitive, since there any number of things that might be different on your machine -- version of OS, version of software, etc. Result of testing for screen capture with system audio If you have any other information that corrects me, please add a comment!        Follow up 1: Here is a link to the recording of the Reflection app inside a screenshare inside an Adobe Connect Pro meeting.  Everything seemed to work well, as per the recording. I could hear the audio, but the "audience" could not. http://eduadvisory.adobeconnect.com/p7yfocsho42/    Follow up 2: Another software suggestion was Snapz Pro for the Mac, and it worked great on the iMac and the MBA while  recording system sound and video (although there is a huge watermark in the trial version!). You can chose the recording stage size, so this is another piece of software to consider. (Thanks @bhudd and @MusicEdTech!) Follow up 3:  The Reflection app has just released an update that will screencast their iPad projection on the computer! And it also captures the audio and works like a charm. It does not capture the iPad "frame" just the moving items and sound on the iPad screen. (http://reflectionapp.com/http://reflectionapp.com/)   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Derek Gillette, a Marketing Coordinator at BoxWave, sent along two new tech items for my review. Thanks, Derek! BoxWave Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case The first is the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case, created for the 3rd generation iPad. (I see there is also a red version, which I am craving, and a cool white one to match those of you that have the white iPad!) This leather case is available for $39.99, with free shipping, on their site right now. The regular price is $59.95. This case was definitely created for the newest iPad. I have a couple of other tight-fitting, snap-on cases that were made for the iPad 2, and the new iPad does not snap in perfectly to those cases since it is a tad thicker.  The new iPad snaps firmly into  the Smart Nuovo case's back. I also have a skin on the back of my iPad and it still fit in tightly and firmly. Inside of BoxWave's Smart Nuovo iPad Case Smart Nuovo iPad Case with closure and cutouts The case has all the cutouts needed for the sync cable, headphone jack, microphone, camera, access to the top and side buttons, and has a nice grill across the speaker area which keeps that area safe from scratches. The Smart Nuovo case is called "smart" since the cover is a smart cover that turns the iPad's display off when it is closed and turns the display on when you open it. I use one of Apple's Smart Covers, but, with this case, there is no need to! This case truly protects the front and back of the iPad while adding very little size and "heftiness" to the iPad. Smart Nuovo iPad Case in "stand" mode The Smart Nuovo iPad Case closes with a leather flap, and the same leather flap is used when you fold back the cover and use the case as a stand. (I am not a big stand user, since I hate getting the inside lining that protects the screen dirty by propping it on a table.) However, for those of you that are not worried about that, the stand puts the iPad at the correct angle for viewing and typing on an external keyboard. BoxWave Universal EverTouch Capacitive Stylus Woven fiber tip The second item Derek sent along was the Universal EverTouch Capacitive Stylus. As one who owns various styli, I was interested to see that the stylus tip of the EverTouch stylus was made of a woven fiber rather than the other types of rubber or felt-like tips on the styli I already owned. The cost online right now is $12.95, with volume purchasing available. The regular cost is $24.95. It comes in orange, blue, black, red, and silver.  The Evertouch Stylus body is aluminum and very light.   It also comes with three different types of lanyards. There is a lanyard to attach it to your keychain or neck lanyard, there is  a lanyard that allows you to plug it into the headphone jack on your device so you always know where it is, and the unique lanyard was one with the same headphone jack but it had a coil that allowed you to use it while it was plugged into the headphone jack.  The third lanyard was the most handy and gives you the least chance of losing the lanyard. It worked best while holding the iPad in landscape mode. Addendum: I got so caught up in the cool tip and lanyard I forgot to mention the stylus' performance! It worked easily and without fail for selecting, drawing, typing, and writing. If you or your school is interested in educational/volume licensing, drop Derek Gillette a line!   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Today I created a video with the very fun app for the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) called SockPuppets. I had a special reason for using it and purchased extra time to make my video longer than the 30 seconds that they allow. The output options in SockPuppets are to share to Facebook or YouTube. I needed to get the video up to YouTube, so I thought I was all set. However, I got an error message whenever I tried to send the video to YouTube. I figured I could solve it with a little research. I did some searching, and could not come up with any posts of others having troubles.  I then went to the app creator's Web site and looked in the Knowledge Base and FAQ's.Nothing there. I did a chat session with tech support at the company's site, and was told I probably needed to set a setting in YouTube that would allow uploads from third party apps. I looked through YouTube and found no such setting. I then put in a request to the YouTube team for help. I posted my first note to Twitter asking someone to try to do the same thing so I could see if it was just me. Of course, I am retired, and everyone else was actually teaching, so I did not get any responses. I tried it on the iPhone with the same resulting error message. I decided to share the video it to Facebook, which worked well, and then used the new version 2.1 of Camtasia for the Mac to record the video from Facebook. I then moved the resulting screencast to YouTube. I posted another tweet asking for help and got lots of responses. Some of my PLN members even took the time to download the app, create a video, and try the upload. Below are the responses I received. The results were mixed, and I could still not figure out the problem. Twitter answers to my ask for help Jen Legatt (@192TIS) was a new user of SockPuppets, so, when she told me it worked for her, I asked if she used a Gmail address when the app asked for log in information to YouTube. You can see from the above conversation that she told me she had used only her USERNAME, not the full Gmail address. Doh! I went back and looked at the sign-in screen in SockPuppets and it did just say enter your YouTube username and password, not your Gmail address and password. Geesh! Once I put in only my username for YouTube, not the entire Gmail address, it worked like a charm! I spent most of the day figuring out how to make this work and searching and asking. And it was one little follow-up question to one of the great educators that were helping me out that provided the answer! I love my Twitter PLN!   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Yesterday on Twitter, Dr. James Norwood (@JRNorwood) posted a short tweet entitled "Flipping Bloom's Taxonomy". The intriguing title led me to click to the link that led to his Teaching in the Middle blog post about a blog post he had read on Shelley Wright's blog, Powerful Learning Practice. The gist of the blog post was Shelley's idea to start with the creating cognitive process and "flip" the pyramid so it looks something like the image below.. She states, "Here’s what I propose. In the 21st century, we flip Bloom’s taxonomy. Rather than starting with knowledge, we start with creating, and eventually discern the knowledge that we need from it." http://plpnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bloom_pyramid-2.png  I do not think I agree. I do promote the use of problem, project, inquiry, and/or challenge based learning models  to allow students to take control of their learning. However,  I truly believe students need to have at least some knowledge-base in a topic before they can analyze, evaluate, or create something with the content at hand. In addition, during the acquisition and creation of new knowledge, learners move up and down the cognitive levels as they need to. Shelley states that she (and many others) were taught that "Blooms becomes a "step pyramid" that one must arduously try to climb with your learners." I am glad my professors at Rutgers College of Education did not teach it this way! I am a big fan of the pedagogical model and thinking about the different levels has always allowed me to plan activities at any (or all) of the levels at any point in the teaching and learning process. I never thought of Bloom's Taxonomy as a series of steps to the top. However, I do agree with Shelly that the pyramid shape, with the little tip left for creating, may confuse some educators into thinking only some students are capable of getting to that level or creativity is a small component of the cognitive skills process. I gave it some thought, and developed a different graphic to represent the taxonomy based on how I utilize it. Take a look at the image below and let me know what you think! References: Norwood,  James. 17 May 2012.  "Flipping Bloom's Taxonomy". Blog post. Teaching in the Middle, Wright, Shelley.  15 May 2012. "Flipping Bloom's Taxonomy". Blog post. Powerful Learning Practice.  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

I decided to combine two short iPad app reviews in one blog post. FreeSpeech The first review is the release of my son's no-cost (and no ads!) AAC app, FreeSpeech, which was created to support those with communication disorders. The goal was to provide an app that would be easy to use, scalable, and encompass new features. The team has been developing the app for over a year and formed a non-profit, GiveSpeech, to help keep the app free. They are working hard on enhancements all of the time! The app includes a series of symbol libraries upon download, and the ability for the user to add their own icons. However, the coolest features are the community and collaboration aspects. Users can upload and share icons they create or photograph and also download those from others from within the application iteself. This allows for an never-ending shared library of all kinds of new icons! I just visited the community area and downloaded a set of photos called "Trip to the Farm" uploaded by another user. I can see the community growing and perhaps including a discussion board to include requests for images needed and users volunteering to create those icons for others. I used the Reflection app to create a short video to showcase FreeSpeech. This is only a brief overview of how it works. (The voice sounds a lot clearer in real life than it does in the video, promise!) Download FreeSpeech for yourself and try it out!  There are also instructional videos located here, but FreeSpeech is so easy you probably won't need them! Take some photos in your area of things that others might not have in their region or town and take the time to upload them to the FreeSpeech community area. I am going to add some regional Cape Cod items like lighthouses, windmills, and cranberry bog to the community soon. Draw on Slides In the video above, I took a screenshot of the last screen of FreeSpeech and added an image to my photo library. I then used an app called Draw on Slides to mark it up. You can see that there are different colors and thicknesses of lines to chose from as well as the ability to place an arrow on the line if you wish. This marked up image can be saved as a new image to the Photo Library, sent to Facebook, or emailed. Draw on Slides is a useful app to mark something up in front of students or share an instructional image with others.   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

So, as I have been on the road a lot this past year, airports, hotels, and coffee shops have become some of my favorite places to get work done. Recently, I have been working on iPad workshops and wanted to record the iPad screen by using the Reflection app for Mac. When the iPad and laptop are on the same wireless network, and you launch Reflection on the laptop, the laptop becomes an AirPlay device for the iPad. On the iPad, you double tap the home button, swipe right, chose the AirPlay icon, pick your laptop from the list, and choose to mirror the iPad screen.The iPad shows up on the computer screen as in the image below, and, through the app, you can record everything you do on the iPad and save it as a movie file for demo and/or training.iPad mirrored to the desktop using ReflectionHowever, when trying to do this same thing in a hotel, an airport, or a coffee shop, I could not get the AirPlay icon to show up on the iPad. I could not get the two devices to see one another. Well, of COURSE I couldn't! Why would you want any other device on a public WiFi network to see your laptop or iPad? The networks are designed to keep your stuff secure (even from yourself!)Since I have a few iPad workshops coming up, I wanted to make sure, if the network I was going to be using prohibited me from seeing another device, I had a solution that would work. I actually wound up with two solutions!FIRST SOLUTION The first was to create an ad-hoc or computer-to-computer network between the Mac desktop/laptop and the iPad. It is easy! Simply go up to the WiFi symbol on the taskbar on the desktop or laptop.Pick "Create Network" and you get the "Create a computer-to-computer" network box. Give it a name, pick either channel 1, 2, or 11, and secure it with a password if you want to. On the iPad, go to Settings:Wi-Fi and pick the ad-hoc network from the list to connect to it.AirPlay choices on the iPadStart up the Reflection app on the desktop/laptop, double tap the home button on the iPad, swipe right, chose the AirPlay icon, pick your desktop/laptop from the list, and choose to mirror the iPad screen and you are in business! You will not be able to use the Internet on the computer when the computer-to-computer network is on, so, when you are done, don't forget to go to the WiFi icon on the desktop and choose to "Disconnect from . This will close your computer-to-computer network.Since the Reflection app is only available for the Mac, there is another alternative for Windows and Mac called AirServer. The documentation states it will work over an ad-hoc network, too, so follow the directions for creating the Mac ad-hoc network above and find out how to create one in Windows 7 here. SECOND SOLUTIONWhile searching for an answer to my question, I also came across a reference on how to create an ad-hoc network using the new CloudFTP device, which also does many other things, too.I remembered that I already owned a Zuni Connect Wireless Travel Router and USB Charger which was intended to create a secure personal network in a WiFi or wired environment. I figured if the CloudFTP device could create an ad-hoc network between two devices, perhaps the Zuni Connect could, too. I simply powered it up, attached the desktop/laptop to the ZuniConnect network, and used that personal network it created to create the ad-hoc network with my laptop/desktop. I was able to connect the iPad via AirPlay on that private network and mirror it to the desktop/laptop. (I am going test this in another environment than my home to make sure it really does work!)So, I have two solutions to utilize if the network I am using will not let my two devices see each other over a computer-to-computer network! Have you come up with some additional solutions?  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

VGA to 30-pin and USB connection 1  One of my problems, when considering presenting from the iPad is the ability to keep it charged and hook it up at the same time to the VGA connection present on most data projectors. Both the sync/charge cable and the VGA dongle for the iPad need to use the same 30-pin connector port on the base of the iPad. Apple HDMI Dongle Apple offers the HDMI dongle for the iPad that includes a pass-through for the sync/charge cable. I guess this is for watching multiple movies while the iPad is attached to your television via the HDMI port and being able to keep the device charged for the movies. I know you can mirror your iPad using an Apple TV attached to your television, and you will soon be able to mirror your desktop the same way. But, in most classrooms and presentation arenas, the data projector does not have an HDMI port, but has a VGA port. I started looking for a VGA dongle for the iPad that provided both VGA out and also allowed the iPad to be powered at the same time. After extensive searching, I almost gave up, until I came across these DIY (do-it-yourself) project instructions. However, instead of attempting this myself, I decided to purchase one from the creator of the instruction set. He had already modified several and the reviews were outstanding.Well, I received it today and it works perfectly! I was able to project via VGA and keep the iPad charging! The idea is simple-- the creator opens up the VGA dongle and solders a USB cable in, so you can charge the iPad via the USB cable and the power brick, as well as attach to a projector via the VGA port on the dongle. The iPad will project and stay charged. Here are two photos of the completed project from two different angles. VGA to 30-pin and USB connection2 If you are interested in finding out more, please send me an email and I will give you the contact information for the creator.  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

August 7, 2012To all my educator colleagues:As you all know, I retired in June of 2011 from my school district job as Director of Technology. I retired to spend more time learning new things to support you as you embed technology into teaching and learning in a meaningful way. I now have the time to visit districts and help with their technology-related initiatives, teach online graduate courses for the Wilkes/Discovery Masters program and the instructional technology certificate program at Arcadia University, and host several Webinar series. Also, with this retirement, I have had the time to develop and enhance some online information sources for you.1995 siteSince the time I started Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators in June of 1995, a lot has changed. Web 2.0, social networking, and social bookmarking have allowed every educator to share their favorite sites with others. The search engines have become much more sophisticated and easier to use. And educators have become much more savvy with both finding and creating materials to use in the classroom. So, it is with mixed emotions that I inform you Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is also going to be retired.                                    However, I am not retiring from providing you with great resources and ideas to support teaching and learning! I will still be an active participant in the Discovery Education community with my new blog, Kathy Schrock's Katch of the Month. The URL is http://denblogs.com/schrock and make sure to bookmark, Tweet, Like, Google+, and Pin it!  The first post will deal with organizational tools, apps, and resources to help you manage your virtual life. Please visit  "Kathy's Schrock's Katch" often, add me to your RSS aggregator, and contribute to the conversation on the blog!Guide to EverythingI have moved all the support information for my conference and workshop presentations over to Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything, located here, http://schrockguide.net, to help you as you think about the practical and pedagogical uses of technology. The evaluation pages, bulletin board pages, and readability pages have been ported over from Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators, so you will still have access to some of my most popular information. In addition, Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything includes tons of resources on current educational topics such as authentic learning, Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, iPads, Twitter, infographics, and many more.I will continue to maintain this personal blog, Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch, where I post gadget reviews and information as well as my other thoughts. You can also follow me on Twitter at @kathyschrock where I share all kinds of quick tips and ideas. I want to thank all of you for your use of Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators over the years and all the kind notes you shared with me when you found that perfect resource. I realize it is the place where many of you first started your online journey, back in the days of the "information superhighway", and I know you will remember it fondly!I hope to hear from you via the new sites I am now creating. Feel free to continue to email me at kathy@kathyschrock.net whenever you need help!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Those of you that follow this blog know that I have been a long-time fan of the Higher Ground products. Two new ones that have caught my eye lately are the PROTEx iPad protective case and the Profile computer/iPad case.PROTExI saw the PROTEx iPad case demonstrated at ISTE12 with a Higher Ground rep throwing his iPad, safely encased in the PROTEx, to the carpet and watching it bounce! He did it over and over and everything was fine with the iPad. I have not tried it with mine, but the shock absorption capability certainly lives up to my expectations! (It fits both the iPad 2 and the new iPad.)My favorite components of the PROTEx, in addition to knowing my iPad will be safe from harm if I drop it, are the iPad speaker redirect channels and the elastic strap on the back that allows you to securely hold the iPad when standing, presenting, or moving about a classroom.  Speaker channel on ProtexThe iPad speaker channel, built into the PROTEx, redirects the sound from the speakers which are on the back of the iPad to come clearly (and loudly) out the front of the iPad! This photo shows the design of the channel when the iPad is not in the PROTEx. You can see the front openings for the speaker sound at the bottom of the photo.Elastic strap on ProtexThe elastic strap on the rear of the PROTEx allows you to easily hold the iPad in either landscape or portrait mode. The elastic is stretchy and secure, and it comfortable on your hand.The PROTEx itself is just a little thicker than the iPad and weighs very little. It fits very securely on the iPad, too. I would recommend the PROTEx for anyone that carries an iPad around, works in windy situations (like the Weather Channel meteorologists and storm chaers!), and students who could feel confident that their iPad would be protected if dropped since the PROTEx protects!ProfileMacBook Air and iPad in ProfileI am always in search of the perfect case for my iPad and 11.6" MacBook Air. These are the two devices I carry around most. The best part about the Profile is that both the 11.6" MacBook Air AND the iPad fit nicely in the case!The laptop pocket zips up and has both memory foam protection and a plushy soft interior. If you were not carrying a tablet, the front pocket could easily hold a spiral notebook or book. The Profile is a vertical case, another feature that I look for in a case. The front flap is magnetic, which makes it super easy to open and close. The inside has two pen holders, a phone pocket, four business card/credit card slots, and a clear ID pocket.  There is a small zippered compartment for your power supplies or smaller items.  The back of the Profile has a slip pocket for papers or a manila folder. The Profile is solid and keeps it shape nicely due to the padding and construction. I know my devices are protected in this case.If you have any questions, feel free to ask!   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

I have a couple of other items I wanted to review for you...Tego Case for iPad2 and the new iPad The Tego case for iPad is another protective case for the device that schools should put on the consideration list. The iPad is easy to get in to the case and it has extra reinforced corners to avoid damage to the device. Tego site: http://www.yourtego.comThe Tego case is made of a very lightweight material but is thoughtfully designed to bothprotect the iPad and allow easy access to ports, buttons, and speakers. In addition, the material has an anti-bacterial property to keep the germs at bay. In schools, where the iPad gets used by multiple students, this is a great feature to have!The retail price of the Tego case is $38.99.Kingston Wi-DriveThis is a cool little accessory for your mobile devices. I purchased the 32GB version ($89.99) but it also comes in 16GB and 64GB. The Wi-Drive is about the same size and shape as the Apple iPod Touch but it weighs a lot less in your gadget bag!The Wi-Drive attaches to your computer via a USB cable so you can first move files, movies, photos, and music to it. (It also charges via the computer USB port or with the included AC adapter.) You have to dis-attach the Wi-Drive from the computer to use it. Once you turn it on, the Wi-Drive creates an ad-hoc network with the SSID of Wi-Drive. You must then install the Wi-Drive app for iOS or Android onto your mobile devices.Wi-Drive network on iPadOn your  mobile devices, simply visit the network settings and join the Wi-Drive network. Up to three devices can view or play the files on the Wi-Drive at one time. They can all access different files and even start the videos at different times. (Imagine loading it up with 32GB of movies for a long trip!) DRM movie playing in iPad browserFor moving DRM movies from iTunes, if you sync your iPad with your computer's iTunes account, you simply drag the movie to the Wi-Drive, and access the movies through the Web browser on the mobile device via the static IP of the Wi-Drive. Purchased items may only be played via the Wi-Drive on mobile devices that have the same Apple ID as the computer's iTunes account. File system and file on the Wi-DriveThe Wi-Drive acts as external storage and is accessible even when you do not have WiFi available. And, for non-DRM items, any three mobile devices can connect to the Wi-Drive and view or play the files. The Wi-Drive is an interesting concept, and I will be spending more time thinking of creative ways to use it!Side note: We have an MicroCell (cell phone service booster) in our house so, on the iPhones, we had to put them in airplane mode and then turn just the WiFi back on in order for them to see the Wi-Drive. No problem with the iPad, since it does not use the MicroCell.Have any gadgets you would like to share? Just post about them in the comments!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

I have been using the IPEVO Point 2 View and the Ziggi USB document cameras for the past couple of years. Their ease of use for projecting 3-D objects, snapping images, and recording videos has made them a staple in many classrooms. The Point 2 View software for the desktop will soon be updated to include sending the captured images directly to Evernote!I have long demoed Evernote to teachers and students. The ability to both upload and access the Evernote notes from all types of devices makes it the perfect curation tool for students. I, myself, have only just begun using Evernote to its full potential and on a regular basis.When IPEVO sent me a beta version of their new software with the Evernote integration, I was very excited to try it. It works like a charm! Here are the images of the process of snapping an image and sending it to Evernote from the IPEVO desktop software.Choosing the IPEVO image and the notebook in Evernote to send it to.IPEVO to Evernote success!The note and image as viewed in EvernoteWith more and more classrooms having IPEVO doc cams and students using Evernote software, the integration of Evernote into the P2V software is sure to be a hit!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

I was sent the Wipad Pro (http://gowipad.com) to demo and it is a cool device! The receiver plugs into an HDMI port on a projector or monitor (or to a VGA connection via a VGA/HDMI converter box accessory offered by Wipad). The snap-on back for the iPad 2 or new iPad with its  attached transmitter plugs into an Apple HDMI dongle and the 30-pin port on the iPad. The transmitter recharges via an included USB cable.Wipad Pro: snap-on back, transmitter, and receiverThe iPad is projected in HD and the sound winds up coming out of the TV or projector. You are not tethered to the projection device so you can roam around the room. So what makes this different than simply mirroring with the Apple TV? One big thing that is useful for many schools.With an Apple TV, the iPad and the Apple TV need to be on the same network, whether the Apple TV is being used wired or wirelessly. The Wipad does not use the network to connect and does not impact the network traffic! It uses a wireless technology that does not interfere with any other devices. So, when you are streaming that Discovery Education video from the iPad to the projection device, you are not utilizing the network bandwidth. The IT crews will love this device! And, in addition, there is no lag at all, with video, audio, or apps. I even powered up SlingPlayer, which loads the cable connection at my home to my iPad, projected it via the Wipad, and it was perfect on the TV!  (In addition, the Internet connection on your iPad still works, something that does not occur if you have to set up some type of ad-hoc network between your iPad and a computer.)For school use, IT departments will be happy and for those of you that cannot wirelessly project via an AppleTV at school, this is a good solution. For those of you who present in hotels or in rooms with no WiFi, this device can be used to present since you do not need a network. You can roam with up to 100 feet away as long as you have line of sight to the receiver.  If your school or organization purchases several Wipads, the receiver can store the identifier of up to eight transmitters. This is helpful if the receivers stay plugged into projectors or televisions in various rooms and the iPads move around.Set-up of projection. Projected image is perfectly clear. The photo is not!There are a couple of things I need to mention. The Wipad does work great. You simply pair the transmitter with the receiver and the projected iPad immediately shows up. You can wirelessly project from up to 100 feet away. The snap-on back did not fully snap-on to my new iPad since I had a skin on the back of my device. If your iPad does not have a skin, there should not be a problem. The transmitter that attaches to the back of the snap-on back does add a little weight (6 oz.) to the iPad, but nothing that would preclude carrying it around the classroom or presentation venue.The price of the Wipad Pro is advertised at $399 on their site. Educators can receive a discount of 25%. There are volume price breaks for the purchase of 50 or more, but things can be negotiated on a case by case basis. You can read more about it, see the specs, and the features on the Wipad site.  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

Last week, I purchased the new Samsung Chromebook. I had been hearing lots of good things happening in schools that have Chromebooks, and, as a Google Certified Teacher, I decided to learn more about them.There are two new Chromebooks available right now-- the Samsung for $249 and the Acer C7 for $199.  Here are the simple specs on each--Samsung11.6" matte screen2 GB RAM16 GB SSDSamsung Exynos 5 Dual 1.7 GHz processor1 USB 2.0 port, 1 USB 3.0 port, HDMI port, SD card slotBluetooth2.4 lbs.6.5 hours of battery lifeAcer11.6" glossy screen (1366x768)2 GB RAM320 GB SATA hard driveIntel Celeron 1.1 GHz processorEthernet 10/100 port, VGA port, 3 USB ports, HDMI port, SD card slotWireless a/b/g/n3.05 lbs.3.5 hours of battery lifeI waffled back and forth before deciding which machine to buy. Originally I was enticed by the VGA-out on the Acer for presenting and the Ethernet port to hook it up to a network, but the 3.5 hour battery life and extra weight of the Acer made me change my mind. However, I believe, in a school setting, the Acer Chromebook would make a good teacher machine. Since it would probably be plugged in, the teacher could take advantage of the larger hard drive, the Ethernet port, and the VGA-out for presenting and not worry about battery life.I decided on the Samsung and was not disappointed! It is decently speedy and has a great keyboard and trackpad. (One kind of weird thing on the Samsung is the letters on the keys are in lower case!) I went to Best Buy to see the Acer and the Samsung side-by-side, and the glossy screen on the Acer popped and seemed to be more readable. The matte finish and not-so-bright screen on the Samsung took a little getting used to, but it seems to be  usable even when the sunlight is shining right on the screen and there are no reflections like those on the glossy screen.Of course, it is not about the hardware but about the move to computing in the cloud. The Chrome OS brought over all my settings from my Chrome browser on my computers, so I had all my "stuff" right away! I then took the time and went through the Chrome Web Store and installed other apps and extensions for things I knew I would need, like an image editor, a Twitter tool, and and FTP client. There are tons of applications and utilities  available that can be run right in the browser! The camera on the Chromebook even allows you to record directly into YouTube!There is a cool Remote Desktop plug-in, which allows you to control your home computer (or any remote computer) from the Chromebook. You have to install software on the other computer for it to work, but it works great!With each Chromebook purchased (at least right now) you get upgraded to 100 GB of Google Drive storage. Getting used to using Google Drive for file storage, and not just Google Apps, is a different way of thinking for me.  You can save and access files off an SD card in the slot, too, but using online storage is so much easier!When I am not in a wireless environment, I can still work on various Google apps, like Google Docs, using an off-line version of these apps. When I get back into WiFi, the items sync with my Google Drive.I have not yet been able to print. One needs to use Google's Cloud Print to do so, and, although I can see my printers, they are grayed out. I am assuming it is something in my networked printer set-ups and not the Chrome OS itself.With the cost going down on these devices, I am starting to get questions about the benefits of Chromebooks over netbooks and tablets for the classroom.  At much the same price point as a netbook, you really get a better experience on a Chromebook, in my opinion.  The browser becomes transparent to the user and everything works smoothly.  The 10" tablets are appreciably more money than the Chromebook, although some of the 7" tablets are less or just a bit more in price, so, if you are comparing apples and oranges, the smaller tablets and the Chromebooks are similar in price.The battery life of the Samsung is a big plus, too. It can last an entire school day without recharging. Of course, most of the tablets can, too. And there are many apps on a tablet that are not dependent on Internet access, so tablets come out ahead in that respect. But, the "real" keyboard on the Chromebook is seen as a useful thing in some user's eyes.One point that really is evident about the Chromebook is the ability of multiple users to use the same machine without any worries of getting to someone else's data, or special set-ups, or any worries at all! Shared netbooks and tablets do require some finagling at times if there are multiple users. If a school is supporting a 1:1 initiative, then this point does not make a big difference in decison-making. But for the many schools that go with the "cart o' devices" model, the use of a Chromebook takes all the worry and work out of sharing.I love the iPad and do iPad training in schools all over the country. And, when asked, encourage schools to do a 1:1 pilot when starting out with iPads or Android tablets. The experimentation and testing goes easily when each device is only used by one student. (I know there are second party products that make the shared tablets doable, too, but, for schools that do not have the tech support infrastructure, it can be problematic at times.)Is the Chromebook as cool as an iPad? No. The touch interface and the wonderful apps for the iPad that making you "feel as one" with the device cannot be beat. But, for schools considering an alternative, give the Chromebook a try in a pilot project You will definitely be pleasantly surprised!Thoughts? Things you want to share? Leave me a comment!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

I am a Google Certified Teacher, an Adobe Education Leader, and a DEN STAR and GURU. I earned each of these distinctions by helping others, providing continuing support in the areas of expertise that I have, and I feel like a very valued member of each community. Two of the three require formal reporting of activities and re-application to continue to be a member. The goals of all three are clear and I know what I have to do in order to stay a part of those communities -- support other members of the community and all educators who request help and support.I have been thinking about assessment lately. When we assess students, we always give them feedback. We let them know what they were successful with and things that could have been improved upon. Many times, this feedback goes hand-in-hand with a rubric the student had access to before the assessment.I have applied to be an Apple Distinguished Educator twice and a Sony Education Ambassador once. I feel I have something to offer to both groups and I would also love to learn from the other stellar educators who are part of these communities.I have been turned down all three times. I spent a lot of time studying what each community was all about and worked hard on the applications and products that had to be created. I didn't make the cut because there were others who did a better job than I did and/or were more qualified. That's fine and that's the way it should be. But how am I going to learn to grow to better meet the needs of what the communities expect without any feedback? I assume there were rubrics for judging and that there were educators who were members of the community who were judges. What about giving all the applicants their summary scoring sheet including how they were scored? I encourage all organizations who are creating educator support groups to include the scoring rubric being used in addition to the overview of the program and the expectations for becoming a member before the applications are submitted. And then provide both the winners and losers with a detailed score. I want to become a better educator. Share your organization's vision of what that looks and feels like with me, please, so I can continue to grow!No sour grapes...really!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

Educators are busy re-mapping and re-working curriculum at all levels to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  As I began to take a look at this monumental initiative, I decided a way I might help was to identify the rubrics that have been developed thus far for assessment of these standards. Some states started earlier than others with this project and I am sure additional resources will be showing up on the Web soon! Here are the rubric links that I have located thus far: K-6 Rubrics for writing standards 1, 2 & 3 Text-based writing rubrics K-12 Smarter Balanced ELA rubrics K-12Checklist for critical areas in K-2 mathCommon Core Rubric Creation ToolCommon Core Checklists K-6Math Exemplars (Detailed)PARCC Analytic and Narrative Writing (Gr.3)PARCC Analytic and Narrative Writing (Gr.4-5)PARCC Analytic and Narrative Writing (Gr.6-11)Rubrics for Evaluating OER ResourcesWriting: Content Rubric, one passage (Gr.3) Writing: Content Rubric, two passages (Gr.3) Writing: Content Rubric, one passage (Gr.4-8) Writing: Content Rubric, two passages (Gr.4-8) Writing: Style Rubric (Gr. 3-8)Writing: High School Style Rubric 1 & 2I also found two rubrics for reviewing lessons and units for the CCSS:Engage NY ELA Evaluation Rubric Engage NY Math Evaluation Rubric As I find additional ones, I will be adding them to my Assessment and Rubrics page. Have you come across any other useful tools to support the CCSS? Has your district created a series of rubrics in ELA or Math? Share the URL with us in the comments!    Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

I recently had the opportunity to try out the GoNow iPad case, a sturdy iPad case built for the K-12 market.The GoNow case is available for both iPad and iPad Mini and solves some concerns that schools often have with the iPads. The built-in handle is a real plus for students carrying around the devices. I have seen classroom lessons for the younger students on how to carry the iPad (hug it to your chest, etc.). The handle on the GoNow case just works! In addition, the case provides a level of protection from damage to the iPad for students of all ages.For the iPad Mini, which is so light, the GoNow case provides some "heft" for the Minis when they are used in the early grades or in the special education department. For those of you who have held an iPad Mini, you know what I mean. It is so light on its own, you sometimes have a fear of letting it go!There are additional thoughtful features built into the GoNow case. The case screws open easily and the iPad is placed in the case, with a rubberized sheet to protect it. By using screws, the iPad is securely encased and protected.There is a channel inside the GoNow case that redirects the iPad's speaker audio to an external speaker grille on the front of the device. This allows the audio to be increased to a  level that is easy to hear, even in a noisier classroom setting. This feature is a great one for students using the devices as an AAC devices as well as when two or more students are sharing a video on the iPad or a student does not have headphones available.It's a bit hard to see in my photo, but the volume switch (and the power switch) are recessed. The switches are easy to access but prevent accidental volume raising or shutting off of the device.The front of the GoNow case has a small switch that turns the screen on and off. It is a very handy way for students to turn off the screen when not using the device and avoids having to hit the power button.Attainment Company, the creator of the GoNow case, is a company who specializes in assistive technology for all ages. The GoNow case certainly will be beneficial for that population, but its features make it a good solution for any K-12 classroom!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

This is a re-posting of a guest post to the SmartBlog on Education blog which appeared on February 6, 2013. It is tagged in their "emerging technologies" section._______________________________________________________________________________I am a gadget geek. And I love my iPad. However, there are plenty of other choices on the market today, and I have come to realize that a mix of devices may be a better choice in the educational setting. The Apple App Store is full of well-vetted and useful software. When you hear "there is an app for that," it seems to be true! From content-based applications that can be used for everything from remediation to enrichment, and apps that let students create videos, audios, simulations, infographics and more, the use of the iPad to support teaching and learning is truly remarkable! However, the iPad really shines as a one-to-one device. Personalization, choice of apps and work that lives locally on the device makes you feel connected with your iPad. A shared cart of iPads, although something that is affordable for schools, is probably not the best choice. Taking care of the installation of apps and maintenance of the devices, as well as providing a positive experience for each shared user, is not easy. I often suggest schools keep a cart of iPads in a single classroom, have the teacher and students document their successes (and failures) and provide the rationale to extend the model of a one-to-one initiative to other classrooms. I recommend the Google Chromebook for a shared cart of devices. In conjunction with becoming a Google Apps for Education school or district, the Chromebook allows easy access to each shared user’s content. Since each user’s work lives in the cloud, and the Chromebook makes it easy to log on to the device, it is perfect for a shared environment. There are many extensions for the Chrome browser that allow you to do everything from editing images to using a math equation editor. And, the Chrome operating system lets the user work on Google Docs and Spreadsheets when not connected to the Internet and syncs them up when you do get in a wireless environment. The Samsung Chromebook has a solid state drive and boots up within seconds, has a school-day-long battery life, and is less than $250. Android devices are another choice for classroom use. Google Play, the app store for Android devices, is chock-full of apps, but is not as tightly controlled or vetted as the Apple App Store. I have seen some districts choose the Kindle Fire as their Android-based tablet of choice. Kindle devices do not natively have access to the Google Play store, but have a smaller group of apps available in the Kindle Fire Apps store. If your school has settled on the Android platform, I suggest going with an Android device that can access all the apps in the Google Play store, such as the Google Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 or other Android-based models such as Acer, Samsung, Asus, Motorola, Toshiba, Lenovo and Sony. (I am a Sony Education Ambassador and have the Sony Experia Tablet Z which is a very nice choice!) Another crop of tablets run on the Windows operating system. Microsoft makes the Surface and Surface 2 tablets that host a version of Windows called Windows RT. Windwos RT includes access to the Office suite, but other apps must be installed from the Windows App store. (Added 11/16/13: The Windows Surface RT can not join a domain if that is something you need to have it do in your school.) The Surface is also available with Windows Pro, which will run all the Windows programs that you can now run on your desktop. However, there are also some great 10.1-inch tablets available right now that run the full version of Windows 8, such as the Samsung Ativ Smart PC , the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 and the Asus VivoTab Smart. I was impressed with the keyboard docks available for these devices. The keyboards give the tablets a clamshell design, like a regular laptop.(Added 1/24/14: I recently picked up the Dell Venue 8" Pro Windows tablet. It runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and is low-cost. The items on the screen are a bit small, but it still amazes me that I can carry around a device with Windows in one hand! The tablet is speedy, has a front an back camera, a micro-SD slot, and you can hook up an external DVD drive, HDD, or flash drive with an adapter like this one. The screen size would not meet the size requirements for the CCSS tests, but, if that is not a concern, give this one a look!)  Choices are good, and a mix of devices and operating systems should be considered in the school setting. Take the time to try each one out, and pick the one that is best suited for the grade level, teaching environment, and what best gets the technology out of the way and allows learning to occur!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything