Today I’ve discovered Google Gears. Google Gears is an open source browser extension that lets developers create web applications that can run offline.
To be honest I didn’t even know how it worked or why I would want to use it until I was using Google Reader. Adding the Common Craft feed to Google Reader I noticed a new addition to the top “Offline”. Curiosity set in and when I went to check it out I found out that when Google Gears is installed users can review the last 2000 news items while offline. This little feature can come in handy when I have time to catch up on feeds while I’m “disconnected”. It sounds like a battery backup to the alarm clock. Too cool for school!
The only question (okay one of my questions) for Google is to find out when are they going to hold a Teacher Academy in Maine, okay I’ll settle for New England!
If they could explain technology integration in Plain English then people might understand a little more the importance of technology in schools.
One of my goals for the next school year is to integrate wikis into the business side within my school (meeting agenda, minutes, etc.) and this video will help make the point.
There is some great news at a time of the day when I should be sleeping!!!!! Plasq, the makers of Comic Life, have announced the beta version of Comic Life for Windows! I’m using on my PowerBook and LOVE IT! Being a hybrid user I’ve longed for this tool in a PC world to allow my students to express themselves via comics. There are some nice web based solutions but none of them allow the flexibility and brawn that comes with Comic Life.
Here is the link to get the info about downloading the beta version if you’re interested.
At this point I’m going to try to wrap up my work for the night and be at school in about 7 hours for my Teacher Workshop Day in which I’ve got 3 sessions to prepare for (which is only about 60% complete). Sleep is such an overrated thing (if I say it enough times maybe I’ll actually believe it).
Today Roger Clemens agreed to a contract that pays him $4.5 million PER MONTH for June, July, August, and September. Aside from the debate about Yankees vs. Red Sox, our society has a definite warped sense of reality when someone in their mid-40’s will make more in a month than most teachers will make in a lifetime multiplied by 4!
If you are looking for a way to infuse comic strips into your curriculum then this site, makebeliefscomix.com, may be for you. This site is really easy to use (if you can click and type then you can create). Users can email the link for comic or print it out.
Here is my demo
This is an easy way to start using comic strips in the classroom. The strips are basic but then you can step up to other ones like toondoo or tabblo (where you need to supply the pictures)
I found this video tonight and this does such a good job explaining RSS in layman terms. I’ve used a personalized stock ticker where new content from websites you subscribe to replaces stock quotes for a quick quick explanation. Here is the video from leelefever at CommonCraft.com.
About Me: I am the technology teacher/integrator at the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel, ME. Technology is a passion of mine since I was in junior high in the 80's taking a fortran course through my math teacher's account at USM. Outside of work I am a husband, father of 2 girls, and rabid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. When I have free time I would like to golfing (despite the short season).
