What I learned at the GAFE Summit

I had a wonderful opportunity last weekend to attend the GAFE (Google Apps for Education) Summit.
I must admit going into this Summit I thought that I knew quite a bit about Google Apps, after all I use collaborative Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms and on top of that I have been a member of Google+ and have led many Google Hangouts for my Movies as Literature class.
GAFE however opened up a whole new world of add-ons, extensions and apps that I hope to start applying soon!
 
More than just apps, this conference was about changing thinking and learning to look at education (and life) in a different way. Learning to think and respond to others ideas in the context of Yes...and rather than Yes...but. Learning how to explore design thinking. Learning how one app can change an experience of learning and meet the needs of a variety of different students. 
 
One of the things that struck me was how visual we have become. The medium that impacts students is experiential  - mainly with video, but also with social media, artistic expression and hands on explorations.My own problem solving and critical thinking skills were challenged in many of the "learn by doing" sessions. I loved this! 

The icing on the cake was learning about some very cool apps! Here are just a few ;)
Kaizena- a program to use along side with Google Docs to be able to add audio feedback, links and much more. Very cool!
Ed Puzzle - to take video and add quizzes embedded in the video itself.
Jamendo - music that is in the public domain (please use caution - there is a wide range of music you may not want your students to listen to)
Geogussr.com - a very fun game for learning Geography 
I hope to share many more great resources over the next few months as I use them and apply them! 
 
Thank you GAFE Summit team! 
Blessings, Natalie

Trello - Time to get Organized

I have a new Techie Tool for you today that is amazing!! This is so awesome that very quickly I have managed to set up 5 boards and have them working for me already. 

Trello is a visual To-do list that is flexible and has many features that are perfect for keeping track of assignments, weekly schedules or even a year’s worth of learning outcomes.

There is an ability within Trello to add checklists, attach files or photos, make comments, invite others to join in your board and so much more. This is a wonderful way to organize your year. You have the option to add dates or assign “cards” or leave them open for you to complete as needed. 

First, you set up a board, then start adding cards. You can move the cards around by dragging them and dropping them where you would like them. 

On the back of the card you can include checklists, or comments. You can attach files or photos to the cards. 

This is an amazing program!! I am so glad that I came across it! It is helping me in my next year’s planning already!!

Blessings, Natalie

4 People in a Family - our top 4 apps each!!

Apps our family uses:

There are so many apps out there and with Ipods, Ipads, laptops and desktops in our home, there is lots of hardware to have them on!

I feel though in the app world, I am only scratching the surface. We all have our favorites and I took a poll in our family to see what our favorite apps really are!

Start with me... Mom...

My favorite apps start with Kindle, I would have to say. I have a study bible on Kindle and I love it. I can highlight verses, make notes. Make sermon notes while our pastor is speaking right in the verses he is speaking on. I still use the You Version bible as well. I like it because there are so many translations - I can flip from one translation to another very easily. I just find making notes on it a little tougher. 

I have downloaded and read many books on Kindle and loved that I could make notes. This has been great for leading one of our book clubs at HCOS. No trying to find pieces of paper later!! I also go through bouts of yearning to read fiction and all of the free classics on Kindle make it so easy. 

My second favorite app would be Stickies (or another sticker app). I have it on my desktop and it keeps me organized for the immediate things that I have to do. I use it everyday, somedays...every hour!!

Third for me would be Flipboard - I love that I can visually see Facebook, Twitter and many other focusses with pictures on Flipboard. Though this is a rss feed, I still also use Mobile RSS each day. I enjoy having all of my blog and website feeds in one easy to see format. 

Finally, I would have to say that Dropbox is an everyday thing for me. I am always dropping in documents from one device to another. I am sure that I will get onto ICloud soon which will eliminate my need for Dropbox as much, but right now it has been indespensible.

Now for Dad,

His first choice for everyday apps is the You Version Bible - he makes notes, copies passages, looks up different versions and really enjoys this app on both his Ipad and his Smartphone. 

His second choice is Evernote. He uses it everyday, for all sorts of downloads, notes in meetings and notes to share. 

His third choice is Bloomberg... what can I say... he was a Financial Advisor for 25 years!!

Finally, his fourth choice is Kindle. He has read more this year on his Kindle that ever before with “books”. He loves the highlighting and the note taking features.

Then our 22 year old daughter,

She has a 4th Generation Ipod and uses a computer for her work. I thought that I would include her as she is home on Christmas break. On her Ipod she uses Itunes more than any other app. She enjoys music and uses this application each day. 

Facebook is second for her. This is how she communicates with her network. She loves photography and loves uploading pictures, organizing them and sharing them.

Third for her is the texting app - Heywire. She uses this because she doesn’t have an iPhone. 

Fourth for her is the Grocery Shopping Application -which she uses when she is creating her weekly shoppiing lists.

Finally is our “Little One”. 

She has a Ipod Touch and she sometimes uses the Ipad. Her favorite apps are (in no particular order):

What does my name mean?  - this is lots of fun with friends as well as when her friends are playing in “character” it is great to know what the name of your character means.

Cut the Rope is a fun game that she likes to play. The attraction eludes me, but there you have it - we all use are devices differently!!

Tap Store, Tap Resort, Tap Farm, Tap Jungle, Tap Zoo are great games that she plays regularly. They are setting up and managing farms, stores, resorts etc. The financial aspect of these games, helps in learning how to manage finances. 

Sims is very similar, but a little more detailed. She enjoys making “people” and creating their surroundings. My older children enjoyed Sims as well. 

Fotolr is a photography studio for your photos. You can change them, adjust them, make them rainbow colors or simple black and whites. This is fun with friends as well. 

So as you can see, we certainly use different applications for different reasons. We use our devices very differently, and was a great thing for me to ask!

Blessings!!