Calculate While You Google

While I was assisting a classroom today with a video conference with NASA, I decided to Google the term "golden ratio" (which was a topic that was brought up for the students) on my iPad. My search returned this pretty cool interactive calculator right in my search results.

This feature was introduced in July 2012 after Google launched their weather OneBox.

It's not a fully equipped scientific calculator, but can do most general Maths with a few advanced Math functions like SIN, COS, and TAN.

Yes, typically, calculators are pretty accessible in the classroom, however if you or your students are doing some online research, what a great tool to have by simply opening a new tab in your browser and calculate some general Math, like conversions, distance or amounts of time. By the way, Google also has a unit conversion OneBox.

Try it out. Google an expression OR search "calculator".

Gooru - Free Search Engine for Learning

Gooru is an OER (Open Educational Resource) online beta service that is worth trying out.  As mentioned in the title of this post, Gooru is a search engine.  

What separates this from other search engines, like Google or Bing, is that it sources several resources (websites, slideshows, video, online textbooks, files, etc.) curated by educators and community experts, "guaranteeing you’ll find high-quality materials every time."   Here explains more on how Gooru searches.

Teachers can create their own account, or simply start right in with their easy-to-use menu categorized by content areas - Science, Social Sciences and Math.  Even students can jump right in and start learning.  If an account is made, you will have options for collecting your customized materials and upload your own material and files to be added.

The cool thing about the video options (especially when customizing your own video finds) is that Gooru will allow you to select the specific timeframe within the video for viewers to watch.  This is great when you don't want your audience to have to watch an entire clip in order to get the parts you want them to view.  You could potentially prepare a collection of multimedia in your Gooru account and play segments of an entire video starting and stopping to review other content that you collected in a nice streamlined flow.

Once your multimedia resource collection is ready for viewing and learning, email your students the specific web link given for your collection.

Along with their collections and resources, Gooru offers quizes.

Here is a great little video explaining how Gooru works.

Display Video to Your Class Remotely From Your iPad App

If you use an iPad as an instructional tool in your classroom, you may have had to plug in a video cord AND speakers in to the headphone jack in order to display any video from your iPad or iPad app to your projector for your students.

Here at my local school we are working with an app that allows you to display your video remotely from your iPad when using your apps with out all of the cords.  Just imaging getting ready to show your student a video clip of Hitler for your WWII unit (or you want to use an interactive Math app that has sound) from your iPad while you are walking around your room.

This app is a desktop app installed on your computer called Reflection.  Reflection uses a technology called AirPlay, which allows the user to remotely play media from their mobile device to another projection unit through your computer or to a TV via AppleTV; no messy cords.  The desktop app connects your computer to your mobile device and mirrors everything you do on that mobile or tablet.

Now for those who may already know about AirPlay, here's one thing I that I found out today while working with my 8th grade teachers and my Tech-partner-in-crime.  AirPlay not only will remotely display video footage, but it ALSO remotely plays the auido; no headphone cord needed.  Pretty impressive.

Reflection is relatively cheap.  Here is their price list for single or 5-seat licences.

If you have already been using Reflection, please share your comments below on what you like and/or do not like about this product.

Tweet of the Day

“Slay your dragons before breakfast so they don't eat your lunch.” @michaelhyatt
— Mark Miller (@LeadersServe) November 28, 2012

Getting Best Performance Out of Laptop Series: Intro

Have you caught your self day dreaming about doing something like this, because your computer just is not working properly or running too slow?

I often come across frustrated teachers who tell me how that their Macbook is not operating right, or there is a large amount of delay when typing an email, or their laptop is just plain slow.

This issue will even effect the performance of your interactive whiteboard.  Some teachers will experience long delay when trying to move an object or write with their pen (or finger) and think it is a problem with their interactive whiteboard.

In this series I would like to help with understanding how to minimize these issues and maximize your ability to make the most of your main Teacher Tool, your MLTI laptop.  I will be posting little snippets in the future, each discussing ways that effect laptop performance.  There are a couple of simple steps that can effect the performance of your Macbook laptop.  I hope this series is helpful.  Be looking for upcoming posts in this series.

Also, be sure to find the links to this blog series located in the right column of this blog.

Mac OSX Dictionary/Thesaurus

This is a great feature for our 1to1 students.  Students can not only build their vocabulary, but enrich their writing with this resource.  Each 1to1 Macbook laptop has an onboard extensive Dictionary and Thesaurus that anyone can access with a click.

Apple explains below:

BTW, this any several other "how to" videos about Mac OSX are available in your iTunes store.

Google Earth's Real-Time Cloud Cover

Just perusing the Google Earth blog this morning, discovering the real-time cloud cover layer they offer.  In looking for some material associated with Hurricane Sandy, I found when activating Google Earth's "Weather" layer you can view Earth's cloud cover in real-time, which is very handy for tracking hurricane progress.  Students will love seeing this!

Google's Newspaper Archive

Just streaming the news this morning through Google News and stumbled across their "archived articles".  You can search for old newspapers.

I created a search for - world war germany berlin.  My search gave me some decent return.  I found a newspaper from April 2, 1962 talking about conflict in Berlin between East and West Germany and liquidating World War II.

Full Screen

Google allows you to easily scroll or flip through each newspaper page easily, highlighting your search terms.

I also searched for - kennedy president jfk.  From the search return, I found an article from The Harper Herald from Nov 22, 1963, the day JFK was assassinated.

Be sure to check out the Related Articles section for more.

What a great way to involve primary source material with your history topics.  Each article has its own web link.  Post and share them on your Moodle course or website for student access.

Conflict History - Interactive Maps of Wars

Conflict History is an interactive map powered with the use of Google Maps (you know it's gotta be good) that holds a massive collection of information and map locations of the major and minor wars and conflicts through out our earth's history.  The interactive map features a timeline at the bottom, with which you can toggle through a wide range of dates from before 900BC to present day.  When you slide through the timeline, dates will populate in the event box and locations will be displayed on the map.  As you select each event or conflict, all other locations and conflict events associated with it are shown below in the event menu as well as indicated on the map (shown below).

This is a great way to bring some contextual value and understanding to major events and wars that happen through out history.

There's more.  Not only can you view battles and conflicts associated with the major war, but the Information icon provides you with a background about the conflict.  You can also browse conflicts and wars in particular areas by sliding the timeline and clicking on the placemarks shown on the map.  Clicking on a placemark will zoom you in to the location.

Note: Glitch.  There is a bit of a glitch with the resolution of the map at times.  If you find that your map becomes pixelated or blurred, simply zoom out one notch on the zoom slider and zoom back in.  Otherwise, you could refresh your browser.

Also, as with any Google Map, you have satellite, hybrid and terrain viewing options at the top right corner.

I found this map resource from a blog I follow that offers some good material especially for US History in Social Studies - US History Teachers Blog.  Check this out; subscribe to it.

New Bookmarks (weekly)

• iPad - Karen Bosch on Diigo

  tags: ipad resource karenbosch diigolist

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Appsfire - Another great iOS app shopper

appsfire.com offers some great resources for finding iOS apps.  They have their own FREE app, called Appsfire Deals, which shares apps that have recently gone FREE and the top rated FREE apps.  Check it out.

SMART Response Video Tutorial

On my You Tube channel I curate and collect videos from You Tube into specific playlists or collections for teachers to use when helping them learn more about specific products or technology for their classrooms.

I have such a playlist for SMART Response software and hand-held devices.  This playlist is constantly being updated any time I find more quality video associated with SMART Response.

Be sure to check out my channel for other playlists that may be of your interest.

Check it out.

Here's an example:

Organize Your Files and Folders; and Your Life

Recently from MLTI

MLTIMinute is always posting new video tutorials pertaining to your MLTI laptop.  For more video go to:

Google+ and blogging

Since I have grown to love Google+ more and more, I am using it more and more.   I use this microblog to spread the communication on new content, idea, resources, and tutorials for technology integration in the classroom. Be sure to fine me and add me to your circles in Google+.   Even if you do not have a Google account or use Google+, bookmark my Profile page or my education page and frequent this site for some very useful resources to assit your classroom environment and professional development.  You'll find much more content on my Google+ education page (also, titled Ratkacher Station) since it is a microblog and much easier to send out new stuff; and quickly.

My Google+ page.

And...Begin!

We're back and ready.

Since this blog is devoted to spreading information and content to my school district (though, not restricted to this), I only post during the school year and school days.  You will not find any new content during holidays or vacations (well, you may find something from time to time).  Though I have been using this blog for about a year and a half, I feel that I am still very new to this mode of communication.  In the past year my blog posting frequency was about one per week.  I intend on increasing that frequency this year to a couple a week depending on how busy my week is.

Through my posts you will find helpful tutorials, useful online tools and information that will assist educators in being better at what they do.

As we begin this new year, I am excited again about working with my teaching staff and helping create solid curriculum through technology.  We have a couple of new products that I am excited about - i.e. SMART Technology's new integrated SMART tools and the new PowerTeacher upgrade.  I will be posting some information on these as well as some tutorials.

I would like to reiterate what a Technology Integration Specialist does.  The video below is something I had posted last year, but does a great job at explaining what my goals and desires are as a TIS.

I am a jack-of-all-trades, but some of the areas I do specialize in are any of our SMART Technology's products (i.e. SMART Notebook, SMART Boards, SMART Response, and more), Moodle, Google Earth, using a Personal Learning Network and many of our MLTI Macbook applications from Noteshare to ComicLife to iMovie.

Some of you at the High School are already aware that I have relocated my "office".  I am now in Rm 213 and will be available for anyone to stop by at any time for a visit.  I will also be available to stop by your location if you have any questions.

Durring these next couple of weeks I will be available all week until harvest break.  After harvest break I will be available at the high school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I can be flexible, though, if these two days are not accommodating for you.  Just let me know what would work best for you and I will see what I can do to help.

Please contact me any time if you have any questions, ideas, feedback or want to discuss how we can work together:

nasonb@sad1.org

ratkacher@gmail.com

twitter.com/Ratkacher

Google+

Have a great new year!

Twitter Search Using Hashtags

I was talking with a colleague of mind this morning about using Twitter hashtags to find more content and contacts and I thought it would be a good idea to publish a post about this great tool for others.

I will always sing the praises of how much of a resource Twitter is not just for content, but for connections with other people.  In Twitter's main stream of tweets in your home you have your customized flow of information form those that you follow.  Just like most other social networks.  This is a nice resource to access when you want it.  However, if you want to get out there and discover new content or even new contacts beyond your regular stream of tweets in your home, Twitter uses hashtags.  For more information on hashtags, visit my Google Site page Hashtags.

This blog post will focus more on the basis of how to use a hashtag to search in Twitter.

Once you find a hashtag that is associated with your specific area of interest, you can use it in your Twitter search bar.

The results of your search will show in your tweet stream, as viewed below.

As shown here you can save your search for later access and return to that specific search by clicking on your search bar.  Below is a list of saved searches that can be accessed at any time.

For more information about Twitter, there are thousands of education blogs and sites that help with this.  However, feel free to visit my Google Site page about Twitter.  Go to Ratkacher Station (the Google Site version)

SlideShark - Online Storage, Sharing, Presenting for PowerPoint (Now Available iPad App)

SlideShark is an online service that hosts your PowerPoint presentations and allows you to share them via social networks or email and allows you to access them from any internet connected computer.  SlideShark also has an iPad app.  This app could serve as a very useful tool for those educators who like to use their iPads in the classroom as their teaching tool.

SlideShark's iPad app let's you access your uploaded PowerPoint slide presentations and present them on your iPad, either alone or on a projector via VGA cord or Apple TV.  SlideShark has easy controls when presenting your PowerPoint presentation and (I like this) allows a "pointer" simply by pressing and holding on the slide; which presents a very visible red dot which you can move around on the iPad and presentation view to assist in creating focal points.

The web application as well as the iPad application are both very easy to use.  Best of all the account and app are both FREE.  You are limited to 100MB of space with your FREE account, however I think that is plenty of space for the casual user.  For the heavy user, upload only your critical presentations.

IWitness - Video Testimonies of Holocaust Survivors

"IWitness is an online application that gives educatorsand students access to search, watch, and learn from more than 1,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses." - IWitness

As mentioned above in the excerpt from their site, there are over 1,000 video that you can use for you classroom.  The videos are individual interviews with actual Holocaust survivors explaining some of the things they went through.  You can browse through their categorized library (categorized by camp location and topic) for instant viewing of small 4min clips, or you can register for your own account and get the full interviews.  It may take up to two days for IWitness to review your request for registration.  To check out this rich library, go to IWitness.

What Really Drives Students to WANT to Learn?

This TED Talks video came out back in 2009.  I just discovered it.  Knowing who Daniel Pink is and some of what he does and has done with education, I did not know he spoke at TED.  Although this presentation is business-centered, it goes hand-in-hand with education.  The way businesses are motivating their teams is the same motivation that works in the school system.

Being a former businessman myself, I know that if your team is not intrinsically interested in what your business is doing or they do not know where your business is going, they may never be as successful and devoted to learning as they would if they WANTED to invest themselves into it.  They will not be your problem-solvers or your goto people if you need creative solutions or to be innovative.

Do students need to learn to think outside the box?  Or is creative thinking something for after school?  Perhaps they should wait to finish their standardized test before attempting this.  Write in the comments below your thoughts about this.

Mac's iLife In The Classroom

MacBook's iLife suite can help make some great productions for students in the classroom.  iMovie, iPhoto, and Garageband are very powerful tools and offer some fairly elaborate features that not only make it fun for the user, but can make a well crafted product.  Do NOT let these programs scare you.  Once you learn a few basic steps, you or your students can create a very nice product with minimal involvement.  

Using the iLife suite in the classroom for class projects or a final portfolio of what they learned, not only creates interest and engagement from the student, but allows students to learn about the content in ways that lecture or worksheets can not.

Students can create "movie trailers" as a book report; a handsome photo album of their collected images of 911; create a podcast as if they were reporting live at the Beach of Normandy; use their iTunes library to store important documents or podcasts from iTunesU.  With a little creativity you can do so much more using this collection of media producing software.  Because each of these programs are in one suite and are Apple products, they sync and work with each other.  So if I am creating an iMovie and need some images from iPhoto or some music from iTunes, I can access these right in the iMovie program.

With any of these applications, I consider myself almost-pro if not pro.  I can assist you with creative ideas on how we can use these applications with what you are doing in your classroom.  I would even love to make a class visit and walk your students through some of the basics and advanced features of any of these programs.

Please contact me at any time - nasonb@sad1.org

Using Voice Recording Apps for Verbal Practice in a World Language Classroom

Here's an easy and useful way to have your students practice their vernacular and pronunciation for those teachers and/or students who use iPads in the classroom.  Find a reliable audio recording app that allows the user to share the final product via email.  Below are a couple of recommendations.  Student pairs can be handed the iPad device, record their conversation in their learned language and save their recording in the app; or email the final product to the teacher.  The teacher can then review the student's quality of pronunciation later at a time when it is more convenient, so they can manage the class or work with another group of students.

Not only can this be a fun and convenient way to assess a students performance, but it can be less intimidating for some students than speaking directly to the teacher or the classroom and can therefore build confidence within the leaner.

Here's another creative idea that works well with naming objects.  Some of the recommended apps below not only record audio, but utilizes your 5-megapixel camera for adding snapshots to your notes.  Have your students take pictures of objects in the classroom, hallway, or any where you would like them to.  Then have them attach an audio recording to the note in their learned language with their chosen camera snapshot .  This is another fun way of allowing them pick the objects and label them with their recorded voice.

Here are a couple of apps that I have found that can execute this job and are fairly cheep.

Audio Memos (FREE or $0.99) - Very simple interface and easy to use; one step record

• Students can email as well as store their recordings in the app.
• Students should label their recordings with their name to recall them later
• This app actually provides a URL with which you can remotely access your saved voice memos online and download them to your computer
• The only difference between the FREE version and the $0.99 version is
• You can send email up to 15MB of audio (free version should be more than enough for the classroom assignment
• The app will continue to record when you are multi-tasking out of the app
• USB file transfers
• Application lock code
• Search/filter your recordings

Audioboo (FREE) is an iPhone app, but works in the iPad device.  This is an online application that has an iOS app.  Simple operation - record and publish.  Teacher can access the published recordings from the Audioboo site.  Students will have to make sure when labeling their recordings with their name that they do NOT use their full name because the published file is on an open forum and their name will be available to public.  Students should use a teacher-given nickname or their first initial and last name.

Voice Recorder for iPad ($0.99) does the same as the $0.99 Audio Memos app; easy and clean user interface.  It, also, allows users to upload their recordings to YouTube and Facebook and allows the user to add notes to their recordings.  You can, also, trim the recordings within the app.

AudioNote Light (FREE).  The extras to this package is that it is designed as a notetaker with audio recording capability.  The notes taken are synced up with the audio recording, so you do not have to search through the audio to find key points, but you can locate them by the links in your notes.  Pretty nifty and maybe more than you need, but for the teacher who has everything, you may not have this.  There is a lot more to what this app offers and perhaps it could serve as a multi-purpose tool for the teacher as well as the students.  Their $4.99 version, of course, does more.

My Favorite All-in-one:  Noteability ($0.99) is similar to AudioNote in that it is a notetaker with handwriting capability and audio recording ability.  Noteability syncs with Dropbox and your iTunes account.  Students can record and you can either email or sync them to your iTunes library for later grading.  This app is one (as mentioned above) that will allow the user to import a photo from their iPad photo roll to the note.

Another of my favorite apps:  Evernote (FREE) is an all-in-one notetaker, data collector, bookmarker; you name it; it is designed to be your personal digital notebook.  Evernote, like Noteability, will crate notes using audio recordings as well as imagery.  You could set up notes in advance with your selected images and have your students record their pronunciation of that object.  Since Evernote is an online cloud storage system, student names are not protected or secure, so make sure you are using code names, nick names, or first initial and last name.

There are hundreds of audio recorders and notetakers with audio recording, however here are a couple more recommendations that can do these features I have mentioned:

Draw Pad Pro ($1.99 w/ $0.99 upgrade for audio recorder)

Handwriting/Notetaking apps from appadvice.com.

Google Maps Measuring Tools - Great for Math (..and History and English Language Arts)

Today through Richard Byrne I discovered some new cool features with Google Maps.  Now, I'm sure most of you are utilizing your Google Earth application all the time when referring to a geographical location ;0).  However, Google Maps is also a great tool for maps.  Since you already are using your laptop top device as your main teacher tool, you can have Google Maps bookmarked and ready to go when your ready to display a map or two that refers to you current content or topic (in what ever subject you are in).

Here's what's new with Google Maps:

Google maps has measuring tools (great for Math, History, English Language Arts).  You have to activate this feature in Google Maps.  Locate Maps Labs at the bottom of the Google Maps site, as indicated in the image below.  From there you can activate or deactivate some extra features that Maps has to offer.  One of them is the Measuring Tool.

Once you click on the "ruler" icon (image below), you will have a drop-down menu of measurements to choose from.

The Google Maps Measuring Tools now offers over 50 unique measuring units from American Football Field to Egyptian Royal Cubit.  This is a great way to use measuring in a unique and fun way; and depending on the subject can put a better understanding on distance throughout history or historical literature.  For more info from Richard Byrne go to Free Technology for Teachers: Getting Geeky With Google Maps Measurements:

'via Blog this'

How to Do 11 Techy Things in the New School Year - Richard Byrne

Richard Byrne (as previously mention, several times) is always pulling out very practical material that helps teachers use technology in their classroom.  Below I have embedded his ebook that I think you will find very useful.  Not all of these suggestions may be available to our district, however take advantage of the ones that are.  If you have any questions about any of these tech suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

How to Do 11 Techy Things In Your Classroom

More SMART Notebook Video Tutorials

Taking advantage of YouTube's curating options and ability, I've organized and put together playlists of video tutorials for different topics.  One of them is for SMART Notebook.  After doing much search for helpful, practical and informative tutorials, I felt these were of great quality.  This playlist will be an ongoing build; like a video blog.  So keep checking for updates and newly added video.  As I find more practical content I will add them to my playlists.  Feel free to subscribe to my channel, so you can get notifications of when I do add something new.  Visit my SMART Notebook YouTube playlist

You will, also, notice, perhaps, a familiar voice in some of the videos.  I have been posting my own tutorials; short easy-to-swallow snippets about SMART Notebook.  Be sure to check those ones out as well.

Please feel free to give me your feedback on these playlists in the comment sections of either this blog post or the playlists.

SMART Notebook - Pen Tool

Latest video upload.  What your SMART Notebook Pen Tool can do.

MLTI Minute - Adjusting Display Preferences

Did you ever wonder why your computer screen and the projector display sometimes do not match when you plug in to the projector, or why they change in size or resolution?

Last year I featured MLTI's MLTI Minute and their video tutorials how to make the most of your Stickies application on your MacBook device.  MLTI Minute now has over 200 mini-tutorials posted on their site.

Today I would like to feature another one that came out last April.  This one talks about your display settings on your computer when you plug into a projector and how you can adjust them to suit your needs.  Tim Hart, Apple Rep and MLTI Integration Mentor, does a great job and making this process simple and easy to understand.

I would like to point out, also, that all of their video is downloadable.  You could store it in your iTunes app if you like.

If you have any questions concerning the use of your displays when projecting, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Apps Gone Free - Today's Feature

Apps Gone Free is a FREE iPhone app (compatible with your iPad as well) that features on a daily basis apps that have gone FREE.

Today there is a good one for those iPad begginers or those who would like to know more about your iOS device.  The app is called SCOtutor for iPad.  It was at the price of $3.99, but now it is FREE.  The app is basically an organized and categorized set of video tutorials explaining pretty much every little feature of your iPad device.  It is designed to cover the iPad2 and iOS5, however is great for anyone who has the original first iPad.  The app is amazingly easy to navigated through and to where you want to view.  I believe you will find this extremely helpful.  Below is a video demo of the app.

Get the Apps Gone Free app for more info, or just go to your iTunes store for SCOtutor for iPad.

(disclaimer - this is not my preferred demo, but it does cover it all; he's not Mr. Personality)

SMART Notebook - Infinite Cloner

SMART Notebook's Touch Recognition

Back in the beginning of 2009 SMART released a feature that tremendously helps with your workflow when using the interactive whiteboard.  Please do not get this confused with Notebook's Text Recognition feature.  If you like to frequently use your SMART Board pen tray, writing and annotating, the Touch Recognition feature will allow you to do more while you're holding the pen.  You can write and erase what you have written with the palm of your hand and you can write or draw then move the written text or drawing; all done before you have to put your pen back in the pen tray.

Below are two videos demonstrating this feature.

Our SMART Boards currently have this feature, however it may not be enabled.  If you are interested in trying this feature out and do not have it activated on your interactive whiteboard, please contact me and I will stop by to take care of this for you.

No longer will you have to remember to put the pen back in the tray in order to move your text or drawing around.

AppAdvice - App News, Reviews, and Much More

Previously I mentioned the app directory Appolicious, which is a great directory and social media platform for finding iPad, iPhone or Android apps.  Another one I stumbled upon through the highly resourceful social medium of Twitter is AppAdvice.  This is an extremely resourceful app search service.  Similar to Appolicious, AppAdvice not only features an easy to navigate search directory, but they also offer fresh updates and news on anything iOS (which is referring to your Apple mobile devices; iPad, iPhone, etc).  I believe you will thoroughly enjoy perusing through this site.

Here is an excerpt from their About page:

AppAdvice is the ideal resource on the web for people looking to discover iPhone apps. AppAdvice thoroughly filters through the 60,000+ apps in the App Store to bring you up to date on relevant news regarding apps, as well as providing detailed app reviews.
The focus of AppAdvice.com is not to give you the same monotonous content found all over the web, but rather aggregate it in a useful way making it easy to figure out which apps you should download, that’s it. No Apple or Mac news, just iPhone apps. From our custom AppLists to instantaneously updating our BargainBin to inform you of discounts on apps, AppAdvice aims to be your one stop shop for everything App Store.

And...as they would say in the infomercial business..."but wait there's more", AppAdvice has their own app collection.  Their recent one is free for a limited time - AppStart for iPad.  The same great search/news features offered on their site is now available in a fully packed iPad app.  They also offer their $1.99 AppAdvice app that has their complete, unadulterated version of the AppAdvice service and their FREE iPhone/iPod app AppsGonefree where they feature several apps that have recently become free; which is great for your iPad collection as well.

As mentioned in the excerpt above, AppAdvice's AppLists and AppGuides are a great way to find exactly what you are looking for; from apps for Passover to apps for Filmmakers to Flashcard apps, and much more.

SMART Notebook Toolbar Tool Video Snippet #1 - Text Recognition

I will be putting together less-than-one-minute video demos of each of the tools you can use in the SMART Notebook program.  Here is the first one.

Google Earth iPad App - More Than Meets the Eye

Lately I have been discovering how awesome Google Earth's iPad app is.  To anyone who I have said that it is limiting compared to the desktop application, I want to tell you I was wrong.

Not only is the app a great feature when using maps and geography in the classroom with fluid navigation (iPad's multi-touch makes a huge difference) as well as incorporating your own Google Maps collections, but it offers most of the same great features your desktop version offers accessible at your finger tips.

Indeed, the layers menu only gives you seven choices of data-layers (or an overlay of visual data) - places, businesses, roads, etc.  However, the cool thing I have recently discovered is that you have access to Google Earth's online Gallery.  The Gallery has hundreds of imagery and data-layers that you can add to your Google Earth experience.  From real-time earth quakes to Rumsey Historical Maps to mountain tours.  Visit the Google Earth Gallery.

 

Here's how it works on iPad:

Locate the Options icon in the upper menu bar.  In the drop down menu you will notice access to Google Earth Gallery.

This will take you to the online gallery (while in the app) where you can find hundreds of data-layers with which you can add to your own earth view.  If you find a gallery you are interested in, click "View now"and it will automatically add it to your earth view.

Keep in mind this is a temporary view.  Once you exit out of the app, your view goes to the original settings.  If you need to clear your earth view of any unwanted data layers, simply click on your Options and select "Clear Map".  Below is the David Rumsey historical maps layer showing a contextual popup bubble of a 1733 map.

If I click on the map, an overlay is displayed on my Google Earth app.

Below demonstrates a view of real-time earthquakes around the globe.

As mentioned previously, when you exit the Google Earth app, your chosen data-layers are cleared.  You can also, start fresh and clear your view by selecting Options and "Clear Map".

So, imaging when using your iPad in the classroom being able to display dynamic views of various locations on our planet with enriched layers of data and embedded information making any type of geographical lesson (in any subject) visually engaging, making student meaning and understanding much more clear and exciting.