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.