Appolicious - Mobile App Discovery Service

Appolicious, a product from Yahoo, is a "mobile app discovery service" for iOS and Android devices.  If I were to have a "favorite of the month", this would be it.


Basically, Appolicious is a directory/social network.  Not only is its app directory extensive with categories and subcategories, but you can connect with other mobile device users and learn what they like.  Users can create their own libraries and lists to share with others.  So finding the perfect app for the specific job you are looking for is much easier.

Also, along with a written review, there is a video demo for each app so you can see it in action.  Appolicious offers recommendations based off categories and even a Price Cuts list of apps that have reduced their prices.  As with the iTunes Store you can put your interested apps in a wishlist for later purchasing.


Go to Appolicious, create a free account, explore around, and add me to your following, ratkacher.  I will be creating lists based off content areas and share apps that I find or are shared to me.  Share this resource with your friends and colleagues.  Let's make a community and network of app sharers.

Education Category Snippet

Creative Commons Explained

On my previous post about Creative Commons (please read below) I talked about imagery, video, and music available with permission for reuse and modification for students or anyone.  I have recently found this great video explaining what Creative Commons is as well as what each of the Creative Commons symbols mean that you will see with the media.

For instance:

This license is the most restrictive of our six main licenses, only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/)

It is New Zealand's explanation, however will still apply to the US.

Here is another video from Creative Commons - A Shared Culture

Finding Legally "Reusable" Media Online

I've worked with many teachers who have their students use imagery online for their reports or podcasts.  However, they want pics that do not need permission from the owner to reuse or modify, and to teach their students this good practice.

One great way to do this is to use Creative Commons.  Creative Commons is an organization that works with image creators, video creators, audio creators, etc and provides the public with copyright license to reuse and modify the creators' work; and as with anything, with "some rights reserved" which will be subject to the creator of the product.

Students can utilize Creative Commons for gathering imagery, video, music and more that is legally allowable for reuse.  This is a great way to teach your students about piracy.


Where do students start?  This easy:


Students can search for Creative Commons material right in their Firefox web browser.  All of our MLTI Macbook devices come with a Creative Commons Search Bar.  In their current Firefox search bar, select the down-arrow.

Let's say we are studying rain forest animals and I want to find images of a jaguar.  I would select the Creative Commons Search and type jaguar in my search bar.  Creative Commons automatically directs you to their customized search site and offers several other sites that offer reusable media - like Fotopedia, Flickr and Google Images.  You can do the same with video as well.  You may find some of these resources blocked, however if it is something that you would like to use and would be approved by Administration, ask for use of the site.

 There is a bit of digging required depending on how uncommon your search is, however could result in some valuable material; and legal.



Here are a couple of other sites that offer reusable imagery:

• Ookaboo
• Pics4learning
• Ken Thomas

Does This Scare You?

Found this provoking video on Twitter.  Although it is from a business blog, Kneale Mann, it is a good reality check of what our now and future digitally-native students are and what they demand from their education.

This video talks about Augmented Reality or AR; somewhat new technology, yet been out for awhile in some areas like the military.  AR will soon be moving into (some avenues, already is) the Education field.  If you are not familiar with Augmented Reality, Vicki Davis, edublogger from Georgia, gives a good explanation.

Google Inside Search

I just recently held a workshop on how to teach students the 21st Centry skill of Search; and how teachers can help their students learn its art with some simple tricks and wording.

I just stumble upon a nice, new change and directory to Google's Inside Search help pages.  Go to Google Inside Search and view the Features tab.  You will find a long list of search tips, tricks, and ways to format your search in an easy to navigate directory.  A lot of what Google offers for tips is often used in other major and popular search engines as well.

You will find these tip extremely helpful when teaching your students how to make smart web searches.

Here is a sample shot:

Satellite imagery and 3D model of the cruise ship Costa Concordia

The Google Earth Blog (unofficial) featured today Satellite imagery and 3D model of the cruise ship Costa Concordia

Frank Taylor took DigitalGlobe's satellite shot of the Costa Condoria cruise liner that crashed in Italy last week, created an overlay in Google Earth and offers the download for your own Google Earth application.  He, also, offers a .kmz file (Google Earth file) of one of Paul van Dinther's 3-D models of the ship that can be viewed in your Google Earth application

Program Flyer: A View from the Top: Looking at Earth from Space - Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration

Program Flyer: A View from the Top: Looking at Earth from Space - Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
is a free video conference from NASA. Great for middle school or any level discussing how NASA's International Space Station uses pictures to gather data on climate change, weather events, demographics and more.

Here is a snipet of their description:

Many of us have seen photos of the Earth taken from the Space Shuttle and have marveled at their beautiful vistas. Such imagery will continue to be collected as the International Space Station becomes fully operational, providing a permanent platform for remote sensing. At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Earth scientists study images of Earth from geographic and scientific points of view, and their investigations reveal telling facts about our planet and its processes. NASA also collects data relating to climate change, weather events, pollution, and demographics using Earth Observation Satellites. Join NASA's Digital Learning Network as we work together to develop interpretive skills and learn how to look at space-based photography the same way Earth observation scientists do at NASA.