Creating an Online Class Group: Google Groups Creating an Online Class Calendar: Google Calendar Placing All Your
Google Apps in One Place: Google Sites Sharing PowerPoints Online: Slideshare Sharing Your Blackboard Online: Photobucket Making
PDFs: PrimoPDF Translate Letters and Webpages: Google Language Tools
PROJECT BASED AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING: Many of the tools like Google Docs highlighted on this site make PBL and CL easier. For more info about these two methods:
SKYPE-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Calling people over your classroom computer.
Work
WITHOUT Skype: To talk to guest speakers, your class would either have to physically visit them or for them to visit
your school. Often both are not possible.
What is Skype? Skype if a free
program that lets teachers call people over their classroom computer. It is free to call other computers (computer to
computer). You pay a few cents per minute, competitive to phone cards rates to call people's land phones/cell phones (computer
to phone). All you need are Internet access, speakers for the classroom to hear the person you call, a basic computer
microphone (I use a $5 microphone) for the person to hear you. The ability to teleconference opens up your classroom
to so many possibilities beyond your classroom. There is even the option to do video conferencing for
those doing computer to computer communications, and if both sides have web cams. I most often use Skype to
call guest speaker's land lines/cell phones. Other classes have used Skype as a way for sick or suspended students to attend
class virtually.
RUBISTAR-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Creating grading rubrics.
Work WITHOUT Rubistar:
Teachers can find it difficult to format rubrics.
What is Rubistar? Rubistar
if a free website that lets teachers create their own grading rubrics and to search rubrics made by other teachers. PBL Checklist is a variant that is helpful with projects. Note, also explore making your own rubrics using Google Docs forms.
GOOGLE GROUPS-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Creating an online group for your class where you can communicate
and share files with the whole class.
Work WITHOUT Google Groups: For schools that don't have Blackboard
or Schoolloop, sending emails to your classes and sharing files like homework can be difficult.
What is Google
Groups? Google Groups is a free website that lets teachers create their own group for each of
their classes. Once all students are added to the group, the teacher can email the class with a single group email address.
Those messages are saved at the group for students who need to view past messages. Files can uploaded to the group to be shared
with your students.
Quick Tip (Detailed Instructions and Tutorial Videos Coming Soon): For teachers who don't want to manage
a website, creating a Google Group is a simple alternative. Students don't need a Google Account, but it does make things easier.
GOOGLE CALENDAR-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Creating class calendar of assignments and due dates.
Work
WITHOUT Google Calendar: For schools that don't have an online school management system.
What
is Google Calendar? Google Calendar is a free online schedule maker that can be shared with your students. You
can create a calendar for each of your classes or clubs. Each calendar you create is like a layer of an onion. You can decide
which layers are private and which layers are shared. Students can view shared calendars online and even add a calendar
as a layer to their own personal Google Calendar. If students add the class calendar to their own personal Google Calendar.
To share your calendar with your students, you can provide them the HTML web address under "Calendar Address" in
the "Details" menu. To allow them to add the calendar, you need to provide them with your "Calendar ID." If
shared, they can even view it on their cell phone at: http://www.google.com/calendar/m
Quick Tip (Detailed Instructions and Tutorial Videos Coming Soon): For teachers who teach
study skills, having students create their own personal calendar can be valuable. For teachers managing their own set of calendars,
you can add an event to all your calendars or specific ones by clicking the boxes seen in the lower left corner of the sample
image.
GOOGLE SITES-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Combining many of Google's other applications into one site.
Work
WITHOUT Google Sites: Users would have to visit all the different application sites.
What is Google
Sites? Google Sites is a free online web page/wiki maker combined with iGoogle, that gives you the
control to determine who can view or edit your content. You share access similar to how Google Docs are shared.
In the pages you create you can add applications that let people view or edit your uploaded files, Google Calendars,
Docs, Forms, and other "gadgets." Quick Tip (Detailed Instructions and Tutorial Videos Coming Soon): To
add a "gadget" like your Google Calendar, click "Edit page" under your Google Sites toolbar, and then click
"Insert." Under "More" you will find many more gadgets. A "Dashboard" is a preformatted page, you can add gadgets
to any page as described above.
SLIDESHARE-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Sharing your PowerPoints online so students
can view from their Internet browser.
Work WITHOUT SlideShare: Teachers would have to upload their PowerPoint files to their own web
site, students would have to download it, and students would need PowerPoint or a PowerPoint viewer to view it. It is difficult
to prevent students from printing PowerPoints if that is a concern.
What is SlideShare? SlideShare is free website that lets you share your PowerPoints with
others without having to have a website. Within seconds you are done, you upload the file and SlideShare converts
your PowerPoint to Flash so that it can be viewed by any Internet browser without additional software.
Quick Tip (Detailed Instructions and Tutorial Videos Coming Soon): SlideShare is an easy way to share
your PowerPoints online. Students do not need Office or any special software to view the slides, and you can even set it so
that students can only view online and not print them out.
PHOTOBUCKET-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Storing and Sharing Photos and Videos Online
Work
WITHOUT Photobucket: You want to capture a picture of your class blackboard or class project to share online, you
would have to take a picture, download it to your computer, and upload it to a site or have a SMART Board.
What
is Photobucket? Photobucket is a free website that lets students create a virtual photoalbum through uploading
images through your computer or through your cell phone via a unique email address associated with your account. You control
who can see it and you have many easy options on how to share your photos including having them print and ship them to you
(for a fee).
Quick Tip (Detailed Instructions and Tutorial Videos Coming Soon): I don't have a
SMART board, I'm lucky to have a white board. Occasionally, I'll put something on the board and some students will ask if
they can get a copy of it. Some students snap their own photos (which is a distraction). I don't have the time to
snap a photo to upload it online. With Photobucket I can snap a photo with my cell phone, email it to the special email address,
and it'll be shared in my public folder that is linked to my class site without me having to anything other than email the
photo on my phone (which does cost me 15 cents with my cell phone carrier).
PRIMOPDF-INTRODUCTION For Use With: Converting Files to PDF
Work WITHOUT PrimoPDF:
Some students find it difficult to view Word documents or other files because they lack the software.
What
is PrimoPDF? PrimoPDF is a free program that converts any file that you can print into PDF for easier sharing.
It is software, so it has to be downloaded and installed. Once installled, it becomes an option under your print menu,
and you treat it like a virtual printer which converts files instead of printing. Your physical printer will still be there
under your print menu as it was before PrimoPDF. A wonderful alternative to PrimoPDF is Bullzip PDF.