Leaving CVU?

If you are not returning to CVU next year, there are several things that you can do with your email, files, etc.

Before you leave at the end of the year: 

Save any files from your network storage that you want to keep. You can:

• store them on a USB memory stick
• burn them to a CD or DVD
• upload them to a non-CVSDVT Google Drive account, DropBox, etc.

Before August 1:

• Forward your CVSDVT incoming email to another account. Here's how
• Transfer your CVSDVT email and Google Drive contents to a personal gmail account. Google Takeout.
• Copy to an email program running on your computer. Here's how (but you're on your own - we can't help you)
• Copy content from Contacts, Blogger, Picasa, YouTube, etc. with Google Takeout. You must be logged in to your CVSDVT account to use this.

You will not be able to access your CVSDVT Google Apps account (including Gmail) on or after August 1. Your incoming email will be forwarded to another account you specify until September 30.

Converting to Moodle 2

We are in the process of updating Moodle to the latest version (2.5).
Here is important information for teachers and students.

Teachers, here's something nice about the new version-- you can now drag and drop files into your course.  No need to upload a file and then create a link to it!

Great New Features in Google Forms

Many teachers and students use Google Forms to create surveys.  Google Forms just got even better with the addition of two features:

1. You can now put images into Google Forms.  This is something that people often ask about, and it's finally here.  When you're making the form, just go to Add Item...Image.
2. You can now paste a list into the first choice for multiple choice questions, and Google will break the list into separate choices. I found a list of the presidents, copied it, and pasted into choice 1 for the first question.

Vermont Fest seeking presenters

How did you and your students use technology this year?  Do you have a success story you'd like to share?  Vermont Fest, the educational technology conference held each fall, is seeking presenters for next year. Workshops that are presented by teachers are especially powerful, as other teachers can see how a technique or tool worked in a class.  I'd be happy to assist you prepare a presentation.  Presenters also attend the conference for free on the day they present.  Interested? Read more here.

Photo Slideshows

I just worked with Dave E. on creating an end-of-year slideshow for his wellness classes.  Dave's taken pictures of the students over the course of the year.  He uploaded these to Picasa (which is Google's photo-sharing app). Once in Picasa, the photos can be edited, captioned, etc, if desired and then played in a slideshow.  You have the choice of how private or public to make the slideshow.  Another commonly used tool for slideshows is Flickr.  There are many others, as well.

This is a simple, easy-to-put-together project that ends up being very powerful for students as they reflect on the year.  As you think ahead to next year, consider taking out your phone (if it takes pictures), or bringing in a camera occasionally and snapping some shots of the students in action.  I bet you'll be happy to have these to show at the end of the year!

iPad apps

We have a group of iPad-using teachers at CVU who have formed a group, both in person and in Google.

After posting something to the group recently, I realized it would be good to share more widely.  If you're not a member of the group and would like to join, please let me know.  Either way, feel free to reply here with favorite apps and classroom uses. A reminder that Comment As: Name/URL works best...

Here's a simple idea that I find very useful. If you install a scanning app on your ipad, you can scan paper documents. I just did that for my juniors' Grad Challenge contracts, for example. That way, you have access to the documents digitally. For someone like me (have you seen my desk?!), it's a great organizational help.
I've used GeniusScan but have switched to JotNot (the paid version lets you access your files in the cloud and shares with Google Drive). There's also an app called TinyScan that's free* right now.


*Speaking of free apps, there are even apps that let you know when other (normally paid) apps have are free.  One such app is AppsGoneFree.