Videoconferencing Tools

Some of us are old enough to remember actually dialing telephones (that only reached as far as the cord would stretch).  As well as busy signals and having to call back because people didn't have answering machines.  Back then, adding video to a phone call was an exciting idea, but it took the tech world some time to get there.

Well, times have surely changed.  There are now many ways to videoconference.  The educational applications are many; you can invite guest speakers to connect from their location, hold discussions with classrooms around the world, facilitate distance learning, and more.

Here are some tools that you can use, with a brief discussion of each (note that these apps are frequently updated, so you may find different functionality in the most recent version).

First off, here's what all of these apps support:

• Sharing your screen, so other participants can see a presentation or document, etc.
• Multiple participants
• Ability to mute audio and/or video
• Ability to participate by phone
• Chat/text messaging 

Skype

This was the first well-known application for computers It requires installing software on your Windows of Mac device.  If you're on a Chromebook, consider a different application at this point. Users need to have a Microsoft account (Skype is now owned by Microsoft). 

Google Hangout/Meet

Works in the browser, so it's great for Chromebooks as well as Windows and Mac.  Detects who's speaking, changing the video focus to that person. You can invite people who don't have Google accounts.

GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, Adobe Connect...

These are popular apps in the business world.  They requires downloading software or installing a Chrome extension.  Free versions are limited. You may be invited to one of these by an organization or business, but I would not recommend using this for your class.

There are many other computer-based applications, as well, but I would start with either Google or Skype.

One thing I have found using these tools for distance learning is that they allow students to participate in the mode with which they are most comfortable.  Some like to broadcast video, others audio only, and others by text.  

New look in Google Calendar

Google Calendar is unveiling a sleek new look.  You will soon have the option to switch to it (you may already be seeing it if you have a personal Google account).

(and then switch back for now if you don't like it).  

One thing I like about it is that when you create an event or  click on an existing event in the calendar, you edit/see all the details without leaving the calendar page (see screenshot below).

Social Media for Educators Course

Wondering how you can use social media effectively as an educator?  Check out this course, presented by Michael Berry from the Mt. Mansfield Modified Union School District (and you thought CVSD was a mouthful!).  

Mike has done great work using social media and I'm sure this course will be helpful.  According to the video below, you'll learn how go use social media for your own professional development and  growth, in the classroom, and for your school.   

Printing all docs in a Google Drive folder

Several classes recently did a project where they needed to print posters that were saved in Google Drive.  The teacher created a shared folder for the posters.  The question now was how to print all the docs without individually opening each one.

Here are instructions for doing this with Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Making maps

I've posted before about map-making tools.  These are excellent learning tools for students, whether it's mapping out the places in a novel they're reading, or planning a wildlife refuge, or examining the historical development of their town. 

Two new things to share on this:

Google Earth, which used to be an installed app, is now web-based.  However, you'll notice that there seems to be no way to create your own "tour" in the web-based version.  There is now a tool called TourBuilder that solve this problem.  It's in beta, but seems to stable.  Here's a tour I made of CVSD schools:

In TourBuilder
In Google Earth

If you want to use a powerful app to create maps with lots of geospatial data, take a look at ArcGIS.  I got to know this software at a recent conference.  We have free accounts for all students at CVU.  Here's the kind of map you can produce with ArcGIS.