Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tech Tuesday

I've been to a couple of technology conferences this year, at which I became totally geeked out about tech tricks I learned. I've also been given an iPad to use in my classroom this year, and I'm learning a lot.  This post is to share some of the great tech-related information I've learned and see what you have to teach me! Aside from the first offering, if you don't have Facebook or any Apple devices, you may not be interested in this post. However, if you do, or if you love someone who does, much of this will be very helpful, so check it out!

***Have you seen Teach Parents Tech? It's from Google, and I love the idea; you can hand-pick tutorials to send to your mom and dad or grandparents who are just getting started with computers. It's free!

***Hate those photos of yourself that show up across the top of your profile in the "new" Facebook?  Kristin (The Goat) showed me this AWESOME fix! You can create a cool face like this one or simply replace the photos here with a series that you like. I replaced mine with something temporary, but here's what it looks like:


Kristin, you're such a lifesaver!! Thanks again!

***Got an iPad? iPhone? This article is fantastic--iPhone Tips and Tricks I just found this today, and I learned several tricks/tips I didn't know before reading the article; I highly recommend it.

***BigFoot the Monster has a free app for little kids. When I babysat that 3-year-old a few weeks ago, he loved "playing ball" with BigFoot over and over and over, giggling every time.

***Of course, I also love the Talking Tom app, which is free. It's appealing to all ages, from senior citizens to toddlers. The little boy I sat for "poured" Tom about 50 glasses of milk in a row, just to listen to him "glug-glug-glug-ahhhhh."  I also saw a very education application for Talking Tom when I noticed the little guy correcting his own speech when Talking Tom repeated back what he had said to him. If you know a child with a speech issue, this app could help a lot.

***Kendall discovered a really creepy app for her phone. It's called Caller ID Faker, and it allows you to call people in a disguised voice! She called me and had her voice disguised as a boy. YIKES. I can only see trouble with that app!  I mention it here just to give parents a heads-up.
***I found an awesome app called Sound Notes last week. Students, people in meetings, etc. simply click "Record," and the device records what's being said in the room. While it's doing that, you can jot down key words here and there (making an outline of what's being said, basically.) Later, you can tap on any of your key words and be brought immediately to the place in the recording that you took that note. No more fast-forwarding to find the spot that you need in a the recording!  I highly recommend this app for students and people who have to attend meetings in which they want to mostly listen but like to have an organized guide to come back to later. This app cost $4.99.

***An app that Kyle really likes is Mental Case. He uses it to make flashcards to study. A very cool feature of Mental Case is that you can make 3-sided flashcards (word/picture/definition). The possibilities are so endless! Kyle says it is well worth the $5 he paid for it.

***Koi Pond is very relaxing; it's a virtual koi pond in which you can splash and bother the fish and other creatures you put in your pond. This app costs $1.99 but is very relaxing (and thus, worth it's weight in gold for certain students).

***Words with Friends is a free iPhone/iPad/iPod app that allows you and a friend to play Scrabble virtually. You make a move, then your friend gets word that it's his/her turn, and so on. It's fun!  My username is Mrs4444 [should you like to challenge me, which would be a great idea, because everyone who has played me so far has kicked my butt, including Kendall (which shouldn't come as a surprise)].

***Counting Coins is a free app I'm using at school with a couple of students who need to develop better skills related to making change and understanding the value of certain coins.  When they have free-time, I have them spend 5-10 minutes with that app before I let them do anything else. Hopefully, it will help!

Got fun tech stuff to share? Feel free to comment!

12 comments:

  1. That sound notes app sounds great for a secretary who has to take minutes of meetings. I do not have an iphone or ipad which is a good thing--I wouldn't get anything done!

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  2. I will have to forward this on to Sheldon since she's going to be a math teacher and I think it'll help her.

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  3. Thanks for the info, I do need tech help!!
    kim

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  4. Wow! These are some very great ideas. I love the FB options, and you just helped me realize that I can play Scrabble with my friends on my old ipod touch. (I have a Smartphone but it isn't an iphone, so I can't get the Scrabble app.)

    Thanks for the great tips.

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  5. I'm enjoying my first leap into apple devices other than an iPod. The iPad is really neat. Great for surfing the web and other quick hit stuff. I have used the sound notes application at work. Great tool for someone like me who blew out his ears in a garage band years ago.

    My daughter showed me Angry Birds. A game you can download free on iPad and android systems. Lots of fun but VERY ADDICTING!!!! This iPad was used all day by many playing this.

    I bought a book through iTunes. The reader is great. You can get a Kindle app if you own any books there.

    Music studio is a great app if you enjoy writing music like I do. They show it on the commercial they aired a lot before Christmas. it's great.

    My only gripe is Apple doesn't allow flash player, by Adobe. I enjoy playing Millionaire City on Facebook and can't because Steve Jobs has a nut against Adobe. Most Facebook games won't play on it. A lot of websites use adobe flash and won't run. Jobs has got to suck it up and allow it to run because the new android tablets will swallow up the iPad with their ability to run most applications.
    One reason I chose the iPad was to use the touch screen on the Facebook game. I was VERY disappointed. But that's not gonna make me send it back.
    I tried a post for the Tavern today. There are some apple tricksni need to learn.

    Be sure the apps you choose are friendly, as unless you are apple savvy (unlike me) you have a learning curve.

    :)

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  6. This is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I'm terrible with tech stuff but I'll be reading the tricks for my iPhone.
    Cheers, jj

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  7. thanks I need to check out those FB tips. Do you have a Mac laptop too? The Macbook is very different than the iPad so I suspect many of the apps don't have a similar mac one.

    Oh I gave you and some others a shout out today.

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  8. OK girl fess up...ya posted this just for me....right? Heeeehehehe!

    Thanks, ya'll know I need all the help I can get.

    Have a super day sweetie!!! :o)

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  9. Thanks - you and Kristin - for the PicScatter site. I changed my profile pics now. :) Fun playing with you on WWF - and I'll def. check out the coins app for my kiddos!

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  10. I found that PicScatter site from another site called Photojojo. I really disliked that row of awful photos on my profile page, so I was eternally grateful to have been introduced to PicScatter a day or so later.

    Glad you liked it!!

    Kristin - The Goat

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