Thinking Long Term in the Mac vs PC Debate

Over the years, a big fuss has been made over Apple vs. PC. There have been ad campaigns, chat room arguments and many a nerd fight dedicated to this argument. It has historically been a polarizing topic among the average user as well as the super geek. Although it seems this is yet another modern war that will never end, I am here to tell you, it's already over. 

At this point, many readers have already tuned me out, but if you are an educator who wants to innovate in a meaningful way, I suggest you keep reading. 

The tech world is currently shifting in an interesting way. Over the past few years, hardware has become less important. Many may wonder how hardware is unimportant when there is a tablet battle raging right now. If you look closely, an emphasis has been placed on cloud computing. Most people see this as a way for big companies like Microsoft and Apple to lock you into their products long term, but companies like Google and Amazon are making it easy for people to work and play cross platform. 

The school I work at currently uses google docs to create, edit and present information cross platform. Although it is not a perfect program, it is clear that it has great potential to bridge the gap between the apple and pc camps. As schools and organizations seek to streamline their technology, cloud services such as google docs will blaze the trail. In order for educators to stay ahead of the curve in technology, it is of great importance to push through the imperfections of current technology to help build solutions for the future. 

If teachers will commit to using programs such as google docs it also has the potential to diminish the socio-economic gap that exists in education. Schools and families with less resources available to them could grasp similar or equal functionality with their technology as those families with greater resources. Educators have always worked to close the gap between lower and upper classes and this technology is the way educators will accomplish this task in the future.

So, from one educator to another, I ask that you get your head out of  Apple or PC and into the clouds.

Let the Internet be Your Guide

In 2006, I started working as a teacher. My knowledge of technology centered around console gaming, web browsing and basic word processing. My first few weeks of work where nerve racking because I was working at a Mac school and I knew nothing about Mac… except for Carmen San Diego on Apple 2c computers. As you would imagine, it was a fight or flight situation. Being that I typically default to fight, I jumped in and began teaching myself all I needed to know to succeed at this new job. Since that time I have become a bit of a tech loving nerd.

I am not advocating that teachers must be nerds, however, we must have a growth mindset and take responsibility for our own learning. I am fully aware that this is a more daunting task than it was for me all those years ago, but it can still be done. Using free resources from the internet, teachers can stay at least one step ahead of their students in the classroom. I can't guarantee that you will be a know it all, but if you use these sites, you can be a know it enough!

YouTube: 

Good old youtube… It's a tried and true veteran of the internet community and it has all the tutorial and how to videos you could ever want. For instance, my last post was about the web resource Glogster. A quick search for "glogster tutorial" in youtube produced 5,680 videos to choose from. Although it can't be guaranteed that all the videos will be worth watching, I can guarantee that there are videos that will tell you what you need to know. The best part about videos is you can follow along click by click on your own device.

Lifehacker:

Lifehacker is a newer website that is full of information on everything you need to know about and everything you didn't know you needed to know about (Try saying that 5X fast). There are downloads, productivity tutorials, DIY pages, and even a section on security for devices. Lifehacker is easy to search and offers down to earth advice that cuts to the chase and offers solutions that are usually easy on the wallet.

WikiHow:

Self called "The world's collaborative how to manual", wikihow, much like wikipedia is a user generated database full of instructions for everything from nailing your fist kiss to making a dollar bill bow tie. The best part about wikihow is that you can search according to category and because it is user generated, articles are written with collective brain power. That means whatever you are going through, someone who added to the article you're reading has been there too.

eHow:

eHow is the most official of the group and is an easily navigated website that is split into sections. Although the posts on eHow are trustworthy 99.9% of the time, there are fewer articles on the site. eHow has a good tech section, but some of the tech articles are for the super geek and not the novice.

These are just a few of the sites I have used over the years to get a better grasp on technology and ed tech. If all else fails, a simple google search of the topic you need plus the word "tutorial" or "how to" will get you where you need to go in a more round about way. 

If you have any specific tech questions or needs, email me at techsavvyclassroom@gmail.com

Be sure to follow for more ed tech reviews, tips, tricks and news.

Resource Review: Glogster

Glogster is an interactive poster creation tool that is available as a web based service as well as an app download. This is yet another creative tool that pushes students to go beyond regurgitating information to a place of deeper understanding. This is accomplished by allowing students to integrate media as well as text, giving them the ability to connect to their learning on a more personal level.

Glogster's full capabilities are only available through a paid subscription, however, it is possible to create a free account that has fewer resources. Once you have created an account, you have access to pre-built templates that allow the user to drag and drop or copy and paste content freely. These templates are relatively customizable and give plenty of freedom for students to express their individuality.

There are many exciting features in Glogster that go beyond the actual poster. For instance, there are multiple ways to save and share your glogsters. Users can simply save to Glogster, or they can embed their work, print, or add to a portfolio. These functions provide for easy sharing between students, teachers, and parents. It is easy to see how Glogster can be used for creating individual or group projects, but Glogster can also be used to flip your classroom. Teachers can create Glogsters for specific lessons and then push them to students through an LMS, blog, or by email.

Although Glogster is full of innovative solutions for poster creation, there are a few downfalls. First, adding media is a multi step process that makes the time needed from start to finish quite long. If you decide to use Glogster, you may want to consider doing some prep by gathering media such as pictures and videos beforehand. Second, the free service has a very limited number templates. There are other services like Glogster that are free and are actually easier to use (Padlet, Mural.ly). So, if your school is not big on spending money, Glogster is not worth  your time. Finally, whenever adding media to Glogster, it is typical to experience lag. In today's world of high speed internet, this becomes especially frustrating.

Overall, Glogster has great potential to be a versatile tool in the classroom. It can be used for assessment, presentation, and flipping your classroom. However, if you want Glogster to be worth your time, it is worth while to consider buying a subscription. In the end, that could make all the difference.

Check back soon for reviews on other web based and tablet applications.
Questions, comments, or concerns?
email us at techsavvyclassroom@gmail.com

Welcome to the Tech Savvy Classroom!

We live in a world that is inundated with technology. Everywhere you turn, there is some type of technology at play. Whether it be QR codes in the grocery store or the bluetooth sync in your car, it has become difficult to find an area in life that doesn't utilize technology.

Over the past several years, technology has exploded onto the education scene. There are currently 1.5 million iPads in use for educational purposes and there are roughly 20,000 education apps to choose from. Those numbers are staggering. Then, when you begin to research technology in the classroom, the numbers become more staggering. A google search of "ed tech", short for educational technology, produces 547 million hits in under 30 seconds and a youtube search of the same topic yields 390,000 videos.

I say all that to say this… there is too much information available, and not enough time to sort through it all. Teachers are already busy and we don't need another ball to juggle. That's where "The Tech Savvy Classroom" comes in. This blog is designed to sift through all the information, resources, and innovation surrounding ed tech as well as to discuss the necessary balance between the art of teaching and the engagement of technology. 

As we dive into these topics, we will have information that is current and pertinent to your classroom. From app reviews and infrastructure troubleshooting to simple integration ideas and full blown lesson plans, this blog is devoted to giving insight to teachers that are working hard to teach 21st center skills.

As teachers, we understand that there is a great deal of pressure to usher in the new era of technology in the classroom. We are here to help!

Questions, Comments or Concerns?

Contact us at techsavvyclassroom@gmail.com