Alternatives to Google Reader

If you are a Google Reader user you will soon be looking for another site.  Google has announced that Google Reader will no longer exist as of July 1st this year.  For those of you who have never used Google Reader, it was a site where you could read all your blogs and newsfeeds in one place.

Instructions for exporting your current feeds from Google Reader.

Here are some alternatives to Google Reader:

• If you have a apple mobile device or a android device you can use Flipboard.  You can import your Google Reader feeds into the flipboard app.  Flipboard puts all your feeds into a magazine like format where you can flip through pages.
• Feedly is probably the most popular alternative.  It is also an app, but can be loaded on mobile devices and the web through Chrome, Firefox, and Safari extensions.
• Newsblur  Newsblur is available through the web without an extension.  It can also be used as an app on a mobile device.
• The Old Reader very similar to Google Reader.  Can be used through the web.  No mobile apps are available.

Another alternative that I use is Google Alerts.  It's not an RSS feed, but a search for keywords.  You can search kewords in blogs, news stories, discussions, videos, and/or books.  You set up the search you want such as "school library", where you would like it to search, how often you would like to receive an email with links that fit your keyword, and what email to deliver the information.

 

Your email from Google Alerts will look like this:





Infinite Campus Mobile Portal App

There is an app that can be downloaded for SmartPhones and tablets that allows parents and guardians to be connected with our student information system Infinite Campus.
 
Infinite Campus Mobile Portal *FREE*
iTunes: http://goo.gl/mYWKa
Google Play: http://goo.gl/iGcyq
 
This app gives you the most mobile access to the data you most commonly access from the Campus Portal.
 
Notifications
Want to know if an assignment has been scored or it a new grade was submitted: Simply subscribe to notifications regarding changes to grades, assignment scores, and attendance events to receive instant alerts as changes happen.
 
Daily Planner
Use the Daily Planner to know exactly when and where you need to be today and get a quick view at your next due assignment for each of your classes. Want to see more? Simply dig in deeper by selecting the class you want more information about. Or switch dates and look ahead at tomorrow's schedule or any other date on the calendar.
 
Schedule
Whether your school uses twelve terms or two, with five day rotations or one, your schedule will always be up-to-date with what your administration has created in the district's calendar.

Attendance
Want to know how many time you've been absent? Or which days your child is still marked unexcused? Use the attendance views to see summary and detail information regarding your attendance record. 

Assignments
The days of constantly logging in to check if your teacher corrected your assignment are over. Sign up for notifications to get immediate notification of your score right away. Or feel free to browse your assignments (past and future). Assignments are organized by due date and can be filtered for all classes or a specific class.

Grades
Get instant one-touch access to your grades and dig deeper to see how your grade was calculated by reviewing the assignments which make up your grade. Forget waiting for report card season to know exactly where your grade stands. In-progress grades display until a final grade is given by the teacher.

iOS Devices


Android Devices

The Flipped Classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Add Voice and Music to Prezi

You can now add background music to your Prezi presentation and voice-over to the stops along your presentation path. Below are details about each new addition. These are the audio file formats that work with Prezi: MP3, M4A, FLAC, WMA, WAV, OGG, AAC, MP4 AND 3GP.

Background Music

• Sound can be useful for a Prezi that you intend to embed on a website or play on a continuous loop.
• Adding Music
• Find the background music you want and save it to your computer. I suggest using Soundzabound from www.badgerlink.net. 
• At the top of the screen in Prezi, click on Insert and select Add Background Music. 

Voice-Over

• You can add voice to specific path steps. The sounds will begin to play only when you reach the chosen path step. They will stop playing when you move to the next path step. 
• Record your audio on your Windows machine using Sound Recorder. (In the start menu, under programs, you can find it in the Multimedia Folder.) On a Mac machine you can use QuickTime or Audacity.
• Adding Voice-Over
• Create your path.
• Create your voice recording in another program and have it saved to your computer.
• Click on the thumbnail on the left side of the screen you want to add voice to.
• At the top of the screen in Prezi, click on Insert and select Add Voice-over to Path.

Classroom Management Using Class Dojo

Class Dojo is a real-time classroom management software that can be used on a computer, android device, or iPad/Ipod Touch.  Sign up for an account at www.classdojo.com and enter your class rosters.  Then display your Class Dojo created classroom on your smartboard.  As you see positive or negative behaviors you can record them either using your computer, or as you walk around the classroom using a mobile device.  Class Dojo will make a sound getting students attention and show if a student is being awarded points for positive behavior or points being taken away for negative behavior.  Some of the elementary schools in our district are already using this program.  Class Dojo is very customizable.  Class Dojo also creates reports for you about daily, weekly, and monthly classroom and individual behaviors.  Students and Parents can also be given access to their own accounts to monitor behavior.

Here is a video to get you started:

2nd Annual Digital Learning Day

Wednesday, February 6th marks the 2nd Annual Digital Learning Day. Digital Learning Day is a national campaign that celebrates teachers and shines a spotlight on successful instructional practices and effective use of technology in classrooms across the country.

Tools for Teachers

• Lessons plans for ideas: http://goo.gl/dDfXK
• Tool kits for various subject areas: http://goo.gl/UjffP
• Technology tip of the day: http://goo.gl/tSNjl

Digital Learning Day in Wisconsin

• Check out this website for information about the happenings in our state.

Google Drive App for your mobile device/tablet

You can access your Google Drive from any smartphone, tablet, or apple device using the Google App. Simply download the Google Drive app from the Google Market or Apple App Store. Then login in using your school email address if you want to connect your school google drive account. This short video gives you step-by-step directions:

Here are instructions to set up your school google account on your phone: https://sites.google.com/a/mjsd.k12.wi.us/mjsd-google-apps/mobile-users