Spell Up

Spell Up

app iPad tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 10-5-2014

Last spring, Google released a new app and a Chrome web-based game that plays like a “personal spelling-bee”. Using voice recognition, it provides several ways that will help you build a tower of correctly spelled words. I played with this app on Friday night. (I know. No life.) It has a few hiccups in terms of recognizing my responses, but I really think our students will find it fun and won’t be put off by this at all. Make sure that you turn up the sound in your “Audio Mixer” specifically for this game.

spellupSound

It is also a Chrome app, available for download here.

It works well on iPads and other ISO devices when you access  the website in your Safari app.
The only difference is that you need to spell each word on a keyboard.

SpellupSafari

Give it a try, but don’t get “hooked”.
Your kiddos are sure to enjoy it, too!

[Tweet “Google releases “Spell Up”, your personal spelling bee in a game format.”]

Control F

Control F

tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 9-28-2014

This morning we are sharing a video tutorial to help you filter your search on a website.
We love “keystrokes”, and this video will demonstrate how to save time using just two keys.

Don’t forget to just “X-out” your “Find Box” when you have found what you are searching for.

Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week!
Take time for yourself!

Another Google Goodbye

app iPad tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 3-17-2013

I know.
I’ve been absent.
My first “Retirement Trip South” has brought me home
motivated and ready for spring.

Lots of projects and ideas have floated around in my head,
and I am ready to work with new energy and a fresh outlook.

So, here we go with the second set of “100 Sunday Sit, Sip, and Sync Technology Tips”.

On July 8, 2012, I shared “Good-bye iGoogle”.

This past Wednesday,
Google announced that the Google Reader will also be “retired”.

The full story can be read HERE.

We have been loyal fans of Google Reader and
I have used it as my “go-to” site for my morning reading.

After learning about the end of the “Reader” and alternative options,
I felt a bit overwhelmed by the choices,
and as we often tell our workshop attendees,
I decided to pick one and to go with it.

This is where I share it with you.

Feedly.com.Feedly
When you navigate to their website,
you will find a message greeting you:

“More than 500,000 Google Reader users have joined Feedly over the last 48 hours. Welcome on board.

It appears that they are working hard to make the transition smooth and easy as those of us who have depended on our “Reader” grab at a new way to stay on top of our feeds.

Once you have created an account and have logged in, 
you will find all of your Google Reader subscriptions.

They assure us that once Reader has been powered down, 
that you will be able to continue to have access and will be able to manage your subscriptions.

They have an “app for that
and this morning I downloaded it on my iPad and have been working through the features.

I like it.

It combines the simple “listing” of Google Reader
with the “magazine” format of “Flipboard”.

I am still working through the features and the feel of it,
but I know that as I use it,
it won’t be long before I am easily navigating through my feeds with my morning cup of coffee.

I can sit at my computer,
or while on the road,
I can use the iPad to stay current.

If you need a reason to procrastinate with that stack of papers to grade,
check out Feedly.com.

Now, though, it’s time for me to grab my coat and get a walk in before the rain or snow or whatever else they are predicting starts to fall.

Have a great week!

Google Calendar

tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 1-6-2013

Face Book + New Year’s Day = “Filling Out 2013 Calendar” Updates.

I remember doing that:
A new gift calendar for the year.
A hook in the kitchen.
Stickers or red circles on important dates.

Enter…
Google CalendarGoogle Calendar

  • No more forgotten birthdays.
    (Really!!)
  • Reminders a month, a week, a day, and hours before the “event”, if needed.
  • Always a “click” away.
       “Does Friday, March 15th work for you?”
       “Let me check,”
    …as I take out my phone.

Shannon and I began using Google Calendar when Recess TEC was in its infant stage taking tiny baby steps.

We needed to coordinate any free days we had to schedule workdays and workshops.

With family and teaching, those days were hard to find,
and we did not want to have to schedule a “callback” to check with each other on available dates.

So, we each set up a personal Google calendar and shared them.
The only commitment we had was to always enter our events, appointments, and important dates.

To help you get started,

Is it raining outside?
Too cold for a walk?
Don’t want to grade papers or make lesson plans just quite yet?

Now you have a good reason to procrastinate.
Your life just got a little easier and a little more organized!

Good-bye iGoogle…

tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 7-8-2012

It’s official.

iGoogle will be retired on November 1st, 2013,
and one of my “homepages” will be gone.

In 16 months, I’ll say “Good-bye” to iGoogle.

Good-bye to All of my iGoogle Apps:

  • My “Moon Phases App”,
  • My BIG “Date App”,
  • “Gmail App”
  • “Twitter App”
  • “To-do App”
  • “Google Calendar App”,
  • “Facebook App”,
  • “Now Showing Flixter App”,
  • “Swimming Koi App”,
  • AND my “Beach Theme”.

(Make sure you click on that image to get a CLOSE view!)

I have plenty of time to prepare and, in fact, have already started.

 Say “Hello” to Chrome.

“If Chrome was a man
…I would marry him.”

Well, not exactly.

At least not me.

It was something I heard at EdCamp-Chicago from an IT person at a high school where they not only use Chrome as their “go-to” browser, but have adopted 1-to-1 Chromebooks for their students and staff.

This piqued my interest,
and after I returned from Chicago,
I downloaded Chrome and began looking at it carefully.

And played.

With each new tab, my “homepage” was designed.

I visited the “Chrome Store” and chose the apps that I most often use.

And I shopped the themes.

Chrome isn’t my only browser,
not at all!

But when I need something a little more “personalized”,
it’s the one I choose.

If you have an iGoogle homepage,
make sure you’re ready when it says, “Good-bye”…