Desmos Graphing Calculator for iPad

Desmos is a nice online graphing calculator for a browser.  I posted earlier about it, but they have recently introduced a free iPad app for graphing calculator fans.  You can click here to download the free app for your iPad.

On the iPad, you can graph on cartesian, parametric, and polar graphs.  It has nice slider feature for variable graphs.  You can easily zoom in or out on your graphs.  You can graph inequalities, as well.  You can also use it as a scientific calculator - even if you don't need a graph.

This app is very easy to use and intuitive to figure out.  Give it a try.

Dublin Tech Talks

We are currently running the Dublin Tech Talks two-day workshop for teachers in Dublin.  The attendees will spend time listening to Dublin teachers share their experiences with technology in their classrooms.  They will also get to hear from the district technology support teachers, who will share tools that are useful in creating digital learning objects which can be used in classrooms and online.  Part of their day will also be spend creating digital learning objects that can be used for instruction.

I was fortunate enough to present today on how you can work with video resources to optimize them for use in class.  Below are my slides that were shared.  There is also a link to a wiki with my shared resources and some tutorials.  Take a look...


It was an outstanding day today and we are looking forward to more conversations and sharing tomorrow.

Google Calendar Gadget in Gmail

Use the Google Calendar Gadget to put a mini calendar on your gmail page.  You can see your upcoming events while answering emails.  There are a lot of little gadgets you can add to your mail page, but the calendar gadget is really helpful.  Here is a tutorial for how to do that.

Special Interest Calendars for Google Calendar

Google Calendars provides a few special interest calendars that you can subscribe to with your account.  It places those events on your calendar, so you can be aware of what is going on.  I find these quite interesting and helpful.  I especially like that you can add holidays to your calendar without having to look them up.  Being a sports fan, I also like that I can subscribe to the schedules of my favorite teams.  I can turn them off and on, depending on when I want to see them.  Here is a tutorial video showing you how you can subscribe to some special interest calendars.

Cometdocs - Conversion, Storage, and Sharing

Recently, I learned about a website called Cometdocs.  It is an online document management system that allows you store, convert, and share documents.  You get 1 GB of free storage for documents and files.  You can create an account or you can just use the site to share or convert files.  With an account, you can create folders, edit the metadata, convert to PDF or from PDF as well as other formats, and share with others.

My first attempt was with a PDF that I uploaded to the site.  I wondered if I could convert from PDF to Word and if it would really be easy and useable.  I clicked the convert button and the file easily converted to word.  I was amazed at how easily the conversion occurred.  I was able to edit the text and move pictures around.  It supports the change to Excel, Word, Powerpoint, as well as many other formats.

Sharing of a file can easily be completed by sharing the link to email addresses.  The file can also be hosted so that the link can be shared through social media using Facebook, Twitter, or Google links.

I was very pleased with the ease of use and the flexibility of the site.  Upload some files, share some files, convert some files and see how it works for you.  I think it's great.

QR Codes in Art

At my new office, housed at the Dublin Technology Center, we've hung a lot of art from students and staff from around our district.  We've incorporated QR Codes with the art.  Let me explain what we've done.  First, we've created a Wiki to display art, as well as information about the artist.  So the QR Code attached to the picture takes you to the Wiki on your portable device.  That is illustrated in the picture below.  Two pieces of art with QR Codes about their authors.

Second, we have created actual art using the QR Code, which takes you to a digital piece of art.  Those pieces live in the Wiki Art Gallery, but the actual pieces don't live in the Technology Center.  This way we can link to videos, that couldn't be displayed on the wall.

Lastly, we've created book trailers and can rotate which books are highlighted.  We can change the book that lives on the page that is asssociated with the QR Code.

Here are some awesome ways to use QR Codes.  Most of our QR Codes are made with QR Stuff.  It allows you to change colors of the code.  Really nice.  Give them a try.

Oh, no! Google Reader is Going Away!

Really, this is quite annoying.  Not that Google Reader is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it does perform it's function very efficiently for me.  So, what do I do?  I think I have found a functional replacement.  Feedly is a nice replacement, and it currently brings in all of your current Google Reader feeds automatically.  I like that it brings the pictures in with the article, and has a nice clean interface.  It just may take getting used to.

Feedly currently has formats for browsers and portable devices.  I am using the Chrome version of feedly and on my portable devices, I have been playing with Flipboard, but am testing out Feedly, as well.  There are versions of Feedly for Safari and Firefox, too.  Try it out and let me know what you think?  Have you found something better?