CloudOn

Ever been annoyed when you can't open your Microsoft Office files on your iPad? Me too. Luckily, there's CloudOn, a free app that does enough Office-y stuff to make one question how something this cool could actually be free.

As an added bonus, CloudOn works very smoothly with the new iOS 7 interface. Where other apps display only a minimal portion of your formatting and style options, CloudOn honestly does an admirable and convincing job of displaying all the fonts, formatting, and anything else you've applied to what you see on the iPad or iPhone screen. Check it out. It'll cost you nothing.

ZCubes

Allow me to introduce ZCubes. I stumbled across this little site while trying to find alternatives to Prezi as a presentation format. I must say that while the interface is a pretty difficult to grasp, the app does produce some pretty attractive presentation designs in a nice tidy little web app.

The idea is similar to Prezi in that you are allotted a virtual space to fill with with "slides" or photos or whatever your heart desires. Editing and adjusting how your presentation looks can take a while to master, but once you find your way around the weird radial interface, you can spit out a neat little online presentation complete with visual effects in no time at all. I'm sure that with some more experimentation, I could create something a little more attractive and with a little more pizzazz.

How does it work in the classroom?

Basically, your students can do the same types of things with ZCubes as they can do with PowerPoint or Prezi. One thing I did notice about the app was that kids were turned off by the operating interface just like I was. I usually include ZCubes as an option as opposed to a carved-in-stone requirement for little class projects.

Quick Links to Maintenance Programs

Here are some quick links to some programs that I have or have not mentioned that I highly recommend to keep your classroom systems operating smoothly.

CCleaner - I use almost every feature of this program. It can remove junk temporary files and free up a little space, wipe your empty hard disk so that data can be written and retrieved faster, remove old registry entries, and even control what programs your computer runs on startup.  I try to make sure I use CCleaner about once every two weeks or so. There is also a fantastic version for Mac.

Defraggler - This is another program from Piriform that works much like your standard Windows Disk Defragmenter. You can even opt to replace the Windows Disk Defragmenter with Defraggler. I know that many of our systems occasionally have errors which cause the defragmentation process not to reach completion. Whatever those errors may be, Defraggler doesn't care. It gets the job done.

Google Chrome - This one may be a no-brainer, but research consistently shows that Chrome simply outperforms the other browsers out there in terms of speed, ease of use, and security. If you or your students are still trying to work with other browsers, you could be wasting valuable seconds or even minutes of meaningful instruction while you wait for those dated apps to cooperate. Sure, Chrome has a few cons, but in terms of practical classroom use, Google Chrome should be the standard.

Essential Computer Maintenance for Windows 7

Ever been frustrated because your teacher PC is barely functioning? I have. So, I've prepared a handy-dandy little document with some tips for keeping your PC running smoothly that hopefully you can use to make your technology experience in the classroom enjoyable for your students and yourself instead of an annoying waiting game.

Click here to view the document

Doceri

Doceri is another remote control app like SplashTop with a whole slew of extra features that could improve the effectiveness and scope of your instruction. The app transforms your iPad into what is essentially a remote tablet that can control any linked desktop (PC or Mac). The app also features a bevy of whiteboard/chalkboard/map backgrounds on which you can write. As a bonus, you can record whatever you write and even record your voice on top of it to create a presentation that can be shared with your students. Everything you do is projected on the screen of the controlled desktop, which is hopefully connected to a projector, television, or SmartBoard. There is also some cool connectivity through AppleTV.

How does it work in the classroom?

This is an exciting new way to play "Pass the Chalk," for sure. You can pass the iPad to a student in your class and whatever he writes on the tablet will be projected on a SmartBoard or (even better) a classroom HD television. That alone should help alleviate any anxiety many students may experience when they have to stand in front of a room full of students and write on a board.

It's also very easy to write notes on the board while switching back and forth between the web browser or videos. Even from an athletics standpoint, things like plays can be drawn on the iPad from across the room while the team watches, and you can just record what you draw to play it time and time again, step by step.

Doceri works extremely smoothly and very fast if you have a solid internet connection. This program ups the ante for SMART Technologies, and I don't know if SMART can answer. It allows you to do everything that SMART can do with SmartBoard, only now you can do it with the sleekness of an HD TV. Really cool.

Project Plan: Vectors (Precalculus)

The Gist:
This is a project that my students completed a few years ago involving vectors. Basically, students were to find a way to circumnavigate the globe in no less than 12 stops using vectors as their means of travel. Students worked in groups and used Google Earth to come up with the most exotic travel destinations they could find. Then using trace paper and their beautifully backlit computer screen, they would draw the vector onto paper so that they could find the magnitude and direction of the vectors that were used for their journey.

The Product:
Each group created a simple presentation to take the class on sort of "a guided tour" of the locales they discovered, as well as to share their calculations for the vectors. It was fun seeing the groups try to "out-do" each other with the places they found. Students were amazed at the satellite images of famous landmarks like the Pyramids at Giza or Mount Fuji.

The End Result:
The class knew vector direction and magnitude inside and out (and yes, I know there was probably some significant error due the fact that the earth is round). They also got to learn a little about global awareness, which is never a bad thing.

Click here to download the project plan