Latest from Tech & Learning in Browsers

Encyclopaedia Britannica Group Launches Free Chrome Browser Extension

TL Editors — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 01:01:18 +0000

The Encyclopaedia Britannica Group today announced Britannica Insights, a free Chrome browser extension.

Britannica Insights works with major search engines – Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others – on the Chrome browser and is available for download at http://britannica.com/insights. Watch the video here.

[Annotate, Bookmark, Cite & Highlight With One Tool]

Another recently launched initiative, Demystified, provides engaging and revealing answers to commonly asked questions such as: What’s the difference between veins and arteries? Does listening to Mozart in the womb really make babies smarter? Britannica also makes it easier for young learners and non-native English speakers to look up word definitions without leaving the page by linking hard words to definitions from Merriam-Webster, a sister company.

SAM Labs Launches SAM Blockly to Offer Block-Based Programing on Chromebooks

C. Blohm & Associates — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 14:15:00 +0000

STEAM education is a focal point of U.S. classrooms, fueled by rising demand for skilled workers with the computer programming and coding skills required to fill 21st-century careers. SAM Labs, an edtech startup that empowers teachers with the most engaging STEAM classroom solutions, is leading the movement to equip schools with modern instructional resources and technology. SAM Labs today launched SAM Blockly, a solution that enables students to progress from visual flow-based programming to block-based programming.

Created in partnership with Workbench, SAM Blockly is a complete classroom solution that allows users to access a combination of content, the SAM Blockly app and SAM blocks. The programming app contains a Blockly programming environment to interact with SAM blocks, which are wireless Bluetooth hardware blocks that are either inputs or outputs such as motors and light sensors.

SAM Blockly provides an important pathway for students. The solution enables progression from SAM Labs’ visual flow-based coding environment SAM Space, to the Blockly environment as a logical next step. Students are then prepared to later advance to script-based coding languages as they develop their skills.

For educators, SAM Blockly expands on their familiarity with Scratch and Blockly by adding blocks as a physical element for a stronger learning experience. The solution also integrates with other classroom components, such as 3D printers and LEGO, to help educators increase the value of their existing STEAM resources. With SAM Blockly, educators can share and discover projects from other teachers to make integration into the classroom quick and easy.

“We recognize the importance of educators clearly mapping their students’ progression,” said Joachim Horn, founder and CEO of SAM Labs. “SAM Blockly is the perfect bridge for students who have discovered the fun of coding and creating with SAM Space and want to progress to that next step."

“We’re always on the lookout for companies that are on the forefront of providing transformative learning solutions,” said Chris Sleat, founder and CEO of Workbench. “As pioneers in STEAM, SAM Labs embodies this idea. We’re proud to partner with them because they provide immensely engaging and powerful classroom experiences that benefit teachers and students of all levels.”

SAM Blockly is available now on Chromebooks and Mac OSX computers via the Chrome browser. To learn more, visit http://blockly.samlabs.com.

About SAM Labs

SAM Labs is an edtech company that empowers teachers with the most engaging STEAM solution including lesson plans, apps and electronics. Its goal is to inspire every student to discover the fun in coding and creating. With a focus on building products that capture every type of student’s imagination, SAM Labs is democratizing the edtech industry. By combining highly engaging software with intuitive, user friendly hardware, SAM Labs teaches coding and engineering to children of all skill sets and interests. Offering projects across a variety of subjects — from biology, to probability, to music — SAM Labs builds edtech products for the athlete, the artist and the engineer.

SAM Labs offers a coding solution for teachers, providing in-classroom support for both the early adopter and the tech-hesitant teacher by offering fully integrated and curriculum-based lesson plans and hands-on educator support. With partners like Intel Education and Microsoft Education, SAM Labs is bringing coding to every classroom around the world.

Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in London. For more information, please visit https://www.samlabs.com/.

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Class Tech Tips: 4 Reasons I’m Excited for Book Creator on Chrome

Monica Burns — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000

BYOD-friendly

You can now use Book Creator in classrooms with a handful of different devices. Anytime I host a professional development session for schools more often than not, the teachers and students I work with have a variety of access. This might include a class set of one type of devices or the ability to borrow a mix of different devices for a class period or over the course of several days. Since Book Creator is now available on iPads and Chromebooks you can use this open-ended creation tool with a combination of devices in your classroom.

Google Image Search

If you’ve used Book Creator on iPads in the past you know how easy it is to snap a picture on the spot, import a picture from your Photos or add a screenshot from another app onto your page. Now Book Creator has added a Google Image Search feature so students can search for images using Google’s safe-search option and add pictures to their page. If you’d rather have students gather images from another place you have the option to disable this feature.

Increase Collaboration

Now that Book Creator is available for Chromebooks you take collaboration to the next level. Imagine your students are using Google Docs to draft a step-by-step guide for how to solve a math problem. Students might share their Google Doc with a peer so they can leave feedback on their draft or work within the same document to generate their step-by-step guide. In addition to this type of collaboration students can combine pages they create in Book Creator with other students to make a collaborative book as a whole class.

Elevate Student Voice

One of the reasons Book Creator is a go-to creation tool is because there are so many ways for students to tell the story of their learning. Kids can write in sentences, draw a picture, import a screenshot from another app, record their voice or even add a movie recording to their page. These options help level the playing filed for students who can demonstrate their understanding of a topic, persuade an audience, or tell a story in different ways.

Learn more about Book Creator and how to bring it to your classroom by visiting their website!

And don’t forget – you can sign up for live webinars and watch the recordings of past webinars by clicking here.

Download my list of favorite tech tools for readers by clicking here.

cross posted at classtechtips.com

Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.

The Chrome Extension that Turns Everyone Into a Math Person

Tech & Learning — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:15:00 +0000

By now, the benefits of increasing student literacy are well understood to be a key factor in student success across a broad spectrum of subjects, from science to civics.

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At a time when math and STEM concepts are finding their way into an increasing number of curricular subjects and career paths, math literacy in particular has assumed a vital importance in the 21st century.

The same cannot be said of math class technology. While language arts classes have benefited from the positive effects of technology in the classroom, including increased engagement, individualized learning, and more robust collaboration, math and other STEM subjects have been left behind.

For students that struggle with math, or simply dislike the subject, this lack of technology can further sink engagement and inhibit progress and interest in STEM disciplines. Frustrated students often end up adopting a fixed mindset, believing they’re just “not a math person.”

This technology gap is in part because modern tech tools such as Chromebooks, tablets and laptops often don’t have the necessary tools to help students translate their thoughts and ideas into screen-friendly math language. Digital programs have difficulty with simple notation symbols such as square root (√) or pi (π), not to mention the more complex formulas like the quadratic equation. And most equation editors require a high level of knowledge of math syntax to create these symbols and formulas.

Enter EquatIO™, a Google Chrome extension* from Texthelp® that is compatible with Google’s near ubiquitous suite of collaboration tools, including Docs, Forms, Slides Sheets, and Drawings. EquatIO makes it easier for students of all learning levels and styles to make math digital and benefit from the use of technology.

The extension features a robust equation editor, which enables students to input math in the form they prefer. Students can speak into a device and watch as it translates their words into equations before their eyes. A predictive text feature suggests possible formulas and equations the student might be working toward. And on touchscreen laptops, such as the new generation of Chromebooks, a special tool digitizes handwritten math. Students can even use EquatIO to have problems accurately read back to them through Read&Write integration.

When students can focus their attention on concepts, not syntax, it opens a whole new world of excitement in the problems math can help solve in their everyday lives. Finally, every student can confidently, and accurately, say they are a math person, too.

Additional Resources:

Whitepaper: Giving Students a New Lease on Math
Despite the great strides education technology has made during the past decade, its impact on the math classroom has been limited. With a recent push toward advancing deeper learning, math experts look at how emerging technology is improving student engagement, allowing teachers to focus less on memorizing formulas and more on real-world applications for math that will serve them the rest of their lives.

*Availability of EquatIO within the Microsoft Windows environment is coming this Fall.

Class Tech Tips: Use BookWidgets to Create Interactive Activities for iPad, Chromebooks and More!

Monica Burns — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 00:10:00 +0000

Making your own ebooks or want to get started? BookWidgets is a platforms that lets educators create interactive activities and engaging teaching material to be used on iPads, Android tablets, Chromebooks, Macs or PCs. It only takes a few minutes and is very easy to use. Teachers can create dynamic widgets – interactive content – for their iBook without needing a knowledge of how to code.

Initially, BookWidgets was developed to be used on iPad in conjunction with iBooks. But due to its popularity it is now available as a web-based service that works on other devices. Of course, teachers who use iBooks Author can still integrate it in their iBooks but it is now a tool you can use to create interactive digital lessons on different platforms.

How can you create interactive activities with BookWidgets?

With BookWidgets teachers can create interactive activities for digital lessons. This means you can design your very own embedded formative assessments like exit slips and quizzes. There are lots of other options including games like crossword puzzles or bingo. The video below provides a fantastic overview of how to use BookWidgets, including a demo of their super easy to use platform.

What kind of interactive activities can you create with BookWidgets?

Right now there are about 40 different types of activities available for teachers. This includes different kind of formative assessment options like quizzes, exit slips or flashcards, as well as pictures and video. In addition to the games I mentioned earlier, you can also create activities connected to a specific subject area like math. For math you can create charts and active plots. For other subject areas you can use forms, surveys and planners. Teachers can also integrate third parties elements like a YouTube video, a Google map, or a PDF. This opens lots of possibilities, so no matter what grade level you teach or what subject matter you focus on, there are tons of options that will work with your course content. The platform is pretty intuitive and there are many tutorials available on their website to guide you along the way.

How do your BookWidget creations get in the hands of students?

Teachers can easily create your own interactive activities or “widgets.” Each widget is attached to a link that you send to students or embed in an iBooks Author creation. Once students get the link, they can start working on the activity. It doesn’t matter what type of device they use since the link is browser based and can be opened up on any device connected to the Internet. Once a student completes his or her work, the teacher can see a breakdown of what was done. This means that even though the exercise is already graded automatically, the teacher gets useful insights on a part of the exercise that the whole class struggled to complete successfully.

BookWidgets’ website has resources broken down by different levels making it easy to see how this tool can totally transform teaching and learning in your classroom. There are examples for elementary school teachers, middle and high school teachers, university instructors, and educators who host professional trainings. You’ll find lots of examples on their website and plenty of resources to help you jump in and get started.

As an iBooks Author user I absolutely love the endless possibilities that BookWidgets provides teachers. You can completely customize the experience for your students and design meaningful, interactive content. When I visit schools and talk to teachers around the country I’m always highlighting the importance of finding a balance between content consumption and content creation on digital devices. When students are interacting with BookWidgets on their devices they are experiencing course content in hands-on learning activities that require them to think about what they’ve read or learned about a topic.

What’s extra special about BookWidgets is the ability to check for understanding with formative assessment options. The #FormativeTech tools within BookWidgets help teachers check for understanding in the context of learning activities. Whether you embed a widget into an iBook Author creation or send the link to your students, you’re able to peek into their thinking about a topic.

BookWidgets is always free for students to use so they can open it up on their device and get started with the activities you’ve created right away. As a teacher user you pay a yearly subscription that starts at $49 but this price is reduced for schools who purchase for at least 10 teachers.

You can try BookWidgets with a 30 day free trial available on BookWidgets’ website!

GIVEAWAY! In my newsletter this week I announced that BookWidgets has given me two, one-year subscription to giveaway to ClassTechTips.com readers. You can enter to win one of two subscriptions. The giveaway is open until 8PM EST on 11/19/16. The winners will be announced shortly after. After 11/19/16 the form will update for my next giveaway.

I received compensation in exchange for sharing this product. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own :) Learn more

cross posted at classtechtips.com

The Power of Chrome: Sign in to the Chrome Browser

Adam Schoenbart — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Log into a Chromebook and your whole Google world is at your fingertips. Mail, Drive, bookmarks, and extensions are suddenly a click away, and you never need to enter another password again.

This is part of the magic of Chromebooks, and what makes them so powerful in our schools. Anything that can save clicks can save time and give us more time for teaching and learning. And by helping teachers and students organize their resources with bookmarks and utilize extensions to improve Chrome’s functionality, we improving the efficiency of our technology use.

But many of us aren’t using Chromebooks at home--or even in class--and it’s important to have consistent access to these features. More and more, I’m realized that many don’t know that this feature isn’t just on Chromebooks but on any device with Google Chrome.

On your home PC, Mac or any other computer, you can log in to the Google Chrome browser to sync your Google account to the browser. This will connect your bookmarks, extensions, passwords, and more. With a few clicks, your empty toolbar can look like this:

Now whether you’re at home, at school, or anywhere else, your preferences are consistently accessible. Logging into the Chrome browser is the first thing I do when I turn on a computer. Then, anything and everything I do is saved and synced across all of my devices.

How to Log into the Chrome Browser

First, make sure you have the Chrome desktop browser installed. Find it here if you need it.

Then, before logging into any website, click the Chrome menu--those three vertical dots in the top right corner. From there, follow the steps in the GIF below: settings, sign in, and link accounts.

Once you’re logged into a primary account with the Chrome browser (i.e. the one you want to sync your settings to), you can also add additional accounts through Google Drive or other apps and toggle between them. Find more info from Google here if you’re interested.

When technology can make our lives easier or more efficient, we need to let it. It’s important to model these practices for students, too, and to have them do the same. Logging into the Google Chrome browser is just one powerful way to save clicks, develop consistent routines, and maximize the power of Google in your classroom, schools, and world.

cross posted at www.aschoenbart.com

Adam Schoenbart is a high school English teacher, Google Education Trainer, and EdD candidate in Educational Leadership. He teaches grades 10-12 in a 1:1 Chromebook classroom at Ossining High School in Westchester County, NY and received the 2014 LHRIC Teacher Pioneer Award for innovative uses of technology that change teaching and learning. Read more at The SchoenBlog and connect on Twitter @MrSchoenbart.

PicMonkey - web based image editing - great for Chromebooks

David Andrade — Fri, 01 May 2015 05:50:00 +0000

PicMonkey is a free, online photo editing service that has some great features and is a great tool for Chromebook users. PicMonkey is very easy to use. Simply upload or drag and drop a photo onto the site and edit away.

You can crop, rotate, add effects, add borders and text, and manipulate photos with some very powerful and useful editing tools, all online.

The Chrome app is also easy to use and has a ton of features, including Collage, Touch-Up, Teeth Whiten, Fonts, Effects, Filters, Frames, Textures, Stickers and more.

It's an excellent resource for photo editing on a Chromebook. They are also working on a mobile app.

Two More Free Image Editing Resources

David Andrade is a Educator, Educational Technology Specialist and Education Administrator in CT. Before teaching, David was an Aerospace Engineer for 10 years.He is the author of theEducational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education. He is also a professional development trainer, educational technology consultant and presenter at conferences. Check out his blog at http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/ for more resources, tips, links, information and more. Follow him onTwitterandGoogle+.

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.

GAFE and Chromebooks Admin Console Best Practices and Tips

David Andrade — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:02:00 +0000

Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks are very popular with education for many reasons, one of which is the ease of management and deployment. The Admin Console allows staff to manage apps, user settings, devices settings and much more. Here are some tips and best practices for settings in the Admin Console.

The Admin Console is relatively easy to use, although some settings can be hard to find. Remember to use the help features by clicking on the question marks throughout the console.

The icons on the console can be moved and arranged via drag-and-drop so you can put the ones you use most up front. Typically, Users, Device Management, and Apps are the most used.

Below are some of the main tips and settings to consider. Most of them are under Device Management. This is not a complete list, but one to help you get started.

Admin Accounts: ("Admin Roles")

You can designate users at different levels of admin access. There are preset roles and you can create your own. You should have at least two Super-Admins in case one is out. Help Desk admin can only reset passwords for non-administrators and are good to have in each school.

User Settings:

Organizational Units (set under Users) - you will want to have at least the following OUs setup: Admin, IT, Faculty, K-8 Students, High School students. This allows you to customize the settings for each one. K-8 students cannot use Google+, so you will want Google+ turned off for them. You can also turn off outside email for them.

Under Apps, Click on Additional Google Services, click on the three vertical dots next to Google+ and click Turn Off or On for some Organizations and make sure it is off for K-8.

Device Management > Chrome Management > User Settings

These settings apply to the Chrome Browser also (when a user logs into it)

Force-Installed Apps and Extensions: you can push out apps and extensions to all users. There are a few I recommend, including Office Editing. Here is a list.

Allow or Block All Apps and Extensions: you can either allow users to install any apps except the ones that you block, or block all apps except the ones that you allow. It is a local decision on how to manage this. Blocking all means your IT staff have to handle requests from staff. Allowing all means that some students might find some unsavory apps to install, but you can block them as you find them.

If you want to allow all except the ones you block, here is a list of some that you should block.

Allowed Apps and Extensions: create a list here if you are blocking users from installing them. Here are some lists of app recommendations.

Make sure you are saving Browser History if you want to track what users are doing.

I recommend turning on Safe Browsing, but that is a local decision.

You can also set up web pages to auto-load when a user logs in. Most schools set it up so that the district or school home page loads.

Another nice feature is the ability to block websites by user OU. You can enter as many URLs as you like. This means that those users cannot get to the site, even if it is allowed through your filter. This can be useful for more granular control.

You can also push out managed bookmarks, which is a great feature. You can push the district homepage, Google Apps page, student SIS system, etc for quick access by your users.

Turning off Outside Email for K-8: https://support.google.com/a/answer/2640542?hl=en

Device Management > Chrome Management > Device Settings:

Definitely turn on Forced Re-Enrollment. This will prevent users from factory resetting the Chromebooks and then taking them out of your domain. Even if they do factory reset the device, it will force them to re-enroll it in your domain and not allow them to use it.

Guest Mode - allows a user to access the Chromebook without an account. I recommend against this if you have GAFE accounts for all of your users.

Sign-In Restriction: this allows you to restrict which accounts can be used to login to a Chromebook. Most schools do set this to restrict logins to their GAFE accounts only. It is one more feature that makes Chromebooks less attractive to thieves.

Kiosk Apps - this is where you would install testing apps for PARCC and SBAC. Kiosk apps run without a user needing to login to the Chromebook itself.

Auto-Updates - allow this unless you have concerns about a new version of Chrome OS causing an issue with an app. For example, SBAC is only setup for Chrome OS 41, so while auto updates are turned on, you can limit the version to 41 and it won't update to the latest version which is 42.

Device Reporting - enable this and user tracking so that you can see the device info when you select a device. You can also see who the last user was, which can be helpful in tracking a missing device.

Do Not Erase Local User Data - this will keep the user account on the Chromebook which speeds up logins. Shared Chromebooks can support a lot of users (I've seen up to 20 different users on a single Chromebook).

Disabled Device Return Instructions - if you disable a device, it will show a message on the screen asking for it to be returned. You put in the address and contact info.

Track, Disable and Wipe a stolen/missing Chromebook

Device Management>Network:

Network Settings - you can, and should, put in your network settings here so that the Chromebooks automatically connect to your WiFi. You can even put in a hidden SSID and all of the security and passwords here.

Hopefully you find these tips useful.

Chromebook Deployment Help Resources

Tips for Troubleshooting Chromebooks and some typical issues

Note: I oversaw the successful deployment of over 11,000 Chromebooks and 26,000 GAFE user accounts in my home district and have assisted over 25 school districts successfully deploy GAFE and Chromebooks. I use lessons learned from my own deployment experience, research and conversations with other administrators. Contact me if you would like help with deployment, setup or training in Google Apps and/or Chromebooks.

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.

The new Chromebook Pixel - a "super" Chromebook that I really want, and you should too

David Andrade — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:17:00 +0000

Google recently announced the new version of it's flagship chromebook, the Chromebook Pixel. The Pixel has the best hardware, software and design and is a showpiece and test device to see what works and what can be done with Chrome OS. It has a great design, construction and specs.

It uses a USB Type C connector for charging and connections. This new connector allows for multi-device charging, high speed data and display connection and can work with all types of devices. The Pixel has two, one on each side. It has WiFi, Bluetooth and 2 regular USB 3 ports and an SD Card reader. Take that new Macbook.

The Pixel has an aluminum body, high-res touchscreen, smooth glass trackpad, a wide angle camera lens and some serious internal parts. It comes with an Intel Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. This is more powerful than my Windows Ultrabook (that cost more). There is also a higher level version, called the LS (for Ludicrous Speed - Google does have a sense of humor) that has a more powerful processor and more memory.

The battery life is also amazing, promising 12 hours on a single charge. It also has quick charging, allowing you to get 2 hours of battery life after only a 15 min charge.

All of this for $999. (The original Pixel was $1300).

All-in-all, this is an amazing device. However, many tech outlets are wondering who would want such a device? Me, that's who. And, I'm guessing many others would if they understand Chromebooks. Most of the articles seem to think that Chromebooks aren't as powerful or as useful as a Windows laptop or Macbook. But, I'm guessing that most people don't need Windows or a Mac. Chromebooks can do almost everything.

Think about it. Most people spend their day in their browser - email, internet, cloud based services. There isn't much you can't do online these days. Only a very small number of people need Computer Aided Design, full Photoshop and Video editing. There are online versions of all of this.

Many people still think you need to be online to do anything with a Chromebook. Not true. Many Google Apps work offline, as do other apps and some of the new Android apps that work on Chromebooks. like Evernote.

Chromebooks are awesome devices and this one is the best. I can just imagine how fast it is considering how fast my Acer C720 is. I was able to use the original Pixel for about 20 min at a conference and was amazed by it and that was two years ago. This one must be mind boggling.

Here are some more articles about why Chromebooks are awesome. Read them and then you should realize how incredible the new Pixel is and how it is an incredible device that is all most people need for a device.

What can you do on a Chromebook? Pretty much everything.

Google Apps and Chromebooks Web App Recommendations - a whole lot!

Chromebooks - definitely awesome for education

Tips and Resources for Using Chromebooks offline

Google Announces Android Apps for Chromebooks

Here's a video about the Chromebook Pixel:

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.

Check out his blog at

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/ for more resources, tips, links, information and more.

Chromebook Tips

Tech & Learning — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 20:00:00 +0000

Look Toward Your Learning Network for Tips on Chromeboooks

While many schools are using Google Chromebooks to update their aging classroom technology, they might be missing out on key resources to assist in large-scale deployment.

1. Chromebook Edu (Google Community) The Google+ community for Chromebooks, Chrome OS, and Chrome browser in EDU.

2. Google Ed Groups (GEG) GEGs provide a geographically-based platform for educators who use Google and live in your area.

3. Intel Chromebook Support Community Intel Education’s community for Chromebooks, tablets, and 2-in-1 devices.

4. Twitter listsCheck out Chromebook Eds, a public list by Michael Podraza, or Chromebook Gurus, a list by Beth Still.

5. The Chromebook EDU Consortium The Chromebook EDU Consortium brings custom learning solutions to schools deploying Chromebooks and Google Apps.

Read more at: www.techlearning.com/august14

One Semester into Our Chromebook Initiative

Brett Clark — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A year ago today I was preparing for Christmas, wrapping up my 7.5 year career in Evansville, saying my goodbyes to friends, colleagues, and former students, trying to sell my house on Craigslist without a realtor, and preparing for my new job as Director of Technology in a new school district.

A year later I am preparing for Christmas, reflecting on one year of employment at Greater Clark County Schools, I've settled into our new home, made new friends, stayed connected with the old friends and former students, and finished up our first semester 1:1 with Chromebooks in grades 3-12.

In no certain order, here are some things I've been thinking about after a year as a Director of Technology, and a semester into our Chromebook initiative.

People will do amazing things when you give them the time and the space to reach for greatness.
Focusing on the positive takes work. Focusing on the negative is easier and more natural.
If you can't write down on paper what you are doing and why you are doing it, then you don't know what you're doing.
Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.
Yes, you can hand out 6,000+ Chromebooks in 3 days.
Yes, you can roll out close to 9,000 Chromebooks total!
I can make it through a week on less than 30 hours of sleep for the entire week. #teamnosleep
If teachers and students don't see the connection between chromebooks and curriculum, they don't use them at all or only for minimal task like test taking.
If what I just wrote above occurs, that's my fault.
There is nothing more valuable than a teacher who will empower his or her students to change the world.
Nothing is more fun than watching a teacher light up when they come across something that will help them be a better teacher.
Nothing is more difficult than watching people struggle and fail. Even though you know the struggles and failures are only temporary.
I never get tired of stories that start with, "This kid never says anything but..."
I love hiring people and then watching them succeed!
You probably thought this blog post would be more about what actually happened and not these random thoughts written at 2:30 in the morning.
There is much work ahead.
I love my job!
I should have blogged more this past year.

cross-posted at www.educationdreamer.com

Brett Clark is an elearning coach for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. He talks about tech tools on the Flipped Learning Network's weekly podcast. He is also a regular guest on the TeacherCast podcast and a blogger for TeacherCast.net. Read more at www.educationdreamer.com.

Class Tech Tips: Access a Museum Collection from Your Web Browser

Guest Blogger Monica Burns — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve shared tons of resources to bring museums to your students’ fingertips (AMNH, MOMA) and here is another to add to the list. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has given the public access to almost 400,000 items in their collection! Some of the artwork and artifacts are currently on display while others in this online resource are packed away in storage.

You can connect these items to a Social Studies unit or simply use a piece of artwork as inspiration for a writing assignment. Whether you decide to check out this fantastic resource during a unit on poetry or to enhance a biography, there are tons of primary sources and beautiful artwork to share with students of all ages!

Here are a few lesson plans for teaching with primary source documents:

cross posted at classtechtips.com

Chromebook 2 Series Announced

Tech & Learning — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 21:24:00 +0000

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series. The new models, available in 11.6- and 13.3-inch configurations, offer faster performance, longer battery life and a slim light build.

The Samsung Chromebook 2 Series is a good fit for educators seeking to adopt one-to-one learning programs. Using the web-based console – available with support from Google for $30 per device for schools – Samsung Chromebooks can be centrally managed, allowing educators to configure a set of laptops across the classroom or the entire school.

Available from April, the 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 2 will be available for an MSRP of $319.99, while the 13.3-inch model is $399.99.

Key Specifications

Details

11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 2

13.3-inch Samsung Chromebook 2

Size

11.6”

13.3”

Resolution

HD LED Display (1366 x 768)

Full HD LED Display (1920 x 1080)

Google Chrome

Processor

Samsung Exynos 5 Octa (1.9GHz, 2MB L2 Cache)

Samsung Exynos 5 Octa (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 Cache

Memory2

4GB DDR3L System Memory at 1600MHz (onboard)

Storage3

16GB e.MMC iNAND™ Embedded Flash Drive

Camera

720p HD Web Camera

Battery Life4

Up to 8 hours

Up to 8.5 hours

Dimensions

11.40" x 8.06" x 0.66"

12.72" x 8.80" x 0.65"

Weight

2.43 pounds

3.09 pounds

Color

Jet Black, Classic White

Luminous Titan Gray

Ports

1 HDMI, 1 USB3.0, 1 USB2.0, MicroSD Multi-media Card Reader, Headphone out/Mic-in Combo, DC-in

MSRP

$319.99

$399.99

Availability Date

April 2014

ISTE 2013 News: TabPilot launches FocalPoint secure browser

Tech & Learning — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

TabPilot Learning Systems, creator of the TabPilot Tablet Manager for Android, announces the launch of TabPilot FocalPoint, a secure, locked-down web browser for Android tablets.

Using a cloud-based control panel, teachers select which sites students can access. The choice is then administered wirelessly and can be applied to a single tablet or an entire group of devices. When students launch TabPilot FocalPoint, the site displays without the address bar that would normally provide access to Internet browsing.

TabPilot FocalPoint is available either as an add-on to the entire TabPilot Tablet Manager system or as a stand-alone subscription for schools without TabPilot Tablet Manager.

FocalPoint Secure Browser is a free app, available in the Google Play store or directly from TabPilot. A subscription to TabPilot Control Tower, the cloud-based control panel, is required. Yearly subscriptions are as low as $3 per device for schools that subscribe to the complete Tablet Manager system, or $6 per device for a stand-alone subscription.

For more information and a free trial of TabPilot FocalPoint, click www.tabpilot.com or visit the TabPilot booth (5285) on the ISTE show floor.

Quick and easy way to add memory to your Chromebook

David Andrade — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I've been using a Chromebook since getting a CR-48 from Google a few years ago, and I love it. I am currently using a Samsung Chromebook, and our district is deploying over 5000 of them.

The Chromebooks, and Chrome OS in general, are fast and work great, but every once in a while they can bog down when doing serious multitasking. Many only have 2GB of RAM and do not offer the ability to add more RAM physically. I found out about a great way to increase your memory by using zRam which uses swap space on your hard disk/SSD. Kevin C. Tofel shared this great resource that is very easy to do.

Here are the simple steps:

Open up a terminal tab with the CTRL + ALT + T keys.
Type “swap enable” (without the quotes).
Restart your Chromebook.

It's that easy. I did it and my Chromebook runs much smoother and faster and rarely bogs down, even with 15+ tabs open.

Disabling it is easy too. Do all of the steps but type "disable" instead of "enable".

Give it a try and see how it improves your Chromebook's performance.

Chromebooks in Education: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-chromebook-chromebox-and-updated.html

Cross posted at Educational Technology Guy and shared via Twitter and Google+

David Andrade is the Chief Information Officer for an urban school district in Connecticut. He spent 10 years as an engineer and then 10 years as a physics teacher and educational technology specialist before taking on his new job. He is the author of the Educational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education. He is also a professional development trainer and presenter at conferences, helping educators learn new and innovative ways to educate students.

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.

Living Chrome

Henry Thiele — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

As the person in our district that is ultimately responsible for technology, I often end up making the decision for what devices a student or staff member will be using on a daily basis. One of my common practices is to live with a device before purchasing it or recommending it for someone else. With the lead up to 1:1 and Chromebooks in our district this year I have been "living Chrome" for the past year and have been primarily Chrome since September 2012. This is what my desk looks like:

The Chromebox is my primary desktop device. I have it rocking dual 24" monitors with a webcam, speakers, and a wireless keyboard and mouse. It is awesome to just sit down and work each day when the day starts or to come back in from being out and about and jumping right back into whatever I was doing. I use cloud printing (when I must print) that allows me to access multiple copier/printers in the office.

On the desk you will notice two Chromebooks. One is the Samsung 550, which became my primary computing device last summer. I can make it though a full day's work on a single charge - and I push my computers. It has also become the computer I use when presenting outside of school. The other device is the $249 Samsung Chromebook, which is the computer nearly 4,000 freshman and sophomore students will be using next year in Maine 207. As I said, I try to live like I expect others will have to in the future.

Why not pick one of the two Chromebooks and live with it? I have been proving the fact that it doesn't matter which Chrome device you use. I randomly pick one and run with it and have the same computing experience no matter what. Next year when a student has an issue we will "hot swap" a spare and expect them to keep working. I do that everyday.

There are obviously some differences in the devices. The 550 is the fastest of the three, but you really don't notice until you are working with a massive spreadsheet or have dozens (yes dozens) of tabs open. The Chromebox has the advantage of the dual monitor set-up, which makes me much more productive. The $249 model is actually my favorite. It is lightweight and is perfect for taking off throughout the buildings.

I do still have a Windows laptop available, but I rarely use it now. Sometimes I have a legacy office document to retrieve (although I am moving most of my documents to drive now) or if I want to make a quality screencast (an area where Chromebooks are still lacking) that causes me to fire up the laptop. I usually have to do this several times, because as it is starting up I go back to work on a Chromebook. By the time I remember the laptop was starting up it has already gone back to sleep. Just as my students will next year, I am living Chrome. If someone in my role and running a technology department can live Chrome, I am confident my students can thrive in this environment as well.

cross-posted at henrythiele.blogspot.com.

Henry Thiele is the Chief Technology Officer for District 207 in Park Ridge, IL. Read more of his ideas on education and technology at henrythiele.blogspot.com.

American Institutes for Research to Enable Chromebooks to Deliver Assessments

Tech & Learning — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Google are collaborating to allow students to use the Chromebook when taking major statewide tests.

AIR is currently partnering with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced), a state-led consortium developing next-generation assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. AIR is developing an open-source testing platform for delivering the Consortium’s online, computer-adaptive summative and interim assessments to students.

Chromebooks can be used to deliver the Smarter Balanced tests in a secure mode that ensures that students cannot copy the test questions or search the Internet for answers.

AIR, a not-for-profit organization, provides academic assessments and accessible, standards-based statewide adaptive testing services.

Safe Browser for iPads Released

Tech & Learning — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Barracuda Networks Inc. today announced the availability of the Barracuda Safe Browser iOS application, offered free of charge to Barracuda Web Security Service customers. The app helps schools safely deploy iPads by ensuring that students do not access unsafe and inappropriate Web content.

Barracuda Safe Browser is integrated with the Barracuda Web Security Service, a cloud-based solution that provides Web content filtering and usage policy enforcement with centralized management and aggregated reporting. The iOS application extends the protection offered by the service to iPads issued to students.

Barracuda Web Security Service customers can download the Barracuda Safe Browser from the Apple iTunes® App Store immediately at no additional charge. Pricing for the Barracuda Web Security Service in North America starts at $12 per user per year and includes all features. International pricing and availability varies based on region. For more information, visit http://www.barracuda.com/flex.

Interesting idea - buy a Chromebook and a Nexus 7 instead of just an iPad

David Andrade — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

At EdcampCT this past week, I was chatting with Greg McVerry (@jgmac1106) about devices, 1-1 and BYOD and he made an interesting comment. Instead of a school purchasing an iPad and keyboard for all the students, what about a Chromebook and Nexus 7 for each student?

I like this idea for a lot of reasons. An iPad starts at $500 and then add the case for $50 and keyboard for around $50 and you are at $600 for one device. Then add in any apps that are not free. A Chromebook starts at $300 and the Nexus 7 starts at $200. Add in a case for the Nexus 7 at $20 and you get two devices for just over $500. That's a great deal.

Account management is very easy with the Chromebooks and Nexus 7 using Google accounts for each student. Google Apps for Education would also be a great way to utilize these devices and provide excellent resources for the students and faculty and staff.

I would have the Chromebooks stay at school. Less for students to carry, less risk of damage or theft. Their data and files are all online so they can still access them anywhere. The Nexus 7 tablets could go home with the students. They are small, light, easy to use, and can be used at home for assignments, research, communications, and more. By having the two devices, students have backup. If they forget the Nexus 7 at home, it doesn't matter because they have the Chromebook at school.

One of the big concerns I have for 1-1 programs is that if students have one device, what happens when they lose it, have it damaged or stolen, or forget it somewhere?

Google apps and these two devices also making it easy, and very inexpensive, to do all the things students need to do. There is minimal support needed for the Nexus 7 from school staff and practically no support needed for the Chromebooks.

I'm a big fan of this idea and will be sharing it with my district.

What do you think?

Google for Education Resources

Android for Education Resources

On device apps/software vs. web apps - which is better for schools?

iPad Browser for Teachers

Tech & Learning — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Float Mobile Learning released today RabbleBrowser™ 2.5, an iPad app and Web browser for the classroom.

RabbleBrowser™ 2.5 allows a teacher to lead an unlimited number of students through a Web browsing session or discussion connected through a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network.

Version 2.5 adds social interaction and includes features like:

· Thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons and voting for students to communicate approval or agreement to the teacher in real-time
· Screen locking so students can’t navigate away
· Enabling or disabling of private chats
· URL log, chat log, and file transfer saving for later use or sharing
· Easy file sharing and storage via Dropbox

I'm in love with the browser. By Daniel Rezac

Tech Learning Blog Staff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:18:16 +0000

The browser is such a beautiful thing.

I'm struck by how much of a browser fanatic I am. Links, productivity, files- everything is just so much easier to find just by typing into that wonderful little address/search bar. Why can't everything just live in there? Can it store my car keys? Well, the darned thing can remotely turn on my Squeezebox Internet Radio from anywhere in the country, so it probably can.

So, today, it occurred to me that Google may yet solve all of the world's problems. Okay, maybe not all of them, but maybe just this one- the one most technology directors and facilitators struggle with every year- user logins.

Last week, a colleague of mine was laboring with having all of these different user names and passwords for all of the different Web services like Edmodo, Wikispaces, Google Docs, Glogster- the list goes on for like 8 more tools. He wanted a tool that could merge them all into one login key. I've heard folks use Moodle, but this doesn't solve a problem like Edmodo, which doesn't allow you to have your own unique URL, among some other ed sites.

After using Ubuntu for the past few weeks on my netbook, I checked out an education version of Ubuntu via Jim Klein, and it was very clear that the problem with all of these login problems I and other tech admins have had over the years isn''t truly with the Web- it is with the operating systems that we use at our schools. Mac, PC, even Linux- there's no perfect solution for multiple logins. Log into the OS, then some of the services, then the rest, depending on the teacher- it's never truly prefect. This is partly why I went toward Google Apps for Education- many good services- under one secure login (SSL- but that's another story). Like the local food movement, every local school has a unique appetite for technology- different OS needs and different students. The OS and the district should tailor itself to those specific needs. It should grow its own OS based on the technology appetite at its own district.

I've heard of folks using Moodle as a front door, which is fine- that's open source as well, but my guess is that soon, many of these problems are going to be solved by a new product that uses the Web as the OS. And I'm talking about Google Chrome OS. And with Google cozying up with OAuth, I think that we are starting to see the light at the end of the security tunnel. I'd be interested is seeing how that could be integrated into an Education Version of Google Chrome OS, let's call it Google Chrome OS for Education Remix.

Logging into Apps for Ed? Solved! Logging into Voicethread? Done! Wikispaces or Glogster? Done and done! One click!

Ubuntu is a great solution right now, and I would recommend any district save itself $50,000 and dump all those extra software licenses and, you know, hire a teacher.

This post was cross-posted at http://drezac.com

New kid-safe Mac browser

Tech & Learning — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:40:00 +0000

app4mac has introduced Giddy Up, a secure web browser designed for kids. Giddy Up allows schools or parents to restrict access to some web sites, the operating system, system settings, the downloading of files and applications.

Giddy Up 1.0 is available today for about $48,and requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. For more infpormation, visit
http://www.app4mac.com/software/product_details.php?item_id=12

Using a web browser in ACTIVstudio (Promethean ACTIVstudio 2)

Atomic Learning — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 05:00:00 +0000

Learn to use a Web browser with ACTIVstudio to enahce your teaching.

Play Windows Version
Play Macintosh version

Note: If you are using a pop-up blocker, please disable it before clicking the above links. Or, use these links to bypass the pop-up:
Windows | Mac

Note: You need the free Apple Quicktime Player to view this content.

Problems searching in the browser address bar

Tech & Learning — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Question: I can no longer search using the address bar in my browser. Any ideas why?

The IT Guy says:
If a functionality that you have had on your computer suddenly stops working, and you have not done something major like upgraded your operating system, then the culprit is likely to be a virus, spyware or adware program.

Make sure you are running an updated antivirus program with updated definitions, and also run a free spyware./adware cleaner program like Lavasoftâ€™s AdAware program. Doing those things should hopefully remove any malware programs you have running that have disabled previous functionality you had on your computer.

Next Tip: Networking classroom computers

Locking browser preferences

Tech & Learning — Mon, 09 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Question: Is there a way to lock the preferences in Netscape or Mozilla so that students cannot change the home page or browser settings?

The IT Guy says:
One way to lock students out of changing browser preferences as well as many other system settings is to use commercial desktop security software like Fortres 101 (http://www.fortres.com/products/fortres_101.htm) or Foolproof Security (http://www.riverdeep.net/.../security.jhtml).

Next Tip: Webpage graphics not loading

Browser Soup-ups(2)

Carol S. Holzberg, PhD. — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 05:00:00 +0000

If an automobile aficionado (okay, 'car nut') can 'soup-up' his or her engine, then why can't a Web whiz soup-up a browser?

After all, Web browsers are the engines that drive us along the 'Information Superhighway' (okay, the Internet). And thanks to their extensible architecture, we can soup-up these browsers' capabilities by installing third-party add-ons called plug-ins. Popular plug-ins from RealNetworks (RealPlayer), Apple (QuickTime), and Macromedia (Flash) run or display multimedia content, empowering browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Safari, and Firefox to play movies, animations, or audio clips right in the browser window. The Web offers several plug-ins for your browsing enjoyment. Here we look at some of the very best!

Pop-up Blockers You can banish annoying pop-up ads by downloading and installing a free pop-up blocker. If you install Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2), you automatically set up a pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer. Read more at "Block Pop-up Windows with Internet Explorer". For Windows operating systems other than XP (SP2) you can obtain free blockers elsewhere. For example, Netscape offers the free Netscape Toolbar for IE: Block Annoying Pop-Ups as does Google with its Google Toolbar. Netscape for Windows and Apple's Safari for Macs include pop-up blockers. Just remember to activate them.
Netscape Desktop Navigator Beef up your Windows-compatible browser with Netscape's Desktop Navigator, a Google-based tool kit available right from the browser window. Desktop Navigator includes a Web search tool, the latest news headlines, local weather, Mapquest access, and more. In preview beta release at the time of this review, it works with any Windows browser. You need only provide your zip code at installation (for local news, weather, movie showtimes, and the like).
Macromedia Flash Player Often you'll visit a Web site and discover that multimedia content (such as video, audio, and animated images) or interactive content (such as menus that slide) does not display correctly. An older or missing Macromedia Flash plug-in might be the culprit. To ensure that you can view Macromedia Flash content on the Web, download and install the Flash Player (at no charge). Setup automatically installs the required files in your browser's plug-ins folder. There are versions available for Mac OS X, Linux, Pocket PC, and Windows. Windows users who want to save Flash movies from the Web while running Internet Explorer should also download and install the Flash Saving Plugin 1.1. Once installed, it places a click-on button in the Internet Explorer toolbar for easy access.
Macromedia Shockwave You'll want to download and install the free Macromedia Shockwave Player to ensure that your browser can play back applications created by Macromedia Director Shockwave Studio. Shockwave offers built-in support for 3-D environments and interactive simulations. There are versions available for Macintosh and Windows, Safari, America Online, Internet Explorer, and Netscape.
Adobe Reader The fashion world has faux fur and Gucci knock-offs; the computer world has PDF (Portable Document Format) to replicate the look and feel of documents created by applications that may not be installed on your computer. When you generate a PDF file from an original, you create a read-only "look-alike," preserving text, graphic, and color layouts. You can share this PDF with others across platforms, networks, and operating systems, even if they don't have an installed copy of the original application or the fonts used to create the document. With the Acrobat Reader plug-in installed, you can view, print, and search these PDFs right from your Internet browser.
Adobe SVG Viewer SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a relatively new file format based on XML (Extensible Markup Language). Smaller in size than its JPEG or GIF raster counterpart, it can hold its resolution at any zoom size. This gives you more precise control over layout, fonts, color fills and gradients, animation, and printing. To ensure that your browser can display SVG files, be sure to download and install Adobe's SVG browser plug-in. It's available for both Mac and Windows platforms.
QuickTime By installing QuickTime (it comes with a browser plug-in), you can view QuickTime animation, video, music, MIDI audio, and VR (Virtual Reality) panoramas directly from your browser window. Apple includes QuickTime on Macs with the installation of the operating system (it's part of the package). On PCs you must visit Apple's QuickTime Web site to download and install the software (it's free).
RealPlayer Those of us who use the Web for classroom instruction or research quickly discover that increasing numbers of Web sites transmit audio and video files over the Internet in RealPlayer format. Without the player installed on your computer, you'll be hard-pressed to enjoy this streaming media extravaganza. At the Real.com Web site you can download RealPlayer versions for Mac OS 8/OS 9/OS X, Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP, Linux, and Unix. Older versions of the player are available from the Real Legacy Software Archive.
Panda ActiveScan This free online antivirus utility works within Internet Explorer 4.0 or later running under Windows. It uses Microsoft's ActiveX technology to scan your hard drive for 70,000+ viruses and Trojan horses. You won't need to install any software. Just connect to the Internet, head for the Panda ActiveScan Web site, and click the Scan Your PC link.
Netscape Browser Central At this plug-in center you'll find links to the five most popular browser plug-ins (QuickTime, RealPlayer, Flash, Shockwave, and Adobe Reader), plus a link to Netscape Plug-in Manager, an online application that will check to see if you have the most popular plug-ins plugged in!
Java Plug-in Technology The Java plug-in enables Windows browsers to run applications, called "applets," written in the Java programming language. Once installed, you can view Java-based 3-D graphics such as the Library of 3-D Molecular Structures or the Clock Applet, as well as play online games, run spreadsheet calculations, and more right from a browser window. The Java 1.4.2 Update for Macintosh OS X browsers is available from Apple.
Cortona VRML Client Plug this VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) client into your browser and you can bring 3-D virtual worlds to your Web desktop. Navigation controls allow you to interact with objects on screen, spin them around, and view them from all angles. A Macintosh compatible version of this browser add-on is available at Cortona VRML Client for Mac.

Carol S. Holzberg, Ph.D., is an anthropologist, educational technology specialist, and computer journalist in Massachusetts.

Browser Soup-Ups

Carol S. Holzberg, PhD. — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 18:12:00 +0000

If an automobile aficionado (okay, ‘car nut’) can ‘soup-up’ his/her engine, then why can’t a Web-whiz soup-up his/her browser?

After all, Web browsers are the engines that drive us along the ‘Information Superhighway’ (okay, the Internet). And thanks to their "extensible" architecture, we can soup-up these browsers capabilities by installing third-party add-ins called plug-ins or plugins. Popular plug-ins from RealNetworks (RealPlayer), Apple (QuickTime), and Macromedia (Flash) run or display multimedia content, empowering browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Safari, Firefox, etc. to play movies, animations, or audio clips right in the browser window. The Web offers several plug-ins for your browsing enjoyment. Here we look at some of the very best!

Pop-up Blockers

You can banish annoying pop-up ads by downloading and installing a free pop-up blocker. If you install Window XP SP2 (Service Patch 2) you automatically set up a pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer. Read more at “Block Pop-up Windows with Internet Explorer” (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx).

But for Windows operating systems other than XP (SP2) you can obtain free blockers elsewhere. For example, Netscape offers the free Netscape Toolbar for IE: Block Annoying Pop-Ups

(http://channels.netscape.com/ns/search/install.jsp) as does Google with its Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com). Netscape for Windows and Apple's Safari for Macintosh include popup blockers. Just remember to activate them.

Netscape Desktop Navigator

Beef up your Windows-compatible browser with Netscape's Desktop Navigator, a Google-based toolkit available right from the browser window. Desktop Navigator includes a Web search tool, the latest news headlines, local weather, Mapquest access and more. In Preview Beta release at the time of this review, it works with any Windows browser. You need only provide your ZIP code at installation (for local news, weather, and movie showtimes, etc.).

Macromedia Flash Player

Often you'll visit a Web site and discover that multimedia content (such as video, audio, and animated images) or interactive content (such as menus that slide) does not display correctly. An older or missing Macromedia Flash plug-in might be the culprit. To ensure that you can view Macromedia Flash content on the Web, download and install the Flash Player (at no charge). Setup automatically installs the required files in your browser's plug-ins folder. There are versions available for Mac OS X, Linux, Pocket PC and Windows. Windows users, who want to save flash movies from the Web while running Internet Explorer, should also download and install Flash Saving Plugin 1.1 (http://www.unhsolutions.net/Flash-Saving-Plugin/index.shtml). Once installed, it places a click-on button in the Internet Explorer toolbar for easy access.

Macromedia Shockwave

You'll want to download and install the free Macromedia Shockwave Player to ensure that your browser can play back applications created by Macromedia Director Shockwave Studio. Shockwave offers built-in support for 3D environments and interactive simulations. There are versions available for Macintosh and Windows, Safari, America Online, Internet Explorer and Netscape.

Adobe Reader

The fashion world has faux fur and Gucci knock-offs; the computer world has PDF (Portable Document Format) to replicate the look and feel of documents created by applications that may not be installed on your computer. When you generate a PDF file from an original, you create a read-only "look-alike," preserving text, graphic and color layouts. You can share this PDF with others across platforms, networks, and operating systems even if they don't have an installed copy of the original application, or the fonts used to create the document. With the Acrobat Reader plug-in installed, you can view, print, and search these PDFs right from your Internet browser. There are versions of Acrobat Reader available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.

Adobe SVG Viewer

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a relatively new file format based on the XML (Extensible Markup Language) Smaller in size than its JPEG or GIF raster counterpart, it can hold its resolution at any zoom size. This gives you more precise control over layout, fonts, color fills and gradients, animation and printing. To ensure that your browser can display SVG files, be sure to download and install Adobe's SVG browser plug-in. It's available for both Mac and Windows platforms.

QuickTime

By installing QuickTime (it comes with a browser plug-in), you can view QuickTime animation, video, music, MIDI audio, and VR (Virtual Reality) panoramas directly from your browser window. Apple installs QuickTime on Macs with the installation of the Operating System (it's part of the package). On PCs you must visit Apple's QuickTime Web site to download and install the software (it's free). QuickTime is also bundled with Apple's iTunes for Mac and Windows.

RealPlayer

Those of us who use the Web for classroom instruction or research quickly discover that increasing numbers of Web sites transmit audio and video files over the Internet in RealPlayer format. Without the Realmedia player installed on your computer, you'll be hard-pressed to enjoy this streaming media extravaganza. At the Real.com Web site you can download RealPlayer versions for Mac OS X, Macintosh OS 8/OS 9 Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP, Linux & Unix. Older versions of the player are available from Real Legacy Software Archive ( http://forms.real.com/real/player/blackjack.html?src=092804rpchoice_1_2_2_1_1_3)

Panda ActiveScan

This free online antivirus utility works within Internet Explorer 4.0 or later running under Windows. It uses Microsoft's ActiveX technology to scan your hard drive for 70,000+ viruses and Trojan Horses. You won't need to install any software. Just connect to the Internet, head for the Panda ActiveScan Web site and click the Scan Your PC link. Trend Micro's HouseCall (http://housecall.trendmicro.com) also uses ActiveX controls to perform scanning through the browser and detect viruses already active on your hard drive.

Netscape Browser Central

At this plug-in center you'll find links to the 5 most popular browser plug-ins (QuickTime, RealPlayer, Flash, Shockwave and Reader), plus a link to Netscape Plugin Manager (http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/pi_manager.jsp), an online application that will check to see if you have the most popular plugins plugged in!

Java Plug-in Technology

The Java Plug-in enables Windows browsers to run applications, called "applets," written in the Java programming language. Once installed, you can view Java-based 3D graphics such as Library of 3D Molecular Structures ( http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/library/ ) or Clock Applet (http://java.sun.com/openstudio/applets/clock.html), as well as play online games, run spreadsheet calculations, and more right from a browser window. The Java 1.4.2 Update ( http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/javaupdate142.html) for Macintosh OS X browsers is available from Apple.

Cortona VRML Client

Plug this VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) client into your Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, etc.) and you can bring 3D virtual worlds to your Web desktop. Navigation controls allow you to interact with objects on screen, spin them around, and view them from all angles. For example, you can tour a cardiac museum, explore the classic Jaguar XJ220, change the color of a chair, and visit The Farm (http://www.optimum-web.com/vrml/farm/flash.htm). A Macintosh compatible version of this browser add-on is available at Cortona VRML Client for Mac (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortonamac/).

Different Browsers for PC and Mac?

Tech & Learning — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 05:00:00 +0000

I have a PC at school and a Macintosh at home. I use Internet Explorer to browse the Web on both computers. Iâ€™m taking an online course and am finding that sites that work just fine at school donâ€™t seem to work as well at home. Why is that?

Internet Explorer was designed for the PC world initially, and although it usually works on a Mac, users do run into problems with some sites. Check the operating system youâ€™re running on the Mac. If itâ€™s System X 10.2.8 or later, you can use Safari, the default browser for System X. Check the Apple Web site for more information.

I have both a PC and a Mac and started using Safari when I upgraded my System X software. So far, it has worked like a charm.

Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young

Next Tip: Whoâ€™s the Best Representative?

Changing the Default Web Browser

Tech & Learning — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Question: How do I change the default browser for Web links?

The IT Guy says:
In Windows XP, there are several ways to do this. If you want another program other than Internet Explorer to serve as the default Web browser, generally this will be set upon installing the alternative browser. If you want to change the default Web browser back to IE, opening IE will by default provide a prompt asking if you want IE set as the default Web browser. If you do not see that prompt, in IE choose Tools â€“ Internet Options, then click the Programs tab. Make sure the checkbox at the bottom of the menu that reads â€œInternet Explorer should check to see if it is the default browserâ€ is checked.

In Macintosh OS X, change the default Web browser by using Safari preferences. In Safari, choose the Safari menu and then Preferences. In the General tab, select your preferred default Web browser from the popup menu.

Next Tip: Kid-safe Macintosh Kiosk

Change Default Browser Back to IE

Wesley Fryer — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Question: How can I change my default Web browser back to Internet Explorer? One of my students installed Netscape and now whenever we click a link in a Word file, the Web page opens in Netscape instead of Internet Explorer.

The IT Guy says:
In Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP, choose TOOLS — INTERNET OPTIONS and click the PROGRAMS tab. Make sure the checkbox at the bottom is checked (itâ€™s for the option â€œInternet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser.â€ Click OK to save the settings, close Internet Explorer, then open it again. A prompt will appear asking whether you want IE to be set as the default browser. Click YES.

In Macintosh OS 10.3, the default Web browser setting is set within the Safari Web browser. Open Safari and choose the SAFARI menu and then PREFERENCES. Click the GENERAL tab, and select the desired default browser (in this case, Internet Explorer) from the menu at the top.

Next Tip: Client Access License Problems

Make Mac Safari browser emulate IE

Tech & Learning — Thu, 03 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Question: Our district has a Web site for professional development that requires us to login. However, when I try to use the Safari Web browser on my Macintosh computer, I get an error message saying I must use Internet Explorer for Windows. Is there a way to work around this problem?

The IT Guy says:
There may be, depending on the type of browser input which your district Web site is requiring. This is actually a fairly common problem in the business world as well, as many online banking sites and others use pages set to test for browser compatibility and reject any browser except Microsoft IE, and sometimes accept only the Windows version of IE. Obviously this phenomenon must bring Microsoft much glee, but it causes justifiable frustration for users like yourself.

It is not very hard to create accessible websites that â€œplay wellâ€ with a variety of Web browsers, and I would encourage you along with others in your district to make that case to the IT department responsible for creating and maintaining the Web site in question. In the meantime, however, you may be able to take advantage of a â€œdebugâ€ feature in Macintosh OS Xâ€™s Safari Web browser. By default, the â€œdebugâ€ menu is turned off in Safari, and it requires a command in the terminal (yikes!) to enable it. Thankfully, you can download a free AppleScript from VersionTracker which will make this change for you. Visit Safari Debugger to access the fix. But quit Safari before double clicking the AppleScript. Then the next time you open Safari you should see a â€œDebugâ€ menu on the right side of the menu bar at the top of the screen. Choose DEBUG — USER AGENT — WINDOWS MSIE 6.0 to make all websites you visit identify your Web browser as if it were Microsoftâ€™s finest.

Again, depending on the Web features used by the site, this may or may not work, but in many cases it will be enough to â€œget you in the doorâ€ and access Web content previously reserved for just Windows IE users.

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Changing Default Web Browser in Windows

Tech & Learning — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Question: My default browser is IE6. However, when I am on the Internet and I click a hypertext link, my Netscape browser goes into action. What's with that?? How do I fix it?

The IT Guy says:
It is unusual for a hypertext link you are viewing within Internet Explorer to open Netscape. Generally links within a browser will open within that same browser. However, it can happen if you save a bookmark or favorite from your browser into My Documents, your desktop, or another location on your hard drive, and then double click that icon. The reason a different browser other than IE could open is because your default web browser may have been set to be Netscape. This happens when you installed the Netscape browser. Whenever a new program is installed on a Windows computer, often the program will give you an option or by default "take over" ownership of certain file types. Making a system change, where the assignment of the default program used when a file with a particular extension is opened is changed, does this.

You can view the default programs for different file types in Windows XP by opening a new window (like opening My Computer), clicking on the TOOLS menu, and choosing FOLDER OPTIONS. Then click the tab for FILE TYPES. A list of all different file extensions and the software program set to open that file type by default will be displayed.

Rather than change the file assignment in that window, however, I recommend changing your default web browser back to IE (in Windows XP using IE6) by opening Internet Explorer, and from the TOOLS menu selecting INTERNET OPTIONS. Click on the PROGRAMS tab, and at the bottom of the window click the check-box beside "Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser." Also check to make sure Netscape is not selected as the default program for newsgroups, email, or any of the other menu selections. If it is, that could explain why Netscape launches from within Internet Explorer. Then close Internet Explorer. Reopen IE, and when prompted if you want to make IE your default web browser, choose yes.

If this does not fix the problem, I would recommend that you uninstall Netscape and reinstall the full version of IE. You can download it from www.microsoft.com/windows/ie.

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