How2App: Notability

How2App is a video tutorial series about how to start using an app and learn the basics of using it.

This week, I made a video detailing the awesome features of Notability.

For your viewing pleasure

Notability is truly an A+ app. I highly recommend it to any student.

Using Google Takeout to create an archive of your Google Account

It's close to that time of year for High School Seniors: Graduation. If your school is like mine, every student has a school-issued Google Account. And the best way to make sure you have all of your data for the years ahead is to use Google Takeout.

The 16 Google Products currently supported

To begin, navigate to the Google Takeout page, log into your Google Account, and click the "Create an archive" button.

The Configuration screen

You will then be moved to the configuration screen to choose what of your data you would like to keep.

Now we wait

After you properly configure your archive, the process begins. This may take several minutes or several hours depending on how much data is being compressed.

So big, you need to download it twice

Once your data is ready, you will receive a notification via email. Click the download button, and your data is now truly yours.

It's important to note a few safety tips regarding your data. Google has them listed as followed:

Keep these in mind so that your data remains protected.

How2App: Subtext

How2App is a video tutorial series about how to start using an app and learn the basics of using it.

This week's app, Subtext, is a classroom-based reading app that allows teachers to keep track of their students' reading progress and allows them to distribute assignments and exercises to their students.

Chromebook vs. iPad

1:1 programs and technology integration is a recent trend sweeping the nation. Schools seek to use technology to augment the learning process. Indeed, many resources exist online that help students of all ages and grades with learning new concepts. I myself take notes over PDFs, as I find it a much more efficient process that the classic pen-and-paper. A question that every school district needs to ask is "What device to use?". Though my school uses iPads, I recently have had the opportunity to use a Samsung Chromebook to test its capabilities vs. the iPad's. Here are the pros and cons of the Chromebook that I have found so far:

Pros:

• Deep integration with Google Services
• Full keyboard
• 2 USB Ports (1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0)
• 1 HDMI Port
• 1 Standard SD Card Slot
• Ability to expand to an external hard drive or flash drive
• Chromecast Support
• Chrome App Store
• Ability to use extensions
• 11.6 inch screen
• Ability to plug in a full keyboard and a mouse

Cons:

• Little to no ability to annotate .PDF files
• Bulky
• Trackpad is difficult to use for larger hands
• Somewhat flimsy plastic frame

Overall, I find that the iPad is currently the better option for schoolwork. The touchscreen allows for very user-friendly interaction, and it has a much wider selection of applications available. Still, some features such as USB ports and the full keyboard are sorely missed features on the iPad.

Practice with Movenote: How to Raise a Young Roof

Today I practiced using an online presentation software called Movenote. It allows you to give a video lecture and pair with a slideshow that moves between slides when you tell it to. This is a short Movenote I made to test the software's capabilities.

Overall, I find Movenote to be easy to use, and it is definitely a useful tool in the classroom.

Wearable Technology and its Application in the Classroom

2014 is being heralded as the "Year of Wearable Tech" by journalists all across the internet, and for good reason. The following companies have released or have announced plans to release some form of wearable technology by the end of 2014:

• Google
• Samsung
• Meta
• HTC
• Qualcomm
• Pebble
• Sony
• Fitbit
• Oculus VR
• Razer

The Samsung Galaxy Gear

But what does this mean for education? The majority of wearable technology is being marketed as smartphone accessories rather than as standalone devices. This type of wearable tech serves to bring you notifications and other information directly from your phone. Google's Glass and Meta's Spaceglasses, on the other hand, are miniature computers integrated into glasses. Both project information onto screens in front of the users' eyes, and allow you to navigate around the device using voice commands and hand gestures. Of the two, the Meta Spaceglasses seems to be more capable of handling heavy amounts of coursework. It actually projects a 3D display in front of you (a close comparison is the display on the Ironman Suit from the Ironman movies), and allows you to interact with it as if it actually existed in real space in front of you. This would allow students

Some of the features of the Spaceglasses demonstrated in an advertisement

Another wearable technology that could have application in education is the Oculus Rift produced by Oculus VR. It turns a computer into a breeding ground for virtual reality. It was primarily designed to be used with video games, allowing you to see a game world as if it was in front of your own two eyes. It can also allow you to bring your computer to your eyes as well. With it, you can be completely immersed in videos and webpages, turning learning into a fluid and natural experience.

The Oculus Rift

Wearable Technology is still in its infancy.  It is currently limited in what it can do, but it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the future. I think that within the next 10 years, wearable technology will grow from smartphone accessories and gimmicky Google searchers into full on computers that we integrate into both our education system, and our everyday lives.