Whose history? Your history!

myHistro is an app that gives students the ability to create interactive, embeddable timelines for use in Canvas or as projects on their own. Users can incorporate text, audio and video alongside a Google Map that can play at a designated pace or that the user can click-through on their own.

myHistro gives students the ability to demonstrate their understanding of historical events and offers an incredibly rich use case scenario for a lot of classrooms. Check out this example of a myHistro project - the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

Happy creating!

Office 365 for Your iPad or Computer-it's FREE

Microsoft Office is now available as a FREE download for use on your computer and iPad.

Here's how to get Office 365:

1. Click on this link and sign in using your Bay Path email. Note: this link will open in a new window.  You'll be sent a message asking you to confirm your identity and set up an account.
2. Once you have created an account you can download the Microsoft Office 365 products (Excel, PowerPoint, Word etc.) individually onto your computer.
3. On your iPad, you can also download your favorited Microsoft 365 app from the App store.

Read about Microsoft's free Office 365 subscriptions here. 

If you would like to learn more about how to add Office365 to your teaching toolbox, contact: 

• the Center for Online and Digital Learning by emailing online@baypath.edu or calling 413.565.6880

If you have any difficulties with subscribing or downloading Office365, contact:

• the IT Department by emailing techsupport@baypath.edu or calling 413.565.1487 

Happy working!

Paper App: Everything For Free!

Do you like to sketch, draw, or paint on iPad? Know someone else who does? If so, today is a great day for you (or them)!

Paper, a drawing app by Fifty Three (not the one by Facebook), today announced that all of their In-App Purchases are now free. The coolest feature is Mix, which allows users to create together, much like an artist and inker on a comic book.

Happy Drawing!

Digital Storytelling: Adobe Voice

During our iPad session yesterday we explored three Digital Storytelling tools: iMovie, Adobe Voice and Storehouse. There was a lot of interest in both Adobe Voice and Storehouse, and this entry is all about Adobe Voice.

Want to know more about Digital Storytelling? Let me know in the comments and I'll post as much more information as requested!

Note: This video took me less time to create than it did to upload it to YouTube, write this post and publish it.

Permalink: http://youtu.be/Vre8A9yGjw0 

Creating Digital Books

Want to create a textbook for your students? Looking for an alternative way to present information? With this week's release of the Kindle Textbook Creator as a jumping off point, here are a few links to get you started on creating books for mobile devices.


For Kindle:

https://kdp.amazon.com/edu

For iOS and Android:

http://www.redjumper.net/bookcreator/

For OS X and iOS:

http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author

Podcasts: A Primer

Transmitter by Dave Tappy. CC by 3.0

Podcast: a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.

In the last few years, podcasting has taken off, invigorating a new crop of storytellers and introducing (or in some cases, reintroducing) people to new and exciting content. Likely, you've heard of the term at one time or another. Apple bundled it's own Podcast app with iOS 8, causing a lot of "What?" and "Huh?" comments from lots of users.

In just three steps, I'd like to give some insight into this world of free content. And the amount of free content available is staggering.

To get started, either watch the video or read the steps below. Or both. Your call.

1. Find a good podcast player. There are a lot of podcast apps for Android, Windows Phone, and iOS. 
• I really like Overcast.
2. Using the device-specific store, look for content that appeals to you.
• Look for content collections such as Education, Public Radio, Technology or Sports to get started. Or if you're looking for something new. There is something for everyone.
• My rotation currently includes current news, long-form journalism, multiple comedy shows, true stories told live on stage, comic book history and an NPR-style public radio drama as if Twin Peaks or the X-Files were real.
3. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy.

In the next post, I'll talk about how you and your students can create your own podcasts.

Recommended Browser Extensions & Add-Ons

Browser Extensions are the best. Anything that cuts a workflow in half or removes distractions, I'm 100% for it. Here are some of my favorites:

AdBlock: Safari/Chrome
1Password: Safari/Chrome
Evernote Web Clipper: Safari/Chrome
Facebook Blocker: Safari
Facebook Disconnect: Safari/Chrome
Disconnect: Chrome
Clearly: Chrome
Save to Drive: Chrome
Awesome Screenshot: Safari/Chrome
Turn off the Lights: Safari

There are lots more for Safari here and Chrome here. You can find information for Firefox here and Internet Explorer here.

If you use any Extensions or Add-Ons daily, leave a comment and let us know all about it!

One Best Thing

Apple introduced the free One Best Thing series earlier this year, and it's worth checking out.

Over a hundred Apple Distinguished Educators from around the globe created iBooks with best practices for all areas of the curriculum. These books don't just fall with Apple Apps - they run the gamut (although to be fair, they are iOS specific stories and only work on devices with iBooks installed).

Take a look at the list if your looking for some inspiration! Happy hunting!

Permalink: http://search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZContentLink.woa/wa/link?path=onebestthing

Free Media for Classroom Use

Using Open Source and Fair Use resources challenge and educate our students in digital literacy, sharing, research and citation skills.

Below are some of my favorite places to find content, and we have the awesome folks over at Hatch to help with everything our students need.

The Noun Project: Icons

Open Culture: Written Works, Text Books, Movies

Project Gutenberg: Written Works (including Shelley, Stoker, Joyce and Kafka)

Creative Commons: Images, Audio, Web, Video

Unsplash: Images

Using Google to search for free content: View Lesson 3.

Stick Around. For Free.

I stumbled across a free iOS app that I'd like to share with everyone: Stick Around.

"Unlike most learning game apps, Stick Around is open-ended; it isn't limited to the content it comes with. Stick Around is all about empowering teachers and students to make puzzles with their own information, images, and drawings. Stick Around can be used over and over again for just about any topic or grade level. "
(http://learninginhand.com/blog/2014/12/14/make-learning-stick-around-infographic)

It looks like an app that has way more potential that a cursory view gives away - Download it now and give it a try. It appears to be deeply integrated with Explain Everything, so depending on the use of that in your course, some really neat stuff could be created!

Note: It is only available for free December 15 and 16.

My Maps: New in Google Drive

Google has just launched My Maps, a new way to connect content to the visual medium of Maps.

There are lots of possibilities (I already have one brewing...) as you can label areas and create your own directions for field trips, away games and lots more. Check out the launch page for some tips on how to get started!

If your Drive has not been updated, you can access the site here. Happy Mapping!

Autodesk Software for Students and Educators. For Free.

The Twitter headline is "Any student. Any teacher. Any institution. ANYWHERE," and they aren't kidding! Autodesk, makers of 3D design and imaging applications, announced that all of their software is free for students and faculty, available here. The list is exhaustive, but note that SketchBook Express for iPad is there.

Go get 'em!!

Permalink: http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all

Coding. It's a Big Deal.

Code by Eugen Belyakoff (CC by 3.0)


Coding. It's kind of a big deal.

There are a lot of free, web-based tools to help students of all ages learn how to code. These sites will help them learn how to make their own smart phone app, control the lights on Christmas Trees at the White House or create their own beats.

You never know when you'll help a student unlock their potential!

Code.org
Madewithcode.com
Scratch
Scratch, Jr.

The New York Times. For Free.

How great would it be if you could access the New York Times for free? Thanks to the awesome Hatch Library staff, you can! (Note: This is for current faculty, staff and students only!)

Please visit the Reference Guides site for all the information you need to get started!

Office. For iPad. For Free.

Microsoft has just released Office for free on the iPad, and the Center for Online & Digital Learning and Student iPad Assistants are here to help.

But wait? Wasn't Office free before? It was. The new version allows users to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. The files can then be stored on the iPad, One Drive or Dropbox. Click here for more information!

There are, as with everything free, a few caveats. Please read this page for what you can and can't do with the free version. For instance, users cannot Track Changes or use Landscape mode without upgrading to Office 365.

If you have questions regarding Office on your iPad or iPhone, please contact the Student iPad Assistants for help!

Android Users: Sign up for the preview version now.


Permalink:
http://products.office.com/en-us/mobile/?WT.mc_id=OAN_en-us_bnr_MSCOM-Prog-iPad
http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/products/office-resources-FX102896045.aspx#Resource6

Getting Organized!

Links to help you Get Organized!

Evernote - https://evernote.com
Evernote Introduction - https://evernote.com/introduction
Evernote Apps - https://appcenter.evernote.com/
Evernote Family of Products - https://evernote.com/products/

As we discussed, some things you can put into your One Workspace:

• Recording of a student advising or tutoring session
• Clippings from your Gmail conversations
• Marked up PDFs via Skitch
• Syllabi
• Classroom Prep with all your material and a reminder in the same note
• Flash Cards and Citation assistance via Study Blue and RefMe
• Sunrise Calendar offers Google Calendar and Evernote integration

Need help finding the 'right' app for you?

iOS App Store: Productivity - https://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios-productivity/id6007?mt=8
Google Play: Productivity - https://play.google.com/store/apps/category/PRODUCTIVITY
Windows Phone: Tools and Productivity - http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/top-free-apps/tools-productivity/toolsandproductivity
Mac App Store: Choose Productivity from the right-hand drop Category drop down. There is also a Get Stuff Done category currently live.

Referencing Made Easy

For those of us who do a lot of research and paper writing (but maybe don't love it...) I've found the following apps that may come in handy. I'm going to work with both of them this semester, and thought you may find them interesting:

RefMe  - Create references for multiple types of media and export to popular formats like APA and MLA. Web-based, with apps for iOS and Android. Free.

Video Overview of RefMe

Papers - Search for and create references via academic journals and Google Scholar. Supports in-app annotations. Can sync with iOS, Mac, Windows and Web. $79 desktop and $9.99 iOS. Papers is very loaded with content, hence the hefty price tag.

Happy Referencing!

 Wednesday. September 17. 1:00-ish. 

Apple announced that iOS 8 will be live and available for download around 1pm on Wednesday afternoon. Very quickly, know the impact it will make:

• Downloads. Lots of Downloads: The network may feel a pinch around this time, as lots of Faculty, Staff and Students update their iOS devices. Plan accordingly.
• Back Up Your Content: If you don't have a current back up (e.g. as of the moment before you want to download the new software), don't do it. If an error occurs while downloading that compromises your device, you may be out of luck until you connect it to a computer and redownload the software.
• User Names & Passwords: Keep a list of user names & passwords ready, especially your Apple ID. Go here for support for all-things Apple ID.
• Change is Coming: There are a lot of new enhancements and changes with this release. Visit this link to familiarize yourself with what's been shared with the public so far.
• iCloud Drive: Do NOT choose this option when given. iCloud Drive is not yet fully functional and may wipe out your content. Wait until Yosemite comes out later this year to opt-in.

Lastly, I have one piece of sage advice to leave you with: You don't have to get it. As with all new releases, it's not mandatory. But eventually, the apps you love won't work with iOS 6 and I know you've been avoiding iOS 7...

I'm here if you have any questions or concerns. Happy updating!