Keeping up with Technology

Keeping up with technology in the business offices, classrooms, and all points in between can improve the schools operations. 

For example, once you wake up, what is the first device you grab? For instance you might reach for your cellphone, iPad, or laptop to find out what has happened while you were sleeping. You might commute to work in a vehicle with global-positioning systems to show you the best route; we wait for green lights that are programmed to help traffic move with the greatest efficiency; and we are careful not to run a red ligt out because the surveillance camera hovering above the intersection will capture our indiscretion. Even before we stumble out of our beds for the day, technology is intertwined in our lives.

So how can we keep up with Technology?

Managing your reading and rss feeds

Zite is an awesome mobile app for educators. It “gives you personalized news, articles, blogs, videos and other content from a variety of both mainstream publications and sites”.  Zite attempts to customize and deliver the type of articles you like to read in a newspaper style reading. It's Wifi-Connection or 4G enabled which means that you can easily access news content with a tap of a button.


Here is a short video tutorial to help you understand how to use Zite on your iPad

Feedly is a cool mobile app. It allows its users to get the latest updates of their favorite blogs and websites right into their iPhone, Droid devices, and iPads. If you are already an existing Google Reader user then this is your ”faster and more visual overlay with lots for sharing options and seamless 2-way integration”. For me i look at Feedly as a learning app and stay up-to-date on blogs, and websites instead of bookmarking them in a browser.

Here is a short video tutorial to help you understand how to use Feedly on your iPad

There are so many rss feeders to assist you on the go for reading your different blogs and websites, you just need to find the right combination for your needs. So here are some more to check into and see if they fit what you might be looking for; Flipboard, NewsSquares, NewsMix, and Newsify

Managing all those Tweets

If you feel overwhelmed with all of your tweets, check out tweetdeck. Tweetdeck can be accessed from Mac App Store or adding it as a Chrome extension. Similar to tweetdeck is Hootsuite. Its up to you to find the option that works for you as an educator. There are so many hashtags to follow: #2020howardwinn, #edcamphwinn, #iaedchat, #iPadchat and many more to explore.  If you would like to explore more about what the @ or # meaning check out our website twitter for teachers.

Maximizing your time for locating Apps

Time is always of the essence so when it comes to looking for an app its always great to find it in the palm of your hand. Check out these apps and hopefully they will save you valuable time for lesson plan ideas.

TechChef4u app offers multiple resources to support teachers and parents in their search for FREE quality apps for students. While the TechChef4U app is an educational app store that provides searchable and categorized lists of FREE apps for Pre-K-12, the app doesn't stop there. Check it out!

The TeacherCast app includes great App Reviews, Podcasts, Blogs, and Screencasts as well as links to their Twitter, FaceBook, and Daily Newspaper. This is the easiest and reliable one stop shop for all educational needs.

Last but not forgotten is the AppShopper. With out the AppShopper it would be hard to figure out what app happened to become FREE for a limited time frame. 

What app or applications do you use to stay organized or up-to-date with the latest technology?