Using Google Chrome

Google Chrome

There are many advantages of using Chrome instead of Internet Explorer.

1.       It loads pages faster.

2.       You can sign into chrome on any computer and have access to all your bookmarks and apps and extensions.

3.       It has apps and extensions.

4.       You can enter a search term straight into the address bar.

5.       It remembers your passwords on any computer.

Google Chrome can be downloaded from:  https://www.google.com/chrome/?installdataindex=nosearch&hl=en-GB&brand=CHMB&utm_campaign=en-GB&utm_source=en-GB-ha-emea-ie-sk&utm_medium=ha

Sign in to Chrome

You can sign in to Chrome to access browser settings, such as bookmarks and apps, that have been synced to your Google Account.

Follow these steps to sign in:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the wrench icon on the browser toolbar.
3. Select Sign in to Chrome
4. Sign in to your Google Account in the dialog that appears.
5. In the "Confirm Sync Preferences" dialog that appears, choose what you want to sync.
• Sync everything: Click the "OK, sync everything" button.
• Choose specific items to sync: Click "Advanced" and select "Choose what to sync" from the drop down menu. Select the checkboxes for the items you want to sync.
• Apps from the Chrome Web Store
• Autofill (except for credit card numbers)
• Bookmarks
• Extensions from the Chrome Web Store (except those containing plug-ins)
• Omnibox History
• Passwords
• Preferences
• Themes
• Open tabs

6.                 6 Click OK.

Common questions about signing in to Chrome

http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2390059&topic=1693469&ctx=topic

What are apps?

Web-based applications are programs that are designed to be used entirely within the browser. Using apps, you can do things like create documents, edit photos, and listen to music, engage in educational activities without having to install complicated software.

These days, websites are capable of dynamic functionality that you expect from desktop applications on your computer. We call these robust sites web apps, or "apps" for short. If you use services like Gmail or Google Maps, you're already using apps! Apps have the following advantages over desktop applications:

• Apps install in seconds, with one click of a button. You don’t even have to restart your browser or computer.
• Your apps are always available. No matter what computer you’re using, you can always access your apps.
• Apps are always up-to-date. Because apps are hosted on the web where they can be instantly updated, you can be sure you're always using the latest version of the app that's available.
• Apps won’t crash your computer. If one app misbehaves, just close its tab in the browser. Your browser and computer won’t be affected.

Google Chrome Apps can be downloaded from the Chrome Web store:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/home?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

When you click on the link then choose the Education link at the left of the screen. Some good education Apps are:

WordSearch    http://www.wordsearch1.com/WordSearchChrome.php

Word Search   Mobsor Wordsearch

What are extensions?

Use extensions to personalize Google Chrome with extra features and functionality. Check out extensions that are available in Chrome Web Store .

Learn more about extensions:

• What are extensions?
• Install extensions

Extensions to use with Literacy students: Speak It and Google Dictionary.

Speak it= highlight text then click the icon, highlighted text will be read.

Google Dictionary: double click any word to get pop up definition.

Text to Speech (Google Chrome Plugin)

SpokenText is a simple and intuitive text to speech/audio converter, you can record (English, French, Spanish or German) PDF, Word, plain text, PowerPoint files, and web pages, and convert them to speech automatically. Using it you can easily create audio recordings (in English, French, Spanish and German) of any text content.  Record books, articles,web pages, your papers class notes or any other text content you want to have available to you in audio format. So that you can listen while you commute or exercise. It is also a great way to check your writing for grammar and spelling errors. 

Dropbox explained

Dropbox Explained

Helping your student to develop basic computer skills.

Mouse Skills

Some easy exercises to allow your student to get a feel for the mouse.

1. Using the Calculator. For students who have not used a mouse before open the calculator and ask your student to click on different numbers.

2. Open the Paint program, select a colour then ask your student to draw some shapes.

3. Open any program and ask your student to click on the minimise button, toggle between that and full screen.

4. Go to http://www.mouseprogram.com/ and follow the exercises.

5. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/computertutorone/index.shtml for an excellent introduction to using the mouse and keyboard.

6. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/courses/computer-basics/lessons/the-mouse/ from BBC Webwise. This is an excellent starting point for learning mouse skills.

A great starting point when you are introducing computer basics with your student is the BBCs Webwise website. This site covers the basics through interactive instruction. The site covers the following:

· Components

· How to use a mouse

· How to use a keyboard

· Icons and windows

· Files

· Using the web

· Email and sharing

· Safety and Privacy

· Glossary of terms

The address of the site is http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise

Creating a listening and reading exercise using Microsoft Word

Digital Storytelling in plain english

Learning with Apture

Visually the internet can be confusing, you can be reading a page on a particular topic and if you click on a link in that topic you are usually taken to another page and so on. After a while you have several pages open and as a result it is easy to get sidetracked or confused. Apture is a piece of software which allows you to explore a topic without leaving the page you are on.

When you click on a link a small window pops up with search results from google, videos or images related to the word you have selected, you can then explore the topic further without having to open a number of new pages.

To use Apture all you have to do is highlight any word on the web page and a ‘Learn more’ tab will appear click on this tab and the small window will appear.

Here’s an example from our Student Writing blog using the story about Florence Nightingale as an example:

Some Apture tips:

The Apture extension can be downloaded here

Google voice search

Google voice search.
Google has just added voice search to its new web browser Google Chrome 11 (beta). This could be useful to those students who would not be confident of spelling the search terms they want accurately.
To set this up you will need to download Google Chrome 11 and also install the Speechify Voice search application.

Download Google Chrome (BETA)

Download the voice extension

Digital Storytelling Tools for Educators

Digital Storytelling
From
Digital Storytelling Tools for Educators
By Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

The Dozen Digital Storytelling Skills written by Bernajean Porter in her book “Digitales:
The Art of Telling Digital Stories”
1. Cognitive Apprenticeship — practicing real-world work of digital communication
2. Creativity and Inventive Thinking — creating multi-sensory experiences for others
3. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) — going beyond existing information to add personal meaning and understanding
4. Enduring Understanding — by telling the story of what you know and understand for others, authors deepen their own self-meaning of the topic
5. Visual Literacy — using images to show, not tell, the narrative story
6. Technical Literacy — mastering the craftsmanship of applying the technology tools to create powerful communication, not to just use the tools, but to mix and dance the media into illuminated understandings
7. Information (Media) Literacy — thinking, reading, writing, and designing effective media information
8. Effective Communication — reading and writing information beyond words
9. Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles — addressing not only the opportunity for students to use their preferred mode of learning and thinking, but also enabling them to practice the effective use of all modalities
10. Teaming and Collaboration — growing skills through practiced opportunities to co-produce group projects
11.Project Management Mentality — Melvin Levin's challenge for students to practice time management of complex, involved tasks to successfully meet deadlines modeling real-world tasks
12. Exploring Affinity — Melvin Levin's findings that when students create meaningful, engaged work, they discover themselves as successful learners.

Download the free ebook here


Digital Storytelling Resources
• Center for Digital Storytelling
http://www.storycenter.org/
• National Storytelling Network
http://www.storynet.org/
• ISTE Digital Storytelling Wiki
http://digitalstorytelling.iste.wikispaces.net/
• Media Gallery of Digital Storytelling Examples from Marco Torres
http://cinedelagente.com/
• Podcasting in the Classroom
http://www.intelligenic.com/blog/
• Digitales- The Art of Telling Digital Stories
http://www.digitales.us/

Adult Education

Paulo Freire


Malcolm Knowles

Barcodes and QR Codes as Assistive Technology

As smart phones become more widely used, the ability of people to access media in a quick and easy way could be used to provide assistance to those with low literacy.

QR(Quick Response)Codes are small square blocks of data which a smart phone can scan
this directs the phone to a website or file on the net.

QR Code

Barcode

QR Codes are being adopted by the Property Sales sector in the US and currently some Irish Newspaper Property advertisements carry QR Codes which when scanned bring the user to a page with information on that particular property.

TESCO have developed a shopping app for phones which allows users to scan products at home. This creates a list of products and also gives a total price. The shopper scans the barcode on the back of the product to add it to the list.

ALDI now use QR codes on their flyers to bring people to their website.

This technology could be used to bring a user to an audio file of the page which contains the QR Code.

The technology is easy to use, each smart phone has a camera and scanning software, the user opens the scanning app, points the camera at the QR Code it scans it, the user is then taken to the audio file where they press play to listen to the audio.

Tutors can make use of this technology to create audio files to support a student’s reading and there are many other assistive and learning applications of this technology.

While most people in Ireland do not yet possess a smart phone the numbers are increasing all the time and the price of the handsets are becoming affordable. This means that most people will be carrying mobile internet in their pocket within the next few years.

Where they could be used:

Public Signs



Bills

Shopping

Tesco mobile app

Books made QR:

Google Maps & Street View

Google Maps and Street View
Google Maps and Street View present tutors with an opportunity to engage in authentic learning activities. It will allow a student to explore their local area, read signs, browse shop windows, learn directions, view road markings, find business and local services and also learn about the area’s history.
Google Maps

View Larger Map

How to use Google Maps
To access Google Maps
Go to: http://maps.google.ie/
In the search box type the location you want to display.

Once you have found the location and displayed it you can zoom in or out and access Street View by using the Control options on the left of the screen:

Use the arrows to move left or right, use the + or – to zoom in or out.
To access Street View drag the little orange man onto the map.
Video






Activities
Street Signs
Street View can be used to explore street signs in your local area. Place the mouse over an object in street view click the object to zoom in.
Street Sign and Shop Sign

Getting Around
All street names are indicated on Google Maps, Maps can be printed and used for learning street names and also for plotting directions or pinpointing important locations such as the Hospital, schools, Doctors practice, Bank, Post Office etc. This map work can be enhanced by using street view to view their locations as well.


A tutor who signs up for an account can also add layers of information to Google Maps to enrich the learning experience. Images, Video and Text can be added to maps you create.
Examples:
Clonmel Public Buildings
Explore Public Buildings in the area:

View Clonmel Public Buildings in a larger map
Clonmel: Historical Industrial Buildings and Places
In this example Images and information about Clonmels Industrial past have been added to Google maps by clicking on a blue pin on the map information is displayed about its historical importance, the place or building can also be viewed in street view.


Link HERE

Anti Virus Explained

As part of the FETAC Introduction to Internet Module I have put together two presentations on

Computer viruses and Anti Virus Software. This is intended to be a quick introduction for ABE students.

The first is a Prezi presentation:

Use the arrow to click through the presentation

Anti Virus on Prezi

The second is a powerpoint presentation:

Anti Virus

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Visual Dictionaries

From Free Technology for Teachers, Richard Byrne.

Snappy Words is a free visual dictionary and thesaurus. Enter any word or phrase into the Snappy Words search box and it will create a web of related words, phrases, and definitions. Hover your cursor over any word or phrase in the web to read its definition. Click and drag any node to explore other branches of the web. Double click on a node and it will generate new web branches.

Visuwords

uses a web design to show users the definitions of words and the connections between words. To use Visuwords just type a word into the search box and Visuwords will generate a web of related words.

Place your cursor over any of the words and the definition appears. Use the color-coded key to understand the connections between the words in any web.

Lexipedia, like Visuwords, provides the definitions of words along with a webbed diagram of related words and their definitions. In addition to definitions and diagrams,

Lexipedia offers audio pronunciations of words although when I tested it the audio didn't seem to be working properly. In my side-by-side comparison of Lexipedia and Visuwords, both performed equally well, but occasionally offered different definitions and connections for the same word.

Merriam Webster's Visual Dictionary is divided into fifteen thematic categories containing more than 6,000 words defined and accompanied by images. You can find words and definitions by browsing through the categorized

images or by using the text search bar.

Wordia is a free visual, video dictionary. Wordia features a selection of user-submitted and professionally created videos explaining the meaning of a word. The videos focus on the everyday use of words while the text accompanying each video provides the dictionary definition of the word.

Got Brainy features two sections; Brainy Flix and Brainy Pics. Brainy Pics is comprised of images that demonstrate the meaning of a word. Most of the pictures are submitted by students. Brainy Flix is comprised of short videos that illustrate the meaning of words. Just like with Brainy Pics, most of the videos are submitted by students.

Encyclomedia is a free video encyclopedia. On Encyclomedia you can browse for videos and articles by category or search for a specific topic. What I like about Encyclomedia is that visitors can read an article then go watch a video that matches that article. It's very similar to the now-offline Nibipedia and VisWiki sites.

Thanks to Ann Oro for sharing Encyclomedia on Twitter.

Blogs

Larry Ferlazzo's Education Blog

21st Century Teaching and Learning
2¢ Worth
Aberth Digital Storytelling
Adult Education and Technology
Adult Literacy Education
Adventures in Teaching and Learning
Bit By Bit
Common Craft
DLC Adult Literacy Community
edte.ch
Edublogs - teacher and student blogs
Educational Technology	.
eLearning Technology
Free Technology for Teachers
GCFLearnFree.org's Blog
Google Tutor
iLearn Technology
literacies café : adult literacy blog
Literacy Source's Adult Literacy Volunteer Blog
LiteracyTech Blog
Technology for the Adult Education Instructor
The Adult Educator Blog
The Edublogger
The Tech Savvy Educator
Writings from Kerry

Learn I.T. Online

BBC Computer tutor
A good starting point for a beginner computer user. Students are led through a series of activities to learn: mouse skills, clicking, dragging and the keyboard. A speaking character guides the student through the activities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/computertutorone/index.shtml

Learning Line
This website explains the basic parts of a computer, how to open and close documents and how to use the internet. Each section has audio and is easy to follow and use.
http://www.rmpbs.org/resources/files/education/learningline/flashhelp/Help01_02.htm

GCF Learn Free
This is an excellent site for learning desktop applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet Explorer and many more. There are instructional videos and printable notes.
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/

Teach ICT
Teach ICT has a range of video tutorials on Software applications such as Word 2003, Word 2007, Excel, Access and more
http://www.teach-ict.com/videohome.htm

Microsoft Office Online Training
Training videos based on Microsoft products.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/training/CR010065456.aspx

Online Content Management

Content Management

There is a lot of information on the web and there are lots of files and programs to download and use. The challenge for users is how to best organise all of this. How do you organise your online content? Is your favourites bar a long list of unorganised web pages? Can you access your favourites from any computer?

The more we use computers the more we create, word documents, PDFs, pictures, video, music files some saved on our computer some online. As the volume of information and content is ever increasing it becomes important to have a strategy to organise your content in an effective way.

Organising Online Content

Home Page

Bookmarks

Using Bookmarks means you can access your favourite web sites from anycomputer, you can also share these sites with others and view other peoplesfavourites. Delicious is one service which lets you do this. Each page is tagged with a word or words to describe its contents e.g. 'spelling' or 'audio books'

News Feeds.

Instead of going to websites for information you can get any new updates from a site sent to your email, from there you can view it in your RSS Reader. This saves a lot of time and means you don't have to switch between multiple sites.

Google Reader

Google Reader is the RSS service for Gmail. When you are in Gmail you can access it by clicking on Reader at the top of the page.

Google Docs

Google Docs can be a useful way of engaging in writing practice with a student outside of contact time.

Google for Teachers

Open publication - Free publishing

Google for Teachers 2

Open publication - Free publishing