Here is a great set of links from the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog with links for using Google Maps.

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/08/excellent-google-maps-tutorials-for-teachers.html

Maps can be a great resource for a variety of classroom activities, from virtual field trips to student created maps for demonstrating understanding and sharing.

Touch Typing

Touch typing is a skill that is largely being lost. Is that a bad thing. I'm not entirely sure, but I certainly do still see a use for it. While it is possible that in another 3 or 4 years our children will be able to speak naturally to their computers in order to create documents, program, and perform other tasks, I don't think the keyboard interface is going away anytime soon. Part of the reason for that is the comfort and familiarity of the keyboard. Even touchscreen phones largely use QWERTY keyboards even though we know that it isn't be best layout, it is familiar. Why isn't it the best? I won't go into that here, but you can read this link if you are interested: http://www.howtogeek.com/189270/alternative-keyboard-layouts-explained-dvorak-colemak-and-whether-you-should-care/

So why do we teach it that way? Again, familiarity. You can bet that in just about any English speaking location in the world you will be able to walk up to a computer and type in the QWERTY keyboard. The ability to touch type can save you time and frustration in a variety of situations. So, yes, I think it is worth taking the time to teach and learn.

Here a couple of basic tutorials:
https://www.typingclub.com/
http://www.typingstudy.com/lesson/1

This one has some tutorials along with basic games:
http://www.typingtest.com/

This one is fun for improving speed and accuracy once you get a little better:
http://play.typeracer.com/

These are all free tools and as such add supported. There are some good paid apps out there as well, but honestly, the best way to get better is just to practice. Personally, I didn't really learn to type until I started using instant messenger in college. I found that I couldn't keep up with the conversation, so I forced myself to learn to touch type. There are some fun games that you can play in class with Google docs like a "round robin" story or challenging students by having the cover their hands with a piece of cloth to see if they can type a phrase or vocabulary definition.

Google, like many other tech companies, is constantly updating the way their products work. For the most part they get better, but it can be hard to keep up with the changes, and sometimes it is frustrating when something doesn't work the way you expect it to work because someone made a change without telling you. Google apps update blog and sites like Android Police are good places to keep up with some of these changes. Occasionally I'll share their posts here when something big comes out. The two links below are examples of some good changes coming with Google products that can streamline the way you work and communicate.

First you can now open files from Google Drive with apps that are installed on your computer. PDF files for example may not be completely functional when opened in Chrome's browser viewer. You will need to install the Drive App to make this work, so it may not be practical on a public computer or your work computer, but it is a handy feature.
http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2015/08/launch-desktop-applications-from-google.html?m=1

Second, Hangouts is getting an update that will bring its user interface, or UI up to speed with most of the rest of Google's products. While it may seem confusing at first, the goal is to get products like Gmail, Drive, Hangouts, and Contacts to have a similar look and feel making them all a little more intuitive and easy to use.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/13/a-closer-look-at-the-design-of-hangouts-4-0/

The beginning of they year is a great time to think about new tools to use in your classroom and new ways to access professional development. We're fresh off of summer break and, hopefully, feeling like we can conquer the world. Here is a great place to start.

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/about/products/

This site offers resources for teachers to use with students and opportunities for professional development. Some activities are self-paced while others are facilitated to help keep you on track.

Sharing & Updating Files in Google Drive

Google Drive is a great place for storing and sharing files online. Not only can you create doc, sheet, and presentation files, you can also share other file types. One problem I always ran into when sharing files on Google Drive was that when I wanted to create a revision of a non-Drive file type, like a PDF or image file, I had to upload a new file and share the new link. There is, however, a way to update your files to a new version. This has been available in Google for some time, but I only discovered it recently. This was very exciting for me, especially since you can redirect a QR code or short link to a Google Drive document, then go back and update the document with pretty much anything you want: think class syllabus, assignment, word of the day, daily image, etc. Here is a short how to video to get you started: https://youtu.be/Yv_501XnwrI

Video for the Classroom from Virginia Public Media

Here is an excellent resource for classroom teachers in Virginia. If you don't have an account or don't know how to get access go to the about page http://www.emediava.org/about-us and find your school contact person. You will need an account to access the videos.

Once you get logged in you will find that you can search videos by SOL and by keyword. You can also create and manage classes, assignments, and quizzes. This is a resource that is definitely worth taking a few minutes to explore.

http://www.emediava.org/

This is just a little tool that works like a graphing calculator inside of a Google Doc. This is great for kids who don't have a graphing calculator at home, or if you want your students to create a paragraph style explanation of a mathematical process or a report that uses equations and graphs.
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/08/here-is-another-great-drive-tool-for.html?m=1

Hangouts is one of many chat and video conferencing apps. While it has a few advantages over services like Facebook Messenger, Skype, and Snapchat, it also has a few drawbacks. I do like Hangouts for voice and video chat for work because of its compatible with Google Docs and screen sharing capability. This makes sharing ideas and working collaboratively much easier. Now Google has added another great feature allowing users to share a presentation in the Hangout. Hangouts and Google Drive are a great way for students with limited transportation options or who live in rural areas to work together when they are not at school.
http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2015/08/host-google-slides-presentations-via.html?m=1

Keep is one of my favorite tools. It is great for note taking, making lists, and creating reminders. The best part is that it syncs between all your devices, so you can make a shopping list on your computer or tablet and the pull it up on your phone when you get to the grocery store. Of course, there are several other products that do the same or a similar thing, but now Keep has another cool feature. You can save directly to a Google Doc. Sure you could just copy and paste, but this saves a couple of steps.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/05/apk-download-keep-gets-update-allowing-you-to-easily-turn-your-notes-into-google-docs/

Sometimes when you're reading online or sharing an article with your class the ads and other junk on the page can be annoying, and even inappropriate at times. These are some tools to help solve that problem. Each of these can clear out some of the clutter around the focus of the web page. I have the clearly extension installed on my browser and use it frequently. http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/08/3-awesome-chrome-extensions-to-enhance.html

This is such a creative way to reach a diverse audience with a challenging topic. It is also a great model for students who enjoy presenting material visually. http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=63280

New Math

For starters, new math isn't really anything new. What most people think of when they hear new math are confusing, backward ways of getting to answers that are actually fairly easy to get to in the traditional ways. They want memorization, skill and drill, traditional, straightforward ways of getting to the answer. The term New Math came into use in the sixties and has been used to refer to a number of revisions to math programs since then. I'm not a math teacher, but looking at these examples http://excelined.org/common-core-toolkit/old-standards-v-common-core-a-side-by-side-comparison-of-math-expectations/, I don't see much difference between "old math" and the Common Core or "new math". The difference is really in the teacher. How math is taught. Teachers can make up or use redundant, mind-numbing worksheets and skill and drill practice no matter what sort of math they choose, or are forced, to teach.

This is a great article from the NY Times that lays bare some of the problems with teaching in general focusing specifically on teaching math: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/magazine/why-do-americans-stink-at-math.html?_r=0.

Controller for Google Presentations

I really like the convenience of Google Presentations and other online presentation tools. One problem, however, that I've run into is that they are hard to control with traditional presentation remotes, especially if you have videos in them. There is a great app called deMobo that lets you control presentations from several online services including Google Slides, Prezi, SlideShare, Scribd and a few others. The only drawback is that you are basically looking at images of your slides, so animations aren't there and you can't click links either, but you can put screen captures of pages in your show. It does let you look at notes on your phone or tablet as you present your slides and even has a timer and the ability to tap into your web cam to use it as a document camera or to do a picture in picture with your slideshow.

Once you install the app and connect it to your service, go to demobo.com/slides and enter the code found in the settings on your controlling device. The app and your browser will sync and you will be able to control the slideshow from your device.

http://www.demobo.com/

"Like an Apricot only Sweeter"

Trudacot is a sort of guide to help with planning technology integration. While there are many perspectives on how technology should be integrated into instruction, most educators agree that technology tools should be used to enhance lessons and support good instructional practice. This generally means relevant, authentic, and student-centric activities and Trudacot supports that. The authors of the document also recognize that it is too much to do all at once and explicitly state that only a few points should be used when planning or observing using Trudacot.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/147Pqvr32qwnPXUBmUM1r8p10unZ-pID_cgLjkGwwAus/mobilebasic

Whether you're a classroom teacher, and administrator, or an educator in some other capacity, this is a great guide when designing, planning, or observing instruction with technology integration.

Another Classroom Video Resource

Here is another reshare from the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning site. This one is a collection of video footage available on YouTube. http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/07/new-treasure-trove-of-historical.html?m=1
Short video clips can be a great way to give students a glimpse into other places and times and are often excellent segues into reflective writing or discussion.

What Can You do with a Piece of Cardboard

... and a few other bits and pieces. For about 25 bucks you can turn a smartphone into a virtual reality device. About a year ago, not long after Google have them away at their annual I/O coherence I bought a Cardboard. That's right, in this context cardboard is a proper noun. It's a thing, a really cool thing. When i got mine it was just a toy. It could interact with YouTube and there was a cool little demo, but not much else. Here is a taste of what you can do with it:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/07/23/google-expeditions-class-599/
How do you get one? In the past few months a few companies have given them away, but if you're not the type to wait around for the next freebie you can do a quick search for "cardboard vr"or "Google cardboard". For $25 bucks you should be able to get a ready to assemble kit with am NFC, near field communication, tag. How does it work? Does it really matter? It's cool, like bow tie cool, but if you really must know: http://www.imcardboard.com/faq
Be warned, not all phones have all their hardware set up in exactly the right way so that everything works just so. On my Galaxy Nexus I often had to flick the washer shaped switch several times before the phone got what I wanted it to do, but still it's fun. With more and more apps being built for Cardboard it is becoming a really useful little gadget.

Add a Twitter Feed to Your Google Site

witter can be a great way to communicate with parents and students, but not everyone has a twitter account. Sure you can share a link, but many people without twitter accounts would rather just go to your website. Instead of posting everything twice, you can make your account or a hashtag show up embedded on your website. Here are some instructions on how to do that:

https://sites.google.com/site/amslerclassroom/add-a-twitter-feed

While it may seem a bit complicated at first glance, if you follow the steps carefully you don't have to be very tech savvy to get it to work.