Changing your Facebook Privacy Settings

Last week Facebook changed their privacy policy so now your pictures can be indexed and viewed by search engines like Google and Yahoo. To change the settings only takes a few seconds but saves a lifetime of privacy.

How to Video

Outlook on the Desktop

If you live and die by your calendar like I do, you will love Outlook on the desktop. Its like having one of those giant desktop calendars, but this one is virtual. I am not promising that you will never forget an appointment, but it will be harder not to see one coming up.

OpenDNS: Web Security

OpenDNS is a great tool for filtering the web at home or at your K-12 institution. I have been searching for a good content filter for my home computers and after looking around I never found anything that meet all my requirements. I wanted something that filtered content, did not slow down my computers, but gave me options and control. After reading an article on Lifehacker on the best Internet filters to use I decided to give OpenDNS a try. OpenDNS suggest you install it at the router level, which I did, this enables you to filter content on any computer that logs on to your network. I was amazed at the simplicity of the install and controls.

I went with the free version, however there is a home upgrade for $9.95 a year. They also have special K-12 pricing. (See Pricing)

Installing is easy...

• Open an account
• Watch How to Configure Video

As my colleagues always say there is so substitution for adult supervision

Wolfram-Alpha: A Math Teachers Best Friend or Worst Enemy?

WolframAlpha allows you to solve easy or complex math problems by simply typing "solve:" and then the math problem. Example: solve: 2x+5=9. What makes this different than other search engines is an orange hyperlink that says "show steps" WolframAlpha walks you through the steps of solving the equation. (See Example) Students could use this to help them on their homework or they could simply let WolframAlpha do their homework and show work.

Flockdraw: An interactive Whiteboard

Have you ever wanted to collaborate visually or artistically like you would with a Google Doc. Flockdraw allows you to collaborate in real time with others while you draw your idea. Its simple and its free. Think of it as Kidpix or MS Paint that students can work together on, it saves your work automatically and you can embed it to your website.

Ideas for the classroom: "Pictionary" game with vocabulary or spelling words, practice drawing maps. work math problems with other students

Start Collaborating in 5 easy steps

Step 1: Go to the Flockdraw website

Step 2: Click on the Start drawing button

Step 3: Copy the address from the address bar and paste it into an email

Step 4: Send it to collaborators

Step 5: Start drawing / collaborating

Google Earth Play and Learn

Google makes it easy to start implementing Google Earth in your classroom. They have created an online game that teaches students and teachers how to implement Google Earth. The game start off with finding your house and it leads you through the process of creating content. Google has done it again!

Go Check out the game: Get started with a Practice Quiz


Here is short video over viewing what google earth can do.

Is This the Future...

Google is coming out with their own operating system, it is cloud based and will boot in seven seconds. Google is betting on the fact that most users use the computer to get on the internet so why not make the operating system the browser.

Google OS