Read&Write with Google Docs-a useful Chrome extension for students

What I love about using Google Chrome as a browser is the way it makes browsing so efficient and easy.  There are so many very useful free Chrome extensions that you can add to your browser to have everything you need right at your finger tips. I installed a useful Chrome extension today called ‘Read&Write with Google Docs’. This is really designed for students, but I want to explore it and discover all its benefits.

What does Read&Write with Google Docs do?

This extension can only be used when Google Docs is actually open. It then becomes very useful because it can read the Google document to the students. Imagine how useful this could be to with dyslexia, learning disabilities, struggling readers, and English as a second language Learners.  I can also see a great use for this in a writing assignment when the student wants to review a piece of writing and hear what it sounds like.  However there are a number of other really useful features to this extension:

Features
- Text To Speech with Dual Synchronized Highlighting.

- Talking Dictionary

- Picture Dictionary

- Vocabulary Tool

- Study Skills tools to capture highlights

A video from the creators of Read&Write for Google Docs

The creators of this extension have made a video that explains the extension and elaborates on all its amazing features.  Here it is:

Access Read&Write for Google Docs at the Chrome Web store 
You can access this extension on the Google Chrome web store here: http://goo.gl/JNc3o

Free Virtual School Chemistry Resources for you

WE have an update from Frederic and Malik two of the international speakers at our SchoolNet Conference in July this year. They run the Virtual School in the UK 

"Dear teacher friends in South Africa,

We hope you are all doing great and, after having talked at length about #OER (Open Educational Resources) at the SchoolNet conference a couple of weeks ago we now want to start sharing with you the work that we are doing ourselves.

Some of you may not know yet what we are trying to achieve with our OER project 'The Virtual School' - we want to create 3600 free videos for secondary education in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, English and ICT literacy within the next 2-3 years. We have already created 300 videos accesible totally free here: http://www.youtube.com/user/virtualschooluk/videos

Currently and during the next two months, with our talented young design team [watch them introduce themselves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZId1Jmwpz4] we are working on the chemistry curriculum, and we have a growing playlist of videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?feature=edit_ok&list=PLW0gavSzhMlReKGMVfUt6YuNQsO0bqSMV. The other subjects will follow thereafter.

We are hoping that you can all share the chemistry playlist, which will be growing by over 150 videos in the next few months, with the teachers at your science department and at the science departments at fellow schools. 

It would also be fantastic if you could give us feedback on these videos, be it via email or with comments under the YouTube videos.

For those of you who want to download the videos for offline use you can use a download tool like Keepvid: http://keepvid.com/ [you can watch a tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35myFjW_axY].

All the very best from London from Malik, myself and our team,

Freddy"

Gleanings from ISTE #2: Microsoft at ISTE 2013

It was such a great experience to visit ISTE in San Antonio this June. Microsoft was one of the Level 1 sponsors so I thought I would write a post especially about their generosity to teachers at ISTE 2013

The BIGGEST thing about Microsoft at ISTE was their extreme generosity in giving out 10,000 Surface tablets (or was it 11,000) to the registered attendees. Can you imagine the excitement about this as the Surface is said to be a tablet AND a laptop – something really new! A great thing about the Surface tablet is that Office 2013 RT is freely available on it. Of course Microsoft wasn't just dishing these out randomly to anyone that asked for one - a lot of thought had been put into it, prearrangements had to be made,  and there were conditions attached. 

1) The tablets were for the school that the attendee represented and this had to be pre-arranged before ISTE via a letter signed by the principal of the school.

2) The recipients had to be prepared to be involved in the Windows in the Classroom Experience Project whereby they discussed and contributed their classroom activities and lesson plans on how to use Windows in the Classroom  on the Partners in Learning Network, and showed the teachers at their schools what was available on the Partners in Learning network. The recipients would also join the Microsoft in Education newsletter and receive additional training resources.

In my mind I can see the Partners in Learning Network becoming an exceptional resource for teachers around the world with great technology integration activities of every type freely available. It is REALLY worth joining that network. 

During ISTE participants were invited to hands-on demonstrations and training in Microsoft’s Learning Lounge in Exhibit Hall D Room 1A during exhibit hall hours.  Those who were offered Surface tables were also pointed to the support offered. They could visit the Surface web site to download the Surface RT User Guide, register your Surface, and find support.)

I unfortunately didn't get to join one of the hands-on experiences on shows how to use Windows 8, Microsoft Office, and Windows Phone to enhance teaching and learning but I constantly took a walk to see what was happening in the Microsoft Lounge. I could see that it was interactive, experiential, and fun and there was a great, excited buzz. 

Looking around – the new Surface	Volunteers helping with setup
Videos dotted around explaining Windows 8	People gathered in groups looking at their new Surface machines

Why don't you join the Partners in Learning Network today if you haven't already done so? You'll be amazed at the magnitude of the free resources, the ideas, the discussions, and the great network of educators from around the world that you can collaborate with.