Why not join the Mini Web Contest for K-12 Classes...

I have participated in the full 6 month Global Virtual Classroom project in the past. The good news is that they are introducing a much shorter 10 week option. The following information about this is taken from the Global Virtual Conference wiki http://minigvc.wikispaces.com/ 


What is the MINI GVC?
MINI GVC is the outcome of some serious thinking regarding preparedness in the context of Collaboration, Commitment, Contribution and Copyright while participating in GVC contests. After functioning as a Teacher-coordinator for GVC Contest from 2009-16 one of the participants noticed that quite often teams do not shine in collaboration which is primarily the aim and purpose of GVC - to share and care. It could be due to various valid reasons but yet we would like not to compromise on the quality and productivity of our websites.

What is the GVC Contest?
MINI GVC is a prelude to GVC Contest in which students from various countries supervised by their Teacher Facilitators would represent their schools to create a website on a pre-decided age appropriate theme. The Mini contest is open for approximately 10 weeks during September-November, February-April and June-August. The contest is open for students from K-12 schools around the world to create a collaborative website on a topic of world interest. Groups are assigned by GVC, and may consist of anywhere from 2-4 schools.

Contributions
Contributions can be text, illustrations, multimedia, recorded/textual discussions, interviews, etc all original created by the participants themselves.Copyright rules have to be strictly followed while utilizing content (text /illustrations/photos/videos etc) from another website. Attributions and Citations are a must for every post in the website.

Results
Results shall be announced after every trimester and winners will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Star Certificates. Assessment will be based on Creativity/Originality, Social Responsibility, Team Spirit, Technical Skill and Copyright.

Features of MINI-GVC

• Perfect for schools with time constraints. One can choose a convenient trimester.
• Acquire new technical skills and improve existing talents.
• Improve and acquire collaborative communication skills.
• Understand and appreciate cultural differences.
• One school can participate in one or more trimesters.
• One school can register more than one group in a trimester.

Want more? Move on to the GVC six month contest.

Have Questions?
Contact:
Project Manager - lakshmi.srinivas@gsbi.org
Program Manager - jbarnstable@gsbi.org

This program is a project of Give Something Back International Foundation. www.gsbi.org

5 great Chrome extensions I have just added!

I recentlylogged in to and booked for the Simplek12 Chromebook webinars day and there was a free resource included showing  nine Chrome extensions or add-ins.  I haven't used some of these so I am going to highlight the ones I want to get started with today!

Noisli https://goo.gl/UTaMkH 

Improve your focus and boost your productivity. Block out annoying noises and create the right environment for working or relaxing.Noisli is the best and most beautifully designed productivity companion throughout your day. No matter if you are in an environment where it is too loud or too quiet, with Noisli you can create and listen to your favorite background sounds in order to focus and concentrate on your tasks.

Evernote https://goo.gl/SJp74 
I always thought this was a paid app but I see there isa   free plan...so let me try it. This web clipping tool allows you to clip various web pages as you browse so you can go back to that information at any time, or share with others. You can keep the resources you clip bookmarked and organized with Evernote. Evernote even has a highlighting tool so you can draw attention to a particular part of the clip that you found to be inspirational.

Web of Trust https://goo.gl/zSA7
This sounds good. Maybe the kids should install this at school. Web of Trust is a safe browsing tool that ensures and protects against malware and dangerous links. Various reputation icons located next to the website name tell you the site’s rating and reputation. Best of all, Web of Trust won’t slow down your browser.

Wunderlist https://goo.gl/BnLeYA
I'll try this and compare it to using Google Keep. Wunderlist is a tool that creates organized to-do lists for all those projects. Each project and all the information and communication can be placed in its own special folder. Wunderlist will also send you reminders and set due dates to keep you on top of everything. These lists can also be shared with others for collaborative projects.

Lazarus Form Recovery https://goo.gl/ySTGK2
Have you ever been in the middle of filling out a form when you time out? Or your computer crashes? Re-entering all that information can be time-consuming. Lazarus Form Recovery is an add-on that saves as you type so you don’t have to lose all your information due to an untimely power outage or other type of disaster. Simply click a menu item, and all your information can be reinstated.

Two ways to participate in ISTE 2016 from afar ...

One of the biggest technology conferences in the world is about to take place next week - ISTE in Denver, Colorado in the USA. However if you are not attending here are two ways to participate from afar for free:

a) Join the NOTATISTE online Google Community
Experience similar fun events with them. This group was formed by Jennifer Wagner last year. I joined in and it was a really great experience. https://goo.gl/LF6UZF  I've joined again for this year.

b) Join in the EdtechTeam's ISTE ON AIR event

This is what the EdTechTeam says:
"Can't make it to ISTE in Denver this year? Don't fret -- we're providing the #NOTATISTE crowd some fun and learning virtually! Door prizes given all day, so stop on by! We'll be patched in LIVE from the EdTechTeam Teaching Theater Booth all day, Monday, June 27th. RSVP and pop into this link at any time to pick up some just-in-time inspiration on a ton of different learning topics! We'll be highlighting sessions on Creating UnGoogleable Questions, Using Data in the Classroom, Telling Stories with Tourbuilder, Critical Thinking with Google, and MORE!"

Date: Monday, June 27th

EdTechTeam backchannel: http://todaysmeet.com/edtechteam

Landing page to watch this live event, and RSVP: http://bit.ly/isteonair

Some of the presentations to listen to live:

• How to Create an UnGoogleable Question 
• Apps That Make You Say HMMMM - Cool Apps for the classroom and professional use
• Google Cardboard - See the world in Virtual Reality 
• Let the data do the talking 
• Trending Up: Critical Thinking with Google Trends 
• Digital Portfolios with Google Tools 
• Google A - Z: The Unknown Google Gems 
• Souped Up Searching - Getting just what you need just when you need it
• Telling Stories with Tourbuilder - Creating Context with Geo Location 
• Shake Up Learning with Google Apps 
• GAFE Trail Mix: Creating Engaging Lessons for Learning
• Google Slides, More than Just a Presentation Tool 
• Keeping it Real While on the Go - Google Keep