Waffle Bytes

Picadilo is a free online photo editor!  Very easy to use, you don't have to create an account to start using it.  Pictures can be uploaded from your computer/device OR pulled in from FaceBook.  Former users of Picnik may feel a familiar flavor...

If participating in forums in Moodle, one of the hard pieces is being able to keep track of which forums have new posts from your last visit there.  There are two options you have - one involves email and the other involves highlight within the Moodle course.  Today I will address the highlighting method - which is called tracking. Tracking forum posts is something that is set by each user in their profile.  To get there, log onto your Moodle and click on Administration - > My profile settings -> Edit profile Once there, look about half way down the information to the "Forum tracking" option.  You can change that to "Yes: highlight new posts for me" in order to enact this feature.  This will turn the feature on, which will put the number of unread posts next to the forum name AND place a colored box around each unread post.

There are many changes that come with updating to iOS 7 on your iOS devices.  I have found that some take some getting used to (like the brightness of the new icons!), and others are welcome changes.  Here are a few items you might want to look for or know about at first blush: Updates to the Notification Center - there are some nice additions to this, if it is something you use.  I find it more useful now than I did before because I can "highlight" those need to know items. Updated Siri - Siri's better in many ways: you know if the mic is working by the wave motion; the voice is a little more natural sounding; the interpretations are better; and you can pick a male voice now. Ability to close more than one app at a time - this is a huge plus for me.  I can close 3 apps at a time on my iPad, and 2 on my iPhone (if you don't know how yet, double-click the home button then swipe the windows up to close the app) Appearance - I'm still ad

Ever frustrated because you were replying to an email, but really needed to see the email while responding?  And clicking the dots to see it in your response, and doing a lot of scrolling just frustrated you?  Never again!  Here is how you can "pop" your reply out so that the original message can be seen in the background! After you begin your reply to the sender, click on the arrow in the upper left corner of the message, and choose "Pop out reply" - this will move your reply to a pop-out window, allowing you to search & view other email in the background.

Here is a great comparison chart for Blogs, Wikis & Google Docs created by Mark Wagner (@markwagner) that was shared via Twitter by the technology consultant team at Jackson County ISD, Michigan. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gflnxzTc77HP1XNcF0J8-tRFo3uzKdfd5Zth5GI4yqE/edit You might find it useful if you are struggling in deciding which tool to use for an activity or project!

"How do I start using Moodle?" If you are new to Moodle, it can be easy to become overwhelmed.  This is because Moodle can be used in so many ways that the new user feels lost!  Here are some quick-start suggestions for ways you can quickly begin using it: share handouts on your course so students can access them anytime (no more running to the copier to get additional copies as they can print it out themselves!) - File Resource post links to online resources (no more running around helping students when they type in the URLs incorrectly) - Website Resource create a weekly poll of one question that can test for general knowledge or gather data -  Choice Activity have a student Q&A forum where students can answer each others' questions - Forum Activity By starting out implementing just one aspect of Moodle, you can gain the familiarity and confidence you need while beginning to move your students into a blended environment.

Drawp by Moondrop Entertainment LLC Basics : Make drawings, add audio and share them easily   Educational Uses : The app is made to use with young children, but could also be easily used with students that have special needs.  A difference with this app - the parent (teacher) sets up how the drawings are shared, and the kid simply swipes the drawing onto a picture to share it.   Current Cost : currently free!   Link to iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drawp-drawing-families-closer/id571816406?mt=8

Did you know that you can request an email read receipt?  When you are in compose mode, there is a More Options arrow in the lower right corner.  Clicking on this will display some additional options for you - one of is "Request read receipt." Clicking on it enables it (places a check next to it). Clicking on it a second time will disable it. Here's a quick video showing how to turn it on and off: http://www.screencast.com/t/tbP7q99veMV