Technology Tip Number 32 Rating My Teachers Online
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the teenage students of today talk about their teachers.  It’s natural for teenagers to be looking for role models, heroes and the occasional anti-hero.  It’s part of growing up after all.  They naturally evaluate all the adults they come in contact with as potential mentors.  What you might not know is that they have also been rating their teachers online. RateMyTeachers.com has been around for a little while.  It’s a webpage where students all across the country have set-up accounts for their schools.  Only a few elementary schools are listed but many middle and high schools are.  They also have two interesting sister sites, one for rating summer camps and one for rating college professors.  The site does claim that the student ratings are checked out before they are posted. All these sites have pretty much the same format.  Students log in, find their school, find the teacher they want to rate and then enter their evaluation comments.   A 1-5 score for Easiness, Helpfulness and Clarity is used.  Parents can also log in and submit comments and a 1-5 rating for Expectations, Difficulty and Respect.  Teachers also have the option of registering with the site and responding directly to any comment. Students seem to visit the site intermittently.  For most of them, taking time out of their "busy schedules" to rate teachers isn’t that high on their priority list. Don’t like your rating?  Why not change it by logging into their system as a student and rating yourself.  Or you can register with the site officially and defend yourself, or publicly thank students and/or parents who gave you positive reviews. In many ways being an educator is a very public profession.  It's a brave new world out there.  Students don't have to wait for lunch or after school to talk about their teachers.  The internet has given students and parents an open forum where they can easily communicate their opinions to the entire world if they want to.  You should at least be aware of this development.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:   Try finding your school and your name on the website.  If you can't find your school look for another one that you're familiar with and take a couple minutes to check out the ratings. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  Technology like this may be surprising to some educators but its not the first time the internet has been used to collect data and publish ratings.  To find out more about online surveys try searching for: Online surveys Consumer ratings Online ratings

Technology Tip Number 31 More Stuff for Geography Junkies
You don’t have to be a geography junkie to like this but it might help.  Google offers a free download called "Google Earth".  Here’s some information about the download in case you’d like to get it at home: http://earth.google.com/.  The software is free and it can be downloaded on school networks - contact your tech department if you like it.  Google Earth is basically a much more dynamic form of Google Maps which was highlighted in the previous tech tip (#30). Once you have it downloaded you can begin by clicking on the new desktop icon.  By the way you'll need to be connected to the internet for this to work and we'd recommend a high speed connection (DSL or cable model for example). Lets start by flying to a school.  Type in you school address into the box at the upper left hand area of the screen.  For this example I'll be using: “116 Richboro Road, Newtown PA, 18940” Then click the button next to the box and enjoy the ride: Now to show you a little more of what this program can do try taking their tour. Click on the play button as indicated below: You might not want to put your classroom globes away just yet but you have to admit that this is cool.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:   Try “flying” to some places you know of or places you could use as part of your curriculum.  You can always make the image full screen by going to “View” and selecting “Full Screen” and then taking a screen shot of the image for use in class (CTRL + Print Scrn).  Please remember that our students have accessed google earth and many of them find it mesmerizing. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn more about this technology try searching the internet for: How Google Earth works Virtual tourism

Technology Tip Number 30 Are You Lost?
Have you heard of Google Maps? It's probably the best online mapping option out there and it's pretty easy to use. For example, below is a map of London, England on Google Maps. View Larger Map You can easily move about the map my dragging with your mouse and you can zoom and unzoom using the + and - on the top left. Click on "Sat" at the top right to see satellite photos of the city, click "Ter" to see a topographic map of the city and if you click "Earth" you will go into a 3D mode where you can zoom in and see a virtual version of the city. When you are ready you can click here and go to the Google Maps websit and try exploring the whole planet: https://maps.google.com/ Try finding your house and explore aerial photos of your neighborhood. See if you can get driving directions to someplace and don't forget to try accessing the Street Views. Below is a video that will explain how to use it. Now you have no excuse for ever getting lost.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:   Try finding directions to your alma mater using http://maps.google.com check out the route they recommend. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn more about this technology and some new applications for it try searching the internet for: How Google Maps works Online maps Satellite photos Street View Cameras

Technology Tip Number 29 Teens, The Internet & Education
Below are some excerpts from several research studies concerning teenagers, the internet and education. Follow the links to find more information. PEW RESEARCH CENTER 10 Things to Know About How Teens Use Technology by Kristen Purcell July 10. 2013 The slideshow below was presented at the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference Click here to learn more: http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2013/Jul/10-Things-to-Know-About-HowTeens-Use-Technology.aspx --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds by: Victoria J. Rideout, Ulla G. Foehr, Donald F. Roberts January 1, 2010 This study is based on survey results from 2,002 3rd-12th grade students ages 8-18 between October 2008 and May 2009. They found that young people are spending 7:38 each day consuming media, seven days a week. Moreover, because of multi-tasking today's youth are actually packing 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those 7 1/2 hours each day. According to the study, from 2004 to 2009: Home internet access has expanded from 74% to 84% among young people. Cell phone ownership has increased from 39% to 66% among young people. Some other findings as of 2009: 47% of heavy media users say they usually get fair to poor grades. 23% of light media users say they usually get fair to poor grades. 48% of 8-18 year olds say they have watched TV online. 30% of 8-18 year olds say they have watched TV on their cell phones. 31% of 8-10 year olds reported that they own a cell phone. Learn more here: http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8010.pdf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PEW RESEARCH CENTER: Teens and Technology 2013 by: Mary Madden, Amanda Lenhart, Maeve Duggan, Sandra Cortesi, Urs Gasser March 13, 2013 This study sumarized the results of a nationally representative survey of 802 teens aged 12-17 and their parents that was conducted between July 26 and September 30, 2012. Some of the findings include: 93% of teens reported that they own a computer or have access to one at home. 37% of teens reported that they own a smartphone. 1 in 4 teens reported that their cell phone is the primary way they access the internet. 34% of older teenage girls (14-17) reported that their cell phone is the primary way they access the internet. Learn more here:http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_TeensandTechnology2013.pdf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PEW RESEARCH CENTER: How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms by: Kristen Purcell, Alan Heaps, Judy Buchanan, Linda FriedrichFebruary 28, 2013 This study involved a survey of 2,462 Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers concerning their personal use of digital technology and the use of digital technology by their students. Just some of the findings: 93% of teachers own a laptop computer vs. 61% of all adults 47% own an e-book reader vs. 19% of all adults 78% use social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+, compared with 69% of adult internet users and 59% of all adults  Teachers under age 35 are more likely than teachers age 55 and older to describe themselves as “very confident” when it comes to using new digital technologies (64% vs. 44%) 60% agree with the notion that “today’s digital technologies make it harder for students to find and use credible sources of information”  Learn more here: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teachers-and-technology/Summary-of-Findings.aspx
TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  Understanding how students are using technology is becoming more and more important for educators and parents.  For more information about this topic try searching the internet for: kids and technology teen computer trends

Technology Tip Number 28 Why don't you email me the link?
What’s a "link" you might ask?  It’s the thing that makes the whole internet work.  Officially it's called a "Hyperlink" and it's all those words that are underlined and in blue that take you to another webpage when you click on them.  You may have noticed that there are hyperlinks all over these Tech Tips.  Sometimes you might want to share a hyperlink with someone so they can view something you found on the internet.  Here’s how you can start adding hyperlinks to your emails: Copying and Pasting Hyperlinks in Email: Maybe you found a great educational website that you’d like to share with a colleague or maybe you just want to show your cousin in Montana a great internet game that someone just showed you.  Here’s how to put that hyperlink into an email: 1)      All web pages have an address.  You can find the address in the “address bar” of Internet Explorer.  For example, here is the address for WWOZ which is a Jazz radio station in New Orleans: 2)      To get the address for this radio station into an email all I have to do is copy and paste it.  RIGHT click on the address you want to copy and select "copy" from the list that appears: 3)      Open up a new email, type your message and then paste the web address where ever you want to place it.  You can paste it by either RIGHT clicking and then choosing “paste” from the list that appears or you could go to the edit menu and select “paste” from the menu or you could press the CTRL key and the letter “v” to paste.  When you paste the address in, your cursor will appear at the end of the web address.  Either press the “Space Bar” or press “Enter” and the address will automatically turn blue and become underlined.  Congratulations, you have made a hyperlink.  See sample below: How to change the wording of the hyperlink: If you want to get fancy here’s how you can change the wording of a hyperlink 1)      First copy and paste the hyperlink into your email and press the “Space Bar” or “Return” so it turns into a hyperlink (blue and underlined). 2)      Next, RIGHT click on the hyperlink and choose “Edit Hyperlink” from the menu that appears: 3)      In the next window that appears change the “Text to be displayed” to what ever you’d like to have displayed as a hyperlink: Change to:   4)      Click “OK” and the text of your hyperlink should now have changed Featured YouTube Video: How to Insert a Hyperlink in Outlook 2007
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:    Try emailing a hyperlink to a favorite website to a friend of yours this morning.  You can either send it as a complete web address or try changing the address to a word or two as demonstrated above. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn more about emailing hyperlinks try searching the internet for: copy and pasting hyperlinks hyperlinks in emails

Technology Tip Number 27 Just Mail Merge It
Today's Technology Tip is all about how to make address labels using Microsoft Excel and Word.  The examples below are from the XP versions of Excel and Word.  Other versions of the programs are similar enough that these examples should give you a pretty good start. First you have to have a data base or names and addresses to work with.  I would recommend that you make your address list in Excel because it's fairly easy but you could make it in Access of course.  Your data base should be set-up something like this: Save your data base (Excel Spreadsheet in this example) to your computer and open up MS Word.  We'll use the Mail Merge Wizard to do this.  Go to Tools, Letters and Mailings, & Mail Merge Wizard: In the Task Pane (on the right hand side of the screen) you will now have some options to pick.  Select “Labels” from the list.  Then click “Next:  Starting document” in the bottom right hand corner. Click on “Label Options…” to select the type of label you’ll be using and how you’ll be printing them.  In this sample I am using Avery 5160 – Address which is a pretty standard label.  It has 30 labels to a page. Then click “Next:  Select Recipients” in the lower right hand corner of the screen We want to “Use and existing list” and then “Browse…” to find it.  You will have to search through your H: drive to find the Excel File you just saved. Next you will have to tell the computer which sheet in the excel file to use.  If you remember from Tech Tip Number 25 there are 3 worksheets or "Sheets" in every Excel file. In this example you want to select Sheet$1 and then click “OK” The next window that appears is used to control what information you want to mail merge.  In this example I will be using all the information.  All I have to do is click “OK.” At this point you can finish the mail merge without the Wizard (I actually find iteasier this way).  When we selected our data base (the excel file) some new toolbar buttons appeared.   Use the “Insert Merged Field” button to start putting fields on your mailing labels:  When you are done inserting merge fields click “Close”  You might have to re-arrange the address so it is in the correct order: We’re almost done!  Now we have to merge the data onto the labels.  Click “Next:  Arrange your labels” in the lower right hand corner: Now its time to replicate the mailing label.  To do that click on “Update all Labels” in the middle right hand side of the screen.  Then click on “Next:  Preview your labels” Whoopie!  Almost Done!  It’s starting to look like a mailing label.  Click “Next:  Complete and Merge” in the bottom right hand corner: ONE MORE THING: We have had problems with mailing labels where we didn’t merge them to a new document (especially large, multi-page labels).  Make sure you go to thetool bar and select “Merge to New Document” before you print or save your labels. All that’s left to do is save the file and then print the labels.  Please always remember to save your file in case something goes wrong in the printing (it saves time redoing your work). You’re on your own to figure out how to load the paper so it prints on the right side. Featured YouTube Video: How to Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:    If you don’t have to do a mail merge today save this email someplace where you can find it the next time you have to. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn more about mail merging try searching the internet for: mail merge Word tutorials

Technology Tip Number 27 Just Mail Merge It
Today's Technology Tip is all about how to make address labels using Microsoft Excel and Word.  The examples below are from the XP versions of Excel and Word.  Other versions of the programs are similar enough that these examples should give you a pretty good start. First you have to have a data base or names and addresses to work with.  I would recommend that you make your address list in Excel because it's fairly easy but you could make it in Access of course.  Your data base should be set-up something like this: Save your data base (Excel Spreadsheet in this example) to your computer and open up MS Word.  We'll use the Mail Merge Wizard to do this.  Go to Tools, Letters and Mailings, & Mail Merge Wizard: In the Task Pane (on the right hand side of the screen) you will now have some options to pick.  Select “Labels” from the list.  Then click “Next:  Starting document” in the bottom right hand corner. Click on “Label Options…” to select the type of label you’ll be using and how you’ll be printing them.  In this sample I am using Avery 5160 – Address which is a pretty standard label.  It has 30 labels to a page. Then click “Next:  Select Recipients” in the lower right hand corner of the screen We want to “Use and existing list” and then “Browse…” to find it.  You will have to search through your H: drive to find the Excel File you just saved. Next you will have to tell the computer which sheet in the excel file to use.  If you remember from Tech Tip Number 25 there are 3 worksheets or "Sheets" in every Excel file. In this example you want to select Sheet$1 and then click “OK” The next window that appears is used to control what information you want to mail merge.  In this example I will be using all the information.  All I have to do is click “OK.” At this point you can finish the mail merge without the Wizard (I actually find iteasier this way).  When we selected our data base (the excel file) some new toolbar buttons appeared.   Use the “Insert Merged Field” button to start putting fields on your mailing labels:  When you are done inserting merge fields click “Close”  You might have to re-arrange the address so it is in the correct order: We’re almost done!  Now we have to merge the data onto the labels.  Click “Next:  Arrange your labels” in the lower right hand corner: Now its time to replicate the mailing label.  To do that click on “Update all Labels” in the middle right hand side of the screen.  Then click on “Next:  Preview your labels” Whoopie!  Almost Done!  It’s starting to look like a mailing label.  Click “Next:  Complete and Merge” in the bottom right hand corner: ONE MORE THING: We have had problems with mailing labels where we didn’t merge them to a new document (especially large, multi-page labels).  Make sure you go to thetool bar and select “Merge to New Document” before you print or save your labels. All that’s left to do is save the file and then print the labels.  Please always remember to save your file in case something goes wrong in the printing (it saves time redoing your work). You’re on your own to figure out how to load the paper so it prints on the right side. Featured YouTube Video: How to Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:    If you don’t have to do a mail merge today save this email someplace where you can find it the next time you have to. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn more about mail merging try searching the internet for: mail merge Word tutorials