These interactive whiteboards are expensive.  Really expensive.  That’s the first strike against them.  But, to some, the price may not be a deal breaker.  What isn’t negotiable, though, is the limitations inherently placed on the teacher by using one of these boards.

The tablet, as a handheld device, goes wherever the teacher goes.  It’s handed to a student to use, without them needing to get up.  It increases the teacher’s ability to move around the room, and still keep the pace of lesson moving.  When we brought so much technology into the classroom, claiming to increase the teacher’s efficiency and student engagement, we actually did them a disservice.  We tied them down to their desk, where their laptop sits.  So, while a teacher is at the computer, guiding students through a lesson, she has lost proximity to the students, who need a teacher nearby.  Below, I’ve created an infographic to show you difference between an Interactive (SMART or Promethean) Whiteboard and an Interactive Tablet (not an iPad, mind you, but an electronic slate):

Click to Embiggen

As you can see in the graphic above, the Interactive Tablet allows the teacher to teach from anywhere in the classroom, while also writing/interacting with the computer.  The SMARTboard, while equally (and sometimes, more) interactive, does just as much harm to the teacher’s ability to keep proximity to her students as the original introduction of the computer to the classroom.  Instead of being tied to the desk, the teacher is now tied to the front of the room.  Instruction cannot take place just from the front.  And, the Interactive Tablets help ensure the teacher can move to where she needs to without giving up the ability to keep the digital lesson moving.

There are uses of the SMARTBoards.  If it is mainly used as a work center for students, it is a great purchase, as some younger students don’t have the fine motor skills to write with the tablet, and using their fingers to drag and select on the SMARTBoard is a great strategy.  I’ve seen SMARTBoards used to great success in classrooms, so the tool has its uses; however, for most teachers, the Interactive Tablet gives them great freedom, same interactivity, and at a third of the cost.

NOTE: I purposefully didn’t mention a brand of Interactive Tablets, as I’m not shilling for a specific company.  I’m shilling for a fantastic, affordable tool that many seem to overlook.

I’ve owned an iPhone for over three years, and an iPad for over a year, now.  My wife also has an iPad, and my son an iPod Touch.  Needless to say, we have a pretty good exposure rate to iOS games.  Initially, the gaming genre for the iOS devices was fresh and new.  They offered quick, yet deep experiences that truly did make me question whether or not I still needed my DS.

I always rationalized keeping my DS (and now 3DS) around, because no one makes a game like Nintendo does.  It was the quality that kept me coming back to the Mario and Luigi RPG games, Zelda’s portable incarnations, Animal Crossing, Professor Layton, and more.  I couldn’t quite explain it, but no matter how many games I bought and downloaded for my iPhone/Pad, I still kept going back to my DS.

What’s Changed in iOS Gaming?

Today, after noticing a commonality between all the new gaming apps released in the past week, I finally realized what is wrong with the current crop of mobile games (meaning iOS and Android).  It’s repetition.  Or, as I like to call it, “Creativity Fatigue.”

It started with Doodle Jump.  The game costs $.99, and made millions.  It was a great rags-to-riches story, and everyone loved to comment on it.  As we were all playing it, and discussing it very publicly, an innumerable amount of programmers, ranging from hobbyists to independent developers took note of the success of Doodle Jump, and within 1 month, the App market was flooded (and I mean by the 100′s) with knock-offs.  Some of them built upon the genre (and even forced Doodle Jump to update with things like power-ups, progression, and themes, which is good), while others simply aped it.

Then, Angry Birds hit.  Different genre (launching physics), same story.  This time, Angry Birds hit new milestones that Doodle Jump could only ever dream of, so the imposters were even more wide-spread and varied in quality.  While chronologically Cannabalt and MiniGore hit at different times than Angry Birds and Doodle Jump, they also had a creativity fatigue effect on their respective genres (endless distance runner and dual-stick shooter).

So, What’s the Problem?

First of all, it’s happening in much more frequent occurrences than the same effect does on Sony and Nintendo’s handhelds.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the large amount of Pokemon and Ratchet and Clank rip-off’s.  However, it doesn’t happen nearly as often on those devices.  Why?  The main reason is costs.  It costs far more to become an approved developer for Nintendo and Sony.  Additionally, it costs considerable more to find a distributor willing to produce, package, and distribute these titles.

Most have seen this as a positive for the industry.  If games are downloadable, then the little guy gets his game out there for the world to see, who normally wouldn’t have ever been heard from.  That’s good, right?  Yes, and no.  Yes, it’s good, because it takes the power away from money-minded companies who are looking to cash-in on a quick rip-off, and lets the creativity flow.

But, that would only be a good argument if independent and hobbyist developers hadn’t already shown in the past three years that they are JUST as money-minded and prone to rip-offs themselves.  Sure, it’s prudent to claim that Disney was looking for a quick Pokemon-style cash-in on the “gotta catch ‘em all” fever with their Spectrobes games.  Yet, when 100′s of other indie developers do the same with Angry Birds clones, it’s somehow the glorious transformation of the gaming community.

Where Does That Leave Us?

It leaves us in a pretty precarious position.  I would never state that iOS/Android gaming has no more good ideas.  Nor would I say that handheld gaming has all the best, Grade A titles.  For every MiniGore clone out there on the iOS/Android devices, there’s a great Groove Rollercoaster (my currently favorite iOS app) or Infinity Blade.  Likewise, for every Professor Layton out there on the 3/DS/Vita, there’s a cheap Cooking Mamma cash-in.

We as consumers need to be critical.  Yes, Angry Birds is a great game.  But, what is it that makes it so great?  Is it the game’s mechanics/rules or the game as an entire entity?  Many developers mistakenly thought that deep inside every iOS gamer out there was a need to launch animals from a slingshot, so they went ahead and made a multitude of games that filled that perceived need; when, in reality, all we wanted was a good game.

Because of the quick and cheap turnaround on iOS/Android games, you are more prone to see this creativity fatigue in alarming numbers.  Don’t write-off iOS/Android gaming, but beware those who herald the end of dedicated handheld gaming just because Angry Birds made millions.

What Needs to Change?

Here’s my challenge to all iOS and Android developers…Don’t make any more games of these following genres:

• Endless Distance Runner
• Dual-Stick Shooter
• Launching Physics
• Endless Jumpers
• Tower Defense
• Anything With Zombies

Now, of course when the next hit genre comes out, they’ll be likely to stumble over to that buffet and start gorging, but at least we can retire a few of the more saturated areas of gaming.

Here’s my challenge to Nintendo and Sony 1st/2nd/3rd Party developers…Start doing these things:

• Embrace $.99 downloadable games
• Make Legacy versions of your old games (why are you still charging $5 for the first Super Mario NES game?  Make it $.99!)
• Meet with the big iOS/Android developers such as Gameloft/Chillingo/Pop Cap and give them reasons to come to your handhelds

Both industries need to change.  However, I would posit that the iOS/Android developers need to first start varying their game designs.  I will no longer be buying any more games that fall into the genres above, and I can’t imagine most other users will either, after very long.

What I had my non-education eye on the most was iBooks.  For a few years, I’ve been wanting to make the switch to eBooks.  Like the iPod did for my CD collection, the Amazon Kindle and Sony eReader could do for my books; however, while the appeal of carrying all my books on one device was enticing, it still was a particular, single-us, proprietary gadget that I’d have to find room for in my gadget bag (which is already overrun with iPods, cameras, a DS, comic books {yes, comic books}, and countless cables).  For the price, it just didn’t seem like a good fit for my lifestyle.

But, the iPad was perfect.  Yes, more expensive, but it also replaced my dying iPhone 3G as an App-enabled device.  I was able to use it for Internet surfing, apps, e-mail, Twitter, and of course, books.  I jumped in with both feet, buying up the last few remaining Christopher Moore books I’ve yet to read.  My first book to be read on the iPad was A Dirty Job.  I had a difficult time getting through it.  At the time, I thought it might have been the book itself.  It certainly takes a while to get started, with a very slow middle third; but, I mustered through it (it’s final third, very good), and prided myself on finishing my first eBook.

Then, I stared at the rest of my iBooks library, and sighed.  I didn’t want to start another.  That’s not how I am.  I will actually start anticipating my next book while still finishing my current book, as if I’m thinking about ice cream while finishing up my meatloaf.  That didn’t happen this time.

Why?  I thought, at the time, that perhaps I just don’t have time to read anymore.  I thought that, maybe, I’ve trained myself to only be able to focus for small bursts at a time (something I’ve discussed before).  Then, while planning for a dry camping trip to Yosemite (i.e. no electricity), I realized that I would have ample time to read, yet my iPad would not last the entire vacation.  So, while at CostCo, I picked up Game of Thrones, hoping to finally power through the beast of a novel that I never got to fully finish in high school.

While on my trip, I could only think of reading it.  While reading it, I would completely ignore my surroundings (a difficult thing to do in Yosemite); and, when not reading it, all I would do is stare off in anticipation of the next time my pulpy love and I would be reunited.  It would pain me to see it sitting on the bed of my motorhome, while I was forced to spend quality time playing cards and telling ghost stories with my children.  It had become my mistress, my great distraction, and my family would surely suffer from it, and they would need to understand, because it’s a book.

That’s when I realized that while the iPad is an amazing device, and its potential is constantly being expanded, it can never be a book.  Holding that book in my hands — the smell of the paper, the artwork, the feel of the pages — I could instantly sense that it was what my great iPad could never be.

Now, as I’m finishing up Game of Thrones, and looking to take a whimsical break, and knock out another Christopher Moore novel, I’m thinking of actually rebuying the books that I already purchased on the iBooks store.  It’s not the glare from the screen (as most people feel) that has me reconsidering.  It’s not the battery life, or the feeling of looking at a computer screen and destroying my eyes (that’s already happened, thanks to actual computer screens, and reading in low light for so many years).  Truthfully, it’s the tradition.

That Good Ole' Book Smell

This doesn’t mean I’ll never read an eBook again — the pricing, alone, makes it a consideration for many titles.  But, for those books that I know I’ll devour and fall in love with, I want it to be with a real thing, an object of reality, an item for me to own, and to have ownership over me as only a book with ink and pages can do.

My son worked really hard this year.  I mean, really hard.  And, to reward him, we got him what he’s had his eye on — but never asked for — every time we go to Fry’s for the past year: a Kinect.  It was a difficult buy, but I did it.  When we got home, we installed it, and immediately started playing Kinect Adventures.  The game is a B-, but I was instantly impressed with the device’s ability to track movements.  I decided that as long as we own the Kinect, I might as well get a game I like.  I did some research, and decided that Child of Eden would be that purchase.

After making it through only the first (of eight) worlds, I found myself completely pulled in by the game.  It’s difficult to explain.  It’s perhaps easiest (and, yes, superfluous) to simply say: Child of Eden is the most fun I have ever had playing a game.  And, as a gamer since the 80′s, that’s no easy feat to accomplish in 2011.

At its core, Child of Eden is a music game.  In an age when music/rhythm games have completely saturated and devalued the genre, this is a welcome return to what a music game should be.  Music is meant to reach into you emotionally, and help you relax, or get geared up, or cry, or even laugh.  It’s meant to make you an emotional wreck.  Games, while the effort has been great, rarely do this.  I can’t recall the last game I played that made me feel like a really good song does.  That’s what Child of Eden does, only multiplied.

Click to Embiggen

You find yourself as a floating reticule in an absurd organic, yet digitized environment.  Your job is to shoot anything that appears to be an enemy.  You move your right hand to highlight the baddies, and then do a sort of “force push” to execute your fire.  Your left hand can be used to fire in rapid succession — sort of like a machine gun.  Yet, even though I’m using phrases such as “fire,” “machine gun,” and “shoot,” it’s the non-violent nature that helps Child of Eden stand out.

The back-story is that this world is based on a futuristic form of the Internet, one that is innocent, pure, and full of information on the universe.  The problem is it’s been attacked by viruses.  It’s your job to save this far-fetched Internet.  To do this, you must use your reticule to cleanse the Internet of harmful viruses and invaders.  So, while you technically fire at your enemies, you’re actually purifying the world in which you live.

It’s an interesting concept, and one that is very eco-friendly, while dabbling in spiritual ascension.  This content makes it appropriate for all ages, though the game can be difficult.  If you miss too many infections, you start over…from the beginning.  Now, I’m use to this, but I can see how it would become very frustrating for my son.

However, the nature of the game — tasking your with truly interacting with an environment in an unsurpassed auditory and visual manner — makes it a must play for those who are still campaigning about all the harm games can cause.  If you believe a violent game can engorge in a child such a viscous, dangerous nature, then you must also believe that Child of Eden can put our children at peace with their emotions, and actually attain some spiritual sedation.

For instance, the second world has you floating through a sort of digital sea.  Halfway through, you are shown some amazing looking manta rays.  But, they’ve been leeched upon by digital barnacles.  It’s up to you to help clean the binary wildlife.  The end of the level has you trying to eradicate all manner of intrusive parasites from the back of a gigantic humpback whale as it floats through the computerized environment.  The feeling you get when the whale you’ve been carefully preening, and protecting from returning viruses is almost indescribable — though, I’ll try.

It’s like watching a child being born: a wonderful experience, though dirty, messy, and wholly disgusting.  Yet, after taking the effort to clean this amazing creature, all you want to do is stand back and admire it.  And, as the sanitized and free whale floats out of view, you completely forget that this was a game; you earned points, you passed a level, and you’re going to move on to the next round.  It’s almost heartbreaking to realize that you won’t see it again (until, of course, you replay the level), but reassuring to know that at it least this part of the world has been released back into its innocence.

Child of Eden gets everything right.  It’s not a shooter, but rather a cleanser.  It’s not a music game, but rather a music experience.  It’s not just a wag-n-wiggle game, but rather an interfaceless encounter.  There is no controller for you to learn, nor any silly, arbitrary analogs to make you look like a marionette puppet while playing.  Unlike other Kinect games, you don’t have to make any silly poses to control the game.  You move your hand to caress and impose on the game, and it breathes and flexes with you.  While the game is short, it is certainly worth the $35 price that Amazon often reduces it to.

Pros: Absorbing experience. Appropriate for entire family. Actually makes gaming feel like a natural, intentional part of your life.
Cons: Short (quite). Difficult (old school, start from beginning of level save points). Not a $60 game (wait for a sale, or BoGo deal)

There are many different types of activities students can, and should, take part in during the course of a unit.  They can discuss concepts with partners, take notes, write essays, create presentations, research information, and more.

One such activity, Internet research, is difficult to implement, even when the teacher has a very clear idea of what he wants the students learn, what information he wants them to access, and how he wants them to present it (the final project demonstrating they met the objective).

There are many ways to resolve this, but there are 3 key features you’ll want to keep in mind as you develop an Internet research lesson:

1. What is the content I want my students to research?
2. Where do I want them to go to find it?
3. What should the end-product look like, and how does it show they met the objective?

For each of these, you’ll want the students to use a resource.  The resource can be online, or it can be physical.  For instance, I may want my students to research online the causes of the Revolutionary War, but I want them to write an essay explaining the 3 main causes of the war.  Or, I will have my students interact with an atom simulator online, and then create a physical model, and present on the function and parts of the atom.

In my case, I wanted to create something that existed solely online.  For this, I answered each of the 3 questions with one of the web resources I listed earlier (DiscoveryEducation, Symbaloo, and Glogster).

1. What is the content I want my students to research?
• I want them to research the steps of Photosynthesis from a variety of sources: DiscoveryEducation and various web sites.
2. Where do I want them to go to find it?
• I want them to use Symbaloo to access only the content I’ve culled for them.
3. What should the end product look like?
• They will create a Glogster with the steps of Photosynthesis.

So, to that end, I created a Symbaloo that has videos from DiscoveryEducation, pictures from various sources, web sites, experiments, and simulations.  All of them are possible resources for my students to use in creating their Glogster; however, not all of them should be a resource they use.

Click to Embiggen

If I were to simply give my students a list of 15 resources, and say, “Go,” they wouldn’t learn to evaluate the information they are exposed to.  They would think that since it’s on the Symbaloo I directed them to, there must be something there they need to see or use.  They would be wrong.  I wanted to tame the wild Internet, to an extent, so that it’s manageable for my students — I didn’t want them staring blankly at a Google Search bar — but, I also wanted the to have to evaluate and assess the information they’re given.

The Symbaloo I created below has 34 resources, varying from videos to pictures, web sites to simulations, and even a song.  Not all 34 resources are necessary for meeting the objective.  Are they all interesting?  Yes.  Do I want my students to explore them all?  Yes.  Should they all have some place in their final Glogster?  No.  And, I let them know this in the “Apple” rubric in the Symbaloo.  When they click on the red “Rubric for Your Glogster,” they see this:

Rubric for Photosynthesis Glogster

Create a Glogster demonstrating your knowledge of how Photosynthesis works. Not all of the videos, pictures, or websites on the Symbaloo are related to Photosynthesis. Some of them are just there to help you understand more about plants and trees. The information in your Glogster should only be related to Photosynthesis.

Below are 4 requirements of your Glogster. You will receive 1 point for each part that is in your Glogster.

1. The steps of Photosynthesis are listed in the correct order

2. Correct academic vocabulary is used

3. Images or videos are used to support your writing

4. Spelling and grammar are correct

This rubric informs my students of 3 things:

1. They are responsible for looking at all the resources
2. Not all the resources are necessary for their final Glogster
3. The rubric is supremely objective, grading them simply on whether they have met the requirement, or not.

The final point is something I picked up from Ainsworth’s Common Formative Assessments, who states that structuring your rubrics in a very objective manner alleviates the possibility of teacher subjectivity, varying interpretations of the rubric, and student confusion over what they are being asked to do.

With that in mind, students are sent off to complete the activity.  It can be used as a summative assessment at the end of the unit.  It can also be used as an on-going resource throughout the unit, where students don’t access all the resources in one or two days, but as they are introduced in the classroom.  Students can then add to their Glogster during the course of the lesson, and can even engage in discussions about which resources are necessary, optional, or irrelevant.

However you choose to use it, I hope you see some value in it.  It is simply one suggestion of many different ways to integrate Internet research into the classroom.  For me, I find it simplifies the process, and pulls together multiple resources for content research and generation.  Enjoy!

Photosynthesis Symbaloo

Click to Embiggen

I came across this graphic last week, and had a real guttural feeling about it.  But, I promised myself I’d take a full week to mull over what I was feeling, and why.  Click inside to find out why I think this graphic doesn’t bode well for our kids.

What Parents are Doing About What Their Kids are Doing

With our kids being on all kinds of social networks these days, I don’t disagree that it’s vitally important that we keep up with what they’re doing.  I am vehemently opposed to letting a child simply play on the computer, without the need to check up on them.  I get quite angry when parents brag about how much their child does on the computer or smartphone, and then also talks about how little they actually know about technology.  It’s akin to bragging about how much television your child watches, without knowing that the Spice channel is unlocked on your cable service.

Which Social Network is Your Teen On?

My problem with the graphic is not how many parents keep an eye on their child’s social networking activity.  I’m encouraged that 55% of parents say they keep an eye on their child’s social networking.  It’s the 41% who don’t just say “No,” but “No, I wouldn’t do that.”  Do what?  Not look at what they’re doing online?  Do these parents think it’s like a private journal?  It’s not.  Your kid’s friends are reading their wall, friends of their friends are reading their wall, stalkers are reading their walls, colleges are reading their wall, and so should you.

What Should I Do?

The more a parent treats a child’s social network as private, the more children will start to believe that it *is* private.  They’ll believe it’s their own, private corner of the world where they can express themselves and say what they want.  Social networks are corners of the world where children can express themselves, but they’re not private.  So, how should I keep an eye on my child’s online behavior?

It’s not an issue I have to deal with, quite yet.  My oldest son is 6, and isn’t on Facebook (more than letting him post vacation pictures), but he is on social gaming sites such as Club Penguin, Pop Tropica, and Clone Wars Adventures.  Even with those, we had to setup parameters:

• You have to ask permission to log on;
• The computer is in the hallway, a common area;
• At any time, I could ask you what you’re doing (more out of genuine curiosity than checking up);
• You only choose servers with constructed responses (meaning, no open chat, only “Hey!” and “Cool shot!” responses).

So, knowing that I have time to figure this out, but that it’s coming, what should I do?  Well, I shouldn’t do what 13% of parents do (logging in a friends account), or what the 35% of “Others” do (which, I’m assuming, is logging into their child’s account via stored passwords).  In fact, I shouldn’t “spy” at all.  Spying implies that I’m looking in on my son without him knowing.  That could dissolve trust between a him and me.  Additionally, it does nothing to teach him proper behavior online.  It’s a “GOTCHA!” tactic that will only build-up resentment between a my son and me, and more than likely won’t solve future occurrences.

The solution is actually pretty simple.  It’s honest.  It helps him know from the beginning what the expectations are, and that I’m watching.  It also helps me keep on the cutting edge of the ever-developing social networks:

Sign up for an account, and Friend your child.  That’s it.

Set up the expectation: As long as my child has a profile, I am one of his friends.  I tell him that I won’t be checking it everyday, and I probably won’t be checking it much at all, but that I need the ability to.

I need to be honest with myself: I’m going to be checking his Facebook anyway; at least this way I’m being open and honest.  Plus, just knowing that I could check at any time will make him second guess before he posts something.  Now, does this mean that he will simply post it somewhere else?  Possibly, and I’ll need to talk with him, and find out where else he’s networking (Twitter? Google+? Good ole’ chat rooms?).  Could it force him to be even more sneaky, and I’ve now lost one avenue of communication with your child?  Maybe.  But, the alternative is pure dishonesty and guerrilla tactics.

And, let’s say I catch him doing something on Facebook that I need to talk to him about; yet, I found out about it by “spying.”  How does that conversation go?  I can tell you what the teenager is thinking, “OMG! You’re spying on me?  I can never trust you!”  Now, I have two issues to deal with: what he posted on Facebook, and the fact that he now doesn’t want to listen to a single thing I have to say.

One more note.  To the 5% who said they would check on their child, if only they knew how?  Shame on you.  You’re letting ignorance (and, let’s face it, laziness) get in the way of you knowing what your child is doing online.  We don’t claim ignorance when faced with how to deal with a 1 year old with a fever.  Do your research!  Be a parent!

I look at some of the ways Google+ can change the social network game in education after the jump.

First of all, you need to make the decision (or check with your school/district office personnel) as to whether or not you want to engage your students in an activity that isn’t directly monitored or administered by you.  Because Google+ is open, you will not have administrative rights as to what is posted on the social network.

If you’re okay with that, and you have students of age to have an account (parent permission is always a good idea), then there are some fantastic things you can do with Google+ that Facebook and Twitter, realistically, can’t do.  Here are a few ideas:

Teacher-Created Groupings

You have your groups in class: blue, red, green; circles, squares, triangles; low, medium, high.  Whatever they are, you have them, and you’re used to using them to break your students up into centers, or to assign level-appropriate homework.  Well, why not do the same for on-line?

With Google+, you can create Circles (social network groups) named after your classroom groups, and add the appropriate students to these Circles.  Then, when you want to post an assignment, provide feedback on that day’s in-class activity, or simply send them a message, you can do so without sending it to the entire class.

Get creative with your groups.  Setup one for your different levels of English Language Learners, or any GATE students you have.  Remember: the key here is Google+ allows you to differentiate your social network.  Unlike Facebook, you don’t have to share everything with everyone.  You can control the stream of your posts.

Student-Created Groupings

Don’t leave Circles for just you; let your kids get in the act!  Encourage your students to create Circles for their friends.  Did you assign students to work in groups to present on an American Colony?  Then, they should create a Circle for that project, and archive all of their discussions inside that Circle.

Students can also use this for extracurricular activities.  They can have Circles for book clubs, after school programs.  Handball was an extremely competitive sport at my school.  Why not have them create a Handball Circle, and challenge each other, provide sportsman-like encouragement, and setup tournaments through the Circle?

Motivation

Google+ forgoes the “Like” and “Retweets” for a +1 attitude.  What this means is that if you, or others, like a post, you can “+1″ it.  While simple in its use, students can post ideas, journal entries, even essays in Google+ and collect “+1″s.  In addition to that, commenting (just like in Facebook) is available.  Yes, it’s competitive, but it’s a healthy form of competition, and one that will get your students writing during days and hours that were previously consumed by television and video games.

And, students receiving social network feedback on writing is a very, very big deal in improving their writing proficiency.

Parent Communication

This is probably the easiest one to setup.  At Back to School Night, collect your parents’ e-mail addresses (hint: use a Google Form on a dedicated computer in your room to automatically collect them all in a usable spreadsheet), and invite them to Google+.

Then, create a Parents Circle, and use it as your main stream of communication to parents.  They can view all of your announcements from there, and even “Share” it with their child to their “Family” Circle.  Google+ allows users to take a post from another person (e.g. the teacher), and share it out to another Circle (e.g. the parents share with the child).

“Hangout” After School

One of the most different features in Google+ from Facebook and Twitter is the “Hangout” feature.  At first glance, being able to turn on your webcam, and make yourself available for a video conference may seem superfluous; however, if you think of how often our children must go home and feel alone with their homework, it quickly becomes a must-have tool.

It’s after school, you’re in your room planning for the next day/week, why not turn on your “Hangout” status, and students, either at home, library, bookstore (what are those?), or anywhere with an Internet connection can now jump in and ask you an impromptu question.

You may not always want to make yourself available.  Perhaps think of setting up limits (e.g. “I’ll be hanging out in Google+ Tuesday and Thursday until 4:30″).

Conclusion

These are just a few ideas on how using Google+ can overcome some of the barriers Facebook had in place, keeping social networks out of the classroom.  It doesn’t solve all the issues, but it does bring a few fresh ideas (e.g. Circles and Hangouts) to the table that make it a viable choice.

Social Networks are Like Chips ‘n Dip: Take a Thought, Post it Once, and Move On!  No Double-Dipping!

It’s ridiculous out there.  Seriously.  MySpace used to be all you need.  Yes, it was horrible, and the HTML editing allowed for the most atrocious setups, but at least everything was contained in one area.  Now, we have many options.  Facebook and Twitter, while not being the only choices, are certainly the two top contenders.

Then, just two weeks ago, Google had to go and muck it all up by getting into the game (again, after not doing so well their first two times).  Now, we have three top contenders, since Google isn’t going anywhere (and, frankly, I think Google+ may end up being the better product).  Add to that other services we use to manage and share our digital lives — Flickr, Delicious, Picasa, Diigo, and more.  How do you wrangle all of these?  Well, you have some options.

Two Ways to Post to Your Networks

Low-Tech Posting

It’s not the most automated way, but you can get the job done with no setup or cross-accounting (covered below).  Have mostly family on Facebook?  Put your family-oriented updates there.  Have mostly work friends on Google+?  Put your work related posts there.  Have your PLC on Twitter?  Then post your links and network-bragging thoughts there.  Again, not the most streamlined solution, but it does keep your different networks separate.

I know this doesn’t seem revolutionary, or even worth mentioning, but I do this to help keep you sane: if you’re going to keep your networks separate, then keep your posts separate.  Don’t double post the same link or comment!  Think to yourself, “Does my family care about the newest Jailbreak release for iOS 4.3?”  If not, then just drop it on Twitter, and be done with it!  Likewise, “Do the people in my Twitter PLC care about what I’m BBQing this weekend?”  If not, then post your awesome grilling techniques on Facebook, and save your 1k acquaintances the trouble of sifting through it.

Cross-Account Posting

This is a feature not many are aware of, but exists in most services.  Do you currently find yourself jumping between Facebook and Twitter?  Found a link you know your PLC and your family/friends would love to see?  Then no need to post more than once.  Both Facebook and Twitter offer cross-account updates.

1. Tweetdeck – A plug for my personal favorite, Tweetdeck lets you attach your Facebook account to your Twitter account.  And, when you update Twitter via TweetDeck, you also update your Facebook status.  Additionally, it’s a button you can toggle on/off, so if it’s a link you don’t want to harass your friends/family with, simply turn off Facebook updating for that post;
2. #FB – There is a Twitter app you can enable that will automatically shoot your Twitter updates to Facebook any time you include the #FB hashtag in your post.  Quick, effective, and no need of a special program (TweetDeck) to do it.  Only downside?  It uses up 3 of your 140 characters to update;
3. Chrome Extension – I don’t use Chrome (FF4Life), but there is an extension out there that will connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts to Google+.  What this means is when you post to your Google+, it automatically gets pushed to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

How to Pull it All Together

This depends on what services you use, but hopefully this will inspire you to be creative in how you decide to link all of your services to make life as simple as possible.  Again, the GOAL is to only post ONCE!

Here’s what I do (again, just an idea of how 6 services can all feed each other).

Services I Use Daily

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+
• Delicious
• Flickr
• Google Reader
• WordPress (this blog)

Now, the challenge is how to link them all.  You’ll want to start with the service you POST to the most.  Keep in mind, this is just for posting.  You’ll still need to open Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ in order to see everyone’s posts.  What we’re doing is trying to cut down on the time YOU spend posting the same link/comment.

I started with Twitter, and worked my way from there.  Here’s the map of how my posting works:

The Setup

• Gave Google+ access to pull in my Tweets (done through Account Settings in Google+);
• Gave Delicious access to post my bookmarks to Twitter (done the first time you click on “Send” when bookmarking a site in Delicious);
• Gave Flickr access to post to Facebook (Flickr is for family, so no need to post to Twitter);
• Added Facebook account to TweetDeck (both on iPhone/Droid and computer)
• Gave WordPress access to post my Tweets (as you can see, I don’t get to update this blog as much as I’d like, but all of my Tweets are posted to the site automatically, so you can at least see what I’ve found between blog posts).

The Practice

Posting a Tweet

I post a Tweet to TweetDeck, and it:

• Automatically goes to Facebook when I click on the “Facebook” button in TweetDeck;
• It also automatically goes to my Google+ Stream, because I gave Google access to my Twitter account;
• And, my Tweet is posted to my blog, because I gave WordPress access;

So, ONE update feeds into THREE networks and this blog.

Sharing a Link

I use Google Reader to access all my sites.  I use Delicious to track all of my links.  So, when I come across a good link in Google Reader, I hit my Delicious Bookmark Button (via the Firefox Add-On), and the screen pops up to let me save the link to my bookmarks.

Before I save the bookmark, I click on the “Send” tab, and click on the Twitter button.  Now, FOUR things happen:

• The link is saved on my Delicious account as a bookmark;
• It’s also shared via Twitter;
• I gave Twitter access to share to my Facebook, so now it’s on Facebook;
• I gave Google+ access to my Twitter feed, so now it’s on Google+

So, I just saved a link for later, and also fed it out to THREE networks all with ONE click.

Sharing a Photo

This is simpler than the other two, because I only share my Flickr photos with Facebook.  I set Flickr up to automatically dump my photos into Facebook.

But, I know not everyone uses Flickr.  Some people use Facebook to store/share their photos.  No worries, you can also setup Google+ to pull in all of your Facebook pictures, as well.

Conclusion

Obviously, your setup is different than mine.  I don’t mind cross-sharing between Facebook, Twitter, and Goolge+.  I know a lot of users like to keep work, friends, and family separate; however, in my life, my work, friends, and family are usually the same people.  Hopefully this gave you an idea of how you can make complicated technology, that was originally intended to make your life easier, actually easy to keep up with.

Have anything to add?  Other methods you use?  Just drop it in the comments below.