Vol. 3, Issue 2

November 18, 2014

Tech News Tuesday online eNewsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

Focus On – PhotoMath App

Cool Tool – CyArk

Trending Topic – Teens on Screens

For the Rookie – What is a CAPTCHA?

Google Apps for Education – Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar: To sync, or not to sync, that is the question

Just for Fun at Home – Google Chromecast

TECH NEWS TUESDAY | Vol. 3, Issue 2 – NOVEMBER 18, 2014 1

Modesto City Schools | Office of Instructional Technology www.mcs4kids.com/it

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ONLINE ENEWSLETTER PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY STAFF RESOURCES

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How to use TNT Issuu

Table of Contents

Focus On page 1

Cool Tool

page 2

Trending Topic page 2

For the Rookie page 3

Google Apps for Education

page 3

Just for

Fun at

Home page 4

Focus On: PhotoMath App PhotoMath (http://photomath.net) is a new iPhone, Windows, and soon to be Android app that allows you to take a picture of a math problem in a book and it shows you the answer to the problem on the screen. There is a Steps button that will allow you to see step by step how the math problem was solved as well.

There is already a buzz from educators that have found out about the app and comments ranging from great for students to check the answers to their problems to those that see it as an easy way for students to cheat in doing their own work. This app could start a conversation with teachers on how to change the way we think about math assignments.

The app only works with typed or printed math problems such as found in text books. It currently cannot calculate a hand written problem on paper.

Watch the app in action

with this video

TECH NEWS TUESDAY | Vol. 3, Issue 2 – NOVEMBER 18, 2014 2

Modesto City Schools | Office of Instructional Technology www.mcs4kids.com/it

Cool Tool: CyArk

Technology has become an essential part of our kids lives. They depend on it to do almost everything from studying to gaming and now social networking. As such, technology takes so much of their waking time and exposes them to several mental and physical hazards. Being exposed to the screen light for a prolonged period of time each day can result in some severe eye and heart problems. Worse than that, excessive use of technology is now associated with sleep disruption and short attention span. The visual to the left from Huffington Post (click here) features 8 mind-blowing facts on the impact of screens on our kids and teens. The purpose of the visual is not to scare you away from technology but rather help you envision better ways for your kids to use technology with the minimum negative side effects possible. Some of these ways are featured under the visual poster in the article.

Trending Topic: Teens on Screens

www.cyark.org/education

Subjects Covered for K-12 in CyArk Educational Lessons: Algebra Architectural Design Creative Writing Earth Science Educational Technology Geography Geometry Graphic Design History Language Arts Mathematics Physical Science Social Studies

CyArk is an organization building an online library of 3-D models of the world’s cultural heritage sites. The CyArk lesson plan collection for K–12 includes a group of lessons that are as simple as identifying shapes, while others are as complex as predicting when two cracks on the surface of Mount Rushmore will intersect over time. Other lesson plans on the site engage students in building scale models of a Mayan pyramid using 3-D archaeological data, playing the role of surveyors by drawing a scale map of a building on campus and then using scale to measure historical buildings—and more. Mount Rushmore is one of the places that CyArk features in 3-D.

TECH NEWS TUESDAY | Vol. 3, Issue 2 – NOVEMBER 18, 2014 3

Modesto City Schools | Office of Instructional Technology www.mcs4kids.com/it

For the Rookie: What is a CAPTCHA?

Google Apps for Education

A CAPTCHA is a program that protects websites from automated computers maliciously signing up and creating user accounts with that website. The CAPTCHA generates a test that only humans can pass that current computers systems cannot. For example humans can read distorted text and images but a computer program cannot do that yet.

Sample (1) – shows two distorted words the person would type in the text box to create their online account with a particular website.

Sample (2) – shows an image and distorted numbers that the human would type in the text box.

In Sample (2) you will note that you can click the Load new CAPTCHA circular arrow icon to reload the CAPTCHA test if it is too hard to figure out, also you can click the Play audio speaker icon to have the computer read out loud the CAPTCHA to you if it is hard to figure out.

BONUS: The organization that developed the CAPTCHA also is behind a wonderful website and free app for the Android phones and tablets, and Apple iPhone and iPad called Duolingo www.duolingo.com to learn how to speak different languages.

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Check out the two videos here to see what is possible with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar working together.

TECH NEWS TUESDAY | Vol. 3, Issue 2 – NOVEMBER 18, 2014 4

Modesto City Schools | Office of Instructional Technology www.mcs4kids.com/it

Just For Fun at Home

from the folks at

You have a new way to entertain and distract the relatives on Turkey Day! The Google Chromecast has been out for almost a year and it recently got new gaming powers which make for a nice $35 TV-streaming device. You will now be able to call up a board game app on your Apple and Android phones or tablets and fling it to your television set for some family fun. Games include Simon Swipe, Monopoly Dash, Scrabble Blitz, Connect Four Quads, Wheel of Fortune, Just Dance Now, Emoji Party, and Big Web Quiz. Click here for Chromecast Game Apps for iOS and Android.

Click here for list of Chromecast Game Apps for iOS and Android

Click here for more info about the Chromecast