At the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, we are Switching on Learning by integrating Google’s powerful ecosystem into every classroom. This blog is a dedicated space for sharing the ideas, methodologies, and digital tools that transform the modern educational experience.
Our Digital Toolkit
We empower educators and students by leveraging a robust, collaborative environment:
Google Workspace for Education: Driving seamless collaboration through Docs, Drive, and Classroom.
The Power of AI: Utilizing Gemini and integrated AI features to personalize learning and spark creativity.
Data-Driven Assessment: Using MarkBook to track student growth with precision and transparency.
The Process of Learning: Leveraging Revision History to emphasize growth, iteration, and the visible journey of a student's work.
From interactive Chrome tools to digital storytelling, we aren't just using tech—we’re using it to bridge gaps, foster global collaboration, and future-proof our students' skills.
We are pleased to announce that every MyTools2Go user has be given Trial access to the Premium Features of Read&Write for Google from Texthelp.
Read&Write is a Chrome Extension which helps make Google Apps
for Education more accessible to those with reading and writing
difficulties, learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, or
English Language Learners.
Google is revamping your experience on the iPad! It is about time as Google Drive is seriously lacking compared to Drive on other devices. The app is actually moving to operate less like it does on a computer or Android device and more iOS like.
Google Drive is being split into 3 different apps. I would guess the Drive app will cease to exist once the changes are complete. Google Docs and Google Sheets is available now and I suggest you upgrade right away. Google Slides will be coming soon. This will be particularly nice since you currently do not have editing ability on Google Drive. You can only view Google Slides. Click on the links below to download from the Apps Store!
Google Docs is similar to Google Sheets as it too will allow for offline editing, sharing with others, document creation and more.
Both apps have added functionality and are a significant improvement over the Drive App. These apps can be accessed using your own personal Gmail account or even better your MyTools2Go Account.
If you haven't heard of what an EdCamp is let me give you the 411. The EdCamp Unconference is becoming a happening all across North America. What is an unconference you ask? The general gyst is its a conference where the participants are also the presenters. That is, you come to the conference and if you feel like it you can put a topic you would like to discuss or present on up on the board and viola. pretty soon the board is filled with sessions with all kinds of topics ready to be attended.
Why do I bring this up, you might ask? Because its time for EdCampSWO. That is, an EdCamp here in South West Ontario. I think the first one that we had in our area was at the University of Windsor in October of 2012 (I think, I could be wrong) and the next one is April 12, 2014. Yep that's in two weeks.
People are already talking about it and you should too. So if you are the kind of person that likes to share, then this conference is for you. If you are the kind of person that likes to be part of the leading edge of education then this conference is for you. Heck, if you are an educator then this conference is for you.
Check out the EdCampSWO website here. And register for the conference here.
I have written about augmented reality (AR) before when I talked about the Layar app almost 2 years ago. I like Layar. Even though it is a glorified QR code, what you can do with Layar is take an everyday object and make it "clickable". That is pretty cool.
But I don't know if I would consider Layar real augmented reality. In real AR, when you look at an object through a device (iPad/iPhone camera, Google Glass etc) then it actually changes. So for example here is a neat app called Elements 4D that gives you templates of 6 different cubes each with 6 elements on them and when you create those cubes and view them through the app, you see directly the effects of AR. Take a look below.
So that is a pretty good app that really shows some possibilities with AR. A the very least in a "Wow" factor for students. That app was created by a company called Daqri and they have other AR apps like Anatomy 4D. Can you guess what that is about? In both the Elements 4D app and the Anatomy 4D app, you will need to download an image of a template to use in the app. The cubes for Elements can be generated from within the app and the body template is here for Anatomy.
Another chemistry based app is called Chemistry 101. This is made by a company called Zientia (when you go to their site you will note that it is entirely in Spanish. You can click on the English button if you don't want the challenge of reading in that language). Right now the Chemistry app is all they have but it is still pretty good (and they have more on the way). Take a look at the video below to see a brief view of how that app works.
Now these apps are pretty cool but my question is: "Are they needed?". That is, do they provide something that otherwise couldn't be done without the AR. I think in the case of the Elements 4D app, the answer might be yes. The fact that you can hold those cubes in your hand and rotate them to see different views of those elements is something that you may not be able to do in a real class (unless of course you actually had some real samples - which is not out of the realm of possibility)
With the Chemistry 101 app, I am not so sure the AR actually adds to the use of the app. I think most of the stuff that can be done in the app could be done with out the AR focus and still be effective. Don't get me wrong, I really love the testing feature in the app and think that is one of its great strengths. However, as I was using the app, it physically got tiring to continue to hold the iPad above the printouts to see the AR and quickly found that the AR was a novelty and not necessary for the actual function of the app. Maybe I am missing something but that's the way I saw it.
What's the lesson here? "you get what you pay for?" or "AR apps are cool". Maybe "not all AR apps are created equal". Either way, you have some interesting and different ways to introduce topics to students. So why do things the traditional way when instead you can do things the tra-digital way? See what I did there?
Are you using any of these AR apps in your classroom? Do you have some suggestions for good AR apps? If so, please tell us about it in the comment section.
The Ontario Educational Resource Bank, OERB, provides Ontario students and teachers with thousands of resources from K-12, including entire course units, lessons, and interactive learning objects. The OERB has been integrated with the Provincial Learning Management System, or LMS. So, teachers and students may access these resources without having to login. Further, with this integration, e-Learning Ontario provides teachers with the links and embed codes that will bring students directly to any activity. This allows teachers to customize the way they use these resources to better meet their programming needs. Learn more using the USING CONTENT FROM THE OERB GUIDE. So, do not ever stop using the OERB, start using it with the LMS and direct your students to all of these great resources in a seamless, engaging way!
Are you in need of an interactive white board (IWB) but don't have the $3000 to shell out to get one?
Have you already got a data projector in your class and are looking for ways to enhance what you can do with it?
Do you have a couple hundred dollars in your pocket and want to replace it with something else you can fit in your pocket?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then I have the tech for you: A portable device that you can carry around in your bag that turns any surface into an IWB.
I found out about this product last December when I was at the RCAC conference and sat in on Chris Knight's breakout session on Increasing Student Interactivity. Now although I suspect Chris would say that IWBs aren't actually as good as people think when talking about promoting student interactivity (and I might agree), he did mention that a nice option to have IWB technology in your classrooms for a fraction of the cost was a new product created by IPEVO simply called an Interactive White Board System (though the mention of this was merely an aside in his session).
Now I have written about IPEVO before (I really like their portable document camera) so it doesn't come as a surprise to me that they have continued to put out inexpensive but reasonably well performing products. This IWB is no exception.
Keep in mind that certainly a $3000 Smartboard works better but for the money, this works great. I have tried it on a regular wall (ie painted surface) and directly onto a regular whiteboard and I prefer the whiteboard. Somehow the slight texture of the paint felt when moving the pen along the wall is off putting to me. But it works just fine and I was surprised at how precise the calibration is. It comes with its own software (see menu to the right) that allows you to annotate anything on screen with different pens and take screen shots of your work. It can also be fully integrated with the IPEVO P2V document camera.
Setting up the system is pretty easy. Once you have the projector set up and plugged into your computer, just place the IR receiver so it is facing the screen and then follow the two step calibration procedure. For an idea of what that might entail, watch the brief video below.
If you are interested in purchasing this product, in the US you can do so directly from IPEVO here. In Canada (to avoid high shipping and any duties or brokerage fees) you can get it from Merconnet here. Either way you should be around $200 with shipping and taxes.
I was sifting through my many YouTube channel subscriptions and came across this video:
Now to be fair the video is about how we blindly just click "Accept" when we come upon those Terms & Conditions pages when signing up for things online and is a bit on the dry side. So I am not sure whether you want to spend the 10 minutes to watch it. One of the topics was about how complex the wording is in these documents and how that is a deterrent, right away, for most people to read them. So at about the 3 minute mark they talk a Google Chrome Plugin they developed called Literatin that would take the text of any web page (or any text you copy and paste into it) and give it a general rating that goes from Green Eggs & Ham (at the low end) and Frankenstein (at the high end).
Using the plugin is pretty easy. Once you install it on Chrome, you will see an icon appear on your toolbar. When on a web page, just click on the icon and it will read the text on the page and give a report. So for example, this blog page of text comes back equivalent to Harry Potter with an adult Literacy level of about 2.
If you want to use text from a PDF or Word document, just copy it and past it into the plugin. So for example I took a reading passage from the 2013 OSSLT and it came back equivalent to Moby Dick with an adult reading level of 2 or above. Or I went back to the 2013 Grade 6 EQAO test and took a passage from it and it came back equivalent to Harry Potter with an adult reading level of 1. Finally I looked at the 2013 Grade 3 EQAO test and took a passage from it and it came back equivalent to Oh the Places You'll Go with an adult reading level of 1.
Now I am not a literacy expert but I still think that this seems like a useful tool. If you found this tool useful (or not) it would be nice to hear from you in the comments.
Google is revamping your experience on the iPad! It is about time as Google Drive is seriously lacking compared to Drive on other devices. The app is actually moving to operate less like it does on a computer or Android device and more iOS like. 
Why do I bring this up, you might ask? Because its time for EdCampSWO. That is, an EdCamp here in South West Ontario. I think the first one that we had in our area was at the University of Windsor in October of 2012 (I think, I could be wrong) and the next one is April 12, 2014. Yep that's in two weeks.
So that is a pretty good app that really shows some possibilities with AR. A the very least in a "Wow" factor for students. That app was created by a company called Daqri and they have other AR apps like Anatomy 4D. Can you guess what that is about? In both the Elements 4D app and the Anatomy 4D app, you will need to download an image of a template to use in the app. The cubes for Elements can be generated from within the app and the body template is here for Anatomy.
I found out about this product last December when I was at the RCAC conference and sat in on Chris Knight's breakout session on Increasing Student Interactivity. Now although I suspect Chris would say that IWBs aren't actually as good as people think when talking about promoting student interactivity (and I might agree), he did mention that a nice option to have IWB technology in your classrooms for a fraction of the cost was a new product created by IPEVO simply called an Interactive White Board System (though the mention of this was merely an aside in his session).
Now I have written about IPEVO before (I really like their portable document camera) so it doesn't come as a surprise to me that they have continued to put out inexpensive but reasonably well performing products. This IWB is no exception.
Now to be fair the video is about how we blindly just click "Accept" when we come upon those Terms & Conditions pages when signing up for things online and is a bit on the dry side. So I am not sure whether you want to spend the 10 minutes to watch it. One of the topics was about how complex the wording is in these documents and how that is a deterrent, right away, for most people to read them. So at about the 3 minute mark they talk a Google Chrome Plugin they developed called Literatin that would take the text of any web page (or any text you copy and paste into it) and give it a general rating that goes from Green Eggs & Ham (at the low end) and Frankenstein (at the high end).
