Google Chromebook: Review

I bought my Acer Google Chromebook  C720 back in November 2013 from a Best Buy in Newnan, GA. My previous laptop, also an Acer, but was infected with a virus from a memory stick that was given to me by my job. After my employers refused to accept responsibility for infecting my laptop, I was in desperate need of a replacement at an affordable price.  As an educator who spends over 60% of his day inside Google, I figured that a Chromebook was the obvious choice for a renewal.  The price was also a great lure. A Google laptop for under $200 was flipping Awesome! Boasting features like; virus resistant security design, extremely light weight and to go size, instant on, web based applications and video conferencing, I was overwhelmed by the salesperson who seemed to be a bigger Google guru than me.  The personalization aspect became apparent as soon as I signed into Google and all my Google applications appeared at the bottom of my screen. Instant access to my files in Google Drive, my videos on YouTube, my Calendar and Gmail.  It seemed like Chromebook was perfect for me. But after a few months, I'm starting to think I should have done a little more research before I just dived on in. Here are my gripes;

• No VPG plug. This is a big time deal buster for me that I didn't notice before I purchased.  Not only are VPGs necessary for class presentations, but conference presentations as well. 

• No CD player. For me this is not a big deal, but for those big movie goers who have no idea that the same movies are available online and faster download speed, this is more annoying than a car alarm that refuses to stop blaring off.

• Can't install Windows. Since there is no CD player, of course installing programs is impossible.  Personally, I am not a huge fan of Windows, but as I have recently been searching for part time work as an online tutor, I am finding that ALL online tutoring companies require Windows.  

• Small storage capacity. This is a big deal for some, but then again, when you do most of your storage in the clouds, do you really need a laptop with a lot of storage space.

Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. I love the battery life and its quick recharge time.  Its weight and small size takes up more space than most books in my book bag; And for $200, I can't complain too much. I just wish I had done a little more research before I purchased. So, with that being said, I hope this quick review helps you make a sound decision if you have been in the market for a Chromebook.

Best
#mrford#techsavvyteacher

In Search of the Perfect Attendance App for My Smartphone...

As a paperless teacher, one of the things I look forward to is eliminating the need for those annoying attendance sheets. I can't tell you how many times I've misplaced one or two of them, or found one lying at the bottom of my car floor with a muddy footprints all over the front. One of my major hangups with traditional attendance taking is that there is no transparency between teacher and student; it's almost like the attendance is hidden from the students after the role is called. I believe if students (some, not all) are given the option to actually see their attendance as often as they like, as well as have the option to check in themselves by not having to scream 'here' or 'present', than their attendance will increase by at least 20%.  So earlier this year, I set out to find the perfect attendance app for my smart phone and my students. The Google Play Store has a large amount of these particular apps available, and I've only just started to test them; but so far, my first three have helped me to determine exactly what I want in the perfect attendance app!

Foursquare was very exciting to use. I really liked the social aspect of it. My students and I even enjoyed the badges for rewards, but it ended up being more a social app because students started checking in and having conversations EVERYWHERE they went. Not only that, but I soon found that students were checking themselves in class even when they weren't there.  Just like FB, you don't have to physically be in a location to check in and that was definitely a deal breaker for me.

Attendance Tracker by PETERMAN was my second attempt at finding the perfect attendance taking app.  What I really liked about this particular app was that it easily imported students from my contacts/Google contacts list -making it super easy to set up.  Other than that, I felt like I was just calling out the role and the students weren't actively involved in their attendance taking. There was no way for students to check themselves in and take ownership of their attendance. And this was another deal breaker for me.

  Recently, I have been using Safety Attendance by FORSAFETYSOLUTIONS from Google Play Store. It was easy to integrate my contacts from my phone or Google and the app also lets me email the students their attendance. What caught my eye about this app was the option to take attendance via QR Codes.   I had  to figure out on my own that I had to personally create a QR Code for my students and email it to them via QR Droid; this is something that I felt the creator failed to inform app users about and should definitely integrate into the app or at least provide a tutorial for app users to understand how to set up QR Codes for this specific app. I can say, however, that my students LOVE the scan in option because they get to use their phones to scan in with me and many of them have no idea what a QR Code is or how they work.  I also like the seating chart options and the customization options. So far, this app is my favorite among the three I have tried.  Unfortunately, the free version of this app only allows you one class of up to 15 students. Though I have only been using it for a couple of weeks, I really think this app is a great way to help convert those teachers who are against using smart phones in the classroom by introducing them to the simplest functions that smart phones offer in education.  Feel free to down load and try these apps for yourself.

#mr.ford#techsavvyteacher

Google's Chromecast vs Samsung's AllShare Cast aka 'dongle'

Samsung AllShare Cast Dongle

So earlier this year I purchased a 'dongle' from Samsung in order to reflect images from my phone to my TV. I spent around $100 for a device that did exactly what it was advertising.  I was so impressed by it, that I HAD to bring it to work the next day and show it off. I actually brought my own 32 inch TV with me to work in order to show off how my 'dongle' worked.  My students and colleagues were not as blown away as I was, but they were nonetheless impressed. Seeing how I was then already on the verge of completely giving up on cable, I thought my 'dongle' would replace Comcast and I could spend all day watching YouTube and Netflix from my Note 2. And for a long time, I did just that. I let my cable bill go and I spent my free time watching The Young Turks and music videos on YouTube.  If I wanted to watch a movie, I hit up Netflix.  

Since I move around a lot, my 'dongle' was the perfect solution to entertain myself as I could plug it into any TV; and from my phone entertain myself.  So when a few months back, Google was advertising a similar device known as Chromecast for $10-$15 dollars, I scoffed at it. I mean, I already had a 'dongle' and it worked flawlessly.  I soon learned that the orders for Chromecast were set back for months and that it was damn near impossible to get one in a store.  

Recently, I had seen  a commercial for Chromecast again, but for $35.  And again, I scoffed at it. That was until someone got a hold of my phone and broke it. I was forced to spend $175 in replacement fees just go get another phone of the same model (Thank God I pay the insurance on it). 
Unfortunately, after I received my new replacement phone, it refused to connect to my 'dongle'.

Google Chromecast

 Forced to live a day or two with no way to reflect my phone to my TV, I caved in and bought a Chromecast from Best Buy mainly because of its cheaper price. Even though the 'dongle' price is now reduced by $30, it is still not as cheap as Chromecast.  I was also impressed by one or two features that Chromecast held vs. Samsung's 'dongle'. For example, with Chromecast, I can multitask; such as remain streaming live videos while taking phone calls or surfing chrome from the same phone.  You can't do that on Samsung's device.   On the other hand,  it appears that Chromecast does not feature HD options on Youtube videos, something that Samsung 'dongle' does very well.

So at the end of the day my good persons, Chromecast is cheaper, works with multiple phone brands, and allows you to stream videos and make phone calls at the same time; as compared to Samsung's 'dongle'.

And there you have it. I'm #mrford, your #techsavvyteacher!