Posting to Your Blog from Google Docs

The more I explore Google Docs the more I find hidden features that continue to make things that much easier to do. Today I was looking at the Share tab and learned that it is possible to post your Google document directly to your blog by first selecting Publish as web page... After you have selected that option you will then be able to post your Google document to your blog. You may need to configure Google Docs and supply it with your blog address and password. You can even test the connection to see if it will work. As a test I am going to post this to my Blogger account from Google Docs. Let's see what happens.

Read More

Google Presentation Adds Export to PowerPoint

Google announced just yesterday that it is now possible to export your Google presentations to PowerPoint format. Now you can design your presentations in Google Presentation and you are able to save it in a PowerPoint format. Pretty cool!

Read More

Using MindManager 7- A New User's Perspective

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Meir and introduced him to the power of visual mapping and what it could do for him and the work that he is now doing. I thought it would be interesting to get Meir's perspective on how he is using MindManager 7 to solve business problems and allow him to work more efficiently. Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BSF: Hi Meir- can you share with us the work that you do?

MK: Hello Dr. Friedlander. Thank you for the opportunity to share with your readers how MindManager 7 has helped me be more productive and work with greater efficiency. I work for an actuarial consulting company that provides full-service plan administration and consulting to small and large sized companies offering employer sponsored retirement plans. As the Information Technology Coordinator I manage all IT related activities, provide technical guidance and support for our pension staff and assist in the identification, implementation and maintenance of information management policies and procedures.

BSF: What was is about the demands of your work that made you gravitate towards using visual mapping and MindManager 7?

MK:Several months into my new position my company began working towards automating various pension related processes. With this ongoing project came a great deal of information that needed to be organized, as well as numerous tasks that required management and tracking within specific time frames. MindManager 7 was a lifesaver, allowing me to visualize the different projects and tasks and effectively manage all the necessary information.

BSF:How has MindManager 7 helped you to solve some of your business problems?

MK: MindManager 7 has helped me prepare detailed flow charts illustrating various workflow processes. These maps were used for staff training purposes and utilized as a visual learning tool to demonstrate specific business procedures and prepare for different process outcomes.

BSF:How receptive were your coworkers to the idea of using visual maps to convey and present information?

MK: I am happy to say that most of my coworkers were accepting to the idea of using visual maps and have even expressed their appreciation for the organizational quality and visual support that visual mapping provides. The response from management however was somewhat mixed. Some of the management staff were very receptive to using MindManager 7, while others were unexcited and uncomfortable with using visual mapping as a business tool.

BSF: Since you started using MindManager 7 have any of your colleagues jumped on board?

MK: Yes. One co-worker who I work closely with has become a strong supporter of visual mapping as a business tool and is in the process of learning how to use MindManager 7.

BSF:What would you say are the top 2 or 3 benefits of using MindManager 7 in the work that you do?

MK: The greatest benefits of using MindManager 7 in my work have been the ability to organize and capture my ideas, tasks and business activities on a visual dimension within a platform that is entirely integrated with Microsoft Office. As a person who has always preferred a visual learning style, MindManager 7 serves as my ideal tool to manage all my information technology and information management responsibilities.

BSF: As a new comer to visual mapping what suggestions would you give to other users who are on the fence or just starting out using this tool?

MK: I would suggest that they try to be creative and identify various ways that visual mapping can help them in their work environment. Greater integration of visual mapping as a business tool means more practice and more opportunities to develop visual mapping skills. I would also recommend utilizing the numerous visual mapping templates and libraries that are available. I have found it easier to customize existing maps to meet my individual needs rather than creating something from scratch.

BSF: Can you share a specific application that really attracted you to using MIndManager 7.

MK: I can’t think of an application that specifically attracted me to MindManager 7 but FreeMind was the first visual mapping application that I experimented with. The limitations of FreeMind ultimately lead me to MindManager 7 which I have found to be a more comprehensive and effective visual mapping alternative

Read More

Inside the Mind of an Educator: Using the PersonalBrain

Just a reminder join me for :Inside the Mind of an Educator: Using PersonalBrain for Your Classroom, Studies and Beyond
Special Web Event with Dr. Brian S. Friedlander

When: Thursday, April 17th at 11:00 am Pacific / 2:00 pm Eastern Time

What: Students and teachers deal with complex issues and concepts that have many relationships and connections. PersonalBrain offers a new and exciting way to bring your content to life and foster a deeper understanding of your subject matter. Teachers and school administrators can use PersonalBrain to organize lesson plans and activities. Students and instructors can organize key topics and ideas to see the big picture on key ideas and simplify complex topics to drive understanding and new insights.

Who: Dr. Brian S. Friedlander is a certified (licensed) school psychologist with expertise in assistive and educational technology. He maintains an assistive technology practice that provides assessments, workshops and individual trainings. His columns can be read at: http://assistivetek.blogspot.com Dr. Friedlander is also an Assistant Professor of Education at the College of St. Elizabeth in New Jersey, where he teaches graduate courses in special education and educational technology.

Topics Covered:

• An introduction to visual learning and PersonalBrain for education
• Visually mapping and organizing ideas for enhanced understanding
• Classroom brainstorming techniques and creating interactive Brains
• Example Brains on lesson plans, research and course material from both student and teacher perspective

Register by clicking here

Read More

WriteOnline- Software as a Service

About two weeks ago I gave a presentation at the New Jersey Education Computer Cooperative 2008 Conference and spoke on the topic of the state and trends in the field of assistive technology and where I saw the industry headed. A large part of my


presentation was looking at the impact that Web 2.0 applications were having on the field and how that had ramifications for software developers who were developing software for the assistive technology industry. One of the trends that I see that should come as no surprise to other educators who have been following the avalanche of Web 2.0 applications is that students need access to their tools 24/7 and the way to go about doing that is to deliver them through the browser. As I speak to educators I am learning that more and more of them are relying on services like Google Docs to support students with their writing. Being able to collaborate and give students feedback on their written work on any computer connected to the web is a very powerful feature. There are many excellent applications that have been developed that run within the browser and if you search my blog you can find examples of them. When software companies begin to create their assistive technology applications that run within the browser the whole model of distribution will change. Companies will now offer subscription models based on the number of students in the school district or building. From an IT perspective software as a service will lighten their load since the applications are running in the cloud. As new features get added to the software there is no need to install service packs or updates everything is done at the server level by the publisher. That part is pretty sweet! Of course there is always the issue about storing files on someone else server and confidentiality which we will have to wrestle with.

As I was perusing the Crick Software UK website I came across a soon to be released software application called WriteOnline. When I delved into the website I learned that WriteOnline is a new writing tool that is delved on line complete with word prediction, text to speech and word level supports. What is unique about the application is that it will be available as a subscription and will run within the browser. Wow! So now students can access WriteOnline from any computer connected to the web and pull up their files with all the supports right there for them that they need. Now students can start projects at school and access their saved work at home with supports that you would find on standalone applications. Going froward I'm sure that many publishers in the assistive technology space will be offering their software as a service-but for now hats off to Crick Software for getting the ball rolling. I for one can't wait to preview WriteOnline.

Read More

Applying Jing in the Classroom

This morning I received an email from one of my graduate students who was working on a software project who said she was stuck and didn’t remember how to add a Note card in her ClozePro project. My first inclination was to write her a long and complex step by step process and email it to her. However, on second thought, I decided that it would be a lot easier to create a quick Jing video and show her exactly what needed to be done. So I opened Jing on my MacBook and recorded a 20 second video showing my student, Donna how to create the Note card in her project. Once I created the video, I sent my student an email with the Jing link so that she could view the video. Here is her response.

Dear Dr. Friedlander-thank you. I am just so fascinated by all this new
technology. I will revise my work at the college today or tomorrow. Your
e-mail response just blew me away. It was great to see that visual
presentation. Have a nice Sunday......Donna

If a picture is worth a 1000 words then a video has to be worth at least a million! So remember the next time one of your students asks you how to do something why not create a quick Jing video. It’s just an idea!

Read More

Jott it Dano!

Since connecting with my colleague and friend Karen Janowski, I have had a chance to revisit Jott and look at all of the new features. I know that a lot has been written about Jott in the last couple of weeks, but the more I use the more applications I see both for myself and for students that struggle putting pen to paper. If you are new to Jott it is easy to set up a free account and get started dictating your messages using your cell phone. It is easy to Jott- simply call a toll free number, state who you want to Jott and within minutes your voice message is transcribed and emailed to your account. I have done several demonstrations for my graduate students and the speech to text transcription is quite good. Once the text is emailed to you- it is easy to copy and paste it into a word processor. Imagine student who has trouble writing being able to call Jott and answer their Social Studies homework questions simply by talking into a phone. You can also create what Jott calls Lists- which are handy ways to organize your messages. Likewise you can also set up Lists, which allow you to specify which contacts yu would like to get your email messages. This featre is very cool. With Jott you can also post messages directly to you blog and add events to your Google Calendar. If you want to see speech to text in action then give Jott a try.

Read More