Many of the schools that I service regularly want their site updated with pictures.  I’ve strongly encouraged this as images that are changed regularly keep a website fresh.

One of the problems has been that the sending limit for district email is small, as well as the attachment limit.  Also, sending large files via email is clunky and slow, and not very reliable.  Fortunately, I found a solution that’s been tested to work, and I want to share this with the schools I service.

http://drop.io (100MB limit for each drop)

Please BOOKMARK this site for easy access. Here are the steps:

1. Click “Select Files.” Go to where the pictures are located.  If you have MULTIPLE pictures, you can hold Ctrl on your keyboard and use your mouse to select the ones you want to send.

Special Note: If you are sending a lot of pictures that are in separate folders as albums, it’s best to FIRST name your folders, and ZIP them: right click the folder and choose “add to zip”. Then you simply send that ONE ZIP folder as one file, and do that for EACH album folder,

2. Click “Create a Drop.” Wait for the files to upload; this could take a while depending on the size of the files and the speed of your network.

3. Copy the link at the top of your browser.   Paste that into an email and send it to me.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ENTER AN EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE WEBSITE.   That’s simply if you want to access that drop later for yourself; it’s not a feature that we will be using.

That’s it! I’ll get the link, download the pictures, and upload them for you.

Drop.io is a great service, and I’ll be writing later with some ideas on how to use this great collaboration tool for staff development, homework, etc.

I’ve been following the digital textbook project in California for a while now. Last May, the state started offering free open source digital textbooks in an attempt to save money. In addition, these resources can be updated regularly and are easier to access. As of May, 16 digital textbooks were available as PDF files for high school-level math and science classes. The books were approved by the state and align with all state standards.

Teachers can print out the materials for students or display them on overhead projectors or smartboards. Students with laptops can access the data, and even some of them can utilize their cell phone/mobile device to access the PDF files, something beneficial for those low income students without laptops or even desktops at home.

With hardcover textbooks, California typically refreshes their books every 6 years. With the PDF files, they will be updated every two years. Even better, some sites have materials that are created and reviewed by educators and shared under a Creative Commons License, meaning that they can be updated much quicker by teachers for free.

Having this system not only reduces the school’s cost, but it enables teachers to use the best and most current information throughout the school year. The ability for teachers to customize material into small documents called Flexbooks certainly transforms the way students receive information.

With devices such as the Kindle and upcoming iPad, these digital textbooks can extend their reach even further, with searchable text, embedded videos, audio files, quizzes, built-in dictionary/thesaurus, etc. Investing in these devices, or even the more inexpensive netbooks, coupled with free open source books, can prove to be far less expensive than traditional textbooks.

The question remains: Will the textbook juggernauts that live off the school system take this lying down, or will they innovate to keep up? While they may not be able to provide free textbooks, offering subsidized devices with their books built-in would be a great way to keep them relevant in this ever changing world.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Many school districts are looking for ways to cut budgets and expenses.  Software, while necessary, can be expensive for a whole school, even at volume education prices.  One way that some schools are looking to save on the costs associated with Microsoft Office is by using the free Google Docs.

From the Google Website:

Google Docs is an easy-to-use online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor that enables you and your students to create, store and share instantly and securely, and collaborate online in real time. You can create new documents from scratch or upload existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. There’s no software to download, and all your work is stored safely online and can be accessed from any computer.

More information is available here, including written teacher testimonials.

Google Docs is still growing and improving, but this is a fantastic way to reduce costs while utilizing the full power of Google.  Without servers on site, your students can access their documents from any computer, as well as collaborate with each other and the teacher using the sharing features.  Take a look at it today!