Google Drive Arrives Today

I've always loved Google Apps and have used the Google Docs with my colleagues and students. Storage space is limited to 2GB, so when I read about the new Google Drive which was introduced today, I was very happy. Here's some of its great features:

• 5GB storage (Free account)
• Upload and share your files, which can include videos, photos, PDF's etc.
• Google Docs are built into Google Drive, so accessing your files is easy
• Share and collaborate with others
• Google Drive can be installed on your PC or Mac at home
• Download the app for your Android phone (iPhone app is in the works...)
• Google drive is able to identify OCR, (optical character recognition) which means any scanned text can be recognized in a search. (You can't edit the text)
• If you are looking for increased storage space, you can upgrade to  25GB/month, ($2.49) 100GB, ($4.99/month) or 1TB for $49.99/month.

Here's a video overview of Google Drive:

7 Things My Students Should Know About EBSCO

We are very fortunate to receive a free subscription to the databases of EBSCO from our state library.  It's a resource that offers a long list of databases, and so few of my students know how wonderful it is. I decided to make a poster which explains the 7 most important things they should all know about EBSCO. Here's the information I covered on it:

1. You can trust the information you find on EBSCO.
Although too many students feel that all they need is Google, I have tried to explain to them that Google does a great job of searching, but it doesn't tell them which sites they can trust. EBSCO's databases can be trusted.

2. You can create an account and save articles to your folder "in the cloud".
Once a student is logged into our EBSCO site, they can create an account, which can then be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. As articles are searched, favorite ones can be saved to the folder for the future.

 3. Always choose "FULL TEXT" when searching for an article.
Not every article is available beyond the abstract. You MUST refine your search to include only full text articles. They are available as either HTML text (view in your browser) or PDF. Either format can be saved to your folder.

4. If the full text of an article is not available on our school's connection to EBSCO, they can try the public library's EBSCO just by entering their library card number.
Our school's package of databases is not the same as the public libraries or colleges. Although the specific database might claim to offer full text articles as far back as 1975, you might find that many are unavailable. I always explain to the student that as long as they have a library card, they can utilize the databases through the county library cooperative. Our county system offers ProQuest, EBSCO and Infotrac.

5. When you choose HTML text and view your article in the browser many of the articles will allow you to listen as someone reads it to you.
Choose from 3 accents and speeds if you like. This is a great feature for ESL or SPED students who could use assistance. The option is also available for downloading the MP3 file to the iPod or computer.

6. Points of View offers pros and cons on hundreds of topics.
From alternative energy to Zionism, this database will assist you when presenting both sides of your topic. Resources include newspapers, periodicals, books, radio/TV transcripts, primary source documents and images.

7. EBSCO has a mobile app.
The digital generation should be familiar with this, right? The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Every time I share this with a student, they are surprised this app is available.

Google Apps For Education: Is Your School Connected?

Since last year, I have been trying to get my district to make the transition to Google Apps for Education.With free Gmail account for every student, access to Google Docs for all, collaboration is easy. Relying on Google's server, (ours crashed a month ago and had to be replaced-$$) schools have their files automatically backed up and protected from viruses. Google support is excellent, and these are just a few of the schools using Google Apps: Brown University, Wesleyan University, Oregon Public Schools, Boston University, Vanderbuilt University and Notre Dame University. If you would like to see more information or attend a webinar, Google has a treasure-trove of tutorials for you here.

Just remember: you need a functioning network with adequate bandwidth. Otherwise, you will never get to the cloud.

25 Places to Store Your Files for Free

So many choices. I have personally been using GoogleDocs because I have a Gmail account and because creating and sharing documents is so easy. Although the storage is quite small compared to many on this list, it has been more than adequate for me. (I have stored many photos as well as files.) If you are just looking for a lot of storage without the "office" elements, you might want to try Amazon Cloud Drive (holds up to 2,000 photos) or ADrive. (advertisements) File Factory stores a whopping 500GB, but here's what they say about how long a file is stored: "If a file has been downloaded at least once before the end of the first 90 day period, it will remain for another 90 days. If a file is not downloaded at all after 90 days, it will then be automatically removed."  Proceed with caution.

100 MEGS Free	100MB
ADrive	50GB
Amazon Cloud Drive	5GB
Box	5GB
FileDen	1GB
File Dropper	5GB
File Factory	500GB
File Savr	10GB
GoogleDocs	1GB
iDrive	5GB
MediaFire	200MB
Megashares	10GB
Megaupload	200GB
Memopal	3.5GB
Mozy	2GB
MyFreeFileHosting	100MB
OpenDrive	5GB
SnapDrive	5GB
Steekr	1GB
Syncplicity	2GB
Tilana	2GB
UploadingIt	10GB
Zerocatch	100MB
Znail	50MB
ZumoDrive	2GB

Let's Talk About the Cloud

The other day, I was asked by an administrator to explain in simple terms what cloud computing was. I thought about it for a second, and then said this: Your files are on your desktop computer right now, right? Well, imagine if they were out there (I pointed to the sky) and you could access them wherever you had Internet access. I further explained that using their servers instead of ours would be much more practical and safe, given that a company like Google has their own huge group of tech people and thousands of servers with secure encryption. The cloud would be like a big bubble protecting all our files. Web 2.0 is a big part of cloud computing as it involves online programs which we allow us to collaborate with others. I personally like cloud computing. I use GoogleDocs and I am trying to interest my school district in Google Apps for Education. (After all, it's good enough for Brown University...) I know that people feel very concerned about personal files being out on the web, and I never store anything that sensitive in the cloud.

Here's a short video which explains cloud computing:

Cloud Computing and Syncing For Free?

Glide OS 4.0 claims to be the "first complete online operating system" which is made up of collaboration  and productivity apps. With 30GB of free storage, (250GB is $50/year) Glide allows up to six family member accounts and will sync from the cloud with your desktop computer or mobile phone. Click here to watch a quick video on the product.