Technology – Page 2 – Sylvia Anderson

January 12, 2022

Toucan – Learning a Language

Toucan is a Chrome extension for learning a new language while you browse the Internet. There are no flashcards or study sessions. Just sign up and go on about your daily routine.

When you visit a website, Toucan will translate certain words and phrases on the page into the language you are wanting to learn. Toucan does not have any interest in tracking your moves on the Internet or what you are buying. It’s just not their thing.

You can watch your progress grow and stay motivated. What better way to learn as you surf!

December 17, 2021

Annotate Meet – A Chrome Extension

Annotate Meet lets you draw on your screen during a Google Meet. Annotate Meet gives you a small set of tools that you can use to draw or type on your screen while teaching your students virtually or meeting with colleagues online.

While in a meeting with your screen shared, click on Annotate Meet in your Chrome web browser at the top right. The extension can be installed from the Chrome Web Store. The drawing tools include a variety of pen/marker sizes, a customizable color palette, basic text typing tools, and an eraser. You can also clear everything on your screen with just one click.

Annotate Meet could be useful to show students how to navigate and where to click on their own screens. Other ideas could be to give feedback on student’s work, highlight key points in a reading or on a paper they wrote. Working out math problems on a blank screen would allow you to work your screen like a whiteboard, however, you may want to take a look at Google’s Jamboard for that. It’s another whiteboard tool.

December 17, 2021

High Efficiency Image File – HEIC Format

HEIC is an image format commonly used on iOS devices that requires less storage than the equivalent jpg format. You may have received pictures like this and can’t use them anywhere else because they are in a specialized mode format.

There are two things you can do.

1) use the HEICtoJPG site to convert images 5 at a time to the JPG format, or;

2) change your iPhone settings to Most Compatible. Settings>Camera>Formats>Most Compatible.

There is a slight difference in quality but not too noticeable unless you are advanced in graphics.

November 16, 2021

SpinnerWheel

SpinnerWheel is more than just a wheel of names, it has a multi-wheel feature that allows you to add up to 8 wheels at once that can be spun independently or all at once. See my sample wheel activities below. I created a game for recalling math facts for addition or multiplication and one for sentence formation. Just think of the options you could create for coding challenges, story creation, creative thinking, and so much more.