“After School:” Mobile SM App for High Schoolers Offers Potential Headaches for Educators

Yesterday, I stumbled across this post on the Washington Post web site: “Millions of Teens Are Using a New App to Post Anonymous Thoughts, and Most Parents Have No Idea.” It turns that our students now have access to a high school version of the app Yik Yak called “After School.” Yik Yak has been quite popular among college age users for some time. For those not familiar with Yik Yak, or the high schooler app After School, these apps allows users to post messages anonymously that only other users in the general vicinity of the message poster can see. Apps like Yik Yak have been implicated in posting anonymous threats and cyberbullying online. (For example, see “What Is Yik Yak, the App That Fielded Racist Threats at the University of Missouri.”) What’s more, this “After School” app is also at the heart of possible postings of cyberbullying and postings where users threaten to bring guns to school. (See “Why Parents and Administrators Are Freaking Outv About an App Called After School.”)

It is easy to sound the alarm when these kinds of social media platforms arise, but it turns out that this particular app has been around at least a year. It appeared in the App Store and the Google Play Store last fall according to web site Fusion (See here), but it was removed twice because it was used for cyberbulling and posting gun threats. It returned this past April, and its developers claim to have a whole bunch of new safety features, including algorithms that block certain words and it is also said to use human reviewers who examine each post.

Well, for those of us familiar with web filters in schools, we know all too well that the best of these kinds of safety measures are far from foolproof. Many students are masters at trying to get things through the filters, and we’ve given them years of practice. But my beef with After School actually goes beyond that and is captured best by a question: Why in the world would we give high school students an anonymous platform like this when we know from experience that many are not ready to handle the freedom of any posting much less “anonymous posting?” It seems to be the equivalent of giving students the keys to a sports car with a cooler full of beer in the front seat and simply telling them not to drink and drive. After School is simply a platform that has the potential to facilitate irresponsiblity and possibly dangerous cyber-behaviors because students often thrive on web anonymity.

What’s more, I take exception to After School’s FAQ page which seems to suggest by its language there that schools have somehow endorsed this product. (See the After School FAQ page here.) On that page it states at the very top, “Anonymous and Private Message Board for Your School.” Those words seem, at first glance, to make a link between the message board in After School and the school the student attends, but that is far from the case. The school and its administration have no connection, control, or power over this product. That’s why many school administrators are quite upset about this product.
I am not sure an all out panic about this product is warranted, but I do think we need to educate both our students, and especially our parents about the potentially dangerous uses of this app.

We also need to make clear that this app basically allows students to set up their own cyber community, totally disconnected from our schools, that is supposedly monitored by this company. We as parents and educators, by allowing our students and children to use this app, are placing a large amount of trust in algorithms and faceless individuals out there somewhere to monitor the safety. The truth is, we at the school and district level, with all our web filters and cyber-safety gadgets have an extremely difficult time with cyberbullying and web threats. What on earth would make us think that out there in cyberspace a company can do that better? While After School has been around and is not really new, it operates on assumptions that ultimately will probably cause its own demise. That is the idea that anonymous posting for high schoolers can be effectively monitored. Just looking at their disclaimers in the app store should be concern enough. Check it out:

That’s quite a laundry list of items of things parents would object to having their students exposed to.

I don’t usually rate apps with thumbs up or thumbs down, but this one gets double thumbs down because it is a potential cyberdisaster at every school.

Office Lens: New Smartphone Scanner App That Works with MS Word and PowerPoint

Office Lens is a new scanner app for your iOS device or Android device that turns your smartphone into a pocket scanner. You can turn your pictures of notes on a whiteboard or handwritten notes on a piece of paper into notes that can be edited in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. You can also export into PDF or JPEG formats as well. This is an app that has excellent potential for students.

Oyster: E-Book Susbcription Service App for iOS and Android Devices---NetFlix of E-Books?

As an avid reader, last night, I downloaded Oyster, the subscription book service app to my iPad, just to check it out. There are many times when I read a book, I am not necessarily interested in purchasing a copy, but would still like to read it in e-book format.

Some are calling Oyster, the Netflix of e-books, and upon opening the app, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of books available. I even found the titles of several books on my reading list that I’ve been planning to read. Oyster, gives you access to book titles for a monthly subscription fee of $9.95. Right now, I am using a trial of the service, so I am personally undecided whether or not it’s worth my while to pay the month fee. It also remains to be seen whether the e-book service can provide access to an increasing number of titles, but the idea is appealing, especially to someone like me who enjoys access to a book any way I can get it.

Oyster Interface

For more information about Oyster E-book subscription service, check out their web site. Apps are available for both iOS and Android devices.

Sunrise Calendar App: Free App for Mac, Chrome Desktop, iOS or Android Devices

Sunrise Calendar App is an excellent way to gain access to your Google Calendars across multiple platforms. Recently, Sunrise became available as a stand-alone Mac App in addition to being available for iOS devices, Android devices, and Chrome. The best thing about Sunrise right now is that it’s free. It is easy to use and simply gives you easy access to your Google calendar. You can also connect some social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as Evernote. It’s simple interface makes it an excellent choice for a Calendar app across all your devices.

Sunrise Mac App Interface

Here are some other interesting features of the Sunrise Calendar App.

• Compatible with Google Calendar, iCloud and Exchange
• Synchronizes in real time
• Quick Add Event Feature
• Reminders
• Connect to multiple Google Calendars
• Supports Mac notifications
• Offline Mode

If you’re looking for a calendar app for your Mac, Desktop or handheld device, you will find Sunrise Calendar App's simplicity and ease of use reason enough to download it today. For more information about the Sunrise Apps, check out their web site (https://calendar.sunrise.am/).

Insight Timer: An iOS and Android App to Help with Your Meditation Practice

I have mentioned on several occasions that I have a regular mindfulness meditation practice and have been reading heavily for some time about Buddhist philosophy, religion, and practice. My interest in Buddhist practice actually began about 7 or 8 years ago when one of my students revealed to me that he and his family were Buddhist, and that he had just undergone special mindfulness training when he turned 13. His family was originally from Laos, and I became fascinated with the cultural aspects Buddhist experience. I began practicing intermittently for several years, until my more recent attendance to an annual retreat at the Southern Dharma Retreat Center, located in the mountains of North Carolina. (Check out their web site here.)

Amazingly though, technology does provide tools to those interested in Buddhist practice. Besides downloading all the books, podcasts and videos that are available, there are also apps for iOS devices and Android devices. These apps assist those who practice meditation with timers and the ability to connect with other practitioners. My favorite app, available for both iOS and Android is called Insight Timer. (Check out their web site here.) This app has several features that actually make your meditation practice more effective.

• Insight Timer: This is the major function of the app. It is a timer for your meditation sessions. With Insight Time, you can adjust the length of your session and choose what your beginning and ending bell will sound like. You can also scheduled interval bells during your meditation too.
• Insight Connect: This feature of Insight Timer allows you to connect and message to others who have joined the Insight Connect network. For example, you can send a simple message to someone else thanking them for meditating with you. You can also join groups, and even see others close by who are or who have meditated. By joining groups, you can receive common messages from others in that group. This Insight Connect feature makes your meditation practice more social.
• Other Options: You can view your meditation log and statistics and record your observations and reflections in a journal. This journal can be exported as well. Finally, you can set your Insight Connect picture as well as your app background too.

I hesitated sharing this app on this blog, because I am afraid there are those who might see this as an endorsement of religious practice, but it is not. So many meditation groups are being established, and many of those who participate are from all faiths. I participated in a retreat this past summer with an Episcopal priest. Insight meditation is an excellent way to finding your center and becoming authentic. Insight Timer is an excellent technological tool to help with that.

Insight Timer Screenshot

Flipboard: Must-Have Newsreader App for School Leaders with Android Devices

For those school administrators using Android tablets, and phones, what I consider to be the best newsreader experience in smartphone apps became available today: Flipboard for Android.
For those not familiar with Flipboard, it is a newsreader app that allows you to choose the news you see on your device. You can also see your Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Tumbler feeds. You can even download your Google Reader Feeds too. As a longtime user of Flipboard on my iPad, I was happy that I now can have that same experience on my Android tablet. From my perspective, it is one of the easiest newsreaders to set up, and one of the easiest to use. Check out Flipboard for Android in the Google Play Store.

Flipboard for Android

What’s the Easiest-to-Use Cloud Storage Solution for Administrators and Educators?

My flash drives, and I have at least 10 of them, haven't  been out of my laptop bag in over a year. Why? Cloud storage. Lots of cloud storage. I have found myself with Dropbox, Google Drive, Windows Skydrive, and Amazon Cloud Drive accounts. I also have an iCloud account. But even with all these different accounts, I have been an avid user of Dropbox since I discovered it well over a year and a half ago. Once I installed the desktop client, I have been saving all of my files to my Dropbox folder so I can have access on every device I use. It is like I have this virtual file cabinet that follows me everywhere.

What made me write about this topic today was a conversation I had with a group of teachers and administrators who did not know what Dropbox was. I could not believe they have not heard of it, but I am sure there are many yet who haven't found the ease and comfort that comes with using cloud-based storage. Also, I am sure there are some who have not yet reached the point that they can let go of those flash drives.

While there are all kinds of reasons for using a cloud-based storage option like Dropbox or Google Drive. Here's My Big Three:

• Any-device and any-time access to my files and folders. I can take a photo with my Android tablet, and place it in my Dropbox folder. Then, I can access it on my iPad, both of my laptops, and any computer by signing in to my Dropbox web account. Who needs flashdrives? If I were employed at a company that manufactures these devices, I would be looking for a job.
• Sharing of files and folders. Both Dropbox and Google Drive allow me to share files and folders in my Dropbox account. This means I do not have to keep sending an updated copy of my Parent-Student Handbook to my teachers. I just update it and save it to the school docs folder I've shared with them. Sharing files easily is one of the reasons to use cloud storage. Only my Amazon Cloud Drive does not currently do this.
• File and Folder Syncing across devices and PCs. This has to be one of biggest advantages of cloud storage solutions. If I type a document at home, save it to my Dropbox, it will be on my desktop at work, and it will be on my iPad, my Galaxy Android Tablet too. This is another reason I wouldn't be seeking a job at a business what manufactures flashdrives.

So what is my favorite Cloud Storage solutions? I think that's rather obvious, but here's a comparison of four I have tried.

	Dropbox   https://www.dropbox.com Easy to use Desktop program installs with little set up Syncs across all devices: PCs, Android, OS devices Share files and folders with others (Though I hear this feature will no longer be available to new users after July 31st) Opinion: Easy to set up, easy to use, easy to access, easy to share. Simplest of cloud storage solutions.
	Google Drive  https://drive.google.com/start#home Easy to use and set up Desktop Program installs with little set up An iPad and iPhone app not yet available Android app available Syncs across all devices Access to Google Docs too Share files and folders with others Opinion: Easy to set up, easy to use, access to Google docs is a plus, syncing of files works great, sharing is easy, Android app works great, no iPad app yet.
	Windows SkyDrive   https://skydrive.live.com/ Easy to set up Syncs across PCs No Skydrive Android App, Third party apps available but work quirkily 7 GB of storage Opinion: Web interface is complicated. Syncing of files and folders works fine. iPad app works well. Sharing is complicated and there is no reliable Android app.
	Amazon Cloud Drive  https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/learnmore 5 GB of storage space Easy to upload files to Cloud storage No syncing of files and folders No Android App, no iPad or iPhone app Mostly just a cloud storage option Opinion: Great for backup and storage, no syncing of files, no sharing of files, great for backup of files though. No apps for desktop or other devices. Completely Web based.

What's my final verdict? I would use either Dropbox or Google Drive, with Dropbox having the edge because I've used it longer and it is currently the only cloud storage option that has both Android and OS apps. It looks like it is time to retire those flash drives!

A Principal’s Guide to Android Apps: 25 Apps to Get You Started

I am probably one of the few principals in this country who purchased an Android Tablet rather than an iPad. I already had access to a first generation iPad, and I wanted a 7 inch device instead of the a 10 inch, so I purchased an Galaxy Tab 7.7. I have not regretted it at all. In fact, there are very good reasons for getting an Android tablet instead, among them is the cost considerations and access to a few apps not currently available for the iPad.

If you are considering an Android tablet just remember one important principle regarding any electronic device: It is only as good at the apps or software you use. I have spent a great deal of time tinkering with apps, both free and paid, and I even posted an app list in May entitled “17 Must-Have Android Tablet Apps for the Administrator.” Since that time, I have experimented more, taken in recommendations from others, and here’s my latest Guide to Android Tablet Apps.

Keep in mind some of these are for personal use and not necessarily for carrying out the tasks of an administrator.

	2. Tweetcaster Pro	Twitter client app Easy to use Paid version has no ads Does everything a Twitter client should do
	3. Dropbox	Access to our Dropbox cloud storage account Gives you access to your “traveling file cabinet” from anywhere
	4. Google Drive	Access to your Google Drive cloud account. Access to your Google Docs for your Android Tablet
	5. Calengoo	Syncs with Google Calendar Use the Widget to see your appointments at a glance right on your home screen
	6. Amazon Kindle	Access your Kindle Library Send documents and Web pages to this app to read on your  tablet Take notes and highlight text Usual ability to adjust text and background for ease of reading
	7. Nook	Access to your Nook library Take notes and highlight text Usual ability to adjust text and back ground for ease of reading
	8. Google Play Books	Access to your Google Play book library Can’t currently highlight text or take notes, but it has all the other features of an ereader.
	9. Powernote	Access to your Diigo Bookmarks Add snapshots and audio notes to your Diigo account Read items that you have sent to your account to “Read Later”
	10. Google Currents	Read favorite publications on your tablet Add RSS feeds of your own Read across your Android and Apple devices
	11. KeePassDroid	Provides Android Tablet access to your KeePass Password Safe Use in conjunction with your Dropbox account to keep your passwords updated Access your Web site passwords anytime and anyplace
	12. Blogger	Blogging app for the Android tablet Post and edit blog posts for your Blogger account Can add photos and images Can post as draft and save on device
	13. ezPDF Reader	Read any PDF documents comfortably Add annotations, highlights, boxes, underlines and much more For me, as good as the iPad app Goodreader, which is one of my favorites
	14. Google Voice	Android tablet access to your Google Voice, voice mail Send and receive text messages from your tablet free
	15. Reader HD	RSS feed reader app Allows for sharing multiple ways, but sometimes works quirkily Syncs and provides access to your Google Reader account
	16. Symbaloo	Android tablet access to your Symbaloo pages and account Symbaloo is a graphical file and bookmarking tool
	17. Edmodo	Access to your Edmodo account using your tablet Social learning environment for teachers and students Use to connect and share with your teachers
	18. Engrade	Access to Engrade online gradebook Useful to check grades or receive messages
	19. Kingsoft Office	Free Android Office Suite Read and edit word-processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations
	20. Amazon MP3 Player	Android tablet access to your Amazon music library Access to music stored in your Amazon cloud account
	21. Netflix	Access to hundreds of movies and old TV shows Be careful, and not get hooked on old Star Trek episodes
	22. Skype	Access to your Skype account Instant message and connect with others through video or text
	23. QR Droid	Scan QR codes with your Android tablet Allows interface with search
	24. CamScanner	Turn your Android tablet into a handheld scanner Scan documents and turn them into PDF files Dump them into your Dropbox share them out through the usual channels
	25. Mindjet	Turn your Android tablet into a mind-mapping device Allows users to create mind maps on their device

This of course is not a definitive list, and if you ask me tomorrow, there will probably be changes already, but If you’re looking for some apps to get started and you are fairly connected through Web 2.0 tools, this is a good list to get started.

7 Suggested Apps for the New Kindle Fire Owner

NOTE: I CAN NO LONGER RECOMMEND EVERNOTE TO USERS. SINCE ITS ACQUISITION IN 2023 BY BENDING SPOONS, THE PRODUCT HAS BECOME RIDDLED WITH BLOATWARE AND NOT USABLE AS IT ONCE WAS. THERE ARE BETTER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FOR NOTE TAKING.

After working with several apps on the Kindle Fire during the past few days, I have struggled with the fact that some of my favorite Web tools like Diigo do not yet have an app in the Amazon App Store. Still, I have found the following apps useful so far.

Evernote:  Evernote,  as I have posted many times before, is my favorite note taking app. I wasted absolutely no time downloading and installing this app for the Kindle Fire. It works very well in the Kindle environment, allowing me access to my notes and to my to-do list.

CalenGoo: This app allows users access to their Google Calendar. I keep everything on Google Calendar so I was glad to find this app. I can check my calendar just as I can on my iPad or smartphone.

Tweetcaster Pro: I experimented with some of the other Kindle Fire Twitter apps such as Hootsuite and Seesmic, but I came back to this one. It works well in the Kindle Fire environment. It is easy to use and has an attractive interface.

JustReader: I spent a little time looking for an RSS feed reader for the Kindle Fire. Several had really bad ratings. I have tried this one and it works as well as any of the others I've tried. Right now it is the best I've used.

ColorNote: This simple to use note app works well in the Kindle Fire environment. It allows users to easily make notepad notes and check lists.

Dropbox: This app is not offered in the Kindle Fire App Store, but I was able to download and install it directly from the Dropbox web site. It gives one more level of access to my Dropbox folders.

KeePass: This is my favorite password safe program. I have it on all my desktops, my Droid phone, and now on my Kindle Fire. I can access my passwords from anywhere.

There will no doubt be more and more apps added to the Kindle Fire app store in the coming months. I have downloaded a few others like Diary Mobile, Pulse, and Springpad, but I haven't used them enough yet to make a judgement.  These apps are my top Kindle Fire app recommendations at this time.