Reasons to Purchase a Kindle as Your Personal E-Reader

I'm sold. I have  been using my Kindle for about a week now, and I can say it was one of my own best technological investments of the year. I have boldly finished my first book on the device, James Rollins' book Excavation. I realize Rollins' book wasn't exactly educational, but I actually read the book from cover to cover, or should I say from digital file to digital file. I have been experimenting with the Kindle app on my iPad and on my laptops for weeks, but I honestly enjoy reading more from the Kindle. I might also add that I have bought several more e-books since my last posting about the Kindle too. Why should one invest in a Kindle? If you're totally satisfied with the Kindle app on you iPad or on your PC, maybe you shouldn't, but here's some reasons I'm glad I bought one.

Kindle 3

• Amazon offers a much larger selection of e-books than other e-book sellers. There have been several titles of e-books I've wanted and I just can't find them at Barnes and Noble. The selection of education and leadership books for the Kindle is enormous. It's rather simple: what good is an e-reader if you can't get the books you want for it. The Kindle offers readers a much wider selection of reading material, and this suits this book-reading administrator fine.
• The Kindle's size is much smaller than the iPad, and trying to curl up beside my laptop to read has proven too problematic. While the iPad is also very portable, and it does lend itself to being a very useful device for reading, the size of the Kindle is perfect. I can easily hold it in one hand. Changing pages is strangely easier too with the the forward and back buttons located in just the right place. The weight of the Kindle along with its thickness makes it easy to handle. I find it even easier to walk and read at the same time than I did with a book. The Kindle's size and design is perfect for this reader.
• The screen on the Kindle is much better than the iPad too, except in the dark of course. I had read before from several articles how the glare of the iPad screen makes it difficult to read in full light, and that has proven to be true. The Kindle's no-glare screen and lack of back-lighting actually make it much easier to read in the direct sunlight. Just like the iPad or PC app, you can adjust the size of the text and the font to make it even easier to read. The Kindle actually makes reading easier on the eyes too.
• Right now, getting a Kindle has become rather inexpensive too. Amazon has a Kindle with wifi access for $114 and you can get that same deal at Best Buy as well.  I purchased mine at Best Buy for $50, but I tool advantage of some reward points to get that price. I have found my Kindle well-worth the price.

The Kindle is compact, easy-to-use device. There are still times when the iPad app suits my reading habits the best, but I find the Kindle is an excellent e-reader choice for those who want something just a bit smaller and less expensive.

E-Reader Wars: The Best E-Book Software for the Educator

E-books are here, at least for me. For the past three months, I haven't purchased a single book in all my excursions to the local Barns and Noble bookstore in my hometown. I have, though, purchased several ebooks instead. In fact, there is great satisfaction for me that I can purchase a book and immediately download it to my iPad or PC. What I have discovered though is that not all ebook readers and ebook providers are created equal, even though most of the readers provide the same basic features. Which e-reader should you buy? Here's my thoughts on the matter.

Kindle and Amazon


I confess that I started using Barnes and Noble's Nook reader more than Amazon's Kindle. However, I've quickly learned that Amazon offers a far larger selection of ebooks than Barnes and Noble. For example, I recently was interested in purchasing Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement by Lynne Schrum and Barabara Levin. I found the book on Barnes and Noble, but no ebook version was available. The ebook was available at Amazon. Amazon offers users a much larger selection of ebooks than any of the other providers. Perhaps Amazon has discovered the secret of the ebook market: it's not the shiny features of the ebook reader that matters, it's the selection of ebooks you offer.

Kindle App for PC Interface

Nook / Barnes and Noble


Barnes and Noble provides an interesting ereading application for the PC in its NookStudy reader. (You can download it for your PC here.) I've really found its features quite useful. For example, you can import PDFs and read them, and you can take notes as you read and then export them as a word processing file. In spite of its bells and whistles though, Barnes and Noble doesn't have the number of ebooks available that Amazon does. That's especially true for professional education books. The Nook reader software for the desktop and the iPad is extremely user friendly, but ultimately it doesn't matter to me how useful it is if they do not offer an adequate selection of books.

NookStudy Screenshot

Apple's iBooks


Apple seems to have spent a great deal of effort developing a slick, appealing application for its iDevices, but like Barnes and Noble, they suffer from selection dearth. The iBook application does allow for importing PDFs, and they also offer quite a selection of free ebooks. However, browsing for those in the iBook app for my iPad is awkward and non-intuitive. I would also add that a major shortfall of the iBook app is that there's currently no PC app to access the books you purchase like there is with the Kindle app and Nook app.

Sony E-Reader


I really have little to say about Sony's e-reader because I've yet to get it to work on my laptop. There is no e-reader for my iPad either, so I have no reason at this point to recommend their product.

At this point, I would recommend highly Amazon's Kindle reader as the best app for ebooks. Ultimately, an e-reader application is only as good as the book selection available, and Amazon seems to be the winner in this category at this time.

Simple Solution for Backing Up Gmail on Your Hard Drive

Every once in a while I stumble across one of those software tools, that I just can't wait to share with others. GMail Backup is one of the applications. I have two Gmail accounts, a personal and my district account, and even though I'm not quite near the storage limit, I have often wondered how I was going to be able to keep accessible copies of my emails in a location where I can access them and manage my storage as it got closer to the limit. GMail Backup is an application that gives me that option.

The software interface itself is simple to use. You do have the option to specific a certain period of time that your email backup covers. I ran the application to back up my district account, which has a substantial number of emails, and it took just about an hour. Now I have copies of my email located on my hard drive and on my portable hard drive. The software also has a restore option, which I haven't yet tried. The software is free to download, but the developer asks for a donation. Check it out here: http://www.gmail-backup.com/ .

Gmail Backup's Simple-to-Use Interface

4 Reasons Google Docs Is a Good Idea for Educators

In a time of tight budgets and few resources, administrators need to find as many ways to save money as possible. In an earlier post, I suggest Google Docs as an alternative to purchasing Microsoft Office as an office suite. Google Docs does provide users many useful features that extend far beyond what can be obtained from a locally installed office suite like Open Office or Microsoft Office. Here's four things that set Google Docs apart from an installed office suite.

1. Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and drawings online. With this feature, users can create documents any time and any place they have web access, right through their web browser. Unlike an installed software package on a local computer, there's no need to worry about document compatibility or saving your documents on a portable device. With Google Docs, create your work online, and then save it online. You can also take advantage of these additional features:

• Save your documents online and never have to use a portable storage device such as a DVD or flash drive.
• Take advantage of Google's online Template library to create documents.
• Upload any existing files you have to Google Docs so that you have access to them any where.
• Use a much simpler user interface than most office suite programs.

2. Share and collaborate with others on your documents. With Google Docs, you can choose with whom you wish to collaborate. You can share your work instantly with others through email. You can also work with others synchronously and asynchronously.

3. Safely store and organize your work.  Google Docs' web access gives users access any where there's an Internet connection. You can access documents stored in Google Docs on any computer. You can also store documents created in MS Office in your Google Docs account. Additionally, you can export documents from your Google Docs account to your desktop or laptop. Finally, you can use folders to organize your online Google Docs documents.

4. Control who has access to your documents. While the documents in your Google Docs account are stored online, you still have the ability to control who can see them and how they see them. You can publish your work as web pages, you can send invites to others you wish to view your documents, you can post your documents to your blog. Finally, you can share your documents internally with only those in your school.

That list describes an array of additional features beyond those found in a regular office suite. If I were to emphasize features to administrators, here's three I have found most useful and worth exploring:

• Creating Forms: This feature has proven to be quite useful to me as an administrator. I have used it to create a discipline tracking form, parking lot form, new student entry form, and a walkthrough observation form, just to name a few. Google Docs' form feature has been extremely useful for collecting data. It puts the collected data into a spreadsheet for later reference.
• Sharing Documents: Being able to share documents through Google Docs this year has actually cut down considerably on some of our staff face-to-face meeting time. For example, when we needed to develop a schedule this year, we shared a Google Doc spreadsheet, and all our staff edited, suggested, and made changes until we had an acceptable document. We did the same with our school improvement plan.
• Two additional programs make using Google Docs even more functional. These programs are: "Syncdocs" and "GoDocs" for the iPad.
• Syndocs: Syndocs is a free program that allows users to sync and store copies of all their Google Docs documents on their computer. It syncs on start up each time your computer boots. This program also allows you to have offline access to your documents. You can download Syncdocs here.
• GoDocs for iPad: I tried several iPad apps so that I could access to my Google Docs account on my iPad, and so far GoDocs has been the best solution. It allows me to read and download any document in my Google account so that I have an added layer of access to those documents. It will also allow editing, but that function is done through a browser. It does not work as well as I hoped.

Google Docs is a Web 2.0 solution every administrator needs to learn how to use. It's simple to use, and best of all, doesn't cost anything.

Three Ways to Get the Most Out of Google Reader

Google Reader is a powerful application that permits users to wade through all the information available on the Web, and collect only that which is of interest, or use. It provides users with a goldmine of ideas to share with others, and it keeps them well-informed on current events. I once read the newspaper faithfully each morning; now I read my RSS subscriptions. It is an application every administrator and educator can use to remain well-informed and current on any topics of interest. What is it administrators and educators need to be able to do with Google Reader to take advantage of its capabilities? Here’s my short list of Google Reader  tips.

Set Up Subscription Folders: This feature allows Google Reader users to organize their RSS feed subscriptions into folders. For example, I have arranged my Web site news feeds into a single folder. By having my subscriptions organized into folders, I can better access them, and I can keep my highest interest feeds in a single location. Using folders makes it easy for me to sort items for easy access. Setting up folders will help users get the most out of Google Reader, and customize it to their specific needs.

Review Reader Trends: This feature allows users to review the statistics that capture their RSS reading habits over the past 30 days. For example, my own Google Reader trends tells me I’ve read a total of 300,000+ items since September 27, 2010.  The Trends feature also provides statistics about which feeds get read the most, which items you've clicked on the most, which items you've starred the most, and which items you've shared and emailed the most. You also can review which RSS Feeds are the most inactive and most obscure. This information is useful because it allows users to pare those RSS subscriptions that aren't providing useful information, or are not being read very often. The Reader Trends feature is an excellent tool for getting an overall picture of where a user is getting most of his or her information.

Share and Star RSS Items Read: Google Reader also allows users to share items from their RSS subscriptions too. For example, I recently stumbled on an article about the North Carolina state budget that had some details I thought a colleague might find interesting. Google Reader allowed me to send that article to that person with comments through email. The "Star" feature of Google Reader allows users to mark items for further reading later. By putting a star on them, users can simply click on the star folder and access the items individually. The share feature allows administrators to share resources found in the RSS subscriptions with others, and the star feature provides them with a tool to keep those items available for quick access.

Taking advantage of any RSS reader's capabilities makes the task of being well-informed much easier. There are certainly other RSS readers out there with more features, but Google Reader's power lies in a combination of simplicity, and features that help readers be organized and informed.

Four Features To Help Administrators Get the Most Out Gmail

Gmail is our districts' and my personal email service of choice. It's easy to use interface, any-where access, and customizable features make it an extremely useful email service. What are some of the features of Gmail I find most useful as a school administrator? If I were conducting training for administrators just converting to Gmail, here's some things I think they need to be able to do.

Set Up Labels: Gmail does not use folders. Instead, users have what are called labels. Received email can be provided with a label that distinguishes it from other emails. In practice using labels accomplishes the very same thing users want when they use folders in other email programs. I have found being able to use only two custom labels helps me manage my email. Those labels are: "Follow Up" and "Hold." Emails with the "Follow Up" label involve tasks that I must undertake, and they retain that label until that task is done, at which time I remove it. Emails with the "Hold" label contain short term reference information that I am going to need in the next few weeks. Once I no longer need the information in the email, I remove the label. However, I would caution administrators from going overboard with labels. Using too many makes it really difficult to remember which label you applied to which email. Training administrators on how to use Gmail labels provides them with a tool manage the email load that comes across their desk.

Using the Gmail Search Engine: Gmail provides users with the powerful ability to completely search all their email using specified search options. Users can search by sender, recipient, subject, label, specific words, and within a specified time period. This is extremely useful when trying to track down an email sent or received in the past that suddenly becomes relevant to a current situation. Training administrators on how to effectively mine their own email archive is a must so that they have at their fingertips all correspondence to the larger school community.

Creating a Custom Signature: Like other email programs such as Outlook or Thunderbird, Gmail users can also create a custom signature that contains information wanted at the bottom of every email sent. This can include the sender's name, contact information, and anything else that a user wants to convey with each message sent. Training administrators on how to create their own custom Gmail signature is important because it allows them to customize their email messages and make their contact information more readily available.

Use Selected Gmail Lab Features: While Google provides a disclaimer that says these extra Gmail features are for use at your own risk, some of them do help with email management. My current favorites are:

• Canned Response: This allows users to create a generic response that can be sent by simply selecting it when composing an email. However, I very cautiously use "canned responses" because it's just not good practice to be so impersonal. There have been a few times though, a good canned response fits the situation perfectly.
• Multiple Inboxes: This feature allows users to display extra lists to their inboxes. For example, I use this lab to display my emails with the "Follow Up" label so that I can glance at them quickly.
• Message Sneak Peek: This lab allows users to right click on a message to preview the contents of that message. It is a very useful feature that allows users to peek at the contents of a message without opening it.
• Right-Side Chat: This lab lets users display the contacts list for Google Talk with a search bar to the right of the email inbox. Right click on a contact's name and you can send an email to them or open a chat with them in Google Talk.

Gmail's simple interface can be deceptive. It provides users with a variety of options and tools to manage email. This list of features is a good starting point for anyone wanting to begin taking advantage of its options.

NC House Speaker Tillis Gives 27% Pay Raises to His Staff: Cuts Education Severely

An article today on the News & Observer's web site, states that North Carolina Speaker of the House Thom Tillis gave his staff fat raises. He tries to justify it by saying overall he's spending less, but I'm not sure that argument flies with all the North Carolina state employees who have seen their own pay frozen for the past three years. Also. tell that to the thousands of teacher assistant and other school employees who will receive pink slips this week or next.

According to the News & Observer article, here's who got raises in his office.

• Tillis' General Counsel Jason Kay-27% raise from $110,000 to $140,00
• Tillis' Chief of Staff Charles Thomas-25% raise from $120,000 to $150,000
• Policy Advisers Christoper Hayes & Any Hobbs received $12,000 raises, $70,000 to $82,000

According to article, Tillis gave raises to seven members of his 14 member staff, and this was after pledging to have smaller payrolls for legislative staff than their predecessors. What is really disgusting about this whole affair, is that the North Carolina General Assembly refused to be courageous and make all  the cuts in teacher assistants, and instead, passed on that bit of dirty work back to school districts in the form of "discretionary cuts." Apparently Thom Tillis likes employee cuts, salary freezes, and educations cuts, but does believe in rewarding his friends. Hypocrisy abounds in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can't tell the rest of the state government they must sacrifice when those around you are not.