Desmos Graphing Calculator

Desmos is a website which offers a really comprehensive graphing calculator solution for absolutely no cost.  I remember sitting in class a few years ago and watching my teacher struggle through connecting the calculator to the computer so they could display a 2 inch square screen for the class to struggle to see.  Thankfully, those days are over.  Desmos is capable of performing all of the basic functions a graphing calculator should serve as well as a few more that you don't find on the expensive TI models.  Desmos even supports sharing of your equations and graphs which is a great feature and I really like that you can add a text box to explain a part of an equation.  Watch the video below to learn more about the free Desmos graphing calculator.



Now What?

It's hard to beat a calculator this full of features for absolutely free and it's web based and accessible from any device.  There is even a Chrome browser extension to make it more accessible.  They even have a great YouTube channel with lots of videos to help you get the most out of the calculator.

Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome seems to be catching on in my school district now more than ever as Windows has finally stopped supporting IE for Windows XP.  This means that a lot of our teachers are reaching out to a new browser for the very first time.  This can certainly be a scary premise.  The good news is that Chrome couldn't be easier to manage.  In addition, you are going to love the extensions that you can load to help assist you in your everyday browsing.  Below are the first five extensions you should install to get you using the web more efficiently.

1.  A Cleaner Internet is an extension for Chrome that allows you to view YouTube videos without seeing the "related" content, advertisements, and comments that appear on the side and below the video.

2.  Printliminator is a bookmarklet for Chrome that allows you to select only the elements which you wish to print from a webpage before printing.  This is very useful when you want to print a page without advertisements or only one section of the page.

3.  Select and Speak is an extension for Chrome that allows you to highlight any text on a webpage, click the Select and Speak icon in your browser, and listen to the reading of the text.  Great for those days when you have a sore throat.

4.  Webpage Screenshot is a Chrome extension that you can use to capture all or part of webpage.  Once you have your screenshot you can even draw and type on them.

5.  EasyBib Chrome extension that evaluates the credibility of webpages which is a useful tool to show students.

Now What?

Extensions are a great way to get the most out of your browsing experience.  After playing around you will find which ones best suit your needs and then wonder how you ever lived without them.  For those of you who would like more information about Chrome before you start downloading extensions and using some of the advanced features, check here to visit their website.

Cleaner YouTube

If you are using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Sarari you have to check out this app created by a Cleaner Internet.  In short...it takes a convoluted YouTube video page and cleans it up leaving just the video (you can choose to show comments, etc.).  You can even dim the lights to focus on the video itself and my favorite feature which is to share a link to the cleaner video for other users.  Check out the difference below:

YouTube Homepage

YouTube Homepage with Clea.nr

Video View on YouTube

Video View with Clea.nr

Side Vibe

SideVibe is a browser extension (didn't work for me in Google Chrome) which allows you to annotate over web pages and then share those annotated websites with students.  Students can then answer questions that you pose about the content on the site and all of this data is collected for the teacher on the SideVibe website.  Students do not need any special programs or downloads because they will only be viewing the teacher's annotated web pages.  Note that with your free teacher account you only get 50 student log-ins.  To upgrade your account it is $5.99 per month which will give you unlimited students and the ability to chat with students.  Below is a video overview of  SideVibe:



Now What?

SideVibe seems to be an updated version of a "webquest".  I like the idea of everything being on the web for students so that they do not have to go back and forth between paper handouts and their computer.  As the teacher you can also track and review your student's work from your dashboard on  SideVibe.  Diigo is also similar in a sense because you can bookmark websites and write notes on those sites using stickies.