Kevin Brookhouser

On Tuesday Apple had a little product announcement that made the bloggosphere ‘ splode with excitement. The most interesting part for me as fully committed Google Drive fan-middle-aged-man is the iWork for iCloud beta announcement. Like Google Drive, the iWork suite is now free, and like Google Drive, it offers real-time collaboration. Sorry Microsoft SkyDrive 365 Office Sharepoint. If you don’t give your software away now, you’re in even bigger trouble. Last night on The Google Educast , Sean, Fred, and I put iWork collaboration to the test, and it actually kind of works. Here Sean is trying to get a rise out of me. Here are five reasons I think iWork for iCloud is not a Google Drive iKiller . 1. No collaborator cursor. I can't tell who is typing what. Without the cursor, words appear out of nowhere and I can't tell where my colleagues are working. Confusing. 2. No authentication. All of these docs are shared essentially as "anyone with the link can...

In my last post , I explained how I use quizlet.com to generate flashcards that randomly choose student names. In this video I explain how to use the Quizlet app on iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to display those cards. I also demonstrate the Android app, Flashcards+ that can download your sets from the quizlet site. Yes, I know I have too many mobile devices.

Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The obnoxious Back-to-School signs with their patronizing chalkboards and apples are up. I hated those signs when I was a kid, and I hate them now. Come to think of it, I can't stand most of the imagery associated with my profession. After 15 years teaching, I've never used a chalkboard, and I've never had a student bring me an apple, and that's a good thing.  When I was a kid, the silver lining to Back-to-School season was called a Lamborghini Trapper Keeper. For some kids and parents today, Back-to-school shopping means shopping for a gadget that can help them organize their school work. Everyone is talking about the iPad, but at $199, The Nexus 7 is a compelling device for those in schools like ours that are encouraging students to Bring-Your-Own-Device. It's great, but it's not perfect. Pros Speed   This thing flys. It goes from Sleep to Web in less than 8 seconds.  Size   The seven inch screen size is r...