Chromecast has landed

A neat little package arrived yesterday, Chromecast was on my doorstep.  The instructions for setup were very simple, though I originally thought the USB charger was optional. It does not work without that USB being plugged in, so be warned.  Luckily I did have a USB port on my tv and didn't have to mess with the power strip buried in the back of my entertainment center. Setup took all of 5 minutes, mostly finding out that the chromecast doesn't work with my 5G wifi, only the slower connection.  It could be my TV or the chromecast, who knows without me delving into the forums.  If you want decent sound, turn up TV volume  PRIOR  to casting. For some reason, this was the only way to get volume control, as my remote failed to work for me after I started casting. Netflix experienced a lot of lag, weird since I have great Internet and no trouble with iPad, surface or android tablets while streaming from that service. YouTube was better, but not by much.  Thank goodness I can get Netflix through Xbox.  I assume the limited amount of castability options will change, as more services integrate.  I do not have Apple TV, so I can only compare to Xbox at tis point. Xbox is a pain, so running chromecast from the iPad or laptop was so much easier, just wish the streaming was better. You absolutely can use other tabs and strema at the smae time, so that functionality is what they promised.  I am going to try it out in a classroom this week and update this review. Since I know I have strong Internet at home, I have no allusions that the streaming will be faster in a school, but there is always hope.  I also know that any new product has bugs that will be fixed. For the price, if it works it will be great value.  I also saw online chatter that I may be able to get netflix free for three months with the chromecast, so I will be checking into that.  I will update as I get information.

Science History Rap Videos on our "What's New in Stem" Scoop.it

These are Science Rap history videos created by students, they are quite comprehensive and full of interesting scenarios that bring science to LIFE!

Literacy Fun with Google Story Builder

Students create narratives in Google Story Builder by plotting their story line through connections they must establish in the text. Simple writing task are elevated with critical thinking skills. The story builder appears as a google doc, where characters appear to be sharing in the writing and editing of a document. You can check out our story, then create your own and share it with us! Some ideas to use with your students include creative writing projects, and  conversations between two characters in a novel  You can share the link to your story or capture it using screencasting software like we did below.