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Docs, Sheets, and Slides

What are Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are productivity apps that let you create different kinds of online documents, work on them in real time with other people, and store them in your Google Drive online - all for free. You can access the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations you create from any computer, anywhere in the world. (There's even some work you can do without an Internet connection!) This guide will give you a quick overview of the many things that you can do with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents and collaborate with other people in real time. Here's what you can do with Google Docs:

• Upload a Word document and convert it to a Google document
• Collaborate online in real time and chat with other collaborators - right from inside the document
• View your document's revision history and roll back to any previous version]

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet app that lets you create and format spreadsheets and simultaneously work with other people. Here's what you can do with Google Sheets

• Import and convert Excel, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data to a Google spreadsheet

Google Slides

Google Slides is an online presentations app that allows you to show off your work in a visual way. Here's what you can do with Google Slides:

• Create and edit presentations
• Edit a presentation with friends or co-workers, and share it with others effortlessly

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Bold, italics, and strikethrough. Do you miss the funky fonts and formatting you had in MySpace? Neither do we. Google+ however, gifts you with three simple formatting tricks: *bold*, _italics_, and -strikethrough-.


Tag friends in posts. Get a friend's attention in a post by tagging them. Type "+" or "@" followed by their name. You'll see an autocomplete drop-down menu show up as you type their name, which presumably includes people in your circles and extended circles.

Your friend will be notified they've been tagged in a post, and post visibility will automatically be set to just that person. Don't forget to add more circles and friends (if you want to) before sharing.

Use permalinks. Permalinks come in handy for sharing and cleaner viewing of single posts. Just click the timestamp of any post and you'll be taken to a new page displaying just that post.

Quickly share post on Twitter and Facebook. Oh the irony. To share a post with your Twitter or Facebook network, use the Extended Share for Google Plus Chrome extension. Upon installation, you'll see a new option ("Send to...") below each post in your stream.

Edit photos. Here's a nice feature for any on-the-fly photo editing. Go to your photos (accessible via your profile), select a  photo. Click "Actions" > Edit photo, and you'll be presented with several photo filters. Scroll through other photos in the album for consecutive editing.

Send a "direct message". To send a message to just one friend, tag them in the beginning of a post and let them know it's a private message. Then, comment on the post top establish your own private thread.

Let friends e-mail you from your profile.  With this setting, you can let people e-mail you directly from your profile.

Below your profile photo, you'll see a grayed out "Send an email". Click it, and check "Allow people to email me from a link on my profile". Then adjust the privacy settings below.

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WORLD WIDE WEB

1. On August 6, 1991, the first website http://info.cern,.ch went online.
2. A NeXT computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee as the world's first web server and also to write the  first web browser - WorldWideWeb - in 1990.
3. Berners-Lee uploaded the first photo on the web in 1992. That was an image of the CERN house band Les Horribles Cernetts.
4. It is believed that a turning point in the history of the World Wide Web began with the launch of the Mosaic web browser in 1993. It was a graphical browser developed by a team at the National Center for Supercomputing  Applications at the University of Illinois. Mosaic is the web browser credited with popularizing the World Wide Web.
5. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web, was founded by Tim Berners-Lee after he left CERN in October 1994.
6. Archie is considered to be the first Internet search engine. It was the first tool for indexing FTP archives, allowing people to find specific files.
7. If you dislike Internet users being addressed to as 'surfers', blame Jean Armour Polly. It was she who coined the term "Surfing the Internet".
8. Most people tend to treat the Internet and the Web as synonymous. They, in fact while being related, are not. Internet refers to the vast networking infrastructure that connects millions of computers across the world and the World Wide Web is the worldwide collection of text pages, digital photographs, music files, videos, and animations, which users can access over the Internet. The Web uses the HTTP protocol to transmit data and is only a part of the Internet. The Internet includes a lot that is not necessarily the Web.

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WORLD WIDE WEB

Where was the web born

Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989. The web was originally conceived an developed to meet the demand for automatic information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the world.

CERN is not an isolated laboratory, but rather a focus for an extensive community that includes more than 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries. Although they typically spend some time on the CERN site, the scientists usually work at universities and national laboratories in their home countries. Good contact is therefore essential.

The basic idea of the WWW was to merge the technologies of personal computers, computer networking and hypertext into a powerful and easy to use global information system.

How the web began

Berners-Lee wrote the first proposal for the World Wide Web [PDF] at CERN in 1989, further refining the proposal with the Belgian system engineer Robert Cailliau the following year. On November 12, 1990 the pair published a formal proposal outlining principal concepts and defining important terms behind the web. The document described a "hypertext project" called "WorldWideWeb" in which a "web" of "hypertext documents" could be viewed by "browsers".

By the end of 1990, prototype software for a basic web system was already being demonstrated. An interface was provided to encourage its adoption, and applied to the CERN computer centre's documentation, its help service and Usenet newsgroups; concepts already familiar to people at CERN. The first examples of this interface were developed on NeXT computers.

Info.cern.ch was the address of the world's first website and web server, running on a NeXT computer at CERN.

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Web 4.0...

The Internet continues to evolve and the nature of content is changing. We're on the brink of Web 3.0 - but what's to follow? This post introduces and examines "Web 4.0".

The Internet continues to evolve and the nature of content is changing. We looked at this closely in a previous blog post, which identifies and describes the eras of the Internet technology and dominant content types. We're on the brink of Web 3.0-but what's to follow?

Web 4.0 may be considered to be the immersive generation in which 3D is combines with Web 3.0, or the Semantic Web, to create virtual worlds such as those currently found in gaming. A key factor in this world will be the digital rights tether which prevents the digital copying (perfect copying) of content. The digital tether is relevant for all forms of content and becomes a major issue for high value (high cost) information such as copyright on movies, images, and more.

With the proliferation of networking and content in all types, it is vital that original content be protected by the owner. A digital rights tether maintains a "video mashup" from source which provides significant digital rights protection similar to the copying of a fax on a fax - the quality degrades significantly from using a "screen scraper" approach.

The biggest impact of the high bandwidth and mobile devices is how it will change the way we communicate. Shown above is a procedure for jet engine repair that has been recorded with a smartphone and posted on the Web instantly. This type of communication replaces the older time-consuming and costly method of writing, editing, producing, distributing, and translating a paper manual. The gain in productivity is enormous and the quality of knowledge transfer is enhanced.

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Web 4.0 a walk in the clouds

Summary: Demands of digital natives are pushing early arrival of Web 3.0 with Web 4.0 a possibility in five years, during which Internet users will interact in visualized environments, one IT veteran predicts.

SINGAPORE -- The Internet's development is accelerating at such a speed that in two years' time, Web 3.0 will arrive, at least twice as faster than the shift from Web 1.0 to the current 2.0, according to Tom Jenkins, executive chairman of Open Text.

Speaking to ZDNet Asia during a visit to Singapore, Jenkins pointed out that digital natives, described as extremely tech-savvy Web users aged 30 and below, cannot demand enough of new gadgets and applications that tout productivity and time savings. it is this demand that is driving the early arrival of Web 3.0, or the Semantic Web, the IT veteran, who is also Open Text's strategy officer, said.

While users are now starting to be more connected on mobile devices through social networking, he noted that they would experience an even higher level of personalization in the next stage.

"With a GPS locator in my smartphone, I'll be able to search for people or things literally next to me; the relevancy in distance will change the entire Internet experience," said Jenkins.

And in five years' time, Web 4.0 may dawn upon users, Jenkins predicted. Virtual environments are no longer restricted to research labs, and that 3D glasses for movies may be used more often than ever.

Web 4.0, he explained, is "avatar-based virtualization", similar to the storyline of James Cameron's science fiction epic "Avatar".

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Web 2.0 came to describe almost any site, service, or technology that promoted sharing and collaboration right down to the Net's grass roots. That includes blogs and wikis, tags and RSS feeds, del.icio.us and Flickr, MySpace, and YouTube. Because the concept blankets so many disparate ideas, some have questioned how meaningful-and how useful-it really is, but there's little doubt it owns a spot in our collective consciousness. Whether or not it makes sense, we now break the history of the Web into two distinct stages: Today we have Web 2.0, and before that there was Web 1.0.

Which raises the question: What will Web 3.0 look like?

Yes, it's too early to say for sure. In many ways, even Web 2.0 is a work in progress. But it goes without saying that the new Net technologies are always under development - inside universities, think tanks, and big corporations, as much as Silicon Valley start-ups - and blogs are already abuzz with talk of the Web's next generation.

To many, Web 3.0 is something called the Semantic Web, a term coined by Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the (first) World Wide Web. In essence, the Semantic Web is a place where machines can read Web pages as much as we humans can read them, a place where search engines and software agents can better troll the Net and find what we're looking for. "It's a set of standards that turns the Web into one big database," says Nova Spivack, CEO of Radar Networks, one of the leading voices of this new-age Internet.

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Web 3.0. Using the same pattern as the above Wikipedia definition, Web 3.0 could be defined as: "Web 3.0, a phrase coined by John Markoff of the New York Times in 2006, refers to a supposed third generation of Internet-based services that collectively comprise what might be called 'the intelligent Web' - such as those using semantic web, micro-formats, natural language search, data-mining, machine learning, recommendation agents, and artificial intelligence technologies - which emphasize machine-facilitated understanding of information in order to provide a more productive and intuitive user experience."

Web 3.0 Expanded Definition. I propose expanding the above definitions of Web 3.0 to be a bit more inclusive. There are actually several major technology trends that are about to reach a new level of maturity at the same time. The simultaneous maturity of these trends is mutually reinforcing, and collectively they will drive the third-generation Web. From this broader perspective, Web 3.0 might be defined as a third-generation of the Web enabled by the convergence of several key emerging technology trends.

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What is a happy memory from 8th or 9th grade??

In the 8th grade last year, I participated in the school's annual talent show despite being the new kid. I was the only performance from the 8th grade class (not counting the final song by the entire class) and the only male performance (also not counting the performance by the entire kindergarten class.) I performed the song Because of You by Ne-Yo with a standing ovation. I was quite nervous, but the crowd loved it. That was the happiest moment of my 8th grade year.

This year in 9th grade, I decided early on that I would not let anyone phase me and that I would be my true self. Along with my true self is my passion for theater and acting. So, I tried out for a role in the school production of "Annie". I was given the part of Rooster Hannigan, one which I was not trying out for but drawn to. The practices were annoying, as too many people who tried out would later drop out. Many of the other actors were given multiple roles to patch things up. As a main character, I was not given any other role apart from my own. Fast forward to opening night. I (as with most of the cast) was a nervous wreck a mere hour before curtains would open. The show started and I was backstage for a decent amount of time going over my lines one last time. To sum up the entire ordeal, the audience felt my vibe and loved my performance. Complete strangers came up to me and told me that despite them not knowing who I am, that I have a future in performing arts. This moment was one I will never forget.

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Web 2.0

Warning Sign Generator

Make your own caution and warning signs in a flash!

Scratch

Create and share stories, games, art, etc.

Kerproof

Cool way to make a movie, card, picture, and share it all

Tagxedo

Like Wordle but a step farther as text can be used to build bigger images

SmartKiddies

Creative math and other educational problems to help everyone learn

Bitstrips

Make and share your own comic strips with thousands of others

Popplet

An easy way to share visual ideas

Storyjumper

Easy way to create your own stories for kids and bring them to life

Aviary Myna

Make your own music or remix just about anything else

TimeToast

Fantastic timeline visualization tool to understand history 

GoAnimate for Schools

State of the art animation tools for schools

PBWorks

Thousands of educational wikis and workspaces (build your own)

Schoology

Learning management, online education tools, and much more

Google Timeline

A unique way to view the news

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Web 2.0

Glogster

Great way to share posters and images you've made with your friends

Edmodo

Social learning environment and one of the best ways to teach with tech

WordPress

Content publishing system. It's gone way beyond just blogging.

Prezi

Innovative way to share presentations without PowerPoint

Wallwisher

An online notice board maker (or bulletin board if you choose)

Animoto

Make beautiful videos from images in a snap

Slideshare

Don't waste your presentation after it's over, share it with millions!
Audioboo

Easily record and share audio

Diigo

Popular social bookmarking site

GoogleEarth

View anywhere in the world anytime

Myebook

Virtually publish your book and sell it

Voki

Get your own avatar and even have it talk with your voice

DoInk

Create animations using this simple website

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Social Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking allows you to categorize, store, and share bookmarks from within an online environment. You also have the ability to review and access bookmarks compiled by other users.

Examples:

Delicious, Social Marker, Digg, Diigo, CiteULike

Wikis

A wiki is a collaborative website that allows a group to modify content that has been entered, including the work of previous authors. Many educational institutions find wikis to be invaluable for facilitating student collaboration.

Before selecting a wiki you might want to compare wiki software.

Examples:

Mediawiki, Wikispaces, Wikia, Flexwiki, Netomat, Zoho, Wetpaint, Citizedium, PBWorks

A Mind Map is also a graphical organizer of knowledge but is typically built around a single word or idea. Mind maps may be a very powerful learning tool, especially for student note-taking.

Concept Map Examples:

Inspiration, Compendium, Bubb.us, VUE

Mind Map Examples:

FreeMind, Mindomo

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WEB 2.0

Social Networking

A Social Network is a structure based on the connections created between a group or individual, for example a person who is linked with family, friends, work, community, etc. The more associations created, the bigger the network becomes. Once the associations are established, you then interact and network with others in an online environment.

Stay on top of social networking by joining the Social Networking in Class Ning.

Web Conferencing

When you want to meet in an synchronous environment that allows you to view, speak and text chat, then you need to use a web conferencing tool. Web conferencing is often used for weekly or bi-weekly class meetings for an online course, faculty office hours, guest speaker in an online course and other instances where the ability to interact synchronously is necessary.

COLRS maintains several Elluminate rooms that can be scheduled. It is important to note that Elluminate supports voice over IP (VOIP). This means that anyone using Elluminate will not need to also "call-in" via a telephone number. VOIP is not only reliable, but provides superb quality.

ITS maintains another web conferencing tool, Go To Meeting that faculty may choose to use. Contact ITS to setup a meeting to review the tool and how to best roll-out within an online/blended course.

Examples:

Brio (Adobe Labs), Tiny Chat, Dim Dim

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Web 2.0 

Web 2.0 isn't a physical place on the Internet, rather it describes websites that use cutting edge technology to interact and engage users. Many Web 2.0 sites focus on interacting with the site visitor and providing a social networking experience.

You may be using a Web 2.0 site and don't even realize it. If you use Flock, Feedburner, Skype, YouTube, or Flickr, then you are an official "Web 2.0 user."

Interactive Maps

The use of Interactive Maps in an online/blended class provide the perfect ice-breakers. Students can place a marker on a map that indicates where they live.

Examples:

Map Me, Frappr, Google Maps with MarkersTop

Podcasts

Podcasting is revolutionizing the way education is delivered. Initially growing of audio blogs - podcasts have evolved over the past four years to become enhanced podcasting with graphics, chapters, and video! Distributed via RSS updates, the technology does not require an iPod - in fact many listen/view podcasts on their desktop and laptop computers. See the Podcast Resource from ITS at UIS. ITS has all the recording equipment and processes in place to ensure successful podcasting for your classes.

Other sites of interest include UIS iTunes U, The Freesound Project

5-7

Using RSS, Bloglines, and Furl

Okay, we're going to step it up on our blogs this semester. There's a lot of information out there that can be a great asset to our class, but we'll need to find better ways to use it efficiently. We're not looking to "surf" the web, but rather use the web to gather information. For our upcoming research paper, we'll use online resources extensively. This will mean much more than just "googling" a topic (although I am a big google fan--google maps is the best.*)

We're going to look at a few online resources that will help you "work smarter, not harder." With RSS, you won't need to spend your time searching in vain. RSS brings the news to you. Bloglines lets you subscribe to your usual websites (and your classmates' blogs). We'll look at how to find "feeds" from news and media, blogs, google searches, and more.

We'll run through some of this in class, and we'll start the Presidency unit with a "baby" online research paper using our blogs, RSS, and bloglines. This will serve as good practice for our upcoming policy projects.

If you get lost, check with a member of your group and consult the website. Some of this will just take a little experimentation as we find what works best.

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What is a blog?

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a website, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link it to or email you. Or not.

Since Blogger was launched in 1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.

A blog gives you your own voice on the web. It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting -  whether it's your own political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.

Many people use a blog just to organize their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands. Professional and amateur journalists use blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalists reveal inner thoughts.

Whatever you have to say, Blogger can help you say it.

Although not a must, most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of social networking. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers.