Fixing the Chrome Error: “Could not create directory for unzipping” - Eddie On Everything

Fixing the Chrome Error: “Could not create directory for unzipping” - Eddie On Everything

This is the one that worked!! I was pulling my hair out to get extensions to work and this was the ticket.

What I am working on is using Portable Apps from a USB drive with Chrome Portable. I kept getting the "create... " error. I found this page and followed the directions. I tried using Win7's built in zip ability but it did not work. So I installed 7zip portable on my USB drive and extracted files with it.

I can now install and use extensions!!! Thank you very much Eddie on Everything!

Five Myths About School Attendance

Five Myths About School Attendance

This article from Education Week is very interesting. I have been on "Attendance Committees" and it has been very eye opening to see the trends in attendance. I do agree with the 5 myths and also agree with the premise of "students cannot learn if they do not attend school". I do however want to throw in a little monkey wrench: online schooling. Do we count attendance when the student logs on to the computer to do school work? And is it really necessary for a child to attend school to learn? In other words, can learning occur outside of school?

I will ponder these questions and respond at a later date. I would like to hear what others think, this could be a very good discussion.

Dealing with WIKIs

Wikis are a wonderful tool.  They allow for collaboration and the sharing of knowledge.  They can be used like websites to pass on information and share documents or they can be used like electronic portfolios or they can be used just like Wikipedia (which of course is a Wiki). The problem is when do you use them?  And how to use them?

From an article found in the August 2010 edition of “Tech Learning”, Ellen Ullman writes:

“Middle and high school teachers use them for group projects. A math teacher who solves problems with the screen capturing tool Jing (jingproject.com) embeds his work into his wiki for continuous review. Third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers use wikis to create centers that include directions for assignments and student work.” (Link to article)

I personally can only answer the questions above by simply saying, try it.  If it works great!  If not, adjust!

The two Wikis out there that are used in the classroom the most are Wikispaces and PBWorks. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.  I personally find Wikispaces very easy to use and it is the one I prefer.

Give Wikis a try… you will find your students will get involved and possibly even find creating a wiki fun!