Friday, December 16, 2016

Weekly Tech Tips and News for December 16, 2016

© 2016 Pixabay
It's almost here...the last week of school before Christmas break! Now that winter has finally arrived, and definitely made it's presence known, it's actually starting to feel like Christmas is coming. The anticipation is building, the excitement is growing, and last minute preparations are underway. If you find yourself needing a break from the holiday hustle and bustle, here are some ed tech updates, tips and ideas to use for your own productivity, or in your classroom with your students. Several are useful for everyone, not just teachers. If you find one that is particularly helpful for you, please comment to let me know. Feel free to comment also if there are topics you'd like to see in the future. As always, if you need help using any tech in your classroom, I'll be happy to help you out.


Cleanly Manage Multiple Google Accounts

Do you have more than one Gmail account? Maybe your work account and a personal account? I am often asked why a user cannot see their bookmarks for their home Gmail account, or why a feature in Calendar isn't working for them. Usually the answer is because he or she used the Add Account feature to log into more than one Gmail account in the same Chrome window. There is a better way to have two (or more) different Google accounts open at the same time.


11 Common Gmail Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

11 Common Gmail Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) from BetterCloud Monitor
Do you sometimes feel you could get more done if you didn't have to spend so much time email? There are some tips in this group that you will love! Particularly helpful is the ability to bookmark important emails or settings so you can access them easily, forwarding an entire thread of an email, using Canned Responses for those times when you send the same email out many times, sending personalized mass emails, sending messages from Dropox, undo send, identifying fraudulent links in an email without clicking on them, creating a contact group, and archiving emails instead of deleting. Which of these tips will speed up your email chores?

G-Suite Updates:  Quickly and Easily Cite Your Sources with Explore in Google Docs

In a recent G-Suite (formerly Google Apps) update, Google introduced the Explore tool. Some of you may have been missing the Research option, which disappeared a few months ago. It has morphed into Explore, which is available in Docs, Sheets and Slides. What is Explore? Like Research used to, it is a way to search for and cite research and image sources from within the document you are working on. As you are entering text into your document, click on the explore tool in the lower right of your document, sheet or slide. Search suggestions will appear based on the information you've already entered, or you can conduct your own search as well. Once you've decided on a source, place your cursor in the document where you'd like the footnote to be, simply click the quotes that appear when you hover over source in the Explore pane, and  Explore automatically numbers your footnote and inserts it at the bottom of the page. You can also choose from the three main footnote styles. Check out the video below for a demonstration of how it works.



Want More Efficient, Effective Meetings? It All Starts With Google Calendar

Want More Efficient, Effective Meetings? It All Starts With Google Calendar, from Better Cloud Monitor
Use these tips for inviting others to meetings in Google Calendar to make them as efficient as possible. Use the description field, attach meeting agenda and other resources, mark invitees required or optional, include the location, and learn to love the Speedy Meetings feature.

Khan Academy Introduces Grammar

Khan Academy has introduced their newest subject...Grammar. If you are looking for ways to supplement your grammar lessons, or provide extra practice for your students, here's a resource to take a look at. There are over 90 exercises available, including videos to introduce each topic. This is also geared to anyone, not just teachers, who need a refresher on grammar skills - based on the posts I see on social media, many of us need a boost in that area. Click here to become a "grammarian" (Khan Academy's term for those participating in the Grammar course).

Wintertime Magnetic Poetry with Google Drawings

Instead of purchasing an expensive set of magnetic poetry words, losing some of the words, or not having enough words, you can now make your own set in Google Drawings. Each student can create their own magnetic poetry creation that can be saved and shared. Eric includes a free template, with a winter theme, in this post that you can use, customize and share with your students. 

Google Drawings + Google Sheets = Badging System

Google Drawings + Google Sheets = Badging System, from Learn Lead Grow by Matt Bergman
We all know kids love to receive stickers when they do well, they also like to earn badges for concepts they have mastered. The badges can be printed for them to post on their locker or desk, as well as put into a chart and shared with students and parents to show their progress - and they're free! Those progress charts no longer need to be limited to viewing in the classroom.This post shows how easy it is to make your own custom badges in Drawings (no you don't have to be an artist), and post them on a chart in Sheets. The badge at left took me less than 10 minutes to make, and consists of a circle shape, two clipart images and word art.

Digging Into Design Thinking:  10  Key Ideas

We all know our job is to prepare students for the world they will live in as adults. Since there will continue to be fewer and fewer repetitive, low thought process jobs, educators must find a new approach to focus on teaching critical thinking and creative problem solving. One approach to this is the maker movement, or design thinking. Here are ten tips for implementing it in your classroom.

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Friday, December 9, 2016

Weekly Tech News and Tips for December 9, 2016

We're already at the end of the second week of advent! It seems like each week gets busier and busier as we prepare for Christmas. This week, classroom teachers in grades K-6 received an early Christmas gift:  new, wall-mounted projectors. (The last one will be installed after school today.) Thank you so much for your flexibility during the installation process. This week's topics include a piggy-back on last week's creative commons article:  a quick way to search for free images while still in google Docs. There are also several other updates and tips, as well as some resources and ideas to use with your students. Please let me know in the comments below if you find any of them helpful - or if you use any of them and how they worked out.


How to Search For (and Add) Free Images Right Within Google Docs

How to Search For (and Add) Free Images Right Within Google Docs, from Better Cloud Monitor
This is an easy way to find images that are legal to reuse, while still in your Google Doc. Your students should definitely be using this method, as it ensures they are not accidentally using copyrighted images and videos.

How to Share Google Docs With People Who Don't Have Google Accounts

from Free Technology For Teachers by Richard Byrne
This is a huge shortcut, that turns your file into a PDF and attaches it to an email right from within Google Docs. When sending documents to parents, or anyone else outside of ASA, you should always convert your documents to PDFs, so they can be read from any device (not everyone has Google or Word), and so the recipient cannot make any changes.


Classroom Guardian Summaries No Longer Just for Gmail Accounts

With the next update to Classroom, teachers will now be able to share Guardian Email Summaries with all parents - not just those who have Gmail accounts. These summaries automatically notify parents of missing work, upcoming work and class activity. It is another great tool for keeping parents in the loop with student homework.

Creating Eye-Popping Infographics with Google Drawings

Creating Eye-Popping Infographics with Google Drawings, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Here's an additional way for your students to summarize their information in a fun and creative way. It's also another answer to the "what do you use Google Drawings for, anyway" question. Included in the post is a screencast video to show you how he built an infographic in Drawings.

How to Distribute Digital Stickers in Flubaroo

From Free Tech for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Flubaroo is an add-on for Google Sheets, that allows teachers to automatically grade tests and quizzes given in Google Forms. Now you can add stickers to your students' grade notification message.


Why You Should Start Using Google Keep Right Away

Why You Should Start Using Google Keep Right Away, Computerworld, Mike Elgan
This article has the best description I've seen about how to use all the features in Google Keep. Keep allows you to make reminders (recurring reminders, too!), lists that you can check off, take notes, take photos that turn into searchable notes, make audio notes and lists, and sketch. It's available on any device (iPads, iPhones, Android phones, Windows phones, computers, etc.) so your reminders, notes, lists, etc. are with you at all times. You can also share these notes, reminders, lists, etc., and they integrate with all the other Google products, like calendar, drive, and all the rest.

Math Playground

Do your students struggle to grasp math concepts, such as money, place value, or telling time on an analog clock? Math Playground is a site full of math games for grades 1-6, and covers all aspects of math, including addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, fractions/decimals, geometry, ratio /percent, and pre-algebra. You can search for games by grade level, or by concept. There are also logic games and brain teasers. The site is Kid Safe Certified, and students do not need to create an account to play games. This could be a fun way to review specific trouble topics with your students, or a productive "free time" choice.

7 Lessons About Electricity

Looking for resources for electricity lessons? Here you are.

Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning

Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning, From Cult of Pedagogy by Jennifer Gonzalez
This blog discusses why to create eBooks, gives many ideas for eBooks, as well as how to create them in PowerPoint. Those instructions could easily be converted to Google Sheets by changing the Page Setup (File-Page Setup) to custom and entering 8.5 x 11.

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Friday, December 2, 2016

Weekly Tech Tips and News for December 2, 2016

On the heels of Thanksgiving, we begin our wait for Christmas. I hope you find time for some reflection and peace during this busy holiday season. Here are some time saving tips, ideas to use in your classroom, as well as some resources or ideas to use either for yourself, or with your students. Especially important is the Creative Commons post, that explains how to legally use images and videos in our own work, with out any copyright violations. This is not only something we all need to be aware of, but we need to teach our students that it is illegal to use for free any photo or video from the internet unless it is licensed for free reuse. In some cases, it's as simple as giving the creator/owner of the image credit, in other cases they expect payment to use the image. As always, if you need help with any new tech ideas, please let me know, I'll be happy to help!


Tic-Tac-Toe, Solitaire & Animal Sounds: All Now in Google Search

Tic-Tac-Toe, Solitaire & Animal Sounds: All Now in Google Search, from Better Cloud Monitor
Need a break? Here are some entertaining diversions that you can quickly access from a Google search.

9 Ways to be a Good Digital Citizen

9 Ways to be a Good Digital Citizen, from GoGuardian Blog, by Cammie Allen
Here are some great talking points to use when reminding students about digital citizenship. This is something we need to remind them of so often it should become a mantra. Most of us are lucky in that our awkward stages and youthful transgressions were not recorded for posterity. This generation has so many advantages, but that can be a double edged sword when every interest and phase of their lives is on display for the world to see. We need to teach and remind them from a young age to protect their current and future selves online.

Creative Commons Explained in Simple Terms

Creative Commons Explained in Simple Terms, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Did you know it's illegal to copy and paste any image from the internet into your newsletter or presentations? It's an infringement of copyright laws. This is an important distinction we need to be teaching our students as well. The photos I use in this blog are all either my own, or labeled for reuse in a Google search. (Search Images, click Search Tools, select Usage Rights, then Labeled for Reuse, or Labeled for Noncommercial Reuse.) Please take a moment to familiarize yourself and your students with this law.

How to Quickly Copy Formatting in Google Docs

How to Quickly Copy Formatting in Google Docs, from Better Cloud Monitor
The Paint Format icon is a terrific time saver when formatting a document.

How to Hide Private Info in a Shared Google Doc

DocSecrets is a handy add-on for Google Docs when you need to share a document, yet still keep some of the information hidden.

Emoji Writing Prompt Generator with Google Sheets

Emoji Writing Prompt Generator with Google Sheets from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Students love emojis, and because they are pictures, even the youngest students can use this prompt. The best part is, you don't have to create the spreadsheet prompt, it already exists for you to copy and use.

Create Narrated Map Tours on a Chromebook

Create Narrated Map Tours on a Chromebook, from Free Tech For Teachers by Richard Byrne
There are 13 short videos included here that result in a very in-depth tutorial for MyMaps and Tour Builder, as well as other mapping resources. Learn how to add places to your map, adding layers to compare information, uploading photos or video to attach to your places, customizing place labels, sharing the map so it can either be viewed or edited for collaborating, importing data from a spreadsheet, as well as the drawing and measurement tools.In video 5, Tour Builder is also covered, where you can created a guided tour of your map.You can either choose to have students use a screencasting app, such as Screencastify, Nimbus Screenshot or Capture Cast (I'll need to push the app of your choice out to students, so let me know if you want this option), or they can simply record a video of themselves talking about each place, and upload it to the place marker.

18 YouTube Channels for Elementary Math

18 YouTube Channels for Elementary Math, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Looking for resources to enhance your math instruction? Here is a list, with descriptions, of YouTube channels to which you can subscribe for more ideas and instruction. If you include links to them on Infinite Campus or your web page, you can also make them available to parents who may be trying to help with homework.

Sir Richard Attenborough's Story of Life App

In honor of Sir Richard Attenborough's 90th birthday, BBC Earth has released over 1,000 of the best wildlife moments filmed by BBC documentary crews. This app is available in both the App Store for iOS and the Play Store for Android, and it's free! All the videos have been narrated by Attenborough himself. You can not only view the videos in various collections. but you can create your own collection and share them as well. You can search by species, behavior or habitat. These videos are not only wonderful educational resources, but just plain amazing to watch. I can't wait until I get home to stream them - I sure hope our increased bandwidth arrives at ASA soon so all of you can stream them in class!

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Weekly Tech Tips and News for November 23, 2016

Here we are at, or near, the end of a two or three day week. The Thanksgiving holiday is looming, with lots of great food and fellowship with family and friends. Hopefully we will all have some time over the long weekend to reflect on how much we have to be thankful for. I can tell you I am thankful for each of you, especially when you'd rather not be dealing with technology, but tolerate me, or greet me with a smile anyway. If you are travelling, I wish you a safe trip with no delays or detours. Hopefully we will all find some time to relax and recharge, and enjoy the holiday. Here are some new tech ideas, as well as some in review.


3 Real Phishing Attacks Your C-Suite Needs to See

3 Real Phishing Attacks Your C-Suite Needs to See, from Better Cloud Monitor
Phishing is when a hacker sends emails that look legitimate in an attempt to gather your personal information or login credentials. The hacker then uses those credentials to infiltrate the company network and steal information. This is the number one way companies are being hacked and personal information, such as customer names, addresses, social security numbers, are stolen. It is very important that everyone know how to spot a phishing email, so please take the time to click on the link and read this article. There are good images explaining what to look for. When hovering over links is mentioned, the article is referring to the method of hovering your mouse over a link, and looking in the lower left corner of your screen, where the actual URL address is displayed.

Just Read Extension Pushed Out

I just pushed out to all faculty, staff and students an extension called Just Read. The extension icon looks like this  in the upper right of your browser window. By clicking on the icon, it allows the user to clear away all the distractions from around an article. Not only can you use this when projecting articles from your computer, but you can also encourage your students to use it when they are reading news articles as well.

4 Hidden Chrome Tricks to Increase Your Efficiency

4 Hidden Chrome Tricks to Increase Your Efficiency, from Better Cloud Monitor
There are some very helpful tips here, including pinning tabs so you can't accidentally close them, organizing your tabs in bulk, keyboard shortcut for specific tabs and creating a shortcut on your desktop.

How to Create a Pivot Table in Google Sheets

What is a Pivot Table, you ask? A pivot table allows you to pull specific data out of a spreadsheet. In the video example in this blog post, it's the number of students at each age, or the number girls and boys in a class list. It's a useful tool when you are trying to make sense of a lot of information in a spreadsheet.

Mobile Storyteller, and How Your Students Can Tell Stories, Too

Matt reminds us that stories are everywhere, and our students can take video for them anywhere with simple equipment. Hopefully, our smart phone drive will give us the flexibility to allow students to take them on field trips, to Art Prize, service projects, or anywhere there is a story to tell.

Use Tagul to Get Creative with Word Clouds 

While Google Docs has a very utilitarian word cloud add-on, it's not very fun and you cannot really customize the word cloud or change its shape. It works really well for visualizing the words you use most often, but not much else. If you want to be able to select shape, color, animation, font and more - without the need for your students to login - Tagul is your answer. Simply click the Create button, and you are on your way. Without creating an account and logging in you will not be able to save your creations in Tagul, but you will be able to download them as image files. Click here for a demo.

How to Create Kahoot! Games

How to Create Kahoot! Games, by Richard Byrne
For many of you this is review, although it does cover some nice points you may not know, such as properly citing photos you use in your questions, and customizing public Kahoots. For those of you who have not yet tried Kahoot!, your kids will love this kind of quiz. It has been very popular in child care for the K and up crowd as well.


Augmented Reality for The Classroom

Augmented Reality for Classroom, from Ed Tech Interchange by Mary Ottenwess
I've spoken before about Pokemon Go, the game you play with a mobile device. It is a good example of Augmented Reality. Simply put, by pointing your mobile device (smart phone, iPad, tablet) at a trigger, such as a Pokestop or a Gym, you are able to see additional information with which you can interact. Believe it or not, there are some wonderful educational applications for augmented reality, such as displaying student work, or providing extra instruction, using Aurasma. Catholic Central's Mary Ottenwess talks about them in her blog post. When she talks about "triggers" - those are the symbols users see when they look through their device, which tell them there is more information in that spot. The "auras" she mentions are the extra information that pop up when the user hovers over the triggers.

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Friday, November 18, 2016

Weekly Tech Tips and News for November 18, 2016

We've survived Eaglefest and conferences. This weekend you might be recuperating from this very busy week, or you might be making preparations for Thanksgiving. Whether you are baking pies, making cranberry salad, enjoying/lamenting the first snow of the season, or relaxing and watching the WMU Broncos on ESPN, take a minute to review the latest tech tips, resources and news. As always, if there's something you'd like to try, but would feel more comfortable with a guiding hand, let me know. I can help you figure it out, or help you try it out in the classroom with your students. Feel free to leave comments below this post if you found something interesting, or would like information on a particular topic. Enjoy your weekend, and row the boat, Broncos!



How Your Connected Home or Office is a Gift for Hackers, Criminals, and Cyber Spies

How Your Connected Home or Office is a Gift for Hackers, Criminals, and Cyber Spies, from ZD Net, by Danny Palmer
It's exciting and convenient to be able to see the views from your security cameras from work, or adjust your lights when you are on vacation. Before succumbing to the thrill, however, we all need to be aware of the security risks involved. When you add these devices to your home WiFi network, you are opening a door for hackers to enter. These products are fairly new, and the manufacturers have not been focusing on security, so be cautious and protect yourself until they do.

How to Set Gmail as Your Default Mail Client in Chrome

How to Set Gmail as Your Default Mail Client in Chrome, from Better Cloud Monitor
It can be very frustrating to Gmail users when you click on an email link and either Outlook or Apple Mail pop up. It's pretty easy to set your Chrome browser to automatically open your Gmail account instead. Remember this only works in the Chrome browser (not Internet Explorer, Edge, Safari or Firefox)

10 Thanksgiving Lesson Resources and Ideas

10 Thanksgiving Lesson Resources and Ideas from Free Tech for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
There is quite a variety of ideas here. If you are looking for Thanksgiving lesson ideas, look  no further.

5 Reasons You Should Visit the Teacher's Lounge (PBS Teacher's Lounge)

5 Reasons You Should Visit the Teacher's Lounge (PBS Teacher's Lounge) from Learn Lead Grow by Matt Bergman
The PBS Teacher's Lounge is a good source for teacher resources, ideas, and the latest news in education, without using social media. This blog post outlines all the gems available there. Check it out and see if it helps you.


Conquer Login Frustrations with Young Students

One of the most frustrating things about using technology with very young students is getting them logged in. This definitely takes lots of practice with the youngest students, but like anything else, repetition breeds familiarity, and they can master it. Most public schools have students as young as Kindergarten logging in with unique passwords. Password management and security is a critical life skill, and should be taught from an early age on. Passwords should not be thought of as an obstacle, but rather protection. If you wouldn't leave your house or car unlocked, you shouldn't leave your online accounts unprotected with a weak, or no password. Here are some tips for getting the little ones logged in on their own:
  1. Passwords:  Select two or three short, easy words for their passwords. (Google passwords must be at least 8 characters total.) The latest research indicates passwords do not have to be complex to be secure, just longer, and with multiple words. Two familiar words will be easier for students to remember. 
  2. Create a login card for each student with their photo (we have their class photos on CDs in both offices), user name and password. Pass these out to students when it's time to login, and collect them when they are done. 
  3. Photo Tile: Have them take their photo, using the Chromebook web cam, to use as their profile picture. Here's how. You may need to help them with this step. This will make their account tile on the Chromebook instantly recognizable to them. 
  4. Class Login Challenge:  The first time they login, write down on the board the time it took to get everyone logged in. Each time they login with a shorter time, update the time on the board. Offer a reward when they can finally login in 60 seconds. 
  5. Believe they can do it, and expect it. Students will rise to the level of your expectation. It has been proven in practice by many schools that even Kindergartners can master logging in.

Turn Google Sheets into an Automatic Bookmark/Citation Tool

Make it easier to keep track of the research you are doing for a project by automatically putting the bookmark and citation details in a spreadsheet. After installing the Citable Chrome extension, simply highlight text from a web site, click on the extension, and it will automatically store all the pertinent citation information and links in a spreadsheet. By the time you finish your research, it will all be in one convenient place. There is an instructional video in the linked article. 

Two Options for Collecting Students' Questions to Appear on Review Games

Two Options for Collecting Students' Questions to Appear on Review Games from Free Technology for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
We've seen how the students love interactive quizzes, such as Kahoot! and Quizlet. How about putting a twist on it and letting students submit their own questions for the review quiz? Here are two ways to do that using Triventy and Qizlet.

Lumos! Cast Magical Harry Potter Spells Using Your Android Phone

This may not have true educational value, but it's fun and you'll astound your students by turning on or off the flashlight in your phone with a Harry Potter spell. ...you're trying it right now aren't you? 
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Friday, November 11, 2016

Weekly Tech News and Tips for November 11, 2016

After such a drama-filled week, I know I'm ready for the weekend. How about you? Regardless of if your candidate won or lost the election, it's a relief that all the bickering is finally over. Now it's time to get back to our normal activities. Included in this week's post are the latest G Suite updates (finally Sites will be easier to use!), as well as several tech ideas to try out in your class, such as voice dictation, help with reading comprehension, story starters, interactive maps, timelines, and more. If you are not sure how to get started, please let me know and I can help you out. Feel free to leave comments below if you like or dislike something, have tried something new, or would like to see something different or specific.  Enjoy the post-election peace and quiet. See you at Eaglefest!


G Suite Updates:  New Google Sites and Updates to iOS and Android

As you may (or may not) recall, Google Apps for Education (GAFE) is now called G Suite. The only thing that changed is the name - aside from the usual flow of updates and enhancements.

Gmail and Google Calendar get a whole lot better on iOS

The Gmail app in iOS (iPhones and iPads) is getting a facelift and will function faster. When using Gmail on your Apple mobile devices you'll now be able to Undo Send, search faster and swipe to archive or delete. The Calendar app is also update to include month and week views in landscape, spotlight search and support, and the ability to add alternate calendars. Click here for the full details and images.

Notifications and more in the Google Docs, Sheets and Slides apps for Android

Those of you with Android phones (and/or tablets) are getting updates too. Notifications (when someone mentions you in a comment) will now appear in Docs, Sheets and Slides - not just in Drive anymore. The Sheets app on Androids has also received several enhancements, such as resizing rows and columns, data validation, and the ability to change the color of sheet tabs. Click here for full details and images. 

A totally rebuilt Google Sites

If you've ever tried using Google Sites to create web sites for your class, you probably found it frustrating and difficult to figure out. Google Sites is finally getting a complete rebuild that is very overdue. Don't be confused if you go looking for this update and don't see it right away. It probably won't be available for another week or so (after November 21st). Based on what I'm seeing in the G Suite Learning Center, it looks like Sites will be much more intuitive, and work similar to the other apps, such as Docs, Slides, etc. Sites will also integrate easier with Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides. Here's the full announcement.

New & Improved Voice Typing Commands in Google Docs

Do you have students who have difficulty writing or typing? Maybe you like to multi-task and prefer to dictate while doing something else rather than type? Google Docs added voice typing last year, and now has added many formatting options with voice typing so you can verbally format as you dictate. Give it a try.

Improve Reading Comprehension with Google Docs "Black Out"

Improve Reading Comprehension with Google Docs "Black Out" from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Take the Text Reduction Strategy digital. Instead of making multiple paper copies of a magazine article and blacking out text with markers, use Google Docs. This also allows for corrections, that permanent markers don't. There are also several kid-friendly news article sources listed in this blog post.

Create MadLibs with a Google Sheets Template

This is another Flippity activity. Instead of creating flash cards or a Jeopardy game, Flippity has now also added templates for MadLibs style story starters. You simply enter the data in Sheets, use the Flippity MadLibs template. 

How to Create Media-Rich, Interactive Maps for Deeper Learning

How to Create Media-Rich, Interactive Maps for Deeper Learning, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Think about how interactive a student report could be if he or she could add pins to a map, and include text, images, video, links, surveys and more  to each pin. It's easily done with Google My Maps. To create your own My Map, open Drive, click New, More, then select My Maps.

BattleSheets!

The Battleship game is perfect for teaching students critical thinking skills and locating coordinates on a grid system. Of course you won't have enough Battleship games for all of your students to pair up and play. Enter Google Sheets. This article has instructions and templates for creating your own game for your students to play in Sheets. 

Create Multimedia Timelines on Hstry.co

From Free Tech 4 Teachers by Richard Byrne
Here's a way for you and your students to create interactive timelines with questions built in. Hstry.co is a free resource up to 200 student timelines. 



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Monday, November 7, 2016

Weekly Tech News and Tips for November 4, 2016

Please accept my apologies for the delay on last week's post, due to the Wi-Fi emergency at the elementary. Hopefully all will be resolved there later this week. I'm sure you are as sick of election coverage as I am. The blitz is certainly on now before tomorrow's election day. Take a little time to escape it and read about the latest news in ed tech. Hopefully you'll find something that interests you, and you can use in your classroom. As always, please feel free to comment below the post, or let me know if you'd like help trying something new. Don't forget (as if you could) to vote tomorrow!




How is This Better than Paper?

If you are struggling with how to use technology in your classroom, or what assignments/projects to convert to technology, this blog post provides you with some questions to ask yourself and points to consider. See if this is helpful for you in finding useful ways to integrate tech into your classroom.

10 Google Classroom Time Savers for Teachers

10 Google Classroom Time Savers for Teachers from Ditch that Textbook, by Matt Miller
Google Classroom already saves teachers time by making it easy to share or duplicate documents for students, and then track them and grade them. Here are some ways you  can save even more time with Google Classroom.

Protect Sheets and Cells in Google Sheets

Protect Sheets and Cells in Google Sheets, From Better Cloud Monitor
Sometimes when sharing a sheet with students, or anyone else for that matter, you need to protect some of the cells in a sheet, or a sheet in a workbook so the other users don't edit a formula, or other information on the sheet. Here's how to protect those areas, and still make the sheet editable by others.

10 of the Best Google Docs Add-Ons for Teachers

10 of the Best Google Docs Add-Ons for Teachers, from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
As you recall, Add-ons are those helpers in Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms that add the bells and whistles features that are otherwise missing. They tend to make our lives a little easier by helping with things like citations, mathematical equations, voice typing, diagrams, flowcharts and mind maps, and more. Check out the list and see if there's anything you can use.

Use JoeZoo to Save Time Grading in Google Docs

With some initial set up, JoeZoo Express is a Google Docs add-on that can save you time when grading student documents. You can save canned comments to insert into your students' documents, as well as inserting a link to another online resource for review.

Get Collaborative with Nearpod

Get Collaborative with Nearpod, from A Lever and a Place to Stand by Amy Roediger
For those of you who use Nearpod, or are thinking about using it, soon there will be a new feature called Collaborative. This new feature allows your students to post their ideas on a common board. See how this teacher uses it in her science class.

Smartypins - A Geographic Trivia Game in Google Maps

Smartypins - A Geographic Trivia Game in Google Maps, From BetterCloud Monitor
Test your students' geography knowledge with Smartypins. Answer a trivia question by placing a pin somewhere on the map. The closer you are to the correct location, the more kilometers you keep, and the longer you play. You can select from categories, such as March Madness, Arts & Culture, Science & Geography, Sports & Games, Entertainment and History & Current Events.

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Friday, October 28, 2016

Weekly Tech News and Tips for October 28, 2016


Mrs. Szczytko enjoying a surprise "no school" day.
Hopefully you are all well rested from the unexpected day off yesterday, brought to us by the elementary boiler. While most of you are excited about an impromptu day off, a handful of us look forward to a quiet, productive day. I can't speak for the rest of the staff, but I actually get excited about these days. Yesterday, for example, I took advantage of the day to update all the PCs, as well as update and disinfect every Chromebook at the middle school - that's about 78 devices, if you're keeping count. (Not to worry elementary staff, I did yours last month.) The gloves, earbuds and disinfecting wipes come out and I go to town. I try to disinfect the student devices every other month or so - it's a little more challenging now that we have over 100 Chromebooks and iPads. Now if we could get our students to do their part by actually putting them back in the carts and PLUGGING THEM IN. I actually found many Chromebooks scattered all over the WIN Cafe - not even near the carts, as well as some stacked on top of the carts instead of inside. Don't even get me started on how many were just crammed into the carts in both the WIN and TLC every which way, and left unplugged. The students have definitely gotten quite lax in their device care habits and could stand for a refresher and some supervision when getting them out and especially putting them back. Your help is truly essential and appreciated in reinforcing these habits with our kids. (stepping off soap box now) Speaking of devices, if you are looking for a way to add a device to your classroom, or for yourself, and feeling a little lucky, you can enter for a chance to win an Acer Chromebook R11, which is a hybrid chromebook and tablet. Only one entry per person is allowed. Click the link to enter. Good luck!

Enjoying it while it lasts.
...and speaking of lucky! Your Holy Rollers bowling team is currently in first place. There is some dispute if this is due more to luck, skill, or a combination thereof, but we're doing our best to represent!

As always, if there is a new tech idea you'd like to try in your classroom, let me know & I'll be happy to help you with it. Leave a comment below if you saw something you liked, or would like to see news on a topic I haven't included.


The Forward All vs. Forward Function in Gmail

We've all received a forwarded email thread that is difficult to read. You need to scroll to the bottom and start reading from bottom to top to follow it. Well, there is a button for that. The Forward All feature (More-Forward All) rearranges the conversation in chronological order so it is easy to read. Check out the blog post for instructions.


Two Helpful Tips for Navigating PDFs

From Free Tech for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
When you or your students are researching a topic online, here are a couple easy ways you can quickly find what you are looking for within a PDF. 


8 Ambient Sound Websites to Help Students Focus

8 Ambient Sound Websites to Help Students Focus, from Control Alt Achieve, by  Eric Curts
Do you concentrate better when there is some background noise, such as a fan, rain, or quiet music? Your students may as well. Studies show ambient sounds can not only help people concentrate, but also promote creativity. If you need help boosting your, or your students' concentration, here are some sites you can try. Tip:  In addition to the standard forest, beach, fire, etc. sounds, Ambient Mixer has several Harry Potter related, and historical, such as The Year 1612 or On a Ship at Sea to help you create a mood your students will like.

How Video Games can Help Students in Class, at Home

Those of you who use Kahoot! with your kids can already attest to the popularity of using gaming in class. If you are wondering about the benefits of introducing gaming into your classroom, there are some surprising benefits.

How to Build a Custom Google Map Using Addresses in Google Sheets

How to Build a Custom Google Map Using Addresses in Google Sheets from Better Cloud Monitor
Would you like your students to plot all the battles of the Civil War, or maybe all the places they have visited during vacation? Here's an easy way to do that with the Sheets Add-On, Mapping Sheets. Click the link for both a video and step by step instructions.

Similar to Classkick, from last week's blog, Formative also allows you to make your PDFs interactive and monitor your student's work on them in real-time. Students can type in fields you add to your PDF, show their work with drawings, or submit images. You can watch them work in real-time and intervene as necessary to make sure they understand the concepts. Accounts are free for teachers and students, and both can sign up using their Google accounts. Read Amy's blog to see how she used it in her classroom.

Newsela - a Kinder, Gentler Current Events & Election Source

Having students research current events, or the current election, is definitely more tricky these days. Too often, the content is just not appropriate for students. Enter Newsela. Newsela takes all the news and converts it to age-appropriate levels that are safe for students to use. So for example, if you wanted your students to read information about the presidential debates, instead of headlines about the details of Donald Trump's "locker room talk", or Bill Clinton's history with interns, the headline simply reads, "Bitterness, insults dominate Trump-Clinton debate in St. Louis".  As a teacher, you can set up a free educator account, and sort by text set, grade level, or even reading standard. There are sections for news, but also for biographies, famous speeches, issues, history, and so much more. Your students can join your class and read the articles you've designated. They can also just search the site on their own. Give it a try and see what you think.

Punctuation Practice with Google Docs

Punctuation Practice with Google Docs, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Here's a step by step guide on how to quickly create your own punctuation worksheet using Google Docs and an add-on called Doc Tools.

Teaching Through the Camera Lens: 10 Activities with Photos and Video

Teaching Through the Camera Lens: 10 Activities with Photos and Video from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
These ideas can include having students use the iPads or their phones to take the photos and videos, and creating the finished product either on the iPads or Chromebooks. Will any of these ideas work for your class?

SoundBible - Free Sound Effects for Multimedia Projects

From Free Tech for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
Here's a free resource to find sound effects for podcasts, videos and slide presentations...or any other multimedia project.

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Friday, October 21, 2016

Weekly Tech News and Tips for October 21, 2016

It's definitely feeling like fall now. There's a chill in the air, the leaves are displaying their beautiful color show, and Halloween is right around the corner. (Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.) Here is an assortment of updates and ideas to inform and inspire you in your classroom - or just for general use. Feel free to add comments in the space below to let me know if you found something helpful, or if you'd like to see information on a particular topic.




G Suite Updates: Action Items and Forms

Recent updates make it easier to keep track of who is taking care of which tasks. You can assign action items automatically and manually. To assign tasks automatically, enter phrases in Docs such as "Andrea to schedule a weekly check in", and a prompt will appear to assign an action item.
You can also manually assign action items to others in Docs, Sheets and Slides by mentioning their name in a comment.

Once those task items have been assigned, it's now easier to find the files that need attention. The next time you visit Drive (or the apps Docs, Sheets and Slides), a badge will appear on any files with action items assigned to them. 

Forms has also recently received a couple handy updates. To save time, when you are entering a common question, Forms will now automatically suggest answers that go with it, and in the correct format (check boxes, multiple choice, etc.). In addition, with forms that are shared within our organization, in our case within DOGR, there is now a new File Upload type question. Respondents can upload a file as part of their response to the question. 

7 Reasons Why You Need to Use PBS Election Central

From Learn Lead Grow by Matt Bergman
This is a great, nonpartisan tool to explain all facets of the current, and previous, election cycles to your students. PBS Election Central includes Election Collection to understand democracy, the US government and why we have elections, The Election Process, Understand the Presidential Debates, a Classroom Debate Toolkit, We the Voters Films, the Electoral Decoder, an Interactive Map, and Virtual Field Trips. There are also posters you can download, videos you can show, and lots of links to related resources. Truth be told, we could probably all use this - especially this year.  Click here to read the full article.

5 Ways Tech can Truly Improve Learning (with Examples)

From Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Get beyond the buzz words to see practical ways tech can enhance what and how you are teaching. Click here to read the entire post.

5 Ways Students can Find Free Images

5 Ways Students can Find Free Images, from Practical Ed Tech with Richard Byrne
It's important to teach your students how to find images for their slide presentations and videos, that are free to use without permission. (No it's not actually legal to just pull any image from the internet and use it if they are copyrighted.) It this blog entry, Richard Byrne shows 5 sources for public domain and Creative Commons licensed images that are free to use.


Game On World

From Free Tech 4 Teachers, by Richard Byrne.
This game is similar to Kahoot, and has several types of games in geography and science. Students also do not need to create a login, they just go to gameon.world and enter the class code. As a teacher, you would also go to the same site to start the game. Unlike Kahoot, it does not appear that you can make your own games up, but there are many to choose from. 

Adobe Spark for Simple Multimedia Projects

from The Electric Educator by John Sowash
Here's a first hand account of how John used Adobe Spark with his 8 and 6 year old kids to create a video on pollution. He also includes some cautions when using Spark. This is a great way to use the iPads to take the photos, store them in Google Photos, then use Spark on the Chromebooks to create a polished video quickly with both elementary and middle school students. Read the entire post and see their video here. Access Spark at spark.adobe.com. 

Classkick for Chromebook and More!

This is a great program for creating interactive slides that students can work on at their own pace - and you can watch their progress real-time. This app used to only be available on iOS, but now is a web app, so is available for Chromebooks, Macs and PCs too! This can be used by elementary and middle school students, as no account set up is necessary. Students just enter the class code to join.

Creating Green Screen Videos for Education

by Sam Gliksman
We already have the green screens and iPad apps if you'd like to try this fun project for video reports with your students.

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