Weekly Tech Tips and News for May 27, 2016

In case you get bored over the long Memorial Day weekend (wink, wink), here's a few things to keep you occupied and hopefully inspire you. If you see something you'd like to try, but are a little overwhelmed by how to do it, please let me know, we can work on it together.

Included in This Post

• Google Online Safety:  Tip 4 Avoid Scams
• Become a Google Certified Educator
• Essential iPad Tips
• How to use Templates in Sheets, Docs, Slides and Forms
• Interested in Creating End-of-the-Year Slideshows?
• Easily Create Interactive Reports with Google Apps
• Create Reading Challenges on Chrome with Stackup

Google Online Safety:  Tip 4 Avoid Scams

Learn how to avoid scams and keep your account from getting hacked (or worse, your identity stolen) in this quick video.

Become a Google Certified Educator

Are you interested in becoming a Google Certified Educator? Here are 5 Reasons You Should be a Google Certified Educator. If you are interested there is a certification training session at Holy Trinity this summer, June 13 & 14. John Sowash is the facilitator, and he is truly a Google expert, who can help blossom your Google skills.

Essential iPad Tips

8 Essential Tips Every iPad User Needs, from Computerworld Apple Holic, by  Jonny Evans

Here are some great tips to help you multitask on and organize your iPad.

How to use Templates in Sheets, Docs, Slides and Forms

Interested in Creating End of the Year Slideshows?

5 Good Options for Creating End-of-the-Year Audio Slideshow Videos from Free Technology for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
Here are 5 good options (including YouTube, which is one of our Google Apps & will integrate with Google Drive) for creating audio slide show videos - complete with video instructions for all five. You can share them with your parents and students easily by including the link in an email or on your web page.

Easily Create Interactive Reports with Google Apps

GAFE Smashing Activites from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller

App smashing is combining multiple Google tools to create great experiences for kids. Imagine an interactive map instead of a boring report or simple poster. Step by step instructions and ideas are included.

Create Reading Challenges in Chrome with Stackup

FreeTech4Teachers, by Richard Byrne
Using the Chrome extension Stackup, you can set up challenges to track the amount of time your students spend reading or researching online.

Weekly Tips & News for May 20, 2016

This Week's Topics Include...

This was a very newsy and tip-filled week, so here's a list of all this week's points of interest to help you scroll to the one that interests you most.

• Faculty Meeting Tech Time: Using Add-ons 
• Upcoming Google Updates: Embedding charts and using mobile apps offline 
• Screencast from your iPad 
• Googlink:  Using Google Drawing like a Thinglink
• Windows 10 Cheats and Tips 
• Refresher: How to find & use the Staff (Read Only) folder 

ICYMI*: 5/17/16 Faculty Meeting Tech Time: Using Add-ons:

Still missing some of the functionality that you had in Microsoft Office, but Google apps don’t yet have? Add-ons can probably fill that void for you. Add-ons are little helper applets that make your life easier in Docs, Sheets and Forms. There are numerous Add-ons to help with various tasks, such as mail merges, printing labels, bibliographies, adding clip art, charts and diagrams, math symbols and equations, word clouds, and so much more. Here is a list of some useful Add-ons used by other educators. Please reference the printer friendly tutorial, or the video instructions for adding, using and managing Add-ons.
*ICYMI=in case you missed it

Upcoming Google Updates:  

Get the preview before Google works the way you’re used to one day, then looks and acts different the next due to an update.

Embed Charts from Google Sheets in Google Docs and Slides and Update Them With a Single Click

This update is coming in two weeks. Click here for full instructions.

Easier to Open Docs, Sheets and Slides on a Mobile Device When Offline

This update will be available the next time you update Docs, Sheets and Slides apps on your mobile device (iPad, smart phone, Android tablet) This will help in those times when you don’t have internet access, but still need to get some work done. Click here for full instructions.

Screencast from your iPad

How to Screencast your iPad from Practical Ed Tech with Richard Byrne - Screencasting is recording what you are doing on your device (PC, Mac, iPad, smart phone, etc.), in this case your iPad, to share with others. Screencasting is how I make all those instructional videos I share with you. It’s a pretty quick and simple process. Why would you want to screencast? If you find yourself having to repeat a demonstration over and over - or even if you just want to make the demonstration available to students/parents for future reference or absences - record a screencast and just play it whenever you need to, or share it with students and parents either via Google Drive or add the link to it on your web page. If you are interested in learning how to do this, but need further instruction, let’s schedule a time to work on it together!

Googlink:  Using Google Drawings like a Thinglink

Using Google Drawings like a Thinglink from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Wondering what a Thinglink is? Thinglinks are interactive images that you and/or your students can create. Simply put, take an image, such as a map, place little icons over it where you can add additional information when you click on, or hover over the little icons. Think of the great potential for student reports! Not quite sure you can do it on your own? I'll be happy to help you.

Windows 10 Cheats and Tips

Windows 10 Cheat Sheet

Windows 10 Cheat Sheet from Computerworld - Still trying to get the hang of Windows 10? Here’s a quick reference for all those common tasks you need to do in Windows 10, including Start menu, new features, Action Centers, Task View and multiple desktops, Edge, OneDrive, Account Settings/Preferences, touchpad gestures, and keyboard shortcuts.

Tips and Tricks for Windows 10

Tips and Tricks for Windows 10 from Computerworld - This list assumes you are already familiar with Windows 10 - if not refer to the Cheat Sheet (above) first. These tips and tricks include handling updates, speeding up your PC, protecting your privacy, getting the most out of Cortana, and how to share your PC among several users.

Note: If you need to find these PDFs again in the future, they are also available in the Staff (read only) > Instructions-User Guides-Manuals > Windows 10 folder in Google Drive, as well as on the ASA Staff How Do I? website on the Windows 10 tab.

Refresher: How do I Find/Use the Staff (Read Only) Folder?

Printer Friendly Instructions
Video Tutorial
Tip: Don’t just open Staff (Read Only) from the link in the asagr.org bookmarks folder, instead save the Staff (read only) folder to your My Drive to make it easier to find and use. Once you have saved it to your My Drive folder, access it from there instead of the bookmark.

Weekly Tips & News for May 13, 2016

Google Slides Q&A

The big update for Google this week is the upcoming addition of audience questions and answers during a live slide presentation. More viewers will interact with your presentation if they don't have to speak their question aloud. Here's how to use the interactive Q&A update, which should arrive to your Slides in the next two weeks.

7 Google Updates and How They Help Educators

From Ditch That Textbook, by Matt Miller
The biggies here include being able to schedule assignments in Classroom, Slides Q&A (again) & setting sharing properties to expire. Here's the full post.

6 Ways Google Keep Helps Schools

From Ditch That Textbook, by Matt Miller
Google Keep compiles lists and notes that you can share and set reminders. Click here for the full post.

Google Update:  Event Locations Showing on Calendar

Currently just the time and name of the event shows on the calendar. This update will also include the location. You should see this update in about 2 weeks. Click here for more information.