Weekly Tech Tips and News for February 24, 2017

K.Szczytko, Cozumel 2016

When traveling to tourist locations, most of us know to be aware of our surroundings, looking out for those who are trying to con us out of our money or wallets. Then there are those, such as the bird man from Cozumel, in the photo at left, who are very upfront about their intentions. If only all situations were this clear! Sadly we need to be increasingly vigilant in our everyday interactions with technology. Scammers are constantly refining their techniques to separate us from our data and money. In the past few weeks even Google was duped into displaying what appeared to be a legitimate ad that appeared at the top of a Google search. When clicked on, it presented the user with a very real looking pop up, warning that the computer had security issues and to contact "Windows Technical Support" right away. The user was unable to close the message or the browser without either using Task Manager or turning off the computer. The true intention was to get users to call the number and allow the bogus technical support person to remote into the computer, install malware or take the computer hostage until the user pays up. Unless you contact vendor support directly (not from a number on a pop up or ad), never let anyone you don't know remote into your computer. Before clicking on search links, hover over them. The actual web address appears in the lower left corner of your screen. Make sure the first part of it matches the address displayed on the link. Read the Scam Alerts posts below for more information. Knowledge is power! The more you know, the less vulnerable you'll be. With that knowledge, you'll be able to relax and hang out like these Iguanas sunning in Aruba last week. (Yes, the water really is that color.)

K.Szczytko, Aruba 2017

Also in this issue are the latest G Suite updates for slides and sheets, G Suite Show episodes, how to password protect Google Forms, create bingo cards, and a game your kids will love, called Spacehopper.

• Scam Alerts:  Chrome Malware and New "Windows Support" Twist
• Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides
• G Suite Updates:  Google Sheets
• Password Protect Google Forms
• The G Suite Show:  Gmail Gems
• The G Suite Show:  Smarter Scheduling with Calendar
• Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets
• Spacehopper - Where in the World?
• The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology

Scam Alerts: Chrome Malware and New "Windows Support" Twist

Watch Out for This Chrome Malware

This isn't an issue for Chromebooks, but it can be for those of us using the Chrome browser on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android devices. Be on the alert for websites that want you to download a font to view the site. You should NEVER need to install a font to view a website. Never click Update if presented with the message above. Doing so will install malware on your device. This malware is new enough that very few antivirus programs can detect it. If you see this, close the tab or the entire browser, but do not click on the message. As a general rule of thumb, it is very important to read all messages that pop up, and not just click OK without reading them.

New "Windows Support" Twist

Now that pretty much everyone is aware that Microsoft will never call you to offer support for your computer, the scammers have become more creative. Their new angle is to get unsuspecting users to call them. The messages that pop up on your computer vary from "Your computer has been blocked" to "Your computer has been disconnected from the Internet", but they all give you a "Microsoft Support" number to call. Be assured, Microsoft never issues messages urging you to call their support line. These fake messages are just websites that are trying to entice you to call them or download malware to "clean up" your computer. Never call Microsoft Support, or any other technical support number that pops up on your screen. What should you do if you encounter one of these messages? Certainly contact me right away. If I'm not available, press Ctrl Alt Del and select Task Manager. Click on each internet browser activity listed (Chrome, IE, Firefox, etc.), and click on End Task. That will close the internet browser, usually getting rid of the offending message. The next time you open your browser, if it asks you to restore the previous session, click NO! Then make sure you don't click on the same internet link again. If you need to contact Microsoft or any other vendor for support, go directly to their website for the contact information.

Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides

Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
You are no longer limited to YouTube videos for your Slides presentations. You can now insert videos directly from Google Drive. You can also determine where the video stops and starts. Just make sure the sharing properties for the video file are set so it can be shared.

G Suite Updates:  

Link to Cell Ranges in Sheets

If you are navigating through a large spreadsheet, it can be difficult to find the section you need. Now you can create links to specific cell ranges within the sheet to create a table of contents. Get all the details here.

Formatting Improvements in Sheets

googleblog.com

Several formatting improvements in Google Sheets have been long awaited. You can now rotate text

in a cell, which is perfect for those long column headers. Rotate them so they read vertically to take up less space. There have also been improvements with accounting number formats - the dollar signs now line up. You will also have more border styles to choose from, including a selection of thicknesses and double border styles. Sheets in mobile apps have also seen several improvements - you'll see the ability to use a mouse, custom colors, as well as the ability to drag and drop rows and columns on your Android phones and tablets. On iPhones and iPads, you will now be able to drag and drop rows and columns and formatting suggestions in Explore. For full details, check out Google's G Suite Updates blog.

Password Protect Google Forms

Password Protect Google Forms from Badiner Bytes & Tech Tidbits by Jeremy Badiner
This is a great way to enable you to share a quiz with your students, but prevent them from seeing the questions until it's time to take the quiz. It's also a terrific way to create games where students must answer a question correctly to progress. You simply create a question that requires a specific answer or password, then use that question as a gateway to the rest of the form.

The G Suite Show:  Gmail Gems

The G Suite Show:  Smarter Scheduling With Calendar

Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets

Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

The Flippity add-on for Sheets now has a Bingo Board template. You can now easily play Bingo to review or test your students' knowledge. This is the same tool that can be used to create flash cards, create a quiz show, MadLibs-style story starters, random name picker, and more.

Spacehopper - Where in the World?

This game, using Google Maps, presents you with a street view photo of a location. Using the clues in the the photo, you must figure out where it is on a map. Because the photo is a Google Street View, it is a 360° photo - you can scroll around and zoom in or out to see more details. Each game round consists of five locations, worth a maximum of 10 points each. You can filter the scope of the locations by the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas, or leave it at Global for anywhere in the world. Not sure where the location is? Google any information you find in the photo, such as street signs, landmarks, building signs, etc., to help you narrow down the location. Use Google Translate to figure out signs that are not in English. If your photo doesn't have many clues, there is a clue button to help you out, of course using it takes away possible points. On my first Global round, I scored a 39 out of 50. I did much better (48 out of 50) when I limited it to the Americas. Give it a try at spacehopper.io. It's not just for geography!

The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology

The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

There's some good advice here from other educators. I would add - don't be afraid of it! Most things can be corrected fairly easily. Like anything else, the more you use it, the more familiar it becomes. If something unexpected happens that you don't know how to remedy, don't panic - Google it! There's usually a simple solution available.

Weekly Tech Tips and News for February 10, 2017

commons.wikimedia.org

As I post this, the Kindergartners across the hall are celebrating 100 day.  As they are walking around in their 100 capes, I realize we have had 100 days of learning and adventures this school year, and have at least 100 reasons to celebrate. We are well over halfway through the school year. The time goes by so quickly! Here are some updates, as well as some ideas for your classroom. Hopefully you can find some inspiration that works for you and your students. Keep warm and continue inspiring them to follow their curiosity and never stop learning.

• Keep Chrome Up To Date or Lose Gmail
• The G Suite Show: Classroom Updates
• Differentiation with Google Classroom
• 4 Fun Literacy Activities with Google Docs
• Try Know Recorder for Creating Video Lessons
• 10 Ways to Create Interactive Multimedia in any Grade/Subject
• 7 Places to Find Free Music & Sound Effects for Multimedia Projects

Keep Chrome Up To Date or Lose Gmail

Google has announced that for security reasons, Gmail will no longer work in older Chrome browsers by the end of the year, to be exact, version 53 and below. The current version is 56. Chances are if you are using the Chrome browser on a Windows or Mac computer, it's automatically updating, but it won't hurt to check it just in case. If you are using a Chromebook, it usually requires a restart to complete the automatic update, so pay attention to the little up arrow

when it appears in the status area (lower right corner-see image at right). The video below will show you how to update Chrome.

The G Suite Show:  Classroom Updates

Differentiation With Google Classroom

Differentiation With Google Classroom, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
There are several ideas - with examples - for differentiating assignments for your students with Google Classroom. Some of the ideas are based on student skill level, while others are based on learning styles.

4 Fun Literacy Activities with Google Docs 

4 Fun Literacy Activities with Google Docs from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
The activities are presented in both written and video form. Give them a try.

Try Know Recorder for Creating Video Lessons

Try Know Recorder for Creating Video Lessons, from Practical Ed Tech by Richard Byrne
I've talked about the benefits of screencasting in previous blog posts. Know Recorder and Know Lounge allows you to screencast from your iPad or Android tablet. It also gives you a whiteboard space on your device for live session with your students.

10 Ways to Create Interactive Multimedia in any Grade/Subject

10 Ways to Create Interactive Multimedia in any Grade/Subject, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Sutori is a free tool that lets students and teachers create multimedia projects (called stories) in a sequential or timeline manner. This is an exciting way to replace those posters and timelines with something interactive. Read the post for a full description, as well as ways for all grade levels to use it.

7 Places to Find Free Music & Sound Effects for Multimedia Projects

7 Places to Find Free Music & Sound Effects for Multimedia Projects, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

In the same way photos and images can be copyright protected, so can music and sounds that you would like to use in a presentation or video. There are several sites that offer royalty-free music and sounds. Read about them here.

Weekly Tech Tips and News for February 3, 2016

ASA Celebrates CSW - A. Mitchell 2017

Our week-long celebration of Catholic Schools is coming to a close. It's been a fun week full of prayer, celebrating Mass together, dress up days, games and special activities. I'm guessing many of your normal classroom activities have been absent as a result. We are so blessed to be able to live and share  our faith every day. Next week, when the routine gets back to normal, and you have time to look at this, here are some tips, tools and ideas for bringing tech into your classroom.

• NWEA Student Profile Report - Better Goal Setting
• G Suite Updates:  Creating Files From Templates Now Easier in Google Drive
• To Find Files in Google Drive, Search Like You Talk
• 10 Google Apps Tricks to Learn for 2017
• Analyze Easily With Explore in Sheets
• Try Connected Mind for Creating Mind Maps
• 10 Ways to Collaborate Digitally + Visually in Class
• 5 Ways to Spot Fake News

NWEA Student Profile Report - Better Goal Setting

The MAP test Student Profile Report has been improved so you can easily work on shared goals with your students. Here is a 9 minute webinar explaining how to navigate through the report and set goals with your students.

G Suite Updates:  Creating Files From Templates Now Easier in Google Drive

gsuiteupdates.google.blog.com

Have you ever wanted a shortcut for putting together a lesson plan, providing your students with a format to follow for a book report, make a calendar or a schedule, or for a certificate of achievement? That's where templates come in, and they are available for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. You can follow a template that some else has created and formatted and just change the information to make it your own. It's quick and looks great! You can also contribute your own templates for others to use. G Suite is really just now catching up with templates. They've been available for quite awhile now, but have been rather cumbersome to access. With this upcoming update, scheduled to be released in the next three weeks, you will now be able to access templates directly from Drive. When you select a new document, sheet, slide or form, you will have the option to either start from a blank file or a template.

To Find Files in Google Drive, Search Like You Talk

To Find Files in Google Drive, Search Like You Talk, from Better Cloud Monitor
Instead of trying to remember the name of a file you need, you can now search for them in Drive, just like you would ask if talking, such as "find docs from June".

10 Google Apps Tricks to Learn for 2017

10 Google Apps Tricks to Learn for 2017 from Teacher Tech by Alice Keeler
Take them on one at a time, or select a few from the list to learn. The more tips and tricks you know, the more efficient you become in G Suite.

Analyze Easily With Explore in Sheets

This week's G Suite Show offering is a follow up to last week's video, which covered the explore tool in Docs and Slides. This week's topic is how Explore works in Sheets.

Try Connected Mind for Creating Mind Maps

Try Connected Mind for Creating Mind Maps, From Practical Ed Tech by Richard Byrne

Connected Mind is a Chrome, Android and iOS app that you and/or your students can use to create mind maps. (Remember, if you'd like your students to use this app, please let me know so I can push it out to them.)

10 Ways to Collaborate Digitally + Visually in Class

10 Ways to Collaborate Digitally + Visually in Class, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
If you don't have a smartboard - no problem! With A Web Whiteboard (awwapp.com), from pretty much any device you can create your own interactive whiteboard space and either share it with your students' devices, or project it.

5 Ways to Spot Fake News

This short video from Common Sense Media is perfect to share with your students as they are doing research or looking for current events.