Weekly Tech Tips and News for March 30, 2018

The Last Supper, Da Vinci

For those of you with one foot out the door to Spring Break - safe travels! Here are some tips to read while travelling to your destination. For the rest of us who are staying put, here are some tips to read in your spare time. In light of the recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data mining scandal, there's a tip for protecting your data from third parties - those extra apps either within Facebook or the ones we use our Facebook accounts to login to. The truth though, is that Facebook is really just the scapegoat here - they are not alone in playing fast and loose with our online information. Our internet providers, mobile carriers, and other social media networks have been selling our online habits for years. Facebook is just going to be the tip of the iceberg - but it is helpful to know how to protect your online habits and information as much as possible. This will be an ongoing topic in the news for quite awhile. As we enter into the Triduum and approach Easter, I wish you a very blessed holy season.

• Broken Mac? Fix it With These Simple Troubleshooting Tips
• How to Make Siri Understand You Better
• Five Tips for Blocking Spam from Your Inbox
• EDU in 90:  Quizzes in Google Forms, Sharing Scores
• Everything New in Windows 10's Spring Creators Update, Available April 2018
• How to Transfer Photos from Android to Your Windows PC
• $1 Merge Cubes:  Easy and Cheap Handheld AR/VR
• 5 Things You Might Not Know About Kahoot!
• How to Stop Facebook Giving Your Data to Third Parties

Broken Mac? Fix it With These Simple Troubleshooting Tips

Broken Mac? Fix it With These Simple Troubleshooting Tips, from ZDNet by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Much like the troubleshooting tips I posted a few weeks ago, these Mac troubleshooting tips don't require a programming or IT degree. If you can follow instructions, you can perform them - and possibly save yourself a trip to the Apple Store or a repair bill. You can do it!

How to Make Siri Understand You Better

How to Make Siri Understand You Better, from How-To Geek by Craig Lloyd
Do you get frustrated with Siri on your iPad or iPhone? Here is some help.

Five Tips for Blocking Spam from Your Inbox

Five Tips for Blocking Spam from Your Inbox, from Popular Science by David Nield
Do you get a lot of spam in your email? Here are ways to whittle it down.

EDU in 90:  Quizzes in Google Forms, Sharing Scores

This is a follow up to last week's EDU in 90 on creating Quizzes in Forms. Today's post is the next step - how to share those grades with students or import into Classroom.

Everything New in Windows 10's Spring Creators Update, Available April 2018

Everything New in Windows 10's Spring Creators Update, Available April 2018, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
If you use a Windows 10 PC, you'll want to know there's a big update coming in April. Microsoft usually issues the big updates twice per year - in the Fall and in the Spring. At the very least, now you'll know that when your computer wants to run Windows updates in April, you'll need to allow extra time for it. If you want to know what changes you can expect in Windows this April, take a look at this post. Some of the new features include a timeline of your activities, Near Share that will be similar to Apple's AirDrop, easier pairing with Bluetooth devices, progressive web apps, easier font management, and better control for app permissions.

How to Transfer Photos from Android to Your Windows PC

How to Transfer Photos from Android to Your Windows PC, from How-To Geek by Cameron Summerson
You have a phone full of photos you don't want to lose, now what? It's not as difficult as you may think, but here's the process, step by step.

$1 Merge Cubes:  Easy and Cheap Handheld AR/VR

$1 Merge Cubes:  Easy and Cheap Handheld AR/VR, from A Lever and a Place to Stand by Amy Roediger
I just picked up one of these Merge Cubes on Amazon for $6.00, because my local Walmart was sold out of the $1 cubes. I'd learned about them at a MACUL conference session from Leslie Fisher. In fact after her session, all local Walmarts sold out of them. The nearest one with any in stock was 40 miles away. Fellow attendees were tweeting pictures of themselves buying carts full of the cubes. Walmart employees were probably wondering what was going on.

The cube works by loading a Merge Cube app on your iOS or Android phone or tablet, pointing it at the Merge Cube and letting the fun begin. As you turn the cube in your hand, the interactive image also turns along with it so you can explore or play the game. If you have iPads, Android tablets, or even newer 2-in-1 chromebooks with dual cameras and Android app capability in your school, you can use the cube right away. There are numerous apps, some are educational, and some are games that promote problem solving and critical thinking. The cube is made of foam, so it won't break in the hands of our more excitable students. There's a demo video in the post - check it out! For my ASA friends, if you want to try before you buy, let me know and you can experiment with mine.

5 Things You Might Not Know About Kahoot!

5 Things You Might Not Know About Kahoot! from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Did you know you can shame your students who choose naughty nicknames with scarlet - or avoid those naughty nicknames altogether with the name generator? You can also throw a twist and have students drag answers into the correct order instead of picking the correct answer. There's more, watch the video.

How to Stop Facebook Giving Your Data to Third Parties

How to Stop Facebook Giving Your Data to Third Parties, from How-To Geek by Harry Guinness
With the revelation that Cambridge Analytica has been mining personal data from Facebook users without their knowledge, this is a handy tip. It won't help you with past data mining, but will allow you to control what information third parties have access to in the future.

Weekly Tech Tips and News for March 23, 2018

In today's post, there are some basics, some news and some tips. I received several positive comments about the basics in previous posts, so I'll try to continue to include some basic instructions each week. In the basics category, you can learn how to remove any unwanted apps on your iPhone or iPad, how to easily find Windows files by tagging them and how to disable those irritating notifications in Windows 10. (Thanks Windows, but I really don't want to use the Edge browser no matter how many times you suggest it to me!) News includes a few G Suite updates. You'll definitely want to be aware of the new Activity Dashboard which lets all users with edit access know who has viewed or edited a document. Since you'll be asked to allow this feature or not, you'll want to know what it does before that pop up appears. Tips include learning how to use Google Keep for notes and lists, automatically grading quizzes in Google Forms, great ideas for Pear Deck interactive slide presentations (easy!) and ways to find public domain videos. Learn something new this week while you're counting down to Spring Break...or just counting down to Spring. Although the calendar says it's here and it's still a little on the chilly side, those harbingers of Spring, the robins have returned. Spring weather can't be that far off, right?

• How to Delete or Offload an App on iPhone or iPad
• How to Tag any Windows File for Easy Organization
• How to Disable Notifications in Windows 10
• G Suite Updates:  Activity Dashboard, More Menu Changes
• How to Use Google Keep for Frustration-Free Note Taking
• EDU in 90:  Quizzes in Google Forms, Grading
• 20 Ways to use Pear Deck to Engage Students
• How to Find Public Domain Videos in Flickr

How to Delete or Offload an App on iPhone or iPad

How to Delete or Offload an App on iPhone or iPad, from How-To Geek by Harry Guinness
Do you have too much clutter on your iPad or iPhone from apps you tried, but never use? Maybe you need to clear up some space? Here are a few ways to get that job done. You can delete the app and all its data, or you can delete the app, but keep the data.

How to Tag any Windows File for Easy Organization

How to Tag any Windows File for Easy Organization, from How-To Geek by Michael Crider
I'm excited about this tip, especially for finding photo files. File names can be somewhat limiting when you are trying to find that file weeks later. Sometimes folders aren't quite enough, and you want to tag files by more than one topic. You can set tags while saving a file, or you can go back and tag files that you've already saved. I'm looking forward to more easily finding photos of my kids, or those lighthouse and sunset shots.

How to Disable Notifications in Windows 10

How to Disable Notifications in Windows 10, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Are you tired of getting those messages in the lower right of your screen? Especially the ones telling you how wonderful Edge is, or pushing the latest app? You can turn them off. Either turn them all off, you can turn only some of them off if there are some you find helpful, or just mute them temporarily.

G Suite Updates:  

Activity Dashboard

Activity Dashboard is a new feature that will allow all users with editing access to see who has viewed the file, and when they viewed it. Knowing whether someone has seen a file will help you communicate with them better. You can decide whether or not you find it useful - if not you will be able to choose if you want to exclude your viewing data in your Personal Privacy Settings. We should begin seeing this feature after March 21. You'll know it's available when you see the notification pictured at left. The dashboard will not show any of your viewing data until after you click I Understand on the message. If you would like more detailed information on the Activity Dashboard, here is the Google help page.

More Menu Changes

As we've seen in the last two months, there will be a little more menu rearranging in the G Suite apps. If you can't find something when the changes happen, refer back to this blog post. They are as follows:

• In Docs and Slides:  In the Format menu, text options (bold, italic, etc.) will be movved to a new Text submenu.
• In Slides: The Table menu will be removed. The option to insert a table will be under the Insert menu. Table formatting options will appear in the Format menu.
• In Slides:  In the Slide menu, options to move slides will appear in the new Move submenu.
• In Slides:  in the Arrange menu, if you are looking to align horizontally or vertically, those options will be moved into the new Align submenu.
• Google Docs: On the toolbar, text color and highlight color will be split into separate buttons.
• Google Docs:  On the toolbar, a new option to Insert Image will be added.
• Google Docs:  The Table menu will be removed. To insert or remove a table you'll look in the Insert menu. Table formatting options will appear in the Format menu.
• Google Docs, Sheets and Slides:  The Insert menu will be rearranged.

How to Use Google Keep for Frustration-Free Note Taking

How to Use Google Keep for Frustration-Free Note Taking, from How-To Geek by Cameron Summerson
Google Keep is part of G Suite, so you can find the app, along with Docs, Sheets, Slides, Maps, etc. in your app switcher grid. It's also available in iOS and Android, so you can have it with you on every device you own. I use if for my grocery list (which I share with my husband so he can add items), to do lists, bookmarking articles to read and recipes, and taking notes in meetings. You can color code and tag all your notes and lists with labels, so you can easily find them again. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it's simple, easy and always with me.

EDU in 90:  Quizzes in Google Forms, Grading

Can you spare 90 minutes to save yourself a lot of time grading quizzes?

20 Ways to Use Pear Deck to Engage Students

20 Ways to use Pear Deck to Engage Students, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
We've talked about Pear Deck before, it's a great way to make your slide presentation interactive. This post not only reviews how to use Pear Deck, but also suggests "Ninja Pear Deck skills" and gives you 20 ideas for how to use it in your class. There's also a free deal included in the post if you act quickly.

How to Find Public Domain Videos on Flickr

How to Find Public Domain Videos on Flickr, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
I've posted before about sources for public domain photos, and images with Creative Common licenses, but Flickr also has public domain videos, and those with Creative Commons licenses. Learn how to find them with this post.

Weekly Tech Tips and News for March 16, 2018

Piggybacking on last week's posts about technology basics, there are three more posts this week about backing up your computer, using Gmail more efficiently, and protecting your Mac from malware - yes, even Macs can become infected with Malware. Remember, the more you know the easier it becomes. I can't begin to count the number of conversations I've had with people who are desperately trying to get their information off a computer that has just died. My friends, that is not the time to think about it. Sometimes you can restore your files, but often you cannot. You do not want to gamble with the kid's baby pictures, videos of those first steps, wedding pictures, tax files, or your entire music library. You need to make sure you are backing up those files so when (not if) your hard drive dies, your phone falls into the toilet, or the spouse or child using your computer becomes a victim of malware, your data is protected. You can even automate the back up process so it's not one more thing you have to remember to do. Knowledge is power and will save you money and tears.

• What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?
• How to Protect Your Mac from Malware
• G Suite Updates: Changing How You View Photos in Google Drive
• 6 Gmail Tips to Transform You Into an Email Genius
• EDU in 90: Apps that Work with Google Classroom
• 12 Alternatives to Google Image Search - Comparison Chart
• Aquation - A Game for Learning About Global Access to Clean Water
• The Cat In That Hat Knows a Lot About That - Educational Activities Inspired by Dr. Seuss
• ViewPure Now Offers Curated Playlists

What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?

What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer? from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
If you are not backing up the files, photos, videos and music on your computer (or any phone, tablet, etc.) you are taking a huge gamble. At some point, your device WILL fail - they all do with time. When that happens, you will be panicking because you could lose everything that is stored on your computer. There are many ways to back up your data, and it is not difficult. You can even set up the process to automatically back up any new data on a routine basis, so you don't have to remember to do it yourself. Don't wait until it's too late!

How to Protect Your Mac from Malware

How to Protect Your Mac from Malware, from How-To Geek, by Justin Pot
Yes, your Mac can also become infected with Malware - Macs are not immune from infection. Find out how to protect your Mac.

G Suite Updates: Changing How You View Photos in Google Drive

This week the old Google Photos tab in Google Drive disappears. To see your Google Photos in Drive, you will need to enable them again, and create a Google Photos folder within My Drive. It's a very simple process - you simply turn it on in Drive Settings. Full instructions and screenshots are available in the G Suite Updates blog. Once you turn this on, instead of accessing with the link in the left column of Drive, the folder will appear within My Drive. Having this link to your Google Photos in Drive makes it much more convenient to access them - and they'll be available in Google Drive Stream from your computer.

6 Gmail Tips to Transform You Into an Email Genius

6 Gmail tips to Transform You Into an Email Genius, from Mashable by Nicole Gallucci
These are well explained tips to help you take control of your email so you can find things, and clean out the old stuff. The Gmail add-ons mentioned in this article will allow you to send personalized bulk messages and schedule messages to be sent later.

EDU in 90: Apps that Work with Google Classroom

How does it help you to have apps that work with Google Classroom? You can share assignment, activities, quizzes, etc. with one or two clicks. Your students don't have to create a separate account on the app interface. Watch and see.

12 Alternatives to Google Image Search - Comparison Chart

12 Alternatives to Google Image Search - Comparison Chart, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Google Image search isn't the best place to find royalty-free or public domain images. Provide your students with a list of other sites so you won't have to worry about copyright infringement.

Aquation - A Game for Learning About Global Access to Clean Water

Aquation - A Game for Learning About Global Access to Clean Water, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
This free game is intended for students in upper elementary or middle school grades, and teaches them about balancing global water resources and the distribution of clean water.

The Cat In That Hat Knows a Lot About That - Educational Activities Inspired by Dr. Seuss

The Cat In That Hat Knows a Lot About That - Educational Activities Inspired by Dr. Seuss, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
This PBS for Kids site has both online and printable activities for your students.

ViewPure Now Offers Curated Playlists

ViewPure Now Offers Curated Playlists, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
ViewPure is a free website that allows you to enter a video URL and it will "purify" it of all ads, suggested videos and comments. You can then use the ViewPure URL to share with your students. Now ViewPure also has a new teacher resources section so you can search for videos by grade level and topic, and create your own purified playlist.

ASA Weekly Tech Tips and News for March 9, 2018

I'm on top of the world at Camelback Mountain, Phoenix AZ

This post is more for the general tech users and less for teachers - not necessarily by design - it just worked out that way. We all need to use technology more and more in our daily lives away from work - that's just the way everything is going. It's truly necessary that everyone familiarizes themselves with some basics, not only to make their lives easier, but also to protect themselves. We need to take safety precautions in every aspect of our lives, and tech is no different. You wouldn't leave your house keys lying around outside your house would you, or leave your car keys on the hood of your car? Risk of identity theft and malware are just becoming too common now. By learning some basics, and how to protect your information, you may be able to save yourselves a few dollars by not having to pay someone to do all your troubleshooting. You CAN do it even if you are uncomfortable with tech. The more you learn the more comfortable you will become. It's good for all of us to step outside our comfort zones every now and again. I recently did so on a trip to Phoenix, AZ. My niece offered to guide my husband and I on a climb up Camelback Mountain. While no Mt. Everest, it is a 2707 ft. mountain, and was a challenge for two middle aged, novices who are definitely not in tip top shape, and one of whom is asthmatic. The challenge was so worth it when we reached the very top, as you can see from this photo. If I can climb a mountain (something I never dreamed I would be able to say), you can learn a few tech basics. You won't even have any residual muscle aches afterward.

Postcard from the Edge: View from the top of Camelback Mountain, Phoenix AZ

• Why is My Internet so Slow?
• How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen
• It's not you. Phones are designed to be addicting.
• How Computers Work
• Save and Search Web Clippings - Google Keep and Web Paint
• Supporting Parents Supporting Students:  Start with a Calendar
• Learning in Motion: EASY Stop-Motion Animation with Google Slides
• Solve Me Puzzles - Play or Create Math Puzzles

Why is My Internet so Slow?

Why is My Internet so Slow?, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Is it your internet...or could it be a website...or your computer? These are useful things you can check, either at home or at work, before sounding the alarm or calling for help. Narrowing down the problem can not only give you a quicker fix (and possibly save you from waiting on hold for an eternity), it can help you reach a solution faster if you do need to call support.

How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen

How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
It's always a good idea to check your user names and email addresses every now and again, to make sure they weren't included in a stolen database. Not all web services are diligent about letting users know when their information has been stolen. It's a quick and easy process to make sure you are still safe and secure. What to do if you find yours has been stolen? Change your passwords! There is also some good advice for managing your passwords in this article.

It's not you. Phones are designed to be addicting.

Do you find it difficult to resist the urge to check your smartphone? Here are some ideas for helping you resist that urge. (Turn off those notifications!)

How Computers Work

How Computers Work, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Do you have the slightest idea of how your computer works? We use them every day, and yet for most it's a magical mystery. This series of videos will help you and your students understand what's going on "under the hood". The whole series can be viewed in approximately 30 minutes with six 5 minute videos.

Save and Search Web Clippings - Google Keep and Web Paint

This shows an easy way to save web clippings, searching for them and annotating them using Google Keep, and the Chrome extension Web Paint.

Supporting Parents Supporting Students:  Start with a Calendar

Supporting Parents Supporting Students:  Start with a Calendar, from A Lever and a Place to Stand by Amy Roediger
This is one of the easiest ways to communicate with parents with a simple Google Calendar. Put assignments on it for the class, and share it with parents.

Learning in Motion: EASY Stop-Motion Animation with Google Slides

Learning in Motion: EASY Stop-Motion Animation with Google Slides, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
No fancy apps or software are required to create stop-motion animation, just think the flip books we used to make in the corners of our notebooks combined with sped up Google Slides. It's quite easy to do, and this post includes full instructions. There are also some advanced tips to really make your animation stand out. Finally, Matt also includes ideas for using them in the classroom.

Solve Me Puzzles - Play or Create Math Puzzles

Solve Me Puzzles - Play or Create Math Puzzles, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
This is a free site full of math puzzles for you students - or you can create your own math puzzles for them as well.

ASA Weekly Tech Tips and News for March 2, 2018

Courtesy:  Tanis Schultz, PLLC from WOOD TV8

Spring must be on its way. Why else would it be sunny and in the 60s, then give us a winter advisory the next day? If nothing else, those few warm, sunny days certainly give us hope for spring. It's wonderful to be able to open the windows and let in the fresh air! Just make sure the floods have subsided before doing so, or you may get more than you bargained for as they did at Tanis-Schultz PLLC last week when a muskrat perched on their windowsill as it swam by the flooded Grand River. When you can take a break from bailing out your own basement or yard, take a few moments to check out the latest tech tips and ideas. If you own an iPhone or iPad that no longer updates past version 9,  please take a moment to read about the latest security danger for those devices.

• It's Time to Dump Those Old iPhones and iPads
• G Suite Updates:  Email Members of a Team Drive
• Newspaper Templates for Google Docs & Word
• Use Google Sheets to Create Online Bingo Boards with Pictures
• Google My Maps Tips and Tricks
• Why Feedback is SO Time Consuming - and How to Fix it
• NASA Kids' Club - Fun Games for Learning About Space
• How to Tell if a Facebook Competition is a Scam

It's Time to Dump Those Old iPhones and iPads

It's Time to Dump Those Old iPhones and iPads, from ZD Net by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
There has been a major leak in the code that boots up iPads and iPhones still running iOS version 9 or older. If your iPhone or iPad cannot update to iOS 10 or higher, it's seriously time to replace it for security reasons. Not sure what version your iPhone or iPad is running? Go to settings > General > About/Software Update.

G Suite Updates:  Email Members of a Team Drive

Here's a truly useful update for Team Drives! As you may recall, Team Drives are where we store and share files with a specific group of people. Now team drive members have the ability to email all members of that drive. This can be done from the team drive itself, or from within a file in the team drive. You will also have the ability to exclude specific team drive members from the email. With the Team Drive open, simply click on the name of the drive in the heading banner, and select Email Members. When you have a file from a Team Drive open, click on File and select Email Collaborators. Full details and a screenshot are available in the G Suite Updates blog post.

Newspaper Templates for Google Docs & Word

Newspaper Templates for Google Docs & Word, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
If you are working on a project where students are creating their own newspaper, here are some helpful templates they can use.

Use Google Sheets to Create Online Bingo Boards with Pictures

Use Google Sheets to Create Online Bingo Boards with Pictures, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Another fun game creator using the add-on Flippity. It's now possible to create Bingo cards with pictures instead of words. The cards can either be printed, or students can play online.

Google My Maps Tips and Tricks

Google My Maps Tips and Tricks, from Sustainable Teaching by Tom Mullaney
This blog post clearly explains how to use My Maps either as a teacher or student, and shows it is not just for social studies.

Why Feedback is SO Time Consuming - and How to Fix it

Why Feedback is SO Time Consuming - and How to Fix it, from Ditch that Textbook by Matt Miller
Use the technology you already have to automate your feedback to students.

NASA Kids' Club - Fun Games for Learning About Space

NASA Kids' Club - Fun Games for Learning About Space, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
These games are designed for students in grades K-4.

How to Tell if a Facebook Competition is a Scam

How to Tell if a Facebook Competition is a Scam, from How-To Geek by Harry Guinness
I often see Facebook friends participating in FB competitions with the comments, "It can't hurt to try." Well, the reality is it might hurt. Some are scams trying to gather information about you and your friends.