- Keep Your Mobile Device Secure with Michigan Secure App
- Your Keyboard is Disgusting. Here's Why You Should Clean it With Slime
- Free Federal Public Training Courses
- Using Your Nose is the Greatest Cold Weather Smartphone Hack
- Google Skillshop Online Courses Teachers May Find Helpful
- 10 Chromebook Touchpad Tips
- 8 Google Meet Features You Should Be Using
- Build a "What I Am Thankful For" Turkey with Google Slides
- 5 Easy Gamified Activities You Can Assign Tomorrow
Keep Your Mobile Device Secure with Michigan Secure App
This app is free to all Michigan citizens, and can be downloaded and installed from both the Apple App Store and the Android Play Store. The Michigan Secure App will scan your mobile device to make sure it hasn't been compromized, and will protect you from unsecure WiFi networks, phishing emails, and unsafe apps. It does not require any personal information and is absolutely free - without any in-app purchases or ads. The app also includes tutorials for the app itself, as well as what the terminology means. Tutorials are found in the more menu (3 horizontal lines/"hamburger").
Your Keyboard is Disgusting. Here's Why You Should Clean it With Slime
Your Keyboard is Disgusting. Here's Why You Should Clean it With Slime, from ZD Net by Adrian Kingley-Hughes
I wish I would have known about this tip sooner!
Free Federal Public Training Courses
The federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is offering free virtual training to the public. Some courses include Coding for the Public, Cyberessentials and Don't Wake Up to a Ransomware Attack. You can find the full list of free training courses at fedvte.usalearning.gov/public_fedvte.php.
Using Your Nose is the Greatest Cold Weather Smartphone Hack
Using Your Nose is the Greatest Cold Weather Smartphone Hack, from How-To Geek by Jason Fitzpatrick
The next time your gloves or messy hands get in the way of using your smartphone, you'll know what to do.
Google Skillshop Online Courses Teachers May Find Helpful
Google Skillshop for education online courses are free and on demand at any time that works in your schedule. Feel free to skip around any course and use only the portions that apply to you. You can use this resource as casually or formally as fits your needs. Learn some skills to help you assist/teach students, create effective procedures in your classroom, or become a certified educator. While training is available on just about every Google-related topic you can imagine, and then some, there is an entire section devoted to the unique needs of education environments. Just use the Sign in with Google button to sign in. Keep in mind the LMS that Google showcases is, of course, Google Classroom, but many of the ideas and skills can be used in Canvas. Here are some courses you may find useful:
- Fundamentals Training - If you're new to using Google Workspace tools or using tech in the classroom, including benefits of a digital classroom, how to use Google tools, digital citizenship, thinking beyond the textbook, ways to communicate, getting digitally organized, meetings, measuring student progress, search skills, interactive lessons, using video, and more.
- Chromebooks for Educators - You'll be able to better help your students use their chromebooks efficiently and find all the useful tools with this course.
- Chromebook for Gamified Training - This is a faster paced, game version of chromebook training. Your students may enjoy this approach as well.
- Chromebook Training - Teachers who use a chromebook may benefit from this more comprehensive course, explaining everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about your chromebook.
- Digital Citizenship and Safety Course - Including Student internet safety and privacy, online safetly on the go, savvy searching, staying safe from phishing and scams, and managing your online reputation.
- Advanced Training - Moves beyond the fundamentals, and includes creating/curating online resources, alternate learning models, ways to personalize learning, ways to optimize your workflow, streamlined connections with guardians, ways to analyze/interpret student data, organizing your class materials more effectively, designing interactive curricula, teaching beyond the classroom walls, Google research, giving students a voice and more.
- Tools for Diverse Learners Training - While you will know best how to address your students’ learning needs, Chromebooks include features that may be helpful to students who are low vision or blind, have limited motor functionality, are hard of hearing, or may need extra assistance.
- Support for English Language Learners - This includes making content accessible for all students, engaging ELL families and much more.
- Google Tools for In-Person Learning - Including increasing student focus, starting class efficiently, facilitating collaboration, offline learning, engaging guardians, using multimedia for learning and more.
10 Chromebook Touchpad Tips
10 Chromebook Touchpad Tips, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts.
Learn all the touchpad gestures here, with one, two, three and even four fingers. I'll put the posters up on or near the chromebook carts in your classrooms for students who either prefer not to use a mouse, or don't have one. Feel free to move the posters wherever it's most convenient in your classroom.
8 Google Meet Features You Should Be Using
8 Google Meet Features You Should Be Using, from How-To Geek by Sandy Writtenhouse
So many features have been added in the last year or two. This article describes them all in one place. The include live captions, translated captions, meeting recordings, whiteboarding, screen sharing, breakout rooms, polls, and Q&A sessions.
Build a "What I Am Thankful For" Turkey with Google Slides
Build a "What I Am Thankful For" Turkey with Google Slides, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
This post includes a Google Slides template for the turkey.
5 Easy Gamified Activities You Can Assign Tomorrow
5 Easy Gamified Activities You Can Assign Tomorrow, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Five examples of these easy to customize games from Genially are included in this article. These examples come complete with games to try playing, descriptions, tutorial and ideas for using them in the classroom. These are really easy to set up. Genially is both free and safe to use with your students.
