May 16, 2017

Google Calendar

I use Google Calendar all the time, especially during the summer. With all of the baseball games, sports camps, different work schedules, and everything else, it is vital to have a calendar that is easy to use and access but can also be synced with everyone in the family....like Google Calendar! 

Here are 5 Google Calendar Tips for New Users by Richard Byrne: https://goo.gl/thvVCw 

May 16, 2017

Record Video Directly Into Google Classroom? 

Yep! Now You CAN!

A new update has just been announced to Google Classroom and this could be a game changer!

If you are using a mobile device, you can record video directly into Google Classroom. 

Here is a good explanation of how this works from Alice Keeler: https://goo.gl/3cD46k

But that is not all.....students can submit video from their mobile devices as well! 

May 16, 2017

How to transfer Google Drive documents

When you leave Chapman High School, your Google Account will be deleted during the summer. If you want to take your stuff “with you”, then you need to follow these steps:

Open up your Google Drive Account and make sure you are logged in. There are TWO different ways to transfer your data.

Google Takeout

• Visit Google Takeout and create an archive of your account data.

(https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout)

• unselect all of the boxes
• select only the boxes you need
• click next
• download as a zip file
• send download link as a file to email
• open link - convert zip file and upload into your personal account

Old method - Google Drive transfer

• Open up your school Google Drive account
• Select all of the files by holding down the shift key and highlighting OR
• Create a new folder and move all of your folders and files into this new folder
• Click on the three dots at the top right-hand corner
• Select Download
• All of the files will be downloaded as a zip file. Save it to your desktop
• Double-click on the zip file so it will easily be “unzipped.”
• Log in to your Personal Google Drive account
• Select all of the files in the zip drive and move them over into your personal Google Drive Account. or…..Click the upload button and select all of the files in the recently unzipped folder.

HINTS:

• you can only download 2GB at a time. If you have many large files, such as video’s or pictures, you may want to download them separately if you are using the old method. (with Google Takeout, it will break it up into 2GB for you).
• Be prepared to wait as the larger your files, the longer it takes.
• it is best to unzip the files before you transfer them into your new account. If you don’t, you can use an add-on but it is not as easy to actually open up your files.
• if you do not want to create a new personal google doc, you can always save your zip file onto a thumb-drive.

May 2, 2017

Free Technology Curriculum from Google!

Earlier this year, I spent countless hours creating lessons and guides for a high school tech essentials class. At the time I was creating them, I was wondering why Google didn’t have an online curriculum site for students like they do for teachers (i.e., the education training sessions for getting your certifications).

Well....now they do! And the best part? It is FREE!

Google has created a site that contains video-based lessons for grades 7-12 over different G Suite applications. As a teacher, you can sign up to create an account by simply using your google login. Students can join your class using a special code just like with Google Classroom.

Each unit is over one theme but as students work through the lessons, they will learn how to use the different applications such as slides, sheets, docs, and more.

Check it out: https://goo.gl/ wucZH1 

May 2, 2017

G Suite Updates

Every month, it seems like Google comes out with more and more updates to all of its apps. Some of this updates apply more for the business world than education and others apply more for those that handle Administration of the site than teachers.

However, there does seems to be a few updates every time that applies directly to teachers and students. Here are a few of them:

• Google has a search feature called Google Cloud Search. This is an app you can download on your phone that will search across all of your G Suite applications to find the exact file you want. Before, this was only available for android phones but it is now available for iPhones and iOS devices. For more info: https://goo.gl/RfbtHU
• Google Classroom is now available through personal accounts (i.e. you don’t have to have a Google Account to create and use Google Classroom). For more info: https://goo.gl/KMBsp4
  
• Google Accounts login page will have a new look at the end of this month. For more info: https://goo.gl/sh7sss 
  

April 25, 2017

I have found myself multitasking more and more as the school year winds down. This is the time of the year when I am either running on full-stress ahead mode or find myself doing tasks that are mind-numbing such as scanning in every single book and item to complete inventory.

To help break things up.....and to use my time as wisely as possible, I have started to listen to webinar podcast while I work. When I am scanning in books or driving long distances, listening to podcast helps keep my mind active and I find myself learning while I work or drive. I have my guilty pleasure podcast that are purely enjoyable (looking at you Hardcore History and Working by Slate) ....but I wanted to share one designed specifically for educator’s.....YouMediaNetwork Learning Labs.

YouMedia Learning Labs is “an open community of educators & mentors who share knowledge, questions, and collaborate with colleagues... across the network.”

They have several webinar podcast you can listen to that range from 5 to 30 minutes long. Some of the topics include Makerspaces, student engagement, prose/ poetry, and more.

Click here to listen:

https://goo.gl/QUW0YW 

April 25, 2017

The Not So Sexy Google Apps

by Gail Ramirez

Earlier this year, I attended the wonderful M.A.C.E. conference in Manhattan Kansas. One of the workshops I attended was by Gail Ramirez who is a Google Educator Trainer and works for the Topeka School District. Her presentation covered all of the Google Apps that don’t get as much attention as the big five (Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Forms).
In her presentation, she talks about the lesser known Google Apps and how they can be used collaboratively within a class curriculum. She shared a presentation that breaks down each one of these apps into a brief summary of what they do and a tutorial video of how to use it.
I would encourage everyone to take a look at her presentation and discover one or two Google Apps you can use in your classroom.

The presentation can be accessed here:
https://goo.gl/lfXTHv 

April 18, 2017

This summer, why not sign up for FREE professional development webinar’s offered on edWeb.net? 

edWeb is a place where teachers can sign to create a personal learning network. On this network, teachers and educators collaborate, share ideas, and more. Many of these are through webinars. Each day, there is a new webinar that is usually an hour long over technology and best practices for education.

All webinars are free and many are hosted by experts in the field. After attending one, you will receive a CE certificate for attending. 

Some of the upcoming webinar’s include:

• “Fake News” and the Case for Media Literacy Across All Grades
• Making the Most of Math Models
• Strategies for Encouraging Reading Readiness in Young Children 

For more information: http://home.edweb.net/ 

April 18, 2017

Become a Google Certified Teacher

You are already familiar with the Google Apps tools, why not show everyone what you know by getting your Google Certified Teacher level 1 and level 2 badge?

Here are the steps:

• Login to https://goo.gl/LhEfpC
• Take the Fundamental’s Training sessions. Each session is broken up into many small lessons with a short quiz to check for understanding at the end. You don’t have to go through them all to take your final certification test but I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU DO....even on lessons over topics you have a high comfort level.
• When you are done, sign up to take the Educator Certified Level 1 exam. This exam cost $10.00.
  
• When you finish level 1, repeat to take Level 2. The level 2 exam cost is $25.00.
  

• The exams will take around 3 hours. You will be asked permission for Google to use your camera - this is how they check to make sure you are in fact the one answering the questions. Feedback on how you did is very quick.

For more information:
https://goo.gl/t5Nwlr 

April 11, 2017

Team Folders in Google Drive!

As the school year winds down to a close, it is time to start thinking about ways to store and save all of our wonderful files, video’s, pictures, forms, and more for next year.

In some cases, there may be a PLC in which a member may be leaving.....or a Parent/Teacher organization who will have new leadership.......or a technology committee that will have different members next year... or even a new student lead activity group.

Whatever the case may be, it is important for all of the files for the committee/team to be accessible to both incoming and past members. This is why everyone is so excited Google Apps recently announced the addition of TEAM DRIVES.

What are Team Drives?: “Google Team Drives are shared spaces where teams can easily store, search, and access their files anywhere, from any device. Unlike files in My Drive, files in Team Drive belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leave, the files stay exactly where they are so your team can continue to share information and get work done.”

For Information on how to set up and use Team Drives:

https://goo.gl/bjvk1g 

April 11, 2017

Getting Going With G Suite -

An Online Course for Teachers

(graduate credit is available).

From Practical Ed Tech for Teachers and Richard Byrne is an opportunity to earn PD points and/or College Credit while learning all about G Suite (Google Apps).

This is a webinar series so you can attend while sitting at home in your pajama’s. The cost is only $147.00 to participate ($450 with college credit). There are four different sessions so you can pick which one works the best for you.

This online course will cover:

• Basics and Tips over Google Drive

•Google Calendar

• How to create a Google Sites (website) & use it as a blog

• Basics and Tips over Google Classroom

For more information:
https://goo.gl/jGqqrf 

March 14, 2017

Google Drawing:

One of my favorite Google App.

When people think of G Suite and the Google Apps, they think of the big three: Google Sheets, Slides and Docs. Today though, I want to talk about one of my favorite apps that often is overlooked.....Google Drawings!

Google Drawings reminds me a little bit of using Apple Pages and/or Publisher. It’s a place where students can be creative in designing posters and so much more.

Recently, I stumbled upon a blog post by Matt Bergman, technology leader extraordinaire, who provides a cheat sheet over Google Drawings as well as ideas on how to incorporate Google Drawings into your own curriculum. Here are a few of his ideas:

• Create and share graphic organizers
• Create interactive worksheets
• Infographics
• Provide screenshots of computer instructions
• Explain complex concepts with images and captions
• Create, collaborate and share visuals and diagrams
• Create, collaborate and share timelines • and many more.

All of these activities could be created by the teacher OR you could have the students create to show their understanding of the unit or subject. 

March 14, 2017

PrepFactory is a website that provides help for those who are about to take their ACT or SAT test. The best part? It’s FREE!

Go to https://www.prepfactory.com/

Sign up takes about a minute, quicker if you use your Google account. You can sign up as a student or as a teacher.

The website is filled with games to help practice those pesky questions, content maps full of video’s to help refresh knowledge, test-specific strategies to use, and practice sets to give you an understanding of the tests. 
There is even a Middle School section!

As a teacher, you can create a class and have your students join. PrepFactory walks everyone through a step-by-step system complete with a pre-test in one or all of the core subjects. After the assessment, PrepFactory provides video instructions to help brush up your knowledge.

If you don’t want to access the website but would like to use the video’s as a refresher, visit the PrepFactory Youtube Video playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/user/prepfactory 

March 7, 2017

Google Keep + Google Documents

Together at last

Okay, I admit I am slightly old-fashioned when it comes to making list &/or notes. I have a pile of scrap paper on my desk in which I like to grab to jot down a note or two while I work. In most cases, this system works very well as the notes serve only a temporary purpose. Once I am done, there is something intrinsic about throwing this scrap paper away. But there are times when I find myself hurriedly stuffing these small pieces of paper in my computer bag or purse as time runs out or the days become hectic. This results in a huge mess as these small single pieces of paper just beg to get lost. Enter Google Keep....

Google Keep is an easy to use platform designed by Google as a way to store your lists, notes, doodles, and much more. For some, it was useful but having to open up a separate browser or app wasn’t that convenient. Today, that’s no longer a problem. Google Keep is now integrated within Google Docs with a Keep tab in the Tools bar. This allows you to seamlessly add notes to Keep while you work or vice versa.

To find out more, watch this short video:

https://youtu.be/59A8PFj-boU

Great tip on using Google Keep instead of Comments for Grading: https://youtu.be/FgV1ypW6ZL8 

March 7, 2017

PBS Kids Video

Did you know you could watch videos from PBS Kids television series for FREE at anytime or anyplace as long as you use the app?

PBS KIDS Video” features more than 1,000 videos from over a dozen top PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! television series, including Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, SUPER WHY!, Sesame Street and Wild Kratts.” New videos are added every week.

For parents, the app allows them to add favorite shows to a child’s app or learn more about a series.

Children have access to all of the shows in a vertical and visual menu on the right-hand side with their favorites at the top. The format and graphics of the app make it super easy to use.

The app can be downloaded on any device. Check it out at: http://pbskids.org/apps/pbs-kids-video.html 

February 21, 2016

NEW! Use Gradient Colors on Google Slides

Google Slides just keeps getting better and better!

You can now choose gradient colors for your background or shape in Google Slides.

It's very simple, just select Background, click Color and then select the Gradient tab on the right. When you’re happy with your color hit Done.

You can do way more with Google Slides than a simple presentation. Here is an article from Tony Vincent on how teachers can get creative using Google Slides in their classroom.

Get Creative With Google Slides

• Some of the ways include: • Narrations

• Connect Four

• News Letters

• Math Manipulatives • Graphic Organizers • E-Book Creation

• and many more 

February 21, 2017

VocApp - Multimedia Flashcards on iOS and Android

This article comes from Richard Byrne’s excellent blog Free Technology forTeachers.

VocApp is a tool that allows you to create digital flashcards complete with audio.

“To create flashcards on VocApp you need to create an account and sign-in. Once you're signed-in you can click "create flashcards" and begin writing out a list of words. Choose the language that you want to learn and VocApp will automatically translate words from English to the language you've selected. On the flashcard creation screen you can add an image to represent the words you're entering into your flashcards. The case of common words, VocApp will automatically add images to your flashcards. To help students learn how to pronounce words, VocApp offers audio support.

VocApp does offer some pre-made flashcard sets for sale, but you don't have to purchase anything in order to use the service to create and study your own flashcards. There is also a large gallery of public flashcards created by other users and made available for free.”

February 14, 2017

NEW UPDATE:

You can now insert video from Google Drive right into Google Slides!

Before, the only way you could insert a video directly into Google Slides was if it was on Youtube. The problem? There are many great video’s online that are not available on youtube. Plus, if a student creates their own video using something such as iMovie, there was no easy way to add it into a Slide presentation.........until now.

All you have to do is upload the video directly into your Drive folder. (in some cases, it maybe easier to download onto your desktop and then upload into Drive). Once you have the video into your Drive account, open up the Slides presentation you want to insert the video into. Next, click on Insert - Video. There is now an option to select video located in your Google Drive. Navigate to the right video and viola! - you have it inserted! To make it play automatically, you will need to right- click the video to designate a start and stop time.

To watch a short video on how to do this, click here:
https://youtu.be/q4nbJjxIFxM

This new update will be slowly rolling out so if the feature is missing from your Drive account - please be patient. 

February 14, 2017

Google EDU Google Tips

This site was created by Google Edu as a way for teachers to share how they are using the features available on G Suite for Education. It is updated with a new “slide” every Tuesday.

Much of the tips revolve around using Google Classroom efficiently and effectively but occasionally, there are tips for Docs, Slides, and more.

Today’s tips include:

• Integrating current events into Classroom by use of third-party apps
• Why setting up a class just for all of the Seniors in your school can be extremely useful
• Ways you can use rubrics within classroom.

Check out the site yourself at:

goo.gl/7UH8vB

February 7, 2017

Three Android Apps for Creating Whiteboard Video’s.

From the blog: Android 4 Schools comes this post about android apps that can be used to create whiteboard videos.

Know Recorder is a free Android app for creating whiteboard-style instructional videos. In only four steps, you can create a video on the app and upload it to youtube to share with your students.

To watch an video how to use Know Recorder, click here: https://youtu.be/2f_VnLvi1qI
Know Recorder also uses what it called a Know Lounge in which you can store and share your videos. Here is Richard Byrne show you how to use it: goo.gl/83NwnH

Clarisketch is a very easy to use app that has been around since 2014. You simply take a picture, highlight the details while recording your voice, and share it with others.

To watch a video on how to use Clarisketch, click here: https://youtu.be/njKSAu2ilDY

The last one is one that has also been around for a while but is till good to mention
and that is Explain Everything. The problem with Explain Everything is that is it really good.....but does cost. However, it might be worth the $3.99 if you use it over and over again.