Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Gmail: Enable Undo Send

Gmail: Enable Undo Send


Yes, there's a way to undo a sent email in Gmail! 
  1. From your Gmail account, click on the gear icon and choose Settings
  2. On the General tab of the settings screen, scroll down to the Undo Send section
  3. Check the "Enable Undo Send" box
  4. Choose the number of seconds you'd like to be allowed to cancel your message
  5. Don't forget to scroll down and Save Changes

Now when you see the pop-up window, you'll have the opportunity to click Undo.
Once you undo the message from being sent, you'll be returned to normal edit mode.


Friday, December 8, 2017

Google Docs: Rubric Tools!

A must read article on rubric tools from Eric Curts, Control Alt Achieve!

The four tools he explores are:
  • WriQ (add-on for Google Docs)
  • OrangeSlice Teacher Rubric (add-on for Google Docs) with video tutorial
  • docAppender (Google forms add-on) with video tutorial
  • Doctopus and Goobric (most powerful, also most sophisticated) 
Check out Eric's article HERE!


Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Teaching & Learning in Higher Education

I first saw this research paper on LinkedIn.com (EduCause), and thought it worth sharing since I posted Accessibility: Virtual Reality in Education! earlier this month.

Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching 
and learning in higher education

Stefan A. D. Popenici and Sharon Kerr

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 2017 12:22 |
Received:   1 December 2016
Accepted: 31 October 2017
Published: 23 November 2017

Abstract
This paper explores the phenomena of the emergence of the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning in higher education. It investigates educational implications of emerging technologies on the way students learn and how institutions teach and evolve. Recent technological advancements and the increasing speed of adopting new technologies in higher education are explored in order to predict the future nature of higher education in a world where artificial intelligence is part of the fabric of our universities. We pinpoint some challenges for institutions of higher education and student learning in the adoption of these technologies for teaching, learning, student support, and administration and explore further directions for research.


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Google Docs: Copies with Comments

Want to Include Comments and Suggestions in Your Google Document Copy?

This new option makes it so much easier for instructors to make a copy of their document and include the comments. Students will appreciate the extra assistance, and instructors will appreciate the ease with which they can include their comments and suggestions.


This new tip comes from Control Alt Achieve, written by Eric Curts.
See the full article HERE!


Monday, November 20, 2017

Google Docs: How to Create the Perfect Syllabus

Brought to you by: BetterCloud Monitor


By adding a table of contents, page numbers and headers to your online syllabi, you can create a dynamic and easy to use standard for both teachers and students. Since it is hosted on Drive, rather than printed on paper, a syllabus can be changed or updated at any time to keep up with a constantly evolving schedule.





Thursday, November 16, 2017

Accessibility: Virtual Reality in Education!

I recently read Gordon LaMont's article Virtual Reality in Education: Changing Expectations, Opportunities, Accessibility, & More - EmergingEdTech. What really stood out for me were the four ways in which this technology will change the accessibility for students. 



Here's what Gordon LaMont wrote:
Disadvantaged students: VR experiences are delivered via a headset so almost every student can participate in lessons which utilize it. Practically, this means disabled students or those who don’t do well in conventional teaching environments will be able to participate in lessons to the same extent as everyone else.

Remote education: Students with mobility issues, or students in remote and isolated locations also stand to benefit from VR, which has the potential to transcend geographical limitations and bring the classroom to them. By creating a ‘virtual’ classroom space, previously hard-to-reach student groups will have a new level of access to both teachers and resources.

Virtual travel: Field trips and travel to special events is often unfeasible for students and schools due to financial or logistical reasons. While it can’t comprehensively replicate the experience of ‘being there’, VR does offer opportunities to take ‘virtual field trips’, exploring and interacting with otherwise inaccessible locations, in settings across the world.

Interaction opportunities: In the same way that it offers travel opportunities, VR also has the potential to connect students to educators and speakers in different parts of the world, and give them access to information and knowledge unavailable in the local classroom. In theory, students will be able sit in on lectures, converse with authors and scientists, or even try their language skills out on native speakers.

Please read the entire article HERE!


Thursday, November 9, 2017

Google Drive Tip: Add Document to Multiple Folders Using Shift-Z

Google Drive Tip
Add your document to multiple folders using "shift-z"

1. Go to your Google Drive and highlight the file you want to add to a different folder
2. Hold down the shift key and z
3. Select the folder
3. Done!

Beware: If you delete the document, it will disappear from all folders. This is because "shift-z" doesn't copy the actual file to the folders, but adds a point to the real file (wherever that file is). 

Want to remove the file from a particular folder? Right-click on the document and select "view details" then select the "details" tab. You'll see the parent folders listed under location. Remove a folder by clicking on the "x" next to it. 


Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Google Calendar: Get Your Agenda Emailed Every Day



  1. Within your Google calendar, click on the gear in the upper right hand corner and select settings.
  2. Click on the calendars tab.
  3. Click on edit notifications.
  4. At the bottom of the page to the right of Daily Agenda, check the box.
  5. You will receive an email with your agenda every morning at 5:00am in your current time zone.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Chrome Extensions for Accessibility

Chrome Extensions for Accessibility

presents a wonderful web page with 14 Chrome 
extensions to support students with learning challenges!

Categories:
Visual Difficulties
Hearing Difficulties
Physical Difficulties
Attention/Focusing Difficulties

They also include an animation on how to add a Chrome extension!


The term “Assistive Technologies” is defined by the American Assistive Technology Act of 1998 as, “Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

There are many types and degrees of “disabilities”, and designers of Assistive Technology have been creating more and more tools as solutions for the myriad of ways individuals struggle. The PBS Parents website separates these devices into 8 categories: Access and Environmental Control, Aids to Daily Living, Assistive Listening, Augmentative/ Alternative Communication, Computer-Based Instruction, Mobility, Positioning, and Visual Aids.


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Video Calls in the Classroom: You Can Do This!

Video Calls in the Classroom: You Can Do This!
by Matt Miller at Ditch That Textbook

For step-by-step details, click HERE

#mysteryskype 

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Google Docs-Comments: Auto-Notify your Collaborator


You might get in a comment conversation in a document, sheet, presentation or drawing and want to make sure someone sees your comment. Type that person’s e-mail into the comment with a plus (+) in front. Then, add anything else you want to that comment and submit it. Google will automatically send an e-mail notification to that e-mail address to check the comments on your file.


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Students Exploring Events & Telling Stories with My Maps

from Shake Up Learning's Kasey Bell

There is a power in students creating their own maps to help them visualize information or to tell a story. An example of this is two students who collected the Oral Histories of Route 66 and displayed it on a map. My Maps is can be used for students as they explore events in literature, historical events or even as they study current events. The beauty of My Maps is they are collaborative and can be exported to be brought in as a layer of Google Earth. Kim Randall, @scubagirl812 did a super session on Mapping Made Easy with Google My Maps!

SAMPLE MAPS:

Check out the tutorial HERE!


Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Top 10 Google Expedition Tips!

Brought to you by: 
Monica I. Martinez
EdTechTeam Blog

1. Get Your Viewer
Purchase a cardboard online at:
> Google: goo.gl/hwYVSr
> Amazon: goo.gl/EqaTtC
> Web: goo.gl/yZPm7e

2. Download the Cardboard App
> iOS: goo.gl/HLZYq7
> Android: goo.gl/YQ5M7q
Go on an Urban Hike - Visit the Eiffel Tower, Venice
Canals, the Old City of Jerusalem, and underwater
at the Great Barrier Reef.

3. List of Expeditions
With more than 500 Expeditions to choose from,
students can journey far and wide, learning from
immersive new experiences. Find the right
expedition for your classroom in this list from
GoogleEDU and this map (via @MrCarey)
> Sheet: bit.ly/TeacherExpeditions
> Map: bit.ly/awesometableGE

4. Install Expeditions
The Expeditions app is available for Android and iOS
(iPhone and iPad) devices.
> iOS: goo.gl/5GwpJy
> Google Play: goo.gl/hxLVtX

5. Teacher Guide
Check out this PDF 411 on onboarding
Expeditions at your school or in your
classroom bit.ly/TeacherExpeditionsGuide

6. Streetview
Use the Google Street View Camera to
create your own 360 degree Photospheres.
> iOS: goo.gl/v0QL0t
> Android: goo.gl/qk2FgR

7. Make your Own Cardboard
Get the template and build your own
cardboard viewer. You’ll need the following:
> cardboard
> lenses
> magnets
> velcro
> rubber band
Template > vr.google.com/cardboard/get-cardboard

Click here for the infographic & MORE!

Monday, August 14, 2017

Flipgrid One - It's free!

Flipgrid One, is a free, single-grid version of Flipgrid that allows any teacher to engage her or his class in the Flipgrid experience and empower student voice. Flipgrid One teachers can have as many topics and student responses in their grid as they like. All the affordances necessary to safely and fully engage students are thoughtfully integrated within Flipgrid One: password-protection, moderation, transcripts, free iOS and Android apps, and more.

What is Flipgrid? 

Flipgrid is a video response platform where educators can have online video discussions with students or other educators. Teachers can provide feedback to students AND better yet students can provide feedback to one another.

Flipgrid gives all students a voice with video!

With Flipgrid One (Free) you get one grid with unlimited topics. So if you have multiple classes or subject areas you can just create a different topic for each and share that topic code.

15+ Ways to use Flipgrid in Your Class 
[by Karly Moura, posted on ditchthattexbook.com 8/14/17]


Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Protect Your Digital Identity!


WIRED Magazine published a great article by Lo Bénichou
How to Protect Your Digital Self

Check out the eight easy steps you can take 
to build your own personal protection plan.

See the full article HERE!

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Google Slides Freebie! Scientific Method Digital Workbook

Google Slides Freebie: Scientific Method Digital Workbook
brought to you by:


The link below to the template is VIEW ONLY. This means you will need to create a copy IN YOUR OWN GOOGLE DRIVE to be able to edit the file and share the file with your students. To do this use the following menu path:
File > Make a copy…

Access the workbook HERE

Friday, May 12, 2017

Make Grading Comments Easier!

Yet another great tip 
brought to you by: 

Are you tired of copying and pasting comments from another doc into Google Docs? Now that Google Keep is integrated into Google Docs, anything you record in Keep can easily be accessed in the panel. 






Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Google Forms: Student Peer Group Evaluation Template

Brought to you by:
Teacher Tech with Alice Keeler

1. Alice shows you how to use the drop down question type to paste your student        roster in order to avoid them typing in names (which would result a messy set of data).

2. Step-by-step, she guides you though generating a spreadsheet and formatting 
the columns to automatically update the rules.

Click HERE for the instructions!
Click HERE for the template!


Friday, April 28, 2017

Jeopardy Game Templates for Google Slides

"Google Slides for Interactive Stories, Quizzes, and Games" webinar 
presented by Eric Curts
from: 

Check out the video and Eric's resources below:





Templates

You can open the Jeopardy Game Templates with the links below. Note: The templates are view only, so you will have to make your own copy to be able to edit them. Simply click “File” then “Make a copy

 Jeopardy Game - 5-topic Template - Google Slides link
 Jeopardy Game - 6-topic Template - Google Slides link 
Example
As an example of a completed Jeopardy game created from these templates, below is a link to a Math Terms game.
 Sample Jeopardy Game - Math Terms - Google Slides link
Tutorials
If you would like to create your own interactive slideshows, detailed directions can be found below in my recorded webinar training and in my help guide and slideshow linked below.

 Slideshow - "Google Slides for Stories, Quizzes, and Games" - Google Slides link
 Help guide - "Creating Interactive Google Presentations"  - Google Document link
 Training video - "Google Slides for Stories, Quizzes, and Games" - YouTube link

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Create Ordering-Sequencing Questions with Google Forms

A great tip on how to create randomized sequencing questions using Google Forms 
brought to you by: 

You'll find the step-by-step process at the link above
-or-
view the video!



Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Canva - Awesome Online Graphic Design Tool

Want to create professional-looking graphics and documents? Canva offers gorgeous free templates, graphics and fonts. After signing up, I tried out the infographics educational section and couldn't believe how many quality templates were available! There are also cards, posters, blog graphics, presentations, eBooks, flyers, business cards, invitations, banners social media designs, and more. Wow!


Thursday, April 6, 2017

How to Create a Quiz in Google Forms

Here's a simple example on how to create a quiz using Google Forms:

Create Google Form Quiz:
Google Drive and New (scroll down to select More and Google Forms)
Type the TITLE of your form/quiz in the top left corner – add a description if you wish
Click on the gear in the upper right hand corner
Make your selections under General, Presentation, Quizzes (make this a quiz)
SAVE
In the untitled question space, type Question One? 
Answer 1: No. 
Answer 2: Yes.
Click on *Required
Click on ANSWER KEY & make your selections – Don’t forget to add your points
Click the + sign to add another question
In the untitled question space, type Question Two?
Select the small arrow and change question type to dropdown.
Type the answers.
Click *Required
Click on ANSWER KEY & make your selections
Continue on with your quiz questions and answer key

Spreadsheet Responses:
From your newly created form, click on Responses
Create your spreadsheet (click on green box)
Spreadsheet will open in a new tab

Send Form to Recipients:
To SEND FORM: From the spreadsheet, click on Forms, Send Form
In the pop-up window under email, paste all your recipient’s email addresses
Make sure you are collecting recipient’s name or email address unless you want the quiz anonymous
Fill in the subject and message, if any.  If you select Include form in email, recipients won’t have to click on a link to get to the form.

Share Form with Collaborators:
To SHARE with colleagues, etc., go to the spreadsheet, click on SHARE in the upper right corner, then click on Advanced.
Make your selections and paste your email addresses
Click on the pencil for permissions
Click on the clock next to the person you shared with to set an expiration date

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Embed Google Drive Folders on Your Website

This is a really cool tip I found on Roboblog. 
After creating a folder in Google Drive and tweaking the
permissions, you can embed the shared folder on a web page!


Check out Mr. Robitaille's step-by-step instructions on his blog here!

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Google Docs & Keep Integration - Love it!




I use Google Keep, the little note-taker, on my phone nearly every day. I type in lists of things to do, movies to watch, task and project notes, copied text and recipes, shopping lists and all kinds of other stuff. Now Google has integrated Keep! All you have to do is open your Google Doc, select Tools and Keep Notepad. From there, just drag and drop notes into your document! 

Friday, February 24, 2017

Google Docs: Organize and Save Ideas by Color Code

Have an extra large Google document with lots of ideas to keep track of? 
Want to pick out specific concepts and turn them into individual documents? 


BetterCloud MONITOR shows you how!

Thursday, January 19, 2017

VR in the Classroom - Supplementary Resource


Supplementary Resource: Virtual Reality in the EFL Class


Raquel Gonzaga shares her experience as an educator: 


Excerpt from her web page:
Cardboard + lenses = accessible VR
This is possible because of Google Cardboard Box. More info here http://goo.gl/ZbX5kM
I got fascinated by the possibilities shown :
  • Field trip to Verona, Italy (integration with Literature)
  • Field trip under the water (integration with Biology)
  • Visit the Great Wall of China (integration with math to calculate how long it would take to walk the length of the wall)




The inspiration to believe that inserting VR in her EFL classes was feasible came from watching this video: 




Google: VR in the Classroom

VR in the Classroom: 
Early lessons learned from Google Expeditions - Google I/O 2016


Virtual reality has the potential to change how we teach and how we learn. But how do we leverage VR's potential to actually transform learning? The Google Expeditions team will share what they've learned about making compelling VR apps for the classroom.




Thursday, January 12, 2017

Google Classroom: Assign Work to Small Groups of Students

What Can You Do With It?


Brought to you by:

Matt Miller and ditchthattextbook.com


5 Options:


1. Group activities — Assign an activity to an individual group. Then, all the group members are all together in one place. You won’t have to check and double check who is in which group.

2. Providing extra practice — If some students are struggling and could use some extra work — or some suggested sites for practice — assign it just to those students.

3. Leveling activities — Differentiate an activity by creating two, three or four versions of it. A more basic version of the activity has less steps, less detail or less rigor. A more advanced version has more steps, detail or rigor. Add one or two versions in the middle and you have several levels to challenge a variety of students. Assign as needed.

4. Interest-based activities — Have some Harry Potter fans in class? Or a group that loves motocross or sports? If you can identify groups of students that have the same interest, how fun would it be to include those interests in the work they do in class?

5. Rotating activities — If you have stations or a set of activities students will do over a period of days or weeks, keep assignments simple by assigning just the one that group is working on. If students will rotate through four different activities, assign one group just activity #2 until they’re done with it. Then assign them the next one. The “reuse post” feature will make this quick and easy once you’ve assigned all of the activities once.

How-To:




Here’s what it looks like (described with words and images):

1 create assignment

1. Open Google Classroom and go to a class. Click the “+” button in the bottom right corner and click, “Create assignment.

2 all students

2. You’ll notice a drop-down menu that says “All students” next to the name of the class you’re assigning to. That’s where this feature comes in … click it!

3 select students

3. If you want to assign to all students, just leave it as is. All students are selected by default. But if you want to select a smaller group of students to assign to, uncheck “All students”. Then select the students you want using the check boxes next to their names.

4 assign

4. Complete your assignment. (Don’t forget to do the instructions part. When students are absent or return back to an assignment later, they’ll be lost without them!) Then click “Assign.” (You can also schedule it or save it as a draft with the drop-down triangle button next to “Assign”.)

5 grading area

5. Your assignment is assigned to that group! When you go to grade the assignment (click on the “Done” or “Not done” area), you’ll see that only the students you assigned it to are displayed.

(Note: Any students you did not assign this assignment to will not see this assignment in Google Classroom.)