Padlet can provide your students with a place to share what they know about a topic as well as what questions they still have.
As always, you have the option to require students to put their name on the ticket. I did not require names in my example (just an FYI). Below are the steps I used to create the Padlet.
I created a Padlet and selected Grid.
Changed my title and added a description
Chose my wallpaper (remember you can choose your own)
Selected the profanity filter on as well as Comments and Reactions (area for students to state that they had the same question, that they could help the student, as well as like the post)
Kept the Padlet as Secret and selected next
I then grabbed the Padlet URL and embedded it in my Google Site so it is easy to fin.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 39 second YouTube tutorial.
Book reports serve many uses; however, how about adding this feature? Taking the information such as Title, Author, Introduction, Summary, Characters, and Plot typed in a Google Doc and then sharing the information with the class in a Padlet. For a ready-made Google Doc please click here.
Your students will just need to access the Padlet (possibly embedded in your class website). Just to let you know I left open the ability to comment in my example.
I am hoping this will lead to students taking their time on reports as they know their peers will be able to see them. This could also lead to a great place for students to find books that may interest them.
Embedded below is a 2 minute and 10 second YouTube tutorial.
If you have a student that is leaving or maybe has been absent for an extended amount of time, try using Padlet as a way to share notes, videos, pictures, etc from your class. This way the student will know they are being thought of and missed. This is also great for students that are leaving so they will always have that connection with their class.
To start you will need to log on to Padlet and then take these steps:
Select Make a Padlet
Select Grid
Alter the Title and Description
Choose a new wallpaper
Enable profanity filter (optional)
Allow Comments and Reactions (optional but nice)
Alter the Privacy as you see fit (I left mine as Secret)
Have students add text, photos, voice, video, etc.
Copy the link and share with the student
Embedded below is a 2 minute and 12 second YouTube tutorial I created.
Padlet is an amazing online bulletin board that you can use to display information for any topic. In this post I will show how to use Padlet as a blog and embed in your Google site.
The reason I chose Padlet was due to the ease of creation as well as the ability to add all types of files, links, videos, etc. Plus you can password protect the padlet before placing in your Site.
Below are the steps to create your "blog" Padlet.
Select Make a Padlet
Select Stream
Give your Padlet a title and description
Choose your Wallpaper
Scroll down and see more options
Under collaboration select Comments and Reactions
Select Next and the choose your Privacy (Public, Secret, Password Protected, and Private)
Select what those with access can do
Select Next and Start Posting
Select the URL link and then embed it in your Google Site
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 58 second YouTube tutorial I created.
If you would like to spruce up your Google Classroom header photo - try adding a GIF. Here are the steps to finding a GIF on Google and loading it to your header.
Perform a Google search for you GIF
Select Images
Select Tools
Type - Animated
Select the proper usage rights
Size - select Larger than... 800 x 600
Find the appropriate GIF
Right click on the image and select Save image as...
Go to your Google Classroom and select Upload Photo
Select your GIF
Crop the GIF and select Class Theme
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 46 second YouTube tutorial.
If you would like to add GIFs to your Classroom Header it can be done. In the example I will be sharing I will be showing how to add your own personal images to the header. Tomorrow's post will show how to add a GIF from a Google search to your Google Classroom Header.
Bitmoji's, personal scaled down photos, and themes are fun to add to a classroom header; however, I thought it would be more fun to make the header a little more classroom specific. Actually, my wife asked me the other day if this could be done for students in her 4th grade class. An example would be a picture of each child in your classroom.
You can also see the YouTube video (embedded below)
Embedded below is a 4 minute and 23 second YouTube tutorial I created showing how to use your GIFs and load them to Google Drawings and then load to Google Classroom.
** Please not that the images may not appear crystal clear **
You will also see the step-by-step directions for the whole process I used to create the classroom header with GIFs.
Select the photos you would like to use and create your animation / GIF
Download the animation and upload it to EZgif.com to slow down the speed as Google Photos uses a fast animation
In Google Drawings - I created a template with a blue background. To access the template click here and select File & Make a copy to make this your own Drawing.elect Insert - Image to find and insert your GIF(s)
Resize if needed
Add additional GIFs (if needed)
Open a site such as Camtasia or Screencastify (extension) to record your screen
You will need to crop / trim to show the header
Export the file as an animated GIF file
Make sure if using Screencastify you make the dimensions a bit larger than the 800x200. This is so you can trim later in Google Classroom.
Open Google Classroom and select upload file and find your file
Make sure to trim the photo
Just a reminder that your photos may not be crystal clear - but hey - it's a start!
Kahoot! offers challenges that allows students to take the Kahoot! outside of the classroom.
To use the challenge feature follow these steps:
Create a Kahoot! or find an already created one
Select Challenge
Select the number of days (and time) you would like the Kahoot! to be active
You will then see the screen that allows you to copy the Challenge Link, Challenge Pin, as well as the ability to post to Google Classroom as well as Remind.
Embedded below is a 2 minute and 13 second YouTube tutorial.
A nice newer (as of 3/21/2018) feature in Google Photos is the ability to select remove items from device. This is a great feature and such a time saver since you will not need to go in an go through all your photos and videos to delete them.
Embedded below is a 57 second YouTube tutorial.
Please note that at the end of the Free up space, you will then be reminded how to permanently delete your items.
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides has a great feature built in that will allow the user to open up a chat with another user. This is available by selecting the gray circle to the right of the user profile picture. Once selected the chat opens and you can send the user a message. Please note that this chat can not be deleted, so whatever you type you can not take back.
This is especially helpful for communicating with others quickly and easily without having to comment within the file itself.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 51 second YouTube tutorial.
If users (students or children) are adding apps on an iPad try enabling restrictions. This will require you to add a passcode and then if you toggle the Installing Apps it will remove the App Store from appearing on the Ipad screen. Click here for a guide from Apple as well.
Settings Gear
General
Restrictions
Set/ enter passcode
Scroll down to Installing Apps and toggle to gray/off
The App Store will no longer appear
If you would like to add apps simply reverse the steps.
Settings Gear
General
Restrictions
Set/ enter passcode
Scroll down to Installing Apps and toggle to green/on
The App Store will now appear
Embedded below is a 1 minute YouTube tutorial I created.
Of course you could also just sign-out of your device as well (might be best idea if in a school setting). To sign out just select Settings > iTunes & App Store > Select Apple ID > Sign Out.
Any questions or tips you have please let me know!
Brad
If you would like to close out a program you are running on your Windows machine, try using Alt-F4. The equivalent on a Mac is Command-W. But that only closes the open window, not the entire app. If you need to close the entire app, you hit Command-Q. Embedded below is a GIF followed by a second YouTube tutorial.
One of the great keyboard shortcuts is Control+F, or Command+F on a Mac, to find certain text on a website or document.
If you're in a web browser and want to search text on a web page, pressing Control+F will bring up a search box. Just type in that search box and it'll locate the text you're typing on the page.
Control+F may work in other applications, too, such as Microsoft Word and other word processing applications.
Embedded below is a 33 second YouTube tutorial I created.
One more awesome feature built in to Quizizz is the ability to use and create your own Meme sets. It is very straightforward and simple to create.
Select Memes on the left side of the webpage.
Select Create New Meme Set and name your set (select Public or Private).
You will then need to create Correct and Incorrect Memes in your set (as many as you would like).
You can select images within Quizizz or upload your own images.
Type in some fun text (can do the top and bottom of the image). Name the meme if you would like to.
Select done.
To use your Meme set in your quiz, take a look at the bottom of the settings screen (after you select Play Live or assign as Homework).You will then be able to select the Meme set you would like to use.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 4 minute and 12 second YouTube tutorial I created showing all the steps to create a set and to see what it looks like from a student point of view.
Wow - just when I think Quizizz can not get better - I find out that on an iOS device (iPad / iPhone) a quiz in Quizizz will read aloud any text available. When an option is an image it will state "image".
The students will then need to enter in their quiz code and then select the three lines (upper left corner). There the students will see settings. The third one down is the read aloud option.
Once this option is toggled on - when the student would like the question read aloud they would need to simply select the icon that looks like a student (upper left).
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 21 second YouTube tutorial.
A great feature in iPhones and iPads is that they can even keep themselves relatively up-to-date for you. They can automatically patch apps and install the latest version of your apps and games. The automatic app update feature is also a great way to eliminate the need to download dozens of new updates at once.
Once you turn the feature on, new versions of your apps will be automatically downloaded and installed for you as they become available.
How to Turn On the Automatic App Updates Feature
First, go into your settings.
Choose iTunes & App Store from the left-side menu.
Automatically updating apps is the last setting under Automatic Downloads. Tap the button to the right of Updates to turn the feature on or off.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 13 second YouTube tutorial I created.
In YouTube, if you would like to see, clear, pause, and search your watch history + see your comments simply select History on the left side of your screen. Once you select History you will see all the options.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 38 second YouTube tutorial.
When sharing a YouTube video - sharing at the exact time you would like to share it makes it even better. When you find the time you would like to share, simply right click on the video and paste the link into an email, a new tab, or wherever you would like to share it.
Embedded below is a 33 second YouTube tutorial I created.
A great and easy to use extension is Drive Slides by Alice Keeler and Matt Miller. This extension will create a Slides presentation out of images in a Google Drive folder. The ability to take the pictures ( JPG, PNG or GIF) you would like and place in a Slide saves you so much time.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 51 second YouTube tutorial.
If you have noticed that Google Photos no longer "lives" in Google Drive, you can add it as a folder. Here are the steps to add a Google Photos folder to your Google Drive.
Open Google Drive
Select the settings gear
Select settings
Scroll down to
Create a Google Photos folder
Automatically put your Google Photos into a folder in My Drive
Classroomscreen.com has added a number of new features to make this great tool even better. In this update you will see:
- webcam background - plain color background - 5 new photo's (delete cookies if they don't show up) - line paper at drawing tool - improvement sensibility of the voice level Embedded below is a 1 minute and 13 second YouTube tutorial.
One of the amazing features in Google Drive is the ability to comment within a Google file (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc). However, you could not comment within a file such as a PDF or a Microsoft file - but now you can!
When you open your file (my example below is a PDF) in the upper right you will see the actions button, download, print, and now the comment button.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 35 second YouTube tutorial.
