Months ago Google announced that in the future that would launch a new feature in Google Forms - locked mode. Locked mode means that students' screen during Quizzes would be locked on school-managed Chromebooks. Yesterday, (11/29/2018) Google announced that G Suite for Education users can now sign-up for early access to Google Forms locked mode. Click here to sign up.
Embedded below is the Tweet from Google for Education.
We all know Kahoot! is an amazing game based platform that helps make learning fun! A nice newer feature built into Kahoot! is the ability to use their template (excel spreadsheet). You can add your question(s), answer(s), time limit, and correct answer(s). When ready you just need to upload the spreadsheet and your Kahoot! is ready to go.
A great collaborative approach would be to place the sheet in a Google Sheet (click here) and then have groups create a Kahoot! quiz together. You will just need to make sure it is downloaded in an Excel file.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 2 minute and 24 second YouTube tutorial.
If you have received one of those messages this week from a friend saying something like this... "Hi....I actually got another friend request from you which I ignored so you may want to check your account. Hold your finger on the message until the forward button appears...then hit forward and all the people you want to forward too....PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT A NEW friendship FROM ME AT THIS TIME"
it reminded me it is a good idea to make sure you have Two-Factor Authentication set up. To set it up:
select the triangle next to the help icon (upper right)
Security and Login
Two-factor Authentication
Once activated they will send a security code if they notice a login from an unusual device
A great feature that can get overlooked is the Split View/ Slide over Apps capability. This is especially great when users are researching a topic and need to take notes. Users could have a search engine like Google running and then have an app such as Google Keep to take notes.
To create Split View, open an app and then swipe up from the bottom of the iPad. This will bring the Dock up and you can grab one of those apps and drag it to the left or right of the screen. When you would like to see full screen of your original app, just swipe the Split View App to the right. When needed you can "grab" the app from the right by swiping it over.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 27 second YouTube tutorial.
The other day I saw a post by Wakelet regarding being able to create a collection of multiple open tabs using their extension. This is such a valuable tool for so many reasons especially when researching a topic and need to save them quickly for later reference. Just make sure to right click on the extension, select options, and toggle on Enable Wakelet extension for new tabs.
I started wondering if there was an extension to quickly grab multiple links on a web-page and open them in new tabs. Well, turns out that the extension Linkclump can accomplish it. When first using it make sure you right click first (keep holding it down) and then select the letter z. Let go of both the right click and z button and then you will be able to select all the links you would like open (you will see a red rectangle grab the links. Once ready for them top open just let go of the selection.
So you now have all those tabs open and it is time to use Wakelet by opening up a new tab and organizing them all in an easy to use collection.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 2 minute and 4 second YouTube tutorial.
We all see items on our phone or device that we would love to read more about but run don't have the time to look into it at that exact moment.
A great feature on your device is to share directly to an app.
In the example below I am on Twitter and find a great post by Google for Education and Google Expeditions. I select the up arrow on Twitter and select Share Tweet via...
When the screen opens I then select more (three dots) and make sure to toggle on Wakelet (amazing site for organizing and sharing content.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 8 second YouTube tutorial.
Wakelet is an amazing site where you can create collections (wakes) and share articles, videos, images, tweets, etc. with one link. See embedded collection at the bottom of the post to learn more about Wakelet.
In this post I share how you can add a GIF to your cover image to make it stand out (and have a little fun).
To create this GIF I used my phone, uploaded it to GIPHY and then downloaded it to my computer before uploading to Wakelet.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out. Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 2 minute and 14 second YouTube tutorial.
National Geographic also has an interesting article discussing a few things you (probably) don’t know about Thanksgiving including "The pilgrims stole from graves, the Wampanoag were devastated by disease, and the peace between them was political." To read the article click here.
That's right - you can hold a hologram in your hand. All you need is an iOS or Android compatible device and around $15 to purchase a cube from Walmart/Amazon/etc. A headset will cost additional $, however it is worth it as you can explore with your hands free. Of course you can use just your device, or utilize a Google Cardboard.
In the example app (Galactic Explorer) you see below represents the Solar System and you are able to hold the planets in the palm of your hand!!
To find out more information about MERGE click on this link. On this link you will find all the available apps (as well as if they are free or $), where to buy a MERGE Cube, Getting Started Guide, as well as what a MERGE Cub is.
Wakelet allows you to easily share articles, videos, images, tweets, etc. with one link. Now Wakelet allows you to copy other users collection as well as set your collection to be able to be copied. This is beneficial as users could copy your awesome collection and add additional links to make it their own.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 39 second YouTube tutorial.
On December 4th at 12:00 PM the Pro Football Hall of Fame will once again offer a live look-in with their Heart of a Hall of Famer Series. Students will see first-hand with it takes to achieve success beyond just their athletic ability. The program will focus on the 5 Hall of Fame Values:
Commitment, Integrity, Courage, Respect and Excellence.
On Tuesday, December 4th Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow will be sharing stories live on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Facebook Page. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the program.
In order to participate you will need to do the following.
To ask a question, comment on the post with the following information:
•First Name of Student
•Name of Teacher
•Name/Location of School
•Question for Gold Jacket
I have participated in the past and students talked about this as one of their favorite memories in their elementary years. In fact numerous parents were extremely envious that their children were able to ask questions to players like Bart Starr!!
Rivet is a fun, easy, kid-friendly reading app for students in grades K-2 - available in the App Store as well as Googe Play. Rivet currently has 1,500+ free, leveled books, Please note that Rivet is only available on tablets as well as (11/18/2018) Rivet is currently in beta, which means new features will continue to be added.
A few items for logging in to know:
You will need a Google Account
You will need to consent to a Parental Consent Form (prior to entering into the app)
An email will be sent to you to confirm your consent (in which you just select Confirm consent)
Create a profile for your child
Name
Birth Year
You will then select your child's reading level
Level 1-6 (A-M)
Each level will show an example for sentences at each level to show your child
Once created you can then easily add another profile as well as edit the information you just added
Please note that you can always adjust your child's settings by tapping the Parent Settings icon in the bottom of the profile section dropdown
Your child and you are now free to search the leveled books
Books are categorized at the top of the page into categories
A nice feature is once your child starts reading the category My History will appear.
Embedded below is a 3 minute and 58 second YouTube tutorial I created showing the above steps.
Parent Testimonials:
“It has given her the confidence that she CAN read and with little to no help from anyone else... Her sense of accomplishment is awesome to watch.”
“I love it! I love the wide variety and selection of books offered. I love the convenience of this amazing app.”
“He loves clicking on each word to have it read to him. That is so helpful and eases the frustrations of reading alone.”
“I actually did not have to ask them to read, they just did it! It’s an awesome app and I would absolutely recommend it!"
Features:
- 1,500+ free, leveled children’s books
- Engaging, kid-friendly interface
- Kids can tap on tricky words for help
- Rate, review, and save favorite books
- Browse categories or search by keyword
- Read books from favorite YouTube creators
- Families can track reading practice
- Great way for families to meet daily reading recommendations
For those of you that loved when Google Photos and Shutterfly "talked" to each other, you can breathe a sigh of relief - they talk again.
When you enter into your Shutterfly account and select upload, you will notice the options to upload from your computer, mobile device, share sites, as well as Social - Google Photos, Facebook, and Instagram.
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 1 minute and 2 second YouTube tutorial.
On Remind you can easily add Google Drive, Google Classroom, Quizlet, Signup Genius, etc. directly from within the website or the app. Once you authorize Remind to access "for example" your Quizlet account all items will be available for you to instantly send to those that are in your Remind class.
Below are the sites you can add as well as a 46 second YouTube tutorial I created.
If you would like to take your class on a virtual field trip (Thursday 11/29/2018 1:00 pm ET) that includes STEM and literacy connections make sure to register by clicking here.
If you can not make the time - a recording of the event will be available and you could show your class at a time that works for you.
To find out more information (that includes free curriculum resources for teachers) be sure to visit - https://www.discoverthespiderverse.com/.
A great way to create collections of any topic and share with others (or keep private) is to use Wakelet.
If you have a collection ready to share with students, Wakelet has a share to Google Classroom option. You could also share to Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Google Plus, as well as a QR code.
Below are also some previous posts I have created about using Wakelet.
Wakelet
Below are posts I have created revolving around the site Wakelet.
Wakelet is a site where you can create collections (wakes) and share articles, videos, images, tweets, etc. with one link.
In this creation, students would make a copy of this sheet (if sharing in Google Classroom make sure to post in the body of the message - do not paste as a link).
When the students make a copy they have the option at the bottom of the sheet to use 2, 3, 4, or 5 emojis. If the set of random emojis is not "ideal" - students have the option to reset the emojis by selecting Ctrl R.
When discussing this with my wife we thought that you could create the prompts, select row 2 and delete it (removes the directions for Ctrl R) and then print the prompt. You could then select Ctrl R and create a new prompt and print it out. This could create tons of writing prompts to have at the ready.
If you (or your students) are really interested in how this was created, make sure to check out what Eric calls the "nerdy stuff" in the post.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 53 second YouTube tutorial.
If you (or your students) have presented a Google Slides presentation in front of a group, odds are there are people in the audience who may miss something that was said for one reason or another. Google has come up with the option to now have your audio displayed at the bottom of the screen when you select captions. What an awesome feature!
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 1 minute and 20 second YouTube tutorial.
If the display on your Chromebook is turned sideways (or upside down) it can make the Chromebook feel almost useless. Here is how you can change it:
Press and Hold
Ctrl Shift and the refresh button
The refresh button looks like a a circle with an arrow on it. On the Acer Chromebook I am using in this video tutorial, the refresh button is on the top left row - 4 in. Esc, left arrow, right arrow, refresh button.
ABCYA.com offers lots of educational games available for children. Two games that I would like to spotlight in this blog post are the sum of all dice and roll to the finish.
In the Sum of all Dice students choose the color of their dice, how many dice (2,3, or 4), as well as if they would like the dice to show numbers or dots. Students then swipe to roll the dice, add the numbers on the dice, and select the correct answer.
In Roll to the Finish, students select the color of the dice, how many dice (1, 2, or 3), choose dots or numbers, choose their character, and swipe to roll the dice. Students add the dice and select the correct answer. If the correct answer is chosen they will move that number of spots on the game board (goal is to get to 60). Students then let Snake Eyes (computer) have its' turn. Again, the goal is to get to 60 points and beat Snake Eyes!
Embedded below is a 2 minute and 18 second YouTube tutorial.
If you (or your students) have a website open that you wish were muted, try right-clicking on the tab and select mute site. This is a great quick solution!
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a second YouTube tutorial.
If you have received an email that someone would like sent to them exactly as it was written, try adding the email as an attachment. The example below shows how to do this in Microsoft Outlook.
Compose your email as you typically would with an address and a subject.
When you would like to add the email (as an attachment)
select Attach Item
Outlook Item
Select the email you would like to attach
Select Ok
send the email on as you normally would
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 14 second YouTube tutorial.
Quizizz is an amazing site that offers free "games" for every subject to play in class and at home. Students and teachers can pick an existing quiz or create their own for review, formative assessment, fun, etc.
Quizizz now allows students to replay past games (with no due date) as well as find and play any quiz. A reminder that students can also create and share their own quizizz (talk about a great way to see if students understand the topic at hand).
Make sure you log in using your Google account and allow the permissions. Once allowed, select the presentation you would like to use (depending on the size of the presentation - give it some time to load).
Once loaded you will have some options to choose (width in Pixels - I chose 1200), slide duration, the sequence of slides (if want it different than the way it appears).
Embedded below is a 1 minute and second YouTube tutorial I created as well as a YouTube tutorial created by the owner of Talltweets.
What I really like about this site is that you can add all the students in your class and save it as a unique url. You can also remove names when chosen as well as edit the time for the spin and edit the font.
Just be sure to allow the site to load!
Embedded below is a GIF followed by a 1 minute and 42 second YouTube tutorial.
If you would like more screen room on your Chromebook make sure you are logged in and right click (or use 2 fingers and press on your touchpad) and select Shelf position. You then have the option to select the left or right side.
If you use Twitter and want to get the most out of the site, I recommend using TweetDeck and creating lists.
TweetDeck allows you to view multiple timelines in one easy interface. You have the option to have open multiple columns (notifications, home, trending, lists, etc.)