How to level books in your library or find books of an appropriate reading level with an App.

The app literacy leveler  will enable you to level your books or find the correct reading level by scanning the code on the back of the book of choice. The app does cost $3.99. To me - I felt it was worth the money for the information it will provide me with for years to come.

Take a look below at the embedded GIF as well as a 29 second video on YouTube with audio.

A special shout-out to my awesome sister-in-law Erica Carroll for telling my wife about this amazing app! 

Enjoy!

Brad

Want to publish a file in Google and publish it to the Web?

If you would like to publish your files to the web simply follow these steps.

1. Select File
2. Publish to the web
3. Publish
4. Click ok
5. Select your link and you are good to go.

Below you will see a GIF followed by the same 21 second YouTube video (with audio).

Any questions, let me know!

Brad

Want a free "for a year" Science resource that can inspire students to love science?

Mystery Science's mission is to help children stay curious. The site provides ready-to go science lessons for elementary students (K-5). The site provides material lists and detailed directions for the activities. The lessons includes videos and images dealing with a particular subject. Once the video is complete there are questions students can work on their own or with some guidance. The lessons can be extended as well to help re-enforce the concepts taught in the lesson.

As of now a user can sign-up for a free year (only a little over 3,000 free memberships left as of this post). After the year is complete a subscription is required.

Check the site out!
Brad

GAFE Accounts now known as G Suite for Education

Google announced that there is a new name for GAFE - it is G Suite for Education.

Click here for Google's post about the name change. It sounds as if the term Apps was too limiting for what Google offers.

The post also discusses updates to docs, sheets, and slides.

Hope everyone has a nice day!
Brad

Want to give directions or recap a lesson with a Star Wars like scrolling feature?

If you are interested - check out Classtools.net's template by clicking here.

All you need to do is simply select edit on the bottom of the screen and erase whatever text that is on the screen that you will not need any more.

When you are finished you can then save it with a password so you can edit later. You can then copy the URL and show your class.

Below you will see a GIF followed by the same video on YouTube with audio.

Any questions let me know!

Brad

Want to quickly get to the Chrome Web Store to add an extension?

If you want to quickly add that extension, theme, or app from the Chrome Web Store - follow the steps below.

You will see a GIF followed by rhe same YouTube video (32 seconds) with audio.

Any questions please let me know.

Brad

How to make sure PDFs always open using Adobe on Windows 10

If you have been having issues with PDFs on Windows 10 - follow the GIF below. If you would rather listen to the same video with audio, click on the embedded YouTube video below.

Any questions - please let me know.

Thanks!

Brad

Issues with PDFs displaying on Windows 10? Try changing the default browser.

in the District where I work a number of teachers have had issues with displaying PDFs. When they click on the certain site for the Math series - Microsoft Edge is launched and it will not display properly. A work around is to simply copy the URL and use Firefox or Chrome.

A way to make this a permanent switch is to simply follow these steps...

1. Right click on your desktop.

2. Select display settings

3. Select default apps

4. Select whatever browser is the default (probably Edge)

5. Change it to Firefox or Chrome

You can also watch the GIF below as well as the same YouTube video with audio below.

Any questions please let me know!
Brad

Happy October - fun pumpkin activity

Happy October to all. A fun pumpkin activity that is done every year in classrooms and households is one that includes the weighing of pumpkins and counting pumpkin seeds.

The past few years in the school where I preciously taught 4th grade the classes all got together and we had a lesson dealing with estimation, mean, median, and mode. 

Students would estimate the following: weight of the pumpkin in pounds, how many lines, circumference of the pumpkin, as well as the number of seeds. 

Prior to the students estimating the weight we would number and weigh each pumpkin prior to the students estimating.

Last year all 4 classes entered their data into a Google sheet the data for each pumpkin. The great thing about a spreadsheet on Google is that you can all share the same sheet and enter the data in as you get it. The sheet has the formulas in it for you already. Click here for a copy of the sheet. Remember, if you are going to do this as a whole grade - make sure you are all using the same sheet.

Below is a GIF showing how what the sheet looks like when you enter the data followed by a short video on YouTube with audio.

Any questions please let me know!

Brad

5 Dice - great free App for order of operations

5 Dice is a fun and challenging iPad App for students to learn and be challenged using the order of operations.

Below you will see a GIF followed by the same YouTube video with audio.

How to make a GIF (looping video without sound) to teach a quick lesson

Hello everyone,

In this post will be the following:

1. How to show why 2 times 4 = 8 in GIF form and YouTube form.

2. How to create a GIF and YouTube video.

The first GIF and video will show and example of what I would use to show a student or child why 2 times four is equal to 8.

The next GIF and YouTube video will show you how I created the GIF and video above using Screencastify.

Hope you enjoy! Any questions please let me know!

Brad

Need a story starter? Try Scholastic's Story Starter Adventure

If you would like to have your students try a site that will create some interesting and fun story starters - try Scholastic's Story Starter Adventure.

The site will allow the students to choose their theme, pick their grade level, and then it will create a prompt for them to write about. The students have the option of changing certain parts of the story starter to get it to their liking.

Once they have their prompt it will then prompt them as to how they would like to write about it. Te options are in notebook, letter, newspaper, and postcard.

It is a fun site to use and has some creative prompts.

Below you will see a GIF followed by the same 1 minute and 36 second video on YouTube with audio.

Looking for a "simple" way to take notes? Try - yes simplenote.

Simplenote is exactly as the name sounds - it is a simple way to take notes across all platforms. You can share your notes as a URL, share in e-mail, as well as print out all your notes. A "simple" tag allows you to organize your notes as well.

Give simplenote a look!

Below the screenshots of the site, you will see a GIF followed by the same video but on YouTube (with sound).

Image Source

Image Source

If you have any questions please let me know!
Brad

RAZ kids - great site for students to read at their reading level

Hello everyone,

In my neighborhood a number of parents have asked me about leveled reading and what program my wife and I use at home with our 7 year old daughter.

Image Source

We use a site that the district where I work uses (Razkids). Razkids is an online guided reading program that includes ebooks, downloadables, as well as quizzes. Students are rewarded each time they either have a book read to them, they read it themselves as their own pace, as well as when they take a quiz.

These points can then be used the build their "rocket" as well as their "robot". My daughter honestly just likes accumulating points and is storing them for a rainy day.

Below you will see a 5 minute and 36 second YouTube video of what the site looks like from the student's point of view and then what it looks like from the parent's point of view.

As always, any questions please let me know!
Brad

Annoyed by new iOS 10 unlocking? Go back to just using the TouchID

If you are not a fan of the new way to unlock your iPhone and you want to just go back to using your TouchID try the following.

1. Go to settings menu
2. Elect the "General" tab
3. Select the Accessibility" option.
4. Scroll down to find the new "Home Button" tab
5. Select the "Rest Finger to Open" option.
6. You are back to the good ole' days!

Below is a 27 second YouTube video I created if you would like to watch.

Any questions, let me know!
Brad

Want to take notes while watching a YouTube video?

Hello everyone,

If you are flipping a classroom or need to watch videos for a class you are taking, this post may help you out.

Richard Byrne's post back in April dealt with taking notes while watching a YouTube video. Videonot  allows you take notes, save and share them to Google Drive (or download to your computer, as well as copy the url so you can go back and finish taking notes in the future. There is no sign-up and it is 100% free.

Below you will see a GIF showing the basics and then a 2 minute and 21 second YouTube video showing how I used the site to take notes during a video.

As always, any questions let me know!
Brad

Import an Excel spreadsheet to a Google Sheet

If you would like to import an Excel spreadsheet to a Google Sheet simply follow these steps - or follow the GIF and same video on YouTube with audio.

There are two ways to do it.

The first way is
1. Log on to Drive
2. Select New and File Upload
3. Find and select the Excel Spreadsheet or Spreadsheets you would like to upload
4. Select Open
5. Google will automatically turn it into a Google Sheet

1. Log on to Drive
2. Select New and Google Sheets
3. Select File and Import
4. Then find where you have your spreadsheet stored and upload it
5. Don't forget to name it

As always, if you have any questions please let me know!

Brad

Columns in Docs

Yes you can finally add columns in Google Docs. Make sure to

select Format and then scroll down to columns.  If you would like to alter the spacing as well as insert a line make sure to select more options.

Take a look below at the GIF and embedded 20 second YouTube video showing the same as the GIF (but with audio).

As always, any questions please let me know!

Brad

Google Expeditions is here! Hear reactions from my 7 year old daughter as to how cool this is!

Want to use virtual reality to take trips all over the world?  How does going to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Yellowstone, Philadelphia, Gettysburg, or even to Mars sound?

If you think you and your class or family would like to take trips like this - try Google Expeditions.  Expeditions is now available on iOS to be downloaded on your Apple device.

If you are really interested in the 3-D effect - Google Cardboard is available for around $12 on Amazon. However, it is not needed.

Please click here to be directed to Google's Expedition website to assist you with any questions you may have.

Below you will see an embedded GIF looking at Mount Everest and then a 6 minute YouTube video of how the App works from a teacher/parent's point of view and hear my daughter Sydney's reaction to seeing Mars.

Want to create a poll? Use Twitter

Twitter makes it very easy to create a poll. Simply ask your question - then select poll and add the options.

Here is a direct link to the Tweet.

Take a look below at a GIF followed by the same 19 second video on YouTube.

Go Eagles!

Brad