Always Searching

When ever I talk to educators and the subject of finding images online to use in a project I always stop and refer them to my "go to" websites to point learners to a place where they can safely find images free of any copyright issues.  I have made so many different visuals for educators to share with learners.  Yet, when I walk in a classroom I see learners using Google Image Search.  Yikes!  Why???  When you are using a desktop or laptop it's so simple to change the the Usage Rights to Labeled for reuse.  It's second nature.  I enter the name of what I'm looking for and my fingers use muscle memory to go to Tools, Usage Rights, Labeled for reuse.  I don't even think about it.  It just happens!

However, when I'm using my iPad I always stumble a few minutes to think about where to go for this same feature since it's not that straightforward.  So, I put together a short video in hopes that this will become part of my new muscle memory!

I hope this helps you, too!

YouTube for Learners

I love I can look up and instantly start learning at anytime on YouTube.  There are so many amazing tutorials made by so many different people I don't always know where to start!  This can also be a little overwhelming for young learners.  And, I am always looking for ways to keep content for learners with the least amount of distractions as possible.  But the real question is, how??

First, you can view all videos in full screen mode to help eliminate advertisements, comments, and other suggested videos.

But, did you also know you can combine the power of Google Slides with YouTube?  By using the video URL and embedding a video in Slides you have more control over what your learners see.

Now that the video is embedded on a Slide, right-click to select Format Options. Here you can adjust the start and stop time of a video, along with other formatting options.

Use these features to help keep learners focused on the content. Do you notice a difference in how your class responds to videos shared using these tips?

Schoology and Google Assignments!

Chocolate and peanut butter.  Pancakes and syrup.  Campfires and s'mores.  Somethings were just made to be together.  Schoology and Google were too!  There is a great feature in Schoology where you are able to link a Google Document (Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drawings) through an assignment that will automatically create a copy of the document in a designated folder on your Drive!  You don't have to change the share settings or email a link.  It's all done with a click of a button!

You have made your plans and have a Doc or Slides presentation you want your learners to have their own copy, like a template.  You have created this document in your drive.  Now all you need to do is add this document to your Assignment in Schoology.

Watch this video to learn how...

The document will be found in a particular folder where the educator can check on the progress.  Learners will turn in their assignment by clicking the "Submit" button.  Educators can grade the assignment from one spot!

Schoology and Google were just made to be used together!  How do you see yourself using this feature in the near future?

And the one became two!

Recently I was able to help a colleague with a task that wasn't necessarily difficult, but time consuming.  Printing name tags from a spreadsheet using mail merge is not difficult, but I have found it usually takes me a little time to get everything in just the right order so that the final product comes out looking pristine!

What seems like many, many, many years ago I would use the mail merge option with Word and Excel on a regular basis.  I recall one particular report I would run but the first and last name of learners would be in one column.  I needed the names in separate columns.  My colleagues and I would go through a series of steps to reach our desired outcome.  There were columns added & copied, formulas entered and the "Paste Special;" then, columns deleted.   


So faced with this task, I thought the clock wold tick by to complete the process.  But wait!  It was completed in only a few short seconds.  What could this be?  A simple action on a menu that took all the time and thinking away to perform a task?  Praise the spreadsheet heavens!

 

via GIPHY

Back It Up!

Everyone will experience data loss.  It's not a matter of if, but when.  In the very recent past I was working with an educator who was organizing years worth of files and I encouraged having a 2nd place to house all of the files other than the USB flash drive that had been used for years.  Just as our spring break had begun I received an email filled with joy and relief!  Yes, the USB flash drive indeed had seen better days and was now laid to rest.  However, the work was not lost!  The "cloud" is your friend!  take the time to back up your work!

Working with learners who are fortunate to have iPads as their main device for all of their school work it is important to insure their work is also safe.  A device can fail.  We hope it won't, but it happens.  Accidents happen and work can be lost in an instant.  iCloud gives all Apple ID accounts 5GB of free storage.  You have the option to purchase more space.  You also have the option to delete old backups in iCloud.

You also have the option to auto backup and sync using Google Photos.  Watch this video to learn how to free up space on the iPad and backup valuable work.

Did you also know Google Photos can automatically delete all the image files it just transferred?  Yes!  You don't have to individual delete all of these files on your own.  Follow these steps to learn how...

Now, save yourself the heartache and headache of data loss.  Backup your files!

The "Present" in Presentation

Google Slides presentations.  As educators we make presentations every day for our leaners.  How are we sharing our presentations?  If I want our audience to see the presentation and not all the extra tools you have the ability to share the presentation in a presentation mode with just a few clicks of the mouse!

One way to share a presentation is to change the Share settings to Get shareable link.  In this case, you will see all the toolbars.

There are 2 other options when looking at Publish to Web under the File menu.  The first way is by creating a link.  You can publish the content to be viewable by clicking on a link.  You will need to change the sharing settings to match who you want the presentation viewable by and click the blue Publish button. 

Now when someone clicks on the link it will look like this...

There is also the option to create embed code so that the presentation is embedded in another document. 

One of the features I like best about publishing a presentation to the web is that when ever I make changes to my original document, the link is live and the changes show up automatically for the viewers. I don't have to do anything!

When I am done sharing a presentation I can click stop publishing and it is now no longer viewable by others with the link or a document with the embed code. 

So easy!  And it looks great from the viewers point of view!

Changing How We Look at Maps

I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time last week.  Part of the Social Studies department was going over their curriculum for the next week.  It was, once again, time for their learners to create a map of Asia.  Wait, did you say create a map?  I LOVE maps as you can tell from one of my former blog posts.  The educators and I gathered together to look at a few example maps I have and I was able to show them how to make maps meaningful.

Did you know you can change the base map to show different types of map?

Did you know you can use the search feature to find locations on a map and add to your map a marker?

Did you know you can add images and videos of to a marker on a map?

Did you know you can draw lines to follow where a river flows through a region?

Did you know you can draw you own shapes on a map to indicate a particular area?

Did you know you can add layers to a map so you can categorize types of markers so you can pick when and what the map should display?

The educators put a list together of the items learners would need to add to their map.

Typically you can create maps using an iPad, but I figured a way around that by creating a map in my Google Drive account, sharing the link to my map and having the learners make a copy of the map.  It worked great!  I was so excited we could figure out a way for this to be done on iPads!!

After the first set of morning classes the educators said their learners were as excited about maps as I am!  Learners asked if they could work on the assignment at home.  Yes!!

My heart is so happy there are others out there who love maps as much as I do now!  How can you use Google My Map to engage your learners with the content?

For the Love of Maps!

I love maps!  I have always loved maps!  I love exploring and finding new places to see.   Which road will take me somewhere new.  When I was little and my family would take a road trip I would look at where we were going and try look at different states in the atlas, remember the atlas?!?  When I was fresh out of college and moved to a big city one of the first things I got was a Mapsco.  Anyone remember that huge 3 ring binder with pages and pages of maps?  Fast forward a few (or more) years and who looks at a paper map any more?  When I'm going somewhere new I love to use the street view of Google maps to see what something will look like.  After I go somewhere new I like to go back and see what it looks like for someone else's view.  So, what about incorporating maps into the classroom?

Maps are a life skill.  You need to be able to read a map!  But what if you can create your own?  What would your map look like?  Google My Maps is just the thing to use to make your customized maps.  Making a map is as easy as searching the internet!  Using my maps you are able to mark certain locations, add images, link to websites, and more!  I am very excited about the possibilities of incorporating maps into currirulm with learners in the very near future!

I made a tutorial video that covers most of the aspects of creating your own My Map.  I hope you find it useful.

I was fortunate to share my love of My Maps with fellow educators.  Look at some of the wonderful ideas they have come up with to start using this tool with their learners! Where will your map making skills take you and your learners?

My Favorite "New" Tool

I know it's not "new" but it is "new" to some people.  I think in a parallel life I might be a graphic artist.  I love putting images together to express concepts.  I enjoy looking at how others put logos and words together to market their products.  I find inspiration for design in teaching everywhere!  When I started working with Google Drawings it was a little haphazard on my part.  I have had my fair share of using PhotoShop, but sometimes you don't need all the bells and whistles to create eye catching graphics.   After using Drawings for a while, I now LOVE to create with this tool!

Drawings is simple, yet powerful!  For educators and learners this is another application they can easily access with their Google Suite account.  The one thing I hope Google will work on is making this amazing resource available for creation on personal tablets.  Right now you can only create Drawings on a desktop.

To get yourself familiar with the basic setup and creation of Drawings watch this video.

Here is a short video that will help you learn to utilize the Arrange menu in Drawings.  This feature helps the type A part of my personality when trying to get something to look exactly right!

Did you know there were so many different options for editing videos within Drawings?  Amazing how easy it is to mask a photo!

Now that you have these awesome graphics, what can you do with them?  And, did you know you have access to creating Drawings within a  Google Doc?  What to find out how!

I hope you learned something new!  Try a "new" to you Drawing to create something spectacular for your learning environment!

Creating Inbox Filters

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of emails in your inbox on any given day?  Many of the messages we receive can be handled before you even open your computer or device to check emails just by using the labeling and filtering system with Google Gmail.

To begin, click the down arrow in the search box at the top of your inbox.  Now, enter all the details for what type of message you want to filter.  For example, if you want any email from a specific domain to always bypass your main inbox, then enter *@domain.com (domain name) in the from field.  Then click the Create filter with this search link to continue to the next screen.

Now, go through the list of options to create your mailbox rule.  By marking Skip the Inbox (Archive it) and Apply a label (selecting a label of your choice).  Be sure to click Create filter.  Now the next time you receive an email from that particular domain, you can check the folder on the left side of your gmail screen and not be cluttered in your main inbox.  Happy filtering!

Gmail Signature Social Media Icons

Make it easy for anyone you are communicating with to connect with you through social media networks by adding links to your profile pages in your gmail signature!  Watch this video tutorial to learn how...

I used iconfinder.com to find the icons as a 32x32 png file.  Simple steps to help grow your PLN.

Ladybug Life Cycle

So, what do you know about the ladybug life cycle?  The 2nd graders are now experts after spending a week doing research and developing their own eBooks.  First, students used a teacher created Blendspace to gather basic information by watching video clips and reading from teacher selected internet sources.

  

Did you know all the great resources for learning more about ladybugs can be found using National Geographic Kids and the San Diego Zoo websites?  The 2nd graders were amazed with the information they found from these resources.  

After students had collected as much information as they thought they needed, students used Google Drawings to create their own ladybug life cycle graphic and identify the parts of a ladybug.

Students mastered their Google Drawings skills by practicing how to create a copy of a document, using the different drawing tool and manipulating images.  The students also learned how to download as a .jpg file and then upload to another location.  Great work!

The final step was to create a eBook for publication to share their learning using FlipSnack.  FlipSnack is a free resource for creating online books that provide a variety of layouts and ease for moving through the publishing process.

The final publications are very professional looking filled with many great details from the students' research.  Click here to see one of the many great final products!

Timer Loop

Timer Loop was recently recommended to me for using in the classroom.  And, I agree it's a great tool!  Timer Loop is a Google Chrome Extension where you can set up multiple timers to continuously run and alert you throughout the day!  One trouble I hear from teachers is remembering to stop in the middle of a lesson because they have to take attendance at exactly 10:00, give or take a few minutes.  Who can remember that when you're in the middle of something big!  I also realize this tool is great for when you have rotations set up in your classroom during the day.  Timer Loop helps you manage your classroom so that when students hear that time is up, transitions can easily take place without a lot of disturbance.  Timer Loop...done!  Start using it today!

Google Calendar and Tasks

I love to cross things off my "to-do" list!  I have been known to add something to my list just so I could cross it off and feel some sort of sense of accomplishment! (You know what I'm talking about!) I have recently noticed I have a difficult time remembering all the details and things that need to get done if it is not in writing.  Google Calendar to the rescue!  Tasks is another feature of Google Calendar.  What this short tutorial on how you can use Tasks to help you keep yourself organized and on top of all your business!

Embedding a Google Calendar into SchoolWires

Managing different calendars under one account allows you to quickly manage multiple areas from one originating source.  By creating different calendars you can easily share different calendars with different groups of people.  One way to share a specific calendar is to embed the calendar in another source using the html code.  This tutorial will show you where to find the embed code and how to insert it onto the html view of a SchoolWires page.  And, the best part is the calendar is instantly updated without having to log into another source!

2 key things to remember when sharing a calendar in this format:
1. Make sure sharing is set to public so the information will show up for those viewing the calendar.
2. When you are adding an event, be sure to select the correct calendar so the event will show up on the correct calendar.

Good luck streamlining your calendars and communication with others!

Calendar Basics - Part 1

I love using my Google Calendar!  It's simple to create events and customize the look and feel of my calendar to fit my needs.  In this tutorial you will learn how to customize calendar settings, change views, add events, and add calendars.

Hope this helps!

Publishing to the Web

Did you know you can publish Google Docs, Sheets and Slides to the web?  You can!  You can create a simple Doc, Sheet, or Sides with any kind of information you like and immediately share it with others as a web page using the supplied link.

Go to File and select Publish to Web.  Select if you would like to copy the link or the embed code.  You can also select to automatically update changes to the document when ever changes are made.

Click the blue Publish button and use the link or the embed code wherever you like!

Fast, easy, simple!

QR Code Creator - goo.gl

QR Codes are one of the most useful tools used in classrooms.  You can direct your students to the exact location on the web and not worry if students are following multiple steps to get to a specific page.  It saves so much time when trying to get a large number of views to a certain location on the web.

There are many free and paid websites that can be used to create QR Codes.  I've tried many and have found it easy to use all of them, but it can be tedious when going though multiple presentations and creating individual QR codes for an entire class.

I have been using a Chrome extension for a while now that seems to streamline the process.  I have chosen to use goo.gl

When creating a QR Code it is important to shorten the URL because long web addresses can sometime make reading a QR Code more difficult.  By using goo.gl you are shortening the web address and creating the QR Code in one simple click! Since this extension is easily located with all the other Chrome extensions, I can be on any webpage and click the goo.gl extension.  Instantly the URL is shortened and copied to my clipboard.  By clicking QR Code, a QR Code image instantly appears!  From here, I can quickly paste the QR Code where ever I might need it.

The piece that I truly appreciate is that goo. Gael is also linked to my Google account.  This means I can always go back to my history at goo.gl to see a list of all the QR Codes I have generated.  

There are many options available for shortening an URL and generating a QR Code.  The one I choose to use is goo.gl!  Try it and see if you find it useful as I do!

Google Chrome Extensions: Tab Scirssors & Tab Glue

I admit it, I'm a tab hoarder!  My screen often has at a minimum of 10 tabs open at the exact same time.  I will click and click to move from tab to tab.  The worst is when I'm trying to set add an event to my calendar and keep clicking between tabs to refer to an email for details!  I have found the perfect solution to my problem!  Tab Scissors and Tab Glue!!  These Chrome Extensions have saved me from click, click, clicking!

Watch this video to see how these Chrome Extensions will help you...then go directly to the Chrome App Store and install!

Google Drive: Organizing & Finding Documents

Who loves using Google Drive?  I do!  It can be overwhelming to find what I'm looking for when I'm in a hurry.  Here a few tips for organizing documents so you can quickly and easily find what you are looking for in seconds!