Do you have students turning in research papers with unreliable sources? Are they spending countless hours trying to find sources for their paper? You can create your own Google Custom Search Engine and have students searching within specific websites that you choose. This saves time and helps them stay on task.
Wrapping up my 2 day experience at Indiana's ICE 2015 Conference and I am really excited to review all the new tools! I get so excited learning and collaborating with others within the state of Indiana. It's great to be a part of the state of Indiana and being connected to so many great educators!! I would like to share some top Google Tools!!
5 Quick Google Tips & Tricks:
Google Chrome - If you accidentally close a tab...don't fret!! Access your recent tabs from the Chrome Settings Menu > Click on the "Hamburger" (3 lines) in right corner > Hover over "History and Recent Tabs"
Google Drive - Voice Typing
Great for struggling students
Go to Tools>Voice Typing (enable Microphone)
Google Drive - Research Tool within Google Docs
Search the following:
Google Images
Google Scholar
Quotes
Dictionary
Search by Usage Rights
You can even site sources and insert them within Google Docs
Google Drive - Force Users to Make a Copy of a Google Doc, Sheet, Slides, or Drawings
Grab the URL of the doc, sheet, slide or drawing - It will be the URL at the top of the one you are editing. (Hint: the link has 'edit' at the end)
Replace the word EDIT with the word COPY
Send this link to who you are wanting to Share it with (OR Copy)
When the person you send it to opens it, they will prompted to make a copy of the file
Once they click 'Make a Copy' button, it will make a copy of the file and add it to their Google Drive
Note**Sharing settings will still apply for users/students - You still have to give viewing rights for everyone
Google Drive - Edit Microsoft Office Files in Google
It's time for teachers to ride shotgun!! -Brooke Hall
In order for us to drive a car and receive our driver's license, we are put in the driver seat. We might take a class or some lessons from an instructor, but then we are put behind the wheel to prove our learning.
Why do we not look at education in the same way? Why do we think that listening to someone lecture and taking a test to prove that we listened, suffice as learning. I know when I look back on the things that I learned, I was engaged and in charge of my own learning with a goal in mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't test students or set benchmarks. I'm simply saying to allow students to be in charge of their own learning. Give them a choice to show what they know. We do not have to be the center of teaching at all times. We can ride shotgun with the students helping guide and facilitate their learning.
"If you don't have a vision, you remain stuck in what you know! And the only thing you know is what you've already seen." - Iyanla Vanzant
Sometimes with Educational Technology we get caught up in the glitter and the Next Big Thing (NBT) that we forget the important pieces. It's not about the shiny new Macbook or iPad in the students hands or the great new apps downloaded. It's about the NBT which is the right in front of you, the ones filling your classroom chairs ready to dive in and show you what they know. Each year we have the NBT moment with a new set of students in our classroom. They can take those shiny devices and create something amazing for the world to see.
When we put student's in the drivers seat, amazing things can happen:
I read a recent article where Staple's teamed up with Ron Clark's students and others around the country this past year. The result of this real-world opportunity was a new line of back-to-school products designed by students. The skills these students had to use in order to design, propose, work with an authentic audience, and pitching the product is as real-world as it gets. They can take these skills and continue to use and develop these skills as they grow. This is what it's all about, this is authentic learning!! Assessment/benchmarks become a piece of cake when we turn our classroom into a real-world setting with real-world lessons. Take a look at your standards and objectives and see what you can turn into a real-world lesson.
Take a look at your standards and objectives and see what you can turn into a real-world lesson. Allow your students to be behind the wheel and you ride shotgun helping them navigate and get to their destination.
Failing is not an option in my book. It's a learning process that will make each of us smarter because of it. Understanding that being a lifelong learner results in being uncomfortable sometimes, is a good sign you are on the right path to success!!
I shared this Sketchnote by Sylvia Duckworth with the teachers at my district because I wanted them to think about 'Success" and what it truly means. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget that success doesn't happen overnight. We attend conferences and see all the amazing teachers, admins, and classrooms being transformed but we get discouraged and give up because we forget to ask the question..."How did they get there?" Their schools and classrooms did not transform overnight. There was hard work involved and many failures before they found what worked best for them. Sometimes, many think that reading a few articles, downloading a few apps, and putting a device in our students hands will result in our classroom being transformed in a week or a month.
Take a look at the below Sketchnote (Credit:Sylvia Duckworth) and really think about all the pieces that go into being successful.
SketchNote Credit: Sylvia Duckworth
We need to remember to dig down deep and look at the root of success to see what it really takes. There is hard work, sacrifice, disappointment, persistence, developing good habits, and a dedication involved in being successful that no one may never see. However, by sharing and owning those failures, learning from disappointments, being that persistent educator, and developing those good habits will result in a successful, engaging environment where students witness what success looks like!! Be that educator that understands what it takes to be successful and begin constructing your iceberg today!
Get motivated by others and pay it forward by motivating the world.! You never know who is watching!! - Brooke Hall
For the second part of this 'Go Chrome or Go Home' series, let's dive into Gmail. There are many quick and easy tricks to stay organized and be more productive. Let's get started on using your Gmail account and take advantage of becoming a more tech-savvy teacher.
Search Your Gmail:
Gmail provides a powerful search function within your Gmail to help you quickly find those important emails instead of searching through hundreds.
Use 'Tasks' to Get Things Done
Keep a list of things that you need to get done within your Gmail. If you click on the small arrow beside mail in left corner, you will see tasks. This will allow you to keep a to-do list.
You will then see a 'Task' box pop up in the lower right hand corner. Here you can add to your to-do list(s) and check it off as you go.
Check your Spelling
Use spellcheck before sending an email. To check your spelling, click the arrow in the bottom right hand corner of the compose box and click on 'Check Spelling.' Click on the highlighted word to change the spelling.
After you have finished checking your spelling, click the 'X' to exit the spell check.
Attachments in Email:
When you receive an attachment in your email, what do you do? You will see a preview of the attachment within your email and you will have several options.
Click the Image to instantly preview - You then have the options that will show up across the top of the preview box. You can open with another app, save to drive, print, download, share on Google+, etc.., (Shown Below)
If you hover over the mouse you will have a couple more options
Arrow - This will allow you to download the image to your computer
Google Drive Icon - This will allow you to 'Save to your Google Drive'
**Optional** 'Sign Icon' - This is an app you can download which enables
Format Text in Email:
When composing an email sometimes you may need more options with your text than just everything being plain. You may need important words or messages to stand out. You have the ability change the font, size color. You have the option to bold, italicize, or underline words. You can also align and bullet items. Click this page for more info.
Insert Files in Email:
Have you ever needed to send a picture or file to someone? Have you ever wanted to send something from your Google Drive to someone through your email? See the photo below for the many options you have when you are needing to send files, pictures, and many more items to someone.
Undo Sent Messages
Have you ever sent an email and as soon as you hit send, you remembered that you forgot something or someone? You have an option to enable a 'undo sent message' feature. Go to your Settings: Clicking on the gears and then settings (shown below).
You will find the 'Undo Send' (Shown Below) under the General tab when you go into settings. Check box and choose between 5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds. Once you change this setting, scroll to bottom and click 'Save Changes.'
Now that you have this set up, this is how you use it:
Once you compose an email and send it, a yellow box pops up in the middle top of your screen. It will say 'Your message has been sent.' You have up to 30 seconds to click 'Undo' depending how what you chose in the 'Undo Send' under settings. You can always go back and change this at anytime.
I encourage you to practice the many items listed, the next time you compose an email with your Gmail account. Look for the next post within this series.......coming soon!!
"Get motivated by others and pay it forward by motivating the world!! You never know who is watching!!"- Brooke Hall
When was the last time you felt motivated about teaching? When was the last time you felt motivated about technology in your classroom? If you haven't been motivated lately, you need to join in on the motivation happening across the world!! I have met so many educators so alive and motivated to educate students. It's very infectious and gets me motivated. It's happening right here at home in our state of Indiana.
I am constantly being motivated and encouraged by so many people all over the world through technology and the connections that I continue to make! I want to challenge and encourage you (educators, parents, students, etc..,) to join social media and build your PLN today. Allow others to see where your learning lives. We live in a world where millions of people can connect, share, collaborate, and impact others minute by minute. Remember the things that are possible with technology...
Your learning is important and sharing something that you learned today, might just be what someone else is looking for
A student's portfolio/resume has no limitation and they could land the career of their dreams
A classroom can connect with a another classroom across the world to communicate and learn about and share their culture
Take a virtual field trip with your class
Collaborate on the same Google Doc for a group project
Create opportunities for students that would not be possible without technology
Stay connected and up-to-date on the latest tools and resources
So many more opportunities just waiting to be explored...
You probably hear many people talking about using Chrome. Why choose Google Chrome over the other browsers? I'm sure you wonder what the big deal is and think who cares about what browser you use.
I attended a conference this week and attended a session by +Kyle Pace called, "Go Chrome or Go Home." Hence, where my blog series is coming from, thank you Kyle! I learned many new tools in the session and it reminded why Google Chrome is my go-to browser. Many people use the web to browse or search and there are some great ways to be a better "searcher." If you are not using this browser, you are missing out on many opportunities for you and your students. I would like to start out by talking about simply searching in Google Chrome for the first post in this series. I will follow up with more posts about: Gmail, Extensions, Apps, Bookmarking, & more! Google Search:
Get Better at Searching
Search within OmniBox (Combined Search & Address Bar) and save time.
Use Voice Search - If you prefer to talk rather than type. To activate "OK Google" just head to your browser settings and enable "OK Google" search command.
This will allow you to speak into Google Search to find what you are looking for. You can say most of these examples in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, but some aren't available in every language.
When you see the microphone, just say, "Ok Google" and whatever you want to search for, just like you would type it. Google should talk back to your with your answer.
Search within specific site - If you or your students are researching a topic and only want to search a specific site, that is possible. You just need to type that site into Omnibox. Ex: great wall of china site:cnn.com
Learn to use Search Operators and Punctuations to get more specific search results - Find all listed here: https://goo.gl/6aP09x You will want to type these just as you see in the examples. This will be typed into the Omnibox or search box. Here are a few to get you started:
# Find popular hashtags for trending topics Ex: #WeAreSCSD1
- When you use a dash before a word or site, it excludes sites with that info from your results. This is useful for words with multiple meanings, like Jaguar the car brand and jaguar the animal. Examples: jaguar speed -car or pandas -site:wikipedia.org
" When you put a word or phrase in quotes, the results will only include pages with the same words in the same order as the ones inside the quotes. Only use this if you're looking for an exact word or phrase, otherwise you'll exclude many helpful results by mistake. Example: "imagine all the people"
link Find pages that link to a certain page. Example: link:youtube.com
info Get information about a web address, including the cached version of the page, similar pages, and pages that link to the site. Example: info:google.com
Create Custom Google Search - Visit google.com/cse You can customize what sites will be used when students are researching topics.
