Google Docs in the Classroom

In a previous post on this blog, we introduced Google Apps for Education. This week’s post will focus on one of those apps, Google Docs.

First, things first-why use Google Docs in the classroom?

• Your work is stored on Google's secure servers and it saves automatically as you go.
• No need to carry your computer everywhere (or have access to your Pbox). If you have an internet connection, you have access to your documents.
• No need to use a flash drive
• No worry about losing work when your hard drive crashes.
• Lots of storage.
• No more excuses from your students that they left their homework at home, or that the dog ate it, or that mom threw it away. They can share documents directly with you.
• Revisions are automatically tracked. You'll be able to see what's been revised, by whom, and when.
• Collaboration made easy! Teachers and/or students can have access to the same version of a document at the same time, making it a great productivity tool.

To access Google Docs, first log into your Google Account (see previous post for more information about this: previous post). This could be your personal Google account, or your school Google account.

Note: you won’t be able to collaborate with students through their school Google accounts if you are using a personal account.

After you are logged in, click on the Google Apps icon and then click on Google Docs (see image below).

   

On the next screen, you’ll be able to choose whether to start a blank document, start a new document using a template, or open a previous document.

Once you have a document open, the features are much like creating a document in Microsoft Word. You can type text, add pictures, and so on.

Ready for more? Check out the tutorial right from the Google Apps Learning Center:

http://learn.googleapps.com/products/docs/#/list

or for a summary of the highlights, check out the Cheat Sheet:

http://learn.googleapps.com/assets/pdf/products/docs/cheatsheet-docs.pdf

If you have questions or would like to learn more, your TechCoaches are here to help!

jtamburlin@smasd.org

avollmer@smasd.org

acatalone@smasd.org

If you’ve had success using Google Docs in the classroom, please comment below!

Why Flipchart?

Why I have flipped for flipcharts....  





In the 13 years that I have been teaching, I have made the transition through: 
- chalkboards
- overhead transparencies
- PowerPoints w/ a projector

to finally....... Promethean Boards.


Yes, you can still use your Word documents and PowerPoints and project them onto the board - with no additional work.  But with a few extra clicks - one time, you can be on your way to what I have found to be the most organized, flexible and time-saving lessons that I have ever had.

WARNING: What I am about to discuss is for everyone - If you can send an email with an attachment, you can do this!  (we will save the complex, interactive fun for later)

Before we get to the "how" let's talk about the "why"....  

My Top Six Reasons to Flipchart ..... Daily:

6. Easily Print Notes for ABS and IEP students - Need a list of activities and notes from today's lesson?  If you have it all on the flipchart, just hit print.

5. Sub planning is a breeze - Take the activities/slides you want the sub to do, put them in a separate chart, type or speak directions for the students to receive on each slide, snip a seating chart to the front and you are done.  Send the file to a neighbor teacher to pull up for your substitute in the morning or leave it on a jump drive.  Print a copy just in case.  No reinventing the wheel and your class stays on track.

4. Bellringers / Objectives - Get the students working right away with a bellringer and/or state your objective.  Put yesterday's exit slip results up.  Elementary teachers: there are great morning routine ideas out there for date and weather reporting. 

3. Keep the whole class on track - Easily avoid the "What page are we on?" by having it posted on a slide.  I either have a picture of the worksheet or a picture of the textbook on the board with the page number.  It makes for a quicker transition and less interruptions. Also, quicker transitions have not only saved instructional time, but have made classroom management much easier.

2. Easily adjustable plans - Didn't get to all of the activities you wanted to yesterday because of the fire drill?  No problem, copy and paste the missed slides/activites into tomorrow's lesson.  Need to go over something again?  Flashback to an old slide with a click of a button.  Want to change something for next year? Leave yourself a note on the slide.

1. Only open 1 File - Before Flipcharts, in any given class, I would have the following open:
- My lesson plan
- My PowerPoint
- PDFs of our worksheets
- Word Doc template of the notes
- One or more Websites
- Media Player for sound and/or video

Not only is this an organizational nightmare (especially when you have several preps), but this is also very time consuming.  Now all of the above are in one file.  


Want to see if Daily Flipcharting is for you?

Try one or more of the following: 

a. Start with a Welcome/Bellringer slide.
b. Put each activity for that lesson on subsequent slides
     (no need to be fancy - just functional)
c. Have notes?
         -  Use the snipping tool to copy and paste from Word
         -  Import a PDF  (File - Import)
         -  Import a PowerPoint (File - Import)
d.  Have a file or website you want to use?
         -  Insert a link (Insert - Link)
e. Want to play a video or sound clip?
         -  Insert a link or embed the media 
                                            (Insert-Link or Insert-Media)
f. Need to leave yourself a note about how to do an activity?
         - click CTRL B  and then the Notepad 
         - type or copy/paste your instructional notes there
g. Want to record oral instructions?  
         - Use the sound recorder tool (CTRL SHIFT R)

h. Still want a copy of your lesson plan to refer to?
         - Copy and paste it into a slide at the beginning or end of your                                        Flipchart

Now lastly -  ENJOY the ease of opening one file at the beginning of class.

See your TechCoach for assistance in putting all of your lesson's activities into one user-friendly file.  Start with just one, to see if it's for you.

jtamburlin@smasd.org

avollmer@smasd.org

acatalone@smasd.org



*Don't forget to share your thoughts and questions below.  Leave a comment.*

PA-ETEP is Pennsylvania’s electronic teacher evaluation portal for educators. PA-ETEP is designed to facilitate the PA Department of Education’s new teacher evaluation process.  It has been developed through a partnership between Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV and EduLink, Inc.  This web-based tool guides and supports all steps of the Pennsylvania Teacher Effectiveness model from Pre-Observation to Final Walk-through.  PA-ETEP is fully aligned to the PDE adopted process and allows for real time access to evidence and feedback for both the teacher and supervisor.  Each interaction is documented for record-keeping and authentication with a time and date stamp.  This system has a user friendly interface that eliminates the need for the exchange of paper documentation and enhances efficiency and accuracy.

To log on to PA-ETEP:

• Go to the school's webpage (http://www.smasd.org)
• Click Resources - Faculty / Staff - PAETEP
• Choose login in the top right hand corner of the screen
• Enter your school email as the Email Address and the password that you had setup
• There is a Retrieve Password link if you forgot your password

To use PA-ETEP:

• Click the MY OBSERVATIONS link at the top right hand corner of the screen
• Click the SLO link at the top of the page and then CREATE NEW -- This will allow you to enter your SLO for this year if you haven't done so already.  If you have entered your SLO, this is where you will go to update it and check on comments about it from your supervisor.
• Click the Walkthrough link at the top of the page to view any walk through observations that have been submitted by your supervisor.
• Click the Observations link at the top of the page to view your formal observation from your supervisor.  You will have to go in here several times to complete pre-observation and post-observation information.  

To change account settings:

• Click your name in the top right hand corner
• Click My Account on the left hand side of the screen
• Once you are in your account settings you can then update/change the following: email, password, name, position, building, grade level, etc.

Google for Education

At one point or another, most of us have probably used Google as a search engine. Many people even use it as a verb: "I'm going to Google how to (fill-in-the-blank)." There is a whole other side to Google that many do not know about and that is Google for Education. This post will focus on accessing the Google accounts that everyone has through the district and will give some brief information on how this account can be helpful to teachers. Future posts will detail the apps that are available through Google for Education.


To log into your SMASD Google account:

1. Go to https://www.google.com/ 

2. Click on the blue sign-in button at the top right corner of the screen as seen below:

3. Most accounts are set up as firstinitiallastname@smdutch.net (example avollmer@smdutch.net). Passwords are whatever you created.

4. If you try to log in and it tells you that there is no account set up, and you would like to have one, please e-mail one of the tech coaches. If you know you have an account, but can't remember the password, we can help with that too!

5. If it is the first time you are logging into your smdutch.net account, you will need to agree to the terms of service for the account and click the "I accept" button. You may also change your password after that.

Ok, I'm in...now what???

Click on the Google Apps button at the top right of your screen:

You'll be able to click on and use the productivity tools available through Google for Education:

App Overview

Students have accounts too, so this is a great way to have them submit projects to you and to collaborate with others!

Stay tuned for future posts on more detailed ways you can use Google Apps for Education in your classroom!

Again, if you need help setting up an account and/or have any questions, please email a tech coach or comment below!

Promethean Planet For Flipcharts

"What's a flipchart?" 
                     - Anonymous SMASD Educator

The above quote, from an email I received, motivated this week's SMASD TechSpot: 

Promethean Planet - for ready-made flipcharts

We have all seen, and perhaps often click, on a little icon that looks like this:

Well, believe it or not this icon is way more than just a digital chalkboard!

Okay - so maybe you knew that. Perhaps you just thought that

 you didn't have the time to create interactive flipcharts, 

let alone the time to learn how to make them.

     Today at SMASD TechSpot we remind you that you don't have to reinvent the wheel.  Go ahead - put that new topic in your lesson plans, without the fear of having to spend hours authoring a presentation from scratch.  If you can do a Google search - you can easily find a flipchart to accompany your new or outdated lesson.  Hopefully, it is one that gets your kids up to the board and  you back in interacting with the students.  Don't worry - if you aren't sure how to work the flipchart, hand over the pen - the students will be eager to show you.

STEP 1:  Go to www.prometheanplanet.com and login / or register.  

Here is an example of a registration: 

(note - no need to find your school - you can skip it)

STEP 2:  Conduct a search from the homepage.

STEP 3:  Preview and/or download your flipchart

Click the orange to preview - or the blue to download.  

When downloading it will appear at the bottom of your chrome browser.  Upon clicking it will open up directly in ActivInspire.

STEP 4:  Edit and Save.  

Go through your chart to see what you want to eliminate and/or edit to make it your own.

Be sure to check any notes that the author may have left by clicking the Post-It note in the upper right corner.  If there are special instructions on how to use the page, the note will appear.

Here are some example pages from a flipchart on fractions - that will get the students up to the board, and keep your external files at your fingertips.

SMASD Testimonials: 

"Promethean Planet is a great resource for busy teachers!  I love that you can search by grade level and content to make it easy to find what you're looking for!  There are so many resources for English.  One of my favorites is a flipchart I downloaded on the writing process.  Not only does it explain the process, but gives examples and activities for the kids to use.  Many flipcharts can be downloaded and used immediately, but you can always adjust them to fit your teaching style!  It's perfect for those of us who always seem to be short on time."          ~ Miss Fera

"I use a battleship game for review.  It's nice that it is already made up.  I just add the problems.  You can find ready-made flipcharts on most subject matters."         ~ Mrs. Beck

Need help finding a flipchart?  - Email us: 

jtamburlin@smasd.org     acatalone@smasd.org    avollmer@smasd.org

Snipping Tools

Using Snipping Tools

You can use the Snipping Tool to capture a screen shot, or snip, of any object on your screen, and then annotate, save, or share the image.  This tool is very useful to insert partial or whole images into a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, online document, etc.

You can capture any of the following types of snips:

·         Free-form Snip.  Draw a free-form shape around an object.

·         Rectangular Snip.  Drag the cursor around an object to form a rectangle.

·         Window Snip.  Select a window, such as a browser window or dialog box that you want to capture.

·         Full-screen Snip.  Capture the entire screen.

After you capture a snip, it's automatically copied to the Clipboard and the mark-up window. From the mark-up window, you can annotate, save, or share the snip.

To capture a snip

·         Open Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Snipping Tool, and then, in the list of results, click Snipping Tool.

·         Click the arrow next to the New button, select Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip, or Full-screen Snipfrom the list, and then select the area of your screen that you want to capture.

To capture a snip of a menu

If you want to capture a snip of a menu, such as the Start menu, follow these steps:

·         Open Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Snipping Tool, and then, in the list of results, click Snipping Tool.

·         After you open Snipping Tool, press Esc, and then open the menu that you want to capture.

·         Press Ctrl+PrtScn.

·         Click the arrow next to the New button, select Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip, or Full-screen Snip from the list, and then select the area of your screen that you want to capture.

To annotate a snip

·         After you capture a snip, you can write and draw on or around the snip in the mark-up window.

To save a snip

·         After you capture a snip, click the Save Snip button in the mark-up window.

·         In the Save As dialog box, enter a name for the snip, choose a location where to save the snip, and then click Save.

To share a snip

·         After you capture a snip, click the arrow on the Send Snip button, and then select an option from the list.

Make Learning a (Ka)hoot!

I first learned about Kahoot two summers ago while attending a tech conference and immediately knew it was a tool that both my students and I were going to love. This FREE, engaging web-based tool turns your classroom into a game show, similar to a trivia night at a restaurant and can be used with any age level or content area. Teachers can create their own multiple choice questions, use premade games, and even have students create their own Kahoots. Students earn points for how quickly they choose the correct answer, and are able to participate by using a unique PIN number and connecting to answer with their own web-based device (desktop, tablet, smartphone, etc.).

There are lots of innovative ways to use this tool in your classroom, but to keep it simple, here are some basics:

• Formative assessment: Develop questions in quiz mode to monitor your students’ progress. After each question, you can see how many students chose each answer and can quickly gauge problem areas. Kahoot also creates a spreadsheet with the results from each game, so you can see student specific data as well. As an alternative, you could even have the students create the questions!
• Discussion: Create a single question to gather information and spark discussion. This mode would not be competitive. For example, you could pose a question about the best part of a novel the class has read. Students would choose one of the answers, you’d all be able to see the data, and the discussion could go from there.
• Survey: Create multiple questions to gather feedback or find out what the class knows. This mode is also not competitive and could be a way to give students an active voice in the classroom.
• Ghost mode: This is a new option that you can use after completing a game of Kahoot! According to the Kahoot site, “Ghost mode is a great way to encourage learners to compete against themselves as well as each other. It gives players a chance to beat their previous score and provides immediate feedback. You can also set a game for homework. Learners can create their own Kahoot! account so they can play again (and again!) against themselves in preview mode until they have mastered the topic.”

Here are some great tutorials to help you get started, both of which walk through the steps of creating an account:

Kahoot tutorial

YouTube Kahoot tutorial

Note: If/when wireless connections are not available, the computer labs in all buildings are a great option OR the next few weeks could be a prime time just to explore this tool, and then plan for introducing it to the students when the wireless is ready and there are more device options!

If anyone has used Kahoot in their classroom, or has any questions or feedback, please feel free to comment below!