Tech Tip Tuesday #15

Today's Tip:

Technology integration is back!

As you may have noticed, I have not had any technology integration time in my schedule for the last month or so while I was supporting the math department. Mr. Moon is now long-terming subbing (Welcome, Mr. Moon!) and I have one technology integration hour in my schedule.

AMANDA -- Technology Integration Specialist

Teachers, Paras, and ALL ECHS Staff: I am available to support YOU with technology. If you have questions about any of the Google Workspace apps, Schoology, AristotleK12, etc., I am more than happy to work with you. In fact, it's my job as the ECHS Tech Integrationist. Check out this Menu of Technology Integration Ideas for more information on how we can work together.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

I am available during Hour 2 currently and you can schedule an appointment here. If that doesn't work for your schedule, I am also available before or after school. Or email your question or request and I can record a video response for you.

What resources and support would you like as we finish out the school year together?

Tech Tip Tuesday #14

 

Today's Tip:

Use technology to share with others!

Yesterday was absolutely epic! Hopefully, everyone attending EPIC was able to fill out the evaluation form to provide the planning team with feedback for next year. Let's take a moment to continue the conversations and collaboration today by sharing the epic-ness using technology! 

Visit bit.ly/EPICShare2023 and add your "one thing" to the board. 

You know, the one thing that you learned that you brought back to your classroom today or this week. It could be something big, small, or whatever. It could be something you just learned or something you have always known is awesome and just want to share with the world. Read what others post, comment, and let's continue to learn from each other! 

Want to use this idea in your classroom?

Click here to get a blank template.

Click the three dots and select make a copy.

What was your "one thing"?

Visit bit.ly/EPICShare2023 and add your "one thing" to the board.

Tech Tip Tuesday #13

 

I love the "fresh start" of a new year! I like to take time to reflect on the previous year and plan goals for the upcoming year. While I am not big on New Year's resolutions (I do #oneword instead), I do have some small technology goals for this year.

Amanda's "Tech" Goals for 2023

1. Host a successful EPIC Conference! 

2. Read 4 books about education/teaching/technology. 

3. Continue to connect with educators -- here at East Central and also through ECMECC, Twitter, and hopefully some grad classes this summer.

What are your technology goals for 2023?

Take some time to think about how you would like to use technology in both your personal and professional life. 

Tech Tip Tuesday #12

 

Today's Tip: 

Review all of the options Schoology has for creating assignment content for students. 

Also, next week (December 5-11) is the official Hour of Code week. Read more in my previous Tech Tip or check out the official website.

Schoology Assignment Types

1. Assignment This option allows you to enter directions into the description box, attach links and files, and create a Google or Annotations assignment. (BTW - the Annotations assignment is similar to Kami and is new this year. Read more here.

2. Test/Quiz This option allows you to create a bank of questions that are automatically graded (except for short answer and essay questions). This option can be copied from year to year and reused multiple times. 

3. Assessment This option is very similar to test/quiz, it is newer and has a few different question types available. 

4. Discussion This option allows you to create a threaded discussion board for students to interact with by posting and commenting on posts. 

5. External Tools There are many external tools available within Schoology. EdPuzzle is the most utilized here at ECHS. The Savvas Realize curriculum, Pear Deck, Quizlet, Kami, CK-12, and more are available to integrate directly in Schoology. Check out the app center in Schoology to see what is available. 

 

What is your "go-to" assignment type in Schoology?

More Schoology information can be found in the Schoology Handbook and in the Schoology section of the tech tips archives at mrsthompson2580.blogspot.com. 

Please note: Tech Tip Tuesdays will be released every other Tuesday moving forward as I had a change in my schedule for Quarter 2. 

Tech Tip Tuesday #11

 

Today's Tip:

If you are an admin for a course (teacher) on Schoology, it's a good idea to occasionally view grades and the materials page as a student. 

When students view grades in Schoology, they see a lot of information and it can be confusing or overwhelming. Students are able to see their grade for the semester (or year, depending on the course) and their quarter grades. They see their quarter grade sorted by categories. It might be helpful for you to view your course grades as your students view them occasionally. This might help you in choosing and organizing your materials in Schoology and having discussions with your students regarding their grades.

One Way to See the "Student View" of Grades:
- Log in to Schoology and choose a course
- Click on "Gradebook" from the menu on the left side of the screen
- Click on the bar graph after a student's name to view their grades
- Click the arrows to expand (or hide) a section

One Way to See the "Student View" of Materials:

View Course As is a function that enables Course Admins to view courses as a specific member or student would.

- To use View Course As, click Course Options under the course photo.
- Then, you can select a member from the list and navigate the course from their perspective.
- Once you have finished viewing your course as that member, you can either enter in another member's name in the banner at the top of the page or click Back to Course to return to your regular view.

What tips and tricks do you have for keeping Schoology organized and useful for students?

Please note: Tech Tip Tuesdays will be released every other Tuesday moving forward as I had a change in my schedule for Quarter 2. 

Tech Tip Tuesday #10

 

Today's Tip: Participate in the Hour of Code

The official Hour of Code week is about a month away! The year it's December 5-11, but you can host an Hour of Code event any time.

It takes all of us to implement computer science and coding into our courses to ensure students have access to these tools. According to the 2022 State of Computer Science Education report, in Minnesota, only 21% of high schools offer computer science. This is the lowest percentage IN THE COUNTRY. 

What is the Hour of Code?

According to the official website, "The Hour of Code began as a one-hour coding challenge to give students a fun first introduction to computer science and has become a global learning event, celebration, and awareness event. HourOfCode.com offers hundreds of one-hour activities in over 48 languages for kindergarten and up. Activities require no experience and can be run on browsers, tablets, and smartphones - some don’t require any computer at all." It's a great way to get started with coding and computer science in your classroom! 

Why computer science? (from the Hour of Code "One Pager") 
* Computer science is changing every industry on the planet. Every 21st-century student should have the opportunity to learn how to create technology. Computer science concepts also help nurture creativity and problem-solving skills to prepare students for any future career. 

* Computing occupations are the fastest-growing, best paying, and now the largest sector of all new wages in the US. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.

I don't know anything about coding. Can I still do an Hour of Code in my classroom?

Absolutely! All Hour of Code activities are self-guided. All you have to do is try the Hour of Code Activities, pick the tutorial you want, and pick an hour. I hosted my first Hour of Code in 2014 and knew almost nothing about coding. I did the tutorials alongside the students and ended up asking a couple of students to help me figure it out. 

Interested?
I recommend checking out the Hour of Code website for more information and commonly asked questions. If you would like, I can meet with you ahead of time to help you choose an Hour of Code activity. If you are doing an Hour of Code during 2nd, 3rd, or 7th Hour, I can come to your classroom to support your activity or even lead one for your class. 

More Resources:

Hour of Code How-To Guide

20 ways to celebrate the Hour of Code in ANY class

Additional Activities and Tutorials to Explore:

Code.org's Hour of Code

Disney's Hour of Code

Khan Academy's Hour of Code

Kodable's Hour of Code

Tynker's Hour of Code

How will you be celebrating the Hour of Code in your classes?

Tech Tip Tuesday #9

 

Last week was Digital Citizenship Week and this month is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! It's the perfect opportunity to take some time to talk about digital citizenship. Below are some resources to give you some ideas on how to get started discussing digital citizenship with your students. 

Digital Citizenship Curriculum -- These are "ready-to-go" lesson plans and activities. You can speed up your search by filtering by grade and by topic. 

Teaching Digital Citizenship -- A series of short videos that will teach you the core concepts of digital citizenship.

Stay Safe Online -- A collection of resources to help you navigate the digital world safely.

How do you discuss digital citizenship with students?

Tech Tip Tuesday #8

Today's Tip:

Learn some of Google Docs' best features to save you time!

According to How Many People Use Google Docs In 2022? "There are nearly 25 million people worldwide using Google Docs" and Google Docs "has now surpassed the classic favorite Microsoft Word by a five-to-one ratio." But most of us don't know its best features. 

Here are a few Google Docs Tips that will save you time adapted from a Twitter thread of 11 Google Docs Tips:

Create a new document from your browser.
In your Chrome browser and want to start a new Google Doc? No need to navigate to your Google Drive and create a new doc from scratch. Just type into the search box doc.new and a new Google Doc will open.

Change your default font.
• Type some text in a Google Doc.

• Select the text and change the style to what you want your default to be.
• Click the Text Styles drop-down menu, go to Normal text and click "Update Normal text to match."
• Click the Text Styles drop menu again, go to options and click "Save my default styles." 

​Use shortcuts to share with specific access.

In your ​Google Doc URL, change ​"​/edit​"​ at the end to:
• ​"​/copy​"​ - they will be able to make a copy of the doc
• ​"​/export?format=pdf​"​ - they will automatically download a pdf

A simple way to share without it affecting your original document.​

​Add footnote​​s​ and​​​ images. ​Want to add images or reference articles?

Use the mystery Explore button:
• Click Explore
• Search ​and​ insert images or sites
• Click on the 3 dots ​and​ choose the citation format

You can add footnotes, links, ​and​ images without leaving the doc.​

​Use Voice Typing.​

In a Google Doc, click on Tools and select Voice Typing.
Choose your language and click the microphone to start speaking.

Use phrases like "period" and "next line."

What​ are your favorite Google Doc timesavers?

Tech Tip Tuesday #7

 

Today's Tip:

Use the "Advisor Dashboard" feature in Schoology to check on ALL grades and missing assignments for any students. This is a great way to check on your advisory students. This is also a great way to see how others are utilizing Schoology in their courses and get some ideas!

Here are the directions from the Schoology Handbook:

Advisor Dashboard

Schoology allows staff the ability to check on student progress in all courses. This is especially helpful for advisory, case managers, study hall teachers, and coaches.

• While in Schoology, click on Tools in the top menu.

• Then click on Advisor Dashboard.

• Begin typing a few letters of the student’s first or last name and wait for students to show up below.

• Select the student.

• Click on the Grades tab.

• Click on a course title to expand the course to view grades.

• Click on categories to expand or shrink the view.

Click on the course name or on an assignment to see more.

What tips/tricks for Schoology do you have?

Tech Tip Tuesday #6

 

Today's Tip:

Pick one Gmail feature "new-to-you" to experiment with this week.

Gmail (email with the Google Workspace app collection) is the most popular email service provider. Since it has become one of the essential apps of Google Workspace, Google has made it more robust. Below are my favorite three features of Gmail.

Schedule Send

Schedule an email to send later. Click the drop-down arrow next to send and select "Schedule send." Select the date and time you would like the email to be sent. I use this feature to send out these Tech Tip Tuesday emails on Tuesdays when I finish them up on Monday.

Snooze

Snooze emails until later.  If you have an email that contains information you need, but maybe not right now, you can snooze it to arrive at the perfect time for you. For example: Maybe you're reading all these Gmail tips and thinking this is great but I'm a little overwhelmed this week. You can snooze this email until Thursday, October 20th at 8 am and make trying the features one of your projects for the long weekend. 

Gmail Labels

Labels are sort of like folders in Gmail. Labels can help you organize and condense your inbox. Watch this short (~90 seconds) video to learn more: How to Create and Use Gmail Labels. Or check out this Tech Tip Tuesday from the archive.

What are your favorite Gmail features?

Tech Tip Tuesday #5

 

Today's Tip

Use Chrome Extensions to enhance your Chrome experience, and your students can too!

First, what's an extension?
According to Chrome Developers, "Extensions are software programs, built on web technologies (such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) that enable users to customize the Chrome browsing experience."

How do I install extensions? 

While in Chrome, go to the Chrome Web Store, find an extension, and click on the blue "Add to Chrome" button. Just like with everything on the Internet, please use caution when installing extensions. (See: 6 Ways to Make Sure Your Chrome Extensions Are Safe)

Wait, can students install extensions?
Yes and no. Students can install extensions that have been allowed by Bill Groskreutz through the Google Admin console. If there is a specific extension you would like students to use, please let Bill know ahead of time.

What extensions are useful?

I have created a screenshot with links to all the extensions that I am currently using on my school Chrome account. There's a sneak peek below, you can access the full-size image and clickable links at Chrome Extensions.

What is your favorite extension?

Tech Tip Tuesday #4

Today's Tip:

Know what technology tools are available for you to use!

Did you know?!

This school year, the district has purchased premium Pear Deck, EdPuzzle, Quizlet, and GimKit accounts for all high school staff. 

We have a TON of technology tools! I have collected many of these tools on a Technology Tools for Staff handout with links, short descriptions, and resources. 

Technology Tools for Staff

If you would like additional training on any of these tools, please let a member of the Professional Development Team know to add it to our PLC plans or let me know to schedule an individual (or small group) work session.

What technology tool is your"go-to" tool?

Tech Tip Tuesday #3

 

Today's Tip:

Google Workspace had many updates over the summer! Included below are a few that pertain to teaching and learning. [ICYMI: Google Workspace is the name for all of Google's apps and tools. Google Workspace was formally known as G Suite. For more information, check out Google for Education.] 

Frictionless sharing across Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides 

In an effort to make collaboration simpler for users, Google has introduced a new sharing experience in Workspace. Now, when you click the "Share" button in the top-right corner of your file, you'll see a streamlined design that makes it easier to share files with others, control whether your file is searchable to groups with access, and copy the file link. For more information, check out Share files from Google Drive.

More formatting features in Google Forms!

They've added additional font style and size options, and the ability to customize header, subheader, and body text separately in Google Forms. Rich text formatting is also now available in Google Forms, enabling you to customize and add emphasis to your forms. This highly requested feature allows you to use bolding, underlining, italicizing, hyperlinks, and lists in titles, question titles, and descriptions. For more information, check out New options for styling fonts in Google Forms and Rich text formatting in Google Forms titles and descriptions.

An easier way to use emojis in Google Docs!

You can now express yourself in a new way by searching for and inserting emojis directly inline with your text in Google Docs. Type “@” followed by a descriptor, such as “@smile,” to search for a specific emoji amongst other menu items. Type “@:” or “:” to see a dropdown list of emojis and the option to navigate to the entire catalog of emojis. For more, information, check out Insert emojis inline with text in Google Docs.

Better search and suggestion options in Gmail!

Gmail has more accurate and circumstantial search suggestions with better customization as a result of their new machine learning models. This means it is easier to find what you are looking for using the "Search in mail" feature. As an "Inbox Zero" follower, I use the archive feature and search all the time. For more information, check out Search operators you can use with Gmail.

See who is missing from your Google Meet!

In Google Meet, you can now see participants who were invited to the meeting but have yet to join the call. These participants can be found under the “Also invited” heading. Additionally, you’ll also be able to see the RSVP status of everyone on the invite, including “optional” attendees and RSVP notes. For more information, check out Start meetings more efficiently with the Calendar guest list in Google Meet.

What update are you most excited about?