Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Tech Tip Tuesday #17









Today's Tip:
Clear your cache!

Instructions:
1. Click the Menu button (the three dots) in the upper-right corner of the Chrome window. (If you're not using Chrome, check out this post from the archives: 4 Reasons to Use Google Chrome Over Other Internet Browsers.)
2. Choose More Tools and Clear Browsing Data.
3. Choose All time as your time range and choose Cached images and files.
4. Click the Clear data button.

Check out Cache featured as the Teachonomer Word of the Week on the Teachonomy blog

When was the last time you cleared your cache?

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Tech Tip Tuesday #16









Today's Tip:
Use captions on YouTube like a pro!

Turn on captions.
All students can benefit from seeing captions while watching a YouTube video. To turn on captions, click the CC button on the bottom right menu of the video.

Change the text size.
Make the text larger by pressing the + button on your keyboard. Make the text smaller by pressing the - button on your keyboard.

Move the captions.
Perhaps captions would be better positioned at the top of a YouTube video? Reposition captions by dragging them with your mouse.

What is your favorite YouTube channel?
At school, I like Cat Trumpet for relaxing music and video while the students have work time. At home, my most-watched channel is definitely Yoga with Adrienne as she helps keep me sane. 

Check out the YouTube-specific posts, which include one with more YouTube keyboard shortcuts.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Tech Tip Tuesday #15









Are you ready?!
Next week, December 9-15, is the official Hour of Code challenge. The Hour of Code takes place every year during Computer Science Education Week, but you can host an Hour of Code event any time.

What is the Hour of Code?
According to the official website, "The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science."

Why coding?
Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science. It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity - things we want in all content areas. Computer science ensures students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.

I don't know anything about coding. Can I still do an Hour of Code in my classroom?
Absolutely! Hour of Code activities are self-guided. All you have to do is try the current tutorials, 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 1st, 2nd, or 7th Hours, I can come to your classroom to support your activity or even lead one for your class. 

More Resources:

Additional Activities and Tutorials to Explore:

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