Five Essential Google Drive Skills for Teachers

It seems that many of my best tips come from the Free Technology for Teachers blog, written by Richard Byrne.  Polly and I have realized that it's time for our Upper School kids to learn how to use Google Drive... and we'll be getting to that, right after they finish those robots :)

If you are interested in learning Google Drive, one of Richard's most recent posts will be incredibly helpful... and know, that we'll likely all need to learn it by next summer - I know you can't wait.

Enjoy, and let us know if you have any questions:

Five Essential Google Drive Skills For Teachers

This school year I've worked with a few school districts that are using Google Apps for Education for the first time. A lot of what I have done with those school districts is help to get the teachers acclimated to using Google Drive. When I sat down to plan an upcoming Google Drive training session I thought about some of the essential Google Drive skills that teachers need in addition to creating documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Here are five essential Google Drive skills that I think teachers and students need.

1. Open and Edit Word Files in Google Drive.
If you're just beginning to transition to Google Apps from Microsoft Word, the chances are good you will have old files that you want to bring into and work on in Google Drive. Click here for the detailed directions on how to do this.

2. Create PDFs in Google Drive.
Sometimes you don't want a document to be easy to alter. Or you plan on printing it and want it as a PDF. Click here to learn how to create a PDF in Google Drive in three easy steps.

3. Use Google Documents Offline.
For those times when you don't have an Internet connection and you want to work on a document, having offline access enabled is the only way to go. Click here for directions on how to enable offline access to your Google Documents.

4. Give Yourself More Room to Work in Google Documents.
If you're using a laptop that has a screen of 13" or less there will probably be times when you want more white-space to work in. This little trick will give you about another inch of viewable document.

5. Create and Organize Folders.
Do you want to have more organization in your Google Drive account? Then you need to know how to create folders and move files into them. The steps for creating folders and dragging files into them are outlined below. (Click the images to view them full size).

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Some thoughts on Making the Most of iPads in the Classroom

Graphic thanks to Gizmodo, illustrator Sam Spratt.

Karen shared article this earlier this week from the Education Digest and I think it's well worth a read if you are using an iPad in your classroom. 

Catherine and I will be reaching out to you soon to schedule another 'Appy Hour' so we can have an informal way to exchange ideas on best practices for iPad use at HTS.  How have you found your iPad to be most useful?   Comment below...

A Teacher Gets the Most Out of an iPad in Her Classroom

            In this Inside Higher Ed article, Stephanie Hedge describes how she uses her iPad in her teaching. “Tablets hit the sweet spot between a computer and a piece of paper,” she says. “Tablets are mobile. Not only are they easy to bring to the classroom, they’re extremely mobile within it. I can carry my lesson plan around as I move between discussion groups, lecture from notes anywhere in the room, and refer to course readings held in one hand. Tablets remove the barrier of the screen between my students and me.” She lists other advantages:

            • Saving paper by keeping grading forms, attendance sheets, lesson plans, course readings, digital textbook passages, and notes on the tablet.

            • Tweeting her students during class and engaging the whole class in impromptu Twitter exchanges.

            • Being able to grade papers, give handwritten or typed feedback to students, and jot ideas on a bus or subway ride.

            • Using streaming video and projecting images during classes.

            • Using clickers and polling technology to check for understanding and spark discussions.

            “Key to successfully using tablets is the right accessories, hardware, and apps,” says Hedge. She recommends the following:

-          A Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and a stylus;

-          A peripheral that links the tablet to a projector;

-          Dropbox for easy transfer of files between the tablet and other devices;

-          Notability, which allows the teacher to type, handwrite (with a stylus), highlight and annotate another document, import documents, webclips, and photos, use sticky notes, draw figures, take photos, and record audio files;

-          Pages for word processing, or Textilus for Microsoft Office documents.

-          Paperless Teacher and TeacherKit for grading;

-          Teacher’s Assistant Pro for tracking student behavior;

-          Air Sketch for whiteboard projection; it allows the teacher to sketch the answer to a complex math problem on each student’s device while walking around the classroom.

-          For clicker questions, eClicker turns the iPad into a polling tool, sending a signal to all Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the room.

 

“Teaching with Tablets” by Stephanie Hedge in Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 4, 2012 (spotted in Education Digest, February 2013); the full article is available at

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/teaching-tablets

iPads in Schools LiveBinder

I came across an iPad in Schools LiveBinder, which has a huge number of resources for teachers, parents and students.  As a person who organizes her life by paper binders, I love the organizational style of this resource.  Honestly,  it will take me days to go through all this binder has to offer, but I wanted to share it with you, as there is truly something for everyone:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=26195#

This is the home page.  I hope you can make out the major tabs across the top, which are then subdivided further below.  Binder curator Mike Fischer has collected dozens of lists, articles, websites and other resources to help every possible iPad user in schools, including classroom teachers, special ed teachers, and administrators.

I thought our teachers might be particularly interested in the resources for teachers:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=26195

And for students: 

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=26195

Let me know if you find anything you love with this resource!  MBM

pray-as-you-go

Karen introduced a website during the Lower School staff meeting today called pray-as-you-go.org, a website from the Jesuit Media Initiatives that offers daily prayer for your MP3 player.

http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

A new prayer session is produced every day.  It is not a 'Thought for the Day', a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer.

Lasting between ten and thirteen minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection. 

 The aim is to help you to:

• ·      become more aware of God's presence in your life,
• ·      listen to and reflect on God's word,
• ·      grow in your relationship with God.

It is produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives, with material written by a number of British Jesuits and other experts in the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola.  Although the content is different every day, it keeps to the same basic format.

Bells - the call to prayer Opening music, with a few words of introduction Scripture for the day Questions for personal reflection Repeat of the scripture reading Final reflection Conclusion: Glory be to the Father... If you need any help working out how to download this onto your device of choice, let me know! mb

Videos from Ted and the BBC

Today, as a teacher with a serious coffee addiction, I'd like to share one of the new videos from TedEd - the science of caffeine.  While it may not have a particularly relevant application for your students, it may be relevant for your life as your write report cards and grade exams this week :)

You might also want to take a peek at some of the other new offerings on TedEd.  I suspect many will be interesting for our Upper School students, though the lessons seem to be designed with High School students in mind.

http://ed.ted.com/lessons

I could have spent hours watching these videos... 

I also recently discovered a neat series of videos from the BBC (hat tip to the Free Technology for Teachers blog) - The Dara O Briain's Science Club series on the BBC. The series currently has six episodes investigating the science of things like music and space. The full episodes cannot be watched in the U.S. but some short clips can be found on the BBC's YouTube channel. I loved the explanation of the science and story of exploration through time.

My music teacher friends might also enjoy the history of music:

And the Dodo's Guide to extinction is pretty cool as well:

Enough fun... time to go back to writing report cards...

mb

Resources from the Library of Congress

The "Daring Librarian" shared this amazing infographic about "Teaching with the Library of Congress" on her blog today.  I hadn't taken the time to explore the resources available for teachers through the library... wow, are they impressive.  I share a few topics that I thought might be interesting for our students below:

Take a minute to explore the teacher resources (lesson plans, themed resources, primary source sets, presentations and activities, and collection connections): http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/

Keeping in mind the LOC is in our "neighborhood,"  it is interesting to point out there is a field trip program designed for 4th to 6th graders titled "The LOC Box Program."  Students complete the LOC Box activities to “unlock the secrets” of the historic Thomas Jefferson Building and learn about the Library of Congress and its resources. They must use four key skills: observe, analyze, communicate, and investigate. Working in small teams led by adult chaperones, students participate in hands-on activities such as drawing, solving puzzles and mosaic-making. The program provides take-home materials with additional activities to encourage the students to explore the Library’s online resources from home or school and to return for a visit with their families.  More information can be found here:  http://www.loc.gov/visit/tours/groups/locbox/

To give you a sense of some of the resources, following are four of the units that can be found in the "presentations and activities" section:

Inaugurations:

If you'd like to explore Inaugurations through history, take a look at this module.  Note that the picture of JFK was taken in front of our Lower School. Our own little piece of inaugural history

From Slavery to Civil Rights: A Timeline of African-American History:

 The Branding of America

This might be an interesting element of the decades project...

Fill up the Canvas: Lewis and Clark

Let me know if we can help you locate any additional resources from the LOC!

mb

Introducing MiddleWeb

I would like to introduce you to one of my new favorite blogs - MiddleWeb.

As you can see, this is a website designed for teachers from grades 4-8 in mind.  It is a treasure trove of resources, and I would encourage any of us who teach those grades not only to explore the website, but to subscribe to their newsletter, which is published twice a week.

I was struck by the lead article in today's newsletter, titled: "Taking a new approach to those children who challenge us."   I found it to be a fascinating read, and have included the link here:  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/touch-kids-make-better-teachers-allen-mendler.

If you are interested in learning a bit more about MiddleWeb, I offer you the following screenshot:

Enjoy!

mb

E is for Explore!

I discovered this amazing blog this morning from the iLearn Technology Blog.  What a find!!  Blogger Erin Bittman is a graphic designer who has taught Pre-K and graphic design to kids.  The design of the blog is beautiful, and the hundreds of ideas are brilliant.  I think you will find ideas for every subject and grade level with this blog to help perk up lessons during those long January days.  Topics include discovery/exploration, science/engineering, mathematics, art, literacy, social studies and seasons/holidays. 

To quote: E for EXPLORE is a one-stop resource for teachers and parents.  We develop unique learning activities, and search the internet and compile additional great ideas from other sources.  Our index helps you find what you need quickly and easily.  Where we have posted ideas from other sources we provide easy links to those websites.  Please visit those as well to see what else they have to offer.  All E for Explore activities conform to state common core curriculum standards.

Following are a handful of activities I discovered this morning... but please, explore yourself:

http://eisforexplore.blogspot.com/

I Have a Dream...

Candy Heart Math

Lego Fractions

Snowman Construction

Popped vs. Unpopped

A Trio of New Year's Ideas

Happy New Year All,

My inbox is full of End-of-the-Year Round-up and lists of amazing ways to integrate technology in the classroom in 2013.

I thought I'd share a trio of my favs:

The Daring Librarian Super Geeky Tips for the New Year

The Daring Librarian reminds us it's time for some tech housekeeping: update passwords, clean up and save files, edit privacy settings and back up data to name a few.  Excellent advice!

20 Innovative Educational Technology Pinterest Boards

I know how many of you are addicted to Pinterest... Edudemic provides a great list of boards to explore for ed tech ideas.  

Edutopia: Big Education Ideas for 2013

Edutopia lists Collaborative Learning, Social Media, Open Education Resources, and the Common Core among the Big Education Ideas of 2013.  Interested in learning more?  Take a few minutes to explore this comprehensive list of blogs, videos and articles.  

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to post to this blog more often, and better share the resources available to us... please let me know what you are most interested in!  

MB