Tyler's Tech Tips
Issue #3 - November 2015
Get Daily Tech Tips
If you are looking to expand your tech knowledge on a daily basis, check out my Tech Specs blog @ www.hisdtechspecs.weebly.com. If you have an idea you would like me to write about, please email me at tylerl@huronisd.org.
YouTube Capture App
YouTube Capture is an app for IOS devices which allows users to shoot, edit, and post videos all within the app. This app is great for teachers and students because it makes this tough process much easier and manageable for all. To get started, download the app, record your video, edit and add music, enter your title and privacy settings, and upload. There is no faster way to get videos to your YouTube channel!
Story Starters
Do you ever have trouble getting all of your students to come up with a writing topic? Sure, we all have our own story starters kept in a folder on the shelf, but Scholastic has a free story starter tool students can pull up on any device. To get started, click here, choose a theme, enter your name, choose your K-6 grade level, and spin the wheels. Students can keep spinning the wheel if they want to change any of the four categories of the story. Have your students bookmark this page for easier access.
Spheros
The General Education Team here at the HISD is launching another STEM program for 7th graders this year. The theme behind it is "Coding and Programming." To engage students in this process, the ISD has purchased 20 Spheros and 20 iPads to control them. While the main purpose of the Spheros are for the STEM 7 program, we still want to get them in the hands of other teachers and students of any grade level. To do that you may attend an upcoming PD (see details below) or contact me at tylerl@huronisd.org.
Gmail Organization
Do you ever open your email and get overwhelmed? I was at a Google conference last week and learned a great tip for those Gmail users that want to clean up and organize their inbox. One trick to organize your inbox is to use different tabs for different types of emails. Check out this tutorial, or complete these steps to get organized.
(1) Go to your Gmail inbox (2) Click on your gear icon (top right of your screen), which is your settings (3) Click on "Configure Inbox" (4) Put a check on all check boxes to be the most organized (5) Then hit "Save" and your good to go.
IPEVO Whiteboard App
IPEVO Whiteboard is now my new favorite whiteboard app. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but its simplicity is what teachers love. Here is the best part....there are no usernames, logins, passwords, and its free! All students have to do is open the app, create a screen-cast, and it will automatically save to their camera roll. Let me say that again. "There are no usernames, logins, passwords. All students have to do is open the app, create a screen-cast, and it will automatically save to their camera roll." Download this app with Google Play or the App Store.
Watch Out for Those Ads on YouTube...
YouTube is know for having inappropriate advertisements or videos all over their site. Many schools block YouTube because of this and I do not blame them.
So how can teachers use all of the great content and videos from YouTube, and not have to worry about inappropriate suggested videos? The answer is ViewPure. ViewPure is a site that blocks all of the advertisements and just plays the video. Now this ad blocking site is great, but if there are advertisements embedded within the video, those ads will still be there. Click here for more instruction on how to do this.
So how can teachers use all of the great content and videos from YouTube, and not have to worry about inappropriate suggested videos? The answer is ViewPure. ViewPure is a site that blocks all of the advertisements and just plays the video. Now this ad blocking site is great, but if there are advertisements embedded within the video, those ads will still be there. Click here for more instruction on how to do this.
Sphero 2.0 PD on 12-14-15
Are you looking to take your hands-on learning to a new level? Sign up for a PD designed to inform teachers how to use Sphero robots in the classroom. This 2.5 hour PD will teach you the basics of simple coding and give you a lot of hands-on experience. By signing up for this PD, you will be able to check out 20 Spheros and 20 iPad minis (to control the Spheros) for classroom use. Head to the HISD webpage to sign up. **See the flyer below or click here.