Tech Snacks
Byte-Sized Treats to Transform Learning
Win $500! Hour of Code Week is Almost Here!
Hello! Would you like for your students to explore ways to create with technology? Would you like to join in on the largest learning event in history and put your name in the hat to win a fabulous prize from Fayette County Department of Technology! If so, we hope you will sign up to participate in the Hour of Code!
The Hour of Code, during Computer Science Education Week (Dec. 4-10), is a great time to explore how fun coding can be and how it can help students develop thinking skills useful across disciplines. More than 100 million students worldwide have already tried an Hour of Code. You don’t even need access to a computer for your students to participate AND… it’s free. If you would like to check out the activities students complete during Hour of Code or see a teacher’s guide, please visit this site: https://code.org/learn
Ready to Participate?
1. Visit the Hour of Code website to register: https://hourofcode.com/us/
Code.org is listed as an approved site on FCPS data sharing agreement page.
2. Once you have registered to do an Hour of Code, register with Fayette County to let us know.
Link to register: https://goo.gl/forms/UpXF3LsV5xUx9Hb33
When prompted, log in with your Fayette County email/password.
3. Once the Hour of Code week is over, we will ask you to submit a short summary of the activities you did and send a few pictures.
One elementary, middle and high school teacher will win a $500 classroom technology grant from Fayette County!
If you ‘d like to participate but need some help getting started, just ask. The Fayette County District Technology Resource teachers are more than happy to provide assistance if needed.
Read & Write for Google Chrome
So, you’ve been crushin’ on the Read and Write Gold program for a while? Us too! Well, good news for the Chrome crowd! Students can use the Read&Write for Google Chrome extension on their Chromebooks!
Windows Machines
Read and Write Gold (RWG) is a program that shows on the desktop when a student has logged into a Windows computer. RWG has multiple features such as text highlighting, online dictionary, screen masking, and other resource tools, but its most popular feature is text-to-speech. Students can highlight documents (PDFs, Word documents, Google Docs, etc) and have the highlighted text read to them. Students can choose from a range of synthesized voices and can adjust the speed, pitch, and pause rate between words to better fit their listening needs. Once students have adjusted the settings, the preferences are logged and remembered for the next time they use RWG.
Chromebooks
The Read&Write for Google Chrome extension is a lite version of the Read and Write Gold desktop application. It offers numerous features such as word prediction, online dictionary, highlighting tools, screen mask, and talk & type functions. Some of these features come with the “premium” version of Read&Write and will only work for a 30-day free trial period or if you plan to pay for the extension. However, the text-to-speech function still works after the 30-day free trial and will probably be the main feature that your students will use. Note: Fayette County Public Schools has the premium version.
So, you want to your students to use the Read&Write for Google Chrome extension? Click here and have your kiddos follow the steps in the Doc!
Google Maps Are Out of This World!
Most of us think of Google Maps when we need directions, but it is so much more! One of the newest features is the addition of several planets and moons! Have your students check out up-close views of the places they are studying, but will likely never visit. You can even visit the International Space Station and gain an astronaut’s perspective as well. Do your own space travel by visiting https://www.google.com/maps/space/earth.
Google Drive Just Got Easier for You and Your Team
Drive File Stream can be used to access not only your My Drive files, but also your files on your Team Drives. With Drive File Stream, you can:
Quickly see all of your Google Drive files in Finder/Explorer (including Team Drives).
Browse and organize Google Drive files without downloading all of them to your computer.
Choose which files or folders you'd like to make available offline.
Open files in common apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.
How do I get started?
On your home/personal computer select Settings > Download File
On your school computer, complete a Helpdesk ticket and request the installation of Google Drive File Stream.
Caution: Be careful not to make so many files available offline that you fill up and crash your hard drive!
Need more? Ask your TRT for help!
Upcoming Technology Professional Development
FCPS Office of Instructional Technology
Email: fcps.oit@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: blogs.fcps.net
Location: 701 East Main Street, Lexington, KY, United States
Twitter: @FCPSOIT