DISD Ed Tech News
November 20, 2017
Another Hidden Google Gem for Classrooms - Google Trends
Fractus Learning has an interesting post on using Google Trends with students that is full of ideas for classroom use. Some of the possible uses that they mention are:
- Sparking student interest in a topic. Using the Google Charts feature you can compare topics searched over time (you choose the time range and topics) such as interest in sports teams over time.
- As a research tool. Students have access open access to real life data and results from timelines and charts that can be exported as screenshots to add to their own work. They can also embed the code in their digital docs and projects to have a constantly updated chart.
- Data for discussion and deeper thought questions
- Narrating the timeline
- Finding patterns and making predictions
Below is just one example of data for questioning and analysis:
If you want to watch Google Trends live and full screen (also available as a screensaver) head on over to this link. You can watch the board update in real time as the most commonly searched topics fill the screen. In the lower left hand corner of the screen you will see "Showing the most recent data for........." and you can select All Regions to see searches from regions around the world or set it to show trends for specific countries.
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Quizlet Adds New Feature
A diagram in Quizlet asks a learner to match terms with hotspots on an image. Students can study diagrams in either Learn or Match modes. Quizlet is free and you can create your own Quizlet Diagrams for free as well. It's as simple as uploading and tagging your own image. Teachers can browse the available diagrams in the diagram showcase and can assign them to classes that they create within Quizlet or can assign them directly to Google Classroom. Already available diagrams are classified into content area groups for easier searching. There are resources for French and Spanish teachers as well where students must match items in pictures to the corresponding word in a foreign language. Teachers can create folders to store the Diagrams that they plan to use with their classes. There is also a reasonably priced paid teacher version that allows teachers to track student progress, along with other features.
While these diagrams "play" like a game, they can be used to reinforce or review content. They can also be used to spark interest in a new topic as a preview to a lesson. While teachers may initially think about creating these study sets for their students, they can also have students create their own diagrams, which further reinforces concepts and recall in students. Visit Quizlet Diagrams if you haven't yet taken a look. Creating your own diagram is easy and quick.
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CheckMark Extension for Google Chrome Makes It Easier for Teachers to Provide Feedback
- Check capitalization
- Check for fragment
- Check punctuation
- Check spelling
- Check tense
- Check for Comma splice
- Check for run-on sentence
- Subject/verb agreement
- New paragraph needed
- Clarify your idea/meaning
- Detail neededDiscussion needed
- Evidence needed
- Repetitive
- Rephrase
- Spacing
- Check citation
To add the CheckMark by EdTechTeam extension just visit the Chrome Web Store and select Add Extension. A small icon (gray square with a green checkmark in it) will be added to your extensions at the top of your browser window and it is then just a matter of clicking that icon to turn the extension on when you want to use it. Pike Mall Tech and freetech4teachers both have short descriptions of the extension and how to install it. Freetech4teachers also suggests that it could be used by teachers when presenting students with a Doc that has mistakes in it so that they could have students use the extension to locate all of the mistakes. Teachers can install the extension on their Chrome browsers themselves and can request the extension be pushed out to student devices by contacting the IT office.
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For Fun & Creativity, Try a Digital Sign Generator
Peggy Reimers, Director of Professional Development for TCEA, is one of the many educator trainers that I follow and a great addition to your own digital PLN if you are looking for good sources of information and ideas on integrating technology into your classroom. She often posts fun ideas for using technology in the classroom and I previously shared her ideas for using the "Tombstone Generator" as a fun Halloween activity. In today's blog post she gives many more fun sites to generate different types of signs & images, along with some great ideas for how to use these fun tools in your own classroom. Her blog post is below. The TCEA Technotes Blog is available free to all teachers and all of the great staff at TCEA contribute wonderful information that would be beneficial no matter what your grade level or content area. And better yet, consider joining TCEA to get even more, like tools and support for enhancing curriculum with technology tools to really bring the learning to life in your classroom! TCEA offers LOTS of free resources, professional development webinars and great online communities where you can collaborate with other teachers about tech use in the classroom.
For Fun & Creativity, Try a Digital Sign Generator
Posted by Peggy Reimers, TCEA Technotes Blog, Nov. 16, 2017
Looking to add a little flair to student words and presentations? Try a digital sign generator. It will make your titles and headings pop!
Digital sign generators are just plain fun. And with a little creativity, you can turn these little oddball web tools into something useful. I know what you’re thinking: that is a pretty big stretch. But so untrue! Without much effort, you can easily spice up the following with a self-made title or inscription:
- Presentation slides
- HyperDocs
- Student or staff congratulations
- Name tags
- Bulletin boards
- Blogs and websites
- Online courses
- Book reports
- Newsletters
- Green screen backgrounds or props
- Story starters
- Puzzles for a Breakout EDU or digital breakout game
Digital Sign Generators
Here are a few fun resources for digital sign generators to get you started:
Inspired by the Netflix series, Stranger Things, Nelson Cash created a Strangify Title Generator
http://makeitstranger.com/
Einstein Writing on the Blackboard
http://www.hetemeel.com/einsteinform.php (see image below)
Custom Medal Maker and Road Sign
Bronze Colored Medal
Blue Road Sign
Make an Eye Chart
http://www.eyechartmaker.com/index.php
Two websites for designing your own “Breaking News!”
http://www.classtools.net/breakingnews/ (see image below)
Geo-Greeting is a fun use of Google Earth’s 3D satellite imagery. Go ahead, create a message with letter-shaped buildings. (see image below)
Sign Generators with Multiple Options
Atom Smasher Sign Maker has 12 signs that you can make. Caution, the Las Vegas Strip sign is probably not age-appropriate for students. My favorite three from this website include:
Road Construction Sign Generator
Wigflip has a dozen different designs. My favorites here are the speech bubbles, motivational poster, green street signs, and the sticky notes.
Addletters has Harry Potter, Disneyland, and the Wrigley Field Marquee generators. Caution! When I checked out this site, inappropriate ads were visible.
With Image Chef, you have 45 options for creating digital signs.
Classic choices available at RedKid.You can’t help but love Scooby Doo, Pink Panther, and the iPod Billboards of yesteryear. One more caution age advisory caution: on this site, you can make a sign with an Absolut vodka bottle.
If you are looking to go old school, try WORD Art from Microsoft Windows 95. In its day, Word Art jazzed up millions of book reports, logos, and presentations.
Tombstone Generators
http://tombgen.appspot.com/
http://www.tombstonebuilder.com/
http://www.oregontrailtombstone.com/
The gravestone generators just might be one of my favorites. For educational purposes, I would use one of these tools to create:
- Background for a Halloween haiku
- An epitaph for a famous person, author, or historical figure.
- A summary of a character’s features for a book report
- Overused (dead words) that a class doesn’t use anymore …such as sad, happy, run, eat, etc.
Please share your creativity and let us know in the comment section how you and your students use digital sign generators to jazz up your projects!
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DISD Instructional Technology
Email: rhonda.artho@dumasisd.org
Website: http://www.dumasisd.org/about-education-instructional-technology
Location: TTC - Dumas High School
Phone: 806-935-6461 1029