DISD Ed Tech News
January 23, 2017
Google Classroom Updates
The second recent addition to Classroom is that teachers can now choose to receive notifications when students submit assignment past their due dates or when they re-submit assignments. Google Support has the instructions for teachers to set up their Classroom notifications at this link.
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Chrome Tips and Tricks
First, those little "tabs" at the top of your browser window are currently opened websites that you have not closed out of. If you have a tab open that you do not want to risk accidentally closing, the first option you might try is "Pin Tab". This will make your currently selected tab small and the X to close the tab will no longer be available. This will prevent you from accidentally closing that tab before you are ready. To use this option simply right-click on the tab and select "Pin Tab" from the list. You will see the tab scoot to the left-hand side of your browser window and the X to close it will disappear. So how do you actually close it when you are ready? Just right-click again, select "Unpin Tab" and the X to close the tab will reappear.
The second way to get back a tab you recently closed is to use the shortcut "Ctrl+Shift+T". Press all three keys together and your last closed tab will appear. Do it again and the next tab will open too. A slightly more lengthy way to accomplish this is to go to the "three dots" in the upper right of your browser window, select "History" and then select the tab that you accidentally closed from the list.
One of my favorite Chrome extensions is One Tab, which closes all open tabs at once and collects them into a neat list that I can then restore at once from the One Tab extension when I log back into Chrome again.
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Emoji Random Writing Prompt Generator from Eric Curts
I've mentioned Eric Curts before as one of the Google Educators and Ed Tech gurus that I follow. He recently posted a writing prompt tool that he designed using Google Sheets and Emojis to randomly generate a writing prompt for students. Our students are immersed in a world of emojis, from texting and emailing to emoji print clothing and accessories, so why not use those little images to encourage them to think creatively when writing?
Eric states "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is so, then emojis should be able to bring even more meaning and ideas and inspiration than just words alone. Giving students a random set of emojis could be a great way to help inspire their writing, as the student tries to find a way to work each image into their story or poem."
He goes on to give several reasons for using emojis as writing prompts, including that since emojis are images, they can be used with students of any age, language, or reading ability. He also mentions that since they are images, they can provide a wide range of ideas since each student will have their own interpretations of the pictures. And best of all, emojis are familiar and popular with students making them a fun way for students to practice their writing skills.
To get your own copy of Eric's "Emoji Random Writing Prompt Generator" spreadsheet, click this link. Once you have opened the file you will see several tabs. The first tab is the directions for using the resource and you can then click on the other tabs to select the number of emojis you would like in your writing prompt, from two up to five. The data tab is where the 800 emoji images that are used in the random generator are stored.
To view the writing prompts the students can click the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet, depending on how many emojis they want. If they do not find inspiration in the emojis they get, they can easily generate new random combinations by either pressing the "Ctrl+R" keys to force the Sheet to recalculate or they can simply relead the Sheet in their browser. Eric says that "getting started with writing can often be a challenge for our students (or anyone for that matter). Using emojis as a way to generate ideas can be a fun and effective way to help students create stories, no matter how big or how small."
Be sure to check out Eric's other great free tips, tools & webinars at ControlAltAchieve.com.
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Chromebook Video Tutorials
- Getting Started with Chromebook- basic terminology, navigation, settings, tips
- Managing Files on Chromebook- options for saving, file formats
- Sharing Your Chromebook- multiple accounts, guest mode
- Setting Up Classic Printing on Chromebook-printer settings, via Mac/PC with Chrome
- Setting Up Cloud Printing on Chromebook- printer settings, Cloud Ready Printer setup
- Switching to Chromebook- move from Mac/PC, backup to Google Drive/USB thumb drive, Google account creation,
- Chromebook Won't Charge or Turn On- troubleshooting tips, power issues, hard reset
- Fixing Wi Fi Connectivity- connecting to Wi Fi, troubleshooting
Remember to sign in to YouTube to start saving videos like these to your own personal library of resources and to subscribe to Google's YouTube Channel! Other videos already available include Chromebook - Sync, Chromebook - Apps, and others. The links to these videos will also be on the DISD Google Resources webpage at:
http://www.dumasisd.org/about-education-instructional-technology-google-resources
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Using Open Educational Resources (OER) Simulations to Help Master Math & Science Topics
Information on the PhET website states: "Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery."
If you haven't visited the PhET website please take the time to go and play with the interactives. You can also view a short overview video here. Teachers can search by topic, grade level, or device and there are related teacher materials to accompany each simulation. In addition, simulations can be downloaded or embedded in a teacher webpage, etc. Consider combining the simulations with other tools such as Kahoot or Quizziz to quickly assess understanding or highlight key concepts! PhET is a great way to visually show your students a concept to increase their understanding.
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G Suite Updates - The Citation Tool is Back!
Now students writing research reports can easily cite those findings by inserting citations as footnotes with the click of a button. This is accomplished through the "Explore" button found in the lower right when working in Docs. Teachers and students can copy text from the Explore pane and click on the small quotation marks to add a foot note. They can even change the format of the citation, switching between MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. More detailed information on how to use citations in Docs Explore can be found at the Google Help Center.
Reminder - Free and Sale iOS Apps and Kindle Books Lists
Just a reminder that if you would like to receive the (mostly) daily emails with lists of Free and Sale iOS Apps and Free and Sale Kindle Books you can sign up for either or both of those lists at http://bit.ly/freeappslist.
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Dumas ISD Instructional Technology
Email: rhonda.artho@dumasisd.org
Website: http://www.dumasisd.org/about-education-instructional-technology
Location: Teacher Training Center, DHS
Phone: 806-935-6461 1029