Google Removes Reading Level Filter Last month, Google removed search filters for visited page. Now it's time for a new advanced search feature to be removed: reading level. This feature was introduced back in 2010 to let you find search results that are better suited for you. "Sometimes you may want to limit your search results to a specific reading level. For instance, a junior high school teacher looking for content for her students or a second-language learner might want web pages written at a basic reading level. A scientist searching for the latest findings from the experts may want to limit results to those at advanced reading levels," explained Google. In February, I noticed that the reading level feature had a bug and no longer allowed you to restrict results to "advanced reading level" pages. Reading level is no longer available in the search tools dropdown or in the advanced search page. Here are some screenshots from last month:
Google Slides: Your First Week Activity Add your introduction slide here If you are just getting started with Google Slides, or if you’re a veteran, using Google Slides collaboratively is a great way to introduce Google Docs to the students. This intro activity demonstrates using collaborative documents, allows students to get to know each other and helps you to learn the students names. Create a Google Slides presentation and share it with all of the students. In Google Classroom you will attach the Slides presentation as “Students can edit.” If you are not using Google Classroom, click on the blue share button in the upper right-hand corner. Under the View menu, choose “Master.” The master shows the master master slide and the 6 layouts. Click on the remaining layout. Rename the slide layout to “USE THIS ONE.” Click on the slide tile on the left in the slide master. Rename the 2nd layout to “do NOT use.” Edit the first slide layout. The first slide is now showing your student slide layout. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015
11 Helpful Hints for Combining Google Drive With Symbaloo Last week I received an email from Travis Towne in which he described how he is using Symbaloo arrange and share Google Drive files. I thought it was a great ideas so I asked Travis if he would be interested in writing a guest post. One of the problems I run into when trying to find documents, videos, or folders that I have saved in my Google Drive folder is trying to find them again quickly without having to dig through the myriad of my created folders. I also want the ability to quickly share with my students folders that have documents or videos without having to send them a link to each one. With these concerns in mind, I felt that combining one of the best visual web resources (Symbaloo) with one of the best storage resources (Google Drive) was the best way to go. Click the examples for several ways that Symbaloo has been combined with Google Drive. 1. Here are a few other Symbaloo Webmixes that I have created but don’t use Google Drive. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Finding Plagiarism with Google Search There are many great products to help detect plagiarism in student work, including Grammarly. My first line of defense if I suspect plagiarism is to simply use Google Search. Most of the time, students will use the first couple of results from a Google search when conducting their research. Typing in a student’s topic and looking at the first few results can be helpful in plagiarism detection. Key clues for me that a student may not be using their own original words or ideas is when the phrase of a sentence does not match their normal writing style. “Put quotations around the phrase.” Students may change the wording slightly. Thank you to @rachelpfoutz for this awesome suggestion. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Like this: Like Loading...
Google Forms: Streamline your Data with FilterRoster Script If you re-use a Google Form for attendance, turning in homework, daily warm-up, peer evaluation data, or anything where there are multiple rows per student in your Form data my script FilterRoster may be helpful. It creates a tab for EACH student with a filter to show just that students data. Rather than filtering the Google Form data one student at a time, this will filter ALL of your students at once. I have known JavaScript and Google Apps script for about 2 weeks now, I am still playing around with it. This will take you to the code for the FilterRoster script. This script should work with a Google Form data that has a unique student identifier such as student ID number or if students have different names (ie: you do not have 2 Amy’s in your class.) Spreadsheet The script actually goes with the spreadsheet data. In the spreadsheet with the Google Form data go to the Tools menu and choose “Script editor.” Close out of the splash screen. Like this:
35 More Things You Can Do With Google Classroom Back when I had only had a list of 35 ways to use Google Classroom I submitted a poster session proposal to ISTE. Since then the list has grown and you can now purchase “50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom” on Amazon. For my poster session I have come up with an additional 35 ways you can use Google Classroom. (I guess that brings me up to 85). Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Like this: Like Loading... Using Google Tools in Project-Based Learning Infographic Teacher Infographics Using Google Tools in Project-Based Learning Infographic Using Google Tools in Project-Based Learning Infographic Project-based learning is a dynamic approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge. Many of the digital tools used in classrooms are made especially for education. Inquiry Tools Once you’ve decided what the students will be focusing on, they’ll need more information on the topic. Communication and Collaboration Tools As a part of their work, students will likely need to connect with others – with collaborators in the classroom and with folks around the globe that can help them learn about what they need to know. Expression Tools An integral part of project-based learning is students having a voice in their work. Tools for Sharing, Presenting, Feedback, and Assessment Project-based learning encourages sharing work and receiving feedback that is more meaningful than just a grade. Via: dailygenius.com
Learn the Ins and Outs of Google Classroom from an Expert Educator and blogger Alice Keeler has written extensively on integrating Google Classroom with everyday school work. Spanning three posts on her blog Teacher Tech, Keeler has assembled 46 ways teachers can take advantage of Classroom, the latest in Google's Apps for Education lineup. Google’s cloud-based classroom organizer streamlines the flow of daily assignments and helps overcome teacher–student communication barriers. Earlier this month, Keeler was a guest on the TechEducator podcast, along with EdTech contributor Sam Patterson, and discussed how Google Classroom has aided her own instruction and how teachers can benefit from her experience. We won't steal all of Keeler's Classroom thunder, but here are five tips from her list: Create a lesson. Google has been adding new features to Classroom since its introduction in August. “I see this as just the beginning of where we’re going with Classroom,” Yeskel said.
Understanding the Classroom Folder Google Classroom automatically creates a “Classroom” folder in Google Drive for the teacher and the student. This is awesome but may lead to some confusion. Here are some tips about the Google Classroom folder. The class folder in Google Drive for the teacher and the student has the same name but is NOT the same folder. This is good because teachers and students can put files that are associated with the class into the class folder to keep organized. A common misconception is that files shared via Google Drive are shared with others in the class. Teachers wanting to share files with their students can create a folder within the class folder and share that folder with the students. A great use for Google Classroom is professional development or collaboration groups. To allow 2-way sharing of files, go to the class folder in Google Drive. Note that if you share the class folder, this has the SAME NAME as the class folder the “students” have. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Like this: