Extensions, Add Ons and Apps, Oh My! How to Utilize Google in Your Classroom Google Apps for Education has totally transformed the way we teach and communicate inside and outside of the classroom. Through tools like Google Drive, Google Hangouts, Google Earth and Blogger, we can create authentic learning experiences for our students more than ever by promoting collaboration and helping them access their work anywhere and anytime. Teachers can utilize all of Google’s resources using Google Classroom, a simple management tool that gives teachers the ability to stay organized, assign projects and give feedback within the platform. Google Chrome also has a library of special tools you can access through the browser called Apps, Extensions and Add-ons that can make your life in the classroom easier. Here are a few of the best additional Google tools for educators that help make teaching easy! Extensions Extensions are mini programs that modify and enhance the functionality of the Google Chrome browser. Is YouTube blocked in your district? Add-Ons Apps
4 Important Google Docs' Features for Student Researchers October 14, 2014 Google Drive is absolutely one of the best cloud tools out there. Its potential for education is evidently huge and that is why I have been writing a lot on it. Today I want to share with you (more particularly with student researchers) few of the useful tips on how to make use of some hidden features in Google Doc . 1-Research The research tool allows you to do research simultaneously as you are writing or editing your document. To access the research tab click on "tools" and select "research" The great thing about this Research tool is that it allows you to easily insert citations and links to your document. The same applies for citations, click on “cite” and Google Doc automatically inserts the citation according to the style you want ( MLA or APA, or Chicago). 2- Spelling Google Doc has an integrated spelling checker that automatically underlines any misspelled word. 3- Word Count
40 Ways to Use Google Apps in Education Google provides an abundance of apps that can be used for educational purposes. It has a section called Google Apps for Education where it provides the teaching workforce with a multitude of Google services to use in schools and classrooms. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning has been continuously reviewing these apps for the last couple of years , click HERE to access this section to . Here is the outline of this presentation Google docs : Collaborate on lesson plansKeep a running records of meeting notesCreate a shared lesson plan repositoryImprove the writing processPublish student workTranslate letters home to parentsTrack student homeworkCoordinate sign-upsPersonalize flashcardscollect, share, and analyze dataUse slides to create dynamic and engaging presentations Google Forms Google Calendar Manage your schedule effectivelyShare calendarsCheck out shared resourcesMap out the standards you are teachingCreate appointment slotsTeach time management Gmail Google Groups Google Talk
A Powerful Google Forms Tool for Teachers November 7, 2014 Today, I am sharing with you a great Add-on to use on Google Forms. This is called FormLimiter and once installed will enable you to automatically limit the number of responses for a form you created. It basically sets "Google Forms to stop accepting responses after a maximum number of responses, at a specific date and time, or when a spreadsheet cell contains a specified value." FormLimiter is especially useful for creating time-bound assignments, event registrations with limited seats, quizzes and many more. Here are some screenshots provided by the developer to illustrate what you can do with FormLimiter: 1- Maximum number of responses Form evaluates on each new submission and shuts off once a limit has been reached. 2- - Specific date and time Timer will shut off form on that date, down to the minute. 3- Spreadsheet cell value equals specify a spreadsheet cell (e.g.
Google Docs: Force Students to Make a Copy A feature of the old Google spreadsheets was to be able to append &newcopy to the end of the URL. What this would do is when you share a view only link with a student, it would prompt the student to make a copy. This is a feature I used all the time with students and sharing templates with colleagues. New to Google Docs is now the ability to replace the /edit at the end of the URL and replace it with /copy. The /copy works with ALL types of documents. In the URL up in the address bar delete the /edit at the end of the link. Example The URL on this Google Drawing is DELETE the /edit and replace with /copy Notice when you click on the link that it prompts you to make a copy of the drawing. The URL on this Google Sheets spreadsheet is mF_KyXKztntujA/edit#gid=3
10 Good Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms Add-ons for Teachers This afternoon I was asked if I could put together a list of my favorite Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms Add-ons. In the past I had put together lists of Sheets scripts, but most of those lists are outdated as Add-ons have mostly replaced scripts. Here's my updated list of my favorite Google Docs, Sheets and Forms Add-ons. Google Docs Add-ons: The Tag Cloud Generator Add-on will create a word cloud in the right-hand margin of any of your Google Documents that contain more than one hundred words. One of the most useful Add-ons for Google Documents is the EasyBib Bibliography Creator. Knowing the right keyboard shortcuts to type the accents and characters is one of the challenges that students face when learning and trying to type in a new language. g(Math) is an Add-on for Google Docs that enables you to easily insert graphs and equations into your Google Documents. Google Forms Add-ons:FormLimiter is one of my favorite Forms Add-ons.
15 Effective Ways to Use Google Docs in Class June 19, 2014 I spend a considerable time every single day browsing the net tracking new updates in the world of educational technology and, often times, in the midst of this journey I would come across wonderful resources and tutorials that usually end up in one of my posts here in this blog. So after the previous guide on how to be a Google Drive master , today I am sharing with you another awesome guide created by Eric Curts entitled "The paperless Classroom with Google Docs". This guide is available for free in a Google doc format from this link. In this guide, Eric walks you through the different stages of turning your classroom into a digitally focussed environment where you will no longer have any need for papers.
10 Great Digital Citizenship Lessons from Google July 15, 2014 Today I want to draw your attention to these excellent resources from Google. These are 10 interactive lessons designed by the folks in Google to help students learn more about different themes related to the general topic of digital citizenship. And while all these lessons revolve around YouTube, most of the principles they include could also be projected on any other digital platform. Using these lessons, teachers and students will be able to gain useful skills and a holistic understanding about responsible digital citizenship, not only on YouTube, but in all online activity. Below is a list of lessons, and the recommended flow for delivery. Lessons are designed to fit within 50 minute classes, but can be adapted to fit your schedule: 1- What Makes YouTube Unique What Makes YouTube Unique - basic facts and figures (40 minutes) - Teacher’s Guide, Slides Lesson objective: Understand the environment and scale of YouTube 2- Detecting Lies 4- Online Reputation and Cyberbullying