Getting Started - MaryFran's Google Docs Tutorials Once you have an account, go to the Google start page and sign in. You will be able to access Docs either through the list of blue underlined options at the top left hand side of the page, or under the drop-down menu under more You come to the Documents List Page. From here you will be able to: begin a New < Documentor Upload Files. When you upload a text document, spreadsheet, presentation, or drawing you will have the option to "Convert documents, spreadsheets & presentations to Google Docs format."
Early Thoughts on the Chromebook Like many other districts and schools across the nation, we live in a state (CO) that has chosen PARCC as an assessment tool for CCSS. As we've been exploring what kinds of hardware we need to have in place for PARCC, we decided to test drive a few Chromebooks to see if those would fit not only our assessment needs but our instructional needs as well. Thanks to Promevo (they've been great to work with), we were able to get some loaner Samsung models for a couple of weeks, and we were able to purchase a couple of Acer models. Here's some things we've found in the short time we've had them. No surprise -- this one goes to 11.Great for web-based workflow. I think these have a lot of potential, especially at the price point.
PSD70 Digital Portfolio Project Chromebooks Rising, Windows 8 Not So Much Are Chromebooks becoming the unexpected hit of the year? New reports indicate that notebooks based on Google's cloud-oriented platform are gaining traction -- possibly at the expense of Windows 8 notebooks. On Sunday, Acer President Jim Wong told Bloomberg News that Chromebooks accounted for 5 percent to 10 percent of his company's U.S. shipments since their release in November. Because of that growth, he said, the computer maker may offer Chromebooks in other markets. This trend is running counter to the tepid sales Acer is experiencing for its Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachine brands, which use the Windows platform. Wong told Bloomberg that "Windows 8 itself is still not successful," and that a simple way to judge that was if the PC market has come back after 8's launch -- which, so far, it has not. HP's Chromebook In December, computers using Windows 8 accounted for 1.7 percent of computers in use, according to industry research firm Net Market Share. Lenovo's ThinkPad
Google Docs for Administrators – 5 Ideas to Get Started As another school year begins to come to a close, I have recently had some of our administrators (mostly elementary) contact me with ideas for making administrative tasks more paperless and create a more efficient workflow not only for themselves but for their teachers. Some of these have been regular “end of year” tasks and others are being put into motion in preparation for next year. Given my known affinity for Google Apps for Education, and being we are a Google Apps for Education district, my first inclination is always to figure out how these tasks could be completed using GAFE in one way or another. As I begin to help several of our administrators with these projects, I thought I’d start a post that I could come back and add to over time. They might be beneficial to you as a teacher or you might want to share them with administrators in your district. So here they are in no particular order: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Please feel free to add your ideas in the comments section! Like this:
Why Schools Are Turning to Google Chromebooks It took just three days for two Marshall Public Schools employees to get 500 mobile devices unpacked, barcoded and configured prior to launching a one-to-one computing initiative at the start of the current school year. That's because officials of the four-school district in Marshall, Wis., chose to invest in Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks. Introduced in June 2011 and powered by the Google Chrome operating system, the Chromebook is a unique class of personal computer that combines the functionality of a traditional notebook computer with the convenience of a pure-cloud client in a device the size of a netbook. According to Technology Director Shane Millin, the 1,260-student district faced multiple potential roadblocks in its pursuit of a one-to-one computing program, including performance and administration concerns associated with other types of mobile computing devices and, with tablets, the lack of a physical keyboard. Then came Chromebooks. Proven Productivity Easy as 1-2-3
Five Essential Google Drive Skills For Teachers This school year I've worked with a few school districts that are using Google Apps for Education for the first time. A lot of what I have done with those school districts is help to get the teachers acclimated to using Google Drive. When I sat down to plan an upcoming Google Drive training session I thought about some of the essential Google Drive skills that teachers need in addition to creating documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Here are five essential Google Drive skills that I think teachers and students need. 1. Open and Edit Word Files in Google Drive. 2. 3. 4. 5. Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4:
The Chromebook -- it's like an iPad, but with a keyboard A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece where I wondered whether Surface RT was essentially just a differently-done Chromebook. At the time I'd never tried using a Chromebook, and it seemed churlish of me to say such a thing without actually trying it. So I bought a Chromebook. I wanted to get one of the Samsung ARM-based Chromebooks, but for some reason these seem to be in very short supply. More or less at random I bought an Acer C7 Chromebook. Well, I say at random, what I did was buy the cheapest one I could because I was presupposed to assume it would be pretty naff and I wanted to limit my exposure. I rarely write reviews of products that I am really, really smitten by. Um… it's amazing I really wasn't expecting it to be any good. This then is the entire Chromebook proposition. That night I spent about three hours using it. The Chromebook gave me a sense of joy and of freedom that I haven't for many years using a computing device. But why? Simplicity Precisely. Or indeed, an iPad.
20 Google Docs Secrets for busy teachers and students. Google Docs has revolutionised the way we create and edit content on the web. It is a genuine collaboration tool like nothing that has come before it. Up to 50 people can simultaneously edit a spreadsheet, presentation or document at no expense, and it is available on all mobile and desktop platforms. Today we are going to look at 20 great tips every teacher and student should be using to get the most of the collaborative learning opportunities Google Doc’s offers. Allow editing without signing in: If you’re sharing a document with classmates who don’t have a Google login, just make it available to edit without signing in. Chat away: In Google Docs, you can see anyone who is currently editing the document, and if needed, send a message to chat with them. Embed Docs anywhere: Get a link to your document or spreadsheet, and you can embed or publish it anywhere, including Facebook or a class blog. Create graphs: Visuals are great tools for getting your point across.
Why 2013 is the Year of the Chromebook It took about a year and a half, but Google has finally cracked the nut. See below for four reasons why 2013 looks to be the year of the Chromebook: the Price, the Product, the Paradigm, and the PARCC. Reason #1 - The Price When the Chromebooks first launched, I put together an article mentioning the potential benefits of these devices but I also addressed the negatives mostly focusing on the prohibitive pricing structure Google had devised. Originally the Chromebooks were sold for $20 per month over a three year commitment, for a total cost of $720 each. You can see my original article why this was a terrible match for most schools. My suggestion at the end of the article was for Google to drop the price to as low as $250, let schools buy them outright (rather than the monthly approach), and offer the management piece as a low cost optional purchase. Reason #2 - The Product Price alone is not good enough to make the Chromebook a success, if it does not also have adequate specs. Conclusion
10 Apps in 10 Minutes #chromebookedu | Kyle B Recently my colleague Jill and I worked with some teachers during a PD day on finding great Chrome apps & extensions for learning. We thought we’d kick off the time together by picking 10 of our most favorite (picking only 10 is hard!) and sharing them with teachers in 10 minutes. Here are the 10 we covered with a quick description as well as the link to the Chrome Web Store. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The great thing about installing apps in Chrome (whether on a Chromebook or not) is quick and easy. These are just a sample of the great educational apps available in the Chrome Web Store. Like this: Like Loading... Teacher's Guide to Adding Images in Google Forms Here is how you can add an image to your Form To add an image to your form, click on the " add item" button displayed in your Google Forms and select " image" just as shown in the snapshot below. There are three ways you can embed an image in your Google form: 1- You can drag and drop it in the designated area or you can click on " choose and image" and upload it from your hard drive. 2- You can upload images from the web by pasting their URLs in the content bar provided there 3- You can embed a snapshot into your forms. When you upload your image you can then give it a title and type in the hover text. You can also control the placement of your image: either aligning it to the right, centering it, or aligning it to the left. If you want to change the image you selected ,you click on the " change" button right above the image and go through the process mentioned previously.