Sharing Files and Folders using Google Apps

The short video below show how share files and folders using Google Apps.

Keeping track of student work

I normally keep track of students' work using Google Sheets and make the sheet available online. I have found this useful in three ways:

1. I can easily, visually identify students who are falling behind.
2. Students can check if they are up to date.
3. Parents can check if their children are up to date.

To streamline the process, I have created a blank student work submission template. All you need to do it add student names and task names. 

You can record students submitting work by entering the following numbers in the appropriate cells, the cells will automatically change colour.

• Enter 0 for work not submitted, turns the cell red
• Enter 1 for work submitted, but with problems, turns the cell amber
• Enter 2 for work submitted, turns the cell green

To get a copy, sign-in to your Google Account, open the template, and then choose File > Make a copy.

The video below shows you how to delete the instruction box.

Introduction to Google Apps

Links

Google Apps Resources

Planning Sheet

Introductory Video Tutorials

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Using Feedly in education

Feedly's ability to bring timely information to the user, and allowing them to save it, open a host of possible uses.

The most obvious use is professional development. With a range of news feeds it is easy to stay up-to-date, and with the capacity to add blogs from fellow educators, you can continue to develop your pedagogy.

In the classroom, Feedly can provide the latest information in your subject area. It can be a source of articles for your students to analyse. Encourage students to create their feeds.

Finding sources

Feedly already has connections to many great sources. Just click on add content.

If you're looking for education sources, TeachThough (itself a blog), has a list of 31 top education blogs. Check it out here.

If you are on a site with this symbol. It means that you can subscribe to updates from it. Just click on the symbol and copy the URL into Feedly's search and you should be able to add that feed.

Getting started

To start, go to http://feedly.com and sign in using your Google account.

You will want to find some sources, so subscribe to some things that might interest you. A word of warning from my personal experience, don't go overboard. Your feed should now populate. 

Feedly has both Android, and iOS apps. There are also many other apps which can display your Feedly feeds, on a number of devices. The full list can be found here.

Finally, the video below will give you more of a detailed introduction.

Tools: Cram

Flash Cards are a tried and tested method to help remember things. Students have probably been using these since the days of papaya, so it is not surprise that there are digital options.

Cram is a simple site which allows the user to make flash cards. That is all it does, and it does it well. 

The interface is nice, clean and easy to use. The cards can allow for inclusion of images, and the user can create three sided cards (the third side is for hints).

In addition to creating your own flash cards, there is a whole collection of card sets created and shared by other users.

The cards can be viewed on the web, or via iOS and Android apps. If you really want to be old school, you can print the cards out as well.

You can log in using Google, Facebook or Twitter accounts, or you can create you own account with email.

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Using Video Ant in class

Video Ant's annotation can be used a number of ways in class. The teacher can identify important points in a video, or students can analyse a video an mark important findings.

The collaboration feature works on two levels. Firstly, it enables students to work together annotating the same video. In addition, it allows people to comment on others' annotations.

Video Ant works with Youtube, HTML 5 and Flash videos, which covers most videos found on the web.

Below is an example of a Video Ant which is analysing emotive language in a news report.

Getting Started

To start using Video Ant go to ant.umn.edu

You can sign in using your Google, Facebook or Twitter account, or you can use the service as a guest.

The video below will show you how to use Video Link.

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Using ThingLink in Class

ThingLink has many uses in class. I have already written about it's use as an interactive infographic tool. If you, or your students analyse images in anyway, then ThingLink can be used.  Below is a ThingLink where I have analysed a graphic design using the CARP principles.

Getting started

To start using ThingLink, go to www.thinglink.com.

You can sign in using you're Google, Facebook or Twitter accounts. I would recommend Google, for ease of getting through school filters.

The interface is pretty straight forward, but the video below by Hisham Alaoui should help you through.

Lesson: The Heroes' Dinner Party

Details

Subject: Religion and Ethics

Grade: 11

Tools: 

Focus Question: What would your hero do?

The Lesson

This was the final lesson preparing students to write an article on their chosen hero. The students had been researching their chosen hero, and were aware that they would be role playing as their hero during the lesson.

Prior to the lesson, I had created four chat rooms. using Neat Chat!. Neat Chat is a simple website where you can make temporary Chat-rooms. Each chat-room was to be a virtual 'dinner-table' where the heroes would converse.

I used tab.bz in Chrome to packed these rooms and email them to the students (although you could use any LMS, or site, or blog for this). I had also prepared questions to ask my dinner guests.

The students entered, were allocated a chat-room, and then the conversations started. I've included some extract from the conversations below.

Initially the guests explained why they have been invited to the heroes dinner.

On Australian Indigenous health

On removing national parks protection

On raising children

Follow Up

The following lesson the students were writing about their hero's life. Hopeful, with a deeper insight into who they were.

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Getting a Google Account

For my colleagues, the College has a Google domain. If you're not sure of your account details, then speak to IT services.

For everyone else, or if you want a private account, Google accounts are free. Just go to Google and in the top right-hand corner is where you will find your Google account details, and / or sign-up.

Google accounts can also be used to access many more Google services and many third-party services.

Using Google Drive in class

I will be posting about the use of Google drive throughout this year, but if you want some ideas now, I would suggest checking out some of the thinks below:

Google Documents for Teachers
40 Ways to Start Using Apps in Schools
Google Tools for Schools: Google Drive and Docs
The Google Educast