Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 6)

We're now up to Lesson 8 of the Docs and Drive Level 2 training. This is a huge lesson, so it is probably best to cover it in a number of sessions.

Today we will look at the first section Sharing, Privacy, Printing, and Publishing.

We will continue to take notes on our collaborative document, and don't forget to share classroom ideas.

Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 4)

Today we will be looking at Lesson 5 and Lesson 7 of the Docs and Drive Level 2 training. Lesson 5 deals with Slides, the presentation tool, and Lesson 7 looks at the Google Drawing tool. We'll leave lesson 6 until next week, as it deals with Forms, and I think it would be best to dedicate an entire session to this.

We will continue to take notes on our collaborative document, and don't forget to share classroom ideas.

Now that we will soon be on holidays, I'd suggest that you should take the time to complete your Google Basics Exam, and get your certificate. I heard some good advice from the Google Education Podcast - When completing your Google exams, using Google is not cheating.

Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 5)

Today we will be looking at Lesson 6 of the Docs and Drive Level 2 training. This lesson deals with Google Forms. A Google form is an information collection tool. The information is collected in a Google sheet, which makes it a sinch to analyse.

We will continue to take notes on our collaborative document, and don't forget to share classroom ideas.

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How to set this up

I believe that the best practice for setting up sharing with students in Google Drive is to have them create a folder for you class, and then share that folder with you. This normally takes 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of the the subject.

Once the folder has been shared, anything that the student creates in that folder, you automatically have access to.

The video below show the steps needed to make this happen.

Edvertisement: PowToon

PowToon in a web based presentation tool. It is simple to use tool has powerful animation effects, resulting in quite beautiful animations. PowToon allows you to upload voice-overs, and has a library of background music.

Using in the Classroom

The obvious use for PowToons is presentations, and students find it simple to use.
Our year 8 ICT used PowToons for an anti-bullying task. Using easy to find tutorials, they produced presentations of the quality below.

Getting Started

To start, go to www.powtoon.com. This is a freemium service and you can sign-up for free using your Google account. The free account has some limited services, but provides plenty of material for students to use.

The video below shows you how to use PowToon.

Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 3)

Today with our Google session we will be looking at Lesson 4 of the Docs and Drive Level 2 training.

This lesson introduced Google Sheets, which is the Google Apps spreadsheet tool. Since the lesson assumes a little understanding of spreadsheets, first we might look at what spreadsheets are.

We will continue to take notes on our collaborative document, and don't forget to share classroom ideas.

Edvertisement: Chrome Apps and Extensions

Google Chrome is the world's most used browser for many reasons, and two of those reasons are Apps and Extensions. So what are they?

Apps

Apps are in-browser applications. That means that they are build in the web infrastructure (HTML 5, java etc), but more and more are becoming usable off-line. They are comparable to phone apps, programs that run within the Chrome.

An example of the Chrome App is the Biodigital Human which is a 3D anitomical model in which lets you explore all the body systems. You can turn systems on and off, zoom in, turn labels on and off. Look at the video below to see what I mean.

Extensions

Extensions are little add-ons which make Chrome easier to use. They may provide you with short cuts to web services you use, or spell and grammar check you on-line typing. Again there are is an huge range, so your best bet is to go look at them.

Using in the Classroom

Apps and extensions are so diverse, that the classroom opportunities they present are astounding. I would suggest that if you are looking for tool for you class, to go to the Chrome Web Store and search for that type of tool. You will most likely find something to meet you needs.

To give you a taste, I've included links to some apps and extensions that you might find useful for teaching:

Apps

• 3D Functions Plotter  an on line application to plotting two-variable real functions and integral and derivatives calculations.
• 3D Solar System Simulator is what it says it is
• Ancient History Encyclopaedia a website that provides free peer-reviewed ancient history information
• Biodigital Human a 3D anatomical model
• Cal Concentration a handy calculator for preparing solutions and buffer
• ChemReference: Periodic Table a powerful periodic table and chemistry reference tool.
• Chords Free ear training application
• Geograbra is free dynamic mathematics software for all levels of education 
• Lucidchart for Education diagramming software
• Planetarium An interactive sky map for exploring the stars and planets
• Ray Optics Simulation simulates reflection and refraction of light
• TimeMaps: World History Atlas easily navigate to any time and place in history. 
• Timer is a simple timer with countdown and count up features

Extensions

• 1 Click Timer is a quick countdown timer
• Adblocker blocks ads from appearing on pages in Chrome
• Awesome Screenshot captures a whole page or any portion for annotation and sharing
• Clearly makes blog posts, articles and webpages clean and easy to read
• Creative Commons Flickr Search searches Flickr for images and videos licensed under a Creative Commons license.
• Diigo Web Collector bookmarks, archives, screenshots & markups webpages
• Extension Defender provides malware protection for Chrome extensions
• Google Dictionary lets you view definitions easily as you browse the web.  
• Grammarly for Chrome a grammar and spell checker for the web
• Hola Better Internet lets you access websites which are block via countries
• Print Friendly & PDF removes ads, navigation and junk before printing of saving to pdf
• Read&Write for Google Text-to-Speech engine for Google Chrome 
• Save to Google Drive saves web content to your Google Drive
• Search by Image allows you to initiate a Google search using any image on the web

How do I get started?

The two thing that you will need to use Chrome's Apps and Extensions is to have installed Google Chrome onto you computer, and to have a Google Account. 

Once you have done that, go to the Chrome web store, and then adding apps and extensions is as simple as one click. If you want more information, watch the playlist below.

Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 2)

Today is day two on Level 2 training for the Google Educator Certification. Last week we got through lessons one and two, so today we will start with lesson 3.

Don't forget that we have our collaborative note taking document. There is also a collaborative document to share any classroom ideas that you think of during the sessions.

Edvertisement: Soundation

The ease of music creation in Soundation means it lend itself to a wide range of possible uses. It is quick and easy to make music. The loops are all in key with each other, and adjust their speed to the set BMP, so it is just click and drag.

This is the service that I used to create the background music for the Edvertisment videos. The footage for the Edvertisement video above was the entire production of the song below.

Soundation is also powerful enough to create complex pieces of music. Unlimited tracks, effects and automation will please the most demanding composer. Soundation is a freemium service, which means that you can pay for more features. These features include extra loop libraries, and the capacity to record straight into Soundation.

Using in the Classroom

Soundation uses fall into two categories. The first use is as a source of music for production purposes. Soundation creaes royalties free music that can for use in anything which requires a backing track. A second way I've had students use Soundation is for them to create backing tracks that they can then rap over or sign over. I have found this effective in with some students whom I was struggling to engage.

How do I get started?

You can get to Soundation by going to soundation.com. You can create an account, or just log in using your Google account. The site has a pretty good 'How to' section, including some helpful videos.

Do I need a paid account?

The two reasons you would have a paid account is more loops, and being able to record straight into Soundation. I have used Soundation for many years, without a paid account and this is why. The number of loops available provide plenty of scope for a wide range of music, so I see no need to buy more. Secondly, to record, download the wav file, import it into a free audio software (like audacity) and record in there.

Google Educator Certification - Docs and Drive (Session 1)

Today we start on the Level 2 training for the Google Educator Certification. Each course is fairly long, and very comprehensive, so I am uncertain as to how long this will take. 

We are going to start with the Docs and Drive course. To assist in the training I have created a document for collaborative note taking. There is also a collaborative document to share any classroom ideas that you think of during the sessions.

Finally, following on from our two sessions on Google Basics you might want to take the Basics Exam. Upon completion your certificate will be emailed to your account. Therefore, you might want to log into your personal account to take the exam.

Edvertisement: Google Earth

Using in Class

Google Earth has an extensive array of classroom applications. It can be used for everything from exploring the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and teaching geologic map interpretation, through mapping global energy consumption or glacial change, to mapping journeys from literature or exploring "All Quite on the Western Front".

Basically, if your subject involves the world, then there is probably a way that Google Earth can enhance your teaching, and the tour feature would be fantastic for multimodal presentations.

How to get started

Google Earth is a desktop application, which you will need to install on your computer. You will need to download it form this site.

Once you have installed the program you will need to know how to use it. The playlist below has six videos which introduce you to Google Earth.

Resources

Now, armed with your new understanding of Google Earth, it's time to look at applying it to your classroom. I think the best place to start is the Google Earth Section of the Science Education Resource Center website. Beyond that there are countless other websites and resources, below I have collated a sample of some of them, but if you really want to explore, just search for Google Earth Lessons.

• Google Earth Tour Builder
• Google Earth for Educators
• Google Earth for Educators: 50 Exciting Ideas for the Classroom
• Google Earth Lessons

Google Educator Certification Training (session 2)

Welcome to the second session of the Google Educator Certification training. For those who were not here last week, the plan is for these to be support sessions where we, a a group, work towards becoming Google Educators. The idea is for use to work through the training offered at the Google for Education site.

Initially we are working through the basics videos on six Google tools. Last week, we covered Docs and Drive, Search, and Sites.

This week we will look at:

• Calendar
• Chrome
• Gmail

Don't forget, that as we work through these tools, we're trying to keep a record of ideas for their classroom application using this document, and links to all websites we discus will be kept on the Tuesday Arvo Sessions Diigo group. There is a permanent link to both of these resources in the blog sidebar.

Google Educator Certification Training

This is the first session of the Google Educator Certification training. These sessions are designed so, as a group, we can support each other as we work to become Google Educators. We will be working through the training provided by Google on their Google for Education site.

The first couple of sessions will be used to familiarise ourselves with various Google tools, and to discuss their us in the classroom.

Today we will focus on the Basics Tutorials for:

• Docs and Drive
• Search
• Sites

To keep a record of these discussions, and to assist fellow staff members who could not attend the training, we'll fill out this document.

In addition, any links that we have discussed during these sessions will be available at the Tuesday Arvo Sessions Diigo group.

Edvertisement: Auphonic

Using in the Class

Auphonic could be a useful tool for both teachers and students in any scenario where a voice is being recorded. It would be very useful when students are doing voice over presentations, videos, screen-casts or radio/podcasts.

The mobile apps, make the use so easy, and can also be used to record in the field.

The best thing is that it is very effective. I started using this tool in response to improve the audio of the Edvertisement, with excellent results.

Getting Started

Web Version

To access Auphonic just go to their website, and sign up using your email. The video below will show you how to use Auphonic.

The Web version of Auphonic doesn't record the voice straight from the computer. Rather it processes an audio file that you upload. If you are not sure how to record audio on your computer, then check out the links below:

• Windows 8.1
• Windows 7
• Mac

Mobile Vesion

You can also get it for the iPhones and iPads and for Android devices. For the most part these tools have the same features as the web version, with two differences.

The first is a plus. The tool records for the user, so there is no need to use another app to record. Although, there is the ability to process audio recorded by other apps.

The second difference is a negative, in that you cannot access the download the processed file onto you device for the use with other apps. You will need to use a PC for that.

Edvertisement: Referencing

Using in Class

These tools help users collate their references whilst writing and researching. When users have finished their work, the tools will generate a bibliography for the end of the document. Both tools allow for different styles of referencing, including APA, and allow for different types of sources.

There is one notable difference. The Word tool requires users to enter the source details.  With the Google Docs tool, the user enters the source and the tool searches the web for the details. At the time of writing, the Google Doc tool has no way to manually enter details, although the developers have promised it soon.

Getting started

Microsoft Word

Word comes with a built in referencing tool, all you have to do is start using it. The video bleow show you how to use the referencing tool in 2013.

Google Docs

To use the referencing tool in Google Docs you first need to install the add-on from EasyBib. The video below show you how to install and use the EasyBib tool.

Edvertisement: Hemingway App

Using in class

Both teachers and students can benefit from the Hemingway App.

Teachers can use it to ensure that their texts are clear and easy to understand. The readability score indicates the minimum reading level needed to understand the text. This can help teachers write at the correct level.

Students can use the Hemingway App to check the style of their work. Highlighting the hard to read sentences assists students in getting their message across. Encouraging boldness and clarity will enhance any persuasive text.

This article explains the theory behind the app.

Getting started

The Hemingway App is one of the easiest eLearning Tools to use. Go to www.hemingwayapp.com, delete the place-holder text, and paste in your own. The app will analyse and highlight your text.

Hovering over the highlights provides suggested remedies for passive voice, and complicated phrases.

The panel on the right provides a readability score, some simple analysis. There you will also find controls to turn different highlights on and off.

Edvertisment: Tricider

Using in class

Tricider's three of features suggest different classroom activities.

The ideas posting allows for easy brain storming. Not only can students quickly add ideas, but there is ample space to write a detailed explanation of their ideas. Ideas can also contain pictures and URL links.

The pros and cons section allows students to argue the idea's merits. The students are required to designate their statement as a pro or a con, which eliminates fence sitting. Students can put forward a number of arguments.

Finally the voting section allows students to put their support behind an idea. The more popular ideas will move to the front.

In addition, Tricider allows you to ask multiple questions within one Tricision (yes, that's what they are called). Here is an example of a Tricision using multiple questions.

If you want to see a  lesson which uses this tool, then check out this post.

Getting Started

To get started, go to the Tricider website. You can create an account using your Goolge login. You don't have to create an account, although having an account makes it easier to manage your different Tricisions.

The video below gives you a simple overview of how Tricider works.

Edvertisement: Diigo

Using Diigo in Class

There are so many classroom applications for Diigo, mostly because it has so many features and these features can be used to create a myriad of classroom experiences.

Bookmarking

The core feature of Diigo is it's ability to bookmark websites and centralise these in the cloud. This means that your bookmarks are available from any device with Internet access.  Put simply, Diigo is the best way to gather and organise your online resources. All the sites you have bookmarked are added to your Diigo Account, along with a description and any tags you add. The description and tags are used for searching in your account.

This video shows you basics of using Diigo.

To see an example of using Diigo in class, check out my Lesson: Researching Sacred Stories post.

Annotating

Diigo goes beyond merely bookmarking a site. Diigo, also enables you to highlight web pages, and comment on them. These highlights and comments are also collated into you account where you can view them. This way you can view all the notes you have collected from each website.

Groups

Groups are a powerful organising and collaboration tool. Groups can be private or public to allow for many users to collaboratively build a library of online resources. There are different levels of collaboration, allowing you to decide the level of participation for different group members.

Lists

Lists are Diigo's tool for displaying your bookmarks. You can send bookmarks to a list that you can then share to different platforms. Lists are only only for display purposes, but are a simple way to embed an up-datable sources of bookmarks.

Educators Account

Diigo also offers a free educator account. This account gives you access to a teacher console where you can create accounts for your students and allocated them to groups.

Mobile Apps

Finally Diigo has apps for both Android and iOS. This means that you, or students can use Diigo's features on your phones or tablets.

Getting Started

To get started with Diigo, go to the website an create an account. You can use Google, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo accounts, or create an account using your email address. Once you have created your account, then it is time to start bookmarking.

The easiest way to bookmark in Diigo is to install either Diigolet, or the Diigo Extension in your browser. The tools can be found here. There is a tool available for every browser.

Edvertisement: Feedly

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.