6 new free Google tools to upgrade your classroom

Presentations look much sharper with the right slide template and eye-catching photos. These tools will improve your slide shows and more. (Flickr / Danny Sullivan) When my students and I work with Google Apps, there are two common struggles that we face: 1. Options for slide templates are scarce (and the ones in Google’s directory aren’t very good). 2. Thankfully, I’ve come across some solutions in the last couple days. These sites, as well as a few others, will help upgrade what you do in class if you and your students utilize Google Apps frequently. 1. A Creative Commons photo added through Photos for Class. 2. 3. Play geographical trivia in Google Maps using Smarty Pins. 4. Bonus — Want to do more with Google Maps? 5. 6. For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: like Ditch That Textbook on Facebookfollow @jmattmiller on Twitterfollow Ditch That Textbook on Pinterestjoin the Ditch That Textbook community on Google+, andfollow +MattMiller16 on Google+!

Coordinate Back-to-School with Choice Eliminator and Google Forms This is a guest post from Kate Wilson (@KateWilson13) of EdTechTeacher, an advertiser on this site. Google Forms can be one of the best tools in the classroom for data collection and assessment as well as a great resources for teachers to use in order to get information from parents. In this Back-to-School season, you may need to coordinate times for parent-teacher conferences or the donation of shared classroom school supplies. While Google Forms offers a simple solution, teachers still need to spend time sifting through all the various responses - particularly when parents are trying to select a time or sign up for a single resource. What if there was a way to eliminate choices from a question so as not to have sign-up conflicts? Choice Eliminator is a Google Forms Add-On that removes options from a Google Form as they are selected by users. Implementing this function requires just a few steps. This will open a sidebar application within the form.

4 Math Add ons for Google Docs This is a guest post from Jennfer Carey (@TeacherJenCarey) of EdTechTeacher, an advertiser on this site. Google Docs is a popular word processing tool. However, many people don’t realize that there are 4 great add-ons for Math that allow teachers and students to harness the power of Google. You can add any of these features to a Google Doc by selecting Add-ons → Get Add-ons. g(Math) is a popular tool for Math students and teachers. By incorporating Add-ons, teachers and students can expand the power of Google Docs beyond word processing and editing. To learn more about working with Google Apps consider attending EdTechTeacher's upcoming Google Jamboree. 3 Chrome extensions that will let you read web pages like books How much time do you spend a day browsing the web? Are you getting distracted too easily? Are there articles you don’t finish because you can’t focus on reading them? Internet these days is full of distractions. One easy way to remove distractions from any web page is using extensions like AdBlock (link to Chrome version). The tools listed below are the simple solution. Readability Readability is an extensive ecosystem that lets you read articles, save them for later or send to e-readers – all with a focus on easy reading. One of several tools and apps available from Readability is a Chrome extension. To turn the current web page into a comfortable book-style reading view, just use the Readability icon that sits in the top right corner of the browser, next to omnibar. Right after conversion, you’ll see a beautiful book-style design that only includes the content of the post. Readability for Chrome – reading view / click to enlarge Readability for Chrome Evernote Clearly

Add-Ons and Templates - Teacher Tech I learned a little JavaScript which is applicable for Google Apps Script. This allows me to code Google Docs and Sheets to create custom applications. Most of the templates below have an Add-On menu. Start Here: A Quick Google Apps Script Project Google Apps Script: Code Insert a Sheet Start Here: A Quick Google Apps Script Project Google Apps Script: Getting Started Part 2 Google Apps Script: You Can Code (part 3) Google Apps Script: Format a Sheet Google Apps Script: Create an Add-On Google Apps Script: Create an Alert Google Apps Script: Create Your Own Mail Merge Kids Start Coding Their Vocab Google Apps Script Picker Tutorial Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015

3 Must-Have Chrome Extensions for Classrooms With the rise of Chromebooks in schools, more student-friendly, classroom-ready Chrome extensions are popping up in the Chrome store. These clever tools can enhance students' and teachers' online activities by connecting to useful utilities or providing powerful features within the browser window itself. From bookmarking and citation plug-ins to collaboration tools, Chrome extensions can boost student learning and offer teachers easy new ways to plan lessons, manage student work, and more. Take a look at three of our current favorite Chrome extensions for students and teachers. Have an extension you can't teach without? Diigo Price: Free for 1,000 bookmarks/yr.; $20-$40/yr. for unlimited bookmarksPlatforms: Android, Chrome, Firefox, IE, iOS, Mac, and WebGrades: 7-12 Diigo has evolved from a simple bookmarking tool into a collaborative destination for collecting, commenting on, and sharing information online. Grammarly Kaizena Price: FreePlatforms: Chrome and WebGrades: 7-12