100+ Google Tricks That Will Save You Time in School – Eternal Code [via onlinecolleges.net] With classes, homework, and projects–not to mention your social life–time is truly at a premium for you, so why not latch onto the wide world that Google has to offer? From super-effective search tricks to Google hacks specifically for education to tricks and tips for using Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, these tricks will surely save you some precious time. Search Tricks These search tricks can save you time when researching online for your next project or just to find out what time it is across the world, so start using these right away. Convert units. Google Specifically for Education From Google Scholar that returns only results from scholarly literature to learning more about computer science, these Google items will help you at school. Google Scholar. Google Docs Google Docs is a great replacement for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so learn how to use this product even more efficiently. Use premade templates. Gmail Use the Tasks as a to-do list.
50 Of The Best Video Games For Learning In 2015 50 Of The Best Video Games For Learning in 2015 by TeachThought Staff We’ve discussed the merits and utility of video games in the classroom before, so we won’t beleaguer the point. If you’re interested in the possibility of video games for learning–that is, teaching and learning with video games to master both academic and non-academic content–than the following collection may be of interest to you. We’ve discussed before the logistics of how to teach with video games (especially for non-mobile games). But if this an area you’re interested in learning more about, we thought a collection of the best video games for learning–that is, those we’d want our own children playing for their varied utility in teaching and/or learning–might be useful. Criteria To select each of these games, we focused on 3 basic criteria: 1. This has to do with the quality of the game. The most basic test of playability is this: A well-designed game should not confuse or frustrate the player. 2. 3. Some Prefaces
10 ways I use Google Forms in my tablet classroom Image courtesy of TBR Mohamed El-Ashiry takes a look at ways of using Google Forms in the classroom. I am one of Google Forms‘ biggest fans! While there have been many other advantages, the biggest advantage of using Google Forms in my classroom is being able to give students immediate feedback. In my classroom, students have had tablets (iPads) for two years now. 1. Student self-assessment is a very powerful tool in any classroom. 2. Peer-assessment also plays a critical role in any classroom. 3. In my classes, whenever I assign the students a major assessment task, I show them them the rubric that will be used to assess their work. 4. Google Forms has been a great way of documenting student merit points and rewards for positive behaviour. 5. Teachers are required to maintain evidence of any professional development they undertake. 6. I have created several reflection forms for students to use in my classroom. 7. 8. 9. 10. Like this: Like Loading... Author: MrMo
Google Slides – Using links to create quizzes, stories & games | Learning Google Apps Here we’ll look at the power of links and how something so simple can allow you to make your slides more interactive. We’ll cover: Inserting a link to a webpage From a text boxFrom an imageInserting links to different slides to create: QuizAdventure comic storyBusiness decision game Inserting a text link to a webpage The first thing to know, is that you can’t just insert a link by itself. Let’s start by adding a link to a text box. The toolbar will change and you’ll see a link icon. This opens the link box. And paste in your link (with Ctrl V). Now you’ve added a link to the text box. That opens the link in a new tab. If you have your slides in present mode, when you hover the cursor over the text box, it will change to a little hand, to show you that it’s a link that can be clicked on. Adding a link to an image Sometimes we don’t want the link to be words, but we want to add the link to an image. Click on “Insert link”. Paste your link in and click “Apply”. Slide A – Question And so on…
Another Powerful App for Teaching Kids Coding March 20, 2015 Pyonkee is a powerful iPad app for teaching kids and adults about coding. Pyonkee has been developed from the open source code of the popular coding app Scratch from MIT Media lab. This means that learners can use millions of Scratch projects for reference. Pyonkee provides student friendly programming environment where kids can use it to learn programming through engaging games and activities. They will also get to program their own games, animations and stories and boost their creative and collaborative skills. Pyonkee’s user interface is optimized for touch interfaces. 80 Interesting Ways To Use Google Forms In The Classroom 80 Interesting Ways To Use Google Forms In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff When you think of innovative, edgy, compelling uses of technology, Google Forms isn’t exactly the first thing that leaps to mind. While you’d probably prefer a piece of hardware that’s affordable, easy to use, and mobile that allows students to direct their own mastery of content in peer-to-peer and school-to-school learning environments, for now you just might have to settle for a spreadsheet. No, wait. Spreadsheets are simply a kind of framework, yes? And they have built-in formulas to perform calculations, visualize data, and communicate information in ways we–and students–are not used to seeing, right? So maybe a self-grading assessment? Questionnaires? See, I told you it’s not so bad.
Control Alt Achieve: New Google Forms Quiz Feature vs Flubaroo Google Forms has long been a favorite tool for schools, and one of the most popular uses for Forms has always been online assessments. Digital quizzes have many benefits for schools including:Automatic grading for quick feedback for teachers and students.Easy analysis of the results to determine who needs help and what content needs retaught.Use of assistive technology to have text read aloud or zoomed in for easier reading.Preparation for high-stakes online tests.Savings on paper and printing.Easy to update in the future or share with others for collaborative editing. Google Forms has always made it super easy to create quizzes, send them out to students, and collect all the responses. The only pain point has been how to grade the student submissions. Thankfully for years we have have the awesome add-on for Google Sheets called Flubaroo. Suddenly though, there is a new option. The Verdict In short, the new Google Forms quiz option is easier to use than Flubaroo. General Settings
Create an Audio Slideshow With Annotations in YouTube YouTube is loaded with tools and settings that teachers and students often overlook. The YouTube audio slideshow tool is one of those overlooked tools built into YouTube. I often demonstrate it in my workshops on video creation. In the video embedded below I provide a demonstration of how to use YouTube’s audio slideshow creation tool. Here are this week’s most popular posts from FreeTech4Teachers.com: 1. 10 Good Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms Add-ons for Teachers 2. This week I opened registration for the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp being held on July 13 &14. Can’t make it to Maine this summer?