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Alternative Uses for Google Tools: Google Drawing

4/29/2022

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Continuing with our alternative uses for Google series, let’s spend today's blog post on Google Drawings. This again is one where you are better off in the hands of an expert, and that expert goes by the name of Eric Curts.
Eric’s Control Alt Achieve site is a great resource for every Google tool, and it’s completely free. I especially love it for Drawing because it has some amazing ideas and templates including magnetic poetry, clocks, and more. You can access Eric’s specific Drawing page by clicking HERE.
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Alternative Uses for Google Tools: Google Forms

4/22/2022

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Google Forms seems like a pretty straightforward tool, right? Well, it actually has some deep features that would allow you to use it in some very different ways. You can do some amazing things like personalized journeys, never fail quizzes, and breakout edu games. 

The design of forms makes it one of the easiest ways to create a student journey. It’s so easy to add content that you can create them quickly, and you can easily pass them on to students through Google’s ease of sharing.

We won’t cover surveys and quizzes, but lets cover some amazing opportunities for kids!

  • Personalized Pathways 
    • ​​​​Steps:
      • Send them to the different sections that can have different content. You can even descriptions and then use them to post live links (if you do something like cnn.com, it will make that link live automatically)
      • Go back to the original multiple choice questions and click the three dots in the bottom right and then “go to Section Based on Response”
      • Add different sections (new pages) for the different pathways you want students to take.
      • Add a multiple choice question to a page of the form. 
    • Possibilities:
      • Have students answer a question and then it can actually send them to an assignment. You could make that live link an assignment that makes sense to them through something like Google Docs.
      • Have the questions be a choice oriented pathway. The student could use the multiple choice question to make their choice and then it sends them down the right pathway.
  • Never Fail Quizzes
    • Steps:
      • Add a multiple choice question with answer choices to a page on the form.
      • Add two sections: one to send students who get the answer right one to send students to who get it wrong.
      • Go back to the original multiple choice questions and click the three dots in the bottom right and then “go to Section Based on Response”
      • Send them to the different sections based on their response. You could add some type of explanation or video that explains the concept.
  • ​Breakout Edu Games
    • Steps
      • Add clues to one page of the Google Form using the different content formats
      • Add a short answer question and make it required.
      • Click the three dots in the bottom right corner and click response validation. Use it to confirm the response that needs to be inputed (the correct clue), and add a hint to get the clue in the right format. The user will need to get it right to move to the next section.
      • Add a section and repeat the process.

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First Impressions: 2021 Macbook Pro with M1 Pro

4/15/2022

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I was lucky enough to recently get a 2021 M1 MacBook Pro, and I thought the blog would be a great place to give you some first impressions of the device. I got the base model which has a 14 inch screen, 16 GB of Memory, and 512 GB of storage, and for context I am coming from a 2018 MacBook Pro with touch-bar that was upgraded to 16GB of memory, has a 13 inch screen, and 256 GB of Storage.

The first thing you notice is the differences in look and feel, and I did not think it would start with the screen but it does. The screen size is really only a little over an inch difference from my 2018 MacBook Pro, but it feels like a ton. This laptop actually feels closer to the 16 inch in my hands then my previous 13 inch which is wild. I think part of that is the extra inch, but it’s also the reduced bezels. It really stands out in Chrome where you don’t have to scroll as far.

That look and feel also applies to the other pieces of the device. I was one who never really had issues with the previous generation of MacBook Pro's keyboard, but after typing on the 2021 for a bit, I can generally say I see the difference. The keys travel further like a general keyboard should, and the clacking that comes with the previous version is reduced. The black matte finish also hides dirt and grime just a bit better, and it feels cleaner.

While I have not gone out to present yet to take advantage of the ports, I am just thrilled that they are back. You only lost 1 USB-C port from the previous generation, but you gained an HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe power adapter. I can’t even express how happy I am to have MagSafe back, and plugging directly into a projector at a conference using the HDMI port rather than a dongle will cut back a host of issues for me.

The best part about this device though in comparison to my old computer is the M1-Pro chip. It makes the computer incredibly fast, and the efficiency it provides makes the battery life unbelievable. My previous Macbook at best had 2 and ½ hours of time when I quit using it (this was after 3 and ½ years.) I have used the new one off and on all weekend and it only lowered to a 48% charge. I can’t even express how surprised I am at this.

​Not only does the chip improve performance, it also lets me add iPad and iPhone apps to my device. This is such a life saver because now I don’t have to depend on a corded iOS device to demo iOs apps. It actually makes my iPad somewhat absolute with the main reason to keep it so that I have a second screen when presenting remotely. The only challenge is figuring out how to scroll in some apps.

I truly can’t say enough about this MacBook Pro upgrade. This is my 6th MacBook, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is my favorite. It’s the right combination of the things I loved in the originals (like the MagSafe), and the new and innovative ones like the M1 Pro chip. They are expensive, but if you can make that work, I highly recommend them.


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Alternative Uses for Google Tools: Google Slides

4/8/2022

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We are moving on in our series talking about alternative ways to use Google products, and today it’s all about Google Slides. Slides are a great way for teachers to present content, but it’s also a great creative tool. Its accessibility and ease of use make it a great way for students to show what they know.

Slides' amazing alternative uses come predominantly from three features that just make it different: the ability to easily share, the ability for slides to go straight into presentation mode, and the ability to link between slides. It means you can create things that are not just presentations, and we outline those below.


Alternative Uses:

  • 1 Student 1 Slide: Create a presentation with a slide for every student in your class. Then put each student's name in the presenter notes, and share the slides on edit. The students can then go in and edit the slide that has their name on it to create a collaborative slide deck.
  • StoryBooks: Storybooks are just a matter of putting the slides together in a book style format then including links to jump around in the slide show. You can also just have the presentation open up in presentation mode to have students jump straight into the book.
  • Game Show: This goes back to formats that you have seen. You basically create a lead game board on the first or second slide and buttons that when clicked jump to slides that are game questions. You can then have a back button that sends them back to the game board. 
  • Apps: Creating an app is just a matter of changing the size of the slides to match a phone screen, and then creating a slide at the start with links that send to other sides. The other slides can then have back buttons to send them back to the home screen.
  • Comic Strips: Just have each slide be a panel in the comic strip. You can then collaborate and share any way you want.
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Conference Preview: ITEC 2022

4/1/2022

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     I am so excited to come back to Iowa! I was disappointed when ITEC was pushed to October (that date worked so well for me), but I am so glad that ITEC will be in person here in just a couple of weeks! Come join me for one of the following sessions.

  • Make Something Delicious with MicroComputers 
    • April 13 9:30am
    • Room 305
    • Coding can be part of any standard! The micro:bit and Raspberry Pi give you micro-computers that you can build anything off of for any subject! Come to this session to see what they are, what you can create, and the making possibilities!
  • Apple Lovers Delight
    • April 13 2:15pm
    • Room 315
    • Apple Nerds UNITE! Get the best of the best IOS has to offer for the classroom in a quick-hitting style presentation to bring you maximum success. If you find one thing you can use, we have done our job!
  • So You Want to Do More with Classroom
    • April 14 9:30am
    • Room 316/317
    • You're a Classroom master, but you know it can do more. This session is all about that. We focus on tips, apps, and ideas to use Classroom in non-traditional ways. This session will bring out the Classroom Expert in you.
  • 8 Resources You Need to be an Amazing Coding Teacher (Session Sponsored by Tynker)
    • April 14 1:15pm
    • Room 310
    • Join us for a session diving into the keys of teaching coding and how Tynker aligns with both teacher and student needs.
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