💥 T𝗲𝗰𝗵 tips and more- Games, templates, new tech features, ideas and more in this first tech tip post of the school year!

 Some great free learning game sites worth looking at today! 

Toy Theater has a ton of educational games. (K-4)  I have mentioned this one in the past, it's a WINNER! (Note - They are also starting a new math site for older kids and a site for worksheets and printables called Class Playground. ) 

Funbrain - It's been around for a long time, and is still a great one! K-8 with a lot of reading and math games.  (Tip - Checkout the links at the top & bottom of the page to narrow by grade too.)

 

99math - Quick setup - 5 minute games. (Review here.)

Starfall - Grade pre-k-3 Math & reading games and resources. 

ABCya - pre-k-6+ games and educational resources. 

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Great new feature in Docs - It's about time!  In Google Docs, you can now choose to receive email notifications for document changes on a per-file basis. (You have always been able to do this in Google Sheets, now you can do it in Docs as well!)  Check it out here. This is great! 

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Congrats to these staff members for completing their Google Certifications this summer:

Level 1 only: (2 Total)

darian.carney@nsdtitans.org (Completed 5-21-22)

nicole.zvolanek@nsdtitans.org (Completed 7-1-22)

Level 2 only :  (2 Total)

melissa.wesch@nsdtitans.org (Completed 7-1-22)

sarah.harms@nsdtitans.org (Completed 7-15-22)

Level 1 & 2 : (1 Total)

caleb.sheets@nsdtitans.org (Completed Level 1 - 7-18-22) 

Certification renewals:

Level 1 renewal only: (1 Total) 

sarah.harms@nsdtitans.org (Completed 7-17-22)

Level 1 & 2 renewal: (1 Total) 

adam.kranz@nsdtitans.org (Completed Level 1 5-29-22)

Our complete list of Google Certified Educators can be found here. 

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Miscellaneous Tech Tips

7 Google Sheets Features to Boost Your Productivity - Some nice tips in this article. 

5 Best Free Meeting Scheduling Apps to Find a Common Time Slot -  These meeting scheduler apps make it easy to find a common time slot when everyone is free or share your free slots for others to agree to

Give parents a list of assignments in your Google Classes with this add-on. 

20 back to school templates to save you time - Check these out from Dith that Textbook. 

Send your speaker notes in Google Slides™ to a Google Doc™ with this simple add-on. 

Slides Translator add-on with voice typing in slides!:  Slides Translator automagically translates text in your Slides. Communicate across multiple languages with ease! Now includes Voice Typing in over 60+ language dialects! More info here. Add-on here. 

Google Drive tip:  "In Google Drive press V. Not Control, Not Alt, just V. Press the V key to toggle between Grid view and List view."  (Think V for view in Google Drive.) 

GoGuardian University! Teacher Training Course - Class uses interactive content and pages.

QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK (Insert a Watermark in Google Docs) - You can now add watermarks (text or image) in a Google Doc. This is great for adding your school logo, marking confidential, and more!  Watch this quick video to learn how!

Google Docs new feature update: Easily assign Tasks from Google Docs 

In Google Docs, you can now assign a checklist item to yourself or a colleague that will then show up in the assignee’s Tasks list. (Coming in the next few weeks.) 

Password Protect Your Google Forms - More how-to info here. 

Jamboard: Add a Background from Canva. Checkout this How-To here. 

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How to create media-rich, interactive maps for deeper learning - If you have not used "My Maps"  You need to.  Check out this how-to here. (It's great for planning personal trips too!) 

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Google Forms:

Multiple Versions and Retakes - Manage quizzes and tests with these tips. 

Add Google Form Sections - Seeing a lot of questions at once can be overwhelming. Divide up your Google Form into sections to help break up the length of the Google Form. Think pages! Each section is a page of your Google Form. More info here. 

Speaking of Sections in forms -- Checkout, Navigate Google Forms Sections, to learn more about using sections and navigating sections. 

FASTER! Create Rubrics for Google Classroom - "There are 3 options when you click on the Rubric button: Create rubric, Reuse rubric, Import from Sheets." - Use GC Rubric by Alice Keeler to make "Import from Sheets" the EASIEST option! 

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Google Classroom: 

How to Export Your Google Classroom Rubrics - More info here. 

Nice Google Classroom Tip's for student's Poster -  Located here. More info here.   This one and more Google Classroom tips are found on our Norris Google Classroom Tips Sheet. 

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Need to insert a math equation in Google Docs/Slides or forms - This is for you! 

The free Hypatia Create add-on allows you to easily insert math equations in docs, slides or forms.  Install it here.  Short video about it here. 

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More templates at your fingertips! With Google Docs Templates by cloudHQ, you can access hundreds of Google Docs templates that fit your needs with just a click of a button! Take a look  (Video here)

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Access over 3,000 digitized historical newspapers using the interactive map and timeline from the Library of Congress. Check it out! 

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Sneak Peek - WOW, some great features coming!  Chromebooks Get a Ton of New Features: Google Photos Video Editing, Light and Dark Themes, More. See what's coming soon! 

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Did someone say year-round LearnStorm? Yeah, we did.

Over the past five years, we here at Khan Academy heard from teachers like you about the need for a mastery-driven, year-round LearnStorm. Good news! It's now here. Plus, we added several other new features to the mix, including updated content for our most popular course ever — 6th grade math.

See all the new features

Beyond these game-changers, we’ve also rolled out

1.	An Individual Student Skills report that enables you to see each student’s mastery levels for every skill in a selected instructional area
2.	A new mastery view for students that shows them where they are on their learning journey (it’s located in the sidebar)
3.	Middle and High School Science

Checkout more OER resources in our tech doc here. 

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Checkout these tips for making your Chrome bookmarks easy-peasy!  

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"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Benjamin Franklin - American Politician (1706 - 1790)

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"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." - John Dewey - American Philosopher (1859 - 1952)

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Teamwork is a desirable job skill in today's economy. When we let students collaborate, we prepare them for the future! Here's how Google Slides can help. 10 collaborative Google Slides activities - Check them out!

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This free online video editor is one to add to your toolbox! ClipChamp is amazing for free!  Checkout this article for more info: How to use Clipchamp, Microsoft’s sleeper-hit video editor.   Pricing info here,  Unlimited video exports in 1080p exports with no watermark.

We have added it to our resource doc here as one of our top 2 choices! 

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Check them out here!  Some games, templates, ideas and more! 

💥 Tech items - New staff Chromebooks, Jamboard app- WOW!, Tips, Tricks, Templates and more in this weeks tech tips!

 

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Remember -  New teacher Chromebooks will be distributed on April 23rd! (PD/Workday.) 

Have your Chromebook, charger and stylus ready to check in on that day!  

• If you are going to be gone that day, we can check you out a new Chromebook anytime!
• If you want a stylus for your new Chromebook, remember to sign up in the next couple days! (These are a new/different stylus, so read that prior email for more info.) 
• More information on time/location will be sent out prior to the 23rd. 

(See my March 29th email for more information. As well as the form to reserve your stylus.) 

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Repurposing VR Kits In a post-Google Expedition World - We have several Google Expedition kits we have put together.  Here are some great ideas on still using those kits within your classrooms!  (I still can not believe Google dropped Expeditions!) 

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Some new features coming next year to Google Classroom:

• Improved photo creation, attachment and submission for mobile first (IOS/Android app) users. 
• Student engagement and tracking page.  See all students in a handy dashboard! 
• Use Classroom offline for students with limited internet connectivity 

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Miscellaneous tech

Are you using rubrics in Google Classroom?  They are easy to use!  Checkout this short video discussing and showing their use. 

How to Access the Clipboard Manager on a Chromebook - Yes there is one!  Find out how.(Hint search + V on a Chromebook.) 

Get Your Copy of the 2020-21 Practical Ed Tech Handbook  By Richard Byrne - Richard always has good stuff and this one is no exception.  Grad it here. (This is such a great resource.)  

Eight More Electrifying Elementary Web 2.0 Tools - If elementary students are your joy in life, check out these eight great web tools to use with them for learning and fun. Read More >>>

Tools to Boost Students' Vocabulary and Knowledge - Discover four tech tools to help students of all ages master critical vocabulary words and become better readers and writers.
Read More >>>

This Is Sand. Remember making sand art as a kid? Now you can do it digitally. Check it out and click the play now. 

MapCrunch. Here’s your chance to go on an adventure without ever leaving your couch. The website will put you in a random location in the world and then it’s up to you to do the exploring.

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Teaching tips with tech: 

Slide into science: Demonstrating learning with Google Slides 

Google Slides interactive notebooks + 20 activities to fill them (Includes the notebook template!) 

Google Maps walking tours with Street View and Screencastify (We use Loom instead of Screencastify - both work well.) 

Show learning in motion with stop motion animation - If students can envision it in motion, they can show it in motion on the screen with Google Slides. 

Create a top 10 video with Flipgrid - Checkout the how-to. 

Make photo comic strips (or books!) with Slides

Write choice stories in Slides  - Remember "Choose Your Own Adventure" stories? They gave readers choices and helped them reach endings based on their selections. S

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All about that audio. - In this youtube recorded webinar you will learn about adding sounds in slides, captioning in Meet, talk and comment extension (Even works in forms), and many more tips along the way. 

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Video Editing Tools for K-12 and adult learners - This resource has several great tools.   This resource is part of the TCEA lunch and learn webinars. site.  

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Mote

Exploding on to the #edtech scene in the last 12 months, this versatile extension for Chrome works directly inside Google Slides, Docs, Sheets and Classroom and allows you to leave audio comments and feedback on these different tools. A complete timesaver that promotes inclusion, accessibility and reducing workload, Mote is a must-have tool for the savvy educator looking to make the most of their Chromebook.

Learn more about it and get the extension via https://www.justmote.me/   It's free plan includes most of the essentials. 

Use Immersive Reader (unofficial)

Immersive reader is a fantastic tool, designed for accessibility, but promotes good reading habits and language learning support for all. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work on Chrome, unless of course you use this fantastic unofficial version of the tool. It works just like the Immersive Reader you probably already know and love but just in your Chrome browser.  

You can learn more about it and access the extension here.    

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25 virtual field trips for your classroom

Virtual field trips allow us to take our students where the bus can’t. Here are 25 field trips and 10 activities to do while you're on one! Check them out here.  and NEW: Our virtual field trips home page, with 50+ trips

   

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Add and manage four new types of citations in Google Docs 

Now you can add these four new citation source types in Google Docs:

• Film
• TV Series
• TV Episode
• Miscellaneous

This will make writing academic papers easier, since you won’t have to copy citations from other tools. The four new citation source types come in addition to the types you already have available, including books, websites, journal articles, and newspaper articles. More info here. 

   

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How would you do on Adam's tech Tuesday Kahoot?

Adam Kranz shared this with our MS staff and I thought it would be fun to share with our entire NSD staff.  (Thanks for creating a great Kahoot Adam!) 

If you have not used Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizizz or several others... checkout our Assessment Tools document to help you get started. 

   

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FREE GOOGLE SLIDES TEMPLATES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM - Don't reinvent the wheel when templates are available!  Get them here! 

Checkout our Google Slide templates doc for tons more! (We keep adding resources like this one to this growing doc.) 

   

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A few nice Chrome Extensions! 

Link to Text Fragment -  Link to Text is a Chrome extension provided by Google. You can highlight a text on a web page and then create a link that you can share. When someone clicks on your link, they go to the website AND the text that you had highlighted will be highlighted for them.

Full Page Screen Capture. -Captures the entire screen. It scrolls for you all the way to the bottom to get the entire page. Check it out. 

Remember... review your extensions yearly and disable the ones you find yourself no longer using.  (They take up resources and slow your device.)  I use extensity to turn them on and off easily. 

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Ran across this quote... let's hope we are all energy builders. 

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QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK (Create a Google Classroom Custom Banner) via Kadey Bell

Did you know you can create your own custom banner for Google Classroom?  It's super easy in Google Drawings, and I even have a FREE blank template to get you started. 
 Watch this quick video to learn how!

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WOW - You thought you knew Jamboard, I bet you were wrong! (I was)

Did you know there are some added features in the App vs. the web version?  (We are allowing the Android version of Jam to be installed on all of our Chromebooks!)  (We have added this to our approved apps list.) 

This video webinar will walk you through those features. At this point in the video they show you the app differences. 

Spoiler alert: Stickers, Auto draw, insert from drive, handwriting recognition and more in the App version! 

MORE JAMBOARD:

QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK (Jamboard Version History) - You can now access the version history in Jamboard and see exactly what your students contributed and WHEN! 
 Watch this quick video to learn how!

How to Make Whiteboard Videos With Loom & Jamboard (3 min. Tutorial video.)  (Both free tools! Remember to sign up for the educator account with Loom! More info here.)

Our Jamboard resource doc with tons of resources and templates can be found here.

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💥 Tech items - Templates galore! , new Google features, Classroom tools, tech tips and more in this weeks tech email.

 

K-5 Teachers - Remember students are not supposed to be plugging and unplugging chromebooks from the carts!  Also make sure students are using the same Chromebook.  (This is not only for Covid reasons but also for tracking any damages that may occur.) 

 

We really appreciate all of your efforts in helping to keep the technology in great working order! 

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WOW - This is a great list of tools and resources from the TCEA convention that just wrapped up.  Templates, tools, websites and more! Get started here with the list.  

The list above is an entire treasure chest of resources and ideas. Here are just a few from this list:

• Activities with Google Drawings
• Digital Choice Boards
• Newspapers front pages. Free for Google Slides
• And more! ... Check them out here. 

TCEA has a log of free webinars (And past recorded webinars) and resources available in their lunch and learn webinars.  Check them out. 

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Misc. Tech tips and resources: 

CS First Classroom compatibility and updates - CS First is now compatible with Google Classroom, which means teachers can sync their accounts, import class rosters, and create assignments from CS First. Check out these and other new features available now by signing in to your CS First teacher account.

If you have not checked out Google's Arts & Culture - now may be the time. They keep adding a lot of content.  Preserving Egypt's Layered History is just one of many. - Brings to life the archaeological discoveries, the archaeologists and preservation processes. With stories, 3D and AR models, Quizzes, videos, virtual tours and Choose Your Own Adventures, the project brings the treasures of Egypt into the classroom.  Checkout Art's & Culture home page for more great interactive experiences and content. 

 - Ninja trick: How to send an email assignment summary in Google Classroom (Short 1 minute how to video!) 

Class can be like this! If we want to engage students, let's make class feel like their beloved apps.  A social media reply Google Slides template for digital citizenship and 12 social media-inspired Google Slides templates 

10 amazing assessment ideas from Ditch that Textbook. 

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Coming soon to Google!  These will be coming this year:

• Drafts for forms.  You no longer have to complete a Google form in one sitting.  Drafts will be saved for up to 30 days. 
• Track changes in Google Jamboard. (Revision history for Jamboard)
• Easily credit your sources with "Search to cite" citations. 
• Autocorrect and Smartcompose in new languages. 
• CS First syncs your Google Classroom Roster.
• Student engagement tracking (Dashboard) in Google Classroom
• Use rich text formatting in classroom posts.  (Coming in March!) 
• Use Classroom offline for students with limited internet connectivity (Coming to Android first)  Remember 6-12 Chromebooks run the Android Classroom app! 
• End Meet for all users. 
• Mute all with audio lock capabilities. 
• Easily engage and express yourself with emoji reactions in Meet.  (Includes thumbs up and down for class interactions and feedback too.) 
• Screen recorder on Chromebooks. (No extension install required.) 

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Quick Tip of the Week: Video Feedback in Google Classroom - Great time from Kacy Bell and ShakeUpLearning. 

It's so easy to use Screencastify or Loom to record quick feedback for students.

Let's take this a step further and share feedback in Google Classroom. Add the video link to a private comment, document comment, or add it to your comment bank!

Watch this quick 2-minute video to learn how!  (The video shows Screencastify, but we Loom works just as well!) 

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FULLSCREEN Interactive Google Slides - Don’t you love interactive Google Slides... especially for the littles! But many teachers wish there was a way to keep the interactivity in full-screen mode. This Chrome extension that will let you do just that!  

Watch this quick video to learn how!

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10 Things You Didn’t Know Google Docs Could Do - I bet there is at least one in this list you didn't know! 

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Ten Time-savers for G Suite for Education Users - This one if definitely worth a quick look! 

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QR codes are built into Chrome now!

If you do not see this, make sure you update Chrome to get the current version. 

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Learn fractions for 4th grade math using Community Boards at Whiteboard.Chat, (contributed by Gabrielle Mader) and observe your students in real time. We now have over 125 ready-to-use boards for math, languages and social sciences at our content library!

Whitboard.Chat and Whiteboard.fi are GAME CHANGERS when it comes to whiteboarding tools in the classroom.  They are on our top list of whiteboarding tools for the classroom. 

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Generate arched text at http://Picfont.com. Save as a PNG and import into Google Slides, Google Drawings, etc.  (ANother greta tip from Tony Vincent - @tonyvincent ) 

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Interesting - What device types do we see in the K-12 area?  I just thought I would share this chart from a recent webinar. This chart shows that Chromebooks are king and 2020 saw a large spike in sales for 1-1 programs.  (No surprise here... Covid pushed the 1-1's at a faster rate in schools. ) 

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Templates: Don't do the work if you don't have to! 

These are some great templates via Ditch that Textbook.  Via his newsletter - look below for a link to subscribe! 

A great template will save you time. It can create a fun, effective learning activity.

"What's a template?" A re-usable file (often in Docs, Slides, PowerPoint, etc.) that you can assign to students.

"How do you use it?" Pretty simple, actually ...

• Make one (or make a copy of someone else's).
• Assign it (in Google Classroom or Canvas, Schoology, etc.).
• Students work on it.
• Students turn it in.

"Can I get them for free?" Oh yes. (You know that's what we do here, right?)
 

Our four best templates resources

• 22 must-have templates for teachers: This post is packed with free templates you can copy. They come from teachers, who have shared their faves.
   
• 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers: This is a collection of our favorite templates from Slides Mania, a great free site for templates. Each template in this post includes an idea for using it in class.
   
• Our templates library (50+ templates): We've organized our own templates into this easy to navigate library. Browse social media templates, game templates, interactive activity templates, etc. Copy one to use, or read a blog post to learn how to use it. (Here's my recent TikTok video about it, in case you missed it earlier.)
   
• Ebook: 50 FREE Templates for Teachers: This ebook is part of the welcome pack you get when you subscribe to this email newsletter. In case you misplaced it or (gasp!) forgot about it, here's the link to it again.

10 of our favorite templates 

 

 

1. The Virtual Art Gallery Template (via Slides Mania): Display student art, poetry, video, etc. so others can see. Also great for interactive lessons of art, history or anything. (Source: Slides Mania and 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers)
 

 

2. Digital Board Game Template (via Slides Mania): Create a game for students where students progress based on their understanding of class material. (Source: Slides Mania and 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers)
 

 

3. The Tower Building Template (via Slides Mania): Take a digital elevator to visit different floors of a building to see what you can find on each. Great for escape rooms, virtual stations, choice boards, etc. (Source: Slides Mania and 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers)
 

 

4. The Class YouTube Channel Template (via Slides Mania): This is a great place to gather videos students have created -- or helpful ones they can access any time. (Source: Slides Mania and 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers)
 

5. Weekly Planner for Remote Learning Template (via Slides Mania): Pull together your videos, activities, links, assignments, and anything else your students will need for the whole week. (Source: Slides Mania and 30 free Google Slides and PowerPoint themes for teachers)
 

6. Iron Chef and Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol Templates: These two templates are EduProtocols: "teachers can insert any curriculum from across subjects to help guide students into a deeper understanding of the content." (Source: Jon Corippo/Marlena Hebern and 22 must-have templates for teachers)
 

7. Daily Check-In Google Form Template: Connect with all of your students with this Google Form survey. Give students the link and see at a glance how they are. (Source: Mari Venturino and 22 must-have templates for teachers)
 

8. Fortnite Choice Board Template: Where are we dropping? Students choose their activities by clicking on the Fortnite map! (Source: Tom Spall and 22 must-have templates for teachers)
 

9. Magazine Cover Templates: Create your own cover for Time Magazine, National Geographic, and more. (Source: Ryan O'Donnell and 22 must-have templates for teachers)
 

10. Memory Game Exit Ticket Template: This Google Slides template is a throwback to the favorite children's game, Memory. Match terms and definitions for review ... and more! (Source: Mandi Tolen and 22 must-have templates for teachers)

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