💥 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 - More Google templates, Jamboard tips, SeeSaw tips, a couple GREAT extensions and more in this weeks tech tips!

 

Several staff (Via the Chromebook survey) did not realize you can already do these with your current Chromebooks and setups:

• You can easily cast your Chromebook to your projector. How to Cast here. 
• You can easily use your phone as a remote mouse for your computer.  More info here. 
• Your current Chromebooks do have dual cameras. (So you have a camera when in tablet mode as well as your webcam.) 

Contact Jason or myself to help get you started with any of the items above. 

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Did you know? ... all of my tech tips emails get archived to my blog?  You can access them here. 

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Miscellaneous tech tips:

5 Quick Activities to Try with Jamboard Tomorrow - with templates!

Looking for Royalty free music for student or teacher projects?  Check this one out: Bensound

How to Design & Send Certificates With Google Slides and Forms 

An Overview of How Students View and Return Assignments in Google Classroom

How to Create Citations and Bibliography in Google Docs 

20 Ways to Use Google Drawings in the Classroom  - Google Drawings is a hidden treasure for teachers and students, but many have yet to discover its benefits.

Quick Tip of the Week (Extract Text from Images and PDFs) - Did you know you can convert images and PDF documents into a Google Doc and extract ALL the text?  This tip could save you valuable time!  📺 Watch this quick video to learn how!

Market, an Interactive template for counting money. Free Google Slides template! Check it out! 

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How to become a Google Docs power user (free PDF) a few highlights include:

• Top 5: Tips for getting the most out of Google Docs
• How to tag collaborators in Google Doc comments
• How to add more fonts to Google Docs
• How to insert a text box in Google Docs
• How to add footnotes in Google Docs
• How to check the word count in a Google Doc
• How to create a long dash in Google Docs
• How to make your Google Docs easier to read using indents and spacing
• How to make the most out of the mobile Google Docs editing tools
• How to add page numbers and bookmarks in Google Docs
• How Google Docs grammar check compares to its alternatives
• How to translate documents into different languages with Google Docs
• How to share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
• How to add images, tables, and drawings to a Google Doc file

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Great poster or cheat sheet to share with your students - Send a copy to your students or enlarge and print a copy for your classroom. Get a copy of this Chromebook shortcuts sheet! 

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Jamboard Activities for Independent Learning - It's located in our Jamboard templates folder.

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USING BITMOJIS IN YOUR VIRTUAL (AND REAL) CLASSROOM -Some great resources are here as well as a few new tools that were new to me. (Pixton, Wimp yourself and more...) 

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CREATING AND USING RUBRICS IN GOOGLE CLASSROOM - Rubrics are an excellent way to assess your student's work. Google Classroom makes it easy to share these rubrics with your students before they work on the assignment and after you have graded it.  Check it out. 

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Don't reinvent the wheel!  There are a lot of templates for Google that are available from a lot of resources. We have just added Templates for Teachers  to our template resources.  Check out our Google Templates doc that is chocked full of template resources! 

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This is a good  Seesaw tip - especially if you’re having students take pictures of work - it’s hard to hold up the work and use the trackpad!!

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A couple great Chrome Extensions! (We have added these to our approved list for students too.) 

Record to Slides easily allows you to do a quick recording from your webcam/Chromebook and insert it into slides. 

mote: voice notes & feedback     (Great find by Gault!) 

Easily add audio notes when grading your student's assignments! Mote is integrated with Google Docs, Google Classroom, Slides and Sheets. You can create a voice note by clicking the mote icon in any Comment box. They have a few paid features, but the free version still gives you 30 seconds per feedback note, which is more than enough time. 

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We are seeing a lot of Phishing emails similar to this! 

The past week we are seeing a bunch of automated phishing emails.  They are getting better... using an actual picture... using a fake gmail account with the name... etc...

Always be cautious!  You guys are doing an amazing job so keep up the great work! 

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Import Google Classroom Roster to create a group in Flipgrid with the latest update! Checkout this short 1 minute video to learn how. 

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💥 Tech items - Some great tips and tools to check out 👀 in this weeks post!

Google releases Chrome Canvas web app for drawing with ‘Ink’  - Just visit this site and start drawing! More info here.   (We have added a direct link to this and the AWW App in Clever) 

• -Save drawings
• -Export file if needed (PNG picture file format.) 
• -Easy, Simple, & Fast!

I have added this one along with some other great ones to my doc: Use your iPad or Chromebook (Android app) as a Whiteboard <---Check it out! 

Free app! For kids in grades K-3 - Quality reading practice has never been easier.

Rivet is a free (Developed by Google Labs) program that provides access to  3,000+ free books across 14 categories in a kid-friendly interface. More info about the app can be found in our info document.  (Feel free to share this with parents tool) 

EdPuzzle has some great new features.  (This is an awesome tool for videos in your classroom.) It integrates with Google Classroom too!  Great for making sure students have watched the assigned video. You can even quiz them along the way! 

Here are a few of the new features:

Live Mode 

Project your edpuzzle for the whole class while your students answer live on their own devices… watch together, have fun and spark discussion!

Open Class 

Now students can watch videos without having to create an account – perfect for quick practice and elementary students! 

Are you using Comments in Google Classroom with grading assignments/Docs? 

Remember, the # will bring up your list of comments to insert. It's a nice time saver!  More info in this short 2-minute video. 

Display the word count as you type in Google Docs - New feature 

(Starting gradual roll out on 9-9-19.)  Instead of going to Tools > Word Count each time you want to view this information, now, you can simply select Tools > Word count > Display word count while typing to continuously display it in the lower-left corner of your doc:

Here's one for the math teachers - Need to do equations in Google docs?

Give the Auto-LaTeX Equations add-on a try. This add-on lets you automatically convert every LaTeX equation in your document into beautiful images! Simply enclose your math equations within $$ ... $$ and click the button in the sidebar, and all of your equations will be rendered in LaTeX!

3 easy strategies to organize your Google Classroom - This article has some great tips on getting your classroom organized.  Note - I have added this resource to our Google Classroom tips and trick doc. 

New Features coming - Switch to a Blank Screen and Set Advanced Time Options for Presentations in Google Slides
Via G Suite Updates | Google is adding two new features in Slides Present mode to help you better control and customize your presentations: keyboard shortcuts to switch to a blank screen and looping and auto advance time options for presentations. More info here. 

Some great resources from Matt Miller's Ditch that textbook email:

Check out his site with some amazing resources that grow each week! 

Here are just a few: 

Check out his videos for 12 of his most popular blog posts ever.

20 Seesaw ideas with Chromebooks for K-12 classes  We are pushing every K-2 teacher at Norris to use SeeSaw - but check out these great ideas for everyone! 

3 easy strategies to organize your Google Classroom 

Signup on the right-hand page of his website to get a weekly email with some great resources. 

Great email tip if you do not really want to give out your actual email address. This avoids creating a junk email address for conferences, etc...

Have you ever signed up for a conference, newsletter, or other services as a requirement or to get a discount Instead of setting up a different Gmail account for that unwanted Spam give this a try!

By simply adding a + to the end of your username (but before the "@") you can create infinite variations of your Gmail address. For example, ted.smith+norris@nsdtitans.org will direct email to your main address (ted.smith@nsdtitans.org) without giving it away to spammers. You can then filter messages containing "username+norris" into your junk or trash folder so you never have to be bothered to delete them again.   (Do this using Filters in Gmail.)  As shown above, this will work for EDU domains like our nsdtitans.org or for regular Gmail accounts as well.) 

Google Drive tips:

Share for a limited time - You can make a file in your Drive storage available to someone else only for a limited period of time. Right-click the file and select “Share,” Type in the name or email address of the person with whom you want to share and click the “Send” button.

Fax a file from drive - Need to send a fax from your Google Drive - No problem with the HelloFax add-on.  (Free and paid plans.)  Click the big “New” button in Drive’s upper-left corner, select “More,” and then “Connect more apps.” Search for “HelloFax” in the window that appears, then click the green “Connect” button and follow the steps to authorize the service.

Maintain different versions of files -  With Google Docs you have version history as well as named versions right inside of the doc.  But with non-google files like PDF's Pictures, etc... did you know you can keep up to 100 different/older versions of the same file?  In Drive right-click on a file to upload a new version or to download an older version of the file.  This how-to article will help if you have further questions. 

Color code folders or add emoji to the names of folders.  Right-click (or Ctrl-click) any folder and look for the “Change color” option.  Right-click to rename the folder and past the emoji as a part of the name. 

💥 Tech tools - Map tools, see changes to our world via Google Earth, Gsuite tips and more in this weeks tech posting.

Misc web tools:

Watch videos together as a group - https://www.watch2gether.com/  (Create a free room and get started - no registration required.) Thanks to our very own James Myers for this one! 

31 of My Favorite Ed Tech Tools - By Richard Byrne Here is the video. 

AWESOME Math Drill site! - All grade levels- check it out+ https://www.math-drills.com/

Need a quick and easy password for student? - Check out https://www.dinopass.com/ (There is a button to generate a simple one or a strong one. (Do the strong one!) 

This one is a must for Teachers and YouTube.  I use to recommend Majic Actions for YouTube but now I recommend Improve YouTube.  This one has a lot of features and is simple to use.  (Go through the settings and slide one of the settings to stop YouTube ads.) 

The new kahoot creator makes game creation easier and 3x faster!  If you have not used kahoot or quizizz ... give it a try for a review game. 

Need to print a Calendar? - This site has a ton of different styles. They have them by year. 2019 is here. Find the ones at the bottom and select Google Sheet.  Example 2019 one here.

24 Google Docs Templates That Will Make Your Life Easier 

Great shortcuts for use in Google Docs. 

8 Nifty Apps to Identify ANYTHING Using Your Phone’s Camera

8 Options for Making Digital Maps 

Our Tech Boot Camp is coming - August 6 & 7 - Be on the lookout for more info.

• Great sessions!
• Great lunch!
• Stipends!
• And more!

We would love for you to present (Contact Jason) as well. 

Free book reading app for the younger kids!

Better Reading Practice. - Reading practice has never been easier with Rivet, a reading app with over 2,000 FREE leveled books for kids. Check it out.  (It's really free!) 

GSuite Updates:

Check out the new G Suite Learning Center - Posted: 28 May 2019 - Visit the learning center.

Update all linked content with one click in Docs and Slides - Posted May 24, 2019, More info here. 

New features for Slides Present mode coming to Google Slides. 

Gradebook in Classroom now generally available - This new feature adds a tab in your Google Classroom with a grade book view. Coming next year - Looks like the grade book in Google Classroom may sync to our SIS (Student Information System) -PowerSchool. We have signed up for this beta to sync to PowerSchool but not sure if we will be accepted. 

Announcing Grammar in Google Docs 

See 35 years of change on Google Earth  -See the shirking Glaciers, expanding cities and more.   Meandering rivers, mining, and urban growth are just a few themes that you can explore in Google Earth Timelapse. A global, zoomable video that allows you to see anywhere in the world and witness Earth’s surface transform over the past 35 years.

Sign up to get Google for Education updates in your inbox. -  Sign up here. 

See Changes in Google Docs Over Time With Compare Documents
Via G Suite Updates | It’s now easier to compare two Google docs. This feature will show you the differences between the docs as “Suggested Edits” in a new document. NOTE - This will be rolling out soon.

Side note - This is a great extension for teachers to see the document history played back like a movie. Great for looking at student's docs. - Draftback. 

View the Edit History of a Cell in Sheets
Via G Suite Updates | “Show edit history” is a new feature in Sheets that will help you easily see the edit history of a cell, including who made the last edit, when that edit was made, and the cell’s previous value. NOTE - This will be rolling out soon. 

Two new formatting tools available in Docs - Posted: 30 May via GSuite updates.  More info here. 

• Insert section breaks and view section breaks in Docs
• Adjust margins per section - It’s now possible to use the ruler to adjust the left and right margins by section.

26 Incredibly Useful Things You Didn’t Know Google Calendar Could Do -  Checkout the article here.

#10 was great -  Switch your calendar view in an instant by tapping into one of Google Calendar’s super-handy hidden shortcuts: Press “1” or “d” for the day view, “2” or “w” for the week view, “3” or “m” for the month view, “4” or “x” for your custom view, “5” or “a” for the agenda view, and “6” or “y” for the year view.

18. Did you know you can add an attachment directly to an event within Calendar—something like a PDF, image file, or document that you want all the invitees to see? 

Find out more: Check out the article here.

How to Split Text in Google Sheets
Via How-To Geek | Often, you need to split the content of a cell in your spreadsheet that is separated by a comma or space, such as the first and last names of a contact. Luckily, Google Sheets provides a simple, straightforward approach to dealing with merged datasets. Short how-to article here. 

Remember - help in G Suite is only a click away for you and your students.

Quick tutorials, short videos and more are only a click away.  More info here. 

I love Google's MyMaps - Use it this summer for your vacation!

Take a road trip with Google MyMaps - There are many classroom uses and personal uses (Can we say vacation!) for Google's MyMaps.  Have students create maps of historical trips, battles, etc...  Check it out.  (Yes it is one of the 8 mentioned in the posting above- "8 Options for Making Digital Maps " 

Google Photos Will Stop Syncing to Drive on July 10, 2019
Via G Suite Updates | Starting on July 10, 2019, Google Photos will no longer sync to Google Drive. From that date forward, if you add or delete files in Photos, they won’t be automatically added or deleted in Drive.  (In settings for drive you had to click a checkbox for the photos to appear as a folder in drive-...so you may or may not see this folder or use it.) This will really only affect you as a user if you used this feature in drive.  More info here: Google Drive and Photos Are Splitting: What You Need to Know.