Free family movie on Google Play, tech tools, Google tips and more in this week tech tips!

For a  limited time, get the new movie Bunyan & Babe free before theaters, only on Google Play. Watch the hilarious new family comedy now. Add this to your Google Play account today for free!  (I added it my personal Gmail account and my school account.)

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Misc. websites and tools

Want to create or scan a QR code on your Chromebook?  This extension is for you. 

YouTube Kids - App. <---Great for parents! Dive into a world of discovery, learning, and fun.  YouTube Kids gives your family an easy way to watch their favorite shows, or explore anything that captures their imagination. It’s free, simple to use, and full of family-friendly videos. This is a great app for parents and control over what videos your kids can watch! 

Fun templates for your students to use in any subject! (Google format!)

The New York Public Library just released a treasure trove of images you can use for free.

9 Google Resources to Support Reading

5 Handy Chrome Extensions for Teachers

Create Audio Recordings and Save Them In Google Drive via Free Technology for Teachers 

Don't get scammed!

Savvy phishing attack targets Gmail accounts with high success rates - We have warned you about these... but some are still getting compromised!  Another article just came out on this one - There's a new Gmail phishing attack going around, and it's fooling everyone.  The irony of this is that before I sent this email and posted this on my blog, (Was sitting in my drafts for a while before I sent/posted this.)  we had a staff member's account get compromised.  I put together this document to assist our staff members, so maybe it will help you as well. 

Website and tech tools:

Check out www.toondoo.com it is killer.  Our very own Jason Cullison (@cully11)  uses this site and loves it!  (Visit with him to help get you started.)  Create your own Cartoons. 

Google Docs:

How to Use the Google Docs Outline Feature on Your iOS Device - Via BetterCloud Monitor | The outline feature in Google Docs is a great time-saving tool for navigating through long documents. If you do a lot of work on your phone, then this can make working on-the-go even easier.

Google Sheets:

The Power Tools add-on for Google Sheets is a must if you are doing a lot in sheets! (Adds a ton of features that many power users will want.) 

How to Automatically Alternate Row (or Column) Colors in Google Sheets - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Applying some color to alternating rows in a spreadsheet can make it easier to read. Here’s how to use conditional formatting to automatically create a colorful and attractive spreadsheet in Google Sheets.

New feature - Insert and delete groups of cells in Google Sheets

Google Classroom: 

Updated and improved Google Classroom cheat sheet (Great use of Google slides and how you can jump to other slides in this cheat sheet. Check it out1) 

Google Slides:

How to Use Speaker Notes in Google Slides - Via BetterCloud Monitor | If you want to add extra notes that only you can see during a presentation, try using the speaker notes section in Google Slides.

Google Forms: 

Google Forms: Choose a Random Winner - Choose a random winner from those who fill out your Google Form. 

Google tools, free apps, tech tips and more in this week's findings.

The 11 Best G Suite Updates of 2016  - Any that you like in this list?  Via BetterCloud Monitor | 2016 was an exciting year for G Suite! Whether it was improving existing features with machine intelligence or rolling out new products entirely, there were lots of updates that are helping us work faster and more efficiently now. Here’s a roundup of our favorite updates from 2016.

Randomize Answer Options for Google Forms - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Randomizing the order of answers is great because it can remove some of the inherent bias that comes with a survey. This way, you can get a more accurate depiction of how your survey takers feel.

Podcasting on a Chromebook

This chart features over 30 educational YouTube Channels for teachers. 

How to run a Mystery Google Hangout/Skype. This doc will get you started.

Instantly Access Over 20,000 Books for Kids 12 and Under, Epic! is Free for Elementary School Teachers and Librarians!

Elementary technology favorites by grade level. (Free and Paid resources.) There are a ton of great resources... Make sure you check out See Saw (free version) under the second-grade section! SeeSaw Now Supports Text Labeling - 15 Lesson Plans for Using Labels. Connect Your Classroom Through SeeSaw Connected Blogs - Another nice feature of this product. 

100+ GAFE Tips and Tricks for Every Teacher

MoocNote Offers a Chrome Extension for Taking Notes on Videos

A Video About Making Screencast Videos

This one is a Winner!  We were going to have a session on this during our PD on the 16th, but icy weather won out.  Apparently, teachers across the nation think it's a winner too... EDpuzzle - Readers' Favorite App. 

Google Classroom:

Every student is unique. Use today's new Google Classroom feature to assign work to individuals based on their needs. (Assign to a group.)  Check it out! <--- New 1-11-17

Google Chrome:

Tip:  Customize Chrome To Always Open Specific Pages (or Wherever You Left Off)  Via BetterCloud Monitor | Chrome can automatically open specific pages (like your email, calendar, news, etc.) every time you open it. Chrome can also automatically pick up where you left off, opening the same tabs you were viewing when you closed it.

How to Uninstall Chrome Apps and Extensions Via BetterCloud Monitor | Sometimes, that Chrome app or extension you installed just isn’t doing it for you. Things don’t work out. Here’s how to remove it in a few easy steps.

Ten free ways to create videos on Chromebooks.  Via Richard Byrne ‏@rmbyrne As Richard mentioned at the end... YouTube is often overlooked and they have some great creation and edition tools. 

Google Sheets:

Sparklines in Google Sheets - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Want a quick look at data trends in Google Sheets? Check out the Sparkline function, which creates a miniature chart inside a single cell.

Split Names Into Two Columns in Google Sheets - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Have you ever had a spreadsheet containing a list of names and needed to split them into separate columns for first and last names? You usually would have to write a complex formula to orchestrate such a simple task, but the Split Names add-on for Google Sheets removes the need for formulas.

Google Expeditions:

If you have not had a chance to experience this... talk to Josh Murtaugh to see this in action.  Here is a list of Google Expeditions.  More info on Google Expeditions can be found on their home page. 

Apps:

Amazing new Toontastic 3D storytelling app for Android and iOS now available, and it's free!  GET CREATIVE IN CLASS... With Toontastic 3D you can draw, animate, and narrate your own cartoons. It’s as easy as play. Just move your characters around onscreen, tell your story, and Toontastic records your voice and animations and stores it on your device as a 3D video.

Math Master IOS app (Free or a in-app purchase to remove ads.)  There are 7 challenging games in 1 single app.  Students can play basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as well as other math applications.   

Free IOS app, some great tech tools, and some surprising findings in tech and schools - In this weeks tech posting.

IOS Apps:

Great Free IOS app for audio recording and editing. TwistedWave Audio Editor  (Reg $9.99) - Free today! (1-10-17) 

Math Resources:

G Suite for Education - Recharge Learning - Digital Math Resources for K-12 A really nice document of resources.

Misc. Web tools and resources:

TechNotes - Our 2016 Google Resource Roundup. A really nice list of tools! 

This interactive website lets students listen and learn about animals and habitats around the world. The great animal orchestra.  - Pretty cool!

WriteReader - Collaborative Book Creation for Elementary School Classrooms.

Organize Your Classroom Library with Spark Post 

Mercury Reader for Chrome provides ad-free, distraction-free reading. (Similar to the old Clearly extension, and others.)  Great to have in the toolbox! 

Six great search engines designed specifically for younger kids. 

Google Apps: 

Crop, Rotate, and Add Borders to Images in Google Docs - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Along with the ability to crop images into slightly smaller versions of themselves, you can also crop them into specific shapes, called masks. Pairing this with the ability to add a custom border to your images definitely gives you a lot more flexibility in Google Docs.

6 Ways to Become a Google Slides Pro. 

Got Google Photos? This guide will help you get around the service like a pro: 

Google Drawings cheat sheet for teachers and students.

Should kids have school-issued devices?  Should we be using YouTube?  Surprise.... top parent concern is...... 

Over 100,000 people have shared their views on education via the Speak Up survey, and here is what they are telling us:

10 Things Parents Told Us About Digital Learning

 

10 Things Students Told Us About Digital Learning

10 Things Principals Told Us About Digital Learning

Some Tech Tools and tips for your Christmas break.

Need an icon?  The Noun Project to the rescue. 

How your students can use Google Drawings to create greeting cards. 

10 free tools for creating infographics

5 Great Things You Can Do With Google Sheets

www.resumebeacon.com  is a free resource that students can use to create their own resumes or resumes for literary or historical figures.  Remember, Google Docs Home page has some resume templates too.  (The old templates gallery is still active, with a lot of templates for a variety of things.) 

My Favorite Video Creation iPad Apps for Elementary School - Via Richard Bryne. 

Adobe Spark Now Lets You Insert Videos into Your Videos - The best keeps getting better.  I love this app for simplicity and ease of use! Both web and app based. 

Google Forms -- Don't get caught in this situation!  Google forms do not have revision history or undo options like most of the Google products. When you create a new Google Form, a spreadsheet is not automatically created, so the data is just stored in Google forms.  Make a spreadsheet right away to have all of your form data written too!  Without this, if you delete a question... all of the associated responses are deleted... since they were not written to a spreadsheet.  (This recently happened to one of our staff members, so I hate sharing this tip based on bad news.... but don't let it happen to you.) 

Kahn Acadamy -  NEW - We’re excited to bring you our newest subject — Grammar! We created Grammar to help both native and non-native English speakers at all levels. In the new course, our resident grammarian, David, and our team of grammar experts explain punctuation, parts of speech, style and usage, and Standard American English conventions. As with our other subjects, students can review topics and work on practice exercises if they need some extra help outside of class. We hope you’ll check out our new videos, articles, and exercises and share them with your students if you find them helpful. If you are not familiar with Kahn Acadamy... you need to be!  It's an amazing free resource for teachers, parents, and students! 

Math tools:

3D math modeling to go! Create solids, spheres, planes, cross sections and many more three-dimensional objects. Solve linear geometry problems, plot z = f(x,y) functions and more.... GeoGebra's tools are great for any mobile device and/or computer.  They are free too! 

• Home page with links to all their tools.
• Download all their tools here. - IOS, Chrome, Android, MAC/PC, etc...
• 3D Grapher - NEW Android only. 
• Online graphing
• 3D Online graphing

YouTube tools:

Need to download a video from YouTube?  This online converter is awesome.  Tips: Make sure you select a video format for downloading. I recommend mp4.  If you upload your video to Google Drive, it will take some time for Google to process the video before it's ready for playback. 

I have mentioned this in the past... but it's currently my favorite Chrome Extension for YouTube. Magic Actions adds a lot of features that you will love. Enhance your YouTube watching experience! Auto HD, Ad Block, Cinema Mode, Mouse Wheel Volume Control, Screenshot... Check it Out! 

Weekly teacher tips from google:

(Notice how they use Google Slides to deliver this experience. Nice...) 

Google Expeditions - This week's tip - Use full-screen mode on your tablet. 

Google Forms - This week's tip - Convert points to percentage. 

Google Classroom - This week's tip - Inviting guardians. 

Google Docs:

8 Tools to Make the Writing Process Easier in G Suite

Adding a Table of Contents to a Google Doc  (Short 2 min. video tutorial.)  - Via BetterCloud Monitor | A table of contents can be a super useful guide for readers. Best of all, Docs will automatically create links to each section.

Work Faster in Google Docs with These 10 Useful Keyboard Shortcuts - Via BetterCloud Monitor | One of the best ways to speed up your productivity is to use keyboard shortcuts. Here are ten useful shortcuts for common tasks in Google Docs.

Power Up Your Google Slides With the Lucidchart Integration - Via BetterCloud Monitor | To take your Google Slides presentation to the next level, you can add flowcharts, diagrams, and mockups to illustrate your point. Thanks to a new Slides API integration, you can export professional-looking charts right from Lucidchart into Google Slides. Short 2 min. video shows you how. 

Google Sheets:

How to Do a VLookup in Google Sheets - Via BetterCloud Monitor | The VLookup function in Google Sheets is used to find whether a value exists in multiple ranges. This tool has limitless uses for sorting through and making sense of large lists of data. This short 2 minute video will show you what you have been missing if you have not used the Vlookup function before. 

Share Individual Tabs in Google Sheets  -  Via BetterCloud Monitor | Sometimes, you might want to share a single tab of a Google Sheet without sharing the rest of it. As simple as it sounds, Google does not have a direct way to do this. That doesn't mean it's impossible--you just need to get creative.  This short 3 minute video shows you how. (It uses the import range function that you may use for many other things too!) 

Google Calendar:

Take Google Calendar to the Next Level with These 3 Extensions.  (I personally use the Event Merge Extension because several of our school calendars often contain duplicate events.) 

Apps:

Free-IOS App - Apple Award Winner for 2016:

Prisma (free, iPhone) burst on the scene this year as everybody’s favorite photo app, letting users transform their photos into images that look more like paintings and drawings, with dozens of different styles to choose from. 

Want to do a book reading looking like a ghost, or other creatures.... This is the app for you! Another 2016 Apple award winner: 

MSQRD (Free IOS) — Live Filters & Face Swap for Video Selfies 

Transform the way you look through amazing masks and effects! Turn into a panda, zombie or even face swap with your friends. Save and share photos and videos.  

Free coding app, Web tools, Dinosaurs, Google tools and more... in this weeks tech tools.

Norris YouTube Channels - Subscribe now! 

Did you know we have over 10 YouTube Channels that broadcast a variety of sports and activities?  If you subscribe to a channel, you will get a notification when we are broadcasting on air!  (You can also follow Norris160 on Twitter or Facebook for notifications and more. Complete listings and directions can be found here!  <---Check it out! 

Free IOS coding app for kids!

Tynker for School - Learn to Code for iPad is free today-  12/5; Reg. $5.99: IOS/iPad app. Made for Ages 9–11.

Web tools, websites, resources... and more:

Sumdog contests: 

To take part, students simply play Sumdog's online maths games, any time during the contest week.  They run free local contests for schools in Southeast Nebraska three times a year - the next one starts January 13th  Enter the contests here. Sumdog's Holiday Contest starts December 9, at 8am. 

10 Alternatives for the Readability Extension - (As this article states... this was one of my favorite apps for teachers/students.)  (I like the Announcify extension, but it also adds the ability to read the page to you or your students.) 

11 Free iBooks for K-12 Students (More K-6 on the list) 

Dinosaur apps and websites:

• Dinosaur’s Among Us: The special exhibition at the Museum of Natural History. 
• Kids Dinos: Full of information and games. 
• 123 Dinosaur Coloring and Alphabet writing Book Games for kids
• By Nuttapong Tongrungsri (IOS APP - Free) Kids can access digital coloring book pages with this simple and straightforward app.
• Dinosaur Park: A super fun fossil discovery game is a playful introduction to dinosaurs. (Free - IOS) 
• World of Dinosaurs: The Ultimate Dinosaur Resource - is the comprehensive dinosaur resource for iOS and features original HD Illustrations, and a wealth of scientifically verified information about all dinosaurs past, their history, extinction and modern day ancestors. (Free - IOS) 
• The Dinosaur Museum: Lots of fun facts and information about dinosaurs.

SafeShare.tv is the Safest way to watch and share YouTube and Vimeo videos to eliminate distractions.  Use it to send a video link via your Google classroom or via email. 

The new Google Templates have been launched.  Simply submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms home screens for your co-workers to adapt and use as needed. With these customizable templates, your teams can focus less on formatting and more on driving impact and sharing success. (Note: For Norris we have turned on moderation so all templates will first be approved before making it to our template gallery. 

Create an eBook with Google Slides -  Via BetterCloud Monitor | Google Slides can be an incredibly simple and easy tool for creating eBooks. This video shows you a couple of tips to get started.

How to Create Custom Maps in Google Maps -  Via BetterCloud Monitor | Custom maps are a great way to easily organize and view your favorite locations on one map. The possibilities for customization are almost endless.  Think about all of the uses in the classroom... this can be a gem for student projects! 

5 Google Resources to Support Student Writing 

Gmail tips and tricks:

Clean Up Email Addresses in Your Gmail Auto-complete List -  Via BetterCloud Monitor | When you write an email, you probably depend on Gmail to auto-complete the recipient’s email address in the “To” field. But if that address is no longer in use, you can remove those auto-complete addresses from the list so they won’t pop up anymore.

Design Emails in Google Docs, Convert Them to Gmail Drafts with 1 Click - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Goodbye, wonky formatting. Hello, beautiful emails. Here's how you can design emails in Google Docs and then convert them to Gmail drafts with one click–all without losing any formatting.

Google Docs:

How to Quickly Copy Formatting in Google Docs - If you have never used the format painter, it may be the single best tool, that few people know about.  To speed up your document formatting, you can use this easy trick to copy formats instantly.

How to Search For (and Add) Free Images Right Within Google Docs -  Via BetterCloud Monitor | If your document needs some imagery, you can insert free images right within Google Docs. You don’t need to be out scouring the Internet every time you need an image.

The new Explore Tool in Google Docs (Formally the research tool.) now includes the ability to cite your source.  This feature was in the research tool, but initially left out of the Explore Tool.  Google listens... and has added it back!  MLA - APA - Chicago ... you choose!  More info on the new feature here. 

Google Drive:

Prevent Files from Being Downloaded in Google Drive - Via BetterCloud Monitor | Sometimes sharing files in Google Drive can make people worried because they feel like they don’t have true control of the data. We’ve put together a helpful trick to keep shared files from being downloaded in Google Drive.

Some New announcements from Google:

Parents no longer need Google accounts for Classroom email summaries!  (The Google help page still mentions they need Gmail accounts, but this should have already changed as of this Dec. 5th, 2016 writing.)

Graduating students can move email and Drive files to personal accounts!  Sometime in early 2017 we will now get a new tool that will let students transfer their emails and files.  Prior to this, it was kind of a pain using Google Takeout to transfer your data. 

Free Apps, some great tools, tech tips and more! All in this Thanksgiving list.

WOW these are amazing! - Easily turn a Google™ Spreadsheet into a Set of Online Flashcards, spelling word lists - with audio!, certificates, and other cool stuff: Check it out at flippity.net

14 Virtual Tools: Favorite Math Apps

Gmail and Google Calendar Get a Whole Lot Better on iOS - In its biggest update in four years, Gmail for iOS now offers "Undo Send."

Self-Check Quiz Templates -- Want to give your students a quiz and then have the computer grade it for you? Then check out these templates! Students can take the quizzes on any online device – a computer, an iPad, a tablet, a smart phone, etc!

Color Code Your Email Labels In Gmail - This short 3 minute video will show you how. You can easily locate any email by topic with this little trick we use for organizing all our incoming emails. It all comes down to custom coloration. (Note - I like color coding my Google Drive folders as well!) 

New & Improved Voice Typing Commands in Google Docs -  You can now specify text color, highlight text, add links, insert comments, and switch to a column layout in Google Docs–just by using your voice.

Edit, send & sign PDFs online for free - Checkout DocHub.  They offer a premium plan too, but for many of us the free plan will suffice.  

Online plagiarism checker - Free to copy and paste up to 500 words... or other plans available. 

New file upload question added to Google forms!  Make's it simple to have students or parents upload a file directly to your Google Drive. 

Remember in August Google Added the ability to add images to questions and answers in Google Forms.   Awesome feature for teachers! 

4 Useful Chrome Extensions for Working with Images & Videos

The National Parks just celebrated their 100th birthday. Recently Google announced that now anyone can take a virtual tour of some of our most breathtaking National Parks, no matter where you are, with Google's The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks. 

Doing a research project with students? - Turn Google Sheets into an Automatic Citation Tool. When you’re doing research online, you don’t have to manually collect and save information. Try Citable, a helpful Chrome extension that simplifies how you gather research.

20 practical ways to use Google Forms in class, school. 

How to Create a Pivot Table in Google Sheets  Via BetterCloud Monitor --  Pivot tables help you summarize and analyze large data sets by displaying the information in more digestible formats. They make it much easier to take out small pieces of information and conclusions from a large set of information.

Elementary or middle school teachers - Check out Wonderopolis. (Created by the National Center for Families Learning.)  Find out more about this resource here.  

Remember a few of the fall updates to classroom...

Google Classroom rolled out a new feature this fall that will allow teachers to automatically share summaries of student work with parents, as well as the ability for students and teachers to annotate documents in the Google Classroom mobile app.

Did you know Google Classroom allows you to personalize your feedback with your own handwriting? Here's how.

Free Apps:

Reg. $5.99 ... Now free:

TIMEMAPS U.S. History - Historical Atlas by EMSE EDAPP, S.L. Price: $FREE TIMEMAPS have been highlighted as:  * Educational app for Middle School in the USA and Canada * 'New and noteworthy' and 'What’s hot' in the Education category in 14 countries

Get their other apps that are still Free here.  (There are a ton of apps, including a lot of other History quiz apps. Some may have in app purchases.) 

Web tools, math & writing tools, Google tools and tips... and MORE, in this weeks posts.

Websites and web tools:

Free Technology for Teachers: 6000+ Children's Books Available for Free

Pretty cool tool for creating some VR/3D scapes - https://studio.cospaces.io (Would work well with student projects.) 

Using QR Codes to Build a Classroom Audio Library 

Jellymetrics Readability Grader - Quickly Determine Readability of an article or text. 

Save your screenshots instantly to Google Drive with the QuickShare Screenshot Chrome extension

Nice Tool for creating Audio Files right to your Google Drive.  -BeautifulAudioEditor

Introducing... my.SketchUp  -- An open beta of SketchUp in a web browser. 

What is my.SketchUp? -- my.SketchUp is the core SketchUp modeler, tuned to work in modern web browsers. Draw, orbit, push-pull: make anything you can imagine in SketchUp, anytime you imagine it.

Five new ways to reach your goals faster with G Suite - Including a new Google form question that allows your respondents to upload a file. (As of 10-28-16 - Feature coming soon!)  

20 Chrome Extensions, Web Apps, and Add-ons for Math - Some great tools in this list for the Elementary - Sr. High teachers! 

WriteWell: 

Got Writer’s Block? Use WriteWell to Jumpstart & Organize Your Writing. You can also just visit their website.  (Exports right to Google Drive too!)   <--- AWESOME TOOL FOR WRITING! 

(The Free plan is limited to 10 documents - But not a biggie.  Export the final product to Google Drive, delete the doc in WriteWell, and then start another doc.) (Great tool for getting started with Doc structure, etc...)  Check it out!  - Short 1 1/2 Min overview video. 

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Gmail - Tips and tricks:

How to Access Gmail Offline - Short 2 min. Video.  (Great for kids & staff that have Chromebooks!) 

The “Forward All” vs. “Forward” Function in Gmail  If you’ve ever forwarded a long email thread in Gmail, you know it can look a bit confusing and cluttered. The little-known “Forward all” function in Gmail makes forwarded emails much clearer and easier to read.

Google Classroom:

Creating Assignments in Google Classroom is a great Infographic to get you started with assignments.  

Google Docs:

Create Fillable Text Boxes in Google Docs - Via BetterCloud Monitor

Create & Customize Columns in Google Docs (No More Workarounds Needed) <--- GREAT NEW FEATURE

Google Slides:

Graph paper templates for Google Slides - Great for the math teachers! 

G Suite Update Alerts --   Coming soon! 

Integrated search now available in Gmail, Google Calendar, Groups, and Drive on the web

Google Sheets:

Get Wikipedia Data Right In Google Sheets

BetterCloud Monitor | Here’s a cool way to combine the power of Wikipedia with Google Sheets. The Wikipedia Tools add-on for Sheets adds in Wikipedia custom functions, so you can bring data from Wikipedia right into Sheets.

Google Draw:

5 Neat Things Students Can Do With Google Drawings