Confession #4 - Google Chrome Saved My Life

It's true...Google Chrome saved my life because it gave me back time and energy I was losing on other web browsers. We live in a fast-paced, busy world. So when I switch from Safari (on my home computer) and Firefox and Internet Explorer (on my work computer), I felt like life slowed down a bit for me. At home, we have only Apple computers. At work, I use a PC. Using the internet was so frustrating for me because I had to remember what bookmarks I had saved and where I saved them, etc. Then I switched to Google Chrome Browser and things began to change. Here are some key features that caused me to drop Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Syncs Across All Devices
There is a single login with Google Chrome. Once you are logged in all your bookmarks, extensions, apps, passwords (not that I save passwords automatically...I'd rather not do that on a computer) appear/save on all devices. No imports/exports of bookmarks is needed. If I bookmark a website at work it will also appear on my home computer. Let's be real. How many of us really finish our work at work? There is always that "one last thing" that I didn't get finished during the work hours and need to work on at home.

Chrome Extensions ROCK
I'm a huge fan of Chrome Extensions, those little extra features and functionality added to your web browser. I've said before that I'm a fan of the "one-click" button. If I have a task when using the internet and there is an extension that can let me perform that task in ONE click, then sign me up. Chrome Extensions serve many purposes like 1) making an article on the internet a PDF file without images or advertisements, 2) blocking inappropriate advertisements from websites, 3) splitting your screen into half, 4) shortening a long URL, or 5) summarizing an article for you. Here's a link to some of my favorite and most used Chrome Extensions.

Bookmark Naming with Icons
I have a million bookmarks. Well, maybe not a million, but I do have a ton websites that I bookmark. What I love about Google Chrome is that it allows you to skip "name the bookmark" and just use the icon that comes with the website. For instance, when I bookmarked Twitter, I did not have to keep the name "Twitter" on my bookmark bar. The Twitter bird icon appeared. By doing this I freed up room on my bookmark bar to add more bookmarks. Here's a sample of my bookmark bar. Maybe you recognize some of the icons.

Eduphoria, BlogLovin, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, MailChimp, ThingLink, etc

Best Google Chrome Extensions

Ok, I admit it. I'm LAZY! (For the lack of a better word, I chose that one.) I love to work. I work way too much. But when it comes to technology I want the quickest and fastest and shortest distance to where I need to go. So I wouldn't really call me lazy, more like EFFICIENT! If there is a way to do something in "one" click instead of "click, click, click" then I am all over it. Hence, why I am obsessed with Google Chrome Extensions. What is a Chrome Extension? I'm glad you asked. Chrome Extensions are small software programs that can modify and enhance the functionality of the Chrome browser. In layman's terms, it means I can just "click" something once and it can accomplish the task I need it to perform minus the "click, click, click." I thought I would share some of this efficiency with you by creating a ThingLink with all my favorite Chrome Extensions. You can hover over the picture and see a brief description of each Extension. If you click on the Extension it will take you to the Chrome Web Store where you can read more details or download. Take a minute and try out some of these Extensions.

I'll be nice and give you the TOP FIVE I use on a daily basis:

1. ABP - AdBlockPlus - it blocks advertisements on webpages. This is great when you are browsing YouTube. NO ADS!
2.  Hootsuite - this Twitter extension let's you post directly from a website. 
3.  Tab Scissors and  Tab Glue - these extensions work together allowing you to cut your tabs in half and then gluing them back together. 
4. One Tab - this extensions saves all the tabs you have open. You can name the link and share with others. 
5.  ShortenMe - shorten URLs and have a QR code for websites you have open with this extension.

Access the ThingLink by clicking here. 

Summer Take-Aways

Summer has officially ended. It's back to work for me, but not before I share a few summer take-aways. What I love about summer is the time to explore technologies and how they can benefit classroom teachers. This summer I took some time to explore a few technology tools at a deeper level and how they can better be used in education. 

My 1st take-away...
"Why a Digital Portfolio is Needed"

1. Reasons for a Portfolio
• One place for communication
• Showcase evidence
• Instant access for anyone at no cost
• Share what you do and learn from others
2. How to Get Started
• Choose a platform
• My favorite is Google Sites (tutorial)
• A student platform to consider, Bulb (how it works for teachers/students)
3. What to Include
• Title Page - keep it simple and visible on the site
• Navigation - the easier the better
• About Me Page - short bio and recent picture
• Resume - link to a PDF
• Social Media - links to media used for professional reasons
• Students - consider uploaded complete work
• Teachers - consider adding teaching philosophy, continuing education, honors/awards, etc.
4. REMINDER: Portfolios should be consider as a work in progress!!

My 2nd take-away...

"If You are NOT using Google Drive and Doctopus in the Classroom, You SHOULD" 

1. Doctopus runs through Google Sheets (Excel for those who are Microsoft users)
2. Step ONE should be to collect students first/last name and email address. I'd suggest creating a Google form with three questions: Last name. First name. Email address.
3. Once you get the responses from the form add the Doctopus add-on. (Add-ons)
4. In a nut shell, using Doctopus allows a teacher to share/receive assignments from students, edit student rights, attach a rubric to an assignment and all in the cloud.
5. My favorite features of Doctopus:
• It will create a standardized folder structure for your classes and believe me this is amazing. I learned Doctopus by creating all the folders manually. What a headache. Thank you Google for the updated feature!
• Re-use and update your Doctopus class rosters in a single click, from any Google Sheet. Each time you add a roster it automatically saves in Doctopus.
• Four sharing configurations for files sent to your roster:
1. Individual - all the same: Creates the same separate, individual Doc for each student in your class.
2. Individual - differentiated: Creates one copy of a Doc for each student based on their level, as designated in a "Group" column on your roster.
3. Project Groups: Creates one shared copy of a Doc for each project group as designated in the "Group" column on your roster.
4. Whole Class: Creates a SINGLE shared copy of a Doc for your whole class.
• Automatically grant view-only or comment-only privileges
• Easily remove and restore student editing rights during grading and revision cycles.
• Install the Goobric Chrome extension and attach a rubrics to the Doctopus assignment spreadsheet to enable a rubric-based grading widget right in the browser. 
• Goobric extension automatically passes rubric scores back to Doctopus and (optionally) emails completed rubric to the student.
6. Here is a great site for video tutorials. Click here. 

My 3rd take-away...

"Use EDpuzzle to Create Video Lessons"

1. EDpuzzle is a site that allows teachers to create video lessons for students. Here are a list of the features that one can expect:
• First - EDpuzzle doesn't play well with Google Chrome Browser. I have found it works well in Firefox and Internet Explorer. 
• With EDpuzzle, teachers can search for educational videos within the site from sources like YouTube, Khan Academy, Vimeo, Teacher Tube, and many other platforms. 
• Once a video is chosen the teacher can then...
• Crop the video
• Create voice over for the entire video
• Insert voice comments
• Insert multiple choice or open response questions
• When the video editing is complete the teacher can share the link with students or embed in a website. 
• Classes can be created and students can join the teacher class. Within the class, the teacher can assign videos created, track the video to see when watched, and track quizzes added to videos.
2. What I love about EDpuzzle is that the videos created are housed on their site, which means a teacher doesn't have to go find a cloud storage for videos. 
3. EDpuzzle tutorials and FAQs. 

Five Technology Things to Try in 2014

Image credit: acucucu / 123RF Stock

1.  Twitter in the Classroom

• Consider adding Twitter to your classroom this new year. Twitter is a powerful tool  for secondary students. It is a great way to conduct book talks, class discussions, review for exams, etc all through custom hashtags. Click here to read "60 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom" by Ian Jukes.

2.  Student Response Systems

• Response systems are a great way to get instant feedback from students. Try using response systems as an entrance ticket to class, exit ticket, whole class discussions, backchannel for when students need more information about a concept being taught, etc. Click here to learn about my three favorite student response systems.

3.  Google Drive

• Using Google Drive in the classroom allows students to take notes, add comments to documents, build/view presentations, create spreadsheets, and all in real time via the web. My favorite part of Google Drive is that it is a step in taking your classroom to a paper-free environment. Check out this infographic on 12 Ways to Use Google Drive in the Classroom by Jeff Dunn.

4.  Grading with Voice Comments

• Most students write or type their papers to turn in for teachers to hand grade. Why not try something new? Students can type their papers in Google and then share that document with their teacher. The teacher can then open the document using Kaizena, add voice comments to the document and then share that audio file back with students. The students original document is not altered in any way but now students can hear a teachers comments on areas that are excellent and areas that need work. Click here to read more about using Kaizena with Google Docs by Richard Byrne.

5.  Infographics

• Wikipedia defines infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. Look above on #3 to see an example of an infographic. Click here to read ways to use infographics in the classroom.

Tuesday Tidbits: Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome Extensions are a great way to utilize the web and save time based on what task you are trying to complete. Extensions are browser extensions that modify the Google Chrome browser. These extensions are written using web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Google Chrome Extensions are downloadable through the Chrome Web Store. These extensions allow for users to get information quickly, be notified in a timely manner, and do things with fewer clicks.

Below you will find a list of extensions I learned about from the TCEA TechNotes along with some of my favorite extensions.

Announcify: Text to speech is easy with Announcify. It converts web articles into speech, opens them in a new tab, and reads without having to select any text. The key feature is that it blurs out the text that is not being read, making it easy to track while listening. Options for the extension include adjusting speech volume, pitch, and rate.

Clearly:  Clearly eliminates all distractions from your online reading experience, and even allows you to browse multi-page articles in one, seamless view. Connect Clearly to your Evernote account to clip and sync articles, automatically tag articles sent to Evernote, text to speech, add annotations, or highlight text and it updates in Evernote.

Google Voice Search: Search the web hands free when using Google Chrome by saying "OK, Google" and then ask your question. This is a great feature for elementary students who may not be able to spell at this time. The microphone appears in the search box when you have Google Search open; computer must have microphone to work.

OneTab:  Whenever you find yourself with too many tabs, click the OneTab icon to convert all of your tabs into a list. When you need to access the tabs again, you can either restore them individually or all at once. When tabs are in the OneTab list, you save up to 95% of memory because reduced the number of tabs open.

Pocket:  When you find something on the web that you want to view later, put it in Pocket. It automatically syncs to your phone, tablet or computer so you can view it at any time. Features: one-click saving of any page, right-click menu item to save any link, quickly add tags, and syncs across all devices.

Save to Google Drive: Save web content or browser screenshots directly to your Google Drive. The extensions give users the right-click feature/save to Google Drive. You can automatically convert Microsoft Office files or comma separated files to Google Docs format.

Screen Capture (by Google): Use this extension to capture visible content of a tab, a region of a web page, or the whole page as a PNG image. You can also edit your captured image before saving it as a PNG image. Highlighting, redacting and adding text are supported.

JUST FOR FUN:

Santa Tracker:  Before Santa takes off on Christmas Eve, his elves have cooked up a countdown timer to keep precise track of his departure. You can play around with his blimp, elf bus, and write messages on a frosty browser window.

Google Docs Voice Comments using 121 Writing

Need a new and fresh way of grading writing assignments? Want to give your students the ability to hear your praises and critiques? Then you need to try 121 Writing. 121 Writing, formally know as learn.ly, allows users to add voice comments to a Google document.

How to Get Started:

• First make sure you have a Google account.
• Then go to 121 Writing website and connect 121 Writing to your Google Drive.
• Once installed you will get the screen shot shown below with instructions on how to use 121 Writing.

Educational Benefits:

• Students can hear your tone as you speak your comments on their Google doc.
• A new way to grade papers without using the red pen.
• Decrease grading time - speaking comments is faster than writing them.

See how Demo 121Writing works by clicking this link.

Chrome Extensions and Apps Just for Educators

Having a job that requires many hours online, I've been reluctant to switch from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to Chrome browser. However, I've come across enough extensions and apps to make switch. The additions really make the use of the internet faster and more efficient. I will share a list of extensions and apps that have made a difference in my work day. First, let me describe the difference between a Google Extension and a Google App.

Google Extensions are extra features and functionality that you can easily add to Google Chrome. By using extensions, you can customize Google Chrome with features you like, while keeping your browser free of things that you don't use. Extensions are added to the upper right side of your URL bar. See example below:

 

Google Apps are web apps that are designed to be entirely used within the browser located on your Chrome dashboard. The great part of installing applications is that when you sign into Google on any computer your applications will follow. See picture example below:

My Favorite Google Chrome Extensions and Applications:

Google Apps and Extensions from Kristie Johnson

Seven Simple Tech Tips for Teachers

Looking for some practical ways to get more out of your classroom tech? Check out these seven tips for ideas on how to use technology to enhance your students’ learning:

1. Take a virtual field trip – You may not be able to take your students to the Louvre in person, but you can use the web to find photos, videos, articles, and guides that let them go there virtually. Use this virtual field trip idea to connect your students to literature, art, history, science, current events, and more without ever leaving the classroom. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• Virtual Fieldtrip List - click here
• Simply K12 Virtual Fieldtrip List - click here
• The Teacher's Guide Virtual Fieldtrip List - click here 
2. Let everyone answer – Get a feel for how well students understand a concept by using electronic response devices. This handheld technology allows students to answer questions in real time. You can then display the class’s responses (individual student answers are not shown) and talk about topics that may need additional clarification. This is a great alternative to raised hands since it allows all students to participate and engage with the discussion directly. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• Poll Everywhere - use cell phone to collect responses - click here
• Socrative - use any device that has internet or the iOS/Android app to collect responses - click here
• ActivExpressions - voting responses for Promethean users   
3. Collaborate with the class – If you have set up a classroom LMS now’s the time to start. Learning Managing Systems allow students to get involved in the curriculum by sharing ideas and collaborating with each other. You can use these for a number of projects including group reports, stories, discussions, debates, questions, and more, or you can use them simply as a way to help the class interact and learn together by allowing students free expression. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• Edmodo - click here
• Schoology - click here
• Google Drive - click here
4. Brainstorm with the right tools – There are a number of excellent brainstorming and mind mapping tools out there—Bubbl.us is a free one—that can help you and your students draw out your ideas in a usable way. These tools can be used when planning art projects, mapping math concepts, and more. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• Padlet - click here
• WiseMapping - click here
5. Keep up to date on new apps – New and amazing educational apps are being released every day. Be sure to keep up to date on the latest and greatest apps that you can use in the classroom. When you see something that you think would work well, don’t be afraid to try it out. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• TCEA iPad Apps and Resources - click here
• Learning in Hand blog by Tony Vincent - iOS resources - click here
6. Educate yourself – One of the most useful ways you can use technology is to keep yourself up to date on the latest developments in the education field—what are other teachers doing? What resources are out there to help you help your students learn? What should you do when you run into problems? Read blogs (like Edudemic) and get active on social media (Twitter is a great place to connect to other educators) to find ideas, advice, encouragement, tools, and more. 
• Classroom Application Tools
• Learning in Hand blog - click here
• Free Technology for Teachers - click here
• Ozge Karaoglu's blog - click here
7. Get organized – Once you start finding all these great resources, it’s important that you keep yourself organized so that you don’t lose track of them. Use bookmarking sites to keep track of websites that you like. Create spreadsheets to help you remember what that awesome idea for next week’s class was.
• Classroom Application Tools
• Diigo - Educator accounts available to teachers - click here to learn more
• Delicious - click here to learn more
• Evernote - click here to learn more

About the Author:

This article was written by Brian Jensen, who works with Dell, along with additional application tools added by myself.

Google Formula You Need to Know

Are you interested in viewing the data in a Google Spreadsheet in a different format? Keep reading to learn how to transpose the data in a Google Form spreadsheet by adding a simple formula to make the data appear in columns instead of rows.

Data from a Google spreadsheet looks typically like this:

The transpose formula will look like this:

To transpose the data from rows to columns use the following formula:

1. Open an existing Google Form or spreadsheet
2. Click the + on the bottom left to create a new sheet (sheet 2)
3. Enter the following formula in cell A1 in sheet 2:  =Transpose(Sheet1!A:H)
• Note: Adjust A:H to the desired range of columns. If you don’t want the timestamp to show, enter B:H.
4. Press the enter key and watch the data fill the sheet.

Source for this information can be found on Tammy Worcester's blog. Click here to read more.

The Benefits of Google Voice

This morning I read a great article I learned about from Steven W. Anderson (@web20classroom) on Twitter. It's a great article on why Google Voice should be implemented for those of us who are workshifters.

What is a workshifter? Workshifters are those who work out of their home, coffee shops, hotels, and airports as much as they do their office. Google Voice allows you that privacy. Google Voice gives you options like no other service...service that is FREE.

Here's a quick look at the four major points:

• Choose a local number or use your existing mobile number.
• Transcribed voicemail.
• Visual voicemail.
• Personalized voicemail greetings.

Click here to read the article by Thomas S. Getchius, shared by Steven W. Anderson.

Google Maps + 3D Landmarks

Google Maps Update

• Google recently released updates to the 3D buildings that can be viewed in Google Maps Streetview. Now you can see some famous landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower and the White House, as 3D models in Google Maps. 
• They also released new street view imagery for the Amazon. Now you can go on a virtual street view tour of the Amazon. Some of the imagery is absolutely stunning. 
• A YouTube video introduction is available here. 

The new imagery and 3D buildings could be a fantastic way for your students to explore all kinds of famous and interesting places around the globe. All information from this post was gathered from the TCEA TechNotes publication.

Google Tip of the Day: Customized Calendar

Customized Calendar

Are you a morning person, or does your day start around noon? Do you only schedule week days, or weekends, too? No matter your routine, Google Calendar can adapt to your needs.

The General settings tab in Google Calendar lets you customize the day your week starts on, your timezone, whether to show weekends, and even your preferred date and time format.

Information from Google Tip of the Day gadget.

Google Tip of the Day: Spreadsheet Notifications

Keep Tabs on Your Data

Google Spreadsheets' notifications can alert you when part or all of your spreadsheet has changed. These are particularly useful if you have shared your spreadsheet or if it uses forms, making it easy to keep track of new data that is added.

Choose "Set Notification Rules" from the File menu, and you can control what parts of your spreadsheet to track, and how often alerts are sent.

Google Tip of the Day: Calendar Time Line

The Line Shows the Time

Your calendar shows what you will be doing tomorrow, what you did yesterday, and most importantly, what you should be doing right now. Google Calendar can help with a little red line that shows the current time.
To display the current time on your calendar, click Settings, then "Show Current Time". With a glance, you'll be able to see where you should be.

Google Tip of the Day: Share your Calendar

Share Your Calendar

Do your coworkers, relatives, friends or pets have trouble finding time in your busy life? If so, you can use Google Calendar to share your agenda with them, making it easy to set up meetings, visits or the occasional walk in the park.

To share your calendar: 

• First sign in 
• Click on Settings. 
• Click on the "Calendars" tab, then the "Shared: Edit settings" link for your calendar. Rover will thank you. 

Information from Google Tip of the Day gadget in iGoogle.

Google Tip of the Day: Google Health

To Your Health!

Google Health lets you organize your medical records online, in a single secure place you can access anytime. Track your medical history and learn more about conditions, import your medical records, find doctors and hospitals, and even find out how medications might interact.
Take the tour to learn more about the features and privacy policy of Google Health.

Google Tip of the Day from iGoogle gadget.

Google Tip of the Day: Docs on the Go

Docs On the Go

You can view your Google docs when you're on the go. View your documents and spreadsheets at any time on your BlackBerry, iPhone or Windows Mobile device. iPhone users can also view presentations.
Visit docs.google.com/m from your mobile browser to try it out, and see the Google Docs for mobile site for more details.

Google Tip of the Day

1-800-GOOG-411

  Try 1-800-GOOG-411 to connect to local U.S. businesses for free. Just dial the toll-free number 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) and speak the name of a business ("Giovanni's Pizzeria") or its category ("pizza").

You can choose to connect to the business directly over phone or, if you are calling from your mobile phone, you can also say "text message" and we'll send you the business's details by SMS.

Google Tip of the Day

Real-Time Edits in Docs

Google Docs allows you to collaborate with friends and colleagues to create and edit presentations in real-time. Your presentations are stored securely online, so you can access and share them from any computer with an Internet connection. Here's how to get started:

• Visit Google Docs
• Select "Presentation" from the "New" menu
• Click on the "Share" tab

Information via Google Tip of the Day gadget from iGoogle.

Google Tip of the Day

Weather in Your Google Calendar

Whether you are planning a picnic, a day at the beach, or a hike through the woods, the weather outlook can play a big role in how you schedule your time. Google Calendar can help you make those plans by showing what the forecast is at a glance.

To enable this feature:

1. Go to Google Calendar 
2. Click the Settings link 
3. Fill in your location 
4. Select either °F or °C in the "show weather" section 

Information via Google Tip of the Day gadget.