The Little Things I Learned at Google....

THE LITTLE THINGS I LEARNED AT GOOGLE.....

I just returned from the Midwest Google Summit where I spent the last three days learning about all things google/technology. I have attended tech conferences in the past, but I always went into them with the mindset of "How can this benefit me and my science class." Now going as a tech integrator, I had a totally different outlook. I tried to pick up on anything that I felt could help someone else. I have a lot of "big" things to share with you such as certain apps/extensions/add-ons that will help make your life easier, but today I am going to share the little things that I picked up that I thought could make an immediate impact on your use of technology. 


Pinned Tabs
If you are like me, you have a few tabs that you want open almost all the time. Maybe it is your email, or Powerschool. Maybe it is fantasy football or Target's Black Friday deals.... Whatever it is, there is an easy feature to save it as a tab on your Chrome browser. 

Here's how it works:
- Open a tab and go to your desired site. 
- Right-click on the tab and choose "Pin Tab"

When you do this, the tab shrinks and slides to the left of your browser. You cannot "x" out of this tab unless you right-click and "unpin tab." Even if you close your browser, it will be there when you open it back up. (Note: having pinned tabs slows down how fast your browser opens as it has to open multiple tabs). Look at this before and after of a pinned tab.

Chrome Zooming

Sometimes (especially when using a projector that affects your resolution), it is necessary to zoom in or zoom out quickly. Here are three keyboard shortcuts that allow you to do this.

"cmd +" = Zoom in  (Ctrl + for PC/Chromebook)

"cmd -" = Zoom out

"cmd 0" = Return to normal.

"Awesome Tables" (and our staff directory)

I spent a lot of time learning about google sheets and more efficient ways to use spreadsheets. One of the classes I went to was on "Awesome Tables." These are pretty advanced and I am not sure if there are a whole lot of classroom uses for them, but I transferred what I learned to make an interactive staff directory. You can find it by going to the BASD website --> Staff Access--> Your School--> Staff Directory. CLICK HERE to go right there and check it out(must be logged in to berlin.k12.wi.us)! 

I entered all the data into a spreadsheet, and then with a little magic I learned from a wizard at google, I created a searchable staff directory. Bookmark for easy access. 

"Vitamin Strings"

This isn't really tech related, but before one of the sessions a presenter was playing some instrumental music from a group called "Vitamin Strings." They are a string quartet that plays popular songs. I play music in my class almost every day, and I know many of you do as well. I put it on in class today, and the kids first started groaning that they were listening to "Beethoven junk....". However, when they started to recognize the tunes, they kind of got into it. When the song changed, my class looked a little like "Name that Tune" as it was a race to name the song. Just thought I would share as a good way to incorporate the arts (I paid $130,000 to Ripon College so they could tell me why that is important). CLICK HERE to check out a playlist of "Vitamin Strings."

I am going to be gone the rest of this week, so I will utilize the short week next week to send out a "Tech This Out". 

Thanks and Safe Hunting!!

Tech Challenge Results

The Tech Challenge Winners Are....

THE STUDENTS!!! 

They are the real winners because they have great teachers who are interested in giving them high quality instruction with the integration of technology. Kudos to all the teachers who responded. The students won't say it, so I will say it for them..."Thanks for working hard to create engaging, challenging lessons for me. It makes school more enjoyable, and better prepares me for my future."

A special congratulations goes out to the staff at CLAY LAMBERTON!. They had the highest percentage of participation, and will be receiving their reward in the near future. I promise...

Next week, I will be attending the Midwest Google Summit at the Dells, along with Dave, Adam and a handful of teachers. I look forward to sharing what we learned with you in the coming weeks. There are many sessions on different ways to use google apps for education. CLICK HERE to see a list of those sessions. There are some sessions that I have already selected and will be attending, but if you see something that you would like to know more about, let me know and I can either try to attend or at least get the handout materials. Also, take advantage of the published resources for sessions. You may get the gist just from that. 

In other news, I AM FINALLY ON TWITTER. I actually joined in 2011, but never got hooked into it. I didn't see a point to it and didn't want to make my life so transparent. However, I have come to see the light and will be much more active. If you have tips for a novice user, let me know. I set up an account for BASD Tech, so make sure you follow me/us.  Props to Dave Reich and his awesome Twitter Feed. What a great way to connect with your students!

Finally, just because the Tech Challenge is over, doesn't mean you have to stop sending me lessons or asking me for help. That is what I am here for. I look forward to diving in on the submitted lessons and working with many of you in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Hey, Tech This Out.....

Name: TodaysMeet

Type: Site

Subject: Any

Grade: Probably more MS/HS

What it does: Creates a 'Back Channel' discussion for your class. In other words, its an online conversation that is going on at the same time as your presentation. Scary, I know...Keep reading.

My Take: I used TodaysMeet when teaching Science. I first prepped my class on what it was and why I was wanting to use it (add another way to get students to participate, limit repeat questions during presentation, Give peers a chance to support peers, etc). We set some rules on what should be posted (questions and comments regarding related class material), and what should not be posted (conversations not contributing to the learning of the material). Then, I set up the discussion on the site, and the students logged in with a code on their chromebooks. While I taught my lesson, I kept the discussion open on my iPad. It was way more productive than I thought it would be. It actually become a formative assessment for me as I could gauge their learning by the amount and substance of the questions they were asking, as well as the amount and accuracy of the peer responses to those questions. I would chime in occasionally into the discussion, but I really tried to let it be a student led discussion. The discussions often led to more in-depth coverage of the topic. You can leave the discussion open after class for students to continue the conversation when doing assignments or studying. Many are having the conversation anyway, why not embrace it (and monitor it).

I didn't use it everyday, and there were a few students who could not handle it and were removed from the discussion, but overall, I found it to be a beneficial tool. I highly recommend trying it out.

Link: www.todaysmeet.com

2nd Tri Tech Integration Challenge!

2nd Trimester Technology Integration Challenge!!

Carnac the Magnificent: "Ambitious, Bold, A little Foolish..."

ANSWER: "Name three ways to describe Bryant's latest idea, The 2nd Trimester Tech Integration Challenge!"

(Impressed a young buck like me knew about Carnac aren't you?)

Many people know November as "No-Shavember" where guys (and gals?) put their razor away for the month. I sport my auburn scruff all year long, so I needed a different conquest for the month, and that's why I decided to create a Technology Challenge.

I have had the privilege to work with many different teachers in all three buildings so far in my first few months on the job, but in an effort to reach even more, I have created a challenge that will test both you and me. (I promise, I will get to the details of the challenge soon.)

You see, I totally get that it can be hard to ask another teacher for help or for ideas. I also understand how it can be nerve-racking to have another teacher come in and get involved in your lesson planning or even your lesson delivery. Here is the big thing I want to stress: I am on your side. I am not an administrator. I am not observing you or evaluating you in any way. I am here to support your goals, and help you meet them with the use of technology. 

(GET TO THE POINT BRYANT, I AM ONE MORE BAD PARAGRAPH AWAY FROM GOING BACK TO CHECKING MY EMAIL...)

Okay, Here is the challenge: 

YOU:

In the next few days, you send me a lesson or project that you currently teach (hopefully during second tri, but not necessarily) that either:

a) does not use technology.

or

b) uses technology, but you think it could be changed to use technology more effectively (see SAMR in last week's blog).

You can send me information about this lesson or project by filling out the form at the end of this blog, or by simply emailing me.

ME:

What I will do, is I will spend time researching and planning a similar lesson that DOES use technology and also uses it effectively. I will then send the lesson back to you, and it will be your choice whether you decide to use it or not. There is no obligation, and you will not hurt my feelings if you decide you don't want to do it (Actually, I will probably cry myself to sleep, but that's my worry, not yours). If I feel that technology cannot improve the lesson delivery or the desired student outcomes, I will acknowledge that, as not every lesson is better with technology. 

CHALLENGE:

The building with the highest participation % will win the challenge and be rewarded with a prize!! Spread the word to your colleagues to increase participation in your building!!! IN ORDER TO COUNT FOR THE CHALLENGE, ALL LESSONS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY NOON ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

You are probably thinking, Why should I do this or What is in it for me? Consider this:

1. There is nothing to lose. Why not see what I can come up with.
2. Even though I have only been on the job for just a few months, my track record is pretty good. Ask any teacher that I have worked with so far, and I am pretty confident that they will recommend trying me out. Those that have reached out for help, continue to come back. 
3. It will save you time, since I am doing the research and planning.
4. I can be a part of the lesson delivery, again, lessening your load. 
5. You might learn something that you can apply to other lessons.
6. It is good teaching practice to utilize the resources in your district. It also looks great when you are doing your teacher effectiveness documents to cite how you utilized resources to improve your lessons and student learning.
7. It is a competition, and you want the joy of winning...and the reward!

So, to recap: You send me a non-techy lesson, I try to find a way to make it techy, and give it back for you to use or discard. Get your building to participate and the winning building gets a prize (even the teachers who did not participate from that building can get the reward, but we will all stare at them in disgust as they receive it :)) 

SENDING YOUR LESSON

The best way to do this is to fill out this form:

SUBMIT LESSON HERE  *Please email attachments

You can also send me an email. 

Okay, One more:

Carnac the Magnificent: "Cash, Free Massages, Extra leave time"

ANSWER: Name 3 things the winning building will NOT be receiving as their prize :)

Thanks for reading and I look forward to working with many of you. Have a great week!!