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Microsoft Tips and Tricks

Your Must-Have Microsoft Gadgets and Apps for the Holidays

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Are you making a list and checking it twice? As you prepare your list for Santa Claus, give some thought to these Microsoft gadgets. Here are three Microsoft tools that are definitely on my list. Since it’s the season of giving, I’m following those up with three of my favorite apps. Here’s wishing you happy tech-ing!

Gadget #1 – Microsoft Surface Go Tablet

The Surface Go is portable and compact. It makes on-the-go work simple. Featuring Windows 10 enhanced performance, it’s ultra portable and convenient. What’s more, the LTE version is now shipping, making access in a non-WiFi area possible. While the WiFi version may provide what you need in K-12 setting, the LTE version offers more. You won’t get stuck trying to access critical work files when the WiFi in your building fails. Parents, students, and staff are eligible for special pricing.

You can get the 64GB/Intel 4415Y / 4GB RAM/WiFi version for $359.10. Compare that to the 128GB model with 8GB RAM WiFi for $494.10. The LTE model of the 128GB model with 8GB RAM is $611.10. For each of these models, you will need to pay extra for the Surface Go Signature Type Cover and Surface Pen.

Order now.

Gadget #2 – Oculus Rift + Touch

Ready to immerse yourself in virtual reality? Give the Oculus Rift plus Touch ($399) a try. (Just make sure to check your computer’s compatibility first). You get a headset, controllers, and six free games with this device. The games include Robo Recall, Lucky’s Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox. Here are some of the claims about the VR immersion experience from the Rift website.

  • The headset is light, adaptable, and comfortable. When you‘re in VR, the headset goes away, and you go somewhere incredible.
  • Touch brings the magic of hand presence to life in VR.
  • Rift users enjoy integrated audio. This design takes VR immersion deeper than ever.

Gift Oculus Rift + Touch and embark on a virtual journey of discovery.

Gadget #3 – Razer Blade Gaming Laptop

Need a gaming laptop and productivity workhorse? Sending a child off to college in the fall of 2019? Check out the Razer Blade – 15.6″ Full HD GTX 1060 Max-Q Gaming Laptop (256GB SSD). Boasting a 256GB solid state drive, the Razer Blade comes with 16GB of memory. You can save 20 percent on HyperX gaming accessories when buying this laptop. The laptop is eligible for discounted pricing for students and military personnel. The cost is about $1,709.10.

The 8th Generation Intel Core processors deliver power and responsiveness. Make photo and video edits with ease. Switch between programs and windows quicker than ever. Consider getting a few games to go with it.

Change someone’s life with the Razer Blade Gaming Laptop.

Now that you’ve seen my top three gadgets, here are a few of my favorite apps you may like for your Android or iOS device.

App #1 – Microsoft Launcher

Curious about Microsoft Launcher? It’s an app for your Android phone. You can rely on it to open items from your Windows PC. Items you can open include calendar, documents, and recent activities.

One of its best features is that it continues on your PC. Let’s say you take a picture on your phone. Want to move that picture to your computer? Launcher makes it easy. Working on an Office 365 document? Keep editing on your device of choice with Launcher.

Put Microsoft Launcher to work for you. Note that this link will not work unless you are using a personal Google account. This is because it connects to the Android Google Play Store. This free app is Android only.

App #2 – Friendly

Managing many social media profiles? Want to block fake news stories via keywords? Give Friendly for Facebook a try. I switched to Friendly as my go-to app on-the-go for Facebook, Twitter, and Medium. It allows me more control over several Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The keyword filtering feature lets you hide posts and articles containing certain words. Any posts that have those keywords will not appear. You can choose to seek out posts with keywords. This makes it easy to highlight topics (e.g. micro-bits, TCEA, cats, OneNote) you do want to see more of.

Start with Friendly for Facebook. This app works on Android or iOS. This app has in-app purchases, but they won’t set you back much.

App #3 – Xodo

Need a quick way to view or sign PDF files on the go? Xodo’s handy app (Android or iOS) makes it a cinch. Use the app to edit, annotate, sign, and share PDFs. Rely on the Xodo web app, too. It makes merging many PDFs, from either your computer or Google Drive, easy. You can insert, delete, reorder, and rotate pages in a PDF document.

Manage your PDFs with Xodo.

Gift Yourself Microsoft Gadgets and Apps

I hope you enjoyed the chance to see some of the gadgets Santa Claus may drop under your tree this holiday season. And don’t forget to play around with the apps to see what might work well for you. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear what’s on your Microsoft wishlist this year!

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Classkick
ChromebooksWeb 2.0 Tool

How to Use Classkick in the Classroom

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Classkick is a tool that allows for real-time monitoring, feedback, and assessment on student work and can be a bridge to more personalized learning in 1:1 classrooms. In this blog, two educators share their experiences with Classkick, including both its limitations and why they love the app. The initial perspective is from fourth-grade teacher Amanda Hawthorne. 

Have you ever stood in line at one of the only two copy machines in the teachers’ lounge only to watch the machine jam over and over again for the person in front of you? Or have you run out of paper while making copies and had to borrow from another teacher? How about that back pain from having to lug all those papers around to be graded? In a world with so much technology at our fingertips, why haven’t we found the solution to any of those problems? That solution may have arrived. I recently went to a professional development workshop and was introduced to a free application that came out of my dreams and into my classroom. It’s called Classkick.

Classkicking into High Gear

Classkick is a free app that allows students to work on assignments and get help instantly from their teacher and peers. At first, I was hesitant. Now I would have to add another element to my classroom that would take time to learn, and I’d have to teach my students how to use it, too. I put it on hold until the fateful day when I was standing in line to make copies for my students when BOTH of the copiers broke. I didn’t know how I was going make my lesson effective without something for my students to write on.

It was at that moment that I remembered Classkick. Fortunately, I have 1:1 Chromebooks in my classroom, so I knew I was going to have to give this a try. Once I walked my students through the Classkick tutorials, they were instantly hooked. The idea of getting to use their Chromebooks instead of a pencil and paper was so exciting to them! The next day, I uploaded the assignment I had been trying to copy and let them complete it on Classkick. I was able to watch them in real time as they worked through each question. If a student had a question, they would simply “raise their hand” with a click of a button and not feel any embarrassment or self-consciousness.

Once they completed their assignment, they submitted their work and I was able to grade all their papers from the comfort of my own home without having to carry them home in a heavy bag. The next morning, my students begged me to send them more assignments on Classkick so they could show me what they could do on the app.

Why I Love Classkick

Classkick can be easily linked to your Google Classroom for sending assignments and saving work. It’s only available on iPads, computers, and Chromebooks. I had finally found a solution to using the dreaded copy machine. By the end of the year, I was sending assignments, tests, and even books to my students!

Not only does Classkick save me time, it also saves TONS of paper in my classroom.  Since I have Classkick connected with my Google Classroom, parents can easily log in and see their children’s work. I use this app several times a day to introduce new topics or concepts, to demonstrate text-based evidence from a story using colored highlighters, and even as our morning bell ringer. It also allows me to add my own content, my voice, my images, and my directions.  Students can add their own pictures, labels, voices, and text to make the assignment their own.

Classkick is also very user-friendly. Their website has so many teacher resources, and if that doesn’t help, you can email their wonderful tech support. I was having trouble and they asked me to call them on my conference hour and personally walked me through what I was having trouble with. Classkick made my experience personal, and they made sure I was able to complete the task without any hesitation.

Classkick completely changed my classroom, and I am so grateful. I recommend it to anyone who has an opportunity to use technology in their classrooms. You don’t have to be 1:1 to make it work. If you have computers or iPads in your classroom, Classkick can be used for centers.  Classkick wants to “help teachers teach and learners learn.” Give it a try; you will love it!

Another Educator’s Perspective on Classkick

Ronald Cintrón has also tried Classkick with his students and shares his experiences:

I’m always looking for that magic app the will instill STAAR skills like a silver bullet and maybe even serve me coffee while I wait. I’m subscribed to any source that has recommended new apps and I go to categories/education and look at the top fifty in both the Play Store and App store. I was excited when I saw the Classkick app because of its easy-to-use features to benefit both teachers and students. Those features include:

  • Student sign-in is a snap using a code you provide them.
  • Tests are easy to import and can be automatically separated into different pages.
  • I am able to see in real time how the students are solving the problems.
  • Once each student finished, they can submit and wait for my reply (from my iPad) or “raise their hand.” I am able to write on their screen wirelessly.
  • I can remotely reward them and/or help them individually.
  • Other students can help remotely as well!

Initially, the school infrastructure wasn’t ready to support Classkick, and we had a significant lag of up to five minutes. We were able to improve that in subsequent years, but the honeymoon ended when my average student count increased. We don’t have enough laptops for 1:1 and found we were investing too much time. That said, I still have a lot of positive things to say about Classkick. The kiddos love it, and I love it. They love the badges awarded to them and get excited when I virtually write on their paper (laptop). I love it because it lets me give them more personal attention and assessment.

Is Classkick the right choice for your district? Have you used it and had a different perspective from these educators? We would love to hear your experiences in the comments.

This is a guest blog by Amanda Hawthorne and Ronald Cintrón. Amanda currently teaches fourth grade at Fort Sam Houston ISD in San Antonio, Texas. You can follow her on Twitter @MrsAHawthorne or email her at ahawthorne@fshisd.net. Ronald is a bilingual teacher at Oak Meadows Elementary in Austin, Texas.

 

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leaders
Leadership

Tech Tools for Leaders

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Being a leader, whether it is part of your title or given to you by those you support, can sometimes be challenging. With a wide variety of tasks and skills that you have to manage, you may find that it is sometimes downright daunting…unless you have some help from selected apps, websites, and gadgets. We’ve curated a few tech-related tools for leaders that are related to gathering information, sharing information, and focusing on work without distractions for you to try out.

Gathering Information

As a leader, it is important that you are up to date on so much information. Here are a few tools to help you in that endeavor.

Flipboard – This customizable e-magazine allows you to identify topics and sites you would like to follow. Unlike in the “old days” where you had to gather RSS feeds and put them in your aggregator, Flipboard allows you to easily search and identify resources in a very user-friendly way. Then, each time you open Flipboard, it will have gathered the most recent blogs, websites, videos, and news based on your identified interests. And it can even learn nuances of your interests as you like different pages.

Paper.li is a similar tool that does the gathering for you and puts it in a nicely presented newsletter format. With a paid subscription, you can upgrade the look of your paper from a newsletter to a full blown website. You may choose that you don’t want to start your own paper, so here are some that others have already been started to help you gather information on a variety of topics: edtech, students, classrooms, technology, and virtual reality.

If you are searching for information that is no longer posted on a website, then you might try your luck using the Way Back Machine. Enter the url of the site you want to review and check to see if there are any archived snapshots of it. If so, you can review the website on those specific dates and possibly find the information that you need.

Though many folks use digital tools to take notes (such as OneNote, Google Keep, etc.), you may prefer to take notes the old fashioned way with paper and pen. If this you, then check out the Rocketbook Wave Smart Notebook. Write notes and draw sketches in the notebook. Afterwards, you can use their app to digitize the information and sync to your favorite tool. When your notebook is full, just pop it in the microwave for the recommended time to remove all the ink. Voila, you now have a clean notebook ready to be filled again! You can refill a notebook up to four times.

Sharing Information

Whether you are sharing information with someone now or making it available for them to access at their convenience, you are sure to find these tools a handy addition to your toolbox.

Video conferencing doesn’t get any easier than Appear.in. This tool is great if you have virtual office hours or need to have a video chat with someone on the fly. If you think you would use it often, you can reserve a room name to make it easy for everyone to remember. There’s only enough “room” for four participants so it’s not the ideal solution for larger meetings. But if you are like me, many of my meetings include only one or two other folks; I’ve reserved the room https://appear.in/tcea for such meetings. This is a great tool, especially if you are meeting with tech-challenged coworkers or stakeholders since there is no learning curve and they can access through any web browser.

For instances when you need to share how to access or do something on the computer or internet, I highly recommend Screencastify.  This go-to tool allows you to record your screen casts with or without your webcam inset. This is one tool that is worth paying the low yearly fee to remove the watermark and the 10-minute time limit. When done, you can easily share your cast via YouTube or Google Drive. If you have the paid version, you can download the video as an MP4 or animated GIF, as well as crop/trim your video.

Flipgrid allows you to create asynchronous video discussions.  Again, this is another tool that is worth the annual fee to have the premium features. If you decide to purchase several licenses at once, you can get a discount! Think of this as an easy way to share your video without putting it out on YouTube, Vimeo, or the like. Then folks can respond and keep the conversation going (by text comments with the free version; by text or video with the paid version). Not only is this a great tool in the classroom, it’s a powerful tool for busy leaders.

Focused Work

We all hit times where we need to close the door and get the job done without any distractions. These two tools will help you be more aware of how you are using your time and block out some of those annoying distractions.

Timular, mentioned in a previous blog post, is an eight-sided die that lets you easily track the time you spend on various tasks. This is great for leaders who find they have more tasks than time to complete them. Knowing exactly how you spend your time can help you make positive decisions on where to make adjustments. You can review how your time was spent within the app or on a calendar that you’ve synced to it.

Noisli is robust noise machine with 16 different sound scenes that you can combine to make the perfect background noise for you…and you can save up to five favorite combos. One of my favorites is a little pink noise, some wind, and a modest thunderstorm. You can also set a timer and, if you need to do some writing, open its distraction-free writing tool. Whatever your recipe for helping your focus, you’ll find that Noisli is a great tool to have handy.

Even More Resources…

If you would  like additional tech tools for leaders, be sure to check out our longer list (PDF or PNG). As always, we would enjoy hearing some of your favorite tech tools – whether apps, websites, or gadgets – that you find helpful. Just add them to the comments below.

 

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AndroidGoogle Tips and Tricks

Go Lite with Android Apps for BYOD

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

As more schools transition to the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model of technology use, teachers may be seeing students try to use their own inexpensive Android phones that don’t pack quite as much punch as might be needed. They may be unable to run the latest, most powerful apps, which could cause problems in the classroom. The answer to this dilemma is to “go lite” with some brand new, lite versions of Google tools that have just launched.

The Lite Movement

When Facebook came out with lite versions of their Facebook and Messenger apps on Android, I found myself wondering, “How much better will they work?” Microsoft joined in with Skype Lite, built for Android phones in India. Microsoft describes their Skype Lite in this way:

It is small, fast, and capable. It lets you send free text messages and make voice & video calls even under limited network conditions.

Small. Fast. Capable. Those three words define the lite experience. After spending some time with each, I find they are less clunky than the full app. Indeed, they are faster. This makes them perfect for any Android phone or tablet, such as Samsung and Amazon Fire, that may need apps with less of a footprint. While lite apps are available, you may also see web-based versions (such as Twitter Lite) that streamline their interface for speed.

How to Get Lite Apps

Now that you’ve decided to shed a few apps, you may need to get your phone ready. If you’re running the Android Oreo operating system, you won’t encounter too many problems (approve app each time). For any operating system before that, take these three steps to allow app installations from outside the Google Play Store:

  1. Go to the Settings app.
  2. Select Security.
  3. Toggle Unknown sources to On.

That’s it! You are now able to access popular apps. That includes Google tools like YouTube Go, Files Go, Android Go, and, just announced, Gmail Go. In this blog entry, we’ll discuss three of the Go family.

Note: If you or your students get the “No eligible devices” message, you may need to first install a no-cost virtual private network (VPN) like Windscribe or Tunnelbear. Then, change your location to an eligible country before visiting the Google Play Store. And don’t worry; the process is easier than you may think.

Google Tool #1 – YouTube Go

Although launched for India first, YouTube Go has now became eligible for use in 130 more countries. Watch the short video below for an overview:

https://youtu.be/GTk2_QSf2Jk

The app does the following:

  • Lets you preview videos prior to viewing.
  • Gets videos to watch when not connected.
  • Selects your video resolution.
  • Adjusts data consumption.
  • Shares several videos with others nearby.

This lightweight app may be just what you and your students’ devices need.

Google Tool #2 – Files Go

The way Files Go works on your Android device is similar to having a personal assistant tidy things up. Files Go cleans up space on your Android device, keeping you organized.

According to Google Play, Files Go “recommends rarely-used apps to remove,” “recognizes and helps you get rid of spam & duplicate images,” “helps you find your important photos, videos, and documents faster,” and “makes it easy to share your files offline — quickly and securely”. Source: MakeUseOf.com

Ready to get your personal assistant to clean your Android phone? Use Files Go.

Google Tool #3 – Gmail Go

Like everyone else, I have a love/hate relationship with email. It is incessant, requires repeat visits, and attracts junk. Gmail Go brings together some popular features, such as these points Google uses to describe it:

  • Gmail Go blocks spam before it hits your inbox.
  • Gmail Go offers multiple account support (Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, or other IMAP/POP email)

There are many other apps that allow you or your students to go lite. Keep your eyes open for them since they can make room for more important, creative apps your students need to participate in class.

Update: This blog has been updated on 4/23/2019 to reflect revised mobile VPN services.

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note taking
Educational TrendsGoogle Tips and TricksMicrosoft Tips and Tricks

Tools to Take the Best Notes at the 2018 TCEA Convention

by Susan Meyer
written by Susan Meyer

The 2018 TCEA Convention & Exposition is in full swing as educators from all over the nation have come together to learn about the latest trends in educational technology and to build on their professional development. With sessions for every role in education, the convention may take a bit of planning in what sessions to attend and what information to retain. To make the most of your convention experience, taking good notes is essential. After all, what good is taking amazing notes if you can’t find what you need in them in a few weeks or months? The best way to ensure that your convention learning (and any learning, for that matter) remains fresh and easily searched is to use one of the great note taking tools that are available to educators.

The Top Three Note-Taking Tools

Some of the best tools that may help you write the most beneficial notes are Google Keep, OneNote, and Evernote. All of these tools are currently free to use (a big plus!). They have a similar purpose, but also unique features that set each one apart.

Google Keep

Google Keep has standard note-taking features such as automatic saves, ability to share the finished product, and checkboxes. In addition, it has the ability to send reminders about the notes you take and has a built-in OCR. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) means that the system can not only recognize text, but also graphic images such as drawings or illustrations or sketch notes. With these added features, Google Keep is great for jotting something down quick while also giving you room to organize and build on your notes to make them more detailed. Its design is simple for content to be easy to write or find.

Note Taking with OneNote

OneNote is a little more robust than Google Keep because it provides the ability to create internal links. This can allow you to link to a particular Twitter account or chat or to a PDF handout link from a presenter. It also can hold more characters than Google Keep, making it perfect for keeping notes from multiple events and years. These features allow your notes to be a little more in-depth and organized. One disadvantage of OneNote, however, is its inability to recover deleted items, which may be an issue when you’re bouncing session to session.

Evernote

Following Google Keep and OneNote is Evernote. Like OneNote, Evernote is more robust with a feature that integrates with third-party services through APIs. This lets you connect it to other applications such as Outlook or Google Drive. You can see what else works with OneNote here. However, with a more complex design, it lags in speed and consistency across all devices. The best way use Evernote is in its web version.

There are plenty of ways to take great, useful notes. To recap, Google Keep is simply designed and made for quick notes that you can put into greater depth at a later time while OneNote offers a happy medium of more detailed, organizational features. If you are using the web version, Evernote offers copious possibilities. No matter your note-taking style, one of these tools will is sure to help you take your best 2018 TCEA Convention notes.

 

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Android phone
AndroidCybersecurity

Safeguard Your Android Device

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Did this holiday season leave you with an Android device in your hands? If so, you’re not the only one. “Between them, Android and iOS accounted for 99.6 percent of all smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2016,” says James Vincent (Gartner as cited in The Verge). “Of the 432 million smartphones sold in the last quarter [2016], 352 million ran Android (81.7 percent) and 77 million ran iOS (17.9 percent).”According to Google, as cited by MacRumors, over two billion Android devices are in use around the world.

Unfortunately, more Android devices means more opportunities for malware and hacking. Join me as we explore some of the apps that can protect you from malware, hackers, and intrusion. Don’t be afraid to pass these tips to your children/students as they begin to explore the wild, wild world of Android. After all, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD/BYOT) initiatives are ever-increasing in schools.

Note: One handy app that I used to get a list of all the apps on my Android phone is List My Apps. This app makes it simple to get your Android app list emailed to you with links.

#1- Anti-Malware Tool

While there are many anti-malware tools in the Google Play store, not all are safe. For example, some anti-malware tools may masquerade as helpful tools to capture your sensitive data. With an Android device, just like the Windows operating system, you may put yourself at risk without anti-malware tools. Tom’s Guide provides a list of tools.

My favorite one, though, is BitDefender Mobile Security for $15 a year. The app offers a host of features, making sure you don’t let malware install itself or hitch a ride on existing apps. You can lock individual apps to prevent others from opening them; useful if you lose your phone while it is unlocked. This is quite important, especially if you decide to take foolish advantage of third party apps (e.g. GetJar) not approved in the Google Play store.

Did You Know?
If you lose your phone, you can use Android’s Find My Device feature to locate it via GPS or remotely wipe the information on it. Wow! To turn that on, go to your phone’s Settings, then Google then Security. If you have not done so already, make sure to get the Find My Device app. Setup is a snap.

#2- Protecting Your Camera and Microphone Access

Did you know that the camera and microphone on your device can be activated remotely? Worse, once activated, you can be spied upon.

Researchers have discovered a design flaw in Android that can be used to remotely capture screenshots or record audio… without the user’s knowledge or consent. (Source)

Two apps that I use on my Android phone to protect against this include Camera Blocker and Microphone Block Free. Each offers a free version that will allow you to flip the ON/OFF switch on your camera or microphone. You can turn these off when you need to snap a picture or answer your phone.

#3- Prevent Robo Spam Calls

Finding yourself receiving an unending stream of robocalls and spam? Give Hiya a try. It features “spam detection and call blocking capabilities.” These help you “avoid unwanted and dangerous calls.” This app has blocked countless calls to my mobile phone. On Android, Hiya pops up with caller ID to let me know who is calling. This allows me to decide if I want to waste my time responding. For phone numbers not in the Hiya database, I have the option of adding new numbers.

Hiya Call Block Security identifies the calls you want to take and blocks the numbers and texts you want to avoid. Hiya is free (no ads!), and is incredibly easy to use. It offers the ability to block calls, blacklist unwanted phone numbers and SMS text messages, reverse phone search incoming call information, and receive spam alerts.

The best way to win an argument with a telemarketer or spammer is to avoid it. Younger phone users may not know how to say “no.” Get them Hiya so they can avoid a data-compromising conversation.

#4 – Virtual Private Network (VPN)

If you are using public WiFi, make sure to get a virtual private network (VPN) solution. You can find a great overview of why you should use a VPN over at Pixel Privacy. Here’s why a VPN is such a great idea:

A laptop and mobile device user visits her favorite coffee shop, connecting to the free Wi-Fi hotspot to access the internet. She uses the unprotected hotspot to pay bills, do her banking and shop on Amazon. Meanwhile, a quiet young man sits in the corner, sipping his latte and monitoring her internet connection, stealing valuable personal and business information.

Packet sniffing happens all the time. Use a free solution like Opera VPN or a subscription service like Private Internet Access (PIA).

#5- Password Manager

Keeping track of a million passwords can be quite a hassle. Two tools I have found helpful include Secure Space Encryptor (SSE) and/or KeePassDroid. Both work on your mobile phone. You can keep track of your usernames and generate more complex passwords than “password” or “dragon.”

In future Android-related blog entries, we’ll take a look at additional tools you can use to safeguard your data.

 

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ChromebooksEnglish Language ArtsSpecial Needs

Improve Your Students’ Reading Experience with Chrome

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

The Chrome browser is so dynamic that I’m often amazed at its functionality and how it can help the many students who are now reading on digital devices. If you have students who need a better reading experience or struggle with reading comprehension, then there are some apps and extensions that will help them. And many of these will be perfect for differentiating learning!

Reading Comprehension

Newsela – This is one of my favorite Chrome apps that I always feature in my trainings. Newsela features current event articles covering many subjects, each written at five different Lexile levels.  With this extension, students can read the same material at an appropriate level for themselves.

TLDR: Summarize Anything – The TLDR extension creates a short summary of any web article without leaving the original page. This will help students discern the most important ideas in the article they are reading.

Word Cloud Website Preview – I love word clouds, so this is another favorite of mine! This extension can turn any content from the web into a word cloud. The word cloud can then be reviewed to summarize the content on the page or to help decipher key words used.

Readability

ATbar – This Chrome extension provides you with a toolbar that has many features including color overlays for web pages, a dictionary, text to speech, word prediction, and more.

BeeLine Reader – Bee Line Reader is another one of my most beloved extensions, so much so that I wrote a blog entry about it here.  It creates a more readable version of a website by removing all of the ads and other extra distracting items. In addition, a color gradient can be applied to the page in order to guide the eye from one line to the next.

MagicScroll Web Reader – This extension turns web pages into a flippable ebook. Its unique scrolling system lets you scroll web pages without moving them. This makes it easier to read long articles without being distracted.

Mercury Reader – If your students are easily distracted, then they might want to get Mercury Reader. It makes any website easier to read by removing ads and distractions. You can also adjust the font size and color scheme of the new text.

This list is just a few of the many Chrome extensions and apps that help with readability and reading comprehension. We will be sharing many more in our upcoming monthly Get Your Google On webinars, so make sure you register for them today.

If you discovered other app and extensions that work with the Chrome browser to help students with reading, please share in the Comments section below.

This blog was updated with new content and resources on October 15, 2017.

 

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BYOD
AndroidBYODChromebooksiOS Tips and Tricks

Six BYOD Tools for the Classroom

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Making use of Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) in the classroom can enhance your teaching if you are comfortable with students using various apps to complete their tasks. Many teachers, though, find that it may be more stressful when students use a different OS than what the teacher is familiar with. For educators who encourage the students to use the app of their choice, we recommend that teachers create a Padlet (shelf layout) as a place for students to easily share. If you don’t want to start from scratch, you can always use our template and make a copy of it for your own use to adapt with your students.

If you find that you prefer all your students to have the same app on their device regardless of the operating system, here are some great ones I recommend for iOS and Android.

 OverDrive

OneDrive icon imageIf you like listening to audiobooks, you’ll enjoy using OverDrive. If your district doesn’t subscribe to it, check and see if your local public library does. If so, you can check out audiobooks from them, as well as through their network of other contributing libraries!

Web, iOS, Android, Microsoft

PicCollage

PicCollage App IconWhile grandparents love this app for making collages of their grandkids, students of all ages will find this app easy to use when they have an assignment where they can create collages, annotate over photos, etc.

Web, iOS, Android, Microsoft

 Office Lens

Office Lens app iconThough many of us remember copying down notes in class to study for tests, current students seem to prefer to take photos of the board to capture their notes. This app is so handy for that. Point and aim it at the board, projector, paper, etc.. Once it detects the area, you just snap the photo; it will crop it so only the board is in the photo and deskew the image so it looks like you had prime seating in front of the board when you took the picture. Save as an image on your device or as a PDF or Office format if you have an Office 365 account.

iOS, Android, Microsoft

 Adobe Express

Adobe Spark Video app iconSometimes you want your students to record a video to capture their learning. But many devices have a default video recording app that is bare bones. You’ll find Adobe Express to be an easy go-to tool that will help students make great videos without getting bogged down in the technical aspects of videography. Though it is only for iOS currently, it is worth the wait for other operating systems.

Web, iOS, Android and Microsoft coming soon

 Pushbullet

Pushbullet app iconPushbullet is great if your students find that they need to “push” files or photos from their phone or tablet to their laptop/computer (and vice versa). Pushbullet makes it easy without having to move your file/photo to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or DropBox first. And, since it is in the cloud, you can access your account from any device to retrieve previously pushed files. This is great if you have students taking photos or videos on their phones, but then need to add them to documents that they are editing on a computer.

Web, iOS, Android

 Flipgrid

Flipgrid app iconIf you want an easy app that allows all of your students to share, then this has to be the best app for that. It’s perfect for having students summarize their content or reflect on their learning. If they are using a phone or tablet, they’ll need to download the app; otherwise, they can use the webcam on their laptop to participate. Though I don’t recommend the paid version of many apps (I remember what it was like when my teacher budget was whatever I had in my pocket), this is definitely one app that is worth the price; consider getting others to join with you and you all can enjoy a discounted price. Even without the additional features in the paid version, this is a super app!

Web, iOS, Android

This only scratched the surface of great tools that can enhance your BYOD classroom, school, and district. If you would like more assistance, contact me at bellis@tcea.org to discuss scheduling TCEA to come to your site to provide either a half-day, full-day, or two days of training. You’ll find our training is very customized, research-based, definitely hands-on, and reasonably priced.

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Screenshot of digital whiteboard - source provided
Educational TrendsGood Teaching

Digital Whiteboard Solutions

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Many of us have experienced interactive whiteboards. Less expensive digital whiteboards (web or app-based alternatives) are disrupting more expensive options for whiteboards in schools. In this blog entry, we’ll take a look at some digital whiteboard solutions as alternatives to more expensive solutions.

Newcomer Alert: Be sure to check out Whiteboard.chat as a great whiteboard tool that you can use to support remote learning.

Modeling Thinking with Digital Whiteboards

Digital whiteboards enable students and teachers to make thinking visible. Yet,without explicit professional learning (such as what the TCEA Professional Development team offers), teachers may not reach their full potential in using technology. The National Educational Technology Plan (January 2017) makes this point succinctly:

Technology can accelerate, amplify…expand the impact of effective teaching practices…to be transformative, educators need to have the knowledge…skills to take full advantage of technology-rich learning environments. [emphasis mine]

Organization and Interactivity Are Key

Digital whiteboards cost less to deploy, are more mobile, and lend themselves to increased teacher organization and student interactivity. ASCD’s Educational Leadership magazine points out requisite strategies for using whiteboards:

  1. Teachers should think through how they intend to organize information.
  2. Digital flipcharts should contain visuals. Those visuals must focus learners on important information.
  3. Students need to express themselves.
  4. Assist students in focusing on essential content in the lesson.

These effective strategies work regardless of how much you may have spent on your whiteboard solution as long as you first invest in professional learning for your staff.

Digital Whiteboards Save Money and Maximize Learning

“We use Doceri,” said one principal in an Area 2 district.  “It gives us a variety of features.” Whatever your device, consider some of the following low-cost digital whiteboard solutions available.

Web-Based Whiteboards

iOS-Based Whiteboards

Other popular iOS whiteboards that include recurring costs include Doceri and Explain Everything. Both offer a multitude of features that make them must-have app(s) for school iOS devices.

With device mirroring technologies, you can display any whiteboard app via a digital projector. You may already know about these apps for mirroring your iOS device to a computer connected to a digital projector:

One no-cost alternative for Windows users to mirror their device is LonelyScreen.

Begin Now

As you begin, focus on how digital whiteboards will support student problem-solving, make thinking visible, and enhance teaching and learning in your classroom.

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student holding device
Good TeachingiOS Tips and Tricks

Hacking the iPad for Vocabulary Growth

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Hacking your class set of iPads can help students learn. If you are ready to make vocabulary study more interactive, come along! Let’s review the primary cognitive processes involved in active learning. After all, who wants to just use technology to do boring vocabulary drills or study alone?

Active Learning

“Active learning refers to the robust research finding that learning is more durable and lasting when students are cognitively engaged in the learning process,”  says Dr. Jay Lynch. “Students need to be involved in active sense-making and knowledge construction.”  Effective learning engages students in one or more of three cognitive processes involved in active learning. Those three processes include:

  1. Students selecting relevant material. Can you imagine students deciding which vocabulary words and/or concepts they are unclear about and then working to better understand them?
  2. Organizing material in ways that make sense to them. Students can use technology, such as websites or apps, to make sense of unfamiliar words and/or concepts.
  3. Blending prior knowledge with new information. Students can create concepts maps that connect their own learning with new information.

Six steps from Robert Marzano in this tweeted diagram shared via @ImpactWales  highlight what we can do as teachers to assist students.

Six Steps to Vocabulary Teaching

Students should be introduced to new vocabulary via the following six steps. Take a moment to study the diagram, then join me as we explore a variety of iPad apps that can assist students in active learning achievement.

hacking

Hacking Your iPad for Active Learning with Vocabulary

The classroom teacher can help students create non-linguistic representations using iOS apps like the descriptions shown below:

  • Students can put their vocabulary words in the mouths of historical figures or others using the PhotoSpeak app (click to see sample lesson), which makes it easy to take a photo and represent it. Students can audio record themselves and then match it to a photo of a person.
  • Pupils can create a compare and contrast chart, exploring a vocabulary word and its relationships with other words, using Doodle Buddy (click to see more activities).
  • Learners can create a photo collage of pictures/images that represent the vocabulary word using Moldiv.
  • Students can capture or locate a photo that represents their vocabulary word and, using the Perfect Captions app, students can add a caption to the picture. Older students can also create dialogue in the image, if historical or featuring different actors, to explain the meaning of the vocabulary term or use it appropriately.

Each of these activities takes advantage of a different app; however, using an app like DoInk’s Green Screen (find out more), you can “app smash” the creations into one video or image. This allows teachers and students to add themselves to the explanation of a compare and contrast diagram created with Doodle Buddy or Perfect Captions.

Extended Learning

Students may also choose to use iPad whiteboard apps to facilitate explanation of a word. For example, a “Draw the Word” activity can help students using a digital whiteboard app. Those include apps like BaiBoard, Educreations, Quick Sketch,  ShowMe,  Whiteboard, or Whiteboard for Kids. These digital whiteboards allow students to visually represent their concept of a word’s meaning. In some cases, like Educreations, students can also include audio.

To extend student learning about vocabulary, hacking iPads can also involve creating concepts maps using apps like Ideament (iOS, free but $2.99 for full features), iBrainstormer, Total Recall – MindMap, or Penultimate.

Students could also interact with each others’ creations, recording their understanding of a diagram or video-recorded explanation. Using a free service such as Seesaw, students may turn in their work and/or link to other students’ vocabulary terms. They can also leave comments and be inspired by each other’s creations.

 

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