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Google Suite

Five Ways for Google Educators to Hack Schoology

by Miguel Guhlin October 2, 2020

written by Miguel Guhlin

“How do you put popular tools like EdPuzzle, Google Forms, and Google Slides into Schoology? What about Flipgrid?” If this is the kind of question you have had about Schoology, then this blog entry is for you as I walk you through five Schoology hacks that G Suite EDU educators need to know. And, if you are into Bitmoji, there’s something at the end for you as well. But before we jump into Schoology, let’s first find out what embedding content involves.

Did You Know?

TCEA offers a Schoology Educator online course. Here’s what one participant had to say after completing it and earning a digital badge, certificate, and 12 CPE hours: “I am very thankful for this course! I have gotten a great start on my classroom and I will be able to use what I have learned to help others.” Learn more.

Embed? What Is That?

Embedding content is a simple copy-and-paste process. You copy the “embed code” which is available at a content source page (e.g. Flipgrid, EdPuzzle, YouTube). You then switch to the code view where you want that code to appear. You can grab the embed code (a.k.a. iFrame code) from many sharing websites. Here’s what that looks like in Flipgrid:

Schoology Hacks

Want a YouTube embed code? View a YouTube video. Then, click on SHARE to view the code. The embed code will look like this:

Schoology Hacks

You can then take that copied embed code and paste it into Schoology. Here’s an overview of the process:

Schoology Hacks

Want to embed other content? Use one of the following two options:

The first approach is to switch to HTML Source Code view, then paste the embed code where you want it to appear.
The second approach is to INSERT MEDIA button on the toolbar.

Here’s a short video of the process:

Wasn’t that easy? Now, let’s take a look at how to connect sources to Schoology.

Connect Sources to Schoology

There are several sources you can insert that Schoology supports. Those include Google Drive, YouTube, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

Schoology Hacks

Ready to connect your Google Drive to Schoology? To get that done, follow these simple steps:

Go to Schoology Resources page.
Click Apps.
Add Google Drive Resource App.
You will need to allow Schoology to access your Google Drive.

Here’s a quick video overview of that process:

Now that we know how to embed and connect, let’s take a look at how to do that in Google and/or Microsoft Forms.

Did You Know?

TCEA offers bundled Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2, as well as Google Classroom and Sites, online, self-paced courses. And, it also has Microsoft 365 online course. Be sure to check these inexpensive, online courses out.

Hack #1: Google Forms and Microsoft Forms

As you might imagine, putting a form into Schoology can be as easy as linking a picture or text on the screen. Or you can drop the whole Google or Microsoft Form right in.

As you’ll see in the video below, some content embedded via INSERT MEDIA option in Schoology will fail. The better approach with inserting an iFrame code is to use the HTML Source view approach.

What does this process look like for Google Slides and PowerPoint? Let’s find out.

Hack #2: Google Slides and PowerPoint Online

As you might imagine, Google Slides and PowerPoint Online have more possibilities. I have to admit that I see how much easier it is to embed the former into Schoology. Google Slides makes it possible to create hyperslides for navigation. PowerPoint Online? Not so much.

That aside, I can still create a thumbnail of a PowerPoint slide and then link it in Schoology. For either, you can click on the slide deck and it will jump you out to full screen slide show.

Want to create a navigation menu for your Schoology course? Google Slides is the way to go. You can take the embed code from “Publish to Web” option in Google, then drop that code into Schoology. Be sure to check the bonus hack at the end of this blog entry for hyperlinked Bitmoji books.

Hack #3: Clickable Choice Boards in Schoology

Need to copy a multimedia text set or choice board and embed it in Schoology? If you’re using Google Docs, it’s not that hard to do. In this blog entry, I explore digital choice boards and offer various ways to make them.

Embedding clickable choice boards in Schoology is easier than you may think. You make the choice board options clickable, or hyperlink them, in Google Docs or Slides. Then, put the embed code into Schoology.

Let’s watch a short video see how well Docs, Slides, and Drawings work when embedded in Schoology.

Hack #4: EdPuzzle Embedding

One of the favorite student comprehension assessment tools for video is EdPuzzle. You can’t go wrong with this versatile tool and setting up an account is easy to do. In this video, we take an existing EdPuzzle video with multiple choice questions and embed it in Schoology.

Wow, it doesn’t get much easier than that to assess student comprehension.

Hack #5: Schoology Materials Menus

One of the challenges people face when working with Schoology is navigation. While you can use Schoology’s built-in navigation scheme, some may prefer something easier. What could be easier? Age-appropriate images that students can use to navigate the course. Imagine creating an easy navigation system for your students in Schoology.

What’s even more fun, you can design the whole experience in Google Docs or Slides. This gives you greater control over the design process. That is, you don’t have to mess with HTML except to drop in the embed code into a Schoology page.

But wait, there’s more Schoology Hacks for G Suite EDU educators; check out this bonus hack for the Bitmoji Classroom.

Bonus Hack: Embed Your Bitmoji Classroom

Since Schoology makes it easy to embed Google Slides content, you can do a lot. One thing that I saw was sharing a few of your favorite books. You can do that by creating an interactive, Bitmoji classroom with a bookshelf whose books students can click. Each click takes them to engaging content about that book.

Schoology Hacks

Here’s an example I stole from RIYL Libraries (thanks!) and adapted for TCEA.org. See how I did it below.

Want to learn how to make your own Bitmoji Classroom? Why not take TCEA’s Bitmoji Classroom online, self-paced course for $29? You’ll be engaging your students with Bitmoji classrooms in no time.

October 2, 2020 0 comment

Google-izing the 5E Lesson Model

by Diana Benner June 26, 2018

written by Diana Benner

updated 04/26/19

Ready to blend Google Suites for Education tools into inquiry-based lessons? A wide variety of approaches exist, none more popular than the 5E Model. Let’s see how the 5E Model combines with Google Suites for Education to make learning engaging.

Google-izing the 5E Lesson Plan Model

The 5E Lesson Plan model has five components. Those components appear below. With these, you will see specific examples of Google Suites for Education tools.

1- Engage

Boredom in schools has a dire effect on learning. Bored students perform less well on tests (Source). In one research study, over half of students defined their school experience as boring. The 5E Lesson seeks to engage students so that they will retain learning. How can you accomplish this with G Suite tools?

One approach involves creating virtual field trips. Rather than giving students a textbook map, have them make one. Students can use Google Tour Builder to create an interactive journey. See this example for language learning combined with history.

Another approach may involve having students craft their own infographics. View this social studies infographic that captures the essence of infographics in schools. You can see many more examples of Tony Vincent’s #classygraphics online.

2- Explore

Once you engage students in learning, make time for independent and group exploration of the topic. This allows them to develop and pursue interests grounded in the topic. Explore topics in such a way that students must figure things out without all the details being filled in for them. In PBL, this is known as presenting students with an ill-structured problem.

When using G Suites for Education tools, use the new Google Sites to create a digital breakout. Why does this approach work? It challenges students to pay close attention to details that lead them to create their own gestalt of the topic. The mind, psychologists say, has “an innate disposition to perceive patterns.” Not sure how to create your own digital breakout with Google tools? See this list of resources.

Another way to use G Suites is to create a digital choice board or multimedia text set (MMTS). Find ample examples of both online.

3- Explain

Students have had the chance to be engaged. They have explored the topic in detail, so now you can start to share your expertise with them. One way to scaffold student learning has them creating a T-chart to help them examine two aspects of an object, situation, or event. This allows them to compare diverse ideas.

You can create T-charts in Google Slides, Google Docs, or Google Drawings. In addition, Canva has a free online T-Chart maker. All you have to do is choose a template from the layout library and then customize it. Find other chart templates here.

4- Elaborate

Learners may often need to revisit a topic from a different angle. Using differentiation techniques, you can empower students to dig deeper. The purpose of the focused hyperdoc is to allow students to explore a topic from various angles. For example, elaboration may involve enriching or extending a lesson. For other students, revisiting an activity at a slower pace with more teacher support may be needed.

One simple approach involves a focused hyperdoc. You can create a hyperdoc that either extends, enriches, or scaffolds student learning. Rather than create a detailed hyperdoc, use one of the simpler templates available in Google Docs.

5- Evaluate

Ready to assess? Have students use G Suites tools to create visual representations of their ideas. These creations can take many forms, whether Google Sheets graphs of data or something more creative. For example, students can design digital ebooks with Google Slides or Google Docs and then export them to ePub ebook format.

Putting It All Together

You may have read of all these approaches in TCEA TechNotes blog entries. Remember, the 5E Model can be combined with G Suites tools. It’s easy to imagine any one approach as the only one to use. Blend them to create engaging lessons that showcase student learning.

June 26, 2018 0 comment

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Member Spotlight on Twyla Felty

by Susan Meyer June 15, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

Twyla Felty (left) at the 2018 TCEA Convention.

TCEA members are many things. They’re resourceful, innovative, and creative, to name just a few. And today we want to shine the spotlight on one of our members who exemplifies all of these and more. Twyla Felty is a Technology Instructional Specialist for Eustace Middle School. She’s also an advocate for STEAM learning and a great source of advice on technology implementation and supporting educators. In this interview, she shares her recommendations, her go-to resources, and the cool project she’s most excited about.

Taking the Tech Road

Twyla has worn many hats in her 18 years with Eustace ISD. She has taught everything from kindergarten to fifth grade science and math to middle school. But her career took a tech turn in 2008. She was working on a master’s degree and planning to take the leap into administration when she attended an ISTE conference in San Antonio.

As Twyla remembers, “My district sent teachers to attend, and, after the conference, our Superintendent, Dr. Coy Holcombe, decided to create new positions on each campus to facilitate and support the use of technology in the classroom. I was picked for the job on my primary campus!”

Full STEAM Ahead

For Twyla, every day is different. From troubleshooting technology concerns and supporting online testing to managing social media and planning technology professional development, her day is never dull. She also loves the creative aspect of her job. She has particularly gotten to flex her creative muscles in Eustace’s new STEAM Studio. “This year, the STEAM Studio gave me the opportunity to create a learning space that allows students to freely explore materials and learn on their own. It’s exciting to be a part of that process, and I am constantly looking for new ideas or activities to provoke interest and challenge our students. Working with teachers provides a different type of creativity as we work together to pair curriculum with appropriate tech tools to craft entirely new approaches and plans for classroom instruction.”

So what is the STEAM Studio like? It’s a creativity springboard. Twyla painted a wall to act as a green screen. Another was transformed into a LEGO wall. There’s even a “learning glass” for video production. The space is populated by bots aplenty, including EV3 kits, Ozobots, Spheros, Bloxels, Makey-Makeys, and Snap Circuits. Most importantly, the STEAM Studio is always advancing. As Twyla explains, “Each month, I try to add something new to the space and curate more materials for our creative corner through donations of items such as duct tape, cardboard, tubes, paper goods, plastic cups, ribbon, string….you name it!”

The studio can be booked by teachers for projects. However, it is also open two days a week for teachers to come “play” and learn about the capabilities of the space. Twyla is even running a morning robotics group out of the STEAM Studio and hopes to compete in a future TCEA State Robotics Contest. In addition to being an invaluable resource for the students and teachers at Eustace Middle School, the STEAM Studio has been rewarding for Twyla herself. “I have missed being in the classroom, and this STEAM Studio has restored my passion and energy for teaching!”

TCEA, All the Way

Twyla is a huge champion of TCEA. In the interest of humility, we’ll let her share what she loves about the organization in her own words:

“I would not be able to do my job without the support of TCEA! I have attended the TCEA Convention & Exposition for the past ten years, and each year I walk away with so many resources and materials that it takes me several months to slowly go through them to process and evaluate for use. I also attend the TCEA Area 7 conference each June in White Oak, which provides me with professional networking and support closer to home. When I can, I love to attend the other conferences offered right at TCEA headquarters. Last year, I was able to attend the Innovative Learning Strategies Conference, and the summer robotics week of training is on my bucket list!”

Twyla has helped to support TCEA by getting more involved too. She is a Convention super volunteer, brilliant presenter, member of TEC-SIG, and officer of CAMP-SIG. By giving back, Twyla explains she’s been able to benefit, too. “In becoming more involved, I have been able to meet other digital coaches all over the nation!”

Tips from Twyla

Twyla has some great advice for other technology instructional specialists about creating a positive environment for learning and encouraging teacher buy-in:

Scaffold for teachers as you would for students. They are just little learners in bigger bodies.

Be patient! Technology changes quickly, but schools do not. However, small changes will add up over time.

You won’t win over everyone, so work with those who are willing.

Find joy in each day and keep alive the “teacher” part of your heart. It is, after all, why we got into this business of education in the first place.

And finally, we couldn’t interview Twyla without asking her favorite tech tool. It’s Google Suite for Education. “Google has created an easy to use ‘one-stop-shop’ of tech tools for teachers. Once teachers become hooked on the ease, convenience, and fun of running a Google Classroom and creating with technology, it makes it that much easier to move along to all the other great tools available online!”

To sum up: Twyla is an ed tech dynamo, and we’re so glad to have her involvement and continued support in TCEA. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

June 15, 2018 0 comment

Google Tips and Tricks Leadership Microsoft Tips and Tricks Professional Learning

Learn to Work Smarter, Not Harder

by Dr. Bruce Ellis March 16, 2017

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Do you find that it is hard to get everything done on your to-do list? That you don’t delegate some tasks because you want them done a certain way and you don’t have time to train someone? That anticipating a day off causes more stress because you know that it means there is less time for you to accomplish the same amount of work? Join the crowd. According to research, being stressed out at work may be more common than you think. Join us at the Productivity Tools for Leaders and learn how to make better use of your technology, time, and people so that you are more effective in your work.

TCEA is offering a full-day workshop that will help you with these very issues. The workshop is designed specifically for administrators at both the campus level and central office. Join us on June 15, 2017 at the TCEA headquarters in Austin for a day packed full of helpful information that you can implement the next day at work. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of concurrent sessions to tailor your learning to best meet your needs. You’ll be inspired and motivated throughout the day, enjoy a good lunch, and leave with handouts from all the presentations (not just the ones you attended). Our learning experience strands include:

Doing More with Technology – Sessions focus on features and tricks to help you make better use of technology that you commonly use.
Time Management – Sessions focus on best strategies and tools that you can choose from to help you better construct your day and accomplish the tasks on your to-do list more effectively.
Empowering Staff – Sessions focus on strategies and tools to deal with different personality types, improving customer service, and even how to work with “difficult people.”

This event is only $125 for current TCEA members and $174 for non-TCEA members. Fun and relevant learning, lunch, and continuing education credits are all included. Bring your favorite device and let our experts help you master the tricks you learn.

Register at this website today as space is limited. If you have questions or would like more information, contact me at bellis@tcea.org or by phone at 512-450-5396. We look forward to seeing you here and hearing the successes you experience as you start implementing what you learned!

March 16, 2017 0 comment

Chromebooks Good Teaching Google Tips and Tricks iOS Tips and Tricks Microsoft Tips and Tricks Special Needs

Dystopian Learning No Matter the Device

by Miguel Guhlin December 28, 2016

written by Miguel Guhlin

“You’re just a shill for Google,” a district colleague joked when I shared I had been selected to participate in the Google Certified Innovator program in 2010. I laughed for a moment. If that moment was funny, the fact that I became a Microsoft Innovative Education (MIE) Expert in 2016 must generate a few more chuckles. And some wondered at my efforts with a 1:1 Apple iPad classroom. Work in education, you soon find yourself avoiding a dystopian, technology singularity.

The Big Three, which includes Apple, Google, and Microsoft (let’s refer to them as AGM going forward), are competing for space in today’s classrooms. Each boasts new, powerful software, hardware, and online spaces that bridge the learning gap for educators around the world. From Apple’s Distinguished Educator (ADE) to Google Certified Trainer to Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Trainer, each program connects you to a vibrant community of educators.

AGM’s respective efforts involve getting educators to adopt education versions of their consumer technologies. While claims of classroom transformations must be taken with a grain of salt, there are real benefits. Let’s explore some of the benefits below.

Drink the Kool-Aid!

“Have you drank the kool-aid?” When you drink the kool-aid, you suspend your cynicism of AGM’s intentions. Instead, you embrace problem-solving with the technologies at your disposal. The more active the AGM-affiliated educator community, the better off you are. These communities connect via various social media, email lists, and face-to-face gatherings. All are focused on helping you bring the power of their technologies to bear on overcoming learning challenges.

Solving Learning Challenges

How would you approach the problem below?

Students need to adapt propaganda techniques seen in presidential candidate advertising. After analyzing those techniques in several video segments, students must create their own version. The version will connect to their reading of TIM, Defender of Earth, a dystopian novel featuring a dinosaur in a world-saving battle with nanobots.

How would you approach this from your particular AGM perspective? For fun, let’s jump right in and see (in alphabetical order):

Apple

Students could collect video clips, recording relevant clips using the iPad’s built-in camera. They must provide a brief analysis of the propaganda techniques in the video, then transition to their application of the techniques to a TIM, Defender of Earth main character. They could use one of these free apps (Shadow Puppet EDU or Touchcast) to create narrated video clips and then stitch the production together in iMovie ($4.99), Videocraft ($3) or Pinnacle Studio Pro ($13). Videos would be turned into the class Seesaw account (free), appearing on the Class Seesaw Blog after the teacher approved them. Students in other groups could offer feedback via the Seesaw app on their iPads.

That’s one approach to solving this challenge using Apple. Let’s take a look at another way.

Google Suite

After reviewing YouTube versions of commercials and advertisements, students decide to use video annotation tools built into YouTube. They annotate parts of the video, highlighting the parts that exemplify a certain technique. Upon completion, students organize a Google Slide featuring still images, incorporating a comic strip storyboarded in Google Draw, and a video they recorded to YouTube using either their mobile phone with the YouTube Capture or their Chromebook’s webcam with ClipChamp extension($49 per classroom per year). Other students incorporate audio into their Google Slides presentation by recording voice-overs using Nimbus Screenrecording extension (free). And others might use Adobe Spark (free) or WeVideo ($250 per classroom per year) online.

Microsoft

Students might create a OneNote notebook, providing a written analysis of several videos from YouTube and Vimeo. They can copy and paste the video link (a.k.a. embedding) into a OneNote page, the video appearing for viewing. Then they use their MS Surface Pro 4 tablets to record a video rendition of their advertising. They could blend propaganda tips into the video and then add their explanation of what they did. As a final step, they create a view link for their OneNote Notebook. This makes it possible for anyone with an Internet browser to view the OneNote Online. Their teacher can make a class Sway highlighting the published products and share it online via Docs.com. Students with special needs are able to interact with the OneNote Notebooks their classmates create using the Learning Tools add-in.

Conclusion

You may have seen several possible ways to overcome the learning challenges in the scenario presented. In fact, like most educators, you imagined ways for all technologies to co-exist and empower students. Settling on only one technology may lead to an unwanted dystopian learning situation. Consider blending technologies instead. With that in mind, what would your technology classroom utopia look like? Please share in the comments!

December 28, 2016 0 comment

Digital Literacy Google Tips and Tricks

Google-ize Your Digital Citizenship

by Diana Benner October 7, 2016

written by Diana Benner

Ready to Google-ize your digital citizenship projects? Digital Citizenship week is almost here. Take this opportunity to share positive experiences and build affirming online habits that model digital safety and responsibility.

Target the Key Standards

Students are required to recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. They must also act in safe, legal, and ethical ways. For Texas educators, the Technology Application TEKS for elementary and middle school expects the same from students.

Digital Citizenship Google Projects

Here are some digital citizenship projects that use the Google Suite for Education. These projects can be used anytime, but especially during October.

Digital Citizenship Pledge with Google Drawing

Have students establish norms that promote responsible and respectful digital behavior in the classroom by creating a digital citizenship pledge outlining how they will be good digital citizens. Students support what they help create. This Digital Citizenship Pledge Google Drawing Template can be shared (as a PDF, image, or classroom poster) with an individual or groups of students to complete. Get a copy of the pledge here.

Elements of Digital Citizenship Google Slide

As you teach the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship that every student should know, consider using Google Slides, which enables students to synthesize and summarize what they learn. It also makes a meaningful writing project. Take a look at this time-saving Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship Google Slide Template. Each topic has a slide that students can add to. The second slide serves as a hyperlinked menu. Once students finish their presentations, have them present to the class or other classes. These experiences offer students the chance to hone public speaking skills.

Responsible Use Policy Scavenger Hunt Google Form

google-ize Take time to review your district’s responsible use policy (RUP) with students. Why? Students should be aware of the district’s expectations. Heighten their awareness using a Google Form-based scavenger hunt. One example is a Responsible Use Policy Scavenger Hunt.

New Resource from Google

Google has released an online game and curriculum to help kids be better digital citizens. Interland is a free game for grades 3 and up that teaches the basics of safe Internet use. There’s also a Be Internet Awesome Curriculum that you can download and a Be Internet Awesome Pledge for families.

Conclusion

Remember that Google and iKeepSafe have developed a curriculum that you can use in the classroom to teach what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. The Google Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum is designed to be interactive, discussion filled, and allow students to learn through hands-on and scenario activities.

How do you use Google tools to teach digital citizenship in your classroom? Share in the comments below.

This blog was updated on June 7, 2017 with additional information and resources.

October 7, 2016 0 comment