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2022 Google Resource Roundup

by Diana Benner January 6, 2023

written by Diana Benner

Every year, I gather all the fabulous Google resources from our blog and compile them into one amazing roundup. This year, we have had so many fantastic posts on topics ranging from Google’s new screencasting app to ways to supercharge your Google Sheets. Check out this incredible list, categorized by topic/tool, of Google blog posts from 2022.

Arts and Culture

Google Arts and Culture: A Rich Array of Resources – Google Arts and Culture shares an amazing 52-page guide to its repository of human endeavor. It’s a must-explore resource!

Apps

Google Announces a New Screencasting App for Chromebooks – A new Screencast App was recently launched by Google for Education. Explore its features and discover ways teachers and students can use it.
The Spaces App: Collaboration Made Easy with Google – With the Google Spaces app, you can assign tasks, share files, chat, and collaborate on projects through Gmail.

Calendar

Google’s Appointment Schedules Provides More Options and Accessibility – Google has improved its scheduling options. Appointment Schedules provides more possibilities, and anyone can book an appointment!

Chrome

Easily Share Websites with Chrome’s QR Code Generator – Looking to share webpages in Chrome more easily? Learn how to create a QR code with Chrome’s built-in QR generator.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (January 2022) – The popular blog series is back in 2022 with more sites and extensions to enjoy, from a look back at Windows 93 to healthy living tools.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (February 2022) – Unleash your creativity, use some fun GIFs, and learn some juicy secrets with this month’s collection of extensions and sites.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (March 2022) – With March’s sites and extensions, look at photos of strangers pointing, write with AI, visit ancient earth, and more. Curious? You should be.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (April 2022) – Plant a digital forest by being productive, master failure with tricky labyrinths, and more. Explore April’s sites and extensions!
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (May 2022) – Do you need major help with all your open tabs, a site with amazing stories, a way to track your time on the web, and more? Yes? Take a look.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (June 2022) – Want a pet cat, but not really? Love classic arcade games but don’t have any? Hate planning dinner? These sites and extensions are for you!
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (July 2022) – See the planets, find invisible cows, expand your vocabulary, get live internet stats, and more with July’s picks of sites and extensions.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (August 2022) – Make Janet just give you the recipe, create an avatar, quiz yourself on world knowledge, and more with August’s list of sites and extensions!
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (September 2022) – Are you a fan of Pictionary? Do you miss encyclopedias? Are you wanting to stump the Internet? These sites and extensions are for you.
Update Your Browser Now: Seven Tips for Securing Google Chrome – Update your browser now. Chrome offers multiple vulnerabilities often. Learn how to safeguard your internet browser.

Chromebooks

Google Announces a New Screencasting App for Chromebooks -A new Screencast App was recently launched by Google for Education. Explore its features and discover ways teachers and students can use it.
Five Free Tools for Chromebooks – Are you hoping to find some new, free tools to use on Chromebooks? Here’s a list of favorites.

Earth

Google Earth Is More Interactive Than Ever with Voyager – Google Earth can be used for rich, cross-curricular activities. Take a look at Voyager and see how it can truly harness the power of place!

Fonts

Discover and Add Popular Google Fonts to Your Workspace – Have fun with Google Fonts. Here are some teachers may like, and how you can add them to your documents in Google.

Forms

Google Forms: New Features for Formatting and Customization – Google Forms gets an update that is sure to please. Users now have more styling options for titles and descriptions.
How to Give Instant Feedback with Google Forms – Google Forms is more than just a survey tool. It can be customized to provide instant feedback and resources to students. Learn how!

Photos

Google Photos’ New Video Editor – Google unveils a new movie maker and video editor for its popular Google Photos. You can blend video clips, images, and text.

Sites

Google Sites’ New Page and Create a Theme Features – Dig into powerful new changes for Google Sites. They affect pages and custom themes. Making simple can changes yield huge results!

Sheets

Five Ways to Supercharge Your Google Sheets – A math teacher shares five fantastic (and time-saving!) tips for making Google Sheets more interactive and personalized.
Google Sheets Tip: Conditional Formatting Custom Formulas – Learn more about conditional formatting in Google Sheets. Adjust the colors of an entire row of data with custom formulas!
Powerful Add-ons and Functions for Google Sheets – Turbocharge your Google Sheets with these power tools and functions! And get an example Google Sheet and Wakelet video collection.
Solving Real Life Problems with Google Sheets – Need a process for translating real-life problems into Google Sheets solutions? Try this Socrates-inspired approach.

Slides

Classroom Magazines: Ready-to-Use Lessons for a Google Slides Project – With this ready-to-use lesson, teachers can implement a hands-on classroom magazine project with any content they like!

Various Google Topics and Tools

Eight Google Goodies You Want to Use – Google is constantly introducing new features. Some are announced with fanfare while others sneak in! Here are eight features for you to try.
Google AppSheet Makes Building Mobile Apps Easy – Looking for a robust alternative to Glide mobile app development? Try out Google AppSheet. It may be just what you need.
How to Edit Emoji and Icon Colors Using Google – Ever wondered if you could edit an emoji to make it more personalized? Well, you can do just that in Google Docs, Drawings, Sheets, or Slides!

In addition, don’t forget to check out our google resource roundups from previous years.

January 6, 2023 0 comments

Back-to-School Roundup

by Sara Qualls August 15, 2022

written by Sara Qualls

Where did the summer go? With the start of a new year, I’ve gathered back-to-school resources from our amazing PD team and staff here at TCEA. Check out this categorized list full of ideas to create a successful school year.

You can skip to a section by selecting a category below:

Icebreakers

Bellringers

Leadership

In the Library

STEM

Social Emotional Learning

Activities

Templates

Lesson Planning

Choice Boards

Tools

Classroom Management

Classroom Walls

Coaching

Artificial Intelligence

Icebreakers

Eight Back to School Icebreakers for Team Building and Bonding
Icebreakers can facilitate staff connection, interaction, and fun. Explore some criteria for “good” icebreaker activities and get eight ideas!
Classroom Icebreakers for Back to School
Try these fun back-to-school icebreakers with your new students and be amazed at how quickly you learn who they are and what they like.
Even More Classroom Icebreakers for Back to School
We’re back with even more fun back-to-school icebreakers to try with a whole new set of students.

E book: Digital Icebreakers That Shatter: Activities to Break the Ice
Ice breakers are a great way to encourage interaction, make introductions, boost involvement, and form communities. Whether you’re leading a classroom on the first day of school or a new training session, this eBook will help you get things off on the right foot!

Bellringers

Bellringers for Improved Retention and Engagement
Learn how to make bell ringers more brain-based to help with retention and engagement. You’ll find a wealth of resources to ensure success.
“This, Not That” Bellringers
The latest version of the “This, Not That” bellringers includes a change in format and some new activities for back to school.

Leadership

Image of a bingo card for a Staff Summer Bingo Game

Icebreaker Games for Staff: Summer Staff Bingo
Want a fun icebreaker game to play with your staff this summer? Keep staff engaged with this Staff Summer Bingo Game!
How an Engaged Leader Fosters Employee Development
Are you a leader who is wanting to learn how to better support staff development? Let’s explore the employee development cycle!
Five Ways Leaders Can Improve School Culture
School culture affects everything. As a school leader, what’s your role in improving your school’s culture? And how can you change it?
Speed Geeking for Your Next Faculty Meeting
Familiar with speed geeking? This quick, engaging, and interactive approach to professional learning can spice up your next faculty meeting!
Back to School Ideas for Leaders
With a little effort and some creativity, you can provide a memorable “welcome back to school” message for your staff, teachers, or students!

Back to School: Five Tips for CTOs
Heading back to school, stakeholders’ eyes will be on you and how you resolved their issues and problems. Here are five tips to ensure you are ready.
Six Ways to Spice Up Back-to-School Inservice
Spice up your back-to-school in service with these suggestions on how to make the first days with your staff really count.
Ways to Welcome Your Teachers Back to School
Are you looking for ways to welcome your staff back to the new school year? If so, check out these suggestions.
Quotes for the New School Year
If you’re looking for inspiration for the new year, look no further. Check out some quotes and tips for using them to inspire students.
Building a School Culture That Works
Discover how to craft the classroom or school culture you want this year by including these important pieces.
Embracing Confrontation: A Protocol for Tough Conversations
Leaders, discover a protocol for pushing into tough conversations to promote accountability and positive culture in your workplace.

10 Tips and Tools for School Leaders
Hey, school leaders! Are you looking for some tips and tools to apply to your leadership? Look no further. In this post, you’ll discover 10.
Personality Test for Professional Development
Try this free personality test to learn more about yourself. Then think about how you might incorporate it into professional learning with your peers.
Nine Tips for Giving Great Feedback to Employees
Giving feedback that’s useful, constructive, positive, and timely can be challenging. Here are nine tips to make it a little easier.
How to Create an Email Signature That Represents You
Want to take your email signature from drab to fab? Check out these tips and how-to instructions for making your signature pop!

In the Library

Seven Back-to-School Tips for Librarians
Librarians, how do you get ready for the school year? Here are seven tips with some resources and tools to help you have your best year yet.
Canva Templates for Librarians
Canva’s librarian-friendly templates are a game-changer! From book display posters to social media graphics, they’ve got it all. You’ll love how easy it is to create pro-looking visuals for your library.
Four Way Google Calendars Can Help Teacher-Librarians Plan
Keeping information organized in Google Calendars can make planning easier for teacher-librarians. Here are some tips from two library experts.

Five Free, Ready-to-Use Digital Citizenship Resources for PK-12 Lessons
Looking for some activities to use in your PK-12 classroom? Get the conversation going with these resources.
How to Create Accessible and Equitable Library Collections
Here are five resources for building an even greater library collection that authentically and respectfully serves and represents everyone!
A Librarians Approach to Launching Tech Tuesdays
See how one librarian launched Tech Tuesday and partnered with teachers for successful technology integration on her campus.
Empowering Students as Digital Leaders
Here are two ways students can be leaders in digital literacy and citizenship and six tips on how to get started on your campus!
Finding the Perfect Book to Read Next
Discover a variety of free tech tools that will help you find exactly the best next book to read or to discuss with friends around the world.
Finding Free Audiobooks for Educators
Discover four great resources for free audiobooks that both you and your students can enjoy, thus providing another way to personalize learning.
Want to Boost Your Librarian-Teacher Partnerships?
Teachers, want to work with your librarian? Librarians, want to work more with teachers? Here are four tips for building a solid partnership.
Using the BeReal App to Advocate for Your Library
See how two minutes and two pictures in BeReal can help you advocate for your library and raise awareness of the library profession.
FiveWays to Engage Your School Community with eBooks
Explore five ways one librarian is using ebooks to engage her school community and reach students in ways they’ve not been reached before!

STEM

Prepping for a STEM/STEAM Year
STEM/STEAM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to help you prepare for a stem-rific school year.
Back to School with STEM
STEM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to kick off your school year in the STEM direction.

Seven Ready-to-Use Story Bin STEM Activities
Embark on a journey of story-fueled engineering design and problem-solving with story bins. Explore this creative idea for young learners!
We Have to Save Fred!
Always a favorite, The Save Fred Challenge is great for team building. Plus, check out extension ideas to create a perfect day of learning.
Solo Cup Engineering Challenge
The Solo Cup Engineering Challenge is perfect for team-building. Students and adults love this activity for fun and learning.
Starting a Robotics Program
Running a robotics program can be a challenge, especially at the start. But fear not; we’re exploring everything that goes into a successful program.
Download Free Lego Maker Cards for Inspiration and Creation
Download some free LEGO Maker Cards and inspire students to create in your classroom, on a LEGO table, or on your school’s LEGO wall.
The Dump Truck Incident: An Elementary Problem-Solving Challenge
Elementary teachers! Check out this problem-solving challenge that will have your students thinking about engineering concepts in a brand new way.

Social Emotional Learning

Three Easy Ways to Incorporate SEL This School Year
It’s more important than ever that we incorporate social-emotional learning this school year. Here are three easy ways to integrate SEL.

Three Activities for Back-to-School Anxiety
As the start of school approaches, students may be feeling anxious. Try some SEL activities to help destress them.
Six Strategies for Building Empathy in the Classroom
Showing empathy can help teachers better understand and support students. Learn how you can incorporate this skill in your classroom.
Five Quick Ways to Integrate Social-Emotional Learning
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is important for all students. Here are five easy ways to integrate SEL into your lesson planning.
Six Simple SEL Strategies for a Joyful Classroom
Restore joy, reduce stress, and boost student engagement by using these six, simple SEL strategies in your classroom!
Six Activities to Promote Kindness with Your Students
Are you looking for ways to practice and promote kindness with your students? Explore activities you can use to teach kindness all year long.
A New Tool to Create Conversational Check-Ins
Discover a fast and free online tool to help generate unique and conversational check-ins for building your team.
14 Editable SEL Check-In Templates
From LEGOS to llamas, grab some themed SEL check-in templates! Plus, learn how they benefit students’ social-emotional development.

Activities

Back to School Breakout
Elementary teachers, are you looking for a great resource for back to school? How about a digital breakout to kick off your year?
Five Creative Back-to-School Activities with Book Creator
Check out five ways to use Book Creator to encourage collaboration, creativity, and a growth mindset during the first weeks of school.
10 First Day of School Activities Shared by Teachers
Looking for ways to foster classroom community during the first weeks of school? Here are 10 activities for you to try!
Three Editable Back to School Activities for Language Development
Here are three back-to-school activities (and extra ideas!) to get early learners and language learners exploring their classroom and school.

Email Writing for Students
In today’s digital world, teaching your students the art of writing an email is a must. This blog has lesson ideas, videos, and resources to help.
Three Editable Back to School Activities for Language Development
Here are three back to school activities (and extra ideas!) to get early learners and language learners exploring their classroom and school.

Templates

80 Graphic Organizer Templates for Active Learning
Did you know that using graphic organizers can promote active learning? Here are 80 free and fully customizable templates for you to explore!
Dicebreakers and Activity Debriefing
Explore how to engage students in self-judgement and reflection using dice debriefing activities and dicebreakers. Get some templates, too!
Google Templates for Students
Looking for a template to get your students started on a project? We’ve found some great Google Docs and Slides templates to use as they are or change up to match your classroom.
Frayer Model Template for Word Analysis
Need a quick way to introduce students to tough vocabulary? In this follow-up to “Semantic Maps Made Easy,” see and get Frayer Model templates.

High Impact Strategy: Using Google and Self-Reported Grades
Student self-reported grades is a powerful instructional strategy that all teachers should use. Combine it with Google tools and the learning skyrockets. Plus, grab several templates like this pizza one above.
Three Empowering Activities for Summarization
Explore three digital versions of summarization activities you can adapt for use with your students, or for professional development.

Lesson Planning

Meet ALDO: Amazing Lesson Design Outline
ALDO, the Amazing Lesson Design Outline, provides educators with a way to ensure that each lesson is engaging and carefully thought out.
EduProtocols: Workflowing Amazing Lesson Design
ALDO becomes WALDO! Explore a lesson design outline with lots of resources for mixing and matching strategies, EduProtocols, and digital tools.

2000+ Lesson Plan Templates and Ideas for K12
Discover a wealth of lesson plan template resources and treasures in this searchable collection for grades K-12 in all subject areas.
Back to School Apps for Lesson Planning
Looking for tools to make lesson planning easier? Look no further than these three free apps that can assist you in designing amazing learning experiences.
Lesson Planning: 5E Model + Technology
Lesson planning remains a tool for teachers to use to make sure they are covering the required material. If you follow the 5E Model for planning and add technology to it, you end up with a very powerful way to bring the curriculum to life for all students.

Choice Boards

Templates and Ideas for Making Differentiated Choice Boards
Choice boards can seriously boost learning and engagement. Here are some ideas, resources, and templates for using them with your students.
Creating a Choice Board for Your Classroom
Ready to create an interactive learning opportunity for students? Take advantage of choice boards. In this blog entry, we’ll cover five steps to create one.
A Collection of Choice Board Examples and Templates
What’s up with choice boards? See what Marzano has to say, and explore templates and examples for choice boards across subjects and grades.
Choice Boards for Elementary Learners
Take your elementary classroom to the next level with these choice board examples and templates. Your students will thank you!
Choice Boards for Active Learning in Math
Choice boards are a powerful tool to use in any subject, and that includes math. Here are some examples for all grade levels.

Tools

Nine Technology Tools for Accommodation, Modification, and Intervention
Looking for a few technology tools to help with accommodations, modifications, and interventions? Check out these nine gems.
Use This Puzzle Maker Tool for Retrieval Practice
Add another retrieval practice tool to your toolbox. Vimboard offers a few benefits for simple, multiple-choice assessments that you can use now.
Top Five Tech Tools for New Teachers
What are the tech tools that every new teacher needs? Hear from TCEA’s Area 19 Director, Crystal Fuentes, as she shares her top five.
An Online Wheel Spinner for Every Occasion
Looking for a random generator in the form of a spinner? Here are seven easy spinners that will get you selecting a winner quick and easy.
Digital Tools for News Literacy
Explore these resources to help students make sense of the media they are exposed to and build lasting news literacy skills.
Five Interactive Tools for Learning the Periodic Table
Wish you had a list of amazing interactive science tools? Explore these periodic tables of elements that help make science interactive!
Five Simple Graphing Tools Make Graphs Easy and Fun
Tired of complex graphing tools that leave students frustrated and confused? Well here are five simple and easy tools that make graphs fun!
Powerful and Easy Digital Tools for Formative Assessment
Formative assessment can double student learning gains and digital tools can help. Let’s take a look at a few great options!
Seven Online Timers to Try In Your Classroom
Having a good digital timer is essential in today’s classrooms. Check out these timers with fun and unique features.
Quick and Easy Tools for Making Flashcards
If you’re looking for tools to make online flashcards to help students recall important information and practice skills, here is a goldmine!

Classroom Management

Classroom Contracts: An Excellent Strategy for Student Behavior Management
Classroom contracts can be a great way to hold students accountable and give them ownership of their classroom environment.
Transforming Interruptions in the Elementary Classroom
Looking for ways to prevent unnecessary interruptions, foster classroom community, and empower students to problem solve? Here are five ideas.
Classroom Management Strategies for Teachers
How can teachers manage a classroom effectively? Here are some classroom management strategies to try with your students.

Classroom Walls

Display Classroom Expectation Posters This School Year
Learn how to create classroom expectation posters to help you and your students begin the new year on a very positive note.
Ready, Set, LEGO Wall
If you are thinking about having a LEGO wall in a makerspace, classroom, or library, be sure to check out these tips before you start building.
Free Classroom Posters to Engage Students
These classroom posters can be used for special months of celebration or hung all year long. Take a look — they’re all free!

Coaching

Relationship-Building Tips for Instructional Coaches
The first step of coaching is relationship building. Here are a few ways to create and maintain positive relationships with the professionals you coach.
Five Ways to Empower Educators through Instructional Coaching
Instructional coaches can be powerful partners in growth. Let’s explore growth coaching questions and ways coaches can support educators.
Make Coaching Connections
Are you a new instructional coach headed back to school? Take advantage of these tips and suggestions.
Pineapple Charts: Learning From Your Peers
Pineapple charts help educators easily learn from each other. Using pineapple charts makes scheduling that learning simple and convenient.
Three Questions for Instructional Coaching
These three questions help establish the groundwork for effective instructional coaching and result in a deeper relationship and real teaching improvement.
Things I Wish I’d Known As an Instructional Coach
Learn ten of the important things that I wish I’d known as an instructional coach that will help you to have a greater impact on the teachers you help.
How to Create an Email Signature That Represents You
Want to take your email signature from drab to fab? Check out these tips and how-to instructions for making your signature pop!

Ten Ideas for Tech Coaches to Help Their Teachers Grow
Explore creative and fun ways for tech coaches to encourage teachers in their growth with technology integration. Ready, set, ed tech!
Conference for Educational Coa c hes
Sign up for the Conference for Educational Coaches (CEC) to discover the latest in professional development, best practices for coaching, and even more ideas for supporting educators. Attend in person in Austin, Texas or online from October 9-10.

Artificial Intelligence

How to Create a Responsible Use Policy for AI
Have you been asked to develop a school AI policy? Check out some resources and a process for integrating AI into your responsible use policy.
A Teacher Rubric and Checklist for Assessing AI Tools
There are a lot of AI tools floating around. But which ones are relevant, safe, and easy to use? Evaluate AI with this rubric and checklist!
ChatGPT Prompts for Busy Educators
Take a look at ChatGPT prompts for educators! Learn how to craft your best prompt to maximize your results and get what you’re looking for.
How to Create a Rubric with ChatGPT
Get an editable prompt template and create a rubric with ChatGPT in less than one minute! Watch it work its magic in an example video.
How to Differentiate Texts with ChatGPT
Need an adapted or translated text? Use ChatGPT to generate differentiated texts and better accommodate varied reading and language levels!
How Reliable Are AI Detectors
Do AI detectors really work? You may be surprised. See how seven popular tools fared when put to the test with AI-generated text.
An AI Tool for Generating Higher-Order Questions
Heard of Parlay Genie? This new AI tool generates discussion questions to spark deeper thinking for students in grades 5 through higher ed!

For Texas Educators

I hope these strategies, activities, templates, and more get the brain flowing with ideas to create a successful start. Have a wonderful new school year!

August 15, 2022 0 comments

Google Tips and Tricks

2021 Google Resource Roundup

by Diana Benner December 21, 2021

written by Diana Benner

Every year, I gather all the fabulous Google resources from our blog. This year, we have had so many amazing posts on topics ranging from Chrome Extensions to Google Jamboard. Check out this incredible list of Google blog posts from this past year categorized by topic/tool.

Arts and Culture

Coloring Book Resources to Benefit Children and Adults – Did you know the benefits of coloring include anxiety reduction, improved focus, and more? Check out coloring books from Google Arts and Culture.
Exploring STEAM Topics with Google Arts & Culture – Using art to explore science — and vice versa — is easy with Google Arts & Culture. Find inventive tools for STEAM education in this post.

Calendar

Google Calendar: A Powerful Tool for Back to School – Use Google Calendar with a new update and the Meetric add-on to increase efficiency.

Chrome Extensions

Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (March 2021) – Add to your tool belt with these eight great Chrome add-ons, extensions, and sites. At least one of them will be new to you!
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (April 2021) – Try these Chrome extensions and sites you may not know. From transferring grades to tracking sharks, there is at least one new idea to explore.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (May 2021) – Learn a new language, highlight just the important stuff, and expand your bank of random facts with these Chrome extensions and must-visit websites.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (June 2021) – Discover new, fun, and functional Google Chrome extensions, along with some playful websites to try out simply for enjoyment.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (July 2021) – There are some real gems in this month’s collection of Chrome extensions and fun websites to try out.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (August 2021) – Check out these must-have Chrome Extensions and must-see sites, sure to prove useful, bring you joy, and enhance your day.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (September 2021) – We’re back for more Chrome extensions and must-visit websites! You’ll find everything from organizational tools to web tacos.
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (October 2021) – Interested in useful Chrome extensions? Looking for sites to brighten you and your students’ day? Check out October’s fun finds!
Eight Chrome Extensions and Sites You May Not Know (November 2021) – Discover eight new extensions and websites with everything from cows and cursors to quotes and pianos.
Enhance the Canvas LMS with Chrome Add-Ons – Need to smooth over the rough edges in the Canvas LMS? You may want dark mode or quick access to student view. These Chrome browser extensions get it done.
Free Green Screen Solution for Chromebooks – Green screen is a powerful tool for students and adult learners alike. Previously, there’s been a cost to it. But now, there is Kapwing.
Use Chrome Extensions to Take Brain Breaks – Re-energize your day and be more productive with these Chrome extensions. They can help with movement, eye strain, and better brain function.

Drawings

Five Google-ly Mapping Tools for Thought Cartography – Find and use concept mapping tools that work well with Google Workspace, like Google Drawings and more.

Drive

Google Drive for Desktop Arrives – This blog entry will walk you through the new Drive for Desktop and how to make the most of it.
Google Drive Gets a New Name – Need a way to access Google Drive files, but don’t want to save gigabytes of data to your device? Use the re-branded Google Drive for desktop.

Earth

Explore the World and Catch Carmen Sandiego Using Google Earth – Solve mysteries and explore the world using Google Earth. Will your students be able to catch Carmen Sandiego and her V.I.L.E. operatives?

Jamboard

Free Jamboard Templates for Elementary Students – Jamboard is one of the best free tools available to use with elementary students. Grab some great templates and get started today!
Free Jamboard Templates for Secondary Students – Engage your secondary students in collaborative or individual learning with these free Google Jamboard templates.
Fun Icebreaker Jamboard Templates for Back to School – Try these fun back-to-school icebreaker Jamboard templates with your students. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll get to know them.
How to Make Interactive Maps with Google Slides and Jamboard – Learn how to have students create engaging interactive maps using online resources, Google Slides, and Google Jamboard.
Social Emotional Learning Activity Templates for Google Jamboard – Have you been looking for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities for your classroom? If so, check out these Google Jamboard templates.

Meet

Twitter Takeaways: Google Meet Breakouts Plus – Dig into Google Meet breakout ideas and other Twitter takeaways that will better engage your students and increase achievement.

Sites

New Features for Google Sites – Check out the new functions and features added for Google Sites. There are several that will make your site even more user-friendly.

Sheets

Seven Google Sheets Tips to Save You Time – Discover seven time-saving tricks for Google Sheets covering everything from QR codes and drop-down menus to shortcuts and filling cells.

Slides

Don’t Miss These Amazing Google Slide Add-Ons – While Google Slides is amazing by itself, putting Slide add-ons to work will take your teaching and learning to a whole new level.
Free Google Slides Templates for Your Classroom – Check out these great Google Slide templates to keep your classroom organized, whether virtual or face to face.
How to Make Interactive Maps with Google Slides and Jamboard – Learn how to have students create engaging interactive maps using online resources, Google Slides, and Google Jamboard.

Various Google Topics and Tools

Dynamic Lesson Plan Templates to Save You Time and Energy – If you’re looking for lesson plan templates to save you time and energy, look no further. This post is packed full of ideas and tips!
Five Tools for Leaving Audio Notes in Google – Learn all about these exciting tools to leave useful voice notes in the Google realm and do much, much more.
Google’s New Storage Policy: Avoid the Terror – Are you aware of Google’s new storage policy? Worried about losing files and valuable storage space? Decide if you need an exit strategy.
Google’s Note-Taking Tool: Cursive – Wish Google had a competing product to put up against Microsoft OneNote? Then take a look at Cursive. It has potential for notetaking.
Seasonal Fonts for Google Workspace – Don’t get caught spending hours searching for that perfect font. Save time with these curated, seasonal font lists for Google workspace.

In addition, don’t forget to check out our google resource roundups from previous years. Here’s to wishing you a happy holiday and a new year full of exploring more tools, tips, tricks, and resources that will work for you. Have a wonderful Winter Break!

December 21, 2021 0 comments

Google Tips and Tricks

Our 2020 Google Resource Roundup

by Diana Benner December 21, 2020

written by Diana Benner

Every year, I gather all the fabulous Google resources from our blog. This year, we have had so many amazing posts on topics ranging from Google Meet to Google Classroom. Check out this incredible list of Google blog posts from this past year categorized by topic/tool.

Accessibility

Assistive Writing Features in Google Docs – Take a look at two assistive writing features in Google Docs that are sure to help your students.
Grackle Your Google Docs – Are you sure the Google Docs you create are accessible by all your students? If not, find out how easy it is to check with Grackle Docs.
Make Audio More Accessible with YouTube Playback Tools – Tired of listening to slow YouTube videos? Discover how to speed them up (or slow them down) using an audio accessibility Chrome extension.
Planning G Suite EDU Use for Special Needs Children – Get help navigating the challenges of remote special education using by G Suite EDU and Chromebooks with this guide from Google.

Apps

Celebrate Notable Women with Google’s AR App – Learn about Google Creative Labs’ app, Notable Women.
Come Read with Me: Google’s Read Along App – Wish you had a free app with fresh stories your students could read with some digital assistance? Look no further than Google’s Read Along app.
Google’s AI to the Rescue: Ask Socratic – If you’re a secondary student (or parent!) who needs help with assignments, check out Socratic. This free AI app can help you solve any school problem.

Chrome Tablets

Chrome Tablets in Your Future, Part One – Are Chrome tablets in your future? They may be if you are looking for a less expensive tablet solution for younger students.
Chrome Tablets in Your Future, Part Two – Check out some of the amazing educational apps that work great on Chrome tablets.

Classroom

Five Amazing Add-Ons for Google Classroom – Make Google Classroom even more amazing with these five add-ons.
TCEA Responds: Keep Parents in the Loop with Google Classroom – Need to keep parents in the loop? In this TCEA Responds, we cover a few approaches teachers are using, including Google Classroom.
Video Sharing in Google Classroom and Seesaw – Video sharing is a critical need for both teachers and students. Here’s the latest roundup of tools that make that easy.

Contacts

TCEA Responds: Exploring Google Contacts – Keeping your Google Contacts up to date without duplicates might seem a chore. Explore these steps to help you keep it clean and organized.

Docs

Cite Your References in Seven Easy Steps – Learn about a new feature in Google Docs that makes it so much easier to add citations and bibliographies into your documents.
TCEA Responds: Making Copies of Google Docs – There are tons of great Google templates available online. In this TCEA Responds, learn how to make a copy of those Google documents for your own use.

Drive

TCEA Responds: Organizing Google Drive for Others – Explore a few tips on how you can better organize content in Google Drive.
TCEA Responds: Printing Google Drive Documents – Even today, printing documents is still required sometimes. Learn how to print a large group of Google Drive files.

Gmail

Declutter Your Inbox the Easy Way – Is your email inbox a mess, filled with emails you really don’t want? Fear not. We have four useful methods to declutter your inbox.
Gmail Tips and Tricks – Gmail is more powerful than you realize. Learning how to filter emails and create an event within an email saves time. If efficiency is your aim, read this!

HyperDocs

Hypertext Docs: Teaching the Bonus March – Hyperdocs can increase engagement and encourage self-directed learning. Look at how you can use hyperdocs to teach about the Bonus March of 1932.

Meet

Google Meet Add-Ons and Updates – Explore a few Chrome extensions that can improve your Google Meet experience, especially for classroom learning.
Google Meet or Zoom Transcription – Need to keep a record of the content of a Google Meet or Zoom call? If so, come learn about audio transcription.
Virtual Backgrounds for Google Meet – Wish you had an easy way to cover up that home office mess with a virtual background for Google Meet? Come learn how.

Sites

Google Sites Bells and Whistles – See what Google Sites can do now with the new tools and features that have been added.
Templates for Google Sites – Discover templates for Google Sites that can be used to create a website for a classroom, extracurricular activity, or portfolio.

Slides

Recording Video into Google Slides – Need to share some quick instructions with students and avoid big screen recording tools? Record to Slide is your new go-to tool.

Various Google Topics and Tools

Adding Webcam Video to Google Slides with Screencastify – Learn how to make your Screencastify video recordings look better and be easier for students to follow.
Amazing G Suite Templates – These five G Suite templates will help both you and your students do some creative projects, have fun, and learn even more.
Crafting Spoken Feedback in G Suite EDU – Need to provide spoken feedback for G Suite EDU documents? Look no further than this new tool, mote.
Google Play Store Labels Teacher-Approved Apps – In search of teacher-approved apps for children using Android devices like tablets and phones? Then look no further. The Google Play Store now labels them.
Teaching Math with G Suite EDU – Wish you had a way to draw, capture, and share diagrams and equations for math in the G Suite EDU classroom? This blog entry provides you with solutions.

Voice

Maintain Teacher Privacy with Google Voice – Explore how to safeguard your personal phone number with a Google Voice number of your own.

YouTube

Translate YouTube Captions and Audio – Learn how to translate YouTube video subtitles, captions, or audio.

In addition, don’t forget to check out the 2019 Google Resource Roundup, 2018 Google Resource Roundup, 2017 Google Resource Roundup, and the 2016 Google Resource Roundup for even more phenomenal Google blog posts. As we move into 2021, stay tuned for more fabulous posts by joining our email list to ensure the latest content gets delivered right to your inbox and you never miss any of these wonderful resources.

December 21, 2020 0 comments

Google Tips and Tricks

Our 2019 Google Resource Roundup

by Diana Benner December 13, 2019

written by Diana Benner

It’s that time of year again. Every year, I gather together all the fabulous Google resources from our blog. This year, we have had so many amazing posts on topics ranging from Google Earth to implementing high-quality instructional strategies using Google tools. Check out this incredible list of Google blog posts from this past year categorized by topic/tool.

Canvas

Drawing for Learning with Google Canvas – Discover this simple tool that provides students lots of options for learning in your classroom.

Calendar

Google Tasks Gets an Upgrade – Learn about the additional functionality of Google Tasks.
Meeting Scheduling for Busy Educators – Explore tools that will make it easier for you to schedule meetings in Google Calendar.

Chrome

Make Your Chrome Browser Even Stronger – Learn about several flags that you can enable in the Chrome browser for additional features that you might find helpful.
Make Your Chrome Browsing Experience Even Better – Find out about various new features that developers are testing for Chrome.

Chromebook App Hub

Get Idea Sparks with the New Chromebook App Hub – Get ideas from fellow educators on how to use specific apps in the classroom.
Google Chromebook App Hub Now Live – Search for just the right app with the Google Chromebook App Hub.

Chrome Extensions

Avoid Hormone Addiction with a Tab Manager – Learn the value of using tab managers.

Classroom

A Fresh, New Look for Google Classroom – Discover the fresh, new look of Google Classroom.
Overcome Five Challenges in G Suite EDU Classroom – Explore a few ways educators are using G Suite EDU tools to resolve classroom challenges.

Docs

Differentiate Instruction with Google Docs – Learn various ways to differentiate instruction with Google Docs.
From Google Docs to Audio Book – Use Google Docs as an easy tool to create an ePub-formatted ebook and then turn it into an audio book.
Make Your Google Docs More Accessible – Discover best practices for creating accessible Google documents.
More Ways to Make Your Google Docs Accessible – Discover even more best practices for creating accessible Google documents.

Earth

Using Google Earth to Follow the Trail of Lewis and Clark – Use Google Earth to learn about the unprecedented three-year trip.

Gmail

Handling Gmail with a Right-Click – See what happens when you right-click on an email with this new Google update.
Using Canned Responses for Unique Gmail Signatures – Discover how to easily switch between multiple signatures using canned responses.

Instructional Strategies

High-Impact Classroom Discussions with Google – Promote classroom discussions in your classroom with Google tools in order to increase student learning.
High Impact Strategy: Using Google and Self-Reported Grades – Pair self-reported grades with Google tools in order to increase student achievement.

Library

Bring the World into Your Library with Google Geography Tools – Delve into Google Earth features as well as some other Google geographic tools you may be less familiar with.
Google Tools for Your Library – Explore tips for using Google in your library.

Sheets

Create a Mobile App from Google Sheets in Minutes – Create a mobile app from your Google Sheets using Glide.
Using Google Translate in Sheets to Differentiate – Investigate how to use Google Translate in Google Sheets in order to differentiate in the classroom.

Slides

Five Hacks for Google Slides – Take a look at five Google Slides hacks you may find useful.
Get Creative with Google Slides Creator Studio – Learn how to create .gifs and videos from your Google slides.
Increase Student Engagement with Pear Deck – Discover how to get authentic formative feedback and increase student engagement while using Pear Deck for Google Slides.

Various Google Topics and Tools

Five of My Favorite Googly Things – Take a look at some wonderful treasures that are at the heart of the Google Certified Trainers Database.
Grow with Google: Students as Technology Support – Learn about the various components of the Grow with Google program.
Introducing G Suite EDU to Your District – Get tips for the introduction of G Suite EDU to your district.
Protecting Confidential G Suite Files – Learn various ways to protect confidential G Suite documents.
Top Three G Suite EDU Questions – Explore the top three questions that educators have about G Suite EDU.
Turn Your Face into a PoemPortrait – Create a PoemPortrait, a collaboration between Google’s Arts & Culture Lab and coder Ross Goodwin.

In addition, don’t forget to check out the 2016 Google Resource Roundup, 2017 Google Resource Roundup, and the 2018 Google Resource Roundup for even more phenomenal Google blog posts. As we move into 2020, stay tuned to more fabulous posts by joining our email list to ensure the latest content gets delivered right to your inbox and you never miss any of these wonderful resources.

December 13, 2019 0 comments