tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24145706132037009902024-03-13T10:04:03.644-07:00Leah's Ed Tech BlogLeah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-89722888215941459182017-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:002017-01-21T12:24:45.940-08:00Chromebook Workshop: From Basics to Classroom Use for Student EngagementWhether you're a novice or an expert Chromebook user, if you have Chromebooks in your school district, you're going to need to know how to use them and how to help others to use them. That includes fellow educators and your students. Hopefully the resources on this TES Teach Blendspace can be a helpful reference point for you as you become more familiar with your Chromebook.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Chromebook Workshop" Blendspace: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/pisdchromebook">tinyurl.com/pisdchromebook</a></span></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FvMWBxwxpAo/WHe7Tc9xBoI/AAAAAAAAB6E/KY_iRrFYp8wnGDyJxwh3GKC40W9XzM2kACLcB/s1600/chromebook%2Bworkshop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FvMWBxwxpAo/WHe7Tc9xBoI/AAAAAAAAB6E/KY_iRrFYp8wnGDyJxwh3GKC40W9XzM2kACLcB/s640/chromebook%2Bworkshop.png" width="569" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TES Teach Blendspace - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/pisdchromebooks">tinyurl.com/pisdchromebooks</a></td></tr>
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Once you go to the Blendspace website, just click "Play" at the top to view the tiles. Click on any tile to be taken to a website to learn more!<br />
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<b>Row 1</b> is all about Chromebooks - logging in, understanding the different keyboard keys, keyboard shortcuts, customization, etc.<br />
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<b>Row 2 </b>contains resources for integrating Chromebooks into your classroom - engaging students, classroom uses, Chrome apps and extensions.<br />
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<b>Row 3</b> includes instructions specific to Plano ISD educators, but non-PISD people may still find them helpful! :)<br />
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<h2>
Atomic Learning - Earn Professional Learning Credit</h2>
If you have an Atomic Learning account in your school district, check out "<b>Webinar: Chromebooks and the Chrome Browser Training</b>". Plano educators, just go to <a href="http://atomiclearning.pisd.edu/">atomiclearning.pisd.edu</a>, sign in with your username and network password, and search for this webinar. You can earn an hour PDH credit!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TStYXhGgHU/WHgJ5JVY-xI/AAAAAAAAB7E/hVZFiGgtTa8-5um1whxfbH4zakzYeUDIwCLcB/s1600/chromebook%2Bwebinar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TStYXhGgHU/WHgJ5JVY-xI/AAAAAAAAB7E/hVZFiGgtTa8-5um1whxfbH4zakzYeUDIwCLcB/s400/chromebook%2Bwebinar.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Atomic Learning, search for the Chromebook Webinar!</td></tr>
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<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-10781302823817776102016-11-22T09:16:00.003-08:002016-11-22T09:19:25.877-08:00Easily Share Form Results<div class="MsoNormal">
A teacher recently asked me how to share form results with her principal after exhausting every option. It seems like there would be a simple solution. However, the form results vary in format so you need to know exactly what you want. <b>Pick the best option for the person with whom you're sharing the results.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Option 1 - Share the Spreadsheet of Results</b></span><br />
<b>Pros </b>- details, user can click on Form, Summary of Results to see charts<br />
<b>Cons </b>- ugly, you might have to instruct the user how to view the Summary of Results<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei_5vtfYs9c/WDRkNGzQMiI/AAAAAAAABzE/tmUAgIDNMXcYFW5ilClUWtddkjpB0vcRQCLcB/s1600/spreadsheet%2Bof%2Bresults.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei_5vtfYs9c/WDRkNGzQMiI/AAAAAAAABzE/tmUAgIDNMXcYFW5ilClUWtddkjpB0vcRQCLcB/s400/spreadsheet%2Bof%2Bresults.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Option 2 - Share Editing Rights to the Form</b></span><br />
<b>Pro </b>- user can see everything<br />
<b>Cons </b>- user might not know how Forms work, how to find the results, maybe you don't want them to have editing rights<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehnkoBp4YqM/WDRlM8_ovVI/AAAAAAAABzM/CHmH6RRNePkwAaXfJc8acJU0mYt969v5ACLcB/s1600/add%2Bcollab.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehnkoBp4YqM/WDRlM8_ovVI/AAAAAAAABzM/CHmH6RRNePkwAaXfJc8acJU0mYt969v5ACLcB/s320/add%2Bcollab.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Option 3 - Share the PDF of the Summary of Results</b></span><br />
<b>Pros </b>- easy to view, easy to email to someone, easy to print, pretty, <b>my favorite</b><br />
<b>Con </b>- a few extra clicks on your part<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNleOjD1HXE/WDRm6T2raVI/AAAAAAAABzg/wqjKDOanY5c77Y_tQ4RipVyU4EWeB6kqgCLcB/s1600/pdf%2Bof%2Bresults.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNleOjD1HXE/WDRm6T2raVI/AAAAAAAABzg/wqjKDOanY5c77Y_tQ4RipVyU4EWeB6kqgCLcB/s320/pdf%2Bof%2Bresults.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Sharing a PDF of the Summary of Results</h2>
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1. Open your Google Form<br />
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2. Click <b>Responses</b><br />
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3. Click the <b>Spreadsheet button</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2414570613203700990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mB6Xn4nHgBs/WDRnaBP-TsI/AAAAAAAABzo/rPYlyXDldYMgSzNevpFpGkPtTIu2EpY0ACLcB/s1600/results%2Bspreadsheet%2Bbutton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mB6Xn4nHgBs/WDRnaBP-TsI/AAAAAAAABzo/rPYlyXDldYMgSzNevpFpGkPtTIu2EpY0ACLcB/s320/results%2Bspreadsheet%2Bbutton.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In the spreadsheet of results, from the menu at the top go to <b>Form<span style="font-family: "wingdings";">,</span></b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b> Show Summary of
Responses</b>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CnRDpoUqdV8/WDR7AsYaZVI/AAAAAAAAB0E/v5ibtqZLq5MB7128A-LDRu8fKk6jxj6fACLcB/s1600/show%2Bsummary%2Bof%2Bresp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CnRDpoUqdV8/WDR7AsYaZVI/AAAAAAAAB0E/v5ibtqZLq5MB7128A-LDRu8fKk6jxj6fACLcB/s200/show%2Bsummary%2Bof%2Bresp.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5. <b>Right-click</b> on </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">the Summary of Responses and
choose <b>Print</b>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cQYPiCeQrM/WDR679r22HI/AAAAAAAAB0A/rKKpS6xgx-o0j1kEJKb2XTyrllsdVqAmgCLcB/s1600/print%2Bsummary%2Bof%2Bresp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cQYPiCeQrM/WDR679r22HI/AAAAAAAAB0A/rKKpS6xgx-o0j1kEJKb2XTyrllsdVqAmgCLcB/s320/print%2Bsummary%2Bof%2Bresp.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2414570613203700990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2414570613203700990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6. Change the printer to <b>PDF</b>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7ZvypdWX-I/WDR8gW4jrVI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/oUsKLuf5tw4alvUzp1EbMGmbMd3x9MI5QCEw/s1600/print%2Bto%2Bpdf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7ZvypdWX-I/WDR8gW4jrVI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/oUsKLuf5tw4alvUzp1EbMGmbMd3x9MI5QCEw/s400/print%2Bto%2Bpdf.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">7. Save as <b>PDF </b>and now you can email or print that
PDF easily for others to see results. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">As always let me know if you have any questions. I'm here to help! </span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-10043540807221976632016-04-04T14:43:00.001-07:002016-04-04T14:43:33.821-07:00Upcoming Learning Opportunities in the NTX!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/deeplifequotes/8493800645" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQje1_5s8Dg/VwLfJaOjX1I/AAAAAAAABlY/qdjGRr3BoKkpYc_SLDVh8eWURXvjk_i9Q/s320/learn.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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As educators, we know that in order to be effective in the classroom/campus, we must never stop learning. I urge you to connect with others on your campus by joining a professional learning community (PLC), starting a special interest group (SIG), expanding your professional learning network (PLN) via social media (Twitter, Google+ Communities, etc.), and attending conferences when you can. If you need help getting started with any of these, please <a href="mailto:leah.heerema@pisd.edu" target="_blank">email me</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/techknowleah" target="_blank">Tweet me</a> or <a href="https://plus.google.com/+LeahPendleton" target="_blank">Google+ me</a>. :)<br />
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My colleague, Clara Alaniz, created a lovely comprehensive list of upcoming conferences in the North Texas area. She blogged about it on our <a href="http://planoisdtech.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Plano ISD Tech-tastic blog</a> today.<br />
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We will be at the Region 11 E-merge, TXGoo conference in Frisco (presenting!), Region 10 Tech Conference (presenting!), McKinney ISD's Converge, PISD's SEA (presenting!), Edcamp Global online conference (facilitating!), and PISD's ETSI (organizing!). We hope to see you there.<br />
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<a href="http://planoisdtech.blogspot.com/2016/04/conferences-coming-soon.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PUNgFUMcSJs/VwLcQdG89cI/AAAAAAAABlM/xbsrLNY6YS8_NZhKzlgZ5gha9gQ_Y7hWw/s400/blogger.png" width="397" /></a></div>
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<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-22257196233170639272016-02-21T19:16:00.001-08:002016-02-21T19:16:03.075-08:00Search SmartAs I prepare for the <a href="https://edutrainingcenter.withgoogle.com/certification" target="_blank">Google Educator</a> Level 1 certification test, I'm collecting really great resources provided by the <a href="https://edutrainingcenter.withgoogle.com/training" target="_blank">Google Training Center</a>. Particularly, knowing how to search smart using Google seemed blog-worthy to me.<br />
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<h2>
Valid & Reliable</h2>
Students need our help to learn how to evaluate search results for accurate and reliable information. In this video the teacher describes great strategies to help students conduct Google searches. She suggests considering the "Rule of 3" (comparing 3 resources before coming to a conclusion on a topic), domain extensions (.com, .org, .gov, etc.), and the author's point of view, among others, when conducting a Google search.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GklQfsNeDu4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GklQfsNeDu4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<h2>
Narrow Your Search</h2>
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Did you know that you can narrow a Google search with filters, search tools, and modifiers? Print this poster for your classroom! <a href="http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//educators/downloads/Tips_Tricks_85x11.pdf?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoluKrAdu%2FhmjTEU5z16e4sWa6ygZx41El3fuXBP2XqjvpVQcZmN7nGRw8FHZNpywVWM8TILtQYt8FtKAzgAG0%3D" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Nifty Modifiers Poster</span></a></div>
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<h2>
Become an Online Sleuth</h2>
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Use this lesson with your students <b>tomorrow</b>! <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/viewer?url=www.google.com/goodtoknow/pdfs/class-1-become-an-online-sleuth.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Becoming an Online Sleuth</span></a><br />The comparison chart on Page 5 has a checklist for students to evaluate three web resources. Love it!</div>
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<h2>
Why Teach How to Search?</h2>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v9yZco8bwI8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v9yZco8bwI8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<h2>
Lesson Plans</h2>
Google Search Education has a complete curriculum for teaching students how to search! Check out this link for details: <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/ta/insidesearch/searcheducation/lessons.html">http://www.google.com/intl/ta/insidesearch/searcheducation/lessons.html</a><br />
<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-10923660785689914822015-12-11T08:38:00.000-08:002015-12-17T11:19:31.994-08:00Chrome Extensions that Rock!<div class="MsoNormal">
At yesterday's Lunch & Learn at an early childhood school, teachers wanted to learn about how Chrome Extensions work and which ones improve instruction, productivity, and organization. Here is a super short list with descriptions of some of my favorites!</div>
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<h3>
How to Add Extensions</h3>
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Put simply, to add Extensions or Apps to your browser, go to the Chrome Web Store,
search for the Extension/App by name, and click Add to Chrome next to the one you want.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jmdNjGu7GJc/VnMKVmzFCfI/AAAAAAAABIE/e0_MF-Y7s6I/s1600/Adding%2BExtensions%2Bto%2BChrome.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jmdNjGu7GJc/VnMKVmzFCfI/AAAAAAAABIE/e0_MF-Y7s6I/s640/Adding%2BExtensions%2Bto%2BChrome.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
My Favorite Extensions</h3>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYQ7dUlxySk/Vmr4CYioSHI/AAAAAAAABGo/XQURDuynNes/s1600/extensions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYQ7dUlxySk/Vmr4CYioSHI/AAAAAAAABGo/XQURDuynNes/s640/extensions.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Read & Write</b> –
hear words on a page read aloud! And more features for writing and studying
like text to speech, highlighting, suggestions for and meaning of words, etc. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Goo.gl URL shortener</b>
– shortens the link to a more manageable length, making it easier for people to
write down. Also provides a QR Code to scan! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BprOE9oM8xI/Vmr4M05XKfI/AAAAAAAABGw/qPyMGJrqBcQ/s1600/goo.gl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BprOE9oM8xI/Vmr4M05XKfI/AAAAAAAABGw/qPyMGJrqBcQ/s1600/goo.gl.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>OneTab</b> – combines
all open tabs into one page of a list of the links to each website. I
especially like this tool for collecting all my open tabs into one at the end
of the day so I can easily pick up where I left off the next day. By clicking “Share
as a web page” you can easily share your resources with others. You can name
the tab group by clicking More and then Name this tab group. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fECBBD2kM8U/Vmr7x-g1J4I/AAAAAAAABHU/ciFKewqsRSE/s1600/onetab.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fECBBD2kM8U/Vmr7x-g1J4I/AAAAAAAABHU/ciFKewqsRSE/s320/onetab.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To open it to view previously saved tab groups, right click
the extension and choose Display One Tab.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6NOoUReVwg/Vmr4cwQXG-I/AAAAAAAABHA/KjHqAbvf4To/s1600/onetab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6NOoUReVwg/Vmr4cwQXG-I/AAAAAAAABHA/KjHqAbvf4To/s1600/onetab.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Save to Drive</b> – saves
articles, images, etc. directly to your Google Drive. You can even right-click
an image on a website and save it to Google Drive. No downloading/uploading
needed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zOCSFy66c5o/Vmr4g7ikQxI/AAAAAAAABHI/q5TvoA-f4tg/s1600/save%2Bto%2Bdrive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zOCSFy66c5o/Vmr4g7ikQxI/AAAAAAAABHI/q5TvoA-f4tg/s320/save%2Bto%2Bdrive.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<b>Clearly</b> – de-clutters
a site and lets you highlight text (among other things!)<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Google Translate</b> –
translates a page to the language of your choice<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>TechSmith SnagIt</b> –
lets you capture a screenclipping, annotate it with arrows/circles/text boxes,
and then either download it or copy the URL to it! You can even record your
screen with it and make animated GIFs, like the one I made above! This one is my fave because I can quickly and easily create instructions in the form of an annotated screenshot or video and email it to a teacher to answer his/her question. Think of what students can create! I would have had my marketing students create demos of how to navigate a website, show their work, or create instructional how-tos. Oh, and SnagIt automatically saves your screenshots/videos to a folder in Google Drive for you! <o:p></o:p><br />
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<h3>
What's Your Favorite?</h3>
Which one's are your faves? Please comment with your favorite app/extension and why! </div>
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<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-41835337169868530592015-11-10T15:13:00.004-08:002016-11-22T10:29:58.478-08:00Google Hangouts: A Plano Educator Exclusive!<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATE November 2016: </span><b>Google Hangouts on Air has moved to YouTubeLive. Read more about it here: </b><a href="http://planoisdtech.blogspot.com/2016/11/youtube-live-communicate-collaborate.html" style="font-weight: bold;">http://planoisdtech.blogspot.com/2016/11/youtube-live-communicate-collaborate.html</a><br />
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If you have not checked this out yet, then now is the time! Grab a buddy in a neighboring room and give it a try!<br />
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<h2>
Why Hangout?</h2>
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Whether you are a classroom teacher who would like to invite a guest speaker from across the world to virtually connect with students, a curriculum coordinator who wants to get creative with professional development, or a principal who would like to include parents who can't attend an after-school meeting, Google Hangouts is closing gaps and simplifying lives. </div>
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Here are just a few ways to use Hangouts:</h3>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aGhrloo3gA0/VkNWTgT8wQI/AAAAAAAAA2g/nhrdPNJvo7Y/s1600/ways%2Bto%2Buse%2Bhangouts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aGhrloo3gA0/VkNWTgT8wQI/AAAAAAAAA2g/nhrdPNJvo7Y/s640/ways%2Bto%2Buse%2Bhangouts.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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How to Hangout</h2>
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<ul>
<li>In the <b>Google Chrome</b> browser, go to <a href="http://hangouts.google.com/">hangouts.google.com</a></li>
<li>Sign in using your <b>PISD email address </b>& network password</li>
</ul>
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<img height="286px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FiDRYHhovzrj7pnMwjMRyr7UCSwkDtn7mQ0B3hi6cUj2mQaAnNLhbLV_owxjDijWMdfr6b6kcI2nV_pe9Md6YtK2yN7vIx6VQzxnJZ3MbCvKu_G18I2vvUDI5JKu0n0waisd0UdfrQ" width="556px;" /></div>
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<ul>
<li>Click "<b>Video Call</b>"</li>
<li>Give it a name and click the arrow to get started!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zCgUp-iZoL4/VkJqtvUeSEI/AAAAAAAAA1I/-mvTfTkbBiQ/s1600/google%2Bhangouts%2Bstep%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zCgUp-iZoL4/VkJqtvUeSEI/AAAAAAAAA1I/-mvTfTkbBiQ/s400/google%2Bhangouts%2Bstep%2B2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>If you have an all-in-one computer, then your webcam and microphone are already built-in! If not, ask your CTA for an external webcam and microphone (that's what I use here in the office).</li>
<li>Invite people to join the video conference by clicking the "Invite People" button on the top</li>
<ul>
<li>You can invite people from outside the Plano ISD organization</li>
<li>They must have a Google account</li>
</ul>
<li>Check out this excellent graphic with detailed descriptions by the "Geeky GAFE Girl".</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZX4-5_R7L50/VkJzBBT5vkI/AAAAAAAAA1s/lIaId9pSAHQ/s1600/google%2Bhangout%2Bcheat%2Bsheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZX4-5_R7L50/VkJzBBT5vkI/AAAAAAAAA1s/lIaId9pSAHQ/s640/google%2Bhangout%2Bcheat%2Bsheet.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://dubs-eduportal.dur.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/HangoutCheatSheet.png">http://dubs-eduportal.dur.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/HangoutCheatSheet.png</a></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>Hangouts works across devices so it's easy to connect from anywhere! Download the Hangouts app!</li>
<ul>
<li>Side story: My dad has an Android so he was bummed out that he couldn't place video calls like his iPhone Facetime-obsessed family members, until now!</li>
</ul>
<li>More features explained:</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hGoZOzresWE/VkJ02zK53pI/AAAAAAAAA18/db2epxfNA6M/s1600/google%2Bhangouts%2Bfeatures.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hGoZOzresWE/VkJ02zK53pI/AAAAAAAAA18/db2epxfNA6M/s640/google%2Bhangouts%2Bfeatures.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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<ul>
<li>Visit the <a href="https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/2944865?hl=en&ref_topic=2944848" target="_blank">Google Support website</a> for great up-to-date tips/suggestions. </li>
</ul>
<h2>
Practice Makes Perfect</h2>
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Be sure to allow enough time before your virtual meeting to practice so that you feel calm and ready for the real deal. As always, feel free to practice with any of us in Instructional Technology!</div>
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<b>Disclaimer:</b> This is by no means a thorough how-to for Hangouts. The screenshots above are from presentations I've done on campuses (and will do at TCEA 2016!!) in which I go into more depth. Please reach out if you have more questions or would like me to come help you/your staff learn more! Like how to broadcast to more people, how to record the Hangouts using Hangouts on Air, and setting YouTube privacy settings, to name a few. </div>
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Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-89026816811913681622015-09-21T10:06:00.003-07:002015-09-21T10:12:17.747-07:00Add a Photo Slideshow to your Google SiteA teacher challenged me with a task this morning. She emailed asking if I knew how to insert a photo slideshow into Google Sites. Ummm, sure don't, but give me a few minutes and I will! I love getting questions like these from teachers because I get to learn something new, too. :)<br />
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After clicking around and reading forums, this is what I discovered. And please comment if you know of another/better way to do this!<br />
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<h2>
Gather Your Photos</h2>
Go to <a href="http://photos.google.com/">photos.google.com</a>.<br />
<ul>
<li>If you already have photos in here that you want to use, click the button to create a photo album and then add the photos that you have to it. </li>
<li>If you need to upload the photos, click the upload button, locate and upload your photos, then create the album and add the photos that you just uploaded to it. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V75HNgV2SIo/VgAywtpturI/AAAAAAAAAuM/hE90twYEP0M/s1600/GooglePhotos-create%2Balbum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V75HNgV2SIo/VgAywtpturI/AAAAAAAAAuM/hE90twYEP0M/s640/GooglePhotos-create%2Balbum.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Insert the Photos as a Slideshow in Google Sites</h2>
In your Google Site, go to the page on which you'd like to add the slideshow.<br />
<ul>
<li>Click to Edit the page and place your cursor where the slideshow should go. </li>
<li>Go to Insert, Google+, Photo Album. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aMd25ssCgI/VgAwOD8dAwI/AAAAAAAAAtw/YafTftLWV0c/s1600/GoogleSites-insert%2Bphoto.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aMd25ssCgI/VgAwOD8dAwI/AAAAAAAAAtw/YafTftLWV0c/s400/GoogleSites-insert%2Bphoto.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Select the album to be placed on the page.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P--xdI3-pKM/VgA0-M-BAvI/AAAAAAAAAuc/megjqg9v6Hc/s1600/GoogleSite-insert%2Bphoto%2Balbum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P--xdI3-pKM/VgA0-M-BAvI/AAAAAAAAAuc/megjqg9v6Hc/s400/GoogleSite-insert%2Bphoto%2Balbum.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Choose the settings you like. I changed the size to Large and selected AutoPlay. Very cool feature!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R63qCtV_ww0/VgA1ij8ajAI/AAAAAAAAAuk/SlN-omOt3wY/s1600/GoogleSites-photo%2Balbum%2Bsettings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R63qCtV_ww0/VgA1ij8ajAI/AAAAAAAAAuk/SlN-omOt3wY/s400/GoogleSites-photo%2Balbum%2Bsettings.png" width="400" /></a></div>
After you click Save, you'll see the photo album placeholder. If you need to edit the size or other properties again, click the Properties gear on the bottom left of the photo album placeholder.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWTO-qRGGgk/VgA2TrG6pVI/AAAAAAAAAu0/_1heOhhNOb4/s1600/GoogleSites-photo%2Balbum%2Bproperties.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWTO-qRGGgk/VgA2TrG6pVI/AAAAAAAAAu0/_1heOhhNOb4/s320/GoogleSites-photo%2Balbum%2Bproperties.png" width="294" /></a></div>
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On mine, I clicked the button to center the slideshow on the page. When you're ready, click Save on your Google Site to see the finished product! Since I selected "Autoplay", my slideshow runs automatically. Love it!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7LMFJEiLeQ/VgA43WgHtJI/AAAAAAAAAu8/II3eZBsn2oQ/s1600/GoogleSites-photo%2Bslideshow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7LMFJEiLeQ/VgA43WgHtJI/AAAAAAAAAu8/II3eZBsn2oQ/s400/GoogleSites-photo%2Bslideshow.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Stay Googly, friends!</div>
<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-23613495129415403012015-08-11T19:18:00.003-07:002015-11-17T20:03:16.106-08:00Edcamp Reflection<h2>
Say what?!</h2>
Don't know what an edcamp is? Watch this!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gr7teMAk-hA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gr7teMAk-hA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<h2>
My answers to an edcamp survey</h2>
I received an email request recently to complete a survey (in a Google Form! #love) to provide feedback on my edcamp experiences. I gladly obliged and as I was entering my answers, it struck me how impactful edcamps have been on my professional relationships, my practice, and my approach to learning. I wanted to share some of my answers to the survey. I sprinkled a few of my favorite images to accentuate my points. (I'm a quote hoarder on <a href="http://pinterest.com/techknowleah" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, btw). If you have ever been to an edcamp, do you share some of the same experiences? Please add your comments below to keep the conversation going.<br />
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<h2>
How have you changed your practice because of your Edcamp experience?</h2>
As an Instructional Tech Specialist, I have approached the planning of technology training and professional learning differently. Edcamps have helped me see the benefit in giving teachers <span style="font-size: large;">choice </span>and <span style="font-size: large;">voice </span>in their professional learning. For example, rather than my team of five designing summer tech trainings like we've always done it, where we lead it, we opened it up to let teachers "apply" to facilitate summer classes. We "accepted" every session and it was a huge hit! Most classes have been full all summer. <span style="font-size: large;">Teachers LOVE to learn from each other!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_sYveEOtxk/VamYgGJpxMI/AAAAAAAAApo/16Vu3hnbLq8/s1600/summer%2Bclasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_sYveEOtxk/VamYgGJpxMI/AAAAAAAAApo/16Vu3hnbLq8/s320/summer%2Bclasses.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created using <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a>.</td></tr>
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<h2>
How supportive has your school/colleagues been with what you brought back from edcamp?</h2>
I'm lucky to work in a very supportive environment. My colleagues have welcomed the ideas I've brought back from edcamps. Principals love the idea and some have adopted the edcamp model for professional learning on their campuses! I can't wait to attend the Like-Campus edcamp among 10 elementary schools in our district this month! And help organize an edcamp for the staff of two high schools next week!<br />
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<h2>
What impact do you perceive edcamp is having on student learning?</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MgJDziCNxBk/ValZeZbq6II/AAAAAAAAApQ/vH20aaoVrWo/s1600/kristen%2Bswanson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MgJDziCNxBk/ValZeZbq6II/AAAAAAAAApQ/vH20aaoVrWo/s320/kristen%2Bswanson.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Article: The Person Doing the Work is Doing the Learning<br />
<a href="http://inservice.ascd.org/the-person-doing-the-work-is-doing-the-learning/">http://inservice.ascd.org/the-person-doing-the-work-is-doing-the-learning/</a></td></tr>
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In this position, I work more with teachers than directly with students. I think that the teachers who attended edcamps with me realize that relinquishing some control as a teacher can positively impact student learning.<br />
I think it's encouraged the "guide on the side" student-centered method of teaching rather than the "sage on the stage" or teacher-centric method. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sloanpix/8205071402/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Experts everywhere"><img alt="Experts everywhere" height="313" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8205071402_10ceff9f54_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sloanpix/8205071402/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/sloanpix/8205071402/</a></td></tr>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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What evidence have you seen of this perceived impact?</h2>
I've seen teachers become more confident with using technology and taking risks with trying new things! Putting the learning in the hands of the students results in an explosion of creativity! And fostering a collaborative team environment gives students the opportunity to learn from each other.<br />
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<h2>
What relationship have you seen between edcamp and online professional activities?</h2>
I see the relationship between edcamps and online professional activities being that teachers from different schools are gathering to have conversations about what is working for them in their classrooms and sharing strategies that will make them more skilled at their practice. Both on- and offline, they're building their PLN (professional learning network).<br />
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<h2>
In what way have you maintained communication with those you've met at edcamps?</h2>
Twitter is my main source for connecting other educators. I have followed, Tweeted, Direct Messaged, Favorited, and Retweeted several educators that I've met at edcamps to ask questions or share our learning.<br />
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I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on my edcamp experiences through that survey. Thanks for indulging me, y'all! :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dLnBklydP8s/Vcqsw--hD9I/AAAAAAAAAsU/jbRd0Tm8ky0/s1600/edcamp%2Bglobal%2Btour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dLnBklydP8s/Vcqsw--hD9I/AAAAAAAAAsU/jbRd0Tm8ky0/s320/edcamp%2Bglobal%2Btour.png" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">edcamp Global - something I'm very proud of! :)</td></tr>
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<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-68381642911534679922015-04-02T11:58:00.002-07:002015-04-10T08:36:33.053-07:00Don't be Tardy to the Google Classroom - A Plano Teacher Exclusive!<span style="font-size: large;">You've heard about it, and now you're ready to find out what the excitement is all about</span>. If you have been, or want to, have your students turn in assignments via Google Drive, you are going to <span style="font-size: large;">LOVE </span>Google Classroom. It's intuitive, user-friendly, and adds to Google's googly goodness! Google Classroom does not replace myPISD as it is not a robust Learning Management System (LMS). It's a content management system that lets you communicate with students and streamlines the workflow of how you/your students can assign/submit work via the Google Drive. Here are some <span style="font-size: large;">basic steps</span> to getting started with your very own Google Classroom(s).<br />
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<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Video
How-To</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: I subscribe to Amy Mayer’s YouTube channel because she has fabulous
instructional videos for all things Google. Her tutorial on </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIfXzJMLsMQ" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Getting Started with Google
Classroom</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> (12 min.) is worth the watch! Check it out!</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How
to get to Google Classroom</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Open Google Chrome (NOT Internet Explorer) and
go to <a href="http://classroom.google.com/">classroom.google.com</a>. Sign in using your PISD email address and network
password. If this is your first time accessing it, you’ll need to select
whether you’re a Teacher or a Student. (This might seem obvious, but don't click Student. I learned this the hard way!) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; text-indent: -0.25in;">J</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. On the top right of the screen, click
the plus sign and choose Create. Name your class and click Create. When you
open your class, look for the <b>Class Code</b> on the left. This is what you’ll give
your students to join your class. (No need to type in your students’ names!)</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How
students join your class</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Tell students to open Chrome and go to
<a href="http://classroom.google.com/">classroom.google.com</a>. They’ll sign in using their email and password, too.
Student email is </span>firstname.lastname.#@mypisd.net<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.
They will click the plus sign and select Join. Then give them your class code.
It’s that easy! <span style="font-size: large;">Tip</span>: Zoom in using the keyboard shortcut Windows Key and the + sign so your students can see your class code on the big screen.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;"><b>Who can access it</b>? Google Classroom requires a Google Apps for Education (GAFE) domain to access. We are a "GAFE district" so staff and students can get to it, no problem! It is not accessible by the public so parents will need to sign in using their student's email and password.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;"><b>Learn more!</b> Join my Google Classroom to see news/tips/handouts, to practice, and to ask questions. <span style="font-size: large;">My Class Code is 1mser3!</span></span></span></li>
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The steps above are just the basics. For a more in-depth training, one of us from the Instructional Technology Dept. would be more than happy to come show you/your dept. how to have your students turn in assignments and how to
post announcements in the Stream. We'd need just 30-45 min. to get you going. Plus, we can give you some tips that will help you feel knowledgeable and comfortable with using Google Classroom (e.g. how many classes to create, enabling/disabling students' ability to post/comment in the Stream, posting an assignment/announcement to more than one class at a time, and more!). I recommend that you create a class (even if it's just called "Practice Class"), join each other’s
classes to test things and see how it works before students join your Classroom. You
can always archive the class and/or delete posts on the Stream later. Good luck! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As always, we're here to help! <a href="https://twitter.com/TechKnowLeah" target="_blank">@TechKnowLeah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/techclara" target="_blank">@TechClara</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NancyWTech" target="_blank">@NancyWTech</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blandingin" target="_blank">@BLandingin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hbell_tx" target="_blank">@Hbell_tx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pisdtech" target="_blank">@pisdtech</a></span></div>
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Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-71504415876319445872014-12-15T19:53:00.002-08:002014-12-15T20:09:57.186-08:00Toolbox for Keeping up With the Latest EdTech! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeowKieXTnU/VI-sDFmETdI/AAAAAAAAAag/CS-pHT28D50/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeowKieXTnU/VI-sDFmETdI/AAAAAAAAAag/CS-pHT28D50/s1600/2.png" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Staying on top of the latest tech might seem virtually impossible. </span>Maybe you've thought/heard this before, "I learn one tool, use it, love it, and then the next day there's something new. How can I keep up?" Or, "How can I possibly learn every App out there? Not to mention how they work and on which device/OS?" Teachers have expressed this concern to me and, admittedly, I, too, have felt overwhelmed by all the tech choices and changes. You are NOT alone! I made a list of <span style="font-size: large;">strategies</span> that have helped me to stay afloat. You CAN keep up!<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let the learners choose the tech</b></span>. Students/staff LOVE having choices. For a task that, for example, requires them to showcase their learning, tell them to select a tech tool of their choice. You can guide them by listing choices like <a href="http://www.powtoon.com/" target="_blank">PowToon</a>, <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/06/chatterpix-and-yakit-great-apps-to-end.html" target="_blank">ChatterPix</a>, <a href="http://piktochart.com/" target="_blank">Piktochart</a>, and <a href="http://www.google.com/slides/about/" target="_blank">Google Slides</a>. By giving your learners options, they will take ownership of the learning, and thus work harder to create something they can be proud of. Oh, and you are guaranteed to learn something new from them!</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hold yourself accountable</b>.</span> Start blogging about tech tools you've tried (and maybe even failed at!). Then you REALLY have to learn and use the technology to be able to give a testimonial that is published for the world see. Readers will LOVE to hear the pros and cons of what has/has not worked for you. Build a support network. Start/join a tech team or PLC at your school. Sponsor a student tech club. Follow <a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/12/20/edtech-twitter-accounts-390/" target="_blank">edtech leaders on Twitter</a>. Follow <a href="https://www.graphite.org/blog/11-edtech-bloggers-to-follow-in-2014" target="_blank">edtech leaders' blogs</a>. If you hold yourself accountable, you are more likely to accomplish your goal of staying abreast of tech tools that students and teachers are using.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have a Can-Do attitude</b></span>. When planning your next unit, pick a tech tool you've learned about that you think could enhance a lesson. Chances are, the technology will engage your students and consequently improve the learning outcome! Read an example of how ChatterPix helped a 4th Grade unit in my fabulous colleague <a href="http://techclara.blogspot.com/2014/11/rad-tech-adventurers.html" target="_blank">Clara's blog</a>. Whether you're afraid of technology, a guru, or the only one on your team who is willing to spice up your classroom with technology, be a pioneer! Lead the pack with your can-do attitude and people will follow.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Never stop learning</b></span>. Attend an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7teMAk-hA" target="_blank">EdCamp</a> (like <a href="http://edcampdallas.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">EdCampDallas</a> every October or <a href="https://twitter.com/EdCampAwesome" target="_blank">EdCampAwesome</a> every February). Participate in a Twitter Chat (see the <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/pisd.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiftIdjCeWSXdDRLRzNsVktUUGJpRWJhdUlWLS1Genc#gid=0" target="_blank">Twitter Chat Schedule</a>) like #PISDEdChat Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CST. Subscribe to an edtech <a href="http://educationaltechnology.net/educational-technology-magazines/" target="_blank">magazine</a>. Even if it's just reading one article a week on your favorite edtech website (<a href="http://www.edudemic.com/" target="_blank">Edudemic</a> is mine!), you are learning something new! </li>
</ul>
So, then next time you're feeling like you can't keep up with the latest and greatest technology, think back on all that you DO know and start with one of the strategies above. Just do it!Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-1167845829992755052014-08-08T09:16:00.001-07:002014-08-08T09:43:41.337-07:00Reflecting on ETSI & Google Summer Camp<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dLhgUeSN3vk/U-Tqnh2JjBI/AAAAAAAAAQA/Bc3y1pROEWk/s1600/IMG_4429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dLhgUeSN3vk/U-Tqnh2JjBI/AAAAAAAAAQA/Bc3y1pROEWk/s1600/IMG_4429.JPG" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ETSI selfie wall! Party of 5!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What a whirlwind the last two weeks have been for our Instructional Technology team! We successfully completed our first <span style="font-size: large;">Educational Technology Summer Institute</span> (ETSI) AND our first <span style="font-size: large;">Google Summer Camp</span>! From conception to completion, planning and executing these trainings has been nothing but <span style="font-size: x-large;">MAGICAL</span>!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Jump on Twitter and follow these hashtags to see the magical goings on for <span style="font-size: large;">#pisdetsi</span> and <span style="font-size: large;">#pisdgoogle</span>! I was impressed to see novice Twitter users jump in head first into the Twittersphere the last couple of weeks. So proud to see them connect with other teachers and get new ideas for implementing tech tools and techniques in their classrooms and for their staff.<br />
<br />
Reflecting on my favorite, stand-out moments throughout the trainings:<br />
<ul>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ls0fVlmSJH0/U-TsECtdjuI/AAAAAAAAAQM/pkRZoEzxx4k/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ls0fVlmSJH0/U-TsECtdjuI/AAAAAAAAAQM/pkRZoEzxx4k/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="186" width="200" /></a>
<li>Stepping out of my comfort zone by providing less sit-and-get instruction and more <span style="font-size: x-large;">teacher-driven learning</span>,</li>
<li>Giving a <span style="font-size: x-large;">mini-EdCamp</span> a try at ETSI and seeing it work wonderfully! Teachers stepped up to the challenge (just like I had hoped and encouraged!) and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from each other,</li>
<li>Carefully reading our Google Summer Camp <span style="font-size: x-large;">evaluations</span> from teachers and then adjusting the structure of the event to differentiate our delivery and instruction,</li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Building relationships</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>with ed tech leaders in our district and really listening to them. Sometimes teachers just need a sounding board. :)</li>
<li>Hearing from four foward-thinking, diverse, articulate, fearless principals who so graciously participated in our <span style="font-size: x-large;">Principals Panel</span> discussion at ETSI. I know they appreciated the opportunity to voice their vision for campus leadership and the teachers seemed to hang onto their every word!</li>
<li>Receiving an applause when we announced our plan to each <span style="font-size: x-large;">adopt a campus</span> to team up with and provide ed tech support. What a warm welcome!</li>
</ul>
These experiences have validated my confidence in my team to pull something like this off! <span style="font-size: x-large;">I thank Harriet, Nancy, Clara, and Barbara for making this event a success</span>. Not to mention our CTA <span style="font-size: large;">Barbara S.</span> and the whole Instructional Technology Department for making this possible: <span style="font-size: large;">Mary, Douglas, Tara, Laura, Dana, Tracy, Robin, and my boyfriend Jason </span>(for moral & tech support!).<br />
<br />
I look forward to following up with our campus leaders and to helping them use what they learned to <span style="font-size: x-large;">make a difference in their classrooms</span>. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VgpxGc3rBI/U-Tth2iVTKI/AAAAAAAAAQY/JY0nm1HJUmg/s1600/IMG_4419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VgpxGc3rBI/U-Tth2iVTKI/AAAAAAAAAQY/JY0nm1HJUmg/s1600/IMG_4419.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley Marquez leading an<br />
Instragram discussion at Mini-EdCamp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ar9vsYWMG6Y/U-Tws8sirhI/AAAAAAAAAQk/m8eMnydWhs0/s1600/image+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ar9vsYWMG6Y/U-Tws8sirhI/AAAAAAAAAQk/m8eMnydWhs0/s1600/image+(1).jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramy Mahmoud (Teacher of the Year 2013!) teaching<br />
"A Flippin' Success" at Mini-EdCamp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uVdiIVwKnMw/U-Tws0u8gEI/AAAAAAAAAQo/lhFzzMIcQf4/s1600/image+(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uVdiIVwKnMw/U-Tws0u8gEI/AAAAAAAAAQo/lhFzzMIcQf4/s1600/image+(2).jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our Trends in Technology sessions:<br />
Mystery Skyping! (Pictured: Kelly Parrish)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6iuF0Mf2Cg/U-TwsxymhHI/AAAAAAAAAQs/SjXSU0wGMok/s1600/image+(3).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6iuF0Mf2Cg/U-TwsxymhHI/AAAAAAAAAQs/SjXSU0wGMok/s1600/image+(3).jpeg" height="313" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twitter Wall! Expanding our PLNs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnsZLXpSj3o/U-Twt9GPqLI/AAAAAAAAAQw/Kt35hKPWNyI/s1600/image+(4).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnsZLXpSj3o/U-Twt9GPqLI/AAAAAAAAAQw/Kt35hKPWNyI/s1600/image+(4).jpeg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sa8qnFzS5XM/U-TwuOMn1dI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/elQvT9nybws/s1600/image+(5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sa8qnFzS5XM/U-TwuOMn1dI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/elQvT9nybws/s1600/image+(5).jpeg" height="195" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Participants scanning a QR Code that takes them to<br />
a Google Form evaluation. Easy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-peG5BYEwZIg/U-TwuXdb8-I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/rozh4ViA2QY/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-peG5BYEwZIg/U-TwuXdb8-I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/rozh4ViA2QY/s1600/image.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maker Movement creation by Rebecca Bailey <br />
(obviously an art teacher!). Her name is<br />
ETSI the Robot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMk1ZVS-JQM/U-T19iEFhKI/AAAAAAAAARs/3o3DFtGVPZc/s1600/image+(6).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMk1ZVS-JQM/U-T19iEFhKI/AAAAAAAAARs/3o3DFtGVPZc/s1600/image+(6).jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Tech Leadership activity - <br />
What's the diff. bet. "Using Tech." and<br />
"Tech Integration"; Dealing with tech-resistant teachers;<br />
Characteristics of an Ed Tech Leader; Developing a PLC.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htCeQ_WvafA/U-T19R7Z39I/AAAAAAAAARo/ogWRnIqGfwk/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htCeQ_WvafA/U-T19R7Z39I/AAAAAAAAARo/ogWRnIqGfwk/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clara & Nancy getting ready for<br />
Google Summer Camp!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-53528680851206908082014-07-03T08:57:00.002-07:002014-07-03T09:06:37.658-07:00What am I doing this summer? Party planning for teachers!<div style="text-align: right;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HgniOmVFT70/U7V-0othjpI/AAAAAAAAAMs/NnBJ2xpDg1A/s1600/IMG_3619%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HgniOmVFT70/U7V-0othjpI/AAAAAAAAAMs/NnBJ2xpDg1A/s1600/IMG_3619%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a Region 10 conference w. my boss! Getting coffee, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ten-hour work days, Fridays off, long weekends... This is my schedule for six straight weeks out of the summer. The long weekends are great for mini-vacays (!) and a continuous flow of <span style="font-size: large;">coffee </span>helps me get through the weekdays. It's hard to be <span style="font-size: x-large;">innovative </span>so early in the morning. Although lately, once it starts, I can't seem to get out of the zone by 5:30! I'm <span style="font-size: large;">lucky </span>to have fantastic colleagues to bounce ideas off of and to keep me <span style="font-size: x-large;">motivated </span>to do great things in our district. In our Instructional Technology Dept., preparing for all of the trainings and professional dev. sessions feels like we're a <span style="font-size: large;">party planning business</span>! :)<br />
<br />
It's not unusual to hear eruptions of <span style="font-size: large;">laughter </span>down the hallway of our office building while "party planning". Yes, we enjoy each other and can't get enough of our <span style="font-size: x-large;">great ideas</span>. Life is good here at PISD's Central Office. Our biggest project right now is planning for our first annual <span style="font-size: x-large;">Educational Technology Summer Institute</span> (ETSI) at the end of this month.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTcNEN0AiBs/U7V3QO5i73I/AAAAAAAAAMM/JX-LCOmHxQE/s1600/IMG_4181%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTcNEN0AiBs/U7V3QO5i73I/AAAAAAAAAMM/JX-LCOmHxQE/s1600/IMG_4181%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Our overall goal for having this three-day institute is to increase capacity on all campuses in our district. We asked principals to invite stand-out tech leaders on their campuses to complete an application that we provided. We then selected at least one teacher per campus to invite to attend ETSI. We wish we could have invited <u>everyone</u> who applied (!), but since they will be paid, we were limited by a budget.<br />
<br />
Our plan is to discuss tech integration models, collaborate on how to overcome tech integration challenges, and teach tech tools by modeling their use throughout the three days! Before teachers leave, we will help them create an action plan for ed tech leadership on their campuses. Then we will follow-up with them throughout the year with webinars, pull-out days, expanding PLNs, etc. That's our capacity-building goal!<br />
<br />
We have SO MUCH fun stuff planned for <span style="font-size: x-large;">ETSI 2014</span>!! Here is a sneak peek:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Taste of Technology</span> - stations with tablets, laptops and table tents categorized by concept (collaboration tools, curation tools, etc.). Teachers will have the freedom to cruise from table to table to learn about the apps/websites in whatever way works best for them, make curricular connections, and then create something with it.</li>
<li>Classes covering the <span style="font-size: large;">Maker Movement, Virtual Field Trips, Digital Citizenship, Twitter, BYOD, Augmented Reality, Classroom Flipping</span>, <span style="font-size: large;">Collaboration Tools</span>, and more!</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">3D printer</span> and <span style="font-size: large;">robot </span>demos</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Green screen playground!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">mini-EdCamp!!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">a gazillion tech tools!</span> (Kahoot, Socrative, Poll everywhere, Popplet, Today's Meet, Answer Garden... too many to mention here!)</li>
</ul>
Planning for this has definitely been a <span style="font-size: x-large;">mind-shift</span> for me in terms of how to design professional development. I will share more about ETSI in a later post, including pictures and videos! Oh, and I haven't even talked about our <span style="font-size: large;">Google Summer Camp</span> yet!Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-52785262992544012672014-03-21T13:48:00.006-07:002014-04-21T09:06:41.730-07:00Socrative Space Race: A RAD lesson that makes learning fun!<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An extension of my last post, "<a href="http://radedtech.blogspot.com/2014/03/making-your-lessons-rad.html" target="_blank">Making your lessons RAD</a>" (Relevant, Adaptive, Dedicated to education). </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What is Socrative?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Picture this: Your students are laughing, engaged in the learning, competing against each other, and having fun, all while taking a quiz! It can happen! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've never used </span><a href="http://www.socrative.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Socrative</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> before, I highly recommend it! It's an interactive student response system of quizzes and games that you can customize with your course material and that your students can access using the web or a mobile device (using the app). My students were always engaged and competitive (especially in my Sports & Entertainment Marketing class) while being assessed. Imagine that! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Watch this <a href="http://www.socrative.com/video-page" target="_blank">short informative video</a> to see how Socrative works.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Space Race!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let's say that you want your students to review for a test. Maybe you have a game you play (my kids always loved Trashketball!). Maybe you have a review sheet they complete on their own time. Consider changing it up for the next test review. Take that review sheet and convert it to a</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.socrative.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Socrative</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Space Race! </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Create a Socrative account</b> and <b>log in</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Go to "<b>Manage Quizzes</b>" <b>--> </b>"<b>Create a Quiz</b>" <b>--></b> "<b>Multiple Choice</b>" (it's easier to grade than Short Answer). If your review sheet is in a Word document, it's easy to copy and paste the questions into the Socrative quiz. Otherwise, just type the questions individually. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Save </b>it </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Click "<b>Space Race - Run a quiz as game</b>". </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Select the quiz</b> you just made of the review questions. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Select the number of teams </b>- I grouped my students into threes. (You can have them compete individually, but there is a limit of 10). They can either gather around a computer (easier for everyone to read the questions) or a device (cell phone or tablet). So for a class of 30 students, I had ten teams.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check the box to <b>Auto-assign team colors. </b>(It seems to work better that way).</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e705ijRlCMU/UyxstUvNakI/AAAAAAAAAEg/F1K0qDRyaq4/s1600/space+race.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e705ijRlCMU/UyxstUvNakI/AAAAAAAAAEg/F1K0qDRyaq4/s1600/space+race.png" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Click <b>Next </b>and t</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ell your students to go to </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://m.socrative.com/" target="_blank">m.socrative.com</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before you give them the Room Number to join, remind them that their team space ship will only move forward if they answer the questions <b>correctly</b>,<b> </b>so they need to be ready to think hard! Now announce the <b>Room Number </b>and watch the space ships go!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Display your screen </b>to the class so they can see the live results!</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z083xsDwR5Q/Uyxx2sSv-jI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Gaew9E_yB9I/s1600/space+race+lead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z083xsDwR5Q/Uyxx2sSv-jI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Gaew9E_yB9I/s1600/space+race+lead.png" height="416" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As students finish the race, tell them they can close the web page and wait until everyone is done. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After everyone is finished, you will then click "<b>End Activity</b>" and "<b>Download Report</b>". </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Open the downloaded Excel spreadsheet to see the results. It's up to you whether to give grades or use it as a self-check. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tips</b></span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Share a copy of a quiz with another teacher</b>. I'll admit, I didn't even create the first few quizzes on Socrative myself. Another marketing teacher across the district graciously shared copies of his quizzes with me. That really helped ease me into using Socrative. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Glitch</b>. Sometimes the students must click on an answer more than once for it to accept. It can be frustrating!</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's a short and sweet video demonstrating how a teacher uses the Socrative Space Race in his class! Love it! </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qiV-w9C0eRI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I hope you find the Socrative Space Race to be as RAD as I do!</b><br />
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Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-51196875303833215702014-03-13T14:32:00.001-07:002014-04-10T14:26:11.189-07:00Making Your Lessons RAD!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When choosing educational technology for a lesson, ask yourself, is it RAD? RAD stands for Relevant, Adaptive, and Dedicated to education. Whether you are updating the curriculum or starting from scratch, <span style="font-size: large;">every Ed Tech lesson can be RAD</span>! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="font-size: large;">elevant </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is the technology relevant to the students and to the lesson? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span><span style="font-size: large;">daptive </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Can the technology be adapted to the curriculum and to the standards? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">D</span><span style="font-size: large;">edicated to education</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is the technology dedicated to improving student learning? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Why being RAD is cool</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When analyzing a lesson, make sure that the technology you incorporate has purpose. It should engage the students and get them excited about the learning. As a result, their assessments will be impressive! Most importantly, dedicate yourself to using the technology and don't give up if it doesn't work perfectly the first time. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know it can be scary to introduce something new to your already wonderful lesson, but keep in mind that amping it up with technology doesn't have to be hard or mean changing the learning outcome altogether. Rather, it's just more rad than before. :) (Can you tell that I love the word rad?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Students today learn differently from those even five years ago. They have anytime-anywhere access to information with mobile technologies. They have the ability to instantly connect with others globally via social media (eg. Twitter, Instagram, video conferencing with Google Hangouts or Safari Montage Live). They can crowd source and curate like never before. And schools are changing their mobile device usage rules to allow for BYOD and one-to-one. So y</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ou owe it to your students (and to yourself!) to revamp those oldie-but-goodie lessons every now and then.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Make a mental RAD checklist before you implement any technology in your classroom and you and your students are more likely to enjoy a positive, educational experience. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make it</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> a lesson that you can be proud of!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Make it</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> RAD!</span></span><br />
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Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-73154228259544094742014-02-25T14:33:00.000-08:002014-02-25T14:34:34.781-08:00Ideas for Using Google Drive in the Classroom<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am so happy that our school district uses Google Apps for Education (GAFE) for several reasons. Particularly, <b>Google Drive </b>is fabulous because:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the kids use it </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">it's accessible anywhere (not just on our school network)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">it works (!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">resources for how to use it are available everywhere you look! (Just Google it!) (Ok, that was cheesy)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A member of the Google+ Community "Using Google Apps as a Free LMS" posted this fantastic video with great ideas, <a href="http://youtu.be/AK4cvlTNnQ0" target="_blank">Using Google Drive with a textbook in the classroom</a>:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/AK4cvlTNnQ0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What I love about it is that Andreas Hofer demonstrates specific uses for how a teacher could teach a lesson using Google Drive; from having students check their answers to listening to audio files for a comprehension exercise. He makes it look so easy! A summarized list of some concepts he covered:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sharing the folders and making them viewable to the public</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Animating text on the Slides to reveal answers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Inserting a Drawing shape to cover up answers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Using media to enrich the textbook: Inserting a video, an image, and an audio file</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Using the Snagit extension to select an image of the digital textbook</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Linking directly to items in your Google Drive</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This video was helpful for giving me ideas to take to teacher trainings. I subscribed to his channel to see what else he cares to share!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PS: Take a look at the video's transcript. :D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414570613203700990.post-85987812884435608922014-02-14T13:55:00.002-08:002014-02-14T14:18:47.326-08:00"Sponsoring a club is easy!" (Said no teacher ever)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you ever found yourself volun<i>told</i> to sponsor/coach clubs, organizations, and sports? Chances are that your principal asked, told, or maybe even begged (!) you to be in charge of a club that will give so many well-deserving children the opportunity to learn and grow. During my eight years of teaching, I have had a positive </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(borderline obnoxiously positive!) </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">attitude about change. Although challenging at times, a positive attitude made even the most stressful situations bearable. When I'd find myself in a panic, I'd tell myself that everything was going to be okay and to not forget that it's all for the kids! So, with each task bestowed upon me, I welcomed the challenge and always ended up loving it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you've ever had this experience, you know that we do it for the kids. They're the ones that drive the excitement in the club and motivate us to work harder (and longer hours) for them! I'd like to share some tools that have either helped me with my organizational </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">skills</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and productivity, and/or improved the member recruitment and retention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, and in case you were wondering, here are some clubs that I've sponsored/coached:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cheerleading</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Debate</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">National Honors Society</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Future Business Leaders of America</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yearbook</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">DECA (Marketing club)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>QR Codes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Ideas:</b></span><br />
<ol><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_emTjuX42KI/Uv6ITYxpmrI/AAAAAAAAADA/VjxKoI-yiqg/s1600/deca+qr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_emTjuX42KI/Uv6ITYxpmrI/AAAAAAAAADA/VjxKoI-yiqg/s1600/deca+qr.png" height="209" width="320" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Post a QR code on your club <b>bulletin board</b>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Print QR codes on <b>meeting notes</b>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Make a large <b>calendar </b>in the classroom or bulletin board with QR codes on the days. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All these can be scanned to:</span></li>
</ol>
<ul><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li><b>download important dates directly to their calendars</b></li>
<li>open a <b>map </b>to a competitive event or charity event</li>
<li>open a <b>website </b></li>
<li>open a <b>document </b>using <a href="http://www.tagmydoc.com/" target="_blank">TagMyDoc</a></li>
<li>check out the links below for MANY more ideas!</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 5. Video to get ideas on how a high school uses them:</span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayW032sKtj8" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Black & White & Scanned All Over</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 6. Excellent links to resources & videos:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.schrockguide.net/qr-codes-in-the-classroom.html" target="_blank">Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything - QR Codes in the Classroom</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>How-To:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">QR Code scanner - </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">QR Reader</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> for iOS and </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_progetto2003.SCAN&hl=en" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">QR Barcode Scanner</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> for Android</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">QR Code Generator - <a href="http://www.qrstuff.com/" target="_blank">QRstuff.com</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">iFakeText</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make a poster of an <a href="http://ifaketext.com/" target="_blank">ifaketext </a>conversation about a club meeting. <span style="color: red;"><b>This one really got their attention! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--0hMc4_xJrs/Uv6L8UG0E5I/AAAAAAAAADM/kGioNEwvHLE/s1600/ifaketext.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--0hMc4_xJrs/Uv6L8UG0E5I/AAAAAAAAADM/kGioNEwvHLE/s1600/ifaketext.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Quizlet</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have students use <a href="http://quizlet.com/" target="_blank">Quizlet</a> to make flash cards to study for competition. They can use the website or d</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ownload the app (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quizlet/id546473125?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quizlet.quizletandroid" target="_blank">Android</a>). <b>Bonus!!</b> Some "sets" of flashcards have already been created! Just search for a subject and BAM! You've got a set of flashcards ready to study!</span></span></div>
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Leah Heeremahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114151716162828427noreply@blogger.com0