SMART Notebook Express

Numerous SMART Notebook files, inter activities, review games, and presentations are created by teachers on a daily basis.  Some of these could be used by students during personal learning time (homework) for further understanding of concepts.

One option for students to view SMART Notebook information is via an exported PDF copy that teachers email or place on a digital management tool.  While the information from the SMART Notebook file is viewable no inter activity between movable objects or links to pages within the file will work.

Enter SMART Notebook Express PDF TUTORIAL VERSION

The Workflow

• SAVE SMART Notebook file to computer (if not previously completed)
• CREATE Google Drive folder for organization
• UPLOAD SMART Notebook file to Google Drive
• SHARE Google Drive File with students via blog, Edmodo, email

The Final Steps

• OPEN web browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, IE
• TYPE http://express.smarttech.com/ into the omni bar (URL area)
• OPEN existing Notebook file (blue button) 
• FIND the SMART Notebook file the teacher shared with students in the steps above
• CLICK on the file OPEN (it may take a few moments to process)

Educators Guide To Flipboard In The Classroom

Flipboard is a tremendous web, iPhone, iPad digital magazine for many educational purposes.  Subscribing or following the "best of the web" informational material can be a resource for staff and students.

The graphics are stunning.  Images are crystal clear, and the pages turn with ease and quickness.  News can be aggregated from websites, news sources, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and many others.

Once topics are followed, a user can create their own magazines which can be a "storage area" for specific readable items.  These magazines could be followed and read by others.

Follow other people's magazines.

We introduced Flipboard as a tool for acquiring current events.




Other Ideas For Use In The Classroom:

• Things AP Econ Students Should Know
• AP Biology
• Appreciating U.S. History
• Music Theory
• Writing
• Math
• Organize Content
• Four Ways To Use Flipboard In Classrooms

Consider having co-curators



Flipboard's Terms of Use

Flipboard Tools

Educator's Guide To Periscope & Meerkat

Facebook. Vine. Twitter. Instagram. Snapchat.

The list above contains all social media tools that our students use and that school employees know about.  It is the job of parents and educators to educate our students as to the positives and negatives.

Enter Periscope & Meerkat

These social media apps were introduced to the masses as early as last Thursday.  While Periscope and Meerkat aim to have people stream live video of breaking news, as with any social media app, negative uses may occur. Knowing the features of the tools can better help parents, staff, and students be know what the apps can do.

Periscope and Meerkat are essentially the same tech tool.  Via an iPhone or iPad (currently not available for Android), "broadcasters" can live stream anything they want.  This can be done publicly or privately based on settings. With Periscope, hearts (likes) and viewer questions and comments can be displayed as the live stream is occurring.  Each video can be archived for viewing later complete with hearts and comments.

Since Periscope's release, Meerkat is already fading even after $14 million in funding on the App Store "top downloads" list.  Periscope was purchased by Twitter for somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 -$100 million even before its release.

Because of this, Periscope will be the further focus of this blog post.


Some "need to know" features of Periscope.

• Replay - When the broadcast is over, viewers can watch it later. Currently replays only last 24 hours.  The replay can be deleted by the broadcaster at any time.
• Private - Pressing the lock icon allows for the broadcaster to choose the audience
• Twitter - By tapping the bird icon, a live link will be shared on Twitter
• Manage Notifications - Turning on will give provide a notification that people that a user is following has started a broadcast
• Hearts - Giving hearts to a broadcast or receiving hearts determines the "likes" of a stream

Watch How To Use Both

Educator Use:

• Broadcast live a field trip
• Broadcast live a lesson
• Broadcast live a school event, for example: academic event, sporting event
• Broadcast live graduation
• Broadcast live events (Goody Triathlon)
• Broadcast unique lessons
• Broadcast how to lessons such as foods, woods, metals, or autos 

Please also be aware of copyright and live streaming.
Appropriate for education

Periscope and Meerkat can be used in a positive way for many reasons.  Knowing the features and purposes of these apps, may help teach students the proper use of these new, technology tools.

*Not sure this will catch on? Riff was just released that allows same video creation features, but with a collaboration feature. (Multiple people making videos at the same time)

Business Use of Periscope
***Katch and Keep all your Periscope broadcasts!

Lunch N' Learn PowToons Promotion

Lunch N' Learn & Breakfast Bytes Topics Semester II 2013-2014

Don't worry if you missed any of the Lunch N' Learn or Breakfast Bytes topics, there all listed below.  I truly appreciate all of the time that so many of our staff dedicate each Tuesday & Thursday during their lunch or before school to learn new topics!

We ask our students to learn something new every day.  Learning something through Lunch N' Learn and Breakfast Bytes can help teachers continue to improve and implement engaging technology tools.  Lunch N' Learns and Breakfast  Bytes provide this opportunity, and I am so thankful for the Pulaski High School and Middle School teachers who join us for some laughs and learning every Tuesday or Thursday.

January 14, 2014: Two Google + Study Exam Tools

January 21, 2014: Review of Semester 1

February 4-7, 2014: Top Tech Tools Infographic

February 17, 2014: Organizing Google Data From Form  Analyzing Data

February 24, 2014: What's Your Clock?

March 4, 2014: Explain Everything For Creating & Reflecting

March 17, 2014: Google Doc Add-Ons For Productivity and Creativity

April 7, 2014: "Open Mic"

April 14, 2014: "Heartbleed" For Educators

April 28, 2014: App Smash Options For End Of Year Projects

May 5, 2014: Master Concepts Through Creating With Stick Around

May 14, 2014: Auto Expire Usage Rights For Google Documents

May 19, 2014: Google Drive Clean Up with ChatterPix

May 27, 2014: Save Gmail To Google Drive

June 3, 2014: 20 "I Didn't Know You Could Do That!" Internet & Computer Tricks

Semester 1 Topics

20 "I Didn't Know You Could Do That!" Tricks In 10 Minutes

To bring the Lunch N' Learn sessions to a close for another school year on June 3, 2014, twenty cool computer and internet tricks will be provided.  These are worth your time as they can make you more efficient and, more importantly, have your "cool meter" go way up!

View The Presentation

Gmail Saved To Google Drive

Having a specific Gmail saved to Google Drive for viewing purposes could be needed for any number of reasons.

View How

Google Drive Clean Up Promotion With ChatterPix

ChatterPix is a great app that turns any picture into a character that talks.  Customize with numerous options and add your own voice and text and an awesome video is created in seconds.

Google Drive Clean Up is our Lunch N' Learn topic on Tuesday and Breakfast Bytes on Thursday.

View your own Google Drive to hear how he/she wants you to attend!

Auto-Expire Usage Rights For Google Documents

Sharing Google Documents has truly revolutionized collaboration and "turning in" of assignments in the classroom.  Unfortunately, at the end of each year, teachers have an enormous amount of "shared with me" documents in their Google Drive.  Last year, I shared a "cleaning your Google drive" blog post that was helpful for teachers.  It works, but teachers still need to take time to "clean" their drives.

With Auto Expire (original directions), students could add this scrip to their document so that their document would leave the teacher's "shared" storage area after a certain amount of time.  It make take one or two attempts, but once the process is mastered, this could truly help teachers with workflow efficiency.  On the flip side, teachers can run this auto expire with ANY document that they share with students.  This can help with students leaving a class and not having access to a document after a certain time period.

Steps:

• Create a Google Document, Presentation, or Sheets (this can also be used for ANYTHING in stored in a person's Google Drive - essentially, anything with a link)
• Share the item with whomever you would like
• Copy the shared link
• Click Here to obtain a copy of the "Auto Expire" Script Worth Using
• File > Make A Copy > Save With Title You Want
• Add the URL of your Google drive document OR file in Line #3 and the expiration date in Line #7 (Use YYYY-MM-DD:MM format)( must be military time)(HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW)
• Ctrl +A --highlights everything on Auto Expire Script Worth Using
• Ctrl + C --copies everything
• Travel Back to Google Document (Slides, Sheets)
• Click Tools
• Run Script Editor
• Click Blank Project
• Delete small amount of text that is in the script editor
• Ctrl + V (paste)
• Click Black Triangle
• Save Script
• Click Black Triangle Again
• Click Accept
• Click Run Start

I realize it may be slightly confusing, however, ask for help if you need assistance.  Once completed people will notice that the Google Document that you shared with them WILL DISAPPEAR from their "shared with me" folder automatically after a certain time!
View Video Tutorial

Master Concepts Through Creating With Stick Around

Stick Around app for the iPad is a relatively new app that allows students to create puzzles that match terms and their meanings.  Creating a puzzle sounds like it might be best suited for K-6 students, however, this app is so versatile that it could be a phenomenal app for K-College students.

Consider Stick Around For (My Ideas First - *Stick Around's Ideas Found on Website)

Social Studies/Psychology/Human Geography:

• Attaching countries with culture
• Attaching cultures with ethnics
• Attaching maps with languages
• Attaching brain parts with functions
• Attaching psychological conditions with discoverers
• Attaching economic concepts with overall impact
• Place locations on a map*
• Place items where they belong on a chart*
• Label people in a photo*
• Associate powers with the branches of government*
• Sequence of events on a timeline*

Mathematics:

• Combining steps of a problem with rational
• Combining steps of a problem with terms

English:

• Attaching labels to parts of speech in sentences
• Attaching correct punctuation and capitalization with sentences
• Attaching story elements with steps of a story
• Attaching character analysis with personal experience
• Attaching connections between story plots of various books
• Attaching steps of a media process with tools of the trade
• Complete a graphic organizer*
• Associate words and definitions*

Science:

• Combining labeling of topics with definitions and meanings
• Combining parts of microscopes with definitions and functions
• Combining causes and effects for any topic
• Combining elements with reactions
• Tag parts of the body*
• Annotate the water cycle (or any cycle)*
• Label the parts of a plant (or anything)*
• Match photos of animals to their habitats*

Foreign Language:

• Attaching English words with words of a foreign language
• Attaching  conversations with correct order
• Attaching culture with languages and customs
• Fill in a Venn Diagram*

Agri-Science

• Label animal parts with definitions pre or post labs*
• Attach processes with definitions

Family and Consumer Economics

• Combining finished food product with correct ingredients
• Combining finished clothing product with correct stitching or procedures
• Combine utensils with names and functions

While making puzzles could be a powerful option for presenting the information to students, a more engaging and empowering learning experience would be for the students to create the puzzle based on information you provide.  Have students share puzzles with peers after completion and students are provided with a student created mastery activity.

From the creator of Stick Around view the basics for using Stick Around!
 

If you considering this app for your classroom, it is relatively inexpensive if you want to purchase more than 20 copies.

See you Tuesday to experience a face to face learning session on one of the great, new creative apps.

App Smash Options For End Of Year Projects

*All links are examples of the apps in use with different content areas.
The end of the year is upon us.  AP testing dates are passing soon.  Providing a valuable "Show What You Know" project can be an effective method for an end of the unit/year project.  Finding the right combination of apps to "smash" together can provide choice for students as they provide you with the insight that they have.

Starting with iPads, here are some suggestions for smashing apps to create "Show What You Know" opportunities.

Pic Collage + Funny Movie Maker + iMovie

Pic Collage can be a great tool to place more than one image together to make an image.  With that, Funny Movie Maker can be used to transform any image into a talking image with 30 seconds of audio.  Combine those to applications into an iMovie and students can "Show What They Know" from different character perspectives.  Since Funny Movie Maker is free, it does provide some advertisement.  Simply "cut" that portion out while the movie is opened in iMovie.  

 PicCollage + Thinglink + Explain Everything

PicCollage is a great tool to place more than one image with other images.  Take that image and place it into a Thinglink and all aspects of the combined images can be interactive.  Taking that image and placing it in an Explain Everything through the link that Thinglink provides can allow an opportunity for an audio recording that enhances the creation.

Snapseed is the premier image editing app.  It allows for many filters and alterations that can enhance the image.  Combine multiple images into a PicCollage and add that to a Haiku Deck for presentations and a challenging, yet enriching, app smash has occurred.

As always the final products can be shared with the instructor via Google Drive.

"Heartbleed" For Educators

As previously taught at a Lunch N' Learn, passwords are very important tools that need to be elaborate and at the forefront of an educators mind.  Over the last week, Heartbleed, has become a household name.

Or that's what I thought.

Most educators have not heard of it, and if they have and ask, "What is it, again?"

Here are the important things you need to know.
It is not malware, spyware, or a virus.
It is a hole in the code that writes the internet.
It deals with this:

There are SO many articles on the web like this one that help you decide what to do!

The most important thing you can do is to...
Check the listing of website that have confirmed they have been affected.  A live and updated list is
growing here!  Another HUGE list that outlines the sites affected exists here!
Major Sites You Need To Know Have Been Compromised:
Google, Instagram, Pinterest, Yahoo, Amazon Web, Netflix, YouTube, Dropbox, IFTTT, and others
FANTASTIC INFOGRAPHIC!

What You Need To Do...
Determine what sites you use and if they have been impacted.  HERE's A SITE FOR THAT!!!
CHANGE YOUR Passwords. (School computer ctrl + alt + delete will change school computer AND automatically change your Pulaski Google Account)


STOP using the SAME password for EVERY site.
Set up a password pass phrase system. (See Below)
Enable Two-Step Verification on ALL sites that have it!
Especially Your Pulaski Google Account






Another educator taught Heartbleed in a great way!

Explain Everything - Inserting Objects For Creating & Reflecting

Our Lunch N' Learn topic for Tuesday, March 4, 2014 and Breakfast Bytes topic for Thursday, March 6, 2014, will be a quick tech tool follow up to "What's Your Clock?"

Explain Everything is an app from the TOP TECH TOOL list that can help with one of the quarters in your class, week, or unit preparation.

View The Topic


After viewing the video I noticed the last portion of the video with a video inserted caused an echoing effect.  I immediately contacted Reshan Richards who steered me in the direction of MorrisCooke, the iPad app company.

My email stated this:

I am trying to have students/staff realize the power of inserting video for authentic reflection using the EE app.

I am finding that when I record a video, insert it into EE, and then record movements on the canvas while the video is playing a echoing affect is taking place.

Here's the example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8I4I4XC5eo#t=59

Am I missing something?  Do I have the steps correct?

  1.  Push record for the EE slide.

  2. Push play on the video.

  3.  Use annotating tools during video playback and canvas record.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Within five minutes, I received a product response!  Awesome!

Hi Clay,

thank you for contacting us!

The echo problem occurs when the sound of a video played within Explain Everything is also carried over to the microphone - this might happen when playing a video within the app and simultaneously recording. 

To fix that in a new recording, you may use 2 approaches:

1. If you want to just have the sound from the video - since 2.05 there's a setting (see attached screenshot) that will mute the sound from your microphone when exporting an XPL project with a playable inserted video. Setting this to "ON" will fix the problem with the echo.  

2. If you want to record your voice over the video - you can use the volume control to turn down the sound from the video, and additionally use iPhone headphones with a microphone, so that the sound from the video is not heard. You can also turn down the volume on the iPad speakers as well. 

Let me know if this helped!

Best regards,

Daria

MorrisCooke Support

e-mail: [email protected]

I completed OPTION 1 from above with great success!
View The Topic Without Echoing and How It Was Done!



See you tomorrow for Lunch N' Learn!

Breakfast Bytes Organizing Google Form Data

We have all been asked to complete a survey as a requirement for Teacher Effectiveness.  Most of us have used a Google Form to gather our information.

Now What?

Many features in Google Forms/Spreadsheets will help us organize the data.

Breakfast Bytes
Thursday, February 20, 2014
7:05 AM In The Hub

I used Canva to create the visual above.  It is a fantastic tool for creating media desings for social media, presentations, posters, blog graphics, cards, photo collages, business cards, and invitations.  It can be used on a Chromebook!

Lunch N' Learn Topics Semester 1 2013-2014

January 15, 2014: Two Google + Exam Study Tools

December 31, 2013: iVisual Touch Infographic

December 4, 2013: iPad App Smash Challenge

November 18, 2013: Canva

November 5, 2013: SAMR Model and iPads

October 29, 2013: Rethinking Slides Using Google Presentations

October 22, 2013: Rethinking Slides

October 15, 2013: Rethinking Presentations

September 24, 2013: Chromebooks In PHS The Library

September 16, 2013: Updating Your CMS4Schools Staff Bio

September 10, 2013: Google + Plus In Education

PCMS:  Promoting Optional Technology Training For Teachers

PHS: "I'm There!" Promotion Video

2013-2014 Semester 2 Topics

Tellagami App Used For Breakfast Bytes Promotional Video

The Tellagami app was used for promoting tomorrow's Breakfast Bytes.
Tellagami app was...

• easy to use
• adaptable to my creativity
• sharable

Video Link

I also added this to the "Creation Apps on iPad".

Lunch N' Learn: Rethinking Slides Using Google Presentations

Today's part three of three Lunch N' Learns focuses on Google Presentations as a tool that can eliminate the noise and focus the signal on staff presentations.

Many teachers have used the Effective Google Presentation Tips for Students prior to having students create presentations.  Consider looking at these prior to making your next Google Presentation.

• Five Words On A Slide
• Tools > Research > All Google Features On Side Of Presentation
• Insert YouTube Clip
• Snipping Tool To Get Images
• Text Box > Fonts
• Arrows > Shapes > Lines
• Single Most Important Piece of Advice --Stop The Bullet Point Madness

Effective Google Presentations Consider Showing To Students

Word Focus is critical!  Do NOT put what you say on the screen.  Eliminate ALL the words so that people will listen to your passion and energy instead of reading your words.

Inserting An Image Consider rethinking the way images are presented to your students.


Google Presentations With Speaker Notes By making a few simple clicks, you will never miss an important point, while your audience views a Focused Message!

Effective Examples

• 10 Tips To Present ALL CAN BE DONE IN GOOGLE PRESENTATION
• Clear Pictures, Clear Words, Signal
• Simple, Small Transition, One Image, Small Amount Of Words
• Social Studies Old Italy Slide New Italy Slide New Way
• 450 Ways To Make Google Presentations Pop
• Making Your Presentation Powerful

I am thankful for the many teachers who have shared their "this is my new presentation because of Lunch N' Learn" See how one teacher has changed her presentations.  She also commented, "students do listen more when they are not racing to write down all the words on my presentation slides."

Google Slides Cheat Sheet

3 of 3 Part Series
Part 2
Part 1

*Inspiration For Lessons - Resonate Nancy Duarte
*Resonate Is Now Available Free Online
*Presentation Design Tips - Better Public Speaking With Great Slides
*5 Non-Negotiables - For PD

Google Groups For Informational Text Discussion

Mr. Anderson, Anatomy Teacher at PHS, wanted a means for online discussions of informational text.  The Google Groups has a number of great features that allows it to not distract learning, but only to enhance it.

• Usable on the iPad in Google Chrome
• Chromebook & Laptop User Friendly
• No need for additional username & password as we are a Google Apps For Education school
• Threaded conversation allows for quick replies to students or teacher
• Able to upload documents (informational text) for analyzing

View Mr. Anderson speaking of the process and see students using Google Groups...

Setting Up Google Groups - Video Tutorial


Video Link

ITLS Standard: 2 and Skill 2B

CMS 4 Schools Profile Update For pulaskischools.org

To update your profile on our Pulaski Schools website, follow the directions below.  If you want to watch how to do it, the video tutorial is below as well.

Thank you for doing this!

• Log Into CMS4Schools
• Log In With Username
• Log In With Password 
• Click on "Edit My Profile"
• Change Title
• Change Phone Number
• Change Profile Picture
• Change Bio
• Add Links To Other Digital Documents
• If you have a CMS4Schools Website
• Click "My Navigation Builder Home"
• Edit Webpages

Video Link

Promoting Optional Technology Training For Teachers

A colleague in the education world, @helpreaders , is starting his schools version of Lunch N' Learn or Breakfast Bytes.  He wanted to know tips for making it successful.  Since we have conducted these over the school year and started year two, I thought I would outline successful strategies to include while conducting optional tech tool tip sessions.  We have Lunch N' Learn every Tuesday for high school teachers and Breakfast Bytes every other Thursday morning for middle school teachers.

• Play music as teachers enter!  Make it as festive and non intimidating as possible!  Food a few times throughout the year.
• Choose a topic to begin that they already have...Google is a great place to start!  Our topics from last year are located here.
• Create something that you can send to teachers so they can follow up on their own.  Blog posts serve as a great tool for this.
• Promote the crap out of it!  Send Google forms once in a awhile with choices of topics.  Most votes for a topic is the one that is discussed.  Plan ahead for this!
• Personal face to face interaction with teachers inviting them is THE single best way to get people to attend.
• Post, tweet, and brag about teachers who attend!

Of course videos like the one below are a great help as well.  This is our 2013-2014 promotional video for the middle school Breakfast Bytes.