Sharing URL tricks within the GSuite files and documents are always my favorite thing to do when I am teaching educators. It makes me feel like a magician. I remember when I first started to learn about GSuite, I had a hard time understanding between view only and sharing let alone realizing that there are URL tricks. I mean I grew up with the flash/thumb drive in which you had to save, then download, then upload again. I cried many…
All teachers in the nation engaged in distance learning with students this Spring it was an experience that I will never forget. In fact, that experience has led me to rethink many of my routines and procedures for my virtual classroom. I want to increase engagement and build community during our Google Meets. My students and I had been together since August so our community had been established so maintaining that was not as difficult. This time around I will…
If you have not heard of Google Jamboard and are curious about it, read my first post! You will be glad that you did 😉. In addition, I have discussed the benefits of Google Meet and Jamboard with my friend, Meagan Kelly of I-Heart-EDU. Here is the webinar I was a part of. Enjoy! Having used Google Jamboard for this past year, I admit that I only used it as a whiteboard and sketching tool. I did not realize its…
Google Jamboard is a large interactive screen that is similar to a Smartboard or Promethean board. That’s right it is a physical product! Google Jamboard software is what most educators like myself use because the device is around $5000 and I know my classroom budget is well under that amount. When I deliver sessions about the Jamboard App and web version, I usually get the following questions: IS Google Jamboard free? YES! Both the app and the online version are…
When I get asked about which extensions are the top 5 Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers, I always state that I will always present ones that are essential in functionality and to help increase a teacher’s workflow. We need to work smarter not harder right? However, before we get started I want to explain what are extensions and how are they different from apps. What are extensions? Extensions are extra features that extend Google Chrome’s functionality and are easy to…
First of all, how is everyone doing? Distance learning has become the new normal in our household. Thank goodness for Mote Voice Commenting! More on this extension in a bit. I have tried to stay on a morning routine, to my surprise…I like it. I wake up an hour earlier and use that time to plan my day. I am actually crushing my goals in the morning. I know, right?! Baby steps, I have realized that if I am going…
Back to school season is by far my most favorite time of year other than Christmas and my birthday! I know, for some, seeing the back to school items cause others to cringe but only because we do not want to give up naps and the freedom to use the restroom whenever we want. Right? For me, the back to school season gives me an opportunity to rejuvenate myself, revisit and review strategies and begin anew all over again. I…
With Valentine’s Day almost a week away, I am excited to host our book exchange, pass out Valentine’s Day cards and celebrate with some skinny cow ice creams. I am always surprised when parents ask me if upper graders (4th & 5th) still pass out cards. YES! They love it! For many students participating in our book exchange is a new experience for them. I ask each student to bring in an age-appropriate wrapped book. I remind them to use…
At a workshop in July, another teacher shared that she does “Graffiti Notes” with her students. I have been calling them “Picture Notes” for decades. Now, all over the education world, “Sketchnoting” is the word. Most of the folks I know who sketch, do so on an iPad … mostly using Procreate … and make beautiful pieces of digital art. But as much as I have digitized my life, I have not been able to give up my Sakura PIGMA…
For our inaugural YouTube “Teacher Feature”, we called on our buddy Eric Garcia. We love Eric’s enthusiasm for teaching and how much he cares about people (especially the little ones). We had a great time talking about his experiences in primary classrooms, Google Geo Tools, technology fails, and he shared an awesome new Doc Add-on with us! Eric teaches 2nd grade in McFarland, California (just north of Bakersfield). We met him at Google’s Geo Tools Institute this past summer and…