MORE Slide Master You Can Do

FYI - "Slide master" now is called "Edit theme"

Yowzer! I've had such a positive response to my previous blog "Slide Master You Can Do" that I'm adding to the video collection today. I break apart several of the components of the master slide so you can see a detailed - but quick - view of how it impacts your entire slide deck. I've also collected these all in my "Google Slides: Master Slides" YouTube playlist. Feel free to share this playlist with colleagues and your students! (I'd also love it if you click the subscribe button.)

Adjusting the theme & its impact

Font, text boxes & text placeholders

Changing the theme colors

Renaming the master slides

There is so much to the master slide - be sure to play around and check it out. Do you have questions? Feel free to comment ⤵. 

Or connect & follow me on social media - all of my links are in the top right corner of my blog under my picture.

P.S. I have Google Slides Wakelet collections full of tips, tricks, and other resources.

AND ... I've got a couple of upcoming presentations you might be interested in. Check them out on My Presentations calendar for information and registration. 

AND I'll be doing a "Level Up Google" series with Dr. Desiree Alexander again this summer! You can find all of the information and registration links on this website - Level Up with Google. You will even find the "Intro to Google" series I did last summer as well.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Slide Master You Can Do

FYI - "Slide master" now is called "Edit theme"

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Spring has been in the air and I've taken advantage of the nicer weather. And to be honest, I needed some downtime. I've tried to not feel TOO guilty, but I needed it. I wanted it. But I'm back today! And I hope today's little tutorial on the master slides is worth the wait.

I LOVE Google Slides. I love it for so many reasons - it's simple yet versatile, it's completely customizable. Slides is my "go-to" tool.  BUT ... I have been intimidated by one aspect of Slides until recently. The master slide. 

For a long time, I thought was a Slidedeck that I created with specific layouts and colors and just reused over and over. Ha! Nope. Slidesmania has taught me otherwise. (Thank you!) Last summer I forced myself to learn about it. I made a copy of a Slidesmania template and broke it apart. And while I am no expert, I do feel a lot more comfortable with it and the benefits of it. And I'd like to share that with you.

When you create a Slidedeck for your students, my guess is there are things you want them to be able to manipulate and other things you do not. And we ALL know kids will delete (accidentally or purposefully) and we want to create as little a headache for ourselves as possible. The master slide can go a looooong way in helping with this.

I'm going to break it down: First - what IS the master slide? Second - why use the master? and Finally - how do you adjust the master slide? I think videos are the way to go. 

Questions? Why not use the comments under the videos in YouTube? I'll respond, but others can also respond, too! 

What IS the master slide?

Why use the master slide?

BONUS! Why use the master slide? Special tip!

How to adjust the master slide?

There is so much more to the master slide - be sure to play around and check it out. Do you have questions? Feel free to comment ⤵. 

Or connect & follow me on social media - all of my links are in the top right corner of my blog under my picture.

P.S. I have Google Slides Wakelet collections full of tips, tricks, and other resources.

AND ... I've got a couple of upcoming presentations you might be interested in. Check them out on My Presentations calendar for information and registration. 

AND I'll be doing a "Level Up Google" series with Dr. Desiree Alexander again this summer! You can find all of the information and registration links on this website - Level Up with Google. You will even find the "Intro to Google" series I did last summer as well.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Easy Audio You Can Do (& LOVE!)

I am super pumped to share this today! I was crazy excited about a year ago when we could start inserting audio in Google Slides. I was pumped! I shared out "Insert Audio (... for kids!) You Can Do" a little more than one year ago. It's not super complicate, and it's definitely doable for both you and students, BUT ... today makes inserting audio CRAZY SIMPLE!

Today ... if you are sitting down ... get ready to jump for joy! I'm going to share something that I absolutely adore and it's many uses! Mote. This tool is my new favorite tool and I can't stop sharing it and finding new ways to use it.

I. Absolutely. Love. It!

Here's the general overview of Mote. It's an extension. Add it to your Chrome profile and it then shows up in your extensions bar, yes, AND inside Google Slides as well as in your comment box in Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Classroom. Now you can easily - and quickly - record your voice in all of these areas! And the voice notes all save to your Google Drive with the correct share settings so they are ready to be listened to! Voilá!

If you are interested ... Mote can do far more than record voice comments. You can also provide transcriptions (in over 20 languages) and edit the transcriptions. And you can record "Motes" to be shared in places outside of the Google Apps listed above. (That's a topic for another day - of go to their website https://www.justmote.me/ and learn about their other capabilities.)

Have I convinced you to give Mote a try? If so, I can offer you the chance to have a 60 day FREE trial of the Unlimited tier. Yep - that's right ... click on this link and you get 60 days FREE on the Unlimited tier. Woot!

I thought it would be best to demo each of the ways you can use Mote in the following short videos. While these are ALL awesome ways to use Mote to share audio feedback, I'll give you a tip - I saved the BEST for last ... promise!

Using Mote in Google Docs Comments

Using Mote in Google Sheets ... TWO different ways

Using Mote in Google Slides Comments

Using Mote ON Google Slides

Using Mote in Google Classroom Comments

Using Mote in Google Classroom's Comment Bank

If I've persuaded you, be sure to click on this link that will give you 60 days FREE on the Unlimited tier. And as always, if you have comment or question, be sure to leave it below ⤵.

Or connect & follow me on any of the socials - it's all linked under my photo above.

P.S. I have Wakelet collections full of tips, tricks, and other resources for many of the applications I shared in these videos. 

• Google Classroom Wakelet
• Google Docs Wakelet
• Google Sheets Wakelet
• Google Slides Wakelet
• Mote Wakelet

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Graphic Organizers You Can Do

February is a time of year that I struggle. In Ohio, the weather is gloomy and cold, and I feel like we've been stuck inside the house for "long enough". I am not a big fan of snow, and this year we've gotten plenty of snow. Being inside always makes me look around and see clutter ... everywhere. I usually take time and doing some purging and organizing. And not just in my closets and living areas. I also look digitally.

This year is no different. This past week at the "Learning with Google" event, Google announced there will be some changes in storage capacity and that got me thinking. I need to do some major digital cleaning and organization! I won't hit the panic button. I love organizing! So I am going to seize this opportunity to do some cleaning & organizing.

My first step also coincides with a question from a couple of teachers about graphic organizers. The possibilities are limitless, but at the heart, there are some very basic graphic organizers that work in multiple different contents and for multiple different reasons. I did some searching and digging and I have brought together - in ONE Google Slide deck - 25 graphic organizers. I have kept them pretty generic. The reason for that is that I've also included a video on how to "better" use them in your classroom so they fit you and your students perfectly. [My favorite tip is to use the "Master slide" to help limit the "oopsies" of accidental deletions.]

Now, what I'd really LOVE to do, is collaborate with you and make this a really beefy collection of graphic organizers. After checking these out, the final Slide has a link to a Google Form where you can share a link to a graphic organizer you have created/used/found helpful and a link to spreadsheet that will become populated with links to all of these various graphic organizers that people share. Please share and encourage others to share theirs, too! Can you imagine what this collection will look like and the awesomeness that will be created with it?

Here is my Google Slide "Graphic Organizers Galore!" where I also share the video on "How To: Copy & customize a graphic organizer using the Master Slide". Below this, you will find a link for you to make a copy for yourself.

Here is a link to "Graphic Organizers Galore!" Feel free to make your own copy so you can customize how it works best for you. I've included a link to the original Google Slide in case you'd want to come back and see when more have been added.

If you are looking for some help on organizing in your digital spaces, I have "Google Drive Organization You Can Do" that might interest you. It's six steps to helping you organize your Google Drive.

As always, if you have questions or comments - reach out! All of my "socials" links are in the top right corner. 

Be sure to check out my Google Slides Wakelet collection, too!

Tech-infused Valentine's activities You Can Do

I was inspired last Monday to create an activity for a group of kindergarteners for Groundhog's Day. I had just watched a video about a new extension called Mote. (Website - https://www.justmote.me/) I thought it would be perfect to use, if it worked the way that had been explained. It absolutely did what it said - easily inserted audio onto Google Slides.

 I shared the activity via Google Classroom and I got to see first-hand these kiddos doing the activities I had designed. For the most part I was thrilled! But I also saw some things I had not anticipated. I knew I could do better and I wanted to do better! So this week, I sat down and took all of that in and created what I am sharing below.

One of the things I realized very quickly is including audio is a VERY important step, especially if we want to encourage independence. Adding audio in short snippets and locating it in strategic spots is also important. Something else I realized is these kiddos like choice. I try to use a variety of activities that use different skills. I also wanted to make sure there was several activities so the kiddos who can do more have more to do. Keeping each slide simple is also important.

Finally, more than ever, I see how valuable the master slide is for this age group. Being able to put text or visuals on a slide with little ability for students to accidentally delete is critical. I have been intimidated by the master slide for awhile, but I'm embracing it now and loving the benefits!

And ... if you've not yet checked out Mote, don't waste another minute! I cannot tell you how easy it is to use!!! (And it saves directly to your Google Drive - but not in a specific folder, so make sure to organize the recordings right away.)

The slides below are created for kindergartners, but you are welcome to make your own copy and modify it to better fit your students! The links are below.

If you want your own copy, here is a link for a template view: Valentine's Day

Looking for more - or different activities - for Valentine's Day? I've got an entire Valentine's Wakelet collection for them! 

I hope you (& your students) enjoy this or any of the other activities! If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below!

You can also find me on:

Twitter - @kiefersj

Facebook - Sarah Kiefer

email - sarah@TechYouCanDo.com

9 Google Slides Tips You Can Do

I have said it before & I'll say it again ... Google Slides is probably one of the most versatile apps in the Google suite. And one of my absolute favorites! During a session with one of my teachers, we had about 10 minutes left and the teacher asked me to show him "anything". He was eager to learn. I asked him to open a Google Slides activity he already had - I had noticed something the week prior I wanted to show him, but we ran out of time. We covered a handful of quick "tips" in those 10 minutes and it inspired me to create the resource below and share it with all of you!

Google Slides is an app many teachers are really comfortable with. There is SOOOOO much to Google Slides that I would never profess to know everything - I'm still learning! Today I've pulled together nine tips/items in Slides that you may not know about. Hopefully there will be a nugget or two you find helpful. And if it's helpful to you, please do share with friends! And if you see something you aren't familiar with in Slides, hover over it to find out what it's called ... and then click! You might teach yourself something new!

Looking for more about Slides? I've got a Google Slides Wakelet Collection you can check out. 

Do you have a Google Slides tip you think others would find helpful? Feel free to leave it below ⤵

Connect with me via any of my links above - Twitter, Facebook, Wakelet, YouTube, or email.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Innovation You Can Do

Have you had an idea of something to do or try but you are stumped with how to go about moving forward? I've been there so many times and I've seen so many educators in the same boat. Today, I want to share a framework for anyone who would like to move forward with an idea but aren't really sure where or how to start.

First, a little background. I was honored to attend the Google Innovator Academy in October of 2019. The goal of the academy is to produce a project that helps others. I focused on the idea that teachers have many ideas of ways to improve education but we struggle with execution. Time, energy, and direction are the hurdles. And often, it's overwhelming to try to tackle anything more while teaching full-time.

BUT I truly believe we, teachers, hold the keys to improving education.

With that in mind, my Innovator project is a framework to help you through the process of starting with an idea, to growing and changing and enhancing the idea, to ultimately what the designer sees as a "launch". No two projects are alike or will take the same path, so the framework is meant to guide the designer, rather than dictate a specific path. Ideally, the designer will team up with someone else to work on their idea. Having someone to lean on, ask questions of, bounce ideas off of, and to support can make a huge difference. Too many ideas are sidelined because the designer becomes stuck or lost or overwhelmed.

I'm grateful to three colleagues who've utilized my framework to further an idea they've had. One of these has gone through to a launch, the other two have been put on hold due to COVID. That's another piece to this - the projects won't be lost. We decided to put them on pause and we can pick it back up when we are ready and have the appropriate time and energy to put into it.

The one project that has gone through to launch has inspired me to spiral off of it to start work on a similar project that I will also use with the framework.

I am sharing the framework with you today. I've called it "Innovation You Can Do." This framework can be used both 100% digitally OR it can be printed on paper. Of the 3 projects I've been part of, all have preferred it on paper. We wanted to jot our notes during our meetings as well as in between our meetings.

Would you like your own copy of this workbook? Here's a link to the template version. Hands down, I feel the "Idea Investigation" page is the foundation. I hope if you see it having potential use for you that you DO use it. I do plan on doing a few solo projects where the "Idea Investigation" is the only piece I will use. I know this page will force me to go through the process of solidifying my idea by turning it over and thinking it through.

I'd love feedback - whether you use this framework or not. Is there something I can improve? Do you have an idea or a project you want to use it with? Feel free! Let me know if I can help or be part of it. 

Do you have a comment about this framework? Feel free to leave it below ⤵

Or Tweet at me @kiefersj 

Or email me sarah@techyoucando.com 

Or connect with me on Facebook - Sarah Kiefer

So many ideas have value ... but if you don't give them the space to grow, you'll never know!

Digital Learning Journal Your STUDENTS Can Do (& a bonus!)

We went back face-to-face 5 days a week in September. It has gone far better than any of us truly thought it would. It has been an adjustment, but we've done the best we can. As to be expected, we have had students who need to do school from home, for various lengths of time. Since my buildings are elementary, not everything is best done on a computer. Sometimes paper work is the best way for students to do work. (Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great tech uses for remote learning; but sometimes, paper is better.)

I was asked this question, "How does a student return this work, in a timely manner?" I did some thinking ... adding an image directly into Google Classroom, while possible, isn't super easy - especially for younger students. BUT ... inserting images in Google Slides IS pretty easy! (Even for those who've not done it before.)

As a result, I designed the "Digital Learning Journal" to fill this need. There is no way I could predict how many slides everyone would need, so I designed templates on the Slides Masters. It's now as simple as adding in a new slide! And you can worry less about students deleting things you don't want them to.

To walk you through this journal, I made a video hoping it explains it better and more concisely than I could write it. (The journal is below the video.)

Like what you see in the video? Here is the Digital Learning Journal:

Would you like to make a copy for yourself? Here is a template link for the "Digital Learning Journal."

Now, here is my recommendation - make your own copy, then create an assignment in Classroom and use the make a copy in Google Classroom for each student. Don't add a topic to the assignment so it will be "pinned" at the top. This makes it SUPER easy for students to find and add work in. I suggest explaining it to all of your students ... and explain this is for when/if they do school at home. (You certainly don't have to do it this way - you could opt to ONLY assign it if/when a student needs to do work at home. Either way works - just please explain this to your students.)

Finally, I promised a "bonus", too, in the title. I added a template to my co-created site, www.TemplatesForTeachers.com. It goes back to my intentional focus on Google Classroom. This time it's for parents. I called it "Google Classroom for Parents." It's a "1 pager" meant to help guide parents to the key pieces in Google Classroom. I hope it helps. Supporting our parents who are working with our kiddos at home is important, too. Keep it simple - they don't need to know everything - the basics are perfect!

And as always, feel free to check out my Google Classroom Wakelet collection. Lots of good tips, tricks, and resources to help you make Classroom work for you.

Or connect & follow me on social media - all of my links are in the top right corner of my blog under my picture.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Gratitude A-Z You Can Do

This week I am taking a pause from Google Classroom because November is quite possibly one of my favorite months! I'll be 100% honest - it IS my birthday month, BUT honest and truly, I love the leaves changing ... I love the fall smell in the air ... I love how some days are warm, but some have a chill ... and most of all, I love Thanksgiving. My mom does an AMAZING Thanksgiving dinner. The entire nine yards. Yum!!!

This year has been a tough year. Yes, all around T O U G H. But here we are. It's mid-November. I can smell the turkey. I can taste my mom's dinner rolls and the pumpkin pie. (I load mine with Cool whip!) Yum yum yum.

While it's been a tough year, I still know I have a lot to be grateful for. I write 6 items I am grateful for each day in my journal. My family is always number one. Our health is number two. Sometimes it's the weather, sometimes it's a co-worker who has been incredibly helpful; it has been that my husband didn't lose his job, my daughter didn't need stitches, we all got to go back to school, and so on.

The activity I'm sharing today is "Gratitude A-Z You Can Do" and has all the slides A-Z in the add a slide area, so it won't overwhelm any student. Instruct students to complete 1 slide each day, or multiple. It's a total of 26 slides. Not sure you can devote that much time to it? Have students spell out their name or "thankful" or another Thanksgiving-related word.

Interested in making your own copy? Click on this link for "Gratitude A-Z You Can Do." Now you can use your own copy to create an Assignment in Google Classroom (or your chosen LMS). I highly recommend using the "Make a copy" for each student.

In case you are looking for more, or even something additional, last year I shared the activity I created for 4th graders in my district. I called it "Thankful Thoughts You Can Do". (Feel free to click the link and explore that activity.) I've also been collecting Thanksgiving-related activities in, you guessed it, a Thanksgiving collection. I hope you and your students enjoy!

Do you know of other good activities? I'd love to add them. You can leave them in the comments below ⤵ or connect with me on the socials - linked above right. 

Google Classroom "To Do/To Review" You Can Do

Google Classroom got a few - much needed - features in August. One that has been a "game changer" is the new "To Do" & "To Review" section. This is NOT to be overlooked, especially with your students. In the spring, one of the biggest headaches for students and their parents at home was knowing what to do and when it was due. 

With the "To Do" feature - and some specific teaching - students will have clear knowledge of what is due and when. Be sure to show this to your students and explain how helpful it is. It will also help YOU see Classroom how they see it. (I showed the To Do to my own 5th & 3rd grade daughters and it truly is SUPER easy to read.) The To Do list layers all classes for students.

For teachers, the "To Review" feature will provide a simple and clear way to easily see work that has been assigned and what needs to (and can be) graded. You can see all of your classes layered together OR select one class and focus in.

Below are Slides I created to help guide teachers in this new reality of face-to-face, blended, hybrid, or remote teaching and learning. I start with Google Classroom specific vocabulary and then a quick overview of each of the new pieces as well as some suggestions on organizing Classroom. Keep in mind, simplicity and clarity are your best friends. 

Organize Classroom through your students eyes and you will have a very successful year! I always wanted my students to spend their time doing the work rather than figuring out what they needed to do and when it was due. On the final slide, I share some organizational strategies you can implement, too. 

I have also recently written a couple of other posts about Google Classroom and the thinking behind creating and using it with students. I hope you check these out, too:

• How MANY Google Classrooms Can You Do?
• Starting Google Classroom You Can Do
• Classroom Header Template You Can Do with activity idea

And finally, check out my Google Classroom Wakelet. I continually collect tips, tricks, and resources specific to Classroom. 

Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. You can also Tweet at me ... @kiefersj or email me Sarah@TechYouCanDo.com.

This year is going to be a year like no other ... and we can make it successful and wonderful.

Google Slides & Forms You Can Do

My journey continues this week with Google Slides & Google Forms.

Google Slides is a presentation tool & Google Forms is a survey tool. But as with Sheets & Docs, don't limit them to their "face value" ... if you do, you will miss out on SOOOO much! 

Slides is probably my "go to" Google app for, well, pretty much ANYthing & EVERYthing I do. Slides allows for SUCH a wide variety of uses - presentations, for sure; but also, interactive activities, eBooks, photo albums, entire lesson plans, writing activities, research, and so much more! Be sure to check out the resources I share. If you are a teacher, you really need to check out and use Slides ... it won't disappoint!

Forms was honestly where I really fell in love with Google. It didn't look like much, but I never looked back once I created my 1st Form - and all I did was use it as a glorified scantron! Forms may not look like much but IT. IS. POWERFUL! Surveys, assessments, interactive activities, choose your own adventures, data collection, curation tool, and so much more! I literally had to walk away from my computer & give myself a pep talk, "You 'could' continue giving examples of ways to use Forms, but you have 10 already!"

And the best part ........... we aren't done. That's right! We are only half-way through this summer webinar series & you can still join in! 

I've got several things coming up this week:

• Monday, July 6 (1-3 pm EST): Google Drive You Can Do

• Tuesday, July 7 (9 pm): I will be participating in a Twitter chat about the book "Innovate Inside the Box" by George Couros & Katie Novak.

• Thursday, July 9 (1 pm EST): I will also be presenting for GEG Louisiana, "Working Together to Support Our Students"

• Friday, July 10 (6 pm): EdChange Global Conference: I'll present "Build an App for Your Classroom"

• Saturday, July 11 (8 am): EdChange Global Conference: I'll present "Start Google Classroom on the Right Foot"

And during the rest of July ... Classroom, Chrome, and as many other Google Apps as I can cram into the 2 hours! I have links to the registration for all of these on "My Presentations" calendar page linked above. Everything is FREE & I'd love to see you at any or all of them!

Now, on to my shares for this week ... below you will find the YouTube videos & the resources I use in each presentation.

Google Slides

Resource → https://tinyurl.com/SlidesYCD

Video →

Google Forms

Resource → https://tinyurl.com/FormsYCD

Video →

I hope you enjoy these! Please reach out if you have questions or if you'd like some additional help. I've been loving connecting with some of the viewers on Twitter and through email. Together, we are better.

You can comment below ... or Tweet at me @kiefersj ... or even email me at sarah@techyoucando.com .

Also, be sure to check out Desiree's many other helpful videos & tips on he YouTube Channel → Educator Alexander. 

Templates You Can Do ... like Alyssa!

I am thrilled to share this today! It's a bright spot in all of the strange and difficult times we've been through the past couple of months. To start, you might know I have a co-created website - Templates for Teachers - with Beth Kingsley. We shared it nearly two years ago and have worked to add to it. About a month ago, we shifted it over to a new site and have enjoyed it even more! I can't believe it's been a month since we shared out the new site. We've published a handful more templates as we continue to move them over & we'd love for you to check them out.

Beth's and my goal with Templates for Teachers is that we create for our classes and we share the templates on our site for anyone to take. You are welcome to use them as they are, or modify them to your own needs. Our previous site only allowed us to actually share the templates. Our new site allows us to also share ideas on how to use them with younger or older students. You can also use the filtering to help you view similar templates or types of templates.

I received an email from a good friend of mine, Alyssa, on April 29. She shared a Google Slide with me and included a note telling me she'd found a template on our site & modified it to fit her class. It's stories like this that are bright spots in the midst of these strange times. 

Here is Alyssa's story - Beth created the "Mother's Day Gazette" for her 3rd graders as a project for Mother's Day last year. (This is an amazing template and they turned out super awesome!) Alyssa was browsing our site and saw it. Alyssa is a 7th & 8th grade Social Studies teacher, mind you. When she saw the gazette, she saw it as a way for her 7th grade students to demonstrate their learning of the Renaissance with a scrapbook. 

Whaaaaaaat??? Do you see a Renaissance scrapbook from the Mother's Day Gazette? I didn't, but Alyssa did! And she is graciously allowing me to share it on our Templates for Teachers website - to quickly find it, click on the label "Alyssa Bruck" on the far right side of the site! You have to check it out - BOTH are amazing! And it's truly a dream come true for me to see a colleague (& friend!) to take one of our templates and modify it to fit her needs in such a creative way!

Alyssa has since followed up the scrapbook with THREE more Renaissance themed templates! (These are also featured on our Templates site) And then this week - just when I was struggling with focus on school work, yet ANOTHER email from Alyssa appeared. I opened it to find a Civil War Choice Board she created & is using with her students during these last weeks of remote learning. Kudos to you, Alyssa! I was blown away! Truly! And to think ... all of this happening during our time of remote learning!?!

This just goes to demonstrate we all have room to grow and we all have our struggles. But when we pull together, we can do more than we thought possible. I count myself lucky to work with both Beth & Alyssa, and I count myself lucky to be able to share it with you. 

Do you have questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you! Please comment below - connect on Twitter (@kiefersj) - or email me directly (sarah@techyoucando.com).

Finally, I have a few exciting things to share:

* I was honored to be a guest on the GEG Ohio April meeting. I shared about the apps I've created with Slides & Glide Apps. You can check out the recording here (April meeting YouTube link) - be sure to fill out the fill out the form to earn PD credit!

* I am going to present a more detailed session about building apps with my #NYC19 Google Innovator Coach, Dr. Desiree Alexander, on her FREE webinar series. This will be Sat, May 30 @ 12 pm EST (11 am CST). You can find more info & the sign up link at edalex.net/appbuild .

* I will also be presenting "6 Steps to Organize Your Google Drive" on June 2 at 1 pm EST (12 pm CST) for the GEG Louisiana. The leader is fellow #NYC19 Google Innovator, Wiley Brazier! You can sign up on the GEG Louisiana website. 

Infusion of Tech You Can Do

I planned to share this about 6 weeks ago - my heart was swelling with pride & accomplishment! Life changed suddenly and I put this on pause. Now, I want to share it because it deserves its day in the spotlight. It's sure to make you smile!

The second grade team at one of my buildings asked me to help them last year with their Wax Museum. They wanted to record their students "being" the historical person and then share the video with parents. We set up shop in a small conference room with a simple black background and the title "2nd Grade Wax Museum". I used a video recorder to make a video for each teacher and then handed it over to each teacher to share. When all was said & done, one of the teachers and I started chatting about potential "level ups" for the next year.

Fast-forward to THIS year. Our district is knee-deep in PBL's (project-based learning). This 2nd grade team chose to use the wax museum to be their PBL and they asked me to help. We talked through their requirements and structure and I came prepared with some ideas. We settled on how we wanted it to go ... and can I tell you right now how PROUD I am of the students?!?!?! (The teachers did a phenomenal job getting them ready, too, but the students were the stars!)

The whole theme to my blog is "Tech You Can Do" and each week my goal is to share something that you and your students can do. For this one, I don't have a template for you to duplicate. But what I am going to share below is their process and what the students did. It is just flat out awesome and I know you can duplicate something out of here for your own students.

May I start by pointing out to you that we are talking about 7 & 8 year olds? Yep. Second graders are 7 & 8 years old. To start, they chose a person that interested them. Then they did some guided research with their teachers - and used both online and print resources. Students took their research and turned it into a paragraph about their person, most of them using a first-person voice. This was typed on a single Google Slide. A second Google Slide was used to create a backdrop for their person using images or items that match their person. Throughout this, they also were working on costumes or props for their person.

Prior to our scheduled taping day, I turned a conference room into our "studio" with the help of our media manager, Diana. After various trouble-shooting and some quick thinking between Diana & myself, we welcomed the famous people into the studio. On recording day, each student stood in front of a large screen display - with their background on display; I was in the center, next to a table with my phone, which was our recording device, a pair of headphones with a microphone attached stretching toward the student; and a second large screen behind me, displaying their Slide with their paragraph (our "teleprompter"). We also had tape, a step stood, and various odds & ends that allowed for the "best" recording for each student. A chromebook was attached to each display to allow the teachers to bring up their Google Classroom where the 2 Google Slides were housed.

Now you, might think, whoa. What did you do with all those videos? Easy!!! Each teacher set-up a Flipgrid grid and I actually just recorded IN the app, so each students' video automatically was captured there. At the end of each recording, I adjusted the names to be that of the student & their historical person. IT. WAS. (and still is) AMAZING!!!! 

And it doesn't end there ... an unintended ability with Flipgrid is the teachers were able to share the videos with their class - allowing for commenting - but ALSO, a QR code & link directly to each student was created and easily shared. Oh how I love when a tool works out so nicely!!! It was amazing to see the kids and be part of this project. Working as a team, we recording right around 100 students! (I even re-recorded a few whose videos were taped side-ways.)

I'd like to wrap this up with a couple of main points:

1. I've used Flipgrid maybe twice before this ... it was a huge risk on my part! Yikes! I was nervous!
2. This was big change in the way this project worked for the teachers ... and it was AWESOME!
3. It's never a bad idea to try something new!

We got some really positive feedback from this from the parents. My favorite is one of the teachers shared that the dad of a student is currently deployed, and his mom wrote to say thank you because she could share the video very quickly and easily. The dad could see his child and feel better connected. Tears. Then and now. 

I also want to give a shout out to Ann Kozma! I contacted her prior to the taping to ask some questions. THANK YOU! I appreciate your help!

Have a great week!

Share Settings You Can Do

A common conversation I have is about share settings. Recently, this has been a focus for many teachers, within my district and world-wide. To be fully honest - share settings still trip me up at times.

Today, I'd like to share a Google Slides I created to help explain the various share settings that are possible. This was created with the additional possibilities we have within a domain. Chances are, if you work in a school that utilizes Google, you have a "domain". This means you have additional possibilities for sharing over a personal Google account.

Please use this - and share this with others. I hope it provides a clearer understanding of the share settings. Students can benefit from this, too, but please remember I created this truly with an adult in mind. And now that I write this, it totally makes sense that I could make a version for students. If, no when I do, I'll be sure to share it. Do you have one you'd be willing to share? Please do!

Link to the "template view". Please click on the "Use Template" button in the top right corner.

Link to a "view only" copy. Please use the File --> Make a copy option to make your own copy.

As always, feel free to make your own copy! 

Do you have a question or comment? Feel free to comment below ... or reach out on Twitter (@kiefersj) ... or email me directly (sarah@techyoucando.com).

Insert Audio (... for kids!) You Can Do

Just under a year go, Google announced the ability to add audio in Slides. I was SUPER excited! I couldn't wait. It was released and I immediately went to try it out. I didn't have it in my school account, but I did in my personal Google account. Woot! Woot! 

I figured it was just a matter of time before I had it at school. I talked with a few teachers about using this new feature ... and we waited ... and waited ... and waited ... and waited ... and, then I read Google was halting the release. Boo!!!

But it has finally arrived and it's widely available! YESSSS!!!!

So far, I have utilized this feature on a few of the templates I have created, especially for the little ones. It is a fantastic way to help ensure, that regardless of the reading ability, students will be have the ability of independently (or repeatedly) hearing the directions.

I also used it with a 7th grade ELA teacher around Christmas time. She wanted her students to write a Christmas story for younger readers, and read it out loud on slides. These slides were then shared with the two elementary buildings and teachers could listen to the wonderful stories written AND read, by the 7th grade author. Such a WONDERFUL activity!

Recently, I have been working with multiple grades on PBL projects (Problem Based Learning). Some of the students are interested in using this feature, so I decided some instructions might be in order so teachers can share them with these kiddos now, and have for future use, too. The steps themselves, are simple. But there are a few of them - and settings will be important for the end result.

As always, feel free to make your own copy & adjust specifics if you need to. And don't forget, YOU can do this, too! The directions are the same. I also created a "Quick Reference" tip sheet you can print & share with students. Don't worry, I included a QR code that links them to the comprehensive directions.

Insert Audio You Can Do document
↬ Google Docs, ready to share (feel free to make your own copy and modify to best fit you & your students).

Insert Audio: Quick Reference sheet
↬ PDF version, ready to print
↬ Google Drawings version, in case you want to modify





How many different ways can you think to use audio in Slides? Please make sure to share with others. This is a fantastic tool for students of ALL ages! I'm excited to hear what others do with this ability. Be sure to let me know!

Have a question, comment, or idea? Share them with me on Twitter (@kiefersj), via email: sarah@techyoucando.com, or in the comments below.

5 New Templates You Can Do

I have a confession to make ... I am a terrible gift-giver. I want to give people something that means something to them, they will use and love, and often, I fall very short of that goal. However, when I have a clear idea in my mind of what the person wants, I typically find success! The same goes for when I create at school. I want to create things that give teachers and their students something that means something.

This close to Christmas, my gift to you is sharing five of the templates I've created over the past year. Most of the time, I have a very clear picture in my mind of the WHY behind the template, other times it's a bit fuzzier, but my hope is one of these templates might find a place in your classroom. If one of the following templates isn't the right fit for your class, feel free to check out the 70+ others that are housed on my co-created site "Templates for Teachers". 

You can also find the link at the top of my site:

Here we go!

 Fractions with Sheets

Google Sheets is the perfect tool to use when working with fractions. Resizing the cells allows for squares to be grouped together to visually show students fractions. I created this template for younger students to "see" fractions, calculate fractions, and then create their own fractions. The tabs at the bottom guides students through using Sheets with fractions. The 2 fraction blocks tabs will allow students to not only "see" how fractions compare, but can also allow a short intro as to how to change colors and/or fonts in Sheets. The next 2 tabs guide students in "seeing" fractions; experience a little make your own fractions math practice; and finally, create some art with fractions. The catch? You have to write the fractions for each color.

Level Up with Pixel Art in Sheets

I created this activity for students to practice not only fractions, but also to work on their creativity. As I mentioned above, Google Sheets is the perfect partner for fraction work ... the cells quickly become parts of a fraction and when you fill them with color, it gives students a super quick way to "see" fraction parts. This activity is definitely a "step up" from the first "Fractions with Sheets" activity.

I included some basic Google Sheets vocab inside this one so even the newest Sheets users can feel comfortable. The tabs at the bottom will step students through using Sheets.

Checkbook for Students

This activity uses Sheets again (it's a very useful app!) but to work on financial skills. I was working with two teachers who were creating a "city" in their class and had used paper checkbooks in the past. We infused some vocab and background on checking accounts and checkbooks, and the tabs become super handy to separate this information from the checkbook itself. (You can even customize your logo for your checkbook if you'd like using the built in Drawing!) 

*** Bonus *** Want to design your own checks to match your theme? Why yes, you can! Here's a bonus template for that, too ↬ Checks for Students

How To Article

I love when teachers come to me and show me something they have come across and ask if I can help make it happen for their students. I will never turn this down! Often, it's a writing activity of some sort and they've found inspiration in a magazine and want their students to write in that format. Sometimes, they have an idea and I help with the design.  The "How To" article template comes from a conversation I had with 2 third grade teachers who wanted their students to write a "How To" but not just with bullet points. I came across a step-by-step article layout in my second graders' magazine from school. I showed it to my teachers and they gave me the green light! Voilá! I love helping students feel like they are published authors! 

Two Sides To It

The final template I have to share comes from a conversation with another third grade teacher. This time, she had a few examples of what she wanted in hand for me to work from. She was working on opinion writing and really liked the format this provided. Personally, I really like the place at the top for background information, and then diving into the two sides. One piece of feedback I got from this teacher as I was finishing up was that she wanted to print it and have students write on paper. I was happy to oblige, but also wanted to leave it open to also being done digitally. When you open the template, there are 4 options: print, with lines; print, no lines; digital, fully editable; digital, partially editable. 

I hope you have enjoyed these 5 templates! I love making them and seeing students use them. And, as always, any template you find on our site, Templates for Teachers, is not meant to be "perfect". It was created for a purpose, but both Beth & I fully support any teacher in taking what we have shared and adjusting and modifying it to best fit you and your students. 

Have a question or comment? Feel free to comment below, reach out to me on Twitter @kiefersj, or email me at sarah@techyoucando.com.