A New Take on Resources You Can Do

Happy summer! It has been a wonderful change of pace.  I love teaching - I love the kids, the connections, colleagues, challenging my brain in many different ways, the routine, etc. - but I also love the breaks. Kind of.

A day off here and there is like sneaking a little extra dessert. Summer for me can feel like I'm stuffing my face with chocolate. I need to keep a close eye on what I do so I don't overindulge. I always plan out projects and learning and activities. 

I need that routine. I thrive on it.

One of my favorite things to do is listening to podcasts or music while I fold laundry. It's a productive task (laundry) while I squeeze in entertainment (podcast/music). Recently, the podcast was Jennifer Gonzalez's "Cult of Pedagogy" episode 251: Holding Students Accountable in the Age of AI.  Her conversation with Tony Frontier was great and really got my thinking about one specific area. Asking kids how-who-what helped them with their work. Not in an effort to catch them cheating, but rather it's like a peek in their brains about how they are getting things done so we know where better to help them. If we encourage this honest & open sharing, I think we can get a better gauge on our students learning. 

Tony's point was to ask for sources, not just on big assignments, but on ALL assignments. Not to "catch" AI use, rather getting students comfortable with citing their sources - all of them. Whether it was a family member at home, a Google search, an AI chatbot, an encyclopedia, a textbook, etc, asking students to identify what is helping them can go a long way with teaching academic honesty and integrity. (Thank you Tony & Jennifer!) 

I thought of how I could apply in my classroom of the last 2 years. Could an idea like Tony's give me an insight to their learning? Probably. Most of our work was done inside the classroom but we used resources often. They could share if they Googled something or asked a classmate for help. And if they worked on it outside of class, they could do the same by sharing whatever resources they used, whether human or digital or print. I see the goal to have students see, document, and share more insight to how they are doing their work.  

The more I think about this idea, the more I really like it! You could even set goals of using a variety of resources for different assignments/projects. Example, "In your paper, you need to use 3 different types of resources" and then have a list of resources to choose from. 

I hope I inspired you to contemplate this idea! Give Tony & Jennifer a listen and think about what this could look like in your class. If you try it out, will you let me know?

*** 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!  ***

"Lifelines" You Can Do

I've noticed the many of the students I have right now are hesitant to work independently. I don't mind questions, but it's not so much about not understanding as it seems to be they want hand-holding. I wracked my brain to try something to encourage independence and inspiration hit! 

Big time!

Do you remember the game show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Do remember the lifelines each contestant was given? Bingo. 

I decided to give my students 4 lifelines the first time I gave them a digital breakout to work on. Most students said they were familiar with digital breakouts, but when we got to work on it, most of them froze on what to do. I'm so glad I decided to use the lifelines!

The four "lifelines" I gave them were:

• ask a classmate
• help from Mrs Kiefer
• Google It
• Google It

I explained to them a digital breakout would take some work. They'd be challenged and may not find the answers right away. But they could use a lifeline to help them if they were really stumped. Ultimately, if they didn't use a lifeline, I'd reward them with a bonus point on their total score. They could earn a total of 4 bonus points. This really motivated them! (I also told them if they didn't write their name on their lifelines they'd lose any chance of the bonus points ... I'm also working to instill responsibility! I'm shocked at how many of them did NOT write their name on theirs!)

I'm not quite sure who had more fun with these lifelines; the kids or me? They would ask me a question and before I'd answer, I'd say to them, "Are you sure you want to use this lifeline?" The vast majority of the time, they hesitated and waved me off. It really encouraged them to think strategically about using each one.  And they were super honest about when they DID use one, even if I wasn't right there to mark it off - they'd do it themselves.

The second time I used them this quarter, I collected them from the students as they left the room. The social studies teacher across the hall from me noticed them and asked about them. I shared the story and he asked if he could borrow the idea - he had noticed the struggle, too, since we share the same kids. I laughed and said, "Of course! But you have to find your own bitmoji!"

I made mine in Canva and I would suggest you look at the assignment you want to use it with and think about what would be an appropriate number and type of lifelines and go from there. I also shrunk them down so they are about the size of a bookmark - 4 to a single sheet of paper - rather than an entire sheet. I ran off a bunch, so I always have a stack ready to go at any time. 

This is such a fun addition to ANY activity. It can be added to ANY lesson - ANY grade - ANY content.

*** 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!  ***

Planners Your Students Can Do

In late September, I shared how I have helped students with organization - they need a lot of help! - and I promised I'd be back with my thoughts on planners. It's 2023 - most schools are in 1-to-1 situations, so I'm sure the assumption is planners should also be digital, right? I disagree!

As with most of my advice, there is NO clear answer. There is NO "one-size-fits-all" answer either. There ARE a lot of factors to consider and there are a lot of options. That's part of the problem. Let's break it down ...

Factors to consider:

• AGE - the younger the student, the more direct support needed - whether it's on paper or it's digital. This isn't news to you; this is true of everything! Younger students probably should have a paper option, especially if they are not 1:1 with a device they bring home from school.
  
  
• TEAM/DISTRICT guidelines - ideally, you are working with a larger group to scaffold the supports and bigger picture of what using a planner looks like. What does the grade younger than you do ... what about the grade above you?
  
  
• OPTIONS - ... do you have an LMS? ... can you provide paper planners? ... what does the parent side look like?
  
  
• DEVICE SET-UP - if your students are 1:1, do they take them home? If a school device goes home, a digital planner might be a great option. If a school device doesn't go home, a paper planner might be a better option.

When my previous district went 1:1 with chromebooks, it was decided to NOT provide paper planners to our students. I was in a middle school - grades 5-8, I was teaching 7th & 8th - and it might seem like that is the logical step. I took a different approach. I created the following presentation to go over options with my students. Please keep in mind this was roughly 10 years ago ... I've not updated it. 

But it did help ... it showed my students there typically isn't just one way. They don't have to be locked into one path. It showed them they can make decisions. And ultimately, it allowed me to support my students in a manner that helps them.

If your district mandates one method over another, do yourself and your students a favor:

Follow it. Follow it with a passion. 

Don't complain about it to your students. We don't always get to choose our path. Be a good example of what to do when this happens.

Don't make keeping track of work a more difficult path than it needs to be. We are cramming so much content into our students on a regular basis, keep this as easy as possible.

Some kind of planner method is necessary in today's classroom. Picking the one that works best for your students is important, and hopefully can be a building or district wide one to make it something that truly works for ALL of the students, teachers, and parents.

How about you teachers???

Do you have a favorite planner? I am constantly on the look out for that "perfect" planner ... this school year I've got one that is a weekly lay out with a month overview. I'm finding the weekly lay out is my go to. If you've got a favorite, drop it in the comments ... I'd love to check it out! 

*** BONUS if it's a bullet journal!!! I'm fascinated by these, but super intimidated! ***

*** 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!  ***

Student Organization You Can Do

Recently, I had a conversation about a topic I love. Organization - specifically, organization for students.

Some students naturally know how to be organized, others can and will learn it, and others will struggle. So what are we to do? 

Often, it feels like a losing battle. But remember, as with most everything, organization IS an important skill that needs to be taught, reinforced, and at times, adjusted. AND, as with most everything, there is NOT a single "right" way. Which is why organization is such a struggle.

Honestly, I loved working with my students on their organization. Together, we'd empty their locker, backpack, and folders. We'd pitch what wasn't needed, make a pile to ask about, and put the things in the place where it made sense. But it had to make sense to the student. Then I'd send them with their pile and ask the other teachers what, if anything, needed to be kept. They'd return with a smaller pile and we'd find a home for it. I am no organization wizard, but I had a heart for those students who'd walk around with papers shoved into folders and lockers that were bursting at the seams. And I'd make the time to help them organize. *full disclosure ... we had a study hall like period I'd utilize for this task* I'd do this several times during the year, as needed.

I taught social studies - a subject that had less pressure on it - so I coordinated with my team when we'd do a locker clean out. Typically, it was at the end of a grading period. It's wild what you find in lockers ... forgotten clothing, school supplies that had never made it to their "requester", even packed lunches the student had chosen to not eat! All amongst the typical random papers and pencils. When you do a locker & backpack clean out, you'll see a different side of your students. And you will find school supplies that need a home.

After a year or so, I got smart. The 1st day of school, I had a box to collect supplies for my team. Sharpies for art class that you won't have until 3rd quarter? No problem! I'll get them to the art teacher. Index cards for science - got you covered! They can all go in this box and live there until needed in science. Post-it notes for ELA - yep, drop them in and they will get moved over to the room. And so on.

Finally, one of my favorite parts ... end of the year. Have you ever looked at the supplies that are going to be thrown away? How about a 1/2 used notebook? Go ahead and rip out the used pages, put them in the recycling bin and I'll put the notebook in a cabinet for a student who really needs it. What will you do with that binder? Toss it? Nope, I'll put that in the cabinet and when someone needs it, it'll be there. When i switched positions, I had filled an entire cabinet with partially used notebooks, another cabinet with folders that had a little love to them, notebook paper, binders, index cards, and pencils. All of these supplies would have been throw away. I never asked questions when a student - even students who didn't come to me for class - needed a supply. Help yourself. [P.s. I never required students to leave supplies ... it was completely voluntary.]

Why do I share this today? 

I'm back teaching in the classroom and I'm part of these kinds of conversations again. I'm back at the middle school level where it is assumed these kids "know" how to organize. Most of them don't, or better put, they don't know how to organize.

The things I shared above are easy things we can do to help our students - ALL of them - get and stay organized. Small, easy tasks ... but ones students don't - no, WON'T - make time for. WE teachers need to make time for them. We need to show them it's important and that it takes a little bit of time and energy. And when we do that, ALL of our students will benefit. I promise.

Soon, I'll share about planners ... do you go digital? Or do you stick with paper? Which is better? 

*** 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!  ***

Start Your LMS You Can Do

School is back in session! We just completed our first week of school and I feel the rhythm of school settling in. It's going to be a roller coaster - for sure - but I do love routine and seeing students and colleagues on a regular basis.

Since we are starting a new year, I'm excited to share a file I created for the teachers in my district. We are continuing with the same LMS' we've used for numerous years - Schoology for our upper grades and Google Classroom for our younger grades. And this year, we are starting without the heavy threat of closure, so I feel like we can all take another step forward in our use of both platforms. 

But I also know we are not all at the same spot. We have brand new to teaching staff, we have brand new to our district staff, and we have a large group of returning staff, so I'm trying to be mindful of everyone's background. I've created a "one-pager" for each that will help you get started, take a step forward, and then to challenge you to add something new to your experience. 

I created them in Google Slides, so I will share the file, but I do want to note, I am working off experience in my district. If you are a teacher somewhere else, I truly hope this helps. If you are a coach and supporting other teachers, you may want to make a copy of the Slides and adjust it to best suit you and your teachers. I've also included a "template" if you wanted to duplicate them for other programs ... I think I might do this for additional programs we use.

Looking to make a copy? Here is "Start Your LMS You Can Do". 

As always, reach out if you have questions. Both Schoology and Google Classroom offer so many features and possibilities in our digital classrooms.

*** 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!  ***

Certificates You Can Do ... EASY!

I'm excited to have something I TRULY believe will help YOUR teaching life become so much easier! 

Canva.

As crazy as it might be, I have some teachers thinking forward to wrapping up the year (wow!) and the topic of certificates has come up. For today's teachers, there are unlimited possibilities for certificates. And I'm going to add to your tool belt today. In fact, this might replace everything you are doing because of its simplicity, its ease of use, and its possibilities.

Canva is "a graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content." I've recently jumped in and have been using to to create the images that go along with my blogs. 

And then I noticed the "Templates" tab. That leads me to today. Their Templates tab is organized into 6 categories, one being education. CERTIFICATES. Sure, I expected to some good ones. But I was blown away!!!!

As a teacher, you can even get Canva Pro FREE! Yep! You and your students. It's simple - go to canva.com/education and sign up.

Now, for the templates, I could just point you to their website and where to find the link, but I'm going to give you an overview of just how EASY Canva is to use for your certificates and how you can create just one OR create a TON! Just click play!

Did I hook you in? Ready to start your own account? Are you interested in learning more? 

Check out the resources I've got ready for you:

• Create your own account - canva.com/education
  
  
• Check out my Canva Wakelet - it's growing! So come back often - https://wke.lt/w/s/-hLI_M

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Spelling Lists You Can Do

I've have used and shared about Flippity numerous times. [Check out my posts about Flippity - they are listed at the bottom.] Today I am sharing it for another very specific purpose. "Spelling Words". Spelling is something students need to learn and with access to technology, Flippity will allow some independence during this learning. I have even used it very successfully with my own daughters!

Flippity is created from a Google Sheet. The template for each type of Flippity you want is included on the website (along with instructions and a demo). Flippity.net provides at least 25 activities you can customize for your students. Everything from a digital breakout, to a name spinner, to mad libs, a leaderboard, and even printable bingo cards! I could share about all of these - and I encourage you to check them out - but, let me get back to spelling.

Here's how Flippity has impacted me personally -- all three of my girls brought home the standard list of 20 or so spelling words and we struggled to study. I randomized the order and included a sentence and they hated that. I explained they needed to master the spelling, not memorize the order. The didn't like that I did it different from their teacher. So when I found Flippity's Spelling Words, the arguing stopped. They were in control!

Here are several ways you might use Flippity in your classroom to help students master spelling and save yourself time in the long run!

• Create 1 Flippity for your entire class - this would be if all students learned all the same words at the same speed; each week 
• Create 1 Flippity for each student - this is a perfect way to differentiate and give each student the "right" words at the right speed for that child
• Have students create their own - definitely a step up, but again allows students to have a very differentiated learning experience.

There ARE additional bonuses:

• it's FREE!
• easily duplicate the template
• sharing is super easy - make sure you share it with parents!
• sentences can be included for context, but not required
• will speak the words (& sentences)
• 3 ways to study - List ... Practice ... Quiz
• possibility of getting very basic results via email

Here is a quick overview of Flippity's Spelling words in action:

Other posts about Flippity you might be interested in - clearly I love sharing about Flippity!:

• Google Sheets in the Classroom You Can Do
• Study Habits Your Students Can Do
• 5 Tech Infused St. Patrick's Day Activities You Can Do
• Division Your Students Can Do
• Valentine's Activities You Can Do
• Reading Around the World You Can Do
• Multiplication Your Students Can Do
• Digital Flashcards You Can Do

Have a question? Reach out! I'd be happy to help. 

How can YOU use Flippity in your class?

PDF to Google Doc You Can Do (& why you should!)

Teachers use a wide variety of tools and resources on a daily basis. It never ceases to amaze me when I talk to teachers what, how, and why they use all of them. My absolute favorite conversations are when our conversations move to the pain points and I learn through all of the tools in their tool belt, they still have more to learn and I can help with the pain point. PDFs are one of these pain points.

Let me be clear - PDFs are great! They have a very important place. But inside a classroom ... with students? I think our goal needs to be to use fewer PDFs. For all the reasons they are great, they limit the interactivity and accessibility for our students. Here are just a couple of reasons why PDFs are great ... and problematic in the classroom:

• "locked" ➣  GREAT - retain the shape shared in; TROUBLE - students can't manipulate/interact with
• easy to open ➣ GREAT - PDFs really can be opened regardless of program, software, or device; TROUBLE - depending on the type of PDF, may not retain accessibility for screen readers

For the first reason, yes, 3rd party software and tools can allow for annotation and accessibility, but WHY use a 3rd party when you can provide that without forcing students to use one more set of tools? This is a specific pain point I've witnessed over the past 2 years, both at work and with my own daughters.

Pause and look at all the tools and programs YOUR students use on a daily basis. It's truly amazing ... and you might find it is a spot you can ease up. There IS value in using fewer tools and programs and getting REALLY good at them before adding one more.

Sound familiar? As a teacher, don't we ALL feel that way? "Please do not give us "one more" thing/tool/ program/requirement ..."? Your students are on the receiving end of this, too.

Ok! Get to the point! Here's my point:

We ARE in control and we CAN choose differently for ourselves and our students.

Let's turn more of our PDFs into tools that our students are already familiar with and can interact with and have the accessibility they need. Let's turn those PDFs into Google Docs (or Slides, if you prefer)!!! And, it's super easy! After 4 simple steps and a little bit of formatting clean up, you can take any PDF and turn it into an editable Google Doc that you can share and/or manipulate. To better demonstrate, here's a Slide deck you can reference and share out to others.

Check it out ... I promise it IS easy and you can do it! And I promise you WON'T regret it.

*UPDATE - Dec. 10* Here's a video of the process in action! 

Questions? Need or want some help? Be sure to reach out on the socials - all my links are below my photo. I really do think you will find value in making this shift.

2 more Sheets Skills You Can Do

I'm back with two more skills you can master with Google Sheets! 

I am confident that you've been in a situation where you've been given a list of names. I'm going to guess you've felt the frustration of the list having the names in a single cell (probably lastname, firstname OR firstname lastname) but you really wanted them in separate cells. Or what about the reverse ... the list you've been given has the names in separate cells but you want them in the same (maybe separated by a comma?). Ugh. No need to retype the list! You can make your list be exactly what you want ... with very little effort!

I've made a video to demonstrate. It's right at 5 minutes. (Play it in 1.5 speed and will only take about 3 minutes). I've also tucked in a little *bonus* tip at the end ... did you know you can now specify the number of pixels tall you want your rows? Yep! I sneak that in, too! 

As much as I love Google Sheets, I am NOT a Sheets expert. I have a lot to learn. I hope you take these nuggets and add to your learning adventure, too. Sheets really is a very versatile tool. Is there something you wish you knew how to do? Comment below or reach out on social media. All my links are just below my photo near the top right. I'd love to hear from you!

Looking to do more with Google Sheets? Check out:

• Google Sheets Wakelet
  
  
• Google Sheets: Ready-to-go Activities
  
  
• Level Up with Google Sheets (Summer 2021 webinar)

2 Sheets Skills You Can Do

Sheets are one of those tools that I get a lot of questions about and most of the time, teachers don't feel confident in their use of Sheets. I haven't always used Google Sheets, but when I began heavily using Google Forms, I had to learn Sheets. And once I started learning Sheets, I found so many easy ways to make Sheets work for me. (And I actually enjoyed learning it!)

Today, I want to help you become more comfortable with Sheets. I am not an expert - I still have so much to learn. I don't do fancy formulas or complicated graphs. But I do use Google Sheets on a very regular basis ... and I love using them.

Learning a skill - or two - at a time, will pay off. 

Today, I'm sharing two of my favorite tips: freezing and sorting. Freezing is quite possibly the best skill to learn in Sheets. Freezing allows you to keep the rows and columns of your choice in view while moving through your data. Knowing how to sort your data is another crucial skill to master. Being able to organize and reorganize your data is incredibly powerful. Interested? Here's a short how to video demonstrating both! And I've tucked some Sheets resources below.

Would it help to have a copy of Sheet I used in the video? Here you go: "2 Sheets Skills You Can Do (public copy)." Click on the "Use Template" button in the upper right corner to make your own copy to play with and try out sorting and freezing. 

Google Sheets Wakelet

Google Sheets: Ready-to-go Activities

Level Up with Google Sheets (Summer 2021 webinar)

Stay tuned! Next week I'll return with a couple more skills to master in Google Sheets. But in the meantime ... what is your favorite way to use Google Sheets? Reach out and let me know in the comments below or reach out on social media!

Chrome Remote Desktop Discoveries You Can Do

I make it no secret that working with teachers and students is my dream job. When I shared Freedom from Your Desk You Can Do two weeks ago, I wasn't sure where it would go. After all, it's an extension that has been around for awhile - but I had not used it until recently. After setting it up with one teacher, I also shared it out to all of the teachers in my district. Thanks to them, I am following up to share what they discovered and shared back to me! I think it makes this extension "that" much better.

I knew this extension would be helpful to a lot of teachers but what I didn't expect was that after I shared it, that I would continue to learn more. And these are super helpful things to know about what this extension can do! 

Here's what I've learned about this extension:

• Jessica shared how she was able to print items from her desktop ... while she was in the copier room! That's right! Being able to trigger a print job from items on her desktop via her chromebook - wow! 
• Guess who'll never "lose" another print job ... or have to make several trips back and forth to the copy room?

• Leah shared how she uses the non-mirroring ability on her desktop (so her projector acts as a second screen) and with this extension she can see BOTH "screens" on her desktop.
• It's kind of small, but possible. 
• Think how many screens she has now? Unlimited on her chromebook and unlimited on her dual screens on her desktop! 

• Amy shared how she was able to control her desktop from off campus!
• She said she even printed remotely.
• At home sick? Want to set your desktop up for your sub? Just needs to be powered on, right?

Anyone else's mind blown right now? No one goes into teaching thinking they know everything ... but this unexpected learning is always so fun!

If you want additional freedom from your desktop, I highly recommend the Chrome Remote Desktop extension. What will YOU discover? Please be sure to share back so we can all learn.

And with all of the shortages, is there anything YOU can share? It doesn't have to be a full lesson. It's doesn't have to be a big package or tool. Do you have tips or tricks or ways of doing things that make your teaching life easier? Can you share something ... even if you think it's silly or too small ... it might be "the thing" that helps one other teacher. 

Additional Resources to help:

* Google support page: Access another computer with Chrome Remote Desktop

* Google Extensions & Add Ons Wakelet

* Google Chrome Wakelet

Freedom from Your Desk You Can Do

Wow. What I had thought would be a week off from writing ended up being a little more than two months! I know I don't owe you an explanation, but here it is ... life got busy. And this year is tough. Tougher than last year. Something had to give. But I'm back today with a good one!

A few weeks ago, a teacher asked me about using an app on her phone to control her desktop. What she had wanted to try didn't work, BUT I had just had a conversation with fellow Shake Up Learning Trainer, Susan Vincentz. She had just trained her teachers on an extension that allowed them to remotely control their desktops. A quick message to Susan gave me the name of the extension and today, I'm sharing it with you. I've helped several more teachers set this up and it seems to me a huge improvement for teachers!

The set up isn't difficult, but it has several steps on two computers. In my district, each teacher has an iMac as their desktop and a chromebook as their portable device. Doing this it isn't difficult, but it takes a minute to wrap your head around it. They do not want to be tied down to their desktop as they present, but in order to control the tabs, slides, volume, and more, they'd have to be right there. With this extension - you can be FREE!

It's all about a single extension you add to your Chrome account that allows you to control your ENTIRE desktop via a second device. It really is mind-blowing the first several times you think about it. It's a 2 part process, so to help with this, I made 2 videos to share. Really, it's more about being confident in "following the clicks" as you install the extension. And be sure to write down your PIN! That is key in making this process work!

Part 1: Installing on your desktop (or your main computer)

Part 2: Installing on your second device

Congratulations! You've done it! I'm excited to share this with more people - if you use this, please let me know - I'd love to hear about it! If you have questions or comments, please reach out, too! All my contact info is near the top of this page.

Additional Resources to help:

* Google support page: Access another computer with Chrome Remote Desktop

* Google Extensions & Add Ons Wakelet

Summer Sunday Tip #1: To Do Lists You Can Do

Fact: I love my to do lists. 

Fact: I have multiple to do lists - both personally and professionally.

Fact: There is something super satisfying about checking off an item on my "to do" list.

Today I am kicking off series of blog posts focused on small and doable things perfect for summer time. And the first thing I want to focus on is "to do" lists. 

Summer Sunday Tip #1 : create your own to do list for things you want to accomplish. This should take no more than 5 minutes. Use something as simple and handy as a notebook and pen. Or do something digital - Google Keep, the Reminders or Notes app, or even a Google Doc or Sheet. 

Not buying in? Here's why you should:

My to do lists often reflect and incorporate my goals. They are long-term and short-term as well as reminders. They are a means of centering me each day. They are also a source of brain-dumping where I can write out projects or ideas that maybe I can't do right now, but I can record, modify, improve on later.

I start each month with writing out a to do list of what I'd like to accomplish that month, broken into big categories. I don't have tons of items in each category and often there is carry over from the month before.

• personal - family items, around-the-house projects
• fitness - my Apple watch goal, a milage goal for running
• school - items specific to school projects/activities
• professional - my blogs, presentations

Next, I journal every day. The final part to my daily journal is my to do list for that specific day. Since I workout in the mornings, I start with my fitness goal. The rest of the list are items like blogging, laundry, scheduling "x" appointments, DIY projects, and my daughters' activities. If I'm in the middle of a project, I'll add a part of the project I'd like to get done. Most days, my to do list is no more than 10 items long.

Now, for school purposes, the school year is over. But that doesn't mean I've checked everything off my school to do list. Before I closed the book on the 20/21 school year, I wrote out a to do list so I wouldn't forget things. Most of these are items that I need to do in order to start the year off, but a few items are things I didn't complete before school ended.

And you might be asking why do I do this? I find to do lists to be both calming and overwhelming. I find my to do lists to continually grow and evolve and be revised. I sometimes refer to my to do list as a "to don't" list ... that's in the overwhelming moments. These lists are a way for me to jot down reminders and important items I don't want to forget.  My ultimate goal is to check things off - but not to be "done". Each day will require new "to do's".

Finally, how do I do my lists? You are probably assuming I use some app for my to do lists, but I don't. Believe me, I have tried. I have tried so many different apps and I just haven't found the same satisfaction as using a pen to check it off - or to add to it. I just love my colored pens and paper.

Next steps:

Have you grabbed that notebook (or app) yet? Go ahead. Reach for it. 

• Do you have a fitness goal? Maybe you want to start a walking program. Maybe you want to increase your weights. Write it down.
• Are there projects around the house you have been putting off? Right down. Have you been putting off calling the plumber for that leaky toilet? Write it out.
• Need to pack for a summer vacation? To do lists will lessen the crazy last minute running around.
• Random items you want to do? Jot it down.

I've got one more thing for you to add, "Come back next week to Tech You Can Do". My Summer Sunday Tip #2 will be about organizing Chrome. Just like this week's tip, it shouldn't take all that long, but it will pay off BIG time. And summer is the perfect time to clean it up.

Psssssst! Have you heard? I've got some upcoming presentations that YOU can join me! Here's a quick peek, but for a list of all of my upcoming and an up-to-date list, head over to "My Presentations" page. 

• Wednesday, June 9 @ 2:05 pm EST - #WakeletCommunityWeek: Wakelet for Everyone!
• Tuesday, June 22 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Docs
• Tuesday, June 29 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Sheets
• Thursday, July 1 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Slides 
• Friday, July 9 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Forms
• Monday, July 12 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Drawings and Jamboard
• Tuesday, July 13 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Sites

Do you have questions? Feel free to comment ⤵ or connect & follow me on any of these platforms:

• Twitter: @kiefersj
  
• Facebook: Sarah Kiefer
  
• Wakelet: @kiefersj
  
• YouTube: Tech You Can Do - I'd love it if you hit the subscribe button, too!
• Email me: sarah@techyoucando.com

Wrapping Up the Year You Can Do

I've never run a marathon - the most I've done is half of one. But that is still 13.1 miles. I pushed myself during training and I pushed myself during the race. I feel like this school year has been a lot like running a half-marathon. And I don't mind admitting this - I'm tired. I feel like I've been pushing myself all year. And I'm exhausted. We will be crossing the finish line on Thursday. I've got to keep going until Thursday.

As I reflect on this, I ask myself what went well, what didn't go well, what are areas I want to improve on, what areas can be put aside, am I doing enough, am I doing too much, and so on. And as much I want to say I will close the door on the 20/21 school year and just enjoy summer, I am already looking forward to the 21/22 school year. Isn't that natural? How do you close out a year without looking toward next year?

Wrapping up a year with thoughts toward next year simply mean that you can put this year to rest while helping to ensure a good start to next year. (We didn't really get that last year, did we?) I've got some tips on wrapping up this year - with a look to the future - so that next year starts as smooth as possible.

Tip #1 - Take care of your Google Classroom (or LMS)

Two weeks ago, I shared "End of Year Google Classroom You Can Do". Don't skip this. Do it now and it will benefit you AND your students,

Tip #2 - Reflect

I have this included in Tip #1, but reflect on more than just your digital classroom. None of us liked all the restrictions, but let's focus on what and how we built relationships. What will you keep doing? What can you improve on? Did you "up" your communication with parents in a digital fashion? Did you like virtual conferences? Generate a few really positives and add a few things you'd want to keep improving on. (No need to list out all of the dislikes ... too many of them! And most we had zero control over.)

Tip #3 - Unplugging your school computer

BEFORE you unplug everything, take pictures of the back of your computer and where the cords plug in the wall. Don't rely on your memory to do this - a quick couple of photos will do a better job. Bonus tip: find those tiny colored dots or use washi tape to help you realign cord to outlet. 

Tip #4 - Turn everything off

Honestly, I love this because it does save some energy, but beyond that, it's just really good practice to unplug when you won't be using something for a period of time. (I recommend it at our winter and spring breaks, too.) And be diligent - your computer, your projector, your speakers, even pencil sharpeners. Everything.

Tip #5 - Student computers

Each district will probably share their own list of what to do with any student devices. But if not, at the VERY least, have students completely power down - not just close the lid - and then unplug from the wall. Just like your school computer and peripherals, no need to be charging them if students won't be using them.

Tip #6 - Do summer YOUR way

Every teacher has a method to their summer breaks. Some shut off their teacher brain completely for a period of time, some never shut it off. Some use summer to do professional learning, others don't. Some go on vacation right away, some wait until the end. Some have summer jobs, others don't. There is NO RIGHT way! Do it your way! Use your time in the summer to refuel however you want. And don't let others stress you out about how you are doing it. Me ... I don't turn my brain off. I use it in a different way, and I enjoy more free time, but it's always on. Below I've got some ways that I will be using my brain - and if they appeal to you, I'd love it if you join me!

I'll keep blogging here - probably about twice a month or so.

I'll be doing some presentations - be sure to check My Presentations calendar for these events!

I'll keep sharing on my Tech You Can Do: Resources blog.

I'm hoping to add some additional templates to Templates for Teachers.

Enjoy the rest of your year and the start to summer!

Do you have questions? Feel free to comment ⤵ or connect & follow me on any of the platforms. All my contact info is in the upper right corner under my picture. 

End of Year Google Classroom You Can Do

The month of May always brings mixed emotions - excitement because that means warmer weather and a bit of stress because we are on the countdown to wrap up this school year. This year brings with it relief that we have made it through. We have learned we can do education in this new world ... and we have learned from our mistakes. Wrapping up this year highlights for me the need to do some cleaning up in a manner that is meaningful in our Google Classrooms. Not only will this help us NOW, but it will also mean we can start next year on a better "foot".

I want to focus in on 4 areas of great importance - reflection, Google Drive, Classroom, and Calendar. I believe spending a little bit of time on them now are the keys to wrapping up the year in a productive manner and will go a long way in starting next year off well.

I hope this helps you wrap your year up! Don't hesitate to reach out with questions. The final slide shares a few other resources - I'm not the only one who believes in wrapping up Google Classroom.

I also want to share some exciting news! With summer approaching, I'll be adding a few presentations I'll be doing (most are still virtual) so be sure to check out My Presentations tab. 

Also, I'm #SuperExcited to share that I will be joining THE Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning team to provide professional learning for teachers! This is a part-time, consulting basis. Yay!

Google Forms + Mote You Can Do

 Happy Sunday! This one is going to be pretty short & to the point. I totally forget about how Mote can work with Google Forms. (And all 3 of my daughters have sporting events this weekend keeping us busy!)

Earlier this month, I shared how you can use Mote - an audio feedback extension - with Docs, Sheets, Slides & Classroom in "Easy Audio You Can Do (& love!)". I didn't think about it at the time, but I had forgotten about Forms. That thought dawned on me this week and as with a couple of the ways I shared previously, using Mote with Google Forms isn't in the form Mote was developed for, but that doesn't make it any less useful. In fact, it might just give you the added ability in Forms you were previously looking for.

How about using Mote in Forms to provide an audio of the question &/or as an answer? I'll admit, it's not perfect, but it's possible and does work. I'll share a video below. And maybe ... once you see how I thought to use it, maybe you'll think of another way and share it, too!

***After thought, before publishing***

After I recorded the video below, I had a thought ... as the teacher, create questions that allow for students to submit a link to a Mote as an answer. It would be just like I recorded the questions and pasted the link in the description, but the student adds it as an answer. How awesome would that be? (Please make sure having students use Mote is approved in your district first!)

I encourage you to explore Mote and be creative on the many different ways you can use it with the Google applications. Interested in signing up? 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 social media - all of my links are in the top right corner of my blog under my picture.

P.S. I have Wakelet collections full of tips, tricks, and other resources for Forms & Mote:

• Google Forms 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!  ***

Personal Gmail Clean Up You Can Do

I have a couple of confessions to make: I'm a bit of a pack-rat and I love storage. I love of boxes and I love organizing. 

One of the things I absolutely LOVE about Google is the amount of storage I have (17 GB in my personal account & unlimited in my school account). But one of the things I struggle with is when Google makes changes. Now, I'm not worried about my school storage - and I feel like I'm pretty organized. But, I've not been as neat & tidy in my personal account. 

I have been creeping closer and closer to the max storage on my personal account for the past couple of years and I knew I'd have to do something. I believe I have plenty of storage but I see a need to do a better job organizing and prioritizing what I decide to keep. I am going to do this in chunks. I am going to tackle my Gmail first. Trying to tackle it all at once is both overwhelming and not feasible. (I'm a teacher and a mom, remember!) 

Everyone has a method of organizing, even if they don't know it. I could show you how I like to organize, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. I might have different categories than you or I might have a different comfort level in the length of time I hold on to items. It's ALL ok ... as long as it works for you. That means it's a system you actually use and like. And stick to. That's always the key - you have to stick with it.

This weekend I'm focusing on organizing my personal Gmail. I really need to do some purging. I've known this for awhile. Here is my plan of attack:

Before I published this, I got wrapped up in the purging. It felt good! My timer went off and I kept purging! I picked it back up today and I got through all of my folders. (Seriously, how many emails from 2013 did I really need to hold on to? Yes, I kept reminding myself of that!) I'm not quite done. I have one category to go through and clean up, but it's a biggie! It has close to 6,000 emails. I'm not looking forward to it. But I know it'll feel good to tackle it. One step at a time.

I do have additional tips & tricks for Gmail if you are interested. I save them in my Gmail Wakelet collection ➜ https://wke.lt/w/s/z-FYRE

Next up, cleaning & organizing my Google Drive!

I am also super excited to share I have TWO upcoming events you can join me in:

• Saturday, April 17 - I will be presenting at the Power Up Conference. You can register at this link.

• June & July 2021 - I will be teaming up with Dr. Desiree Alexander (of EducatorAlexander) for a 6 part series "Leveling Up with Google Tools"! All of the info & registration can be found at this website: edalex.net/levelup

If you have a question about this blog (or any of my other shares), please feel free to comment below ⤵.

You can also send me an email - sarah@techyoucando.com

Or find me on social media - all my links are above under my photo on the right side.

Have a great week!

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!