PARENTS: Manage devices at home

I've wanted to cover this topic for awhile, but wanted to do it well. Today I can share with you an EXCELLENT article that does it better than I could. 

Mike Daugherty originally shared "Limits, Locks, and Learning" on October 24, 2017, and I received it today via his newsletter "Help @ Home". This newsletter is free for anyone to subscribe to & I highly recommend it.


I will add that I personally use an app called "OurPact" that allows me to do many of the things these offer. It has a free version (not many features) and a paid-for version ($4.95/month) allowing me to manage all 3 of my daughters devices. The set-up isn't the easiest, but once you are in, it works GREAT! 

Don't hesitate - don't wait ... READ IT then share it and save it!

Google Arts & Culture

WEBSITE → Google Arts & Culture

The Google Cultural Institute is a treasure trove! It contains thousands of resources you can use in your classroom. Here are a few ideas of how you can use it:

• Do you teach the difference between primary and secondary sources? This site would be a great place to discuss the difference.

• Any historical topic ... dive in to see historical people and different time periods.

• Do you do study artists? Check out artists like Georgia O'Keeffe, Dali, Van Gogh, and more ...

• Want to take a tour of the MOMA in New York? How about the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Korea?

• and so much more! 

Take a peek here ↠

2 *MUST HAVE* Google Apps You Can Do

Trip planning is a daunting task but Google is here to help, yet again! The focus of this article - the 3rd in a 6 part series - is how to utilize the Google Drive app and Google Calendar (also an app, but can easily be synced to your preferred calendar app).

In this article for Nations Classroom, a student tour company, I highlight how beneficial using the Google Drive & Calendar App can be for trip coordinators. Easy & regular access are at the top of my list!

But don't think they only work for trip planning! 

I use Google Drive & Calendar numerous times a day & since I have them on my phone for my school work, for my home life, and for the various other activities I'm involved in. Google Calendar's allow me to manage my daughters' school activities, doctor appointments, my husband's word schedule, sporting events, and everything else! 

6 Ways Google Can Make Planning Easier For a School Trip Leader: Part 3 - The Google Drive App and Google Calendar

Check out Nations Classroom if you are interested in planning a trip.

• website (www.nationsclassroomtours.com)
• Twitter (@NationsClassrm)

Voice Typing You Can Do

Do you voice type text messages or notes to yourself? Do you ask Alexa, Google Assistant, or Echo to perform commands? Chances are you have at one point or another. 

Welcome to the world of voice controls! 

Our voices are powerful. And with every passing day, they become even more so. Google Docs included the ability to voice type awhile back and I demonstrated this tool to a group of students this past year. It is super easy to learn.

To Voice Type: 

1. Click on "Tools" in the toolbar
2. Click "Voice Typing"
3. The microphone will appear to the far left
4. Click on it to allow the microphone to listen
5. Start speaking
6. Click the microphone to turn it off

Demonstrate this tool to your students, AND encourage them to USE it! This tool was one of the most powerful tools I taught that group of students. They began using it on a daily basis. We noticed the microphone in the Google Search bar and the kids were excited to find out it works there, too! This helped their researching! AND we found we can voice type speaker notes in Slides and them copy and paste them into the Slide as a mini-workaround.

I know what some of you are thinking ... voice typing might "feel" like cheating. But it's NOT! This is where our thinking needs to shift. As a classroom teacher, I had many students who had great thoughts, ideas, and opinions but struggled when it came time to put the pencil to paper. When computers became the "norm" in my classroom, I believed this would help ... and it did ... for some. For others, typing is also a struggle.

Voice typing is not cheating because it requires knowledge of the all technical parts of writing. The punctuation commands you can give to Docs are

• "period"
• "comma"

Summer 2018 Learning You Can Do

Contrary to what the non-educator community might think, summer is NOT a time where teachers turn their brains off. On the contrary, most educators I know spend a great deal of time planning, prepping, and learning for next year. They just don't have to do it within the contracted time or with 30 sets of eyeballs staring at them.

Time in the summer is more forgiving ... more flexible ... just more. Time can be 15 minutes here, an hour there, or nothing at all during a family vacation. The reverse can also be quite true - time can be hyper-focused for an entire day to complete a workshop.

If you are looking for ways to amp up your summer learning time, I've got a few suggestions. Chose one or two to try.

Google Certified Educator
If your school uses Google, this is a fantastic way to earn FREE professional learning credits. 

There are 2 Levels - Fundamentals and Advanced. Getting certified was a goal I accomplished 3 years ago and I'd recommend it to ANYone!

Website ↝ Training Center

If you need help, feel free to contact me!

Eric Curts Webinars
If you are interested in learning Google in small pieces, Eric has over 30 webinars "on demand". They are roughly an hour long and after watching them, you have the opportunity to take a quiz and receive a certificate worth 1 contact hour. 

Website ↝ ControlAltAchieve

Forward Edge Webinars 
Once a month, Forward Edge (a company focused on providing technology to schools) shares a live webinar on a tech focused idea. Afterwards, you can access on demand. They are roughly an hour in length.

Website ↝ EdTech Webinar Series