Sharing is caring - The Morning Meeting

I'm in my 28th year of education and many times during my teaching career I have had teachers, mentors, and administration share ideas, material and explain how they used them in their classroom. These meetings were priceless as a new teacher starting my career or as a seasoned teacher embarking on a new course.  These conversations also provided insight on how the material was used in the classroom and the amount of care, time, and thought that went into creating it. Even today in my coaching position I am able to share ideas, help make their ideas come to life and use those ideas to help other teachers.

On the other side of that, there is a lot of great material out there which is not being shared.  I have a specific memory of asking colleagues about an idea I had and asked if anyone had any material already created.  While I was working to make the idea a reality, I specifically remember finding a packet a  student had left in a classroom and when I picked it up realizing this is what I was looking for.  Long story short, I could have had a nice resource to expand my ideas and collaborate with this colleague to make an already existing idea better.  But, they were "not the sharing" kind of teacher.  

As I moved into a coaching position I vowed to share everything!  I was working with the teacher who was replacing me and handed over everything, printed and digital.  While that may have been overwhelming, I think what was most beneficial was the time we spent collaborating about topics, projects and lessons I did and how I did it.  It was then up to that new teacher to discover how to take what I gave them and make it their own or better. Young people have great ideas and see teaching from a totally different perspective then I do as a veteran teacher.  So take the time and listen to what they have to offer, it might just open your eyes. 

Recently I came across a post from the Bitmoji Craze for Educators  group on Facebook about a Morning Meeting slide deck.  It peaked my interest so I started to explore what it was all about.  The original post by Alison Cunningham Bryan shared her idea/process of creating a Morning Meeting slide for each day of school which had a Fun Fact of the Day, Think About, Share Out, Joke or Puzzle of the Day, and Poll of the Day.   While this is mainly an elementary slide deck, the idea can be used in secondary as well.  From the comments it seems the students whose teachers have been using these are very excited for the next day to see what is on it.  One of the comments in the post read "I've been teaching for almost 35 years and it is rare that someone shares something they have put so much effort and time into! You clearly put so much time into this! Thank you for saving so many people HOURS and HOURS of work! I hope to pay it forward some day like you have."   

Recently she updated her post about the Morning Meeting slide deck with all the Slides for each quarter and the comments over 3,500.   Most of the comments are about how her hard work is making an impact on students around the world.  She willingly shared these out to the group and has given everyone access to freely make copies.  Sneak Peak at Quarter 2. Above is the direct link access to the post and the group which you will be able to download the rest of the quarters.  The time and effort that went into this is shown and many have taken her idea and made it their own.  It just goes to show, Sharing is Caring and we all need a little help now and then. 

Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark makes it easy to create social graphics, web pages, and short videos. With Adobe Spark accessible to ALL students through Clever, access to this dynamic tool is just a click away!

Graphics - Video

Turn your text and photos into a professional-looking, attention-getting graphics. Simply pick a design template, add your photo or pick from free images, add text, and quickly resize your creation to fit your favorite social media site or blog.

Limitation: None...only your imagination!

Web Page - Video

Sometimes you don’t need a traditional website to get your message across. Adobe Spark Web Page is ideal for projects that don’t require more than one page, such as portfolios, presentations, blog posts, and photo galleries. Adobe Spark Page can showcase a research project, advertise a special event, or act as a weekly or monthly newsletter.

Limitation: It is a ONE page only webpage.

VIDEOS - Video

What story are you ready to tell? Whatever it is, Adobe Spark Videos free video creator lets your story shine. Take advantage of Adobe Spark Video’s expertly curated video themes as you begin building your video. Themes come loaded with fonts, transitions, and color schemes, so choose the one that suits your video the best and watch as it ties your clips together into a compelling video.

Limitation: 30 second video limit (per slide).  Additional slides can be added to extend the overall length of the video. 

Google Trends

Google Trends analyzes the popularity of top searches in Google Search across the world. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume of different queries to determine the popularity of a particular topic.  This could be a great way for students to find out what people are searching, explore trending topics and do a 2020 Year in Search.

The Home Page will show the omni box where you can search for a particular topic, use the side menu, or scroll down to see the latest stories and insights, recently trending, and Year in Search.  

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There is also a place at the very bottom which allows your to Learn More, and take Google Trend Lessons. 

While free playing on Google Trends, click on a topic from Recently Trending, and you will see the number of searches on this topic as well as related news stories.  When you select the topic to dig deeper, you will see the statistics, interest by region, and related topics. You can share out the link via social media or just copy and paste specific links into a Google Classroom.  

Here is a short 5 minute video which will do an overview about Google Trends, he does a good job explaining all the different facets of it. 

Take some time to explore Google Trends you won't be disappointed!  I can see many teachers using this for current event topics!  

October U5 Instructional Tech Updates

Here is the October 2021 Instructional Tech Updates.   

We made it through the first quarter of probably the most challenging year of our careers.  As October ends, with the excitement of Halloween, and the holiday's quickly approaching we tend to think about everything we have to cover.  Well instead of thinking about what you have not covered, think about what you have and how the students are learning.  While the content of what you are teaching is important, what is more important are the lessons you want your students to leave with.  What impact have you made in the lives of your students?  Are they better people because they had you as a teacher.  My guess is yes they probably are.   As the weather slowly begins to change, enjoy all the days you can get outside before  winter comes. 

GMAIL Updates

 

 Gmail has been busy updating over the summer.   Here area a few of the items that you will come across. 

Google Photos in Gmail: When you receive a photo in your Gmail, there will be a button which you can select to save the photo directly to Google Photos.  This is great for personal accounts, but I would be careful saving photos to a Google Photos account of students.  I would keep them in a folder in your Google Drive and dispose of them at the end of each year. 

Gmail Advanced Search Icon:  Google changed the icon for searching for email.  What once was an arrow pointing down is now a new Icon..  See below

CHAT:  Many of you may or may not use Google Chat in your GMAIL.  It is a great way to send information quickly to teachers within your organization.  Turning on Chat is in the settings and setting it up so it is on the right side makes looking at messages that much nicer within your Gmail dashboard. 

Mote - Voice Feedback

Mote is a voice feedback extension for teachers to use with student submissions.  It is a quick and easy way to give 30 second chunks of feedback to students.  This is not a district standard program and teachers will have to login with their Google account but students will not have to in order to listen to the recording. THIS RESOURCE IS SOPPA APPROVED!!

Click here if you are interested.

In addition to the video, here is a Mote Sample Content slide deck for teachers to see how Mote can be used within classroom resources.

New Google Meet Format

 Wow!  July 7th already; where did the time go?  If you have done any meetings this summer with Google Meet you would have noticed the new layout.  It is really nice and will be nice for meetings and online learning for next year.  While we are going back to in person classes (YEA!), there are still PLC's, meetings, etc, that will most likely be virtual bc of the nature of travel and time restraint's. 

Take a look at the new Google Meet.  Eric Curts does a really nice job explaining the new layout!  

SPRING CLEANING DIGITALLY

Every year in June or July I go through email, and Google Drive to PURGE files/emails.  I  go through my folders in email and remove any emails from previous years I don't need; then in Drive I look for files labeled Untitled and delete. Then I start on files in Drive, which should be put into folders.  This also includes files which are on my DESKTOP on my laptop. (Remember if you have to have a reimage, those desktop files are deleted, and there is no way to retrieve).  Cleaning everything up and putting it where it belongs just makes me feel better going into the next school year.   Here is a post on How to Spring Clean Digitally,  by Andrew Rush, to get you started on your spring cleaning.   Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Google Docs Update: "Show Editors"

Google Docs has rolled out an edit history on docs for content which was collaboratively written.  Here is how it works:  highlight a passage, paragraph, or any text then right click and select "Show Editors."  I just tested this on a doc in our domain and it is there!  

You will also have the option to select which version history you want to open.  This will make it easier to track edits made by multiple people. 

Google Meet Breakout Rooms for Jigsaw Activities

While Google Meet keeps getting better and better, here is a way in incorporate jigsaw activities with breakout rooms.  Take a look at this blog post "How to Use Google Meet Breakout Rooms for Jigsaw Activities" by Caylie Gaccione Curriculum Specialists.

Google Arts & Culture Puzzle Party

What is Google's Puzzle Party?  It is a knock off of  traditional family get togethers which revolve around a puzzle or board game.  The only difference is this one is digital. 

Teachers can use this in the classroom for a brain break, or for a collaboration activity.  Students can solve a puzzle on their own, but can also invite others and solve the puzzle together.  This is a great way to get kids collaborating, without realizing they are, plus is is fun to see how fast they can solve each puzzle.   

Go to Google Arts & Culture Puzzle Party and get started today!  

Google Meet Update

Starting on May 3, 2021, Google Meet will begin the rapid release of some new features.  All of these are based on feedback given by teachers who are using Google Meet.  So if you have a suggestion, put it out there!   When these features hit our domain, users will see a banner before joining the call that says "Meet has a new look."   These are long awaited features we have been suggesting to Google since the beginning of the pandemic.  They listened!  Take a look at what is coming your way.

• Video Feeds:
• Hover over the feed to switch between the grid and tile pictures.  
• Resize, move, and hide pictures on a call. 
• Self View will appear at the bottom right of the grid and can be hidden. 

• Viewing and Presenting:
• See what you are presenting in Google Meet, instead of "You are presenting your screen."  This is a huge upgrade for teachers and users of Google Meet.  
• Content may be unpinned to provide for larger video feeds. 
• Always see participant name regardless of meeting size. 

• Bottom Bar:
• All the controls are going to be located at the bottom of the Google Meet dashboard. 
• The leave call button has been moved to prevent accidental call hang-ups. 

• Other visual updates:
• Speaking person tile is outline in blue.
• When there are more participants than can be seen, you can use the Pin button on the shared screen to make smaller to see everyone.  The Shared screen becomes part of the grid. 

Google Slides Presenter Tab Update

 

Google Slides has a new update this week.  It is already out in our domain so you may have seen this already.  When presenting in Google Slides you used to get the long presenter bar; now you get a very small presenter bar and if you need the advanced features they are housed off the 3 little dots menu.  

This makes presenting a lot better as the bar is not covering content within the slide.   

Google Workspace for Education Updates Chromebooks Part 4

Google is updating its Chrome OS in 2021 there will be several new features with the Chrome OS 89 update, you can read the full article here.  

Google is rolling out 40 new Chromebooks this year. In our district we use Lenovo or Dell.   Many of these new Chromebooks will have functions like laptop with touchscreen, tablet, stylist, and dual cameras.  Don't get your hopes up yet, these also come with a higher cost and right now in education, we bleed red, so I wouldn't expect these devices quite yet.  One of the new hardware features is a LTE built in for families who have spotty WIFI but their Cellular data is good.  This allows for the device to always be connected.  

CHROME OS 89 UPDATES

• The biggest feature for this Chrome OS 89 update will be the built in screen recording tool.  Students will be able to record directly from their Chromebook without having to download an extension.  The screen capture tool will be available in the quick access settings in the bottom right hand corner of a Chromebook.  When you toggle this option on a floating panel appears where you will be able to select camera, video, full screen shot or select a specific area or window.  Clicking on the gear will allow for more specific options when using this feature.  This is set to roll out sometime in March 2021.  Now understand this is the Chrome OS, which is different then the Chrome browser on your Windows/Mac.  The OS for Chromebooks will have these features, not the browser. 

• Better screen shots, which will capture all or a portion of your screen with the new improved interface. Nice short cut for this feature is Ctrl + Shift + the Window Switching Key (top row of Chromebook, allows you to select specific areas to screen shot instead of using Ctrl + Windows Switching Key which just takes a full screenshot. All screen shots are located located in the downloads area of the Files app in images.  

• Other features for Chromebooks will be the live caption, translation and accessibility features. All these features are very helpful to everyone, including those who have disabilities. To access these features, go to the quick access menu and select accessibility.  You will be able to toggle many of these features on and off to determine what is best for you. 
• Set Accessibility Features once.  Set it and go.
• ChromeVox - Full feature screen reader.
• Select to Speak - Select items on Screen and have them read back to you. 
• Screen Shading - Great for young readers & people with Dyslexia.
• Change Cursor SIZE and COLOR
• Captions - Available in many languages, customize placement on screen & size.

• Student Issues with Chromebooks: As a district with Dell and Lenovo Chromebooks, if you have students who are having issues with their Chromebook, please refer them back to out Students and Parents Technology Page. There are specific instructions for students and parents to look at to help with on "I have a Chromebook Now What?"  As always you can always take your device to the school you attend to have it looked at and swapped out. 

As with all updates, some will hit our domain earlier then others, but many of these will roll out later in 2021. For an easy to use guide take a look at the graphic created by John R. Sowash of Chrmbook.com.

What did you miss?

Google Workspace for Education Updates Part 1

Google Workspace for Education Google Classroom Part 2

Google Workspace for Education Google Meet Part 3

Google Workspace for Education Updates Google Meet Part 3

Google Meet is upping their game in the world of video meetings.  If you want the full story on Google meet you can find it here.  

During this past school year, Google has been catching up with other video conferencing tools and they have taken the feedback provided by the millions of teachers around the world to make Meet a better program for everyone. 

Let's take a look at several of these updates:

Classroom Moderator Controls:  

• 
  End Meeting for ALL -  I have already seen this come through on our domain. When you click on the leave meeting Icon you will see this message.  You will be able to end the call for everyone, preventing students from staying on a call after the teacher leaves. 
• 
  Mute ALL - This one is already available in our domain as well. Navigate to Meeting details and you will find the Mute All button.  NICE! 
  
• Host Controls on Mobile Devices -  If you are a mobile device user in Google Meet, then you will now see HOST controls. This is really nice for those who do not have great internet connections at home but their Cellular is good. 
• CO-HOST - YES!  We have been waiting for this one for awhile.  Coming out later in 2021 we will see all teachers on a Google Classroom will share host controls. Now you will have more control over who is monitoring when one teacher is deep in the lesson. This will be great for those classrooms with Co-teachers!  Teachers will still be able to allow students/admin to join but now both teachers will be able to control these features. 
• Calls starting in Classroom - Any calls starting in Google Classroom, students will not be able to join before the teacher.  This feature has had a few issues, which we are hoping this update will fix.  Only teachers and students within the classroom will be able to join, and anyone else will have to request to join.  This is a little different then setting up your quick access controls from a calendar meeting, or from Meet,google.com. 
• Student Engagement - Students will be able to use emojis and change skin color to interact during a Meet. This is a great way to encourage all students to participate in some way.  Teachers will have full control over when reactions can be used, but it will be a great way to get immediate feedback. 





• Breakout Rooms -  Teachers will be able to set up breakout rooms ahead of time in a Google Calendar.  Allowing for smaller focused student group interactions and less time setting up those breakout rooms during class. 

  

  
  
• Transcripts - Transcripts will be available later in 2021.  Teachers will be able to share transcripts out with students, teachers and admin.  This will allow students and teachers to review lessons from the day and maintain records if needed. 
• Performance Updates:  Meet will update it's Audio/Visual Optimization to allow for it to run better when WIFI is not the best. This will allow for better performance while multitasking and reliability improvements. 

As with all updates, some will hit our domain earlier then others, but many of these will roll out later in 2021. For an easy to use guide take a look at the graphic created by John R. Sowash of Chrmbook.com.

Did you miss Part 1 or 2? Google Workspace for Education Updates Part 1

Google Workspace for Education Google Classroom Part 2

Google Workspace for Education Updates Google Classroom Part 2

Google Classroom  has added many new features to its list of updates for the 2021 year. You can read the full article on the Google Blog here.

Add-Ons:  Classroom will have Add-Ons will be added to an assignment and when students open the assignment they will be able to use the add-on without opening any other tools. 

Rich Text: When entering in instructions for assignments you will now be able to add some of these rich text features.  This means you will be able to Bold, Italic, Underline, etc.. 

Unlimited Originality Reports:  This rolled out earlier this year, but deserves another look. As a Google Workspace Plus district, we have access to unlimited originality reports which is a great way for students to check their work for potential plagiarism and will roll out in 15 languages in 2021. 

Student Engagement Tracking:

Teachers will have engagement tracking inside of classroom.  This will allow teachers to see which students are interacting with Google Classroom each day, and submitted assignments.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this one works. 

Classroom Mobile App:  Offline capabilities are going to be available with IOS and Android apps.  Students will be able to start work offline, open drive attachments, review assignments, create assignments in Google Docs all without an internet connection. Submissions will have to be done online. 

Attach/Take Picture Submissions:  Classroom is making it much easier to take/attach a photo to submit for an assignment. The photo app will be built into the Add part of Google Classroom.

Roster Sync:  Setup Classroom for teachers ahead of time, so they don’t have to send out an email or generate a code for students to join.

As with all updates, some will hit our domain earlier then others, but many of these will roll out later in 2021. For an easy to use guide take a look at the graphic created by John R. Sowash of Chrmbook.com.

Did you miss Part 1? Google Workspace for Education Updates Part 1

G Suite to Google Workspace for Education Part 1

G Suite for Education officially changed their name to Google Workspace for Education.  This change will give more flexibility and updates to all users in the Fundamentals Workspace and the Plus Workspace (old Enterprise). Click here to read more. Since our district is already an Enterprise subscriber, there won't be a lot of changes for the end-user, but there are some really nice new features in the Google Admin Console. 

This update is also providing some changes in each of the apps for Workspace for Education.  Be prepared to see several changes happen to Drive, Chromebooks, Classroom, Meet, and Google Docs, Forms and Jamboards.  Most of these changes will role out later in 2021, but will be highlighted when they hit our domain.  

Drive:  Drive will have new storage capacities moving forward.  This means districts will have 100TB of pooled storage.  This may seem like a lot but in our District we are really close to this number.  With the pandemic, the number of videos created and stored on Google Drive has gone up over 10 times this year. But don't worry we will know who the high users are.  We will also look into removing student and staff data from our storage for those who are no longer in the district. 

Forms: Students will now be able to save their progress on a form.  Forms will automatically save a DRAFT for 30 days or until the form has been submitted.  This is great for students who typically take a little longer to take an assessment, or from faulty internet connection.  Sign up to be part of the beta testing.

Jamboard:   Revision history is coming which is really great since before this update, there was no way to track who was doing what on a Jam and no way to revert back to a previous version without using the undo button.

Docs: Citations was updated earlier this year, but now you can enter a URL and it will create a citation in the right format. Smart Compose & AutoCorrect are now available in other languages. Document Approval has been added so when an approval is needed before a document can be sent out district/school wide, you can now request approval from specific people and then see who has approved and who you need to follow up with.

As with all updates, some will hit our domain earlier then others, but many of these will roll out later in 2021. For an easy to use guide take a look at the graphic created by John R. Sowash of Chrmbook.com.

FEB 2021 Instructional Technology Updates

 Here is the February 2021 Instructional Tech Updates.   

As February ends, the excitement of March and spring being right around the corner; and, of course, March Madness!   As the weather slowly begins to change, enjoy all the days you can get outside after a long winter in. 

EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle has been around for years now and  has been a driving force in student engagement especially asynchronously.  As you watch the video by EdTech Cafe on how to get started with EdPuzzle, keep in mind these target points. 

• Videos are enhancements NOT the lesson.

• Create and upload your own videos.

• The shorter the better.  

• Snip videos to make shorter or to highlight specific areas. 

• Include interactive/recall questions which are thought provoking.  

• Add Voice Over  to reinforce important points. 

• Give feedback in EdPuzzle or Google Classroom 

Lastly do not overuse EdPuzzle, you don’t want students to roll their eyes at another EdPuzzle. You are much more engaging then any video.

Google Meet Updates

Over the last several weeks Google has pushed out some updates to Google Meet.   Some of these come from the site Meet.google.com directly, but the new audio test can be used with students within their Google Classroom Meet Link.  The audio setup video should also help with setting up speakers in the classroom. This was a question which came up often as many teachers started the new semester and wanted  remote and in-person students live at the same time.

Black History Month

Black History Month or African-American History Month is February,  this observance originated in the United States and is now observed in Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.  It started out as Negro History Week in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the 2nd week of February to be Negro History Week.   This week was originally selected because on February 12 Abraham Lincoln and February 14 Fredrick Douglas were both born.  From there the first proposal for Black History Month was proposed by BLACK EDUCATORS and the Black United Students at Kent State University in 1969 and in 1970 Kent State was the first to celebrate!  Go Educators!!  Six Years later, Black History Month was being celebrated across the country when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month.   Below are several resources from multiple resources.  

Using PBSLearning Media for Black History Month Educational Resources is a great way to get students to actively get involved in their own learning. Don't know how to use PBSLearning Media, check out this post for a walk through.

1. Charlotta Spears Bass | Unladylike2020
2. NOVA: Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius | Getting an Education
3. Exploring the Poetry of Maya Angelou
4. VIDEO - Black History Month - K-5
5. Early Elementary Interactives: Meet George Washington Carver
6. MUSIC Industry Icon: Sissieretta Jones
7. Brown v. Board of Education and Jackie Robinson's Push for Equality
8. Pear Deck and PBSLearning  Resources

Other Resources:

• Nearpod - Frederick Douglas Ethnic Studies 1844-1877
• African American History Month
• Edutopia - 6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month
• We Are Teachers - 33 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond 
• Google For Education - Celebrate Black History, Culture & Identity
• Celebrate Black History Month - Junior Scholastic - Subscription Needed
• C-SPAN CLASSROOM Black History and Civil Rights - LOTS of Resources

Daryl Michael Scott, "The Origins of Black History Month," Archived February 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2011, www.asalh.org/

Instructional Technology Updates for January 2020

Take a look at the U5 Instructional Tech Updates for January 2021.  

Hope you all have had a great start to 2021.  Each new year, brings new and exciting adventures. What is your new adventure? 

Junior Scholastic & Pear Deck

Using PearDeck is as easy as 1,2, 3.  Use the add-on via Google Slides and login with your Google email and sign up for a premium trial.   The interactive slide activities are plentiful and you can make presentations which are teacher lead and/or student paced.  There is a great teacher dashboard where you can add additional co-teachers to the presentation, see student responses with their names, send feedback directly to individual students and highlight student answers for all to see. It is a great way to engage students in class and remotely as well. You will be able to see student responses, and share results in real time while in the presentation with students anonymously to get an idea where everyone is at in their learning. 

While this is great, having resources where you can add already created slide decks and manipulate them to make them work within your curriculum is even better.  In the video below, we show you how to use a slide deck from Junior Scholastic, (subscription required) and embed Pear Deck interactive slides into it.  Have questions, ask your Instructional Coach for support!