Technology Boot Camp Final Skills and Checklist

For this project, I decided to focus on Google Educational tools. It is my goal to go 100% Google next year within my classroom. This project has been very beneficial on multiple levels.  Below, you will find my checklists and I feel that I am definitely over 80% competent in each of the areas. I focused on Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Google Slides, Google Drawings, and Google Classroom.

Reflection

I feel like this was a very realistic project that awarded me the opportunity to learn and create a project that was completely relevant to my teaching. I can see myself utilizing each area of the Google Suite that I focused on within this project. There are also a few other areas that I wish to explore before the end of the summer: Google Photo, Google Forms, Google Sites, Google Scholar, Google Sheets, and Google Keep.  Google definitely is teacher and student friendly. Each year they make their products more accessible. The best part is...it is all free!  At my school, Springfield Clark Career Technology Center, we are a one to one school. Each student has a Chromebook - which has driven my Google based management and implementation within my curriculum. 

As for each checklist, I feel quite confident in not only using these tools in Google, but also teaching them to my students and my peers. I hope to share my blog with fellow teachers so they can get a quick introduction to these awesome features. Google Docs was probably the easiest to figure out among the tools I decided to discover. It is so similar to Microsoft Word but on a much more simplistic level. I believe anyone with Microsoft Word experience would find it easy to navigate and figure out. Google Hangouts on Air happened as a fluke add on. I needed a way to interview fellow peers about their technology usage and this seemed like a good option. I was able to question, record, save, and then upload directly onto YouTube...and it was fairly easy to figure out. However, I did have to use the Google Help option a few times. I also used my husband as a guinea pig to test it all out before I contacted my co-workers. I learned real quick how to use it as I had to teach my coworkers how to access it and utilize it as well.  Google Slides is very similar to Microsoft Power Point. It was easy to navigate and similar to Docs. The great thing about these two tools that the Microsoft equivalent doesn't feature is the fact that students can share and collaborate on their work. This is a huge bonus for my and my English Language Arts classroom. Google Drawings will be used as my replacement to Microsoft Publisher...but I feel there is so much more to do with it. Yes, there aren't pre-made templates, that I know of, but it's easy to manipulate shapes, boxes, and tables as necessary. You can also create really cool interactive images too. The ability to hyperlink and embed documents, videos, images, webpages, etc. is very cool. My students are going to love it! The last area of exploration was Google Classrooms. This final lesson just made sense...using Google apps why not have it all end up in a Google Classroom? I delved right into the classroom features and started comparing them to my current management system, MOODLE. I quickly found that while I didn't care to much for the organization aspect I did LOVE the grading aspect. Everything is automatically organized for me when students turn in work. It ends up in my Google Drive and within the folder aptly named whatever I named the assignment AND they are put into alphabetical order. The idea of being able to embed video directly into the classroom was very appealing too.

All of these features are awesome for a teacher in any area of academia. I think teachers should embrace these free tools and get learning. There are constant updates and new tools/apps being created. I have to admit it can be difficult to stay abreast of all the new ways to manage your classroom and conduct work, but I think it is worth it. I think we, as teachers, need to help each other and collaborate on how we can make it work for our environments. Overall, this has been an extremely beneficial project and I don't regret my choice of immersing myself into Google.

Thank you!

Skills Update D

Wow! I can't believe we are at the end already! This has been an amazing journey through Google, and I have gotten to essentially kill two birds with one stone. I've been able to learn through this course and prepare content/lessons/technology for next year. Who says teachers don't work in the summer? ;)

On the final part of my Google journey, I explore Google Classrooms. This part of my destination just made sense.  If I'm using Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Drawings...then why would I still work off of a classroom management system that doesn't support that work. Currently, my class website is through Moodle - which has been awesome for years. However, if I were to continue to use it to house student assignments, discussions, and drop boxes I would also have to teach students how to convert everything to either Microsoft Office equivalents or PDFs...and that seems like a lot of extra work.  So, this last week I shall create four new Google Classrooms: English 11, CP English 11, English 12, and CP English 12.

The first thing I did was create a classroom for each course. I also create a classroom for a club at my school called H2O (Help to Others). I am one of the advisers of the club and I thought a Google classroom would be super useful to have rather than communicating only through email with the members. Creating a classroom was very easy. You simply clicked on the "+" sign then selected "Create Class".  

I also discovered this is how my students will join my class. They will go to www.classroom.google.com then select the "+" and then select "join class". From there I will give them a class code to enter in order to join my Google classroom.

I could also "invite" students but that would take much longer than just having them "join" the class I would like for them to enter. Plus, this will be there first introduction to the Google Classroom and they can get acquainted with doing things independently on the management system.

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After, I got all of my classrooms set up I began exploring what you could do within the classrooms. I discovered, as shown below, how to upload videos and documents to the page. I also discovered how students could turn in assignments to me. The absolutely wonderful thing about Google Classroom is the page automatically creates a folder onto my drive where student work will go after they upload an assignment. On Moodle, I had to always create the turn in folder, have students turn in work, download the folder, then open each file individually from that folder.

I also discovered how to create a discussion on the front page. I posed a question in which students will respond to and ultimately interact with one another. I can also reuse these posts...so, if my students in CP English 11 were to do this discussion as well I could simply "reuse" instead of recreating it within that classroom too.

I also discovered that is was very easy to create an assignment within the classroom. Once I have assignments that are prepared within Google Docs, Slides, or Drawings I can upload and assign them to students within seconds! It is very awesome!

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The ONE downfall that I see...is that I can't create pre-made units. For instance, on Moodle I would have my page set up into units and within those units would be assignments, notes, dropboxes, discussions, etc. They were already to go and put together and if I didn't want students to see them I could "hide" them and open them as we go.

       

However, I think I can get past that and enjoy all of the other features that Google has to offer that Moodle doesn't: embedding videos, accessibility, instant turn in options, ability to communicate, collaboration, aesthetics, etc. I think I'm going to like Google Classroom!

Skills Update C

This week is all about discovering Google Drawings. I was a person that loved using Microsoft Publisher with my students to create pamphlets, posters, brochures, etc.  Drawings seems like a nice alternative and it seems pretty easy to navigate as well. You can draw text boxes, insert images, link items to other documents, utilize fonts in numerous ways, and continue to collaborate with teachers or peers on a project. However, I wanted to create something that could work a little differently and act as a culminating project for our Edgar Allan Poe unit. 

The image that I want to create for the Poe Project is what it referred to as an interactive image.  I often use the website ThingLink for a very similar object. On the website you upload an image, insert "tags" and then link those "tags" to other websites, videos, images, etc. 

I had heard someone talking at the Google Summit in Columbus this spring about how they were doing a similar activity...only using Google Drawing. So, I decided to try it out!

Edgar Allan Poe Culminating Project

This project would work very well as an end of unit project. It could serve somewhat as a portfolio for what they have learned and the projects they have completed throughout the unit. I was thinking that they could basically create the drawing and then download the drawing as an image and turn that in...  Well, I found out THAT doesn't work because then their links do not work (try to click on the "tags" above in the Poe Project image...FAIL! So, they would have to turn in the actual Google Drawing...which will be okay since we are using Google Classroom. However, if I wanted them to embed it into their writing portfolios (via Google Sites) as an image it's not going to work...I'm going to figure this out. You can download it as a JPEG, PNG, SVG (have no idea what this is), or a PDF. So, I need to do some more research as to what I need to do in order to embed it as an interactive image onto out mediums. This will be a process I will continue...

Now, when it came to working on the project it worked out quite well! I would greatly appreciate it if, when you click on the purple link "Edgar Allan Poe Culminating Project", you could tell me if the icons worked. Each icon should open up a new tab and go out to either a document, image, video, etc.

These are the steps I took when creating this Poe interactive image....

1. Opened up Google Drawings

2. Named the Drawing "Poe Project"

3. Filled in the background color as purple

4. Went to "Insert" then "Image" then selected "Search" - after that I searched for an image of Poe that I liked best. Then I selected it and modified the size of the image to my liking. 

5. I then searched and selected the following image icons: YouTube, Google Drawings, Google Slides, Google Docs, Image, Blogger, and Link.

6. I put those images as small icons on top of the Poe image. 

7. I then clicked on one of the icons at a time and clicked Ctrl+K. This allowed me to connect a link to the small icon image. (I had to have the link ahead of time so I could copy and paste it into the box provided when you clicked on the image.)

8. I would have students create linkable icons to the following: a YouTube video concerning Poe's life, a Google Drawing they did concerning color and symbolism from one of Poe's short stories, a Google Slideshow concerning the plot triangle and one of his short stories, a biography of Poe that they would have written using Google Docs, a comic representing the climax of one of his short stories and explanation, a link to a blog they would create concerning Poe websites, and a link to a credible website about Poe.

I have never created an activity quite like this before - but I think it might be useful and fun! I'm mulling over multiple ways to use this new tool throughout the year!

UPDATE: I have now figured out that by downloading the file as an SVG file it will open up within a webpage and the person viewing can click on the links appropriately. I still don't know how to embed that interactive image though...still working...

Skills Update B

This week is full of slideshow fun! I explored and entered into the world of Google Slides...which I consequently have found to mimic Microsoft Power Point quite closely! The basic functions are all the same: pick a template, pick a design, add slides, delete slides, add transitions, and similar font options and tools.

I did find great solace in the Google Slides Cheat Sheet. Google really does make things simplistic and when confused they will guide you every step of the way. ...still lost? Well, Google it! Someone is bound to provide you with more information or a video tutorial.

The cheat sheet teaches users the very basics:

1. How to add and edit content in your slides
2. How to add and organize slides
3. How to work with different copies and versions of your presentation
4. How to share and collaborate with others

For an even more advanced approach - I began researching on other ways to use Google Slides. I wanted it to become more than just an application used for note-taking within my classroom. On YouTube I came across a video that instructed you on how to make an interactive presentation. This intrigued me greatly! I want students to utilize Google Slides just as much as I do!

This video instructed me on how to find an image and insert it onto a slide without ever leaving the actual slide show. Utilizing polylines (located in shapes) you can create a transparent button, if you will, onto your image. He also showed how to add text boxes and connect them to the images by using the arrow tools. After that he showed how to insert videos and how to duplicate slides. It was also very cool to learn how to link slides to each other.  I then got the idea of linking those transparent shapes to outside links as well. So, for instance, he showed the diagram of a tree. Maybe you could have students identify the "roots" of the tree and then link it to a reputable website that gave expository information concerning the roots of a tree. 

Due to the "share" option in Google Slides you could then have students work collaboratively to create a slide show about the tree, for instance, to create a research project concerning the parts of the tree. You could put them into groups of three in which one would be in charge of the crown, one in charge of the trunk, and one in charge of the roots. They could communicate and work together all at once in the classroom or later at home. Google Slides definitely just "one upped" Microsoft Power Point for me this week!  Collaboration and communication are the very reasons I love Google apps, tools, and add-ons. There is a level of responsibility put upon the student and I will easily be able to identify if the each group member did their part.  However, I don't teach science...so it's not going to be trees! What could I do? How about a character map? Typically, I create groups of four in my classes - students could work together labeling and identifying major characters within a novel. They could then link them to one another's slide and to outside sources.  

I'm excited to get started on this assignment for next year!!!

Skills Update A

This was a challenging yet rewarding week! As I began my Google Suite project it came easier than I thought it would and yet I had a few surprises along the way as well. I definitely filled that two hour slot fast and ended up spending even longer as I added an unexpected skill to my list.

I began with Google Docs. I practiced this week as I wrote out my interview paper for this class. I named the document first. Next, I learned how to attach a header and page numbers within the document. I have found the "insert" button to have very similar features to Microsoft Word. The suggestions for fonts, font sizes, color, and shape all seemed quite easy to navigate. According to APA standards though I needed 12 point Times New Roman for this paper. Times New Roman is not a standard font for Google Docs, Arial is the standard, so I had to search for it. I also tested out the capability to center, left align, and right align. It was very nice that I didn't need to save my document at all - a feature my students will love! No more, "Oops! I forgot to save!"  So, no more excuses about lost assignments - if they did it then it will be in their Drive. All of the features in Google Docs are very simplistic, which I believe will be beneficial for all my students, but particularly my students on IEPs. Another feature that I like is the ability to "Google" items directly within the document. Students will not need to open a new tab to search for something, they can simply click on "Tools" and then select "Research" or press the Control+Shift+l and the research box will appear. Our students also have the basic version Google Read and Write on their Chromebooks - so they have the speech to text feature as well. My continued goal is to research Google Add-ons and find out what other cool features they can use. To finish up the assignment, I went to "File" and then "Download As" and then selected "Microsoft Word" to create a document to be turned in. However, when I start using Google Classroom this won't be necessary. It was a great week for exploring Google Docs!

My unexpected twist to the week was discovering Google Hangouts on Air!

For the interview assignment, I wanted a way to interview my colleagues without leaving my home. I also wanted a way to record them so I could review their answers and have something to refer to in the future. As I researched Google I discovered that the best way to do this was with Google Hangouts on Air. I have used Google Hangouts before but that is simply a video chat. With on Air you can live stream the discussion, record it, then it automatically uploads to your YouTube account as a video that can be viewed at any time. I wasn't sure how to use it, let alone teach one of my colleagues to use it - so, I went to Google for help!  After an hour or so I was able to figure it out and then test it out with my husband who was sitting at work. I ironed out the kinks then requested interviews from about five individuals. Two were available and had access to computers with cameras. I gave them instructions on what they needed to do then I "invited" them into the video conference. Below, you will find the videos that were created. The first one had a few errors - as my colleague was in a hotel with poor reception, but the second one went well without any issues!  It was a great learning experience and my mind is busy generating multiple ideas on how to incorporate this tool within my classroom next year!

INTERVIEW ONE

INTERVIEW TWO