Google Sites

Have you ever felt the urge to create your own website or use a website for your classroom? Websites can be used for many reasons including;a new business venture, a place to bring your style and information to the world, or even as an online portfolio for yourself or students. As an educator there can be a lot of benefits to creating and using a website in your classroom. Students can also create their own site that can be used for an online portfolio.The solution to these desires can be met for free with Google Sites.

The good thing about Google sites is that you can instantly add files, links, and resources that you already have on Google. Presentations from Google Slides, surveys from Google Forms, and documents from Google Docs can easily be embedded, linked and added to your Google Site. I have found that Google sites can be hard to navigate around the first time you use it. It is something that you will have to play around with in order to find what settings, templates, and gadgets you will add to your site. The editing feature is nice in the way that it auto saves. 

As usual the first thing I did when I discovered Google Sites I went to Youtube to look for a quick tutorial on how to create and use a Google Site. 

Per usual Youtube offered many videos and a lot of these videos are very complex and discussed the marketing aspect of creating your own website. After looking at many videos I found two good videos that will give resources to create an organized website. The first is the basics for how to create a Google Site. This video will give you a step by step tutorial on how to create a website, find the right template, and add resources to your website. The second video is a more advanced tutorial. This video focuses more on creating a template that can be used for an online portfolio. The teacher used a portfolio with her students and creates a template that the students will then use on their own created website. Both videos were very helpful. 

1. Beginners

2. Portfolio and Templates

I have created my own website but I have not tried creating my own template. I will be looking at using a portfolio since I will be teaching APUSH next year. An online portfolio will be a great way for my students to create and show their process of the essential questions to help students see their understanding of material as we go on. The website that I created can be seen here.

For whatever reasons you can think of for creating a website using Google Sites will undoubtedly be a good resource for you. As I have mentioned at numerous times Google has so many resources for teachers to use in the classroom and Google Sites can be uses in many ways. No matter what age you teach a website can enhance your classroom and be a way to give students the opportunity to create information and show their knowledge.

Finding Answers

As mentioned in previous posts technology is a vital part of education and can be a tremendous blessing in the classroom. Google is the driving force in searching for information. Google provides amazing resources and access to information.

Google finds links and the next steps for acquiring information and as I have mentioned they have taken over the world with this model. I use Google for almost everything that I do in the classroom. whether it is finding ideas, researching a topic, or using one of the apps for education. With that said I have been introduced to a new type of search engine called Wolframalpha.com 

So what is the difference between Google and Wolfram Alpha. First of all Google is a search engine and Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine. Wolfram Alpha finds the answers and gives relevant and reliable information for whatever it is that you are looking for. 

This video shows a quick overview of the what Wolfram Alpha can do. 

Some of the things that I like about Wolfram Alpha are:

1.  There are specific categories- With specific categories you can find answers for a particular subject or category.
   
   For instance I wanted to compare Stephen Curry and Lebron James. Wolfram Alpha computes stats and information comparing the two that is quick, easy to understand, and relevant.  Below is a quick snapshot of the comparisons between the two
    
     
2. Wolfram Alpha is a computing engine and not just a search engine- The website computes formulas and other functions that help to solve equations for students taking upper level math and science. Wolfram Alpha can graph as well as compute.

Some of the concerns that I have with Wolfram Alpha are: 

1. Students could use this to answer their questions instead of learning the information. 
2. I also think that Wolfram Alpha can almost give you information overload. As always the technology needs to be taught to the student as well as the expectations of how to use the technology. 
3. You have to pay for the pro version of Wolfram Alpha

As always research the product in order to know how to use Wolfram Alpha best for you. I do think that Wolfram Alpha is a nice addition to Google and something that you will have to research 

Take your class on a tour.

As educators we all have the goal of teaching our students to create things. Creation is one of the ultimate forms of showing knowledge. One of the tools that I have found that allows for you to create and also helps you foster student creation is the Google Tour Builder.

If you have not figured it out by now I have a little bit of an obsession with Google and the multiple ways that they enhance the classroom. The Google Tour Builder allows for you to create a tour and use Google Images, Google Maps, andYoutube videos to enhance your tour. The Tour also gives a space for students to describe their location with history, a personal story, or any information they want. The tour is very easy to use. 

1. You simply start by giving your tour a name and a quick description.

2.  You then add a location

3. You type in a city or landmark and a pin will be placed on the map. 

4. You then add all of the information that you want from that location. You can add a video or pictures that enhance the importance of the location.

5. Repeat for every new location that you want to add. 

As I mentioned this could be a great tool for students to conduct their own research, or for a teacher to create a visual timeline of battles, landmarks, places, etc. As educators we have to always be on the front end of teaching students to be creative and to learn how to create. Here is a link to one of the tours I have built. Hopefully this will help to enhance your classroom.

Below is a video of a quick tutorial of Google Tour Builder

A New Way to Use A Familiar Tool

There is a very popular saying that states, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". As I continue to get older I realize that this saying can be true. I am thirty and have developed some pretty strong habits. These habits tend to be hard to break. Things that are new tend to be met with disdain, skepticism, or disgust. Previous experiences lead us to see a situation with prejudice instead of something that is fresh and new. A wise man once told me, "once you stop learning you die". We should never get to a place where we are unwilling to learn new tricks or gain new ideas. In a way, this blog has been that for me. I have learned how to blog and to express myself in a productive way. I tried blogging before but didn't really like it. Now that I realize that I have a voice and the capacity to have thoughtful rhetoric, I have found a new appreciation for blogging.

Another new trick that I have learned is a different way to use Youtube. I have used Youtube the last couple of years in my classroom. With different online tools, I give students videos to watch and Youtube has become a pretty important part of my classroom. Honestly it has been hard to find ways to use Youtube and for it be productive, not just a filler. I use Youtube the same way that most of the world uses it. I look for one particular video and find myself going on a bunny trail by clicking on the next video or similar videos. I also find myself looking through the comments and either getting mesmerized by them or getting upset. Either way, these can be distractions that can pull the attention of the students away from the desired intention of the video. The new trick that I have learned is called Quietube.

Quietube is an add-on that allows you to create a new url for a youtube video that blacks out the advertisements, comments, and similar videos. This allows for students to see the video that you want them to without the added distractions. Quietube is very easy to use and can be accessed by simply going to the website quietube.com. I look forward to using Quietube next year in my classroom.

Quietube takes your Youtube video from this:

To this:

As you can see, the rest of the screen is blacked out to alleviate the distractions that normally accompany a Youtube video. This Quietube allows for a more focused viewing experience and can help to keep a student on task.

Check out Quietube by looking at this quick tutorial and continue to try and find new tricks in whatever endeavor you take.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet? That is the Question.

In a world consumed with technology the question remains how should it be used in the classroom? As mentioned at numerous times during this blog, finding the balance of technology in education is vital to a 21st. Century classroom. Whether we like it or not technology is here to stay and is a vital part to education in today's schools. When I think about using technology in my classroom I constantly ask myself these three questions:

How can I use technology to help influence others in the most important way possible? 
How can I use technology to better myself and my students? 
What is technology replacing and is it worth it?

Using these three questions as a barometer has helped me to not only use the latest fad or trend but also make my use of technology relevant and useful for myself, my colleagues, and most importantly my students. After discovering more technology tools recently there has definitely been a shift in the amount of technology I plan to use next year. I plan on using a Learning Management System and Google Apps For Education (GAFE) in my class. I also plan on using different resources such as Pinterest, Diigo, and others to help me collaborate with other teachers. I am honestly still trying to figure out how much I am going to use Social Media in my classroom. I haven't found the need for Twitter, Facebook, etc. in my classroom at this point. That is not to say it doesn't serve a purpose. I have seen more harm than good come from social media and believe that school should be a place of solace from all the distractions around us throughout the rest of our day.

With that said I can see how some teachers would use Twitter or Facebook in the classroom setting. As I continue to search for the best ways to enhance my classroom, using technology and social media will be one of my priorities. One of my favorite education blogs is edutopia. They have a great post about the myths, fears, and uses of social media here.

One of the great things about technology in education is that it is unique to you. Use the things that are productive for your growth and your classroom. Find your guiding questions. For those that are still on the journey on whether or not to use social media in your classroom, I found this video below that has great tips on how to use it.

Enjoy!!!!!

Organization only helps.....well Everyone!!!

As mentioned in the title, organization is only helpful to anyone that has a job, goes to school, has meetings with anyone, has goals, or wants to be more efficient. If you do not fit into any of the previously mentioned categories than you can stop reading right now. I find myself always struggling with being more organized. I have begun to really look at the methods that I use to get things accomplished and notice many flaws when it comes to my organization.

I think what makes organization so difficult for many people is that every person is wired differently. For instance some people like the more old school approach of writing down a list of tasks on a piece of paper or keeping Post It Notes in business. Others like to use technology and continue to find a plethora of resources whether it be from Google Tools, Apps, Task list or online resources. No matter which method you prefer there are many ways to help become more organized.

As a teacher I have discovered a lot of resources that can help with my organization. The one that I am going to focus on in this post is called Teachers.io. Teachers.io is both an application as well as a website. This is pretty much an online planner that a teacher can fill out and automatically sync with the students that are signed up in the particular class. Unlike a learning management system which I mentioned in a previous post, Teachers.io is purely a planner. Students do not turn in work on Teachers.io and you cannot grade on the app. It is to be used as a planner. My school has become a 1:1 with Ipad school and the students do not have planners anymore. I have found Teachers.io to be very helpful to have my assignments, resources, and announcements in a place that the students have access to. Another thing that I have noticed is how important it is that the school uses one platform. Every teacher at my school uses Teachers.io and that has cut down on the confusion from the students and the need for students to remember multiple passwords.

Teachers.io also works hand in hand with the MyHomework app. Students will use the MyHomework app and see it as a planner and teachers use the Teachers.io app or website to create the assignments. You can also create assignments for the week and month depending on how far you have planned ahead.

An overview of Teachers.io can be found here

An overview of MyHomework can be found here

Here is a quick tutorial video over the tool and how to set up your class.

As I mentioned if you think this is something that you would use in your classroom talk to your technology specialist or principal about implementing school wide in order to have continuity for the students. 

Using Google Tools to Enhance Brain Breaks

So one of my biggest pet peeves since being in Grad School is feeling that there are certain aspects of the program that is not pertinent to my classroom. Being a high school teacher comes with a different set of challenges compared to a middle school and definitely an elementary school classroom. I find myself getting jealous of the resources for elementary school teachers compared to myself.

My view of elementary schools

Side note- I have the utmost respect for elementary school teachers. I could not be paid enough to teach in a classroom with the amount of energy, emotions, and irrationality that comes with an elementary school classroom.

One thing that I have heard numerous times is the term "brain break". A "brain break" is a designated time to allow students to actually relax. To take a break from ingesting information and take some time to digest and process. I have constantly thought about how great a brain break would be in my classroom but the things that I have seen are very geared toward elementary classrooms with  items like go noodle that gets students dancing for example. There is also the time constraint of the high school classroom and the content requirements. This week I finally discovered something that I can quickly use in my classroom that could be a brain break. Google Maps Smarty Pin is my new discovery and I can definitely see how I can incorporate it into my classroom.

So what is this Smarty Pin?

• It is a new trivia game built on Google Maps
• Students will have to answer questions by dropping a pin on the location of the answer.
• Players begin with a bank of 1,000 “miles” and try to see how many questions they can answer before they run out of miles.
• Miles are taken away based on how far away the pin is from the actual answer.

You can check out Google Maps Smarty Pins here

The idea that I have for using this is giving the students five minutes and whoever has the most miles left will get an extra credit point or a prize of some sort.

I also like that there are different categories of the trivia

It is always great to find something that can be used in my classroom from the vast resources that are given to elementary school teachers. I also like the fact that it is giving the students a chance to brush up on their geography as well. 

The following video will give you a quick overview of Smarty Pins:

 I hope you enjoy Smarty Pins and good luck beating my high score of 17