The following is a collection of my favourite tidbits from the last few Google for Education Newsletters. Enjoy!
Flubaroo update- The popular Add-on for grading just got an update in time for fall. A newly added feature lets you assign any score you like to open-ended questions.
Read more.
Edsurge Summer Coding Guide- Check out this EdSurge guidefor tips on introducing your students to code and computer science over their summer break.
Learn Google Classroom- In
this presentation, learn the benefits and creative uses of Google Classroom. Aside from posting class resources, learn how students can interact, collaborate, organize long term projects and even “learn at home.”
Google Drawings– Learn how Google Drawings can bring out your creativity. See how Shariqah, an 11 year old in Joyce Public School, Toronto, Canada, used Google Drawings to create a poster that introduced her audience to her favorite thing: cooking.
Improve your Slide presentations- In this presentation, learn how to use Google Slides in a more creative and collaborative format. Learn how you can use Google Slides in ways OTHER than the traditional slide show and re-imagine the power of student projects.
Create Choose-Your-Own-Adventures- Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) stories, projects and quizzes don’t just get students thinking of their work on a different level. They are also a fantastic way to introduce them to Google tools. In this presentationyou will see different ways teachers used CYOA.
Redefining Math with Google Apps for Education- Learn howthe tools in GAFE have redefined how students can learn and demonstrate their understanding in Math. Check out morepresentations from ISTE.
Google Geo tools- Learn from these Maps and Earth tutorials. Students in Mrs. Chesler’s 5th grade class in Indian Hill School, NJ created this Lewis and Clark trail map. While learning about the reign of Genghis Khan, the 9th grade World History Class at Yarmouth High School in Yarmouth, Maine collaborated on this shared map.
Forms for Earth- Second graders at Hale Kula Elementary School in Hawaii did a science project on water. They
gathered informationabout water usage in a Google Form, analyzed the results and then created Public Service Announcements for the areas of greatest need.
Let your voice do the heavy lifting– Google Docs gets an upgrade with
voice typing, a new feature that lets you or your students dictate everything from a new assignment to the rough draft for their latest English essay.
Computational Thinking- Whether you teach math, science, or humanities, computational thinking can be a powerful addition to your classroom activities. Google has a free online course this summer. Check out the course details here.
Top tips for success with Chromebooks- Using Chromebooks in some of your classrooms? Google asked districts that have a lot of experience with Chromebooks to share their lessons learned, and they gave us 4 tips for schools.
Because 50 Tips Wasn’t Enough
Check out these 55 useful Google Docs tips to help you save time and get your classes off to a great start.
Some of the Most Requested Updates to Classroom
Classroom’s latest update includes new ways to host a Q&A in your class stream, the ability to reuse old assignments, the ability to bump posts to the top of class streams, and more. Check out the details here and thanks for your continued feedback.
Recent Changes to SafeSearch- Google recently made some changes to SafeSearch. Visit our Help Center to learn more about using the SafeSearch VIP toblock adult content at your school or about enabling SafeSearch for individual accounts.
Top trends for 2015/16- Google Certified Educator John Krouskoff shares his predictions about big trends for the 2015/16 school year. John was one of the first ever Administrators of Google Apps for Education. Read his blog post.
Check Out Some of the Amazing Things Students are Creating:
Students Work with Google Earth
Eleven year old students Zach and Jeremy at Alta Vista School in Los Gatos, California, created
a Google Earth tour of the settings in a book they read, “George Washington’s Socks.” In this video they narrate their work, giving listeners a tour.
