Podcast Channel created by Elementary Students

Guest post by friEdTechnology Associate & 3rd grade teacher,  Melissa Summerford, Tweet her at @SummerfordStars

My name is Melissa Summerford and this is my fourteenth year in education. I am a 3rd-grade teacher at Bear Branch Elementary and I absolutely love my BBES Family. I realized I wanted to be a teacher while working as a paraprofessional in 2003.  I saw the impact teachers were making on students lives and I wanted to be apart of that club.  I was twenty-six years old and had three kids when I decided to go back to college. Six years later I became the first in my family to earn a college degree. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Prairie View A&M in 2008.  After 10 years of teaching, I have decided to work on a master's degree from Lamar University.  I am majoring in Digital Learning and Leading.  I have learned that showcasing my learning is a way to grow and improve my craft of teaching.  My ePortfolio website is a place where I can reflect and share my experiences as a teacher.  It is my goal and desire to inspire others to learn and grow using new and challenging methods.  

Student voice is something I strive to give my students and I consider it to be an important component in my classroom .  Student voice “is the individual and collective perspective, and action of students within the context of learning and education".  One way I incorporate student voice is through Podbean.  Podbean is a site that hosts podcasts for all types of learning and interests. Incorporating a classroom podcast has created another way for my students to share their learning globally.  I believe when students know they are sharing with the world their desire for learning increases.  

Go ahead and check out our class podcast here!!

How does it work?

Create a Podbean account here - You can try it for Free

You can sign up through facebook, twitter,  your google plus account, or you can create a new account using an email.

There is also an app you can download from the app store.  This is a handy tool because I can record podcasts straight off my phone.  I love this tool because my students get so excited when they know they are about to be featured on the channel.

I also allow students to create recordings of their own.  They use a google extension called voice recorder.  Students are able to save their recording in their google drive and share with me.  I review their recording(s) and then upload to our station.

ePortfolio : bit.ly/SummerfordTeachingBlueprint

Best Calculator Apps for All Platforms

There are SO MANY calculator apps, sites, and softwares. Where should you begin? We've provided a list, but it won't be complete until you weigh in. If your favorite calculator app isn't listed, request edit access and add it.

Click here to open the doc in G Suite

Google Drawing Templates Galore from the Best of EdTech! (Redux)

Google Drawing Templates: Please do not request access, open the template you want and create a copy. Thanks to everyone who contributed to these set! Eric Curts, Kasey Bell, and Matt Miller.

http://bit.ly/GoogleDrawingTemplates

Part 2: Get your Computer (and Files) Ready for Summer (Install Google Drive)

Part 2 of the series "Get your Computer Ready For Summer" explores the best way to upload ALL your files (or a whole bunch of files) over a longer period of time without having to drag and drop or babysit the process. We'll do this using the downloaded version of Google Drive which you'll install on your computer.

This video is for educators who need to back up their files so that their computers can be refreshed for the summer. Don't lose your valuable files, back up now to the cloud! This technique will also let you access your files from any computer or from your phone.

Links you'll need:

https://www.google.com/drive/download/

http://bit.ly/FileStorageGoogle

Handy Google URLs from @friEdTechnology Amy

Until I started researching for this infographic, I didn't even know some of these handy URLs existed. Did you? Do you have one to add? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks,
Amy

Version 4...

Download various versions of this file here

Google Cardboard Apps for the Classroom via @friEdTechnology

• Google Streeview, as explained here
• The Cardboard app itself (Android, iPhone) which includes the following . . . 
• Earth: Fly where your fancy takes you on Google Earth
• Tour Guide: Visit Versailles with a local guide
• My Videos: Watch your videos on a massive screen
• Exhibit: Examine cultural artifacts from every angle
• Photo Sphere: Look around the photo spheres you've captured
• Watch YouTube videos in 360, here are some videos to try out
• The New York Times VR stories located here
• Titans of Space Guide to the Planets (Android)
• Orbulous, which the makers describe as “just looking at things.” What things? Greenbot reports “You’ll see vivid, 360-degree photos from around the world, whether it’s mingling amidst tourists on aging architecture, looking out over a city surrounded by sparkling blue water, or even taking in the sights within a museum. A small bit of background noise adds to the immersion.” (Android)
• Polar Sea 360° is a 10 part television series and interactive journey that follows sailors, scientists, hunters and artists on a journey through the Arctic’s Northwest Passage. Part of the series was shot using revolutionary 360 degree cameras, that put you in the center of the action and let you experience the Arctic like never before.(Android, iPhone)
• YouVisit VR lets you step into exotic locations like Machu Picchu; browse leading colleges and universities, including Harvard and Yale; become immersed in breathtaking live events like TomorrowWorld. (Android, iPhone)

For more about Google Cardboard, check this out.

It's Simple: Ask Your Students . . .

I had the pleasure of hearing Shannon Miller speak a couple of weeks ago and her message was simple yet profound: JUST ASK STUDENTS what they THINK, NEED, and WANT. I re-shared this message as the keynote speaker at the Texas Foreign Language Association conference last week. Sensei John Cadena was listening and provided his students that very opportunity today. I wonder if you can use his graphic organizer for gathering student feedback to improve your class room tomorrow? I hope so. Thanks for sharing, John. Check out John's blog here.

Best Tools for Screencasting

Check out this infographic featuring my favorite screencasting tools that are free or deeply discounted for education. If you have a favorite that's not on this list, please let me know in the comments!

High Quality PDF Version

Normal is Just A Washing Machine Setting

This idea came from a Tweet, which you can see below. Thanks for the reminder and the idea, Melanie!

"Normal" is only a washing machine setting anymore and no longer applies to education. https://t.co/dmDeSfraFa

— melanie kestory (@techmom76) May 11, 2015

If it's Not Effective, Change It . . .

Google Edu Infographic: How to Force a Copy of a Document

Can't see the image via email? Visit the blog here.

Try it out! Click this link to take a copy of the file. This technique also works on other Google filetypes (Sheets and Slides).

Original URL:

https://docs.google.com/a/friedtechnology.com/document/d/1CqUbWOHedWr9WiLO7M4aM9IIDPple1HhDGSx23tzerA/edit?usp=sharing

Edited URL (the Force Copy URL):

https://docs.google.com/a/friedtechnology.com/document/d/1CqUbWOHedWr9WiLO7M4aM9IIDPple1HhDGSx23tzerA/copy

Google Edu Infographic: Getting Started with Add-Ons

More Add-Ons for Edu can be found at http://goo.gl/0YJ8Og and http://goo.gl/Yj8WoM

Can't see the image via email? Visit the blog here.

How to get Add-Ons:

• Open a Google file
• Click Add-Ons
• Search for or Choose the Add-On you Want
• Click the Blue Button that says +FREE 
• Use the Add-On by clicking "Add-ons" from the menu bar in your file

Google Edu Infographic: Top Google Add-Ons for Education (Revised)

More Add-Ons for Edu can be found at http://goo.gl/0YJ8Og and http://goo.gl/Yj8WoM

Can't see the image via email? Visit the blog here.

Top Google Add-Ons for Educators

Hope you enjoy this list of the top Add-Ons for Educators. I didn't think of it alone! Here are some sources and some more add-ons for you . . . http://goo.gl/0YJ8Og http://goo.gl/Yj8WoM

What IS Google Classroom?

If you've been wondering what Google Classroom is (or is NOT), this video from moi is for you! Should you get ready for implementation? Can you replace your current system with Classroom? This video will help you answer those burning questions. Then, join the discussion below this post on Google+ to share how your school is using Classroom to improve instruction.

Also, don’t forget to install the free Synergyse training for Classroom by visiting https://www.synergyse.com/ and clicking the large green Install button!

Create FREE Animated Gifs using Snagit and your Chrome Browser

Animated Gifs have returned to the scene as a GREAT teaching tool. You can email them, post them on a website or on social media, add them to a document or slideshow, but any way you put them, they're a powerful, succinct way to get across the steps of a technology process. Easy, fun, and FREE! Thanks TechSmith for the great addition to the Chrome browser!

Install the App here and you also need the extension, available here.

Video here if you don't see it below.

3 Minute Tech Tip: Switch to the New Google Drive, Move Multiple Files at Once, and ADD (not move) Files to a Secondary Folder

In this THREE MINUTE video, learn to do ALL THIS: Switch to the New Google Drive, Move Multiple Files at Once, and ADD (not move) Files to a Secondary Folder

I know, that's a lot for 3 minutes, right?!?

Direct Link to Video

3 Minute Tech Tip: Automatically Label Incoming Email with a Filter + a Label

This week's tip comes from a colleague who wanted a way to automatically label email messages based on certain criterion. This technique will DEFINITELY help you keep your inbox organized as well as draw your attention to important topics. Hope you enjoy it! If you do, please hit the thumbs up button you YouTube or share the video with others via your social networks or email.

If you'd like to submit an idea for a tip, please shoot me an email via the contact button on the top right of the blog.

Credits, and because I am asked all the time: Screencast software from Techsmith, Camtasia for Mac does both the cool features you see in this video: the magnifying glass and the picture in picture. I love it. Thanks Techsmith!

Top 5 Reasons To Give Google Play for Edu Another Look

Guys, You are SERIOUSLY missing out if you haven't looked at the new Google Play for Education store. And NO, you don't have to have a Google Play tablet to take advantage of it! Learn everything you need to know to get started in my post on the Synergyse Blog here, or click the image below.

Getting Started with Google Classroom

As you may have heard, Google Apps for Education recently released Google Classroom. While it is NOT a Learning Management System (LMS), it does simplify procedures for teachers sharing files with students. Most notably, it automatically creates a copy of a specified file from Google Drive for each student within an organizational structure then allows students to "turn in" those files virtually, which changes the permissions of the file from student-owned back to teacher-owned. Students retain view rights. If you're looking for a tool to simplify and save time when using Google Apps for Education with your students, it's arrived! Hope you enjoy this hastily made video. Please leave comments if you have questions, and I'll do my best to get back to you.