Tuesday Tech Tip: Taking It With You

If you're leaving the district, there may be some digital items that you want to take with you (or need to make available for others).  If you use Google Apps or Schoology, here's how you can share, keep or take your stuff.

Google Apps

The most important thing to remember about items that live in Google Drive is that once your account is deleted, all of your items become inaccessible, even if you've shared them.  Additionally, you can't transfer ownership to an account that lives outside of the district (in our case, an address that doesn't have "@cherrycreekschools.org").   Here's how to handle your Google files:

1. Transfer ownership of files that others still need to access.  If you have shared files that in-district folks will need to continue using, be sure you transfer ownership.  You can either do this on an individual or folder level (using the "Sharing" options) or you can submit a ticket our HelpDesk and they can transfer all files that belong to your user to another in-district account.
2. Use Google Take-out to download all of your Google data.  If you have files that you want to take with you, you can download your files (the default for Google Docs is to convert to MS Office equivalents but you can change those options).  To get your Google account data (including your docs, drawings, slides, forms and spreadsheets), go to https://www.google.com/settings/takeout and select the services for which you wish to download your data.  Google will create downloadable archive files and email you when they are ready to be accessed.

Schoology Materials & Resources

If you created content in Schoology, and you still would like to access & use it, you have a couple of  options.  You can create a free, personal account and share your collections with your personal account or you can export items from your Personal Resources if you will be using a different Learning Management System (LMS) in the future.

1. Continue to use Schoology with a personal account.  You may be leaving our district, but that doesn't mean to have to stop using Schoology.  While we have the Enterprise version in Cherry Creek Schools, Schoology also has free accounts that you can use as a teacher.  
1. Go to http://www.schoology.com and signing up for a free teacher account, using a personal email address (like Gmail or HotMail).  
2. Make a "connection" between your personal account and your CCSD account (see this support article for directions on making a connection).
3. Create a collection in your Personal Resources and share that collection with your personal Schoology account.
4. Go into your personal Schoology account and create a new folder, moving the shared collection items into it for continued access.  (* Use the collection sharing directions above to share items with in-district colleagues or use an existing Schoology Group to make sure your shared items are still accessible by others.)
2. Export your Personal Resources into a Common Cartridge format for import into another LMS.  If you will be moving to another district that uses a different LMS than Schoology, you can export your items into a Common Cartridge format.  Most LMS platforms allow for import of CC formatted files.  
1. Go to your Personal Resources area and use the arrow pull-down to choose "Export."
2. Select the folder or collection you wish to export.
3. Schoology will create the export file for you in your Transfer area (http://www.schoology.com/settings/transfers), notifying you by email when it is ready for download.

If you have any questions about this (or how to get other items you own, like items from your CCSD server), contact our HelpDesk or check the Backyard.

Google Gifts: Using Your Mobile Camera within Google Apps

Today, we "wrap up" our Google Gifts series.  We began our series with a post about images, so we will come full circle as we head out for Winter Break.  Today, we're sharing about using your mobile device camera within Google Apps.

If you have a mobile phone or a tablet, we'd highly recommend that you download the mobile versions of Google Apps.  If you have an Android device, they are installed already as part of the Android OS.  If you have an iOS device, you can install Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides (these are all separate installs).  In addition, we'd recommend installing the Google Photos app.  Once you have the apps installed, you can take advantage of using the camera in your mobile device.

Google Drive App Options (iOS)

Why would I use it?  What does it do?
One of the amazing things about using Google Drive as part of an EDU domain is that we have unlimited storage. File size is always a consideration when thinking about using images & video for teaching and learning, and Google Drive provides a good spot to store your media files and do the following:

1. Use the Upload option in the Google Drive app to put videos or images from your camera roll or photos into a folder in Google Drive.  If you already have an existing folder where you'd like them to land, choose that before uploading the files.  Or, upload them to Google Drive and move them after the fact.
2. Select Use Camera so that you can record video directly into Google Drive as an .mp4.  This is a great option if you'd like to capture video but don't necessarily want it to be hosted on YouTube or another video site.  The video files can be shared in the same way that other files are shared in Google Drive.  (You can do the same with photos: take them on the fly and save them into Google Drive).
3. Use the Insert option (represented by the + icon) when in Google Slides to add images directly from your mobile device. This would come in handy if you wanted to create a slideshow of student work or add photos from something like a field trip to share with a wider audience (like parents).  You can also add images into Google Docs using the same icon.
4. Use the Google Photos app to automatically (or manually) back-up any images on your mobile device to Google Drive.  This is a great option when traveling so that you can store your images online (be careful about your data plan if you're not on wifi).  And, because you can now share photo albums, you can collect images from multiple people in one place (kind of like ShutterFly).  This would work well for things like field trips or times when you'd like students to share images in a shared album for later use. 

Where can I learn more?
Like other aspects of Google, their mobile apps are constantly being updated and enhanced.  The best source of information for mobile apps updates is the Google Help Center for iOS or Android or the Google Apps Updates Blog.  If you are a freqent Google Apps user, you can subscribe to emailed alerts from their blog.

Google Gifts: PDF Options in Google Drive

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  Today, we're sharing PDF options inside of Google Drive.

One of the most common file types in terms of web access is the PDF.  The benefit of the PDF is that it isn't easy to modify.  The downside of the PDF is that it isn't easy to modify. :-) However, if you have some PDFs that you want to use with students, you do have some options.  Be careful, though, as many PDFs are bound by copyright and can't be modified or shared.  Check the copyright before working with or sharing PDFs.

Why would I use it?  What does it do?
Depending on how the PDF was created, Google Drive provides some ways to work with PDFs.  Here are some ideas for using PDFs within Google Drive.

1. Upload & store PDFs in GoogleDrive so you can share them.  Like any other file in Google Drive, you can use the "Share" icon or button to provide access to someone else.  This doesn't mean that the PDF is collaborative like native Google files, but they are accessible.
2. Embed a PDF in a website or Learning Management System (LMS).  When you use the "pop-out" icon in Preview mode, you'll see the option to "embed."  This will give you the code you need to embed the PDF somewhere else.  If you've got a sharable article that you want students to refer to when responding to several questions, embedding the PDF can be a handy way to provide them with the text.  The directions below are about embedding into Schoology, but you can paste the code anywhere that accepts HMTL:
3. Convert a PDF in Google Docs so that you can make changes.  There are software programs that may provide this functionality (like Adobe Acrobat Pro), but if you upload a PDF into Google Drive, you can choose "open with" and select Google Docs from the list.  It will extract the text for you and will also give you a picture of the original page(s) so that you can reformat, if necessary.  Caveat: depending on the complexity of the file, it may take quite a bit of editing.  This is especially true with mathematical formulas, images, and tables.
4. Use a Chrome extension like Kami (formally known as Notable PDF) to annotate a PDF. If you want to highlight text, add sticky notes, and edit, you can use the free extension to work with a PDF. One of the coolest things about Kami is that you can collaborate with others on an article (and those annotating don't necessarily need a login to interact with the file). Not only can you open PDFs stored in Google Drive, but you can save them back to Google Drive.
5. Use the "download as" option for Google files to save them as PDFs.  You can also use the print dialog inside of Chrome to save something as a PDF (and save to Google Drive).

Where can I learn more?
If you need information on Kami, you can check their website to learn more.  In addition, you can find more information about the extension in the Chrome webstore.  

Google Gifts: Writing Feedback with the JoeZoo Express Add-on for Google Docs

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  

Previously this week, we shared Google Classroom and Grammarly.  Today, we're sharing JoeZoo Express, an add-on that helps provide writing feedback and rubrics within Google Docs.

As an add-on, this is something you would install inside of a Google Doc.  Once installed, though, it will be available for other docs in Google.  There are other add-ons that provide enhanced commenting features (Kaizena) or rubric-building (Orange Slice), but what sets JoeZoo apart is that it doesn't require the student to install the add-on, it has 88 pre-loaded comments for common areas of writing feedback, it color-codes the feedback into 5 major categories (formatting, grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and structure), and has a rubric tool built in.

Why would I use it?  What does it do?
According to John Hattie in Visible Learning, “… when feedback is combined with a correctional review, feedback and instruction become intertwined until ‘the process itself takes on the forms of new instruction, rather than informing the student solely about correctness.’ ” (p. 174)  So, it's important to think not only about providing feedback but making it "visible" and meaningful to the learner.   Here is a brief overview of the 3 main areas within JoeZoo Express:



This is a relatively new add-on which will likely have significant improvements in the coming months.  Its strength is in helping provide customizable, color-coded and preloaded comments for frequently used feedback sets.  However, the rubrics in Schoology are much more flexible, sharable, can be used on mobile devices, and track student performance over time (which is visible to both students & parents).  We'd recommend using JoeZoo during the writing process and using Schoology for rubric grading.

Where can I learn more?
JoeZoo's website has video tutorials to help teachers learn how to install the add-on, add feedback, and build rubrics.  If this is a tool that you think you will use, they also have an option to receive an email when new updates are added.

Google Gifts: Google Classroom

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  Today, we're sharing the gift of: Google Classroom.

While Schoology is CCSD's learning management system, Google Classroom is the document management system that you've been looking for.  Google Classroom can be accessed via their website, Chrome extension (which includes easy access to the website and more) or their Chrome app.  Google Classroom is a Google product so it functions best using the Chrome browser.

Why would I use Google Classroom?  What does it do?

Google Classroom a rare tool which our team can "advertise" by highlighting some of the challenges which emerge when teachers use Google Documents in a classroom setting.  The days of getting large amounts of emails when kids share a document with you, students not naming the document they share with you correctly, students not giving you the rights you need within a document, and the organizational "chaos" which can occur in a teacher's Google Drive are over.  Google Classroom addresses all these things and much more.

As far as the basics and what it does, our team has written pretty extensively about Google Classroom's features in the past.  Please refer to posts on our blog here, here, and here.

As with everything Google, there are ongoing updates to this tool.  Some new features, which came along with the release of their Chrome Extension, included the ability for a teacher to quickly and easily push a website to their students (even when the students aren't on the Google Classroom site.)  Another fairly recent update included the opportunity to add a co-teacher to a course as well as the chance to host a classroom discussion within Google Classroom.  We're not exactly sure what's coming in the future for Google Classroom, but we do know it is going to continue to get better and better (when it's already great!)

Many educational websites are making Google Classroom integration simpler by adding an easy to use "Share on Classroom" button/function.  Definitely keep an eye out for this.  Sites like Quizlet (example shown below), PBS, American Museum of Natural History, Discovery Education, Duolingo, TIME Edge, and Zaption already have this feature available with many more to come.

Google Classroom is only available in educational domains and is currently accessible to all CCSD teachers and students.  Several hundred K-12 teachers in CCSD are already using it and the overwhelmingly positive feedback our team consistently receives about Google Classroom speaks for itself.

Where can I learn more?

With four million plus users of the Share to Classroom Google Classroom Extension and over ten million teachers and students already using Google Classroom throughout the world, resources and tutorials are fairly easy to find.  Here's a list to at least get you started.

The Google Classroom Help Center

The Google for Education Blog

EdTech advocate, Alice Keeler, shares about Google Classroom extensively.  Follow her on Twitter here and read her Google Classroom blog posts here.

Google Classroom's review page on Graphite.org (including a review by yours truly)

Jay Vean's Google Classroom Pinterest Page

If you would like some support getting started with Google Classroom please be in touch with your building's district instructional technology coaches via our request form.  We would be happy to help you and your kids begin leveraging this powerful Google (classroom) tool.

Google Gifts: OpenClipArt Add-on for Google Docs

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  Today, we're sharing the OpenClipArt add-on for Google Docs.

As an add-on for Google Docs, this is something you can install to add functionality into documents (see Google's help page if you're not sure what an add-on is).  Once you add it into one document, it will be available for others by using the "Add-ons" menu while in a Google Doc.

Why would I use it?  What does it do?
We posted earlier about using images for learning and how you can use the "Insert" menu to add images into a document.   

Another option (helpful if you are just looking for clip art) is to use this add-on, which works similarly to the Research Tool (see the previous blog post for more information).  When you use this add-on, it opens a window on the right side of your window where you can search for clipart by keyword. 

Like the Research Tool, any image that you want to use can be dragged into your document.  Once there, you can resize it as you would any other inserted object.  And, because these come from Openclipart, you don't need to worry about usage rights and copyright.  Currently, there are 50,000 images from which to choose.

Where can I learn more?
You can find this add-on in the Chrome web store, but, it's pretty simple and intuitive.  And it might be a good solution for kid-friendly images that can be easily inserted into a document.

Google Gifts: Horizontal Navigation Templates in Google Slides

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  

Shared Templates in Google Drive

Today we’re re-sharing (and re-gifting) multiple tabbed templates in Google Slides.

When we originally shared multiple tabbed Google Slide templates (or multiple source templates), it was within the context of providing a structure for students to have multiple sources of information to synthesize into a written response (kind of like the types of questions they would see on PARCC and are part of our literacy standards).  So, a teacher could have 1 slide with a video, 1 slide with text, and 1 slide with a map (for example) to provide a rich set of resources.   Because these are built in Google Slides, these could be embedded into just about anything, including our Learning Management System, Schoology.

The real gift of the tabbed templates, though, is that they provide horizontal navigation. And one of the reasons we are re-gifting them to you is that they have now been updated and color-coded (different color choices are available), which makes them visually appealing as well as helping a reader or viewer access content.

In addition to using them for multiple source synthesis questions, here are 5 other ways to use these “gift-ed” templates for teaching & learning (notice the top navigation!):

The templates provided in this shared folder all have the word “Tab” in the tabs; however, if you would like to modify the template, you can change it to something else. Be careful not to delete the text box when you change it -- it is linked to certain slides and deleting the text box will “break” the navigation. In addition, remember to change the text tabs for all slides so they all look the same.

If you will be using modified templates with students, it might be a good idea to either “force a copy” via shared link (see information in our previous blog post) or use Google Classroom to push them out to students. This will keep the navigation links intact and provide them with the structure you’d like them to use.

The flexibility and visual appeal of these layouts make them a great instructional gift! Happy tabbing!

Special thanks to Amber Paynter, who created & designed the templates that we’re sharing with you.

Google Gifts: Google Templates

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  Today, we're sharing Google templates.

Viewing Templates Others Have Shared

Sample Jeopardy templates in the public gallery

When creating documents or presentations, you may want to see if someone else has already created something that you can adapt and use.  A good place to search is the Google templates public gallery.  If you are a Google Apps user, you may have one specifically for your domain (CCSD folks can access ours here).  

The easiest way to get there is to use a direct link provided above (although you can also connect a "Template Gallery" app in Google Drive or use the File -> New -> From Template option within a Google file).

Some that you might find useful are:

• game templates in Google Slides (like Jeopardy)
• graphic organizers (like Thinking Maps in our CCSD gallery - private)
• lab reports
• surveys or evaluation forms
• Cornell notes

Sharing Templates That You've Created

If you want to "gift" something that you have created (ISTE-T.2, "Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences & Assessments"), currently you can submit it to the template gallery, or you can share by using the shared link ("anyone with the link" or "publicly available on the web").  The slick trick for this to change the end of the URL so it will force a copy.  That means the person won't have to go through the step of "Make a Copy."  

How do you force a copy?  Change the URL by replacing "edit" and anything after it with "copy":

Original shared URL:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/13IjW80b6uSBNV-XaVA-FR-VGOQ1X39jGYJFdi2jqFCA/edit?usp=sharing

Forced Copy URL:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/13IjW80b6uSBNV-XaVA-FR-VGOQ1X39jGYJFdi2jqFCA/copy

Want to see it in action?  Use the links above (KWL template for Google Apps for Ed PD).

Where can I learn more?

Google has recently added some new templates for Google Apps, which isn't the same thing as public template galleries.  For more information, see their support article:  https://support.google.com/drive/answer/148833?hl=en.

Google Gifts: FormMule Add-on for Google Sheets

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day.  We're calling it our Google Gifts series.  Some of these come directly from Google, and others are tools that enhance Google Apps or Chrome.  Today, we're sharing the gift of FormMule, an email merge add-on for Google sheets.  

FormMule is an add-on (see Google's help page if you're not sure what an add-on is).  The magic of FormMule is that it can automatically send an email to anyone who submits a Google form -- with a personalized message that includes information that they submitted.

Want to see it in action?  Submit a response to this form and you'll receive an email response!

Why would I use it?  What does it do?

As an instructional tool or for professional learning, you can send a personalized email based on form responses.  As a teacher, it can be a powerful communication tool (ISTE-T.3c) for use with students, peers and/or the parent community.

Here are some ideas for using FormMule with Google Forms:

• Confirmation emails:  email a record of what the person submitted (dates, times, location, etc.).  This is helpful if you'd like the person to have verification of their responses.
• Observations: Using a Google form to do walk-throughs or observations?  You could automatically send an email to the person you were observing with information from your visit.
• Goal sheets:  If students or teachers are submitting their own learning goals, email them a personalized response that includes the goal they've identified.  
• Digital Mad Libs: Have students enter parts of speech on a form and then email them their own mad lib!
• Personalized welcome emails: If you are hosting an event or a workshop and collecting registrations via Google form, send a personalized welcome to your participants, along with any additional information that you'd like them to have.  This would also work well for student introductions at the beginning of the year.

Here's how to set it up:



After you've set it up, it will send emails based on your settings (automatically upon submit, manually, or based on a time frame).  You'll notice that it creates a new column for you in your spreadsheet, which verifies that an email was sent (along with a timestamp).  The email will come from whatever Google account set up FormMule, but you can choose a different "reply to" address in the email template.

Where can I learn more?
The New Visions Cloud Lab website has information on this add-on (along with their other great add-ons for Google Apps).  In fact, another one worth checking out is Form Limiter!  There is also a good video tutorial on how to set FormMule up, which you can find here:  https://youtu.be/KhxmvoBUC68.

Tuesday Tech Tip: Working with Schoology & Google Classroom

With our post last week about Google Classroom, we wanted to publish something about how Google Classroom fits with Schoology.  After all, there is some overlap between them, but ultimately, there is room for both in the digital classroom.  Both of these tools are constantly changing, so the following information is "the truth as we know it" as of February 3, 2015.

When would you use Google Classroom?  Whenever you want to share, collect & organize work from kids in Google Drive . . .

Google Classroom is pretty limited in what it offers, especially compared to Schoology.  However, it's really good at what it does, which is content management or organization of Google Docs and files shared with students.  Here's where it really shines -- and where Schoology doesn't yet reach:

• it automatically makes folders in Google Drive for each class & assignment you create, and it sets all of the permissions automatically.  This means that you no longer need to worry about setting sharing permissions for documents and organizing the files once you get them from students.
• it can create a copy of a template for each student and automatically names the copy and shares with you for feedback & assessment.  This means that students don't need to worry about making a copy, naming the file, and sharing with you.  When ready for you to assess, they "submit" it right within Classroom.
• it tells you which students have not yet finished/submitted an assignment, which is very difficult to determine if you're only having students share documents with you in Google Drive.  In Classroom, you can see in one glance who still needs to turn work in.

When would you use Schoology?   Basically when you want to do everything else . . .

Google Classroom is awesome at collecting and organizing work that kids have created in Google Docs/Google Drive (content management).  But at this point, Schoology is awesome at learning management, which includes just about everything else:

• Communicating with both parents & students via message, update, progress, or calendar event (parents access in Google Classroom doesn't give them mastery or rubric information about assignments)
• Creating, giving, and grading digital tests & quizzes that are aligned to standards and have varied question types
• Hosting online discussions (graded or not) with options for audio responses
• Assigning work to specific students or groups of students
• Aligning items to standards and learning outcomes for your own data gathering (which can also be visible to students & parents, if desired)
• Giving feedback to students (including audio comments) and assessing against rubrics
• Hiding items and pacing learning for students
• Embedding other web content to enrich learning
• Collaborating with other teachers in Groups to share curriculum, learning objectives, and PLC work

Can the two work together?  Absolutely.  If you want your students working and collaborating with you in Google but you want to assess them in Schoology using a rubric, for example, you would create the assignment in Schoology first (which gives you a place to assess using the rubric), collect the work in Classroom so it's organized for you, and put in the final grade or rubric scores in Schoology.  (If you have a mobile device, like an iPad, you could use that  to enter the rubric scores or grade while viewing the files on your laptop or desktop.)

Both of these tools can  enhance how you leverage technology to impact learning.  Just keep in mind how you will be interacting with students and let your instructional needs guide your choice (and let us know if you need any help).

Tuesday Tech Tip: Google Classroom- a Teacher Timesaver!

At the beginning of the school year, we published a blog post on how Schoology, Google Classroom and gScholar can be used to support teaching and learning. Here's a link to that post in case you would like a refresher: http://techtips-ccsd.blogspot.com/2014/08/digital-classroom-tools-schoology.html

Today, we thought we would dedicate a post to Google Classroom and what it can do for you as a teacher. 

If you use Google Docs with your students, you might be running into the same frustrations many other teachers do with organization, sharing and naming of documents. Luckily, Google has come up with a solution to all of those issues, Google Classroom.  

It takes about 5-10 minutes to set up a class the first time, and because we have Google Groups set up in CCSD, you can invite all of your students at once to a class, just by knowing the course name in PowerSchool.  Or, you can give your students an access code to join.  Either way, it’s easy.

Once in, you can share attachments of any kind, presentations, YouTube Videos (secondary only), links to websites, and anything else in your Google Drive with students. There are three ways to share these items. You can allow students viewing rights only, push a copy to each student (which will be shared back with you automatically), or you can give full editing rights of a Google document or presentation to all students. That feature can be used for a class creating a presentation in which each student contributes a slide, or a document used as a backchannel when watching a video or listening to a presenter. 

You can also create an assignment without any attachments. Then your students can see what the assignment is, then create a Google Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing, or attach a file, picture, or link to a website directly into a Google Classroom assignment.

How does this take care of the mess of shared documents from students?  When you set up a class in Google Classroom, a set of folders is created in your Google Drive. There you will find a Classsroom folder, with folders in there for each class you create in Google Classroom. They contain folders with all of the assignments you have created within the class, and all student work is contained in the folders, named by the assignment name and the students’ names. This makes it very easy to find a student’s work. You can also find student work in Google Classroom, and can see who has turned in work, and who still needs to turn it in very easily. And don't worry, you can still add all of the comments you want in Google, and students can still share their work with a peer or parent as well.  

I think anyone having students write in class, especially those who are frustrated with the organization of Google Docs, should check out Google Classroom. I guarantee it will save you time and help you be more efficient in using Google Docs with your students.

You (and your students) can find Classroom at http://classroom.google.com. Make sure you are signed in with your Cherry Creek e-mail address, as Classroom is only for teachers and students.

Below you'll find a couple of videos from Google that explain a little more about Google Classroom and how to set up a class of your own.

For more information about new features in Google Classroom, including a great new mobile app, visit http://googleforeducation.blogspot.com.

Twelve Tech Tools of December: Google Keep

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day as part of our Twelve Tools of December series.  Some of these tools are designed to be used instructionally, some can help you be more productive, and some are just fun.

Today, we're sharing about Google Keep.


What is it?

Google Keep is a website (https://keep.google.com/) that helps you quickly capture notes, lists, and voice memos (with speech-to-text capabilities) to help you organize your thoughts. You can add photos to your notes as well. These notes can then be color-coded and shared with others. A new feature allows users to add color-coded categories. Notes and lists can then be filtered by those categories, like research, to-do lists, blog post ideas, etc. Android users can also download the Google Keep app in the Google Play Store. There is not an iOS app for Google Keep at this time. 

Why would I use it?  What does it do?

This tool is great for teachers and students. Teachers can keep to-do lists and share them with teammates. Students can use them for note taking for research projects, keeping track of homework, and to organize collaborative projects with other students. The ideas are endless! 

Are there similar tools? 
There are other note taking apps/websites out there, like Evernote and OneNote, but Google Keep is completely free, faster for taking notes, and the voice memos are better than those in Evernote and OneNote. In addition, Google Keep will save your notes into Google Drive, and you can log into Keep with your active directory username and password, making it seamless with other tools we use in Cherry Creek. 

Where can I learn more?

Here's is Google's promotional video for Keep: 

Here's a blog post about Google Keep: http://lifehacker.com/not-just-another-notes-app-why-you-should-use-google-k-509256637

Tuesday Tech Tip: Video Editing with WeVideo

 

Some of my first experiences with using technology in my classroom were based around video production. It was a great way to have my students record and share media in exciting and innovative ways. At that time, your options were to use the video editing software that was available for the platform you were using. (ie-iMovie for Macs and MovieMaker for PCs) Now that we have Chromebooks, having an all purpose video editing tool that kids can use anywhere, anytime is essential, and that’s where WeVideo comes in!

WeVideo allows us to use our Google accounts to log in, so once students are in their Chromebooks, connecting to WeVideo is simple. Connecting through Google Drive also allows us to store video and images in our Google Drive so that students have easy access to media when creating their videos. WeVideo will also create a folder in your Google Drive that will be titled, "WeVideo" where your projects will be saved.

Once you’re in WeVideo, you may default to the Storyboard Timeline. It’s a nice, simple format for creating video including a voiceover recording. If you’ve done some video editing before, try switching your Timeline view in the top left corner of the screen to the Simple or Advanced Timelines to give you more options for adding in your voice and other audio tracks.

WeVideo is a great tool to use for digital storytelling. This simple list of steps can help you make your way through a digital storytelling project, as well as any video projects that your students may be completing.

1. Modeling: Create a sample digital story in WeVideo to use as a model for your students.
2. Script Writing: GoogleDocs work well for this part of the process. The writing process is as important as the technology that you will use for your digital storytelling creation. Remember, you need a good script to create a good digital story!
3. Editing: This includes self-editing, peer editing and teacher feedback on your scripts.
   
   
4. Record your scripts:
   
   In WeVideo this is your voiceover. Your voice is the star of your digital story, so this is one of the most important parts of your final product. Recording your script at the beginning of the digital story creation allows you to easily add in your media because you will know exactly how long your story needs to be. Make sure that you are able to create a nice, strong and clear voiceover. Students can record in the hallway or other quiet areas of the school to help with classroom noise interference. You can also take your browser out of full screen on your Chromebooks and open up a second window in order to put your GoogleDoc script side by side with your WeVideo window. This will allow you to read and record your script without printing out any pages.
   
5. Asset Collection: This is where you collect your images, video, and music. You can load your images and video into Google Drive, and then upload them into your WeVideo Media file storage area. WeVideo also includes great options for music, so you don’t have to look any further than the project that you’re working on for a great soundtrack! Remember to choose music that will compliment your story. Lyrics can interfere with your voice recording, and the tone and style of the music should match the feelings expressed in your story.
6. Digital Story Assembly: Once everything is loaded up into your Google Drive, you will then put it all together with your voiceover. When you add in your music, you have a great opportunity to adjust volume levels so that your voice can continue to be the star!
7. Include Citations: Remember to include citations for any images that you use in your project. You can add an End Title to include these citations. If you need extra room for your citations, then try adding more than one End Title.
8. Publishing: You will be sharing your digital story to your Google Drive account. As you Publish, have your students click on the “Public” Button to change their privacy settings in Google Drive to private. Once the video is in Google Drive, they can share it to the individuals who need to view their work.
   

Need more help with creating a WeVideo project? Check out WeVideo Academy Tutorials. You can also check out WeVideo's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to see how WeVideo addresses students under 13 using WeVideo. WeVideo has many plan options, including their free version so that you can find the plan that fits your needs.

Tuesday Tech Tip: Digital Classroom Tools (Schoology, Google Classroom, and gScholar)

Cherry Creek Schools provides many digital tools for the classroom teacher.  Yet, it can sometimes be confusing to figure out which one to use and why.  With the recent release of Google Classroom, our beta testing of gScholar, and our implementation of Schoology, teachers will undoubtedly have questions about what options are available and how these tools support learning.  All three have their place, so let's take a look at how each would best fit into the CCSD classroom.

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We are extremely fortunate to have Schoology (COLE 3.0) as our comprehensive Learning Management System or LMS.  For most of our digital learning needs, Schoology more than fits the bill.  As a CCSD teacher, Schoology is your best option for:

• Organizing your digital classroom (differentiation, customization, and pacing)
• Posting class-wide announcements or updates
• Using online discussion boards
• Posting links, files, images/video, and pages for units and lessons (including audio support)
• Communicating with parents
• Giving online tests/quizzes
• Embedding interactive learning activities
• Assessing both digital and non-digital student work (including alignment to standards)
• Creating digital assignments (work or files can be submitted by students or done off-line)
• Tracking student mastery with specific standards and learning outcomes
• Collaborating and sharing with other teachers on lessons, assessments, and class resources

Because Schoology syncs with PowerSchool, all classes are built automatically and students are added and removed automatically.  

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Google Classroom was released to K-12 Google Apps domains during the week of August 11th. A good supplement to an existing LMS like Schoology, Classroom helps teachers share and organize Google Drive files with classes or groups of students.  (While students can turn in assignments in Classroom, submitting student work in Schoology has many more options for feedback and assessment.)  As a CCSD teacher, Classroom is your best option for:

• sending a Google Doc to students for individual editing (like sending out a Thinking Map or another template for students to edit individually which is automatically shared with you)
• sharing a Google file (presentation, spreadsheet, document or drawing) that you want all students to collaborate on as a group 

Because Google Classroom isn't syncing courses or class rosters, teachers need to create their own classes and manually manage student enrollment and enrollment changes (students can join with a course code or be invited via email).

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gScholar is a tool we've been beta testing to help with classroom management when using Chrome and Chromebooks with students.  (gScholar also has a GoogleDrive management aspect, but with the release of Classroom, it will soon be integrating its services with Google Classroom.)  As a CCSD teacher, gScholar is your best option for:

• sending messages to students using Chromebooks or Chrome
• "pushing" a website to all students using Chromebooks or Chrome
• viewing tabs open on devices using Chromebooks and Chrome (and closing tabs remotely, if necessary)
• taking screen shots of a student Chrome tab (helpful if you want to gather individual student progress on an interactive web site or capture what a student is doing in Chrome or on a Chromebook)

Because gScholar isn't syncing user roles, courses or class rosters, teachers need to have a teacher account created for them (typically by a technology coordinator or other support personnel) and will need to create their own classes and manually manage student enrollment (teachers can add and delete students from their class rosters).

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Ultimately, it's up to teachers to decide how and when to utilize these instructional tools in the classroom.  Want to know more about any of these?  Please contact the Office of Instructional Technology -- we'd be happy to work with you!