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How to Lighten Your Google Classroom Banner Image

How to lighten your google classroom banner image

One of our most popular blog posts to date is, “How to Create a Custom Theme in Google Classroom,” and it’s no secret why, especially now with all of the virtual learning happening. Teachers work tirelessly to create engaging and unique content online for their students. And Google Classroom is the hub and jump-off point that students visit over and over, so this space should be engaging and unique. And what better way to do this than creating a custom theme? It’s so quick and easy, yet impactful. Please be sure to visit our original post to learn how to create a custom theme if you’re not sure how. And please note, when I say “theme,” I’m referring to the banner at the top of the Stream.

To follow up on our ever popular post comes the prevalent question: Why does Google dim my custom banner? It can be infuriating to spend so much time creating something just the way you want it, only to upload it to Google Classroom and have it darkened. I really wish this was a post to tell you how to permanently lighten your dimmed banner, but unfortunately, it’s not. At this moment, there is no way to get around the dreaded dimmed banner.

Since teachers are constantly coming to us asking about this, we thought it’d be helpful to discuss a few things:

  1. Why Google dims custom themes (banners)
  2. How to request Google to change this feature
  3. BONUS – link to an updated custom theme/banner template (Google changed the size since our original post)

WHY THE DIM:

Let’s take a minute to understand why Google dims the banner for us. Google dims custom banners to increase readability. If you have a banner that’s super light, or even white, in certain areas, you may unknowingly hide information that’s super important for you and your students. Please see the images below for reference:

Google’s dimming of the custom image provides readability for the important class information located in the upper, left corner and the edit options in the lower, right corner of the banner.

When I manually remove Google’s readability features (this is just a temporary fix), then the important class information becomes completely hidden:

White is in. We love our clean designs these days – myself included. Maybe Google feels as if many of us would unintentionally hide these important links? I’m not exactly sure if that’s the reason, but it’s definitely an educated guess! This hypothesis leads me perfectly into part 2…

HOW TO REQUEST A CHANGE:

Shouldn’t we be trusted to make our own design decisions? I believe teachers can handle the responsibility of custom design in Google Classroom and that Google should give teachers the responsibility to remove the dimming feature, if they choose. This would require a change, but luckily, Google is always changing. And they make changes based on user feedback – it’s one of my favorite things about Google. They truly want your input, and they listen to it. It’s how they’ve become so awesome and just keep getting better. 

Here’s how you can provide Google Classroom feedback (i.e. Beg that they make the dimmed banner optional!). These steps are copied from Google’s Support Page (visit to learn more about optional features such as submitting screenshots with feedback):

  1. Go to classroom.google.com.
  2. Click the class.
  3. At the bottom left, click Help Report issue or request feature.
  4. Enter your comment.
  5. Click Done.
  6. Click Send.

It’s worth taking the few minutes it takes to send this feedback – the more of us that ask for the change, the more likely we will see it! 

But for now, at least we have the option to upload a custom theme into Google Classroom at all. I guess we have to be thankful for what we do have. 

We have one more treat for you to make your custom theme journey just a bit easier.

UPDATED GOOGLE CLASSROOM CUSTOM TEMPLATE

As stated many times in this post already, Google loves change, and while this is a positive trait, it also keeps us users on our toes. Since we last posted about creating a custom theme in Classroom, they have changed the size of the Classroom banner. I have created an updated, Google Drawing template that has the correct dimensions as of February, 2021. Click here to access this template. Be sure to make a copy of this template versus requesting edit access. Making a copy allows you to make your very own Drawing while preserving the original template for others to copy as well.

So there you have it, folks. I know it’s not the answer you were looking for – I wish I had a better one. But if we all take action, I bet we will see a change soon. What do you do to help you deal with the dim? Please comment below!

Katie Christie is a Google Certified Educator, Innovator, Trainer, and past LearnZillion DreamTeam member. She currently works with the EdTechTeam as a Spotlight Speaker, Online Lead, Keynote, and Blogger. In 2015, she worked as a partner with Google to help rewrite the Google Certification Training Center content. Katie most recently worked as the Technology Integration Specialist at Runyon Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado. She has nine years of experience in the classroom. She spent her first 4 years of teaching in Shaker Heights City Schools in Ohio, a district known for its academic excellence and cultural diversity. Then she had the incredible experience of teaching and learning in a 1:1 Linux-based netbook 5th grade classroom in Littleton, Colorado for 4 years where Google Apps for Education was integrated seamlessly into the curriculum. Katie has been a Lead Learner for the Google Teacher Academy (now known as the Google Innovator Academy) numerous times and helped with the selection process for each Academy. Katie enjoys sharing her passion for effective technology integration in the classroom by networking with other educators, whether the connection happens online or face-to-face.

How to Create Meaningful and Accurate Formative Assessments with EduProtocols

Can you relate to this? – You teach a lesson. You give your students the quiz and there are varying levels of mastery. You create a new lesson that night to then reteach the next day. You check for understanding…the kids totally understand. You quiz again…and they didn’t totally understand. 

Can you relate to this? – Your grade level team identifies an area of need/standard based on old data. You design an assessment to measure this standard. You teach and test. You are hopeful that your students will master this one standard by the end of the year. 

So…let’s try something that may be more effective and inFORMative. Using the EduProtocols, informed instruction will allow for more agility, flexibility, and versatility, while maintaining a student centered focus. With repetition and timely feedback or even feed forward, students receive information and can adjust their learning.

Agility: The power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness

When routines are put into place, processes become more streamlined. Think of your morning routine. The night before, perhaps I pick out what I am going to wear to work and I pack up my lunch so the morning goes more smoothly. This allows the flow of my morning to go swiftly and I am out the door on time. 

The same thing happens with EduProtocols. Early in the school year, I used Thin Slides, 8 pARTS Grammar, and the Frayer model almost daily. Not only did I have a quick idea of what students THOUGHT they knew, I could easily send a new template or frame out for the next activity. Feedback was easier to provide in small, quick doses rather than waiting for the “big assignment”…which would likely be moved to the bottom of the grading pile. 

For example, if the 8 pARTS Grammar assignment indicated that there were groups of students struggling with adverbs and adjectives, I could use that information to create a Frayer for each part of speech. Students would receive the Frayer that correlated with his or her need. Brief, targeted lessons would be taught. The next 8 pARTS assignment would likely be completed properly. 

The agility with which the EduProtocols can be planned, prepped, and assigned is a win for the teacher. I am able to make moves “on the fly” and not have to wait to plan an activity. In a few clicks, I can likely be ready to better meet the needs of the learners in front of me. 

Lesson Idea: 8 pARTS

The 8 pARTS EduProtocol provides for grammar instruction to be authentic and meaningful. This is the ORIGINAL EduProtocol! 

  1. Find a fun picture or gif that will intrigue students. There are a ton on the internet and students will even start providing them!
  2. I engage my students in a Notice and Wonder protocol just to get them talking to each other about what they see in the picture. 
  3. Students fill in the 8 parts of speech noted on the form. This could be broken apart based on the age of your students. You will get an idea really quickly about what your mini lessons need to be. For the first time, we often brainstorm together.
  4. Students use the words they have brainstormed into a paragraph, practicing sentence writing.
  5. Students can swap papers/documents and even mark up the parts of speech with highlighting. 

The agility comes with the fact that this EduProtocol has morphed into Sentence Parts, MathReps, 8 Parts for Primary Sources. When paired with The Fast and the Curious (target specific grammar skills), Thin Slides, Frayer, etc., effective, informed lessons will help students’ skills grow in these areas. Templates can be found here. MathReps can be found here.

Flexibility: The quality of being easily adapted or of offering many different options

EduProtocols are super malleable. They can be twisted, turned, and iterated into something unexpected and amazing. Talk about Universal Design for Learning! Students will start to find ways to adapt to them as well. This is important when looking for a variety of ways students can “show what they know.” Depending on what I need to see for the level of learning, I may opt for a Thin Slide, a Sketch and Tell, or a Mini Report. Each of these would provide me with varying levels of understanding. 

Sketch and Tell can be leveraged across all content areas. The “show” portion can be a simple sketch using online tools or a picture of an actual paper/pencil drawing. Adam Moler has students use Legos, gummy bears, and playdough for this portion of the assignment. The “tell” side can include evidence, a response, a Frayer model, or a Flipgrid. 

Lesson Idea: Sketch and Tell

The flexibility of this EduProtocols is key to keeping things fresh in your classroom and formative assessment:

  • In Language Arts: vocabulary, figurative language, character traits, theme, literary devices.
  • In Science: vocabulary, processes, how-to’s.
  • In Social Studies: vocabulary, events, people, locations
  • In Math: problem solving, explain your thinking, notice and wonder

Sketch and Tell can be used in very sophisticated ways that will add meaning to content and let the teacher see what students know and what needs to be clarified. This provides a wonderful opportunity for students to share with one another or with peers. A Sketch and Tell plus Fligrid would pair nicely with the whiteboard option now in Flipgrid. For the Sketch and Tell Template, please click here. 

Versatility: The state or quality of being useful for or easily adapted to various tasks, styles, fields of endeavor

With all of the EduProtocols, I find the versatility of input, interaction, and output key to keeping me informed about my students and their progress in learning. When teachers use EduProtocols, students consume information, practice with the information, and then meet mastery over time. I spend September to December “training” students to use the EduProtocols. I make slight variations to keep the lessons fresh and engaging. The fact that I don’t have to teach and reteach HOW to use a graphic organizer allows my teaching to be faster as the year goes on. The students practically guide themselves even though the content increases in rigor. 

To keep the lessons unique, vary the input, interaction, and output. This often ends up looking like “choices” in learning, thereby creating buy-in as well. 

Input: Students don’t need to read articles or passages as a sole means of input. Video, commercials, music, poetry, primary sources, pictures, etc. can all serve as the input. Picture books, quotes, and art can even serve as inspiration.

Interaction: Learning should not be a “single rider” experience. Partners, trios and quads can work together collaboratively. Sometimes this can occur synchronously or asynchronously. Breakout rooms allow for real time interaction. Flipgrid can be used as well. Many teachers are making use of applications such as Nearpod, Seesaw, and Peardeck. EduProtocols naturally fold into these helpful tools.

Output: Students cannot just learn by consuming! Evidence of learning can take place in a variety of ways. Students can create using a variety of tools. Google Slides tend to dominate due to their convenience. Other creation tools to consider include: Book Creator, Adobe Spark, Google Drawing, Jamboard, My Maps, etc. 

By offering choice and exposure to new tools, students learn various ways to express their learning. I do think that the number of choices should be limited until students become familiar with the tools. 

Many teachers shy away from varied outputs due to grading. In my opinion, the success of students can be measured in many ways. I find the Single Point Rubric very helpful when evaluating the content of what a student has completed. The article linked previously demonstrates the power of the single point rubric and the impact on student learning. 

Keep your teaching INFORMed

I always thought I knew more about my students than any publisher test ever showed me. The EduProtocols have shown me even more! Thinking is made visible on a variety of levels. My students have become much more articulate in explaining themselves. I know I am making decisions minute by minute based on the information gleaned from INFORMed instruction. 

When I set forth to plan, I know that “there is an EduProtocol for that”! Solid lesson design modeled after Madelnine Hunter’s lesson design elements is simplified with EduProtocols. 

To help you get started, please consider checking out the SmartStart lessons ready to go. These are non-content, low cognitive load activities to get you started. Or, you may consider adopting an EduProtocol of the Week. Here is the Wakelet of EduProtocols!

Kim Voge

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

Teacher Organization Hacks: Declutter your Digital Workspace

Raise your hand if your digital workspace could use a good declutter! You find yourself spending 25 minutes searching for that one Doc you need or you can’t even open your inbox because that unread number causes your stress and anxiety to shoot through the roof.

We’re here to help with some tips for managing multiple Google accounts, organizing bookmarks, and taking control of your inbox. Are you ready to go Marie Kondo on your digital workspace? Let’s dive right in!

All of the tips below include G Suite tools and demonstrated inside Google Chrome.

Tip #1: How to Manage Multiple Google Accounts

If you’re like us, then you have multiple Google accounts. You’re constantly signing in and out of your personal or work account, but things get messy this way. Something always gets created under the wrong account making it even harder to find what you’re searching for. Our solution…separate your digital houses. There are two ways to access your Google account: log into your account inside your preferred browser or create a separate Chrome profile for each account. Spoiler alert – option two is the one you want! In the video below, Amanda Taylor is showing you exactly what we mean by “separate your digital houses” and how to switch between your accounts with the click of a button to keep everything separated so you can always find what you’re looking for inside your account.

Tip #2: How to Organize Your Bookmarks

This might seem like a simple tip, but trust us when we say that it’s a game-changer! Go and look at your bookmarks. How many do you have? How often do you actually use what you have saved to your bookmarks? Now, what are those top 6-10 websites you visit every day? Are they bookmarked or do you find yourself typing out the websites in your search box again and again because somehow it just feels easier?

If you’re like the majority of people (even us!) you’re bookmarks are a little out of control. The thing about bookmarks is they can save us so much time if they are used correctly. We’re talking about saving icons to your bookmark bar to take up less space, utilizing folders, and organizing your bookmarks so you can quickly and easily access what you need and use the most. In the video below, Amanda is showing you how to do all of this step-by-step.

Tip #3: How to Take Control of Your Inbox

We’ve saved the best for last…taking control of your inbox. If we had a dime for every time someone said they were excited to open their inbox we would have about 2 dimes. Shocking we know, but most people dread opening their inbox. We want to change that! We want to help you manage your inbox and get you to the point where you maybe aren’t excited to open your inbox, but you don’t feel that overwhelming stress when you see that unread number.

We’re showing you how to remove old emails from your inbox (quickly!), create filters & labels so you can easily search and find what you’re looking for, and how to set up your inbox so it best works for you. Dive into Amanda’s top tips in the video below.

We’ll be tackling Google Drive, Calendar, and Chrome extensions in another post, but for now, we hope you found all of these tips helpful and you can start to declutter your digital workspace. Let us know in the comments below if you’ll be incorporating any of these tips into your daily workflow.

Looking for ways to tried and true techniques, customizable templates, proven protocols, and interactive support to create high-impact learning experiences in your classroom?

Check out our virtual conference – Untamed Learning and get access to 32 sessions to help you ignite your teaching practice in 2021! 

 

5 Top Tools for Distance Learning

This blog post is sponsored by Acer Education, a partner of EdTechTeam.

These are just a few of the tools featured in our free online course about Distance Learning Tools. 

Screencastify

Lights, camera, Screencastify!

Screencastify for education is an easy-to-use, free browser extension that can flip a classroom to online learning. 

You generally need a Chrome device or browser to use the tool. Then you can share directly to Google Classroom.

The free version includes all of the recording features but there is currently a 5-minute maximum for each video.  The unlimited version allows longer videos and has more features available.

Here are some various ways to integrate screencasting activities in your classroom, including fluency practice to slideshow narration. 

Screencastify Submit easily integrates with Google Classroom to send assignments to students without needing the Chrome extension.

Screencastify has compiled e-learning resources for educators, available here.

Canva

Canva is a fremium product that is free for teachers… Students and teachers can use this powerful tool to make design products of professional quality.

Users can create beautiful infographics, posters, brochures, booklets, etc. with all kinds of effects, filters, fonts, and more. 

There is a wide array of templates available, including various sizes specifically formatted for social media platforms.

Search to find loads of high-quality free images available for use; of course you can upload your own images as well. It is important to discuss Digital Citizenship and copyright issues with students. 

Users can duplicate pages and collaborate with teams on the various elements. Please note that live editing at the same time is not currently possible.

The upgrade allows users to access additional files and features, such as the ability to automatically resize an existing file to different sizes.

If you’re not sure about your skills or how to get started, enroll in the free Canva in the Classroom Design School or for some of the multitude of other tutorials. 

Edpuzzle

Teachers will find that Edpuzzle is an easy, awesome way to flip a classroom. Students can engage with videos that teachers have created or adapted for their own use, with their own voiceovers and inquiries.

People all around the world have already created many files that are available to use.

You can copy those files and edit them (e.g. crop, change questions, etc.) for your own use or create your own original videos. Teachers may also place restrictions on the video and how the students can interact with it. Their scores will go directly to the Gradebook.

There are several LMS Integrations that Edpuzzle works nicely within. 

Check out the certifications and professional development offered by Edpuzzle here.

Edpuzzle is currently free for educators with other optional plans and upgrades. If your school has been affected by closures, see how to sign up for Edpuzzle Pro here.

Nearpod

Nearpod is a free add-on that can be used with Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint (or a converted Keynote)… Add slides by importing your own files, starting with a blank presentation or using one of the many templates in the lesson library. 

It is an excellent tool for keeping social emotional learning and connections, especially during remote learning. Instead of a static presentation that produces a lecture, learning comes alive with students participating in tasks, virtual field trips, polls and much more.

You can set time limits of any amount, which might be useful to help pacing within a limited live class or provide guidance in a student-paced lesson. Live lessons are free with the Silver version and can be done live with up to 40 students. 

 Some of the activities could be used collaboratively in breakout rooms in online learning platforms, when available (e.g. Zoom). 

Reports

Teachers can see students’ results and participation and then offer feedback and targeted support based on responses. You can download a sample report on the right. 

Resources 

Nearpod is currently offering additional free resources here.

Soundtrap 

Soundtrap for Education is an online, everywhere studio. It can be used anywhere on any device and is entirely powered by the cloud. 

Music makers and storytellers – this one’s for you (but not just you!)… 

“Soundtrap is a game changer for my students. It has helped them learn that music is a tool that can spark the imagination and bring people together. Once those doors are open the possibilities are endless.”

Melissa Salguero

Music Teacher at PS 48

Soundtrap links nicely to several various learning platforms to enhance your digital classroom. It has several functions that make it a safe and easy tool for teachers and students to use. 

Studio

Users can create and edit sound and music files together or independently. 

Podcasts

The users can make podcasts and can even do so collaboratively. 

Pricing

The annual subscription information can be found here.

Soundtrap for Education is a tool that can be used by any teachers wishing to infuse creativity and innovation in their classroom, whether virtual or otherwise.
If you would like to learn about more tools, enroll in our free  ‘10 Distance Learning Tools’ online course! 

Quick Links:

Explore and apply the novel tools that educators are using to integrate technology in the classroom with more free online courses, sponsored by ACER. https://www.edtechteam.online/acer  

Jessica is a Google Certified Innovator with more than 15 years’ experience educating students of all ages. She obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology while working on a federal grant with her University of Southern California professors. She’s also been an online instructor for her alma mater, helping teaching candidates acquire their credentials and infuse technology in their classrooms. She has lived and worked in several schools worldwide as a teacher, coordinator and librarian. She’s conducted ICT, GATE and IB PYP professional development in the US, Italy, Germany and the UK. Meanwhile, Jessica has designed curriculum, presented at conferences and contributed to educational articles and textbooks published internationally. She believes teaching students literacy skills (of all types) is essential to promote lifelong learning.

How to Create an Engaging Virtual Classroom

Excitement and anticipation comes with the beginning of any new school year no matter whether you are a teacher, parent, or student. That is certainly true even more so now. In fact, with all that is going on in education as a response to the pandemic, we could give these emotions more honest monikers like anxiety, worry, trepidation, fear, and discomfort. We have all had our comfort zones completely demolished. As teachers, we are normally expected to plan and be ready to pivot in case the unexpected happens, which it always does. This is usually something that, as we gain in experience, we are able to do with greater fluidity.

As a planner, I write out my plans for everything, school, home, and family. You name it and I probably have a set of “To Do’s” for it. As a teacher, normally by this time in the summer I will have mapped out my plans for at least the first month of school.  This includes all of the labs and hands-on activities that are so vital in Chemistry for grabbing my student’s attention and building the necessary relationships from teacher to student and from student to student. However, this year we are tasked with planning for the ultimate unknown. We do not know who will be in our class or how many of them will attend. Will they be in-person or remote? How will we reach out to them and connect to build relationships? What will work best to reach them if they aren’t communicating? How much support will they receive from their homes? What struggles have they experienced during this time? Do they have connectivity? Do they have to watch their siblings? When will we get to meet them in person? This doesn’t even include any of the content that we have to cover on a pretty tight schedule.

Building relationships with my virtual students seems to be the first and largest stumbling block. To solve this problem I started paying much closer attention to my email inbox where I found several articles on engaging students remotely and creating a powerful remote learning experience. It was overwhelming, to say the least, and there are so many resources, tips, and techniques that you can use.

I started down a rabbit hole and jumped from one resource to another. I was going nowhere fast and getting frustrated with all of the options promising solutions to my challenge of how to engage my students from day one. I finally decided that I needed to start with my virtual classroom and was inspired by WeAreTeachers. I know that many have jumped on the Bitmoji Classroom train and this is not a new idea or original idea, but this looked like fun and I really wanted to try something new. The old back-to-school get to know your stuff was really no longer relevant and I wasn’t going to be able to do a Mad Scientist Demonstration or the Re-Enactment of Laboratory Eye Safety that I have always used.

How to create a bitmoji classroom

How to Create a Bitmoji Classroom

To get started I did what my students do, I consulted the all-knowing internet! I found and used the Youtube channel for Thomas Blakemore who teaches in Dubai which helped me be able to get started. My first step was to make myself a Bitmoji. To do this, I had to use my cell phone to download the Bitmoji App. When I opened the app, I was directed to take a picture of myself which, amazingly, turned me into a cartoon character!! I am constantly surprised and have that feeling of, “Well would you look at that! What will they think of next?!!!” I know I am not ahead of the times and this app has been around for a while, but it was new to me!

The videos I have watched of the very insanely talented teachers who use their own virtual classrooms to teach their online students strongly recommended that you should make the classroom look as close as possible to your real classroom. This way when they do get to come back to the classroom, it will seem at least a little familiar. The first step was to create the base of my virtual classroom. To do this, I created a new Google Slides Presentation and selected “insert” from the top menu, “image”, and then “search the web”. I searched for “wall and floor”, which brought up several options to choose from.

From here, I started building my virtual classroom with inserted images that mirror the furniture, posters, whiteboards, etc. that fill my real classroom. I learned that using the term “transparent” after any term helps you find the type of pictures needed to design your room more realistically. Once you have all of your elements, you can customize everything to fit in your room.

I do want to emphasize that I am in no way am I an expert at this. In fact, this process of designing my virtual classroom took me the better part of a day and I’m still refining and adding things.

The purpose I had for this virtual classroom was for it to be a spot where students could look for references, tools, and information. To accomplish this, I began inserting the links that I wanted my students to be able to find and use. Linked to the corkboard in the upper left of the classroom is a Padlet app that will act as our class’ virtual bulletin board. As a part of their first-day assignment, I will have my students post a picture of themselves in their workspace at home. I hope it not only shows me what they look like but gives me just a little glimpse into their environment. In the future, I will continue to use this space to celebrate awesome student work and facilitate relationship building.

If you click on my Bitmoji, you will get a link to a video I created in Screencastify of the real me introducing myself. Other links include chemistry safety rules behind the Minion, our classroom management system, Canvas, an interactive periodic table, the log-in for our online textbook, and our class syllabus.

My plan is to have my students take the time to investigate all that my virtual classroom has to offer and then see if they can answer the questions found in the virtual scavenger hunt I will post in a quiz format. I really want them to interact with it enough so that we can build engagement and I hope it works. My plan is to modify this classroom once a week and add in things that are relevant to the learning for that week, the whiteboard will have a new announcement, and my picture will have a different video for further directions. My virtual classroom is nowhere near as awesome as some of the teachers’ I have seen and I could second guess myself into doing nothing new or different, but what if it works? Or what if it opens the door to learning for just a few more kids? Then my efforts are well worth it. If you have any good ideas for how you are going to build engagement in your virtual classroom, I’d love to hear about it please share in the comments below!

 

Jennifer Schero