Video on a Chromebook - No Problem!

More and more schools are equipping students with Chromebooks as another tool in the toolbox of the 21st Century educator.  Making use of the webcam is something that kids love to do but using it requires opening up app and resources that are not always the best for kids under the age of 13. While a resources like WeVideo is great, it has many steps and is not one I would consider to be a simple solution for a teacher that wants to do a simple one-take video.  So, I went searching, and I found it!

Clipchamp is a web-based service that is great for kids as  the videos that you make never leave your computer, there is no needed account to set up and it is free!  Students can record up to a 5 minute video using ClipChamp.  Once the video is recorded they can either download the video to their device or they can share it.  Sharing the video give them options to send the video to Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook or.... GOOGLE DRIVE!  Yea!  How perfect for schools using Chromebooks! ClipChamp is also available as a Google Chrome App in the Chrome Web Store here.


Simple directions for using ClipChamp are here:

Clipchamp is marketed as a video trans coder or converter so  you will notice that from the home page there are two options:

For classroom use and to simply record a video:

1. Go to ClipChamp.com
2. Click Record Video 
3. Click to Allow the browser to access to webcam and microphone
4. After the 3, 2, 1 countdown, record the video
5. Once you are done, the screen will change to a green color and you will notice two buttons for "Share Video" and "Save to Computer"
6. The "Save to Computer" will save the video 
7. Hover over Share Video and option of:  YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and Google Drive appear in the drop down menu
8. When you allow ClipChamp to save to the Google Drive, you will be given options as shown when saving.  Complete the form and Publish!

From Google Drive the video can be shared with only certain people.  The integration with Google Drive is key here because it allows students the opportunity to create a simple video and share it with their peers or teacher.  Another great tool to help kids show what they know!

Take a Tour or Create your Own!

Google Earth Tour Builder, while not a new tool is one that came to mind after sharing yesterday's post about the resource myHistro.  Both tools are similar and make use of maps and visuals.  Google Tour Builder combines Google Earth and a slideshow in which you can incorporate images, videos and text to connect locations all across the globe to tell a story.  While the first thought that comes to mind might be history, there are plenty other ideas for use including biographies, tours of locations, field trip summaries and literature studies.
Google Tour Builder is a tool that requires a computer (not a Chromebook or iPad).  On the computer it does require the Google Earth Plugin.

Creating a Tour is not challenging!  Check it out!

1.  Begin at www.tourbuilder.withgoogle.com.  Sign in to your Google Account and  click "Create New Tour".
2.  Complete the "let's get started" page.
3.  The Next page is where you begin to introduce you Tour.  Complete the highlighted items and use the available tools to manage the view.

4.  Click add a location on the left side panel
5.  Type your location into the search or drop a placemark in a location you see on the map.  Click "add to tour".

6.  Once you Add to tour you then open a window in which you can personalize this location.  You can add up to 25 photos and videos, dates, a story about the location, and even change the icon that represents the location on the map.  One area not to neglect is the Pan/Tilt/and Zoom of the view in which the location on the map is viewed.  Once you have it set, don't forget to "lock the view".

7.  Continue to add your locations and they will build on the tour timeline on the left.  Once you are done, click "Save Now".  

8.  Then, just as you would share another Google Doc, you will see a "share" button in the top right hand corner.  Click on the share button and change the visibility to your desired settings.  Click "done" and you have created your first tour! 

If this step-by-step does not help you out, give this tutorial a try!

Fluency Supported.....Digitally

Oral reading fluency can be so difficult to assess naturally with students as well as time consuming.  As an educator collecting running records from students I have often wondered about the students who get nervous reading aloud to me and how that affects their performance.  Then I heard about Fluency Tutor by Texthelp, and I can't wait to see it in action.

Fluency Tutor is an online tool, available in the Chrome Webstore as an app for both students and teachers, that supports oral reading fluency and comprehension.  The software incorporates Lexile-leveled passages for students in elementary and secondary levels.  Students are able to work independently to practice reading, record and submit assessments and monitor their progress.  Educators can assign specific passages to practice or assess, collect and listen to the students' submitted work and then mark or score them when time allows.  Teachers can set targets for students including Correct Words Per Minute and Lexile levels.  Parents have the ability to listen to the information the students have recorded as well.
After learning more about this resource, I wondered about that shy or those that get anxious about reading in the corner or hall to their teacher of reading specialist.  This resource seems like it would break down this barrier for many students.  I am excited to explore this software with students!

A great tutorial is included below:

Google Forms Getting Better and Better

Great news came through the Google Apps Update Alerts that is specific to Google Forms.  There were three big changes that will make Google Forms even better for the use in the classroom.  Some of the changes do not appear on my Google Apps for Education Account but are already available on my personal account.  Here is a quick preview of what has changed:



Shuffle Questions:  By checking the box "Shuffle Question Order" which appears in the Form Settings, a user will find the questions are put in a different order per user.  According to the Article in the user settings, this will also shuffle the images and videos along with you form.  There is no mention of how things are recorded on the response spreadsheet, but through tests I did determine that the shuffled questions are still recorded in the proper order making grading and scripts still usable.
Allow One Response Per Person:  By checking this box, you would be able to limit people form making multiple responded.  This is great in the classroom where students are voting or should only have one attempt at the form.  This can actually be done without collecting a user name as the form will ask for the user to sign in, but the form does not collect the information only uses it to be sure duplicate responses are not allowed.

Shorter URL's:  When you have finished the form and click "Send Form" at the end of the form a new option will appear as shown.  You can still use the regular URL generated, or you can select for Google to shorten the URL right from this box by clicking the box next to "short URL" and the URL will be changed to a shortened version that you can still copy.  While I think this is a great tool, for younger kids I still prefer a URL shortener that allows you to customize the extension of the URL.

Search it:  Much like you see in Doc and Slides, you will now see a "search the menu" shortcut that will allow you to get to many of the features in Firms without having to find the option in the menus.  If you want to Insert an Image, you can easily use this search area and type"image" or the keystroke Alt+/ and "image" and it will open that feature for you.  The option as shown below appears if you have minimized the menus.

Google Maps in the Classroom

Google Maps are not just for getting around when you don't know your way...

Google offers some great ways to make use of maps in the classroom.  They offer tutorials and resources for all types of map use.  From beginning tutorials to more complex, there is a lot to consider.  One thing is for certain, this is a resource I wish I saw more use of in the classroom.

Here are a few ideas that I found as I did some exploring:


Google Earth - Allows students to interact with and explore the world in ways unique to the computer experience.  While we would all love to head out to Rome and see the history and artifacts there, Google Earth uses imagery that allows kids to travel back in time and view different locations to see how they have changed.  with resources that show ideas such as they US Presidents or the trail of Lewis and Clark, this resource will add amazing depth to your units of study.  Explore 3D imagery of locations such as Mars in Google Earth or the landing sites of the moon.  Students can make use of Real World Math and other lesson plans that use Google Earth to learn new skills.  Additionally, Using Tours you can create and play tours of places and content.  Tours are a "flying" Google Earth experience in which students will be able to view terrain, maps and navigate using 3D images and even audio.  So much to explore.

Google Maps - One of the many resources that Google provides to users is the Google Map.  There are many ways in which you can use Google Maps each allowing for different ideas within the classroom.  One of my favorite ways to make use of Maps is to use Maps Engine to build your own map.  The tool allows you to draw on a map, enter and visualize data, add layers and set specific points for various resources.  An easy to follow tutorial can be found here.

Additional Resources:

Google Maps in the Classroom - Created by CUE and WestEd for Google
Google Maps - from Teaching History
How to Create a Map Using Google Maps Engine
40+ Ideas on Using Google Earth and Maps in the Classroom

Videos:

Booktrack Classroom

Reading on a digital device is what you make of it, but reading on a digital devices that has an enhanced effects is really fun!  That is what Booktrack Classroom is all about.  This great site allows a teacher to create a book or essay to be published  for students with enhancements in the form of a movie-style soundtrack and sound effects.  Studies cited on the website indicate that there is a significant increase in comprehension and engagement for those students who read using Booktrack.  Booktrack is an app in the Google Chrome Webstore!

Creating an account, class and students seems to be simple.  See blow for information on Terms of Service.  I am excited to see how this can be used with text from a site such as Newsela with the added soundtrack enhancements to engage students with text right at their level.  Another really great tool natural to reading text using Booktrack is that you can adjust the pace of the track to provide the reader with a more successful pace of reading.  Students that create and publish their own writing through this site can then add a soundtrack to their own work, adding interest and excitement.  

The Terms of Service on this site indicate you cannot create and account for kids under 13 although that is unclear as the teacher blogs are very clear about its use with kids at the elementary level.  I have written the help desk for clarification to see if that only applies for the creation studio or if it apples to all around use.  I'll update this post if I hear back.  

Here's a great video that will give you an idea of how this tool works: 

One Stop Page for Student Learning Online

Blendspace is another resource (Similar to Been for Edu) that I am really excited to see used in a designated device environment. Using Blendspace a teacher can collect resources from various locations online for a class or lesson topic and share them out for learning by sharing just one URL to the class.  I love this resource as it will allow you to share media and resources from all areas.  You can share videos from YouTube, those that you have created yourself or from Educreations, a video creation resource.  Presentations, documents, links, images, and the ability to bring information directly from your Google Drive, make it possible to easily focus the attention of the students on a topic or idea.  In addition this tool would be very helpful in pulling together Flipped learning resources per unit in a class or course.  Students are given a code used to get to the Blendspace class that you have created.  There are ways to use quizzes within the resource, track students progress and easily adjust resources to meet the needs of the class. 

Check out how to use Blendspace here:

ExamTime ~ So Much More than Exams!

I recently came across a post on Educational Technology and Mobile Learning's blog that shared 7 Great Web Tools to Help Students Study Collaboratively.  I explored some new ones, but one that really caught my eye was ExamTime.  From the name, I expected it to be an assessment tool, but it is really so much more than that and very useful as a learning platform overall and it is FREE.
An overview video gives you just a snapshot, but I'll explore the great tools contained in the resource as well:

MindMaps Map Tool

Good digital maps that don't require accounts, are easy to download and use can be hard to find. The ExamTime MindMaps tool allows you to easily map out thinking, connect other ExamTime tools, add notes to nodes and collaborate on all your thinking.  You can play an animated version of the MindMap as well as download a png of the map when done.  A how-to video is also available.  

Flashcards Tool

Memorization work in a classroom is tedious but paper flash cards are even more tedious.  As a parent, I hate them as I find the "set" in the bottom of a backpack but never know if the set is complete.  Digital flashcards, easily shared among classmates and easy to make are a great feature within MindMaps.  Check out the how-to video here.

Quiz Tool

The Quiz Tool is provided as a tool that students can use to help study for the exams the teacher might give, but not necessarily to replace the teacher's assessment.  I created a simple quiz and was delighted to see that you can send the quiz out via URL or embed.  This only works if the quiz is public.  A private quiz can be shared with someone through an ExamTime account grouping or via direct email.  This makes the quiz tool a ver usable resource.  The user experience with the Quiz Tool is great!  After taking a quiz, the user submits for results and then can even review each question.  Again, a great tutorial is available to making a quiz.

StudyPlanner

Study planner provides as student with a drag and drop organizational tool that would make partitioning out a larger task into work-able pieces, plan out group work with a team and/or set up tasks to ensure completion.  While similar to Google's Calendar, it might be a resource for older students to see the details in a sequential manner.  The video is also complete on this tool.

There are a few other tools with this great resource that are somewhat repetitive to the Google Apps tools such as the Notes feature, but this is certainly a resource that is worthwhile to explore for a classroom.  Students that need supervision, organizational help, and teacher support, will find this to be very valuable.  

Add-On Additions!

Google Docs has a few new Add-Ons that are worth checking out! It had been a while since I check back into the Google Add-on menu.  I suspect that the resources available in the Google Docs Add-on page will grow quickly and in just the past few weeks there are some notable new ones.
If you are not familiar with Google Docs Add-ons, they appear in the main menu bar after opening a Google Doc or Sheet.  You will see different Add-ons depending on which App you are using.  The ones that run on a Google Spreadsheet (like the Doctopus Add-on) have no use for a Document, so they do not show when entering the Add-ons from a Document.  To explore the Add-ons first open a Document or Spreadsheet.  In the top menu bar, click Add-ons, and Get Add-ons as shown:

Much like you would see in the Google Store, you will see icons of the available Odd-ons.  Clicking on the icon will bring up information about that specific tool.  The benefit of Add-ons is that they work within the document type that you are working on and you do not have to leave the document to make use of the tool.  When this feature first become available, you just knew it was something that would take off, and I suspect it is beginning to!

Here are a few of the new Add-ons I am excited to explore how they can make a difference in the classroom as well as some that have been there from the start but are worth looking at again!:

Docs Add-ons

g(Math)

This Add-on addresses a problem that math teachers have complained about when using Google Docs for some time.  This tool will allow the user to create complex math and graphs from within the Google Doc from a sidebar tool.  There is a graph creator by which you type in an equation (y= formatted) and it will display the graph for the equation.  It also will create geometric signs, custom characters and formulas.  The creator of g(Math) has a great tutorial that will be valuable to those deciding if this is a worthwhile Add-on:

Openclipart

A second tool that is available in Google Docs is OpenClipArt.  This resources provides over 50,000 images as clip art from a sidebar in the Google Docs window.  This is a fantastic resource for educators and students wanting to add interest, color or image resources to their work.  

Sheets Add-ons

Doctopus

Doctopus is a well-loved scripts that you used to have to access through the scripts menu but is now and Add-on.  This script takes you class spreadsheet of names and emails and will organize and disseminate documents, assignments, and materials to certain or all students' Google Drives.  It will name the documents for each student and will even allow you to set up sharing settings.

This video should get you started:

Flubaroo

Again, a well-loved script that is now available as an Add-on, Flubaroo is fantastic.  This script will support you as you assess students.  It will help you to grade, analyze and even email the students the results of the assessment.  An overview video should help you see what this script has to offer:

All of these Add-ons seem to be "adding on" quickly to keep checking back for more!