Help! My Big Black Bar is Gone!

While the title is an exaggeration, I have heard as many comments about this as I have cheers for the tool's disappearance over the last week or so. So here's the scoop:

The infamous Big Black bar that has supported us in our navigation though the Google Apps has been replaced.  If not for you yet, it will be as we roll through updates in the district it will be soon.  It was replaced by what I have heard referred to as the 3x3 grid or the white bar.  Not sure what Google is calling it but it looks like this in the top corner of a Google screen:

So, what does one do instead?  There are several options, besides just getting used to the new system.  One option I have read great reviews about is an extension called Black Menu.  Black Menu can be added through the above link or by searching Black Menu in the Google Chrome Store.  Make sure you look to the extension section for it and click the Blue Free button to add it to Chrome.  It will add an icon next to the address bar of Google Chrome that appears like this: 

Once you set it up by giving permissions and following the directions, you will find it becomes a great tool and even introduces you to some tools you might not be using.  I like that i can quickly mouse over the news section and see quick headlines or glance at email or calendar items.

I also frequently hear from people that without the apps icons or black bar to navigate, people do not know how to get to certain tools.  While we have provided links on the district website for gMail access, each of these tools has a website address.  Some of those you might use often are listed below. Remember the icons are really only links to these URLs.

gMail:  mail.google.com
Google Calendar:  www.google.com/calendar
Google Drive: drive.google.com
Google Sites:  sites.google.com

Grammar Checking and Spelling Tool

Another great app, easily added to the Chrome Apps options or as an extension, is the Spell and Grammar Checker by Ginger.  This is a great tool for improving word choice, sentence structure and grammar as well as an added spell checker.  Like many apps there is a paid version of the tool that would add voice and speech capabilities to the tool, it seems as if the free version might be worth looking at.
Simply copy and past text into the text box after launching the app and watch it work.  For the text and spelling options I tested it with, it worked great.
The extension is more advanced as it works within the documents that you use in Chrome to check the text you enter as you type.  This might be something that is far too distracting for students learning to type and making frequent errors, but it also might be something that would help them better monitor text as it is entered rather than watching fingers on the keyboard.  Only way to know is to give it a try. A video is inserted below that demonstrates the extension.  Give this one a try.  Please share your opinion as to how it works in the classroom setting.

Fraction Strips Made Easy - Digitally!

Teaching fractions can be such a difficult concept for kids.  Memories of creating fraction strips with 30 students and trying very hard to get them to fold them into thirds, or fifth, or ninths still makes me break out in hives.  You can imagine my excitement when I found Fraction Wall a digital fraction strip creator!

The fraction wall will help students learn equivalent fractions.  Students click on the parts of the whole to indicate different fractions.  This app also has boxes, which can be hidden, that show the value of the fraction selected.  Least common multiple can also be calculated with this app making adding, subtracting, or comparing fractions visual for students.  

An image of the app's dashboard is shown below.  This might be a great app to automatically add to the student accounts!

The video tutorial is below!

Background Music for Projects

About a month ago YouTube launched a great resource for educators.  They added a music library from which you can preview and download background music for movies, projects and general use.  The policies for this library of music allow you to use them for creative purposes as they are Royalty Free.  From the Google Blog:

Any YouTube creator now has access to more than 150 royalty-free instrumental tracks you can use for free, forever, for any creative purpose (not just YouTube videos). You’ll find a link to the library in your video manager and you can browse the tracks by mood, genre, instrument and duration. The tracks can be downloaded as 320 Kbps MP3 files."  

The library can be found that this site.  I listened to a few of the tracks found and could instantly think of some great classroom connections.  There is no doubt that some of the best videos are made even better because of the music track beneath the video.  YouTube explores just that in their blog post about this new resource.  I am wondering what creative educators and their students making use of these soundtracks might be able to use.

Discovery Virtual Conference

Discovery Education is a great resource to the district for many reasons.  I think that teachers have been really enjoying the media access they have but what about all the others things? This past weekend Discovery ran the Discovery Virtual Conference.  This conference is all online streamed through the Internet.  You attend virtually or by meeting others and logging in together.  While we have held virtual conference meetings in the district in the past, this year it was not possible.  If you were fortunate enough to attend from the comfort of your home, good for you!  If you didn't attend or are just reading about it here, you can still participate! Each of the amazing sessions were recorded and have bee archived at this site.  Some amazing experts and Discovery speakers shared on Saturday and these are not to be missed.  Check them out!  Discovery Virtual Conference Archives

Search and Find - Google Search Tips

I have been seeing a lot of great posts that offer Google search tips for for efficient searching.  Some are lists, others a little more.  I often find myself filtering as I read with the education lens.  Would a teacher use this?  What teacher would find this helpful?  Could you teach this to kids?  How would kids remember this?  As a result I decided to write this post. Google search tips pulled together with the educator in mind.

1. Keep it Simple - with a Google search less is more.  You will get a broader result from a query that is a few words versus a sentence.  So if you find yourself searching using a phrase, try shortening it to one or two words and see how your results change.
2. Use Quotes - If you are searching for an exact match in your results search using quotation marks in you search.  For example searching "I have a dream" will bring over 17 million results that are the exact wording as you searched.  However, if you search simply I have a dream without quotation marks, you have a broader search that also includes the speech itself, but  other resources bringing the resource list over 222 million hits.
3. Case  - Search is NOT case sensitive.  It will make no difference if you search New York City or new york city.  Although that pains us as educators, it might make things more efficient for a student who is not so proficient with the shift key.
4. Search a site - If you know something is found on a specific website but cannot locate the information, Google Search the site!  After your search terms include site: and the name of the website.  for example to find the educator effectiveness section on the WI DPI site you would search educator effectiveness site: dpi.wi.gov
5. Don't Punctuate - Search will ignore punctuation in your search query.  If you search best coffee house muskego?, you will get the same results as best coffee house muskego.
6. Find Related Pages - If you have a great page but would like to find another source to check reliability, search for related sites but entering the word related: followed by the website of the address you are looking to find a related site for.
7. Definitions - Search will find definitions for you!  Search define: and the word you are looking to find a definition for.
8. Calculate - You might not want to share this one, but if you type any equation into the search bar, Google search will calculate the problem and offer the answer.
9. Shake it up! - If you teach about earthquakes, each day you share the earthquake activity by getting the US Geological Survey data on recent earthquake activity by typing earthquake in the search bar.
10. Speak up - Search using the microphone!  In the Google search bar there is a microphone which will allow you to speak your search terms instead of typing the words.  For some students this might be very helpful.  Chromebooks all have microphones built in!
11. File Type Search - Do a search for a specific file type like a Powerpoint.  Search like this:  your search topic filetype:ppt 

Google Doc - Drawing App

A tool readily available and likely under used for it's potential in the classroom is Google's Drawing tool.  This app, found in the same place as Docs, Presentation, Spreadsheet, and Forms, is a canvas on which you can create a drawing, mind map or poster to name a few ideas, for use in the classroom or easily within any of the other Google Apps.  What I really like about Google Drawing is that it follows the same sharing format as the other apps within Google, allowing you to set share settings.  This tool would be invaluable in creating math assessments and maps or diagrams as you can insert an image to the canvas and then work from that image.  A basic "how to " follows, but consider possibilities as you create with Google Drawing App.

1. From your Google Drive click "Create"
   
2. Select Drawing from the drop down menu.
   
   Following the steps below and the image above, work with your drawing to create a great image.
3. Name your drawing for sharing and storage in Google Drive.
4. The checkered canvas is your work space and although checkered, this does not show when the image is saved.  This is your work space.  You can click the image icon and bring in resources from your computer here.
5. Use the drawing and shape tools to point out important area or to create the image you want to display.
6. Use text boxes to give directions, Label items or add text features.  In the Insert drop down menu you will find Word Art and tables that might be helpful within your image.
7. When you are done creating your image share as you would any other Google Doc using the Share button.
   
8. You can also download your image to your computer under the file menu if you would like to use the image in another area.  Download options include saving as a jpeg or pdf.  

If you want any help working with Google Drawing, let your Technology Integrators know and we would be happy to work with you!