The Friday Tech Tip

Happy Friday! This week Google Docs has release some new features for their Voice Typing Feature. Voice Typing is a speech to text function where you and your students can speak into your Google Docs. (Click on this picture to make it larger) To get to this feature open up Google Docs, click on tools, and select Voice Typing. From here click on the microphone and begin to speak into your document. This could be a great feature for students to brainstorm or create a rough draft.     Now using Voice Typing students can utilize almost any command.  For a list of new features click HERE .  Below is a video that demonstrates the new features of Voice Typing. If you have questions about Voice Typing please let me know and we can find a time to talk about this.  This is a great way to Augment and Modify lessons with Google Docs. Take Care, Clint

Happy Friday!!! Have your students ever utilized Google Spreadsheets?  Spreadsheets are great to graph information, manipulate data, and preform math calculations and that is just scratching the surface.   Spreadsheets can be used collaboratively, and also be pushed out in Google Classroom.   Here are three of my favorite ways to use Spreadsheets: 1. Have Students Graph their Data.  It's much simpler than it use to be.  Students can select the data that they want to graph, and click the graph data and they can see a visual representation of their information. ((Click on the picture to make it full screen))  Students can use this to track assignments, behavior data, Split times for Physical Education, etc... Another way to use spreadsheets is to preform  basic math calculations. To make a formula to preform calculations you start by typing the equal sign and then using words like Sum, Difference, Average, etc. For example, to add all the numbers in a column you could ty

Happy Friday, I have had several requests lately of places where Teachers and students can access primary resources.  Below are some sites that may be beneficial to you and your class. If you have questions about any of these please let me know. Take Care, Clint World Digital Library   - The World Digital Library is sponsored by the United Nations and the Library of Congress to offer free access to  thousands of different documents, pictures, and recording from places all over the world. The WDL can  be browsed by place, time, topic, or  type of item.  All content can be browsed by 7 different languages (See the website for more information about this  Library of Congress  -  The Library of Congress has a digital collection that is really easy to view. There is no login required and all material is free. One of the things that I like about this is that they have rotating  "Digital Collections" Students can see primary documents, pictures, video, and audio.

Happy Friday!! Last week I blogged about using Voki in the classroom. Matt Smith, a 7th grade teacher at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, decided to give it a try with his class and use it as Digital Closer for his students. HERE is an example that one of his students made Way to go Mr. Smith's class! In all of the schools that I serve we have discussed the SAM-R model.  One of the ways that is easiest for me to think of the concept of the SAM-R model is to use Google Apps  as the reference when thinking about SAM-R.  Examples: Substitution - My class is typing instead of writing. (No enhancement) Augmentation - We are using Google Docs and we are using the all changes saved in drive feature  to see our edits. (Some enhancement due to technology) Modification - I am leaving Comments on my students documents and we are able to edit together in real time. (Lot's of enhancement due to technology)  That brings us to Redefinition.  One of the questions that was asked