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Showing posts from February, 2017

Try the New Google Sites

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Happy Friday! Google has recently made updates and changes to the new Google Sites. It is now quicker and easier to create a professional looking site.  To get started  you will need to log into your account and go to sites.google.com/new.     I think that it is laid out very much like Google classroom.  One of the great features about the  new  Google Sites is that it is much more collaborative than the older version of sites. Now, several people can be able to edit the site at the same time.        One of the greatest things about Google Sites is that it seamlessly connects with Google Drive. It is very easy to insert Google Docs, Slides, and Calendars into Google Classroom. Also it works nicely with YouTube so you can add videos to your site. Classroom Implications -  This could be a great way to share your class with the world. You can post pictures, calendars, documents into your site.  Also, I think that this is a great tool for student made portfolios.  How great it would b

Virtual Field Trips

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Happy Friday! In the last couple of weeks I have had a few request for Virtual Field Trips. I really think that a good option for this is the Google Street View Gallery ! Google is able to use 360 photography to make it feel like you are really there. There are galleries from all over the world!   I think that this is a great option for students to be able to view their world .   The possibilities of using this in the classroom are limitless.  In my personal experience  I recently have decided to go back and read Jack London's  Call of the Wild .  I discovered in the Streetview Gallery there is a whole 360 Gallery that is dedicated to the Iditerod !   This enhanced my understanding  of  the extremes of Dog Sledding.  There are also galleries to view and interact with underwater environments, universities, stadiums, and studios. Below is  a video  of an expedition to making a streetview gallery in Greenland.   The narrator says it best and  I feel that this is important " Hop

Video Projects

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Happy Friday! I have been fortuate enough this semester to collaborate with several teachers on student made video projects.  I often get asked what software do I reccomend for making videos with students.  Here are some of my favorites wevideo.com Wevideo - Wevideo is a freemium (meaning there is a free and paid version) but with the free version students can edit up to 5 minutes of video.  They can record their video by using an Ipad (see your media specialist or me if you are interested in this) and upload their video using the Google Drive App. Students can then edit their project using the software from Wevideo Adobespark.com Adobe Spark -  This is a free tool from Adobe where students can make professional looking videos.   This is an easy way for students to make amazing looking presentation and video. Stupeflix.com Stupeflix -  Disclaimer, this site is new to me, but I would love to collaborate with you and see if it is a fit for your class

A Unique Learning Opportunitiy

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Happy Friday and Happy Superbowl Weekend! I wanted to make you aware of a free learning opportunity that you may want to take advantage of this Spring.   The Exciteedu Unconference in collaboration with Slingshot Music Festival A group of your colleagues from Athens and Northeast Georgia have planned a FREE unique, innovative learning event that will provide teachers with plenty of new, engaging, and proven teaching strategies that they will be able to begin using right away back in their own classrooms. Date: Saturday, April 1, 2017 (in conjunction with the Athens Slingshot Festival-- Location: UGA Special Collections Library Registrants: Open to all educators Expected Attendance: 200 Session Presenters: Including leading instructional technology leaders from around the state Program Format:   Open (i.e. presenters are encouraged to sign up the day of the unconference for whatever they would like to share with others) We hope that you'll consider attendin