Somethin' To Tech About

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About. Angie and Dru are really excited about this episode because we have put together a panel of Google for Education Certified Educators, Trainers, Innovators, and Coaches as well as the Google for Education Program Manager for Trainers and GEG (Google Educator Groups) Programs to discuss certifications and benefits.  We hope today’s episode will excite and inspire you to perhaps pursue Google for Education certifications. Our participants today are: Dana Gibbs GCE Educator Level 2  Jessica Horton Google Certified Coach  Hollie Sisk Innovator  May Jue Google for Education Program Manager of Trainers and GEG Programs Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About. Today, we are talking with Natalie Muthersbaugh who teaches in Savannah. Natalie teaches at Johnson High School in the Adaptive program. This is her 23rd year teaching. She said she likes to teach students how to use technology for real world problem solving. Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About. Today we are talking with Richard Smith, Executive Director of First District RESA.  Smith is a veteran educator who began his career as a teacher and coach. During his career, he has also served in the roles of assistant principal, director of CTAE, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.   Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About! Today we are focusing on three big take-a-ways from the virtual Georgia Educational Technology Conference held recently.  Virtual hugs and high fives to the coordinators of GAETC Connect!  They pulled off an amazingly organized and user friendly conference experience for everyone involved.  This year, I attended solely as a participant, while Dru represented Somethin’ to Tech About(woot woot) by sharing her expertise in one of the concurrent sessions.  As we reflected on the conference experience, we found ourselves revisiting three major themes which are so important for educators - not only during remote or hybrid learning, but even when we are working in the classroom with students. Getting the right Gear, Getting - and Keeping Students Involved, and Getting Students Producing their own learning. Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About. Today we are talking with Dr. Monica Burns of classtechtips.com and EasyEdTech Podcast about creativity in the classroom, engaging formative assessment strategies, asynchronous/synchronous strategies. Dr. Burns is an EdTech and Curriculum consultant, author, and former New York City public school teacher. She works with schools and organizations around the world to support PreK-20 educators with thoughtful technology integration. Monica’s website and Podcast help educators place “tasks before apps” by promoting deeper learning with technology. Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Somethin’ to Tech About. Today we are talking about Google Earth and some ideas for classroom use.   WHAT?  Google Earth is a web-based app that brings the world to your fingertips. It has up-to-date satellite imagery showing street views, space views, oceans, topography, global temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and so much more.  WHY? Immerses students in the learning experiences.  Provides connections to the real world. Promotes inquiry-based lessons and learning. Data can be visualized in new and more engaging ways Critical Thinking Creative Communicators If you are just getting started here are some quick ways to get your students comfortable with using Google Earth. We will have tons of resources on our blog so be sure to visit somethintoteachbaout.com to check those out! One of the easiest but effective activities to do with your students is to navigate and explore the wonders of Google Earth together. This would be a great introduction for demonstrating some of the features of Google Earth and would work to pull your students into a remote lesson! If you click on the person icon in the bottom right-hand side of Google Earth, your students will get the ‘street view’. Demonstrate how they can explore a particular destination from the street view and get up close and personal with the view. Some locations even allow you to enter the buildings! Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 1, Season 4 of Somethin’ to Tech About! Today, we have Daniel Rivera, a numbers and data guru visiting with us. Daniel currently serves as the Technology Director for First District RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency) located in Brooklet GA and serves 17 districts.  Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My name is Sarah Clark and I’m a Savannah transplant with SoCal roots (by way of Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia in between!). I've got over a decade of family engagement, volunteer facilitation, and community involvement experience. I've trained for the United States Navy as an Ombudsman and Certified Ombudsman Trainer, but also worked heavily with family and community engagement efforts in Virginia and Georgia public schools as a volunteer.  I now serve as the Family Engagement Facilitator for Pooler Elementary School. Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Episode 13 focuses on the remote learning experiences from the perspective of our guest, Tiana Keels, Academic Coach of The School of Humanities in Savannah, Georgia. Tiana Keels was the winner of our first Anniversary Give-A-Way which  included several techie prizes, one of which was a guest spot on episode 13.  We are interested to reflect with Tiana on the remote learning experiences that impacted the students and teachers in her urban community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Welcome to episode 12 of Somethin’ to Tech About! We are excited to be recording again and hope everyone is staying happy and healthy! In our weekly newsletter, we share Timely Tidbits and thought we would share them with our listeners! And if you haven’t subscribed to our newsletter,  fill out the info in the footer to begin receiving our weekly newsletter full of tips, tricks, and those timely tidbits. Dualless-Split/Merge Windows - quickly split your screen.  Nod Reactions- emoji reactions for muted members in Google Meet. Sir Links A-Lot- one click for Force Copy, Preview Template and more Google Meet Attendance- collect attendance during Meet. Google Sites Updates: When we posted S1 E7  Writing Portfolios that Wow!, Google Sites did not have portfolio templates. We are happy to share that as of 4/23/2020, Google Sites now has templates and one specifically for portfolios. Also added were Announcement Banners to highlight important information. Find out more at G Suite Updates.  Draftback Extension: Shout out to Meri New for bringing this one to our attention! Version history in video form. Draftback lets you play the Version history of any Google Doc you can edit. It's like going back in time to look over your own shoulder as you write. Add the extension Draftback.  Open Dyslexic Font for Chrome: With just a simple click, you can change the fonts used on websites to the OpenDyslexic font, a font to increase readability for readers with dyslexia.  Add the Open Dyslexic Font extension today.  Pear Deck Power-Up: This extension is a must-have if you use Pear Deck to add interactivity to your slide decks. This week, we both presented Pear Deck remotely and were sure to mention the Pear Deck Power Up because the Power-up ensures that videos, animations, and GIFs embedded in your Pear Deck slides, play the way they should.  Stay safe and invite your teacher friends to subscribe and download our podcast so they can also give us Somethin’ to Tech About. Thanks for listening! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Welcome back to Season 3 and Episode 11! We have been away from the recording studio for several weeks due to the COVID-19 Outbreak and today are excited to be recording our session from home. Thank you Zach and Asha for your production work behind the scenes. In this episode, we are focusing on the Pear Deck add-on available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.  Many educators and presenters in the business world share their content using Slides and PowerPoint which certainly helps by providing supporting visuals, charts, and text.  The thing is - the audience is passively receiving the information with barely any interaction with the presenter.  Yes, laughs, nods, and gasps count as interaction - but there is no interaction with the speaker in terms of questions, comments, agreements, and other responses.   More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Digital learners of all ages, students, teachers, parents can and dare we say, SHOULD extend the power of their Chrome browser by installing Extensions from the Chrome Web Store. In today’s episode, we are sharing our favorite extensions that fall into  4 categories: accessibility, productivity, creativity, and presentation.  We challenge you to explore our top 20 extensions and even share your favorites and add to the collection. More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

There are many options for cloud storage but if you are a G Suite user, Google Drive should be your go to. Google Drive is of course your cloud storage but to make full use of your drive while keeping it organized, there are some tips and tricks that can help. Welcome to episode 9 of Somethin’ to Tech About where we are discuss some ways for making Google Drive even better than it already is! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

In today's episode we welcome Google Drawing expert, Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand! His latest project, Shapegrams, engages learners as they gain proficiency in a multitude of digital skills.   Get ready to dive into Google Drawings and accept our challenge to complete Shapegram 1, 2, and 3! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Create instructional videos with ease using Screencastify! In today's episode, we share Screencastify's new features as well as ways to integrate screencasts into your instruction. Are you looking for more ways students can show Digital Evidence of Active Learning? A screencast may be the answer! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

As a global community, we are hearing of k12 schools, universities, and businesses, experiencing the impact of COVID-19 or more commonly known as the coronavirus. Many are staying connected through virtual communication. With this in mind, we are sharing our top three suggestions for connecting home, school, and work during extended absences. If you are a business, school, or university planning for extended absences, here are some things to consider. Be mindful of technology limitations.  The home environment is often differently equipped with technology in comparison to work and school.  Be sure to consider variables such as: number of devices per family  number of family members needing devices types of devices  data plan limits Internet access.  tech savviness Consider the social and emotional impact. Whatever has caused the extended absence will affect each household differently.  Be reasonable with expectations.  Set soft deadlines Reduce the typical completion rate Encourage and participate in daily/weekly check-ins  Be aware of possible increased responsibilities Stick with familiar communication platforms. This is not the time to teach a new tech skill but an excellent time to reinforce digital communication skills, such as posting comments, responding with video, and composing an email.  Choose one regular route of communication and stick with it to avoid confusion. G-Suite Office 365 Flipgrid SeeSaw: The Learning Journal Remind Class Dojo Newsletters Weekly teacher Emails Below you will find ten general technology resources that parents, students, and teachers can use to support classroom standards.  Visit your online library to check out ebooks -  in Savannah Live Oak Public Libraries Take a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Listen to educational podcasts from Common Sense Media Practice keyboarding skills with Typing.Com Travel with Google Earth or Google MyMaps.  Submit photos to teacher of workspace, math worksheet, art work Create video explaining a day in your world FlipgridScreencastify Teachers,  create a playlist for students on YouTube Visit BrainPOP’s free resources and Wonderopolis  to learn more about something that interests you.   Learn more about computer science and coding by participating in a Free course at Code.Org If you would like to hear the accompanying podcast, offer suggestions or resources please visit somethintotechabout.com More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

In today's episode we welcome Google Drawing expert, Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand! His latest project, Shapegrams, engages learners as they gain proficiency in a multitude of digital skills.   Get ready to dive into Google Drawings and accept our challenge to complete Shapegram 1, 2, and 3!   More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

In the world of education, data is huge. Using Google Sheets to collect and manage that data can be a real benefit for educators. Beyond that students can collect Science data, track their grades, and more. Today's challenge will have you manipulating some data to practice just some of the features of Google Sheets.  More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Google Slides have features that can turn your presentation into more than just a presentation! Creating interactive slide presentations immerses the learner into the learning. Challenge 4 offers a template for getting started. Are you up to the challenge? More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

​Google Docs is probably one of the most used Google apps in the classroom. Although popular, many of the built-in features are unknown or overlooked. In this challenge, we discover some of those features that will increase productivity for educators and students alike. Listen to the previous episode on Google Docs here. More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

​How does it look when you have students conduct research using the web? Often times, students type in an entire question and assume the first result from that search is the one they need to use. The sheer number of results can be overwhelming and choosing the best result is difficult. Let’s take some time to learn how to narrow down the number of results to make searching more effective.  More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year as we gear up for another season of Somethin’ to Tech About! Have you made your resolutions yet? Whether you have or not, we would love for you to add listening to our podcast to your list and we think this new season will give you Somethin' to Tech About.  It is 2020 and we are offering Digital Evidence of Active Learning or D.E.A.L. with IT challenges. The more D.E.A.L. with IT challenges you accept, the more tools you will have to support your students as they think critically, work collaboratively, stimulate creativity, and practice communicating - all 21st century learning skills. Are you ready to accept our first DEAL with IT challenge? More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

From broom closet to publication perfectly describes our journey and we hope to inspire others to dream big and go for it! We presented our story at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference (GaETC) held in Atlanta this November 2019 and made it a live recording! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

One of the most overlooked Google apps could possibly be Google Drawings. Google Drawings is a versatile tool that allows users to create, collaborate, and share images. This jewel is one of those apps that can be accessed by selecting the "More" option from your Google Drive, typing drawings.google.com, or by selecting "Insert>Drawing from your Google Docs menu. Google recently added the option to add a drawing from your Google Drive instead of manually creating while in the Doc. More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

We are happy to be back in the newsroom after a brief hiatus and we are kicking off this episode with a geography focus using G-Suite apps My Maps and Tour Builder.  With these apps, it is possible to integrate geography, social studies, and really any content area with technology.  Where do you want to travel? How do I get there? Plug this information into your phone or GPS device and bam, your device directs you where to go with little to no effort on the travelers' end. ​ Google My Maps The convenience of having digital maps in the palm of our hands allows us to easily get from one place to another but the ability to read/create maps is not only for getting - point A to Point B. Being able to read/create a map helps develop and hone the following: Spatial reasoning skills Critical thinking Problem solving See the big picture What is Google My Maps? Google My Maps is an online tool that allows users to drop pins in chosen places, add images, descriptions, links, and more. It is accessible through the 'More" option from Google Drive and like most Google apps, it allows for sharing and collaborating.   Why use Google My Maps? Google My Maps is adaptable for any subject area and the 4 C's (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication) can easily be embedded in all activities using My Maps.  Tech It Up a Notch If educators want to Tech it Up a Notch using Google My Maps, why not consider creating a My Map to lead students through required materials interactively. This could be for introducing new material, reviewing past material or other ways that not only provide needed information but will have students engaged in the interactivity.  As educators, we want our students to be actively involved in their learning and Google My Maps is the perfect platform for students to actively show what they know. Below are only a few of the many ways to have students use Google My Maps. If you have other ideas, be sure to add them in the comments below.  Mapping and describing settings from stories Mapping places studied in SS combined with images and descriptions Given several locations use My Maps tools for measuring distances and creating shapes Mapping Science discoveries and adding images and descriptions of discoverers View in Google Earth Scavenger hunts - any subject Any subject area journal of studies/learning Google My Maps Resources Math Maps Neigh-BEAR-Hood Watch Kids Map Projections - Shape, Distance, Area  Antarctic Expedition 2015 The Amazing Tech Race Google Tour Builder What is Tour Builder? Tour Builder is a free online tool which enables the creator to design and send their audience on a step by step tour of pretty much anything in the world!  At each stop along the tour, it is possible to share text, photos, videos, even other websites (maybe even a Google Form) for the end user to explore throughout the tour. Once a Tour is created, it can be available in the Gallery or shared with a published URL so that others may participate in the Tour.  Why use Tour Builder? When we think of incorporating the 4 Cs into student learning experiences, designing an online tour can easily tap into all of those skills.  Students can create tours to showcase their learning in practically any content area! Building a Tour requires the students to use their critical thinking skills by designing the Tour in advance and then and problem solving as the Tour is built.   By incorporating interesting questions, appealing images, and other links,  students are communicating their ideas in creative ways.  Of course, it is possible to collaborate with others  to share the workload and compromise along the way.  Tech It Up a Notch! SS- Historical events, cultural studies SCI - Biomes, landforms, scientific discoveries, animal habitats, weather & Climate ELA - settings in a novel, character travels Math - real world problems, distance More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Google Sheets often gets a reputation for the “difficult” or maybe the “least used" app in G-Suite waffle.  But that doesn’t need to be the case all the time! In today’s episode we will share ways students and teachers currently use Sheets in the classroom and then ways you can tech it up a notch when it comes to your knowledge and usage of Google Sheets.  We are excited to have Emily McDonald as today's guest from Chattanooga, Tennessee!  ​Emily McDonald is a high school mathematics teacher at Red Bank High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. RBHS is a Title 1 school that is 1:1 with Chromebooks. Emily currently teaches Algebra 2, Calculus, and Dual Enrollment Probability & Statistics. Emily enjoys incorporating technology to promote creativity and exploration in mathematics. Emily is a Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certified Educator and a Google Certified Trainer. Other certifications include EdPuzzle Coach, CK-12 Certified Educator, Screencastify Certified Genius, and EquatIO Level 1 Certified User. Emily has presented at several EdTechTeam Summits in the southern region as well as other regional and state professional development conferences. Twitter: @EMcDonaldEDU  Email (personal): mcdonald.emily.ann@gmail.com Ways Educators Can Benefit from Google Sheets: Tips from Emily  - New features in Sheets Add a class roster, then use Check Marks to keep track of  beginning of year forms and other ungraded items. Organize, sort, and filter test score data. Create  charts and graphs with ease. Freeze rows and columns to work with large data sets.  Using Google Sheets with Students: Self paced learning activity (could be used for PD with adults as well!) Track scores over time  - students track their own keyboarding data - make a copy and edit to suit your content. Manage a budget - a student activity facilitated by Emily - make a copy for your students.  Create Pixal Art using Conditional Formatting Tech it Up a Notch - Google Sheets Tips: Use Scripts to send specific email to multiple recipients - Scripts Example Explore the Add-ons Menu and use Sheets to automatically create flashcards, certificates of completion or PD attendance, send confirmation email, manage badging  and more! Autocrat Flippity Form Mule Magic Digital Badges Share your Google Sheets ideas, successes,  and templates in the comments below.  Would you like to be a guest on our show?  Complete this Google Form and you might join us in a future episode of Somethin To Tech About! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

In the business and education worlds, data is a driving force. Data collection and analysis  helps chart next steps for industries as well as in schools and classrooms. One of the easier ways  for collecting data is by creating Google Forms.  Google Forms is a web based G Suite app most widely used for this purpose but in today’s episode of Somethin’ to Tech About, Angie and Dru are going to tech it up a notch and discuss some other ways of using Google Forms. WHY GOOGLE FORMS? Free online Makes data collection efficient Very user-friendly Google Forms is integrated with Google Sheets so the data can be viewed within a spreadsheet Create in just minutes to get responses from students, parents, clients, and collaborators Can be sent by email, shared link, embed into websites Can be anonymous or not Customizable We know Google Forms is a great way to collect responses and we will touch on some of those ways today but we will also tech it up a notch by offering perhaps some more nontraditional ways of using Google Forms.  Some of the more popular ways Google Forms are used is for creating surveys. Teachers , administrators, CEO's, and even parents can use Google Forms to collect responses pertaining to PTA, Field trips, Volunteer sign ups, Customer Reviews and more. This is a fantastic way for collecting those responses but if we want to tech it up a notch  for the classroom, we could have students not only create the surveys but have them organize and then analyze the data . From here they could make hypotheses or compose questions related to the data or questions the data may bring up. Surveys could be created for any content area depending on the topic being studied. It really is wide-open and we are sure if given the choice and opportunity, your students will be able to collect some relevant data based on their novel study, their chemistry class, or their history lesson. Visit the link below to view and copy templates that are ready to go.  Google Forms Templates Now that we have talked about some ways Google Forms can be used for surveys, let’s  tech it up a notch by talking about some of the more maybe non-traditional ways of using Google Forms. What we mean by this is making forms more interactive and engaging.  One of our favorite ways for using forms is by creating digital breakouts. You may have heard about escape rooms or break-out rooms where you are put in a themed room and are required to find hidden clues and solve puzzles in order to successfully escape. Translate that into the digital world and you have Digital Breakouts.  What we love about digital breakouts is that they can be used to teach or reinforce skills in any content area while being engaging and we can't forget about those 4 Cs. Students will be involved in thinking critically, communicating, and collaborating while also deepening their learning.  If you think digital breakouts is something that you may be interested in but think I just don't have time to create these,  there are plenty of free ones available. If you conduct a Google search of "digital breakouts"  you will get some great results. Below are just a few of the available free digital breakouts.  Try them out and let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below.  Digital BreakOut Resources: BreakoutEDU BreakOutEDU Sandbox Digital Breakout Users Guide Tom’s Digital BreakOuts Digital BreakOuts 2nd-5th Facebook BreakOut EDU We all know everyone learns at their own pace, some can grasp a concept after the first mention while others require some more time to fully understand. With students at several different stages of learning, it can be a challenge to meet student needs,  but with small groups and centers, many educators successfully provide students with what they need. Now think how this can be done with technology and this is where Google Forms can be a lifesaver. Let’s talk about how Google Forms can help you digitally differentiate lessons, assessments, and other tasks.  Have you ever taken a digital survey and depending on your answer, you may have been taken to another section of that survey? Well, think about this same concept in the classroom using Google Forms. If you want to find out where your students are in their learning of a particular topic or skill you can create a Google Form that sends them to a video tutorial if they answer incorrectly or perhaps to an application task if they answer correctly. Why would we want students to continue with the full assessment, quiz, or survey if they do not understand or if they already know it? Google Forms can help with differentiating based on student need so they all receive the necessary help or extensions of learning. Below are samples and tutorials for creating differentiated tasks using Google Forms.  How to Differentiate Questions with Google Forms Other Ideas to Consider for Google Forms Book Reviews Reading Logs Choose Your Own Adventure ​Peer Writing Review  Self-Grading Quizzes Free Template: Use this template with fellow teachers, co-workers, or students as an introduction, review, or for teching it up a notch with Google Forms. Click the links below - you will be forced to make a copy! Google Forms - Google Doc Tic Tac Toe Google Forms - Google Sheets Tic Tac Toe More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Innovator, podcaster, and author, Kasey Bell of Shake Up Learning, gives big props to Google Slides as the Swiss Army knife of the Google Suite - we think she is spot on! Google slides is so much more than a presentation tool and in today’s episode we are going to focus on creating and publishing with some of the built in - but lesser known features of slides and will get into some templates and add-ons and then finish up with some  interesting ways to Tech it Up it up a notch while using Google Slides. We hope after today's episode, you will be saying- I didn't know Google Slides did that! One of the features that may often be overlooked is the ability to change the size and orientation of slides. By clicking File and scrolling down to Page Set Up you will find several options for changing the look of your slides.  Slide Master Have you ever completed a slide deck and then changed your mind about font, color, or images?  Imagine changing your entire slide deck without visiting every single slide! Slides>Edit Master  Edit the slides template for color, font, formatting to create consistency across all slides. Great for branding and template creation. Themes Ready to use something other than the themes included in Slides? Visit SlidesCarnival.com - Search for themes, download for free, then import into Slides Explore Tool Choose pre-designed layouts, Search the Web and your Drive for content and images to use in Slides without leaving the Slide - Site Source A hyperlink of the image location will be attached when placed into the slide Formatting Images Crop, Recolor, Resize, Export Single Slides as JPG, PNG, SVG. Slides. Take advantage of Accessibility Options for screen readers and magnifiers Segment 2 Present/Publish Audience Tools - A Question/Answer backchannel available under the Present button. While there - look into voice captioning!  File> Download As JPEG, PNG, PDF, PPT, SVG  File>Publish to the Web Add ons A piece of software that increases the power of an application, accessible from the Add-ons menu then usable from the side bar Pear Deck - create interactive slides for users, control the pace of a presentation, engage participants - be sure to add the Pear Deck Power Up Extension in Chrome for best experience. Icons for Slides - search hundreds of icons from the sidebar of Google Slides Screencastify for Slides - add a pre-recorded Screencastify video Slide Contents - create a table of contents for slide decks Take some time to explore these add-ons in our show notes on www.somethintotechabout.com and share how you have or plan to tech it up a notch with add-ons in Google Slides and give us somethin’ to tech about ​Why use Slides? Keeping the 4Cs in mind - what are some interesting ways folks can use Slides beyond the basics of the typical slide presentation?     Communication Interactive presentations Pre-Writing activities - Caption This or 10 minute Writes Portfolios E-Books Collaboration Collaborative Notes Small Group Research Brainstorming Note Cards Critical Thinking Choose your Own Adventures - hyperlink slides Stop Motion Video (like the flipbooks of our youth) Red Ball Challenge Gif Makers Sequencing Activities - Science Fair Creativity Magnetic Poetry Storyboarding Games (Gameboards, Templates, Jeopardy, Skinland More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Google Docs is one of the core apps in G Suite and on the surface, it is similar to most other word processing programs. Dig a little deeper and you will discover that Google Docs contains features that others do not. For example, did you know that students and others  could potentially complete an entire assignment without leaving the doc? Many of these lesser-known features can really amplify the users’ experience. In today’s episode, we are teching it up a notch by discussing some of the lesser known features of Google Docs and how these features can increase productivity in the classroom to the boardroom.  FILE: Page setup — From portrait to landscape; change color, edit margins Check out the version history  Download options More options INSERT: Insert Drawing Tables Table of Contents Equations Headers / Footers Bookmark TOOLS: Word Count Voice typing Accessibility options - screen reader and screen magnifier From ToolBar options: Explore tool in this document to answer the following technology trivia questions.  Find an image  article about technology in the news. Cite your source for the website/article from the previous question (4). Tag and Assign it to a coworker. Chat feature with a shared document Templates Business Education Resumes Sales Legal Freelancer Personal Add Ons Easy Bib SAS Writing Reviser Revision History Analytics Kaizena Voice Comments More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Google Classroom is the virtual hub for students and teachers using Google Apps throughout the school day.   Think of it as the go to space for sharing materials, distributing and grading assignments, providing feedback, as well as a place for students and teachers to ask questions and discuss relevant topics.   In today’s episode we will share ways to clean up previous classrooms as well as set-up the classrooms you plan to use this year. This is not necessarily a HOW TO episode, but whether you are a Google Classroom veteran or a newbie, we have something useful for you! Tips for Organizing Your Google Classroom Clean up Former Classrooms Archive Old Classes (or) Un-invite co- teachers  Return all old assignments- Check to do list.  Withdraw as co-teacher Un-enroll as student if needed Remove/hide old class calendars.  If interested… Move old class folders Remove shared files from “Shared with Me ​Set-up New Classrooms One classroom per learning environment What will be more manageable for teachers and students? Class names should make sense to the teacher and students. Be specific with naming conventions Be a student in a coworkers Google Classroom Be creative- use color, themes, emojis to organize and energize! More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Google Drive is the hub for all of your digital and electronic files and if you are a regular user of G Suite, it does not take long for your drive to become cluttered.  Spending time searching for what you are looking for takes time away from what you could be working on and by using some best practices you will find your Google Drive better organized and much easier to navigate.  In today's episode we discuss ways for controlling your clutter by organizing your Google Drive.  Tips for Organizing Your Google Drive *These are tips and suggestions. If you have a process that works for you, stick with it and share with us and we will pass on your suggestions. 1. Move all of your files from Shared with Me to My Drive. Beginning with this step will put all of your files in one place making it easier to move where needed. You may also want to consider removing files (trash) you no longer need at this point.  2. Create folders for files and then begin moving files to their folder. Consider how you want to organize and name your folders - suggestions below. Also, keep in mind that you can also create sub-folders within the main folder. For example, if you have a main folder named Data you could add sub-folders for Math, Survey Responses, Sales, Data Team, etc.  ​ 3. Color code your folders. Grey is a pretty color but once you have created several folders nothing stands out and all folders look alike. With a simple right click on a folder, you can select the Change Color option to not only make them more visually appealing but have them stand out. Think about how color coding folders can work for you and stick with it.  4. Name your files using keywords for easier searching. With Google's advanced search options within Google Drive,  using the keyword search option will produce quicker results. Another tip especially if you create examples for training, meetings, or other reasons where you just want to show but not keep, name those files DELETE or TEMP. When ready to remove those documents, search for the keyword DELETE or TEMP and boom, they appear and you can begin removing.  5. Create a folder named "Previous" and move all older files here. This method is a great way to do an easy clean up.  6. Star current or important files and folders. In your document list on the left side you will see the Starred category. The Add to Starred option allows for quick access without having to do a search. Think about starring templates, reference files, and files you may be currently working on.  ​7. ​Begin creating new files in in their appropriate folders. Opening the folder that a new file will be housed prior to beginning a new file will save you steps in the future. Your file will automatically be in its correct folder eliminating the need to move it later on. On this episode we also talked about some other tips that you may find helpful. The first being the importance of signing into your Chrome browser if you are not using a Chromebook. This allows you to add extensions, sync and link your data on other devices, and show your bookmarks bar. All of these add to the impact of using the Chrome web browser. More options for Chrome can be found by clicking the 3 vertical dots (skinny snowman) in the upper right hand corner of your browser.  The "Save to Google Drive"  extension lets you save web content or screen capture directly to Google Drive. We also suggested adding an Emoji keyboard extension to make it easier to add them to your Google files and folders.  One last tip we offered was a reminder for sharing folders and/or files. It is suggested that you not overlook the Advance options for sharing. Depending on who and how you want to share, the Advance options will make it easier. More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Not long after school let out, Somethin' to Tech About hit the road for some learning and sharing. Our first stop was for the one-day FDRESA Summer Institute featuring Google held at the College of Education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. We always enjoy facilitating sessions for this conference and this time was no different. Thank you to FDRESA and Daniel Rivera for the opportunity! Just a few days later we were packing our bags and heading to Valdosta for a two-day Apps Events Google Summit held at Valdosta High School. This was our first experience with Apps Events and we were not disappointed! From start to finish, it was organized and fun! We would like to send a special shout out to Allison Mollica of Apps Events for the invitation to attend and present. Secondly, to all the Valdosta Wildcats, your enthusiastic participation was beyond amazing - Thank you! We are excited to be back for Season 2 of Somethin’ to Tech About and want to thank all of our listeners for your support! Season 2 of Somethin’ to Tech About will be all about teching it up a notch. We will focus on G Suite apps and ways educators, students, parents and community members can use G Suite apps to support creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.  ​Our first couple of episodes will help you prepare for the new school year or for getting your digital files in order by getting your Google Drive and Google Classroom organized and ready for easier access. The remainder of the season we will dig deeper into many of the applications of G Suite - Slides, Docs, Forms, etc. and discuss ways for elevating learning for educators, students, and more.  Angie and Dru hope you continue to tune in because Somethin’ to Tech About will be teching it up a notch! Resources: Google Forms Choice Board - Tic Tac Toe More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Please welcome Shawna Farley to Somethin' to Tech About!  Shawna currently works as the Academic Coach and grades 3-5 EIP (Early Intervention Program) teacher at West Chatham Elementary with the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. She has been an educator for 17 years and has recently achieved Google Certified Educator Levels 1&2. Shawna loves integrating technology into everything she teaches. She describes her tech style as mostly student driven. She has discovered that giving students choice and voice in not only how they learn but how they share what they learn has brought about an elevated level of excitement and engagement for students.  Shawna has shared some great resources that are mentioned in the podcast, so be sure to take a look and let us and Shawna know how you plan to use some of her samples in the comments! Resources shared by Ms. Farley Open and make your own copy! Math Choice Board made with Google Slides Reading Choice Board made with Google Slides Co-teaching Lesson Plan Template made with Google Docs Do you have Somethin’ to Tech About?  Complete this Form, and you could be our guest!

Google Certified Educator, Chris Goodrich joins us to share how he and his students use technology in his classroom at Southwest Elementary School.   Resource from Mr. Goodrich: Cold War HyperDoc Do you have Somethin’ to Tech About?   ​Complete this Form, and you could be our guest!

Google Certified Educator, Dr. Diann Bennett-Magwood joins us to share how she and her high school students at Woodville-Tompkins use technology in learning.  Resources shared by Dr. Magwood: Syllabus Created with Thinglink  The Boy Who Dreamed of a Job Collaborative Student Notes Do you have Somethin’ to Tech About?  Complete this Form, and you could be our guest!

In previous episodes, we focused on getting students producing digital evidence of active learning and this episode is coming at the perfect time because we are discussing ways students can create digital portfolios for creating and organizing all of their evidence of learning into one place. Resource #1 Google Docs Why Selected: It makes sense to open this episode discussing the potential for using Google Docs as a portfolio platform. Most people typically associate writing with Docs. So, discussing how it can be used for student portfolios is a perfect place to begin. Resources: Google Docs Portfolio Template Readers Response Template Resource #2 Google Slides Why Selected: When sharing the idea of using Google Docs as a portfolio platform, educators often ask about changing the layout of the Doc, re-organizing information, and sometimes even if it’s possible to add a video player. When I’ve shared Google Docs portfolio ideas live with educators, the questions start flying. Ideas begin bouncing all over the room and quite often find an answer to their question with the features of Google Slides. Resources: Google Slides Portfolio Template AudioPlayer for Slides - Chrome Extension Twisted Wave - Online Audio Editor Resource #3 Google Sites Why Selected: If students and educators wanted to tech it up a notch and include or embed even more examples the of multimedia content they created  - I think we should point them in the direction of Google Sites! Google Sites is so robust that students can add and organize content easily from practically anywhere! Resources: More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

How often do we hear the sighs from students as soon as math is mentioned? It is not uncommon for students to disengage from math instruction and the reasons are many: they just don’t get it, they do not understand the why for their learning, or maybe they are inundated with worksheets - whatever the case, it is important we change strategies often to engage students and promote their learning and understanding of math. This is where technology opens up many possibilities. In today’s episode we will focus on technology resources for use in the math classroom - Extensions/Add-ons and Websites, the question feature in Google Classroom, and Google Forms. Resources EquatIO Workflow! Chrome extension insert mathematical symbols and expressions dictate mathematical formulas out loud and have EquatIO convert those to written expressions. GeoGebra interactive website and Chrome app   graphing, drawing, transforming graphs and more. Easy to use Pattern Shapes   Chrome app virtual block patterns manipulate to investigate symmetry, patterns, angles, and fractions. Number Rack (also known as Rekenrek) App found in chrome web store virtual learning space for students to explore grouping possibilities as well as a variety of addition and subtraction strategies. Eureka Math - small group rotations Open Middle website offers problems with the same beginning and same answer but the ‘middle’ is open students can solve in many different ways. Choose one, post in Google Classroom or project on board and have students reasoning and investigating questions with a higher DOK or depth of knowledge. **Critical thinking More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

In today’s episode we will be discussing ways to support students as they become more proficient using the keyboard to communicate by offering three tempting templates. The templates are ready to use, so the only thing you will need to focus on is the workflow needed to distribute the templates to your students. Will you distribute through Google Classroom? Provide a force copy link from your website for students to access the templates? You have several options so you will just choose what works best for you and your students. Resource #1 Let’s Talk Why Selected: Let’s Talk using a Google drawing template might just be a way to tempt your reluctant writers to begin. Resource #2 Partner Talk/Write Why Selected: Partner Talk/Write encourages communication and collaboration, proofreading since the voice typing tool isn’t always 100% and it does not rely on typing skills. Resource #3 Hook The Reader and Wrap it Up Why Selected: These templates are helpful tools to organize and focus students.  Using these templates, the teacher provides exemplary writing elements in two of the columns which helps the students revisit and review excellent samples of writing, while only holding them responsible for their best efforts on either the opening or closing - depending on the instructional need.  A classroom workflow might begin with a mini-lesson followed by time for independent writing, then a partner review, conversation, and feedback. Students could nominate a sample to be examined by the class for whole group discussion. Share it with the whole class via projector or even re-distribute with Google Classroom. Resources: Wrap it Up! Hook the Reader More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

When students choose how they show the mastery of a standard or even choose how they direct their learning, the level of engagement and interest soars! A carefully crafted learning experience ensures that no matter what decision students make, they will encounter rich content and interact with it at a greater depth of knowledge. Resource #1 Learning Menus Why Selected: Think of the restaurants you visit - the variety in menus is endless! It is possible to package learning experiences following a restaurant format. The structure of a restaurant menu is familiar to most learners - appetizer, entree, dessert. Build in opportunities for creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Resource #2 Tic Tac Toe - Choice Board Why Selected: Tic-Tac-Toe choice boards give students the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they’ve learned in class or to demonstrate and extend their understanding of concepts. Resources: Tic Tac Toe Template Resource #3 Hyperdocs Why Selected: Hyperdocs are so much more well-designed learningopportunities that encompass the entire learning cycle in a single document. They are all about packaging - providing every element of a blended learning lesson that focuses on creating opportunities to give students the freedom to choose topics, explore, and apply their knowledge. Resources: Collection of Templates How to Hyperdoc for students/teachers Google Docs Template Hyperdocs Facebook Group Hyperdocs.co Hyperdocs Templates More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

We know that every student has a voice and now with the help of technology, all students have the chance to be heard. But you may be wondering what do we mean when we talk about student voice? Are we talking about the act of speaking?  Or is there something to consider beyond the literal meaning? Well, there are many ways to think about student voice. Resource #1 Flipgrid Why Selected: Flipgrid is a social learning tool that allows teachers to create "grids" to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is like a message board where teachers can pose questions, called "topics," and their students can post video responses that appear in a tiled grid display. Flipgrid is easy to introduce and use for both teacher and students. The learning curve is minimal and the outcome powerful. Resources: Video Response Resources: Flipgrid - Social Learning Flipgrid Educator Resources Resource #2 Screencastify Why Selected: Screencastify is a tool that allows students and educators to personalize their learning experience through sharing their voice via a screen recording. The app is a Chrome extension, meaning this versatile tool is just a click away when you want to capture digital evidence of active learning. Resources: Video Tutorials from Screencastify Screencastify Activity Ideas Resource #3 Anchor - for Podcasting Why Selected: There are many recording tools students and teachers can use to create podcasts. The tool we selected to share with you delivers a multitude of FREE options (they claim it will always be free) for users is Anchor. Anchor is a free podcast web tool and IOS/Android app which walks users(13 and over) through the steps. Resources: How to Start a Podcast - with Anchor 18 Best Podcasts for Elementary, Middle, and High Podcasting for Educators with Deborah Hargroves More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Most of our schools have been using Google Docs and possibly Google Classroom to administer writing scrimmages for student practice and I know both of us have been out to schools offering resources for providing digital feedback. Today, we are going to provide three ways for teachers to provide feedback to their students before, during, and after the writing. Resource #1 Built-in features of Google Docs Why Selected: If students have shared a document with you or you have assigned through Google Classroom you may want to try these features. No need to travel outside of the document! Google Docs has built-in features that will work for providing feedback from within the document and may be an option if you are comfortable with using Google Docs. Resources: Built in Features of Google Docs Resource #2 Orange Slice Teacher Rubric Why Selected: Orange Slice Teacher Rubric is an Google Docs add-on that inserts a rubric within a student's document. When setting up the rubric, Orange Slice gives you the opportunity to select specific categories and performance levels which can coincide with the writing focus. Or you can go with a more customized approach and paste your own rubric into Orange Slice. Resources: Orange Slice Video Tutorial Resource #3 SAS Writing Reviser Why Selected: SAS Writing Reviser provides students with timely writing feedback at any time during the writing process. They will need to install the SAS Writing Reviser add-on from the add-ons menu in Google Docs, and launch it whenever feedback is needed. Resources: SAS Writing Reviser - Add On More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

Just as it is key for detectives to collect evidence to solve a crime, teachers must also collect evidence of learning in order to provide effective instruction. This evidence of learning can certainly be a final grade however, how do we know along the way that students are progressing toward the learning goal? Luckily, technology can be a tremendous help with collecting evidence of active learning while at the same time keeping students accountable for their work. Our focus will be on using Google Docs for writing. Resource #1 Google Docs for Brainstorming Why Selected: As mentioned previously, Google Docs is a great place to start with students that have little or no knowledge of word processors. Creating a collaborative Google Doc where small groups of students or whole class have edit rights can make this strategy more engaging and simpler for students to respond. Resources: Google Docs Resources: Getting started with Google Docs Resource #2 Google Docs for Picture Prompts Why Selected: Google Docs provides an easy avenue to incorporate picture prompts. With a single document, you can quickly add an image and ta-dah, you have a writing prompt and are ready for students to show you what they’ve got! Resources: Picture Prompt Template Getting started with Google Docs Resource #3 Google Docs for Reader’s Response: Why Selected: One of the easiest ways to use Google Docs with young students is to use the same Doc over and over and over again. We don’ t mean for that to sound redundant or boring… so stay with us. Try to think of this as an easy opportunity to organize student work and to build a record of growth without really trying! Resources: Readers Response Template Getting started with Google Docs More resources: ISTE Standard(s) for Educators and Students Newspapers In Education Common Sense Media Find out more about Somethin' To Tech About at: Website Facebook Twitter Email

This teaser for the first season of Somethin' to Tech About is part of interview hosts Angie Laplante and Dru Piersol did with The Commute podcast host Adam Van Brimmer. Learn more about Somethin' to Tech About on Facebook and Twitter. Listen to other episodes of The Commute by following it on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.