Giant Ed Tech
This is the instructional technology blog for HPHS Staff.Tech Tool Tuesday posts can be found here every Tuesday.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Suggested Use Cases For Tabs In Google Docs
Monday, October 7, 2024
Let's Get Our Students Talking!
Audio/Video Tools In Schoology
@LisaBerghoff
What Are Audio/Video Tools In Schoology?
If you ask your students to submit an assignment using audio or video, here is what it will look like on your end once they have submitted. All you need to do is click to watch or listen, and provide feedback. All of the recordings are in one spot, making them easy to find and assess.
- From the edit questions page in your assessment, choose audio question type or video question type. This ensures that the students will record and submit.
- To add your own audio or video into the question, click the tools icon and record your audio or video using the audio player or video player tabs.
- Click record to start and click stop when you are done. You can watch it and re-record or click ok to insert it into your question.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Make Student Videos Simple With
Screencastify Submit
@LisaBerghoff
We have known for a long time that video can be a powerful learning tool. There were teachers who had pretty sweet recording setups who would put their videos online for the rest of us to use and remix. I can remember the first time I took a look at Kahn Academy and was blown away by how effective it was. The idea of creating videos ourselves and being seen on camera was a pretty scary proposition. We all had to get over that real fast during the pandemic. We also learned that having our students record themselves can be a wonderful way for them to demonstrate their understanding. With the easy access to recording tools, we now know that a recording studio is not necessary, unless you are teaching video production.
Screencastify is one of those tools that is small but its impact is huge. When you see that cute little arrow in your extensions bar, you know that you can record your screen while you talk, but there's a lot of power built into that little extension. Let's unpack everything that is inside Screencastify.
What is Screencastify?
According to the Chrome Webstore, Screencastify is Chrome's simplest free screen recorder and interactive platform, empowering everyone to be a better communicator. A screencast is a type of video content that captures what a person sees on their own screen. Screencasts often include audio narration and may also include an embedded webcam video so that viewers can see the person who’s creating the screencast. Screencastify also has optional drawing tools that can be used while recording. These tools can help guide your students has you are teaching. Watch the two minute video below to learn more about the drawing tools.
One of the most beautiful things about Screencastify is that your recording will automatically be saved to your Google drive, making it super easy to share with a link. No need to download, upload, worry about file size, or whether or not your students will be able to access the video. Yes, you can download your video to your computer. You can also export to YouTube. There is also the option of embedding your video with the html code. In other words, you don't have to worry about how you're going to get your video to your students.
- To access Screencastify Submit, click on the Screencastify extension and then from the more menu (three horizontal lines) click "My Recordings" and then click "Submit".
- Click on one of the templates or choose "New Assignment".
- Give the assignment a title and enter the instructions.
- You can also adjust the assignment settings here, including what type of video submission you want your students to create. You may just need them to record their screens, or just their webcams, or both. Pay attention to "link privacy" and "video privacy" to adjust who can access the student's videos.
- Click "Create And Share" when you are ready to send it to your students.
If you want some help, Screencastify has put everything you could possibly want to know about the submit feature here.
- Add Questions: Yes! You can embed questions into your video so your students need to respond before they can continue. Click "Add Quiz" and create your questions. Add multiple choice, short answer, or a note.
- Add captions: Screencastify will automatically generate captions for you once you click the "Add Captions" button.
- Use the AI assistant: There is a built in AI assistant that can help enhance your video by generating a transcript, creating captions, generating a title, generating a description, or soon there will be the ability to add an AI voiceover.
- Translate your captions: Once your captions have been created, you can translate them into a number of languages.
Want some help? Reach out. I'd love to work with you!
Monday, September 23, 2024
What's Different About Diffit?
@LisaBerghoff
In addition to creating content, you can have Diffit adjust reading levels and languages. You can also choose to show or hide the source citations. Every output is fully customizable and you can easily create multiple copies for students depending on their needs. You can make sure that critical vocabulary is included and vary the types of questions you want students to answer. Below is a 2 minute video explaining what Diffit does.
What makes Diffit different from other AI tools for teachers?1. First, the outputs are formatted by strategy and in ready to share Google docs, slides, and forms. Want students to work on close reading annotations? There is already a format for that. Want your students to work together? There are collaborative partner work slides. Working on identifying claims and supporting evidence? That's also already built into Diffit. Since the activities are in Google, it takes out the guesswork of how you will share with your students in a way that they can easily respond and get feedback from you. Removing these barriers facilitates students' access to the material. Below are some examples of formatted slides, forms, and docs that were created with Diffit.
2. Next, most digital tools assume that the activities will all be completed digitally. Diffit understands that there are times when printing copies and writing is most appropriate and so you can also filter output types to show you which ones are formatted for printing. Have you ever tried to format Google slides so your students can write on them? I have, and it is absolutely no fun. Diffit makes it easy.
3. Finally, unlike other AI tools, you have several entry points in Diffit. You can begin with a prompt, like most of the others. However, you can also begin with the end in mind. If you know that you want your students to work on an activity to help them learn vocabulary, you can choose one of those outputs first, then it will create your content and automatically with that preset activity.
How To Use Diffit?- Go to app.diffit.me and log in with your school credentials.
- Choose how you want to get started. To have Diffit create content for you, start with "Literally Anything". If you have a link to an article or a video, you can enter it. You can also enter text or an excerpt via pdf or copy/paste. Your last option is to enter a vocabulary list. If you want to begin with a type of activity, click on "Activities" in the upper left corner of the screen.
- Choose the reading level and language. You can remix these resources with other languages and reading levels so all of your students are learning the same content.
- Choose if you want to align to standards
- Click on "Generate Resources". From there, you can edit anything you want and choose the output.
- To revisit previously generated activities, click on "My Resources" in the upper left corner of the screen.
Remember, we have a premium license for Diffit. If you need access, please reach out to me.I would love to hear how you are using Diffit with your students!
- Go to app.diffit.me and log in with your school credentials.
- Choose how you want to get started. To have Diffit create content for you, start with "Literally Anything". If you have a link to an article or a video, you can enter it. You can also enter text or an excerpt via pdf or copy/paste. Your last option is to enter a vocabulary list. If you want to begin with a type of activity, click on "Activities" in the upper left corner of the screen.
- Choose the reading level and language. You can remix these resources with other languages and reading levels so all of your students are learning the same content.
- Choose if you want to align to standards
- Click on "Generate Resources". From there, you can edit anything you want and choose the output.
- To revisit previously generated activities, click on "My Resources" in the upper left corner of the screen.
Monday, September 16, 2024
What's New With PearDeck?
@LisaBerghoff
Pear Deck is one of those tools that often gets taken for granted. When we first were introduced to the idea of students interacting with our content in slide decks it was mind blowing. We were so fortunate to have access to this resource when we were teaching online. Now, Pear Deck has been as common as our notebooks and binders, which is wonderful. However, I thought this would be a good time to do a bit of a reset and refresh what we know about how and why Pear Deck can be used and also to see the recent updates including an AI powered feature.
What Is Pear Deck?
Pear Deck is a powerful online tool that encourages student engagement and allows for real-time student feedback utilizing Google slides. It integrates with Schoology so your students don't need to go to a new site to access the content. Many of us already use slides in our classrooms, you can easily use Pear Deck to make those slides interactive. Here are some of the main features and reasons to use Pear Deck.
- Use Pear Deck templates to create on the fly checks for understanding before, during, or at the end of a lesson.
- Use the teacher controls while presenting so the students move through the slides at the pace that you set. Set timers for student responses. Lock screens so students stay with you. Show student responses without names.
- Utilize the many options for students to interact. Have them draw a picture, put a pin on a map, drag a dot to show how they're feeling,
- Use Pear Deck in class with a group of students and have every single student interact with the content instead of waiting for hands to be raised or cold calling on students.
- Have students access the Pear Deck slides outside of the classroom by setting your slides to student-paced mode. This allows students to work at their own pace while engaging with the content. You have access to the dashboard and can see everyone's progress and give them feedback.
- In addition to interactive questions, you can embed websites for students to access through Pear Deck, making it easy and less likely they will become distracted.
- Create audio for each slide so students can hear your voice. See below.
- Generate "takeaways" at the end of a lesson so students will have their own copy of the slide deck, with their responses, in their Google drive.
Add audio to your slides:
See What Is New!
Ok. This is not really new to Pear Deck but I am assuming it's new to you. Did you know that you can enable Immersive Reader for students in Pear Deck? This will allow students to access text to speech and other accessibility options right in the Pear Deck environment. To turn it on, log in to Pear Deck and click on your account and then "settings". Toggle the switch to on next to Immersive Reader. You can click "learn more" to find out all about how it works.
Ok. This is what is really new!
There is now a feature called Instant Pear Decks that uses AI to create an entire slide deck complete with Pear Deck interactive slides based on your inputs. You can enter a topic, grade level, standards, add files to be referenced, or links to articles or websites. You can also decide if you want a full lesson, which covers three learning objectives, a targeted lesson, that covers one objective, or end of class exit tickets. Click create and in 30 seconds or less, you will have a fully customizable Pear Deck activity. Watch the video below or click here to learn more.
Are you ready to use Pear Deck more intentionally to help some of our struggling students have better access to content? Want some help getting started? Let me know!
Monday, September 9, 2024
More Play = More Learning
Get To It With Gimkit!
- Add questions manually- Add multiple choice or text input questions. You can also add audio, images, and equations.
- Create with flashcards- You can import from other flashcard sites where you may have already created flashcard sets. The flashcards you create in Gimkit can also be used by students for practice.
- Create with KitCollab- Share a link with students and have them submit questions and answers. You decide what gets through to the game.
- Add from a question bank- You can see questions that have already been created by others on your topic. Choose to add specific questions or take the whole darned kit.
- Import from a spreadsheet- Someone does this I'm sure. If you have questions and answers in a spreadsheet format, you can import them here. Some of the other sites you use may also download in this format.
- Play live in class
- Choose the game called "Tycoon". This is the original and looks similar to Kahoot. You and your students will be very comfortable playing this way.
- Once you choose Tycoon, you will have settings to adjust. Here is what they are. Get excited!
- Game Goal: How will your students know when the game is over? You can set a specific period of time and see who gets the most cash until the timer runs out. You can make it a race and say the first person to get XX amount of points wins. Last, you can choose "all in" mode. This is where the class collectively has to reach a certain cash goal. I love the idea of my students working together so I often choose this one.
- Class: You can create a class and then when your students join with the link, they are automatically enrolled. This is great for future Gimkit games. Or don't, the choice is yours. If you don't create a class then students join the game using the code and enter their name. You can set it to automatically create friendly nicknames.
- Starting Cash: If you want students to have some cash in the bank at the start of the game, you can enter the amount here.
- Music: You can decide if you want the Gimkit music turned on.
- Clapping: Gives students an opportunity to clap. Who doesn't love a round of applause?
- Join In Late: This is a smart addition. If a student comes in late, they can still join in the fun (and the learning) instead of just sitting there until the game is over.
- Click continue and you will get a screen to share with students giving them the game code to join.
- First, you can send them the link to the practice set. When you are in edit mode, you will see a link in the panel on the left that says "practice", it's got a cute little coffee cup next to it. That link will open the questions for your students without all of the bells and whistles and cash and prizes. It's questions and answers, simple and effective.
- Your second option for independent practice is to assign a game. Click the button that says "Assign HW" and you can choose from several games for students to play using the questions from that kit. Cash Tycoon is the "classic" version but you can choose other games as well. Ask your students, I bet they will have their favorites. You can set a due date, and a cash goal or a question goal. I like to set a question goal because sometimes the students want to play more and answer less. This makes sure they are actually interacting with the material as much as possible. Each game has it's own set of parameters you can set.
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Use Schoology To Communicate With Students, Caregivers, Case Managers, and Counselors
- Switch up systems- an update one day and the agenda on the materials page another day.
- Make it so students need to click a bunch of links to get to what they need. Going to Schoology to click on a rolling Google doc is not the most efficient.
- Create from the gradebook, it just populates a long crazy list to the materials page.
5. Create Pages
Often, teachers have information that they need on their Schoology materials pages that are not assignments or links. There is nothing for students to submit, but it is information that they are expected to interact with. This is where pages come in handy. On the materials page, click to add materials and choose add page. Here, you can add anything that you could add in an assignment. You can embed images, videos, text, and more. These pages are the perfect place holders for information that you just need to be there for students to access. These pages can be saved as a page link or "inline", which means it will appear right there in the materials page. (see below) Depending on how much real estate it takes up, you can choose which option is best for your students. In my opinion, pages are the most underrated item available on the materials page.
Ok. That's the list. This is very doable, isn't it? Were there any that you recommend that did not make it on my list? Want some help getting started or getting organized?
Feel free to reach out!