Terry's Tech Tips

As midterms approach, your students are facing the challenge of preparing for their exams.  Cognitive learning research provides insight into the best practices for studying. The list below, developed with sidekick Psych teacher Joe Bodenrader,  outlines study practices with the highest success based on research. Please feel free to share this post with students if you feel it is helpful!  They should choose 1 or 2 options to prepare for their exams.  Just like any habit, it takes a little time to adjust their study practice and have it feel comfortable. Cramming & Studying Notes  Let's talk about two study strategies that are favorites of students, and why they are less effective: Cramming Research has shown that cramming is not an effective study strategy for educators' long-term goals - students mastering and remembering the material.  We know that students will need this knowledge for their future school endeavors...

Google has been working hard on a Gmail revamp.  They have cleaned up the interface to look more crisp and modern while letting you do more without leaving your inbox.  They have added some new features like ' Snooze ', ' Smart reply ',  and ' Nudge ', along with some upgraded security features.  The Gmail upgrade should be available to us in the next few weeks (or days!). Upgraded Inbox Google has created a 'cleaner' look with updated and easier to find buttons.  Along with the visually cleaner interface,  you can now access more Google apps you use like Calendar , Keep , and upgraded Tasks through a sidebar without leaving your email.  Click here for a 'Cheat Sheet'. You can also find attachments quickly, access commonly used button more easily, or Snooze an email.   What does  Snooze do?  Let's say you receive an email which requires more time than you currently have.  You might...

If you have used a scantron to grade exams in the past, you may have been frustrated with the Scantron availability, speed, accuracy, and data.  Consider using Zipgrade , a free app that leverages the camera in your cell phone! Why Should I use Zipgrade? Quick -  grade your exams as fast as your phone camera scans! Easy to use! Accurate! Cost effective  - 100 scans per month free! Convenient  - grade tests when you want, not when the machine is available! If you change the answer key, Zipgrade re-grade s all exams automatically! Easy to analyze data by student and question! How do I use Zipgrade? Create Account & Download App Navigate to  https://www.zipgrade.com/login/ and create an account. Download the Zipgrade app from the appropriate app store for your phone: App Store Google Play Create a Class While logged into Zipgrade's web application, under the  Class heading, select Add New Class ...

If you feel overwhelmed by your email, you are not alone! 95.2 GB    Space to store my email  28%   Time in the workweek spent handling email.  (1) $10,000.00 Cost of an average worker per year due to email distractions. (2)  38% The percentage of emails that are "important".  (3) Email overload is a real problem, both in the business world and in Education.  The costs above are a little astonishing.  This research highlights the real cost of interrupting your concentration to check your email, impairing your decision making and leading to stress.  Many studies suggest that once interrupted, it is difficult to immediately return to the task you were working on, and some conclude that you can lose up to 40% of your productivity. (4)  The good news is that efficiency experts are suggesting strategies to overcome email overload.   The strategies are based both on 'habit of mind' and effec...

This week's blog post features Guest blogger Robin Cicchetti explaining the ins-and-outs of Google Scholar! Do you ever get frustrated with web searches? When your students do research do they come back with unimpressive sources? Even when using advanced search strategies the Internet can feel like a barren place as you paw through endless pages of returns! Skimming the Surface That’s because Google and other current search engines are only skimming the surface web (Goodman, 2015). The algorithms that direct web crawlers identify metadata through hyperlinks and then index the site. They don’t have access to the proprietary content that lives in the deep web which consists of: Results of database queries Subscription-only information and other password-protected data Pages that are not linked to by any other page Technically limited content, such as that requiring CAPTCHA technology Text content that exists outside of conventional http:// or https:// protoc...