Terry's Tech Tips

As of yesterday, Google Classroom added a new feature to replace the ' About ' tab! When you click +  Create in the Classwork tab , you have the option to add Materials . You have the same options for adding materials as you do for adding an assignment.  The only exception is there isn't a due date! If you prefer to watch the action, check out Richard Byrne's video showing how to add materials: Video Courtesy of Free Tech for Teachers Be sure to use a topic, so the resource is located visually where students can easily find it!  Which topic?  Depends upon the material or resource.  Post the resource in assignment topics if the support information is for a unit of study.  Create a ' Class Resources' topic and place the resource there if it is useful over the entire year or semester!

The Classwork tab in Google Classroom was created based on feedback from teachers!  It is designed to help teachers and students find assignments easier with less visual clutter.   You will spend most of your time here! Let's take a deep dive into how this works so you can make informed decisions for you and your students. Creating an Assignment is easy! Click the + sign (now located at the top of the page) to create an Assignment or Question.  Note you can reuse an assignment from another class, or create a new Topic. Topics - Use Them! The Good: We have always had the option to designate a topic for assignments.  It was handy when looking for specific assignments as you could filter by topic.  If you have been on the fence about using Topics, now is the time to take the plunge!  Topics create a nice visual separation between each other, making seeing and finding assignments easier!  Newly created topics go to the bottom, ...

Google Classroom has seen big changes over the summer!  Today's post will give you an overview of the Google Classroom updates.  Stay tuned over the next few days for more detailed posts outlining how the changes might impact your professional practice. If you haven't tried it yet, Google Classroom is made specifically for the K-12 classroom and is a great assignment management system!  Google listens to feedback from teachers to make their products more effective and user-friendly. New Tab - Classwork Tab The new Classwork Tab is designed for you to post all of your Assignments and Questions .  The Stream will only be used to post Announcements.  However, the Stream will automatically create a message when you post a new Assignment or Question in the Classwork tab!  Google made this change after hearing from teachers they needed better ways to manage the Stream, which became unwieldy after just a few weeks of daily use. Using Topics...

Brain Hacking is a term used to describe the practice of combining brain research and code to keep our attention on Tech products and apps.  This combination can create anxiety, unhappiness, and 'addiction' for us humans! As part of the Q5 course Coding for Everyday Life,   students watched a video clip from an episode of 60 Minutes which aired last year. In this episode, Anderson Cooper interviewed multiple Silicon Valley insiders about how and why ' Brain Hacking' is occurring.   A very thought-provoking video that Kate Fleming (my co-teacher) felt the entire staff might want to watch! P.S. Tristan Harris is a Silicon Valley insider who has taken on the crusade to change Brain Hacking by changing how Tech Companies make their money.  If you search him on youTube, you will find multiple videos and interviews on how the companies build in 'addiction' and the impact on users.

Believe it or not, I have been writing weekly blog posts for over a year!  During the summer, many of us spend time reflecting on our professional practice and thinking of new ways to help our students learn for the upcoming school year.  If you wish to review some information posted on this blog, here are some suggestions for finding it! Subscribe   Take a minute to make sure you don't miss a post!  Find the Subscribe button located near the top of the blog.  (The position differs based on what device you are using!)  Once subscribed, an email will come directly to your inbox letting you know when a new post is available!  Now you can create a label for those posts you want to refer to or read later! Search By Label      Thinking about trying something I've blogged about, but can't quite remember details?  You can search my entire blog based on labels I've assigned.    Simply click the ...

Learning Menus and Choice Boards have been getting a lot of attention in the teaching community recently.  They provide built-in student choice, a key component for activating Student Engagement. Learning Menus and Choice Boards have been around for a long time in paper form, but have seen resurging interest with the incorporation of digital tools.  They are so flexible, they can be structured in many ways.  Teachers use them to provide choice for the following reasons: Accessing your content - students have a choice of activities to access course content Show What you know - students have a choice of multiple activities to demonstrate their understanding Capstone Project - students have a choice of project for the end-of-unit or 'capstone' project. Choice Boards: Choice Boards give students multiple options for a single assignment or a small number of related assignments.  If you are a seasoned teacher, you probably have lots of already cr...

HyperQuests (also known as Hyperdocs) have been receiving a lot of teacher attention lately.  HyperQuests support differentiated student independent inquiry learning.  They leverage the use of technology (though not all activities are digital), embed collaboration, and build in student critical thinking and problem-solving! The concept works because it begins with strong lesson design, curates quality instructional content, and packages learning experiences in ways which engage learners.  (1) Note:  While the rest of the world calls them HyperDocs, the CCHS Tech Leaders prefer the term HyperQuest .  HyperQuests are based on the old WebQuests, and the name HyperQuest eliminates confusion with an older application actually called Hyperdocs! What are they? HyperQuests can be any digital tool and are often built in Google Slides.  They provide a visually engaging digital framework leading students through a lesson or unit of carefull...