A change has just been made to your students' Chromebooks. Now, when they go to download an image or a file, it will automatically be saved to their Google Drive. This will help students manage the limited amount of storage available on their devices, and provide a easy way for your students to manage their resources when they are doing research on a large project.
Students should first, set up folders in their Google Drive account where they would like to file their resources. For this example, I created a folder called Abraham Lincoln Project. Now, I'm going to use Google Image Search as an example. After doing an image search, and filtering images by license, choose the image by clicking on it. Select View image. This will open the page in a separate window. I want to cite the image, so I copy the URL for the image. Then, right click (alt + click the mouse pad) to open a menu of choices. Choose to Save image as...
In the window that opens, choose the folder. Find as a sub-folder of My Drive. On the bottom of the page, give it a name in File Name. Then click on Save.
While the image is downloaded, it will automatically be saved to the chosen folder in Google Drive. Go to Google Drive, open the folder, and find the image. If you want to keep the citation, open the image, and find the information icon (circle icon in the upper right with an "i"). Open it, and choose to edit the description. Here is where to paste the URL for the photo.
When it is time to use the photo, choose to Insert image from My Drive. Open the folder, choose the file and Select. When it is time to create the bibliography, open the information on the photo and there it is.Have you noticed the new Photo Search bar in the right hand corner of the blog? Photos for Class is a site that students can use to find photo images. All images have been passed through Flick's safe search filter so you shouldn't have to worry about even the youngest students finding something you'd rather they didn't. All photos are Creative Commons licensed for school use and come with an automatic citation when the image is downloaded. Note: while images can be automatically saved to Google Drive, (pretty much) following the steps above, the citation is only included on Downloaded images.
Use Photos for Class to search for a photo. Choose a photo and select Download. If students want to use the photo immediately, they will go to their Doc or Presentation and choose Insert, Image, Upload, Choose Image to Upload. When the window opens, open the Downloads folder. Choose the image and Open.
You'll notice the black text bar at the bottom of the photo. It cites all the required attributions.
Downloaded images and text, as well as photos and screencasts sent to storage on Chromebooks can easily be stored in Google Drive.
First, open your Google Chrome menu (hot dogs) in the upper right hand corner. Scroll down to Downloads and click. When Downloads opens, go to the upper right hand corner of the window and choose Open downloads folder.
When you open the Downloads folder, you will see your Google Drive on the left. Open My Drive and find the subfolder you want to store the downloads in. Click on a file in Downloads. A tiny screen shot will open at the bottom. When you have identified it, click and drag it into the folder. When you return to your folder in Google Drive, your file will be there.When it is time to remove the download from your Chromebook, Remove from list.
EduWin Megan Mullaly/Zaption
Kids love to watch videos, but how can you tell if they are actively watching and learning from the screen time they're spending? Zaption is great tool you can use to assess this. With Zaption, you can create a "video tour" using YouTube, Vimeo, National Geographic, PBS, and other video sources on the web. You'll be able to embed questions along the way, then have access to great analytics to see how students responded, and how long they spent watching the video.
Zaption is one of Megan Mullay's favorite tools, "I've used it mainly with the whole group to re-teach or to introduce a lesson. Most recently I found a great TedEd video about the over-use of the words "good" and "bad" and I used Zaption to make it more interactive. The kids LOVED it--it took the video much farther. I posted it on my website and the kids have gone back to it on their own :) For those who flip, it is the perfect tool.
Megan has passesd along a 2 month pro code for anyone in the District (activate by 3/25) for Zaption: https://www.zaption.com/reg/
Megan has passesd along a 2 month pro code for anyone in the District (activate by 3/25) for Zaption: https://www.zaption.com/reg/
Here is a link to short presentation to familiarize you with one of her favorite tools. And a Zaption YouTube video below. Thanks, Megan, for sharing this wonderful tool.
If you or one of your colleagues are doing something in your class that uses edtech tools, please let me know. I'd love to share it with other teachers.
EdCamp San Jose
After jumping into the pool of edtech, you may find that, even with all the amazing PD offered at and through USD, you are ready to step outside the District and meet other local educators who are equally passionate about bringing lessons and tools to their classroom that integrate into their curricular lessons.
EdCamp is a concept developed by teachers as an "unconference" for educators. There is no cost and no pre-planned agenda. Since its inception in 2010, the movement has grown world-wide, and now one is coming to Union Middle School on Saturday, April 25th.
An EdCamp is unlike any other PD Day you may have attended. Organizers get a space with internet and morning coffee donated. Participants sign up and then show up. They write topics they are interested in discussing with other educators on a sticky note and post them to a board. Other participants can +1 a post. Organizers then group interests together and create a schedule for the day. Participants show up to a session, join in the discussion, hang-back and listen, or "vote with their feet" and find another discussion that more suits their interests.
While Todd, the UMS principal, Andrew, the guy making sure we all have internet, and I are on the planning committee, this is not a UMS sponsored event. Teachers from all over the area who are faithful followers of EdCamps have already begun to sign up. If you are interested, hop on the EventBrite website and reserve your space asap. Registration is being capped, and we are approaching capacity! Follow us on Twitter or check out the Google Site for the day (still in progress of being built).
Hope to see you there!
EdCamp San Jose
EdCamp is a concept developed by teachers as an "unconference" for educators. There is no cost and no pre-planned agenda. Since its inception in 2010, the movement has grown world-wide, and now one is coming to Union Middle School on Saturday, April 25th.
An EdCamp is unlike any other PD Day you may have attended. Organizers get a space with internet and morning coffee donated. Participants sign up and then show up. They write topics they are interested in discussing with other educators on a sticky note and post them to a board. Other participants can +1 a post. Organizers then group interests together and create a schedule for the day. Participants show up to a session, join in the discussion, hang-back and listen, or "vote with their feet" and find another discussion that more suits their interests.
While Todd, the UMS principal, Andrew, the guy making sure we all have internet, and I are on the planning committee, this is not a UMS sponsored event. Teachers from all over the area who are faithful followers of EdCamps have already begun to sign up. If you are interested, hop on the EventBrite website and reserve your space asap. Registration is being capped, and we are approaching capacity! Follow us on Twitter or check out the Google Site for the day (still in progress of being built).
Hope to see you there!
