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Showing posts from 2018

Assigning Quizzes in Scholastic News

Scholastic News is an awesome resource for teaching current events, nonfiction text, and reading strategies. But now, there's even more! Scholastic has created quizzes using Google Forms that you can send to your Google Classroom for students to complete! Follow these steps to have your students completing the online quizzes. 1. Sign into your Scholastic News account. 2. Click on the thumbnail image of the issue you'd like to use for the quiz. 3. Scroll down to see the 'Quizzes' icon. 4. Click on the icon, and when prompted, click 'OK'. 5. If this is your first time, you'll be prompted to give Scholastic access to your Google Account. Do it! It's okay! 6. You can view and edit the quiz by clicking the View/Edit button or just straight up assign it by clicking 'Assign'. Don't worry, you'll be able to assign it if you view and edit it first. 7. After you click 'Assign&

Convert a Word Document to a PDF

Need to convert a Microsoft Word document to a PDF? Look no further than here! 1. Open the Word document you want to convert. 2. Click the 'File' menu. 3. Select 'Print'. Keyboard shortcut fans can click Ctrl+P. 4. Click the drop-down menu under the word 'Printer'. 5. Select 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. 6. Click the 'Print' button. 7. Give the file a name a choose a location to save it where you'll remember to find it. 8. All done.

Convert a Google Doc to a PDF

Need to convert a Google Doc to a PDF? Follow these steps: 1. Open the doc you want to convert. 2. Click on the File menu and select Print. If you're a keyboard shortcut fan, press Ctrl + P. 3. Your destination is probably set to a printer, below the printer, click the 'Change...' button. 4. Click 'Save as PDF' 5. The blue 'Print' button will have changed to a blue 'Save' button. Click it! 6. Choose the location you'd like to save your PDF and you're off and running!

Using the Snipping Tool

In the midst of the holiday season, I'm sure everyone is wondering the same thing. How in the world am I going to share tech directions with all my friends and family? Sharing spoken tech tips through mouthfuls of roast beast just hasn't worked for everyone in the past and folks just seem to get lost and confused when you hand them a set of 137 complex directions. Well, we've all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how can all those ever-so-important images be captured. Why, by using the Snipping Tool, of course! To access the Snipping Tool: 1. Open your start menu at the bottom left of your screen. 2. Either start typing the words 'Snipping Tool' or look for the tile that's already there. 3. After the program opens, navigate to the image you want to snip. 4. Click 'New'. 5. The screen will turn a little gray, don't worry, everything's going to be all right. Click and drag over the image y

Paste Without Formatting

Ever had a need for an awesome quote, searched the Internet and found the perfect one, but when you went to paste it in your document/email/slideshow/etc. some nasty background residue left over from the website where you discovered the quote is hanging onto the text like pet fur on your favorite sweater? If so, you're not alone and here's what you can do about it. 1. Copy the quote the same way you always would have by highlighting, then right-clicking and selecting 'Copy' or pressing Ctrl-C on your keyboard. 2. Open the document/email/slideshow where you want to paste the text. 3. Right-click and select 'Paste without formatting' or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+V. 4. Presto! You'll have nice, clean text free of any residual website formatting no one wants anywhere near their document/email/slideshow. 5. Since you are borrowing this marvelous quote, don't forget to cite it!

Got a window hanging out beyond your desktop? Pull it back!

Every now and then, some things with technology can go a little awry. One thing I've noticed are windows that decide to migrate beyond the fair pastures of your desktop and just kind of partially hang out in the unexplored regions beyond your screen. The big dilemma is you may not be able to access the feature you need in that window and it seems like there's no way to pull it back in. If you've experienced, or are experiencing, this maddening situation, here's what to do. 1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop to bring up this menu. 2. Select 'Display settings' 3. Scroll down until you see 'Resolution'. 4. Click the drop-down menu and select any other resolution . 5. You should now see the entire window that was hanging out in the regions beyond and you will be able to drag it to the center of your desktop. 6. After you guide your window safely back to the safe confines of your desktop, return to 'Display setting

How To Turn Off Student Comments in Google Classroom

I'm going to start this post off with a disclaimer. I strongly believe students learn better when they are allowed to communicate with each other, talk about problem-solving methods, and openly share ideas. Student-to-student interaction is essential for promoting an environment of learning and discovery. However, that culture must be carefully established with masterful teaching and allowing students to write comments in Google Classroom without teaching how to comment respectfully and responsibly can lead to frustration and tears - sometimes at best. Here are the steps for turning student comments off in Google Classroom. Please note, you can follow the same steps for turning them back on. 1. Go to classroom.google.com and open the Classroom you use with your students. 2. Near the top right-hand corner of the screen, click the little cog-shaped icon. 3. Click the drop-down menu that says, 'Students can post and comment'. 4. Select, 'Only

No calculator? No problem! Google those math problems!

If you're like me, you constantly have math problems rolling around in your head. I have to admit, this isn't a joke! Sometimes I have nifty little shortcuts to solve them, but other times, I struggle to use mental math to close the deal. Of course, I love cranking through multi-digit multiplication and lengthy long division as much as the next person, but sometimes I just don't have the hours to justify it and that's when I reach for my handy-dandy Google search engine! Here's how: 1. Open a new tab in your web browser and go to google.com . 2. In the box where you'd normally run a Google search, type the problem. Or - for bonus points - use the voice feature by clicking the microphone icon and just say it! 3. Hit 'Enter' on your keyboard and, "Voila!" You've got yourself an answer! Super Extra Credit Bonus Info: You can do the same thing through the Omnibox (Google's name for the address bar

Create a List with Bullets in Google Docs

Creating bulleted lists can be great for organizing information or having students make an outline for writing assignments. Here are directions for getting started. 1. Open a new Google Doc and give it a title. 2. To start your list, type an asterisk - * - by holding the Shift key and pressing the number 8. 3. Press the spacebar. 4. Press Enter to create a bullet on the next line. 5. To indent, press Tab. 6. To decrease the indent, click this icon: 7. For more information, please watch the short video above!

Edit Class Sections in Code.org

Sometimes section details need to be edited in Code.org 's CS Fundamentals curriculum. Here are the steps to find where to edit. 1. Log into Code.org . If you set up your class section with Google, be sure to sign in with Google. If you used Clever , please log in through the Clever Portal . 2. Scroll down to view the class sections. 3. On the right-hand side of the table, there is a dropdown arrow. Click it! 4. Select 'Edit Section Details'. 5. This will allow you to edit any of the details about the section. 6. For a more comprehensive look, please view the short video above.

Accessing Resources in Code.org

If you're looking to start Code.org 's CS Fundamentals curriculum, you'll probably want to look over some of the resources before you get started. Code.org is resource-rich, so there is a lot to go through. This post will show where to find the resources, but be sure to watch the brief video for a comprehensive overview. 1. Log into Code.org . If you set up your roster with Google Classroom, be sure to log in with Google. If you used Clever , access Code.org through the Clever Portal . 2. Scroll down to your class section. 3. Click on the course you are teaching. This will either be Course A-F, depending on your grade-level. 4. When you click that link, you will see a course overview where you can find lesson plans, solutions to problems, blackline masters, videos for students and teachers, and you can try the activities yourself! 5. For a more comprehensive look, please view the video above.

Check Student Progress in Code.org

As your students plug away through Code.org 's CS Fundamentals curriculum, you may wish to view their progress. Here are the steps for doing that. 1. Log into Code.org . If you set it up with Google Classroom, sign in with Google. If you set it up through Clever , be sure to sign in through the Clever Portal . 2. Scroll down so you can see your class section. 3. Click the name of the class section. 4. Click the lesson number to view the activities completed for that specific lesson. 5. For a comprehensive look at how to do this, view the brief video above.

Find Quizzes and Assessments on Think Central

If you've ever wondered where in the world you can find quizzes and assessments on Think Central , then this is the post for you! 1. Log into Think Central with your usual credentials. 2. Select the correct grade-level under 'Resources'. Note: If you don't see grade levels under 'Resources', you may need to select 'Math Expressions' in the dropdown menu to the right as shown below. 3. Click on the 'Teacher Edition' icon 4. Scroll down and click 'PDF Pages' 5. Click the 'Teacher Resources' link at the very top. 6. About halfway down, click 'Assessment Guide without annos' 7. To download, click the little arrow icon near the top-right. 8. You will now have the entire Assessment Guide downloaded on your computer!

Edit Video in Google Slides

So, you've embedded a video in Google Slides, but it's just too darn long for your presentation. You can edit the video by following these steps. 1. Open your Chrome browser and get to the slide deck where you've embedded the video. 2. Find the slide that has the embedded video. 3. Right-click the video. 4. Select 'Format options'. 5. Here, you can choose where to start or end the video, resize the video, or add a drop shadow around the video!

Embed Video in Google Slides

Want to really make that presentation pop? Why not add a little video to the mix? Here's how to embed a YouTube video into your Google Slide deck. 1. Open your Chrome browser. 2. Go to slides.google.com 3. Start a new blank presentation or open the presentation you're working on. 4. Create a new slide or go to the slide where you'd like the video to be. 5. Go to youtube.com to find the video you'd like to embed in your slide deck. 6. Once you find the video on YouTube, click the 'Share' button and copy the URL. 7. Click on the tab where your Slides presentation is. 8. Click on the 'Insert' menu. 9. Select 'Video'. 10. Either search for your video on YouTube or click 'By URL' and paste the URL you just copied. 11. Click 'Select'. 12. The video will now be embedded in your slide deck!

Share a Folder in Google Drive

Ever had a hankering to share many, many files with lots of people all at once? Well, have I got the solution for you! What you're going to need to do is share an entire folder ! Some may ask, "Is that even possible?" Why, yes it is! Line up, one and all, to find out how...or just follow these steps. 1. Open the Chrome browser and go to drive.google.com 2. Find the folder you would like to share and right-click it 3. If you're only sharing it with a few people, select 'Share...' 4. Enter the names of the individuals you choose to share your folder with and click 'Send' 5. If you'd like to share your folder with the entire world you'd never have time to enter all their names, so you'll need to create a link. 6. Right-click the file, but this time select 'Get shareable link' 7. Click the switch icon to turn on link sharing 8. By default, the link can be used by anyone in the Edmonds School District, but if you want

Create a Folder in Google Drive

Staying organized and keeping on top of my organizational skills is very important to me. It's especially important on my computer where I end up with hundreds--if not thousands--of files to sort through. In order to maintain my organizational black belt, I use folders in Google Drive. If you'd like your Drive organized, follow these steps. 1. Open your Chrome browser and go to drive.google.com 2. Near the upper lefthand corner, click the button that says '+ New' 3. Select 'Folder' 4. Name the folder 5. Find loose files in your Drive and drag and drop them into the folder 6. Spend a few minutes dragging and dropping and you'll win the Edwin G. Seibels Award for Extraordinary File Management!

Pin Tabs in Google Chrome

There are some websites I use almost every minute of every day. For me, these sites are GMail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. Because I access them so frequently, I like to 'pin' them so they are always open and will open every time I launch my Chrome browser. To pin tabs, follow these steps. 1. Go to the site you would like to pin. GMail would be a great place to start. 2. Once the site loads, right-click the tab and select 'Pin tab'. 3. The size of the tab will shrink and it will move to the left side of your browser. 4. You can now close Chrome and the tab will be there, ready for you when you relaunch!

Split your screen to see two windows at once

Ever needed to see two different tabs or programs at the same time? Are you at your wit's end toggling between two different programs? There is a way you can split your screen so you can see both at once! To do so, follow these steps. 1. While looking at one of the programs, click the icon near the top right-hand corner of the screen that looks like two squares, one on top of the other. This will shrink the window. 2. Click the gray bar at the top of the window and drag the window as far as you can to either the left or the right. You will see the window change shape and take up half the screen. 3. Open the other program or tab you are looking at and follow these same steps, but drag it to the opposite side of the screen. 4. Now you will be able to view both programs or tabs at once! For a more visual example, please view the short video above.

Printable directions for students to access Google Classroom at home

Edmonds School District teachers below is a link to a printable resource to help students access Google Classroom and other Google applications at home. It also walks them through steps to get to the Clever Portal . In the document, there are four sets of directions: one for accessing Classroom and Google apps with Chrome, one for accessing Classroom and Google apps without Chrome, one for accessing Clever with Chrome, and one for accessing Clever without Chrome. Please click the link, print and distribute to any student you think could benefit from this. Printable directions for accessing Google Classroom, other Google apps, and Clever at home

Make web addresses manageable with URL shorteners

If you've ever had to get a lot of people to the same website quickly you may have noticed that typing URLs can be tremendously taxing especially if the site has an address longer than an Alaskan winter! A great way to avoid spreading the alphabetic vomit that is those nasty-long URLs is to use a URL shortener. Here's how to do it: 1. Copy the URL from the site you are trying to get people to access. 2. Go to tinyurl.com . 3. Paste the link in the box under 'Enter a long URL to make tiny:' 4. You can just click the 'Make TinyURL!' button, which will assign a URL to you, or... 5. You can create a custom alias with any word or phrase you would like after the tinyurl.com 6. Click 'Make TinyURL!' and you've got yourself a link anyone can type into their browser!

Accessing the Software Center

Hello, Edmonds School District employees! In this post, we're going to discuss accessing the Software Center to download applications on your computer. To access the center, follow these steps or watch the video tutorial above. 1. Click on the Windows menu in the lower right corner of your screen. 2. This will feel totally weird, but just start typing the word 'Software' 3. The menu will change and you will see an icon for the Software Center 4. Click the icon and you will be taken to the Software Center 5. Double-click any of the applications to download them to your computer Please note: This will likely not work off district property. Also, if your battery is low you will need to plug your computer in.

Change Sharing Settings in Google Docs

Have you got a big field trip coming up and need chaperones? How about a class celebration where parents have offered to bring in food? Did you know you can use Google Docs as sign-up sheets and make them available for anyone with an Internet connection to type in? Here's how to do it: (For more visual steps, watch the short video above.) 1. Open a new Google Doc, name it, and type any information you wish to share 2. Near the top right corner, click the button that says 'Share'   3. When this box opens, click the word 'Advanced' in the bottom right corner   4. When 'Sharing Settings' opens, click 'Change...' next to 'Private - Only you can access'    5. Select either 'On - Public on the web' or 'On - Anyone with the link'. If you want them to edit the document, click 'Can view' and change to 'Can edit'. Then click 'Save'.   6. Copy the long URL under 'Link to s

Hauntingly good reasons to teach Digital Citizenship

Whether or not technology is present in classrooms, it is vital that time is taken to cover some Digital Citizenship basics. Our students have never lived in a world without pervasive technology. Every piece of information ever recorded is available just by logging into a device. The term 'Digital Natives' is sometimes tossed around to describe the current generation traveling through our K-12 schools. Unfortunately, despite the massive comfort students have developed using technology, they also have little understanding of the consequences and implications that can result from using technology inappropriately. In this way, they are digitally naive. Luckily, there are resources to help! Below are links to some sites to help implement positive digital citizenship lessons into instruction. Above are some videos for educators courtesy of Common Sense Media. Digital Citizenship is also a great topic for morning meetings and can be a great way to connect with individuals.

Google Docs: Help Students Stay Organized with Tables

"I wouldn't mind grading online assignments as much if students could just organize their answers in a way that makes sense!" said an exasperated teacher on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon. Well, now there is a way to help students write their answers in a more organized fashion and the solution is TABLES, of course! No! Not that kind of table! I'm talking about inserting a table into a Google doc. To do this: 1. Create a new, blank Google document . 2. Give the document a title, preferably one that would make sense for students completing the assignment. 3. Type a question the way you normally would on any assignment. 4. Click on the 'Insert' menu and hover over 'Table'. 5. Choose a one-celled table. 6. Fill the table with a light, pleasing color such as 'light cornflower blue 3'. 7. Add directions at the top of the document so the students know to type their answers in the blue boxes (or whichever color you choose).

Finding data in MobyMax

MobyMax can be used to give insight into student progress and to examine how students are doing in different content strands, but you have to know where to go to find the data. After students have taken a placement test, here are the steps to follow to view their data. 1. Log into MobyMax through the Clever Portal 2. Once into the MobyMax system, click on the tile of the subject area where students took the placement test. For this post, we will investigate math data. 3. You will see a menu near the top with many different tabs to view 4. At first, you'll probably be most interested in the 'Progress' and 'Placement' tabs. Progress shows the student's level and the work they've completed. Placement shows where they placed after taking the assessment. 5. After you click 'Progress' you'll see your class list and the level each student finished last year and the level they are starting the current year. 6. If you c

Change the background image on Windows 10 computers

Ever want to change the background image on your Windows 10 computer, but just weren't quite sure how to do it? Now you can by following these easy steps! Or, for more visual directions, watch the video above. 1. Close all open windows so you're looking at your empty desktop 2. Right-click anywhere on the desktop 3. Select 'Personalize' 4. Click 'Background' (it also defaults to this automatically) 5. Under 'Choose your picture' click 'Browse' 6. Find the photo you want as your background on your computer 7. Select the picture you would like and click 'Choose picture' 8. You're all done! Change it as often as you'd like!

Create a Slideshow with Google Photos

Ever want to create a no-frills picture slideshow in less than a minute? Well, let Google Photos lead your picture parade! To get your slideshow rolling, watch the clip above or follow the steps below. 1. Open Chrome and enter the URL: photos.google.com 2. Once you're there, click 'UPLOAD' 3. Browse your computer and find the photos you want to upload. You can click any you want by holding the 'Ctrl' (control) key while you click. When you've selected all the photos, click 'Open'. 4. Back in Google Photos, click the 'Albums' icon on the left. 5. Click 'Create album' 6. Add a title and click 'Select photos' 7. Once the album has been created, click the three dots at the top right. 8. Select 'Slideshow' and you're off and running!