Tech Tip Tuesdays

Locking students into a specific app on their iPad:  Good afternoon!  Here is another great way to monitor what students are doing on their iPads in your classroom.  When giving a test, quiz, or assignment, I lock them into that app if at all possible by using Apple Classroom.  By doing this they can't leave that app and go to another app on their iPad.  Below you will find a quick 2 minute video that will show you how to do this.  Just remember you have to have that app on your iPad and the student must have that exact app as well.  If you have any questions please let me know.   Thanks! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  https://youtu.be/RBgJqxsBoFM

Animoto is geared toward making videos as opposed to traditional powerpoint. Its a great way to combine video, photos and music into a unique, professional looking presentation. It is very simple and it makes presenting a little more fun to make for you or for the kids! 

Are you constantly trying to jazz up your lessons and engage your students? I know I am  always  on the hunt for new, innovative ideas to bring to the classroom that will excite learners of  all  levels. Several years ago Catherine Reed from  Brown Bag Teacher  wrote a blog post entitled  Using Fake Texts to Connect with and Engage Students . As soon as I saw her ideas, I lit up! Today's students would be all over her activities. After all, I saw my students WANT TO LEARN when I used my  Making Inferences with Text Messages Task Cards  that are in the shape of an iPhone as well as my  ConTEXT Clues worksheets . That's right, I DO have printable products in my TpT Store. 💁 I strongly believe that classrooms need to have a balance of digital activities as well as paper/utensil activities.    ANYWAY...Catherine mentions how teachers can use the  iFake Text Generator  for: Morning Meeting Messages Reading Journals Introduce/Review Vocabulary So fun! After se

Today's Tech Tip is something that if you get the chance, I would love for you to see what you can find.  In the past, some have knocked Google Docs and claimed it can't do what Word does.   False. It can do a lot more.  The collaborative nature alone makes it very powerful.  But, if there are features that aren't built into Docs that you like using in Word, there are probably Add-ons that exist than can do these things (and much, much, more).   Inside any open Doc, select Add-ons the Get add-ons...   Inside you will find an expansive list of things you can add to the docs program that allow it to be more robust.  There are lots of things they are adding often to Docs, Sheets, and Slides that you can add as ancillary features if you wish to use them.  The next time you can't find something in Docs, search for an add-on and I bet someone will have created this simple extension to help do what you need.   Thanks for all you do and let me know

Have you ever wanted your Smartboard features to work with the pens only to be sadly disappointed that you couldn't get them to work? Baiboard is a Collaborative Whiteboard that works on your iPad. How does it work? 1. Download the app for free from the App Store. You will also want your students to download the app on their iPads. 2. When you open the app, choose to create a New Board. You can build a lesson before class on the board or you can collaborate with your students during class. 3. To collaborate with your students, tap on the 3 dots in the bottom left corner and then click on "Tap to Start Meet." This will generate a meeting code you can share with your students. On the students iPad, they will tap on the "Join Meet" tab and then add the meeting code you give them. 4. In real time you and your students can collaborate on the board. If you tap on the paper clip, you have the option of adding a photo, PDF, and icons. 5. Hold your finger on the S

NO MORE NAUGHTY   NICKNAMES! Ever have problems with naughty nicknames when playing Kahoot! in your class? We’ve got a brand new feature to simplify your hosting experience and protect your game from mischief! When hosting a game in Classic mode, our new nickname generator feature gives you the option to assign a random friendly and funny 2-word nickname to players, with 800 unique combinations - will they be a charming cheetah, friendly unicorn, or a wise turtle?   Here’s how you can turn it on: Launch the kahoot game you want to play. In the lobby, toggle on the Nickname generator feature from the   game options menu   (it supports Classic mode). Players will join at   kahoot.it   or in our app as usual. After entering the game PIN they have up to three tries to choose a nickname generated at random, before joining the game.   Remember, you can also use   2-step join feature   to shield your game from unexpected guests, too! The K!rew     Learn

WorksheetWorks.com                                                                       https://www.worksheetworks.com/ I am not a huge fan of excessive worksheets, but sometimes they’re necessary and helpful. If you are looking for a worksheet and just can’t find what you want this site has them!! The site allows you to create customized and printable worksheets!! What I also like about this site is that you have the ability to download the worksheet and project it onto your screen!!! They have a wide variety of resources for Math, English, Geography, Graphic Organizers etc. Teaching Subtraction with Regrouping?? There’s a sheet for that!! Need a map of Tennessee(or any state, country, or continent for that matter)?? There’s a sheet for that!! Working on Main Idea and Supporting Details?? There’s a Graphic Organizer for that!! Maybe you just need some “stuff” to put in your sub folder?? There are sheets for that!! Hope you find this site useful!

Help control cheating part 2:)  I hope everyone is using Apple Classroom and loving it as much as I do.  So here is a cool feature to see what is going on at the end of your class. If you have been using Apple Classroom, then you may have noticed a Class Summary pop up when you end the class.  It looks like the picture below.  You will notice that 17 different apps were used during this class and I had 12 out of 14 students joined.    Now at first I would just click done and get out of the screen because I just thought that was it but you can actually click on the apps and students. When you click on the app it will tell you who was on that app, how much time was spent, and when that time was during class.  So as you can see below, I clicked on the Schoology app and the 6 students that used Schoology showed up.  Then if you look at Caleb he was on it for 20 minutes. Then the blue bar next to his name shows when during that class he was on S

If you have used Chatterpix in class, take a look at this app. The photos truly look alive! PhotoSpeak App PhotoSpeak is a FREE app that can make photographs COME ALIVE. Warning: It is seriously creepy. This app literally transfers any portrait photo into a 3D moving avatar. PhotoSpeak compares its products to the talking pictures seen in Harry Potter's Hogwarts castle.

Has your computer ever gone to sleep during class while you were trying to project something?  If so, there are some easy fixes out there.  You can change the energy saver options in your system preferences, but you can also use a simple app to help you when you are presenting.  This way, you won't have to worry about changing energy saver options each time.   There are several options out there, but here's one that I would recommend highly:    Owly          You can find it in the App Store on you MacBook.  Once you download, it will appear in your applications folder.   Open it, and you will see the small owl/cup icon appear on your menu bar.   You have several options for times to set Owly, or you can set it for "Eternity" and it will remain on and keep your computer from going to sleep until you deactivate it.   Once activated, the icon turns red to let you know it is currently on.   Try it out, and keep your computer fr

I love Google! One of my favorite ways is to use Google Quizzes which is a step off of  Google Forms. Google Forms does all the assessment work for you! Google forms is a Google tool that allows you to quickly make an assessment, send it to your students, and look at their responses one by one! There is no paper, the kids enjoy it more, and it is quick and easy.  The students don't even have to have google accounts to do the forms!!  They just need a computer and your link!

Using Chrome across multiple devices: Most of you probably use your MacBook, iPad, and cell phone to access the internet at different times.  If you use Chrome on your MacBook, I would recommend downloading the Chrome app on your iPad and phone as well.   Using this browser and signing in to your school gmail account on all devices allows you to share bookmarks and websites easily.  From any device, you can look and see what tabs and bookmarks you may have on the other devices.   If you are out and have your cell phone and need to look something up that you had opened on your MacBook, you can see what tabs were open on your computer and then access them from your other device.  These options can come in handy.   Let me know if you need any help doing this and I will be glad to assist.   If you need anything, or want to try something and need some help, please do not hesitate to ask.  Thanks for all you do.   Daniel Knox