Updated Doctopus and gClassfolders using Add-Ons

With the introduction of the Add-ons into Google Docs and Sheets, we can now finally use our favorite script Doctopus with the new Google Sheets.  Not only can we use it but it has been updated to include more features built in and make it even easier to use than before.  The main idea with…

Basics of the new Google Add-Ons for Docs and Sheets

Like an unexpected birthday present, Google has introduced a new set of tools that are integrated with Google Docs and Sheets.  Some of these tools are just the updated versions of scripts and extensions we had before but there are also some new tools to use to make your work more efficient and effective.  The…

Teach Like a Gatsby

Today I got to help out with the Language Arts department as they put on their annual Gatsby Party.  They throw a “party” for their classes that are reading and studying standards using The Great Gatsby.  They try their best to recreate what would be a party put on by Gatsby.  This includes gaming rooms,…

EdCamp #3: Another Round of Awesome

This past weekend I went down to SE Polk for Edcamp Iowa. This was the largest connects Edcamp in the country as we had 5 locations in all corners of Iowa. Somewhere around 700-800 educators took part and from what you could tell on Twitter, it was a giant success as far as learning and…

Tech Time 2.0

Earlier this year we had something at my school called Tech Time where we would meet once a week, before school or after school, to go over some tech tool or technique in the classroom.  This was totally voluntary and it was something that was done before I took my position this year as tech…

Create a Custom Google Search Engine

Whether we are working with younger students, students with special needs or all students, sometimes we need to help them narrow or limit what they search using Google.  Setting a student who is not ready or prepared loose on the internet just using a search engine is not always safe or ideal.  We need to…

Increase Student Questions in/after Class

One of the biggest changes that can take place with the integration of technology into the classroom is that there are so many more options for feedback from students and for students.  Using various tools, we can create more opportunities for students to ask questions and for the teacher to be able to provide the…

Ditch the Physical Binders for Projects

   As a teacher, I never envied the teachers who did large projects and had to lug around huge collections of binders as part of the final project.  As a science teacher, I did not even like to haul around the science journals my students would turn in.  Collecting resources and developing different parts of…

Google Chrome Extensions Part 3

This set of Chrome Extensions will focus on those tools that are helpful when a teacher is busy grading online documents and other activities.  Each of these can help in this process which was been indicated by others as being a challenge with the switch to a more blended environment.     1.  Split Screen…