Discover the tech tools teachers can use to maintain engagement and focus in their classroom during the weeks before holiday breaks.
Tools and Tips for Coming Back to In-Person Learning
Back-to-school this fall will be monumental for many K-12 schools because it’s the first opportunity for in-person learning. And while administrators, teachers and students are likely ready to hang up their virtual classrooms, some of the technology can enhance in-person learning. Using digital tools to enhance classroom learning was happening way before the pandemic. Now, because we had to pivot to an online environment, we’re all a little savvier about which tools we’d like to keep. Here are some that you should definitely take back to school with you.
Google Slides: Google Slides allows teachers to create, edit and share presentations and multiple students can work on a presentation at the same time, making it ideal for collaboration. Google Slides can also be used as an outline during lectures and offers templates for student engagement. Google Slides is always saving so you never have to worry about losing your work. Google for Education offers teachers tips and tricks on how to get the most out of this tool. For example, teachers can watch a quick video on how to insert audio into Google Slides or how to link presentations.
Customized Desktop Icons: Mac and PC users can create customized icons for desktop folders. Changing icons is a fun way to personalize computers and laptops. Windows offers built-in options but PC users can also download icons from multiple websites. According to HowToGeek.com, PC users need to access the Desktop Icon Settings to change their icons. In Windows 10, you can access this window through Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop Icon Settings. In Windows 8 and 10, it’s Control Panel > Personalize > Change Desktop Icons. For Mac users, 9to5Mac.com says to open Finder and navigate to Applications. Click the app you’d like to change the icon for and hit Command + I. Copy your new image (Command + C), click the small thumbnail of the app icon and past the new image (Command + V).
Seesaw: Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers and families. Students use built-in multimodal tools to capture what they know in Seesaw’s digital lesson portfolio. Teachers see all stages of student thinking and progress and families can see what’s happening with their sons and daughters. Teachers can get started by manually entering students or integrating classes from Google Classroom. If younger students don't have email accounts, there's also an option for them to sign in using a QR or text code. Seesaw has tons of training and professional development for teachers, students and families. And it’s free to sign up.
Flipgrid: Even before the pandemic, educators were flipping for Flipgrid. Flipgrid is a video discussion platform used by tens of millions of PreK to PhD educators, students and families in 150 countries. It works on Chromebooks, iPads, iPhones, PCs and Android devices. This software has tons of uses. Students can talk to each other and teachers, so everyone is engaged and on the same page. Administrators can use it to engage their professional learning network. Flipgrid can build community among staff and create conversation beyond small talk. Just returned from a conference and have something to share? Take a few minutes and use a grid.
No matter if it’s in-person, hybrid or virtual, digital tools will always have a place in learning. Tell us which digital tools you can’t teach without!
Why Tablets Are Great for K-12 Learning
Many households see laptops as tools for work and tablets for fun. But using tablets for learning just makes sense.
Benefits to Tablets
Ideal for K-3: Tablets are great for young learners. Similar to phones or other mobile devices, tablets are tech that kids are likely already familiar with. They have easy-to-use interfaces that make navigating them a snap, even for the littlest learners.
Easy on the Budget: Tablets can also be cost-effective. Most elementary school students aren’t quite adept at using keyboards yet so buying this modification isn’t necessary until at least middle school.
Ultra-Portable: Tablets can easily be transported around the classroom or building. Tablets are generally much lighter, many weighing about one pound, so they’re easy to carry. A tablet can go from the desk, to the floor, to the library without a special carrying case.
Great App Integration. Tablets are ideal for utilizing apps as many don’t work off an operating system like a laptop. For example, Google Workspace for Education offers free collaboration tools like Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and more, which all can be downloaded as apps.
Other Perks: There are other pros to using a tablet for learning as well. Tablets don’t take up a lot of room and have a long battery life. A tablet’s screen also makes it easy to write notes on or draw. But as with any tool, there’s always a couple of cons.
Downsides to Tablets
Using a Touchscreen Keyboard: Touchscreen keyboards have their issues. They don’t offer a keyboard feel, which can not only take some getting used to but can lead to inaccuracies. Typing on one all day isn’t as productive as a standard laptop keyboard. Researchers found the average typing speed on a touchscreen keyboard is only 25 words per minute compared to 63 on a traditional keyboard.
Not as Durable as Laptops: One of the biggest benefits to using tablets, their portability, can make them more susceptible to breakage. Kids can easily carry laptops from desk to library to lunchroom leading to more opportunities for damage. Tablets are also much thinner than most laptops so drops and bangs can easily cause damage. Investing in a shockproof case is a good solution as well as training on how to care for tablets.
A 2 in 1 Chromebook is a great solution that offers the accessibility of learning apps, like Google for Education apps, but the durability that a laptop provides.
Popular 2 in 1s for Education
Lenovo 300e Gen 3
The Lenovo 300e Chromebook Gen3 is an 11.6-inch, flexible, 2-in-1 education laptop. Students can simply tap, scroll and swipe with a finger or use the optional garaged stylus, just like they would on a tablet. But, because it’s a 2-in-1, there’s also a full-sized keyboard. And because it is made for education, it features a tough-as-nails Corning® Gorilla® Glass panel, which allows it to stand up to scratches. It is pretty light as well, only weighing about 3 pounds. It also has multiple ports and boasts an all-day battery life. WiFi 6 connects fast and easy and with an optional 4G/LTE, it’s great for in-class and virtual learning.
Dell 3100 2-in-1
The Dell 3100 2-in-1 Chromebook is designed for interactive learning. Not only does it offer multiple ways to learn, but it is also designed to last all day and resist whatever K-12 students can dish out. It’s tested to survive 5,000 free fall micro-drops and 30-inch drops onto steel, while rubberized edges minimize impacts from drops and bumps. The spill and tamper-resistant keyboard withstands up to 12 ounces of liquid. The touch screen is also made of Corning® Gorilla® Glass which delivers eight to 10 times higher scratch resistance. The 3100 also weighs about three pounds.
Making decisions about what EdTech will work best for you school is easier with a trusted partner. Arey Jones has been working with K-12 educators for the past three decades. We know EdTech and we’re here to help. Contact us today.
At Home Learning: Best Tech for Grades K-12
In the last year especially, our society has learned of the fundamental importance of technology to education. Not only does the access to technological support literally expand the classroom, but it also does wonders to engage students in different ways.
When it comes to at-home learning, it’s crucial to that all devices and programs are age-appropriate. Whether it’s hybrid learning, completely remote, or supplementing education at home, selecting such devices and apps requires some specific considerations.
Check out our guidelines for at-home tech that’s best suited for K-2 students.
Recommended Devices:
HP Chromebook x360 14b is stylish and sleek, but durable. The magnetic docking station eliminates the chances of losing the stylus (perfect for little ones), and it has a versatile 360° screen. The touchscreen is easy and engaging, allowing for pinching, tapping, zooming, and swiping.
It’s hard to beat the intuitive nature of an iPad. The new iPad has tremendous capability and versatility in performance. Its easy-to-use home screen makes app selection effortless, and switching between programs is seamless, even for young kids. The new iPad has all of the old one’s capabilities at a surprisingly great price.
Google’s Pixelbook Go a flexible, highly proficient device. It features a lightweight design with a textured bottom, which is perfect for little ones and drop-prevention. Its fast connection and high-resolution duo cam is an ideal must have for virtual learning. With 12 hours of battery, this small machine packs a big punch.
Educational Websites:
With all that exists on the Internet, sometimes it’s difficult to discern educational sites with entertainment. These sites are recommended by both parents and educators.
Starfall is a site designed for pre-K through third grade, and is focused on phonics and aims to support reading skills.
Fuel the Brain is perfect for age-appropriate and educational games. Its activities feature all subject areas.
XtraMath is a great site for improving mathematical computation skills.
Stories are a wonderful way to learn, and they provide a creative outlet for applying knowledge. Storybird is perfect for curious and eager second graders who want to create and share their own imaginations; with this program, they can produce a story and even “publish” it in the library.
ABCMouse is a fun and functional site designed for ages 2-8. Make math, reading, science, and art interesting and engaging with over 10,000 activities. The program creates a step-by-step learning plan designed for each student.
K-2 learners are inquisitive and imaginative, and they need their technology to reflect their interests and capture (and keep!) their attention. These devices and websites are age-appropriate and created to keep young brains engaged and learning.
What will the Classroom Look Like in the Future?
Do you remember a time when classrooms didn’t have laptops or the Internet? Technological advances such as these have become such a huge part of our daily lives that most of us can’t remember life without them, or even want to. But, believe or not, there was a time when photocopiers and handheld calculators were the height of educational technology. Thankfully most classrooms in the United States have graduated to bigger (or smaller), faster, more efficient technology. It begs to ask the question then, what will the classroom look like in the future?
Here’s what we think:
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) offers the ultimate immersion learning experience. It provides students with unbelievable, even otherworldly, experiences they can’t get anywhere else - all without leaving the classroom. The benefits are many, including helping to develop empathy as students can personally witness communities in crisis or by allowing students to experience different careers through the eyes of a surgeon, soldier or other professional fields, plus it promotes curiosity and wonder. This technology is already available in classrooms. The Lenovo VR Classroom is being shipped out to schools across the country. The kit includes everything administrators need to introduce this type of immersion learning to students. We think it’s just a matter of time before more classrooms catch on and VR becomes as common as a Chromebook.
Paperless Classrooms
Classrooms are quite possibly the one area where paper is still widely used, especially for younger students; but as apps and software improve, paper will disappear. Take Microsoft OneNote, which eliminates the need for handouts as it creates notebooks for each class, offers a collaboration space and holds all the content students need, like assignments and calendars. It even offers opportunities to communicate with parents. Don’t forget Google Forms which take the place of worksheets, quizzes and paper tests. And, if your school isn’t already sending newsletters electronically, we guarantee it will in the future.
Global Capabilities
The world is opening up to schools, both with speakers and knowledge networks. Classroom speakers are no longer regulated by who is available locally. With Skype in the Classroom, students in Indiana can hear from a speaker in Egypt about an archeological dig. Or students can questions directly to the author of the book they’re reading. There are also several global learning networks that connect students by collecting and sharing data internationally about issues like The Globe Program and The National SEED Project. These global capabilities show students just how much in common they have with others across the world and we think it is destined to become commonplace in all classrooms.
What do you think will be a “must have” in classrooms in the future? Let us know in the comments.
Go-To Tools for Presentations: When to Blog and When To PowerPoint
The goal of a presentation is to effectively convey information that allows the audience to remember what has been said. That being said, there are several options as to how to give a presentation, specifically for a final project. For students, presentations can be given as individuals or groups, or for educators in seminars. The best tool for the job depends on whether the presentation will be visual or verbal.
When to Blog
Blogs are definitely the ideal verbal tool for presentations. They are becoming increasingly popular for e-portfolios, offering students the opportunity to review, communicate, assess, archive and display their work - including blogging for projects and presentations. Google has a great Keyword Planner tool that allows the writer to enter seed keywords and receive a list of suggested search terms. Microsoft’s Windows Open Live Writer is another solid option.
There are several pros to using blogs in presentations:
Blog writing is informal, unlike academic writing. This style takes the pressure off students and also allows them to speak their audiences’ language. Blog, or web log, style is typically relaxed, which makes it comfortable and easy for students.
Blogs allow for comments. Students can get feedback from peers, educators and even parents about their blog.
Blogs are published. The students’ work is online and can help educate others about their opinion.
Blogs can easily be linked to social media. Blogs are almost made for social media. A student’s project can easily be shared or linked to the school’s social media account.
There are also some cons:
A blog doesn’t allow the student to practice his or her speaking skills. In today’s world - where it is a struggle to compete with online and handheld distractions for students’ attention - there aren’t as many real-world opportunities for students to practice their speaking skills.
Blogs aren’t conducive to group projects. It can be hard to track who-did-what if only one blog is uploaded. Presentations give an entire group the opportunity to participate, even those that aren’t the strongest writers.
When to PowerPoint
When the presentation goal is to be visual, the presentation needs to be done in PowerPoint. Microsoft’s presentation software allows users to create fluid, cinematic motion in one click. Slides can be duplicated, morphed together, moved, etc.
There are definite pros to PowerPoint:
PowerPoint is the standard when it comes to professional settings. It’s been offered in Microsoft Office versions for more than a decade. It’s highly-recognizable.
PowerPoint can improve presentations. The software’s ability to use animations and images is a definite plus. Even basic shapes can enhance data and help get the point across.
PowerPoint slides can be easily distributed. The slides can be printed or emailed. They can be uploaded to the cloud or saved on a flash drive.
Yet, there are also some cons to PowerPoint:
PowerPoint requires some time to learn. There are a lot of options, which can seem overwhelming to users. Also, novices could put too much information on slides, ruining the entire purpose of using PowerPoint – which should be to enhance a presentation. No one wants to sit and read slide-after-slide.
PowerPoint could be riddled with technical difficulties. The computer could stop working, power might be lost to the outlet or the overhead display doesn’t work right. These might seem like conditions that can be avoided, but you never know what can happen in a space that is unfamiliar.
Follow us @AreyJones for more great tech tips.
Top Chrome Extensions For The Google Classroom
Google Classroom has been instrumental in changing the way education looks today. It streamlines assignments, boosts collaboration and fosters seamless communication to help make teaching more productive. There’s also the advantage of being able to integrate hundreds of Chromebook apps and extensions that save teachers and students time and make it seamless to share information. Extensions enhance the browsing experience by tailoring Chrome’s functionality towards individual needs and preferences.
Here are some of our favorites.
Grammarly is an online editor that gives all of your text the once-over before you send it to colleagues, parents or students. It’s a free extension that revises the text you type in Chrome, Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Linkedin and anywhere else on the web. It suggests corrections based on both spelling and grammar, and it explains alternative options because we call all still learn.
Screencastify is a great tool to use when you need to create a quick demonstration or instructional video. It is a screen recorder that allows you to capture, edit and share videos in seconds. It can tell a story in just a couple of clicks.
This extension is designed to give teachers the ability to provide students with feedback quickly and easily. When a teacher highlights text in Google Docs, an overlay pops up with quick shortcuts to frequently-added comments such as “Spelling” or “Check Punctuation,” or “Evidence needed.” CheckMark has both comments related to grammar as well as concepts, citations and more.
Shareaholic gives you the ability to share and bookmark great content, without stopping what you’re doing on Chrome. It works with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more than 200 other services. It makes all your shared links searchable in one place and won’t slow down your Google Chrome.
This extension gives you quick access to Alice Keeler’s Teacher Tech blog – which covers all things classroom and Google Classroom. A quick click on the extension pulls up a list of her most recent posts. Topics include: 50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom, A Tour Of Google Classroom and Google Slides, Create a Drop Shadow on Text.
LastPass: Free Password Manager
This handy extension saves all your usernames and passwords in one spot. It gives you secure access and will autologin to your websites and sync passwords. Plus, anything you save on one device is instantly available on all your other devices. Slick.
We'd love to know your favorites on Chromebooks, too.
30 Educational Technology Tips in 30 Days
We all want to be more productive, rested, calm, collected, alert, and generally amazing. Here are 30 tech tips that can help you leave the month better than you found it.
Drink your coffee from a spillproof mug. Trust us.
Work in 90-minute intervals.
Schedule breaks into your schedule to do something fun on purpose.
Add a calming picture to your desktop screen.
Then hang a pretty picture in your office, about 20 feet away. Looking up at every 20 minutes for twenty seconds can prevent eye fatigue.
Silence notifications to minimize distractions.
Use Microsoft Word’s Gridline tool to keep your document in line.
Dedicate a set time each day to read and respond to emails, and stick to it.
Drive the above message home by adding a statement to your email signature like, “I check emails every morning and will respond by 10am.”
Set an out-of-office message for after-hour emails that reminds senders you don’t take work home with you. Remember. Those who need to contact you for true emergencies will likely have your cell phone.
Create embedded links in a Google Doc by clicking CTRL+K and searching for the content within the pop-up menu. No more extra tabs!
Use Microsoft OneNote in your next meeting for amazing notetaking.
Organize your desktop files into folders.
Empty your trash.
Schedule coffee with a friend via a calendar appointment, so you both remember.
Treat yourself to a new laptop or phone case. It will feel like a brand new machine at a fraction of the cost.
Organize your GDrive or Cloud files.
Follow Arey Jones on Facebook.
Put a seven-minute workout app on your phone and challenge yourself to do at least one circuit daily (here’s one to try)
Listen to an audiobook on your commute.
Sort and empty your Download folder.
Go absolutely tech-free for at least 30 minutes a day (when you are awake).
These are just a few ways to boost your productivity and get more out of life in general with (and without) technology. How many did you do? We'd love to know.
Tech Cleaning Tips From Your Grandmother
My grandmother fit every grandmother mold possible. Impeccable hair. Crisp aprons. Mouthwatering homemade bread on the counter. She ran a tight ship with even tighter hair. For Grandma, spring cleaning was as much a celebration as it was a chore (but then she always smiled most when she was working).
I have more than a little of her blood coursing though my veins, and now that the weather is shaking off winter’s chill, I have the urge to clean as she used to do. And I can apply her methods to my phones, laptop, and tablet just effectively as I do everything else in my home.
Get sorted. While my grandmother had an eye and a hand for organization, my grandfather had a different method. Every weekend, she would group the mail, his receipts, and his tools and put everything back where they should have gone in the first place. Take the time to organize your documents and files in a system that makes the most sense to you, and delete files that are no longer relevant. For every minute spent here, you’ll save twice.
Put the right things into the right storage. It’s okay to hold onto things (I myself am pretty sentimental). The trick is figuring out where to put them so that they can be reached where you need them and out of the way when you don’t. Consider organizing your files in bulk by year, and clearly label each file and folder with its exact contents. This saves you stress and energy, whether you are looking for Aunt Lucy’s china or last year’s lesson on volcanoes. And no, “Science stuff” doesn’t count.
Clear your desktop. If Grandma could see my laptop screen, she would sigh, “Clutter, clutter, clutter, dear. How can you see what you mean?” It was an odd expression, but I understood it. If you save everything to the desktop, you’ll never find what you really need. This works just as well for your desk as well as your desktop. Save it only for items you need to find quickly or things you use every single day. Rely on your filing system for the others. Delete the rest.
Clean your Windows. Grandma loved a clean window (even if the birds didn’t). If you are running the digital version on your laptop, Windows 10 has a handy Disk Cleanup tool to clean up temporary and unnecessary system files that could be obstructing your computer performance. Use this handy guide for additional information.
Empty the trash. Now that you’ve gotten everything where you want it, it’s time to remove what you don’t need once and for all. My grandma always emptied the trash as the last part of her cleaning routine, grabbing a bag and hitting every bathroom and bin on her way out the door.
Grandma made the most of everything (I can still taste her creative leftovers), and I hope these above tips help you make the most of your time and managing your technology this spring. If you found any of these valuable, we’d love your feedback--follow us on Facebook for more!
Greener Pastures: The Dawn of the Paperless Classroom
I picked up my son’s backpack the other day, and the weight of it astounded me.
It was so...light. Empty even.
I remembered my school days. I didn’t just wear a backpack; I lugged it. I measured my progress in school by the physical weight of my assignments. I remembered how frustrated my mother would get when I home--yet again--with a broken arm strap or a ripped seam because I had demanded too much of it. After all, aren’t backpacks crammed with notebooks, worksheets, books, and scratch paper a normal part of education?
Not if technology has anything to do with it.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, technology--when appropriately used--can reduce paper usage by up to 30%. Take Bank of America for example (they did). When the largest bank in the country turned to online reports, forms, email, double-sided copying, and lighter-weight papers, it reduced is paper consumption by over one billion sheets of paper. That’s a 32% reduction--on internal operations alone.
And if Bank of America can do it, so can your school district.
There are several ways to save paper and money through the use of technology.
Use emailed school and class newsletters instead of sending home printed ones.
Direct parents toward a consistent website or web page for frequently asked questions, the latest news, or the most recent homework assignments.
Store documents in electronic archives for instant retrieval (rather than relying on file cabinets).
Encourage the use of on-screen editing features, instead of printing and editing by hand.
Share events on a shared calendar with reminders.
Use Google Forms instead of worksheets, quizzes, and paper tests.
Use Google Drawings for scratch paper.
Use OneNote for notetaking.
Embrace the cloud system for swift data recovery and increased collaboration and distribution of resources.
But it’s more than just paper schools are saving. Printing supplies--everything from copier purchases to toner to maintenance contracts--are expensive line items. With reduced paper comes reduced printing costs, and printing supplies--everything from copier purchases to toner to maintenance contracts--are expensive line items. Moving to educational technology also saves more precious resources: family time, patience, creativity, sanity, and wear and tear on a backpack you can keep for years.
How does your school save natural resources while unleashing productivity, innovation, and collaboration? We can always help you find more ways.