Time-saving updates to
G-Suite for Education
Last week Google announced several updates to G-Suite for Education. One of the updates caused me to want to do the happy dance. Respondents can now upload documents (pictures, videos, docs, sheets, slides) as answers to Google Forms. Right now, the new feature is only available to use with accounts within our BISD domain. I'm already imagining using a Form as a quiz and a math student uploading a screenshot of his/her work solving a problem or a science student uploading a video of a lab experiment or an ELA student uploading a speech. On the back end, the teacher can access all the students' responses in the accompanying sheet. Awesome upgrade!
Free Images and Sounds for Projects
Last week was Digital Citizenship Week. In addition to teaching our students to cite the sources of the information and media they use in their projects, we can encourage them to be good digital citizens is by showing them how to find and use copyright free images and sounds in the projects they create. Richard Byrne posted two videos last week that guide students to find those resources.
QR Code Generator: Another Great Google Sheets Add-On
Last week I needed to generate a large batch of QR codes for a project I was working on. I created a Google Sheet with two columns. The first column was the information I wanted embedded in the QR code, in this case, a student's first and last name. The second column was the text I wanted displayed, again, the student's first and last name. I used the QR Code Generator add-on to quickly acquire QR codes for the sheet. The add-on will create up to 100 QR codes at a time.
Teachers can combine QR codes with free/inexpensive smart phone apps like QR Counter (IOS app) or Scan to Spreadsheet (IOS & Android app) to speed up processes in the classroom. Need to document that homework has been completed? Generate a QR code for each student to keep in his/her planner/notebook. Scan the QR codes as you check that homework was completed. Then email yourself the spreadsheet that the smart phone app generates. Fast and easy documentation.
QR codes can be posted outside classrooms to direct students/parents to teacher websites. Students can create QR codes to post on physical projects to direct viewers to additional digital content. QR codes can be used in classroom stations to direct students to resources needed to complete a task.
