2018-2019! It's going to be a great year!

Google Classroom Updates

In case you missed the announcement in your campus digital learning/curriculum classroom this summer, check out the updates coming to Google Classroom. If you opted in to the beta testing for Classroom, the updates are already available. The addition of Classwork will allow you to organize your digital classroom more efficiently, and you will be able to manage people (co-teachers, students, guardians) from a central hub.

Speaking of guardians, Laurah J of Tech It to the Next Level has a nice template for explaining Google Classroom to parents. She includes a paper form in her template, but you may want to include a link to a Google Form. If you choose to include a Google Form, use a URL shortener like URL Short to make accessing the form easier for the parents.

Setting up your new Google Classrooms and want to customize the banner? Check out Alice Keeler's template to get started.

Resources Galore!

So in June, I was fortunate to attend the TCEA Elementary Conference in Galveston with Ms. Moseley and Mrs. Gherman.  Talk about amazing! AES  and HCE, we have resources galore to share! But I hit the jackpot during one of the first sessions the first day of the conference. Lindsay Foster of Burleson ISD had a session on G-Suite in K-1-2. Her use of Google Slides as a learning tool was amazing, but at the end of the session she shared a more amazing database that contains resources for all grades/subjects including lesson plans, hyperdocs, and resources. Bookmark that link! Then toggle through the filter/sort options to find what you need by grade level or subject area. If you find something useful to you, let Lindsay know! If you like what you see, subscribe to her department's blog. There's some good stuff!

New Google Sites

Google released its New Google Sites over a year ago, but I didn't promote it at the time because, despite the updates, it was still very clunky. However, in the last year, Google has upped its game, and the New Google Sites is much more user-friendly. Users moving from Classic Sites to New Sites give up some control over font/color/customization, but they definitely gain in ease of use. If you are new to BISD and need to make a website, I recommend the New Google Sites. If you are a veteran BISD teacher and want to update your site, Google provides a conversion tool to help you get started. When you sign into your Site, you will see a banner at the top like this:

Click "Try it Now" and Google will do the hard work. Last week I moved the BMS Library site to the New Google Sites, but the BISD Digital Learning site hasn't been moved yet so you can see how the sites differ. I'm not a fan of the position of the navigation bar on New Sites, but I love how easy it is to add content. Stay tuned as the Digital Learning site is converted in the next few weeks. 

If you want to customize the banner on the New Sites, use Alice Keeler's template to get the sizing right. If you are considering having your students build a website, I highly recommend the New Sites. Email me if you would like support or a co-teacher!

If you are new to BISD or a veteran who is creating a new site, email the link of your site to your campus secretary so the Teacher Webpages link on your campus webpage can be updated.