Goo.gl, Google Drawings, Social Media, Privacy

Goo.gl is being retired

If you have been using the URL shortener goo.gl, you will need to find an alternative, as Google is retiring that tool. 

See Brenham ISD's post or Free Technology for Teachers post for several good alternatives.

Insert Diagrams Into Drawings

Looking for a quick and easy way for your students to take notes, show understanding, or process learning? Consider using Google Drawings.

Last week during one of the BHS PLC meetings, I learned that diagrams can be inserted into Google Drawings. Just open the drawing tool, click Insert, and select Diagram. There are a variety of diagrams including grids, hierarchies, timelines, processes, relationships, and cycles. The Drawings can be shared just like any other G-Suite document or they can be downloaded as a .pdf or .jpg.

If you have teens or teach teens...

With social media in the news this week, now is a great time to review privacy settings on devices with your students or children. The topic became personal this weekend when I received a Snap from my teenage niece. Her location was tagged. Needless to say, this aunt's alarm bells sounded. It was a great reminder that we need to help our kids navigate privacy settings on their devices and apps.

What's a parent/teacher to do? Common Sense Media, a national nonprofit that aims to provide trustworthy information to help families navigate 21st century tools, offers some great suggestions for adjusting location and other settings.  This link addresses the safety of teens using location apps, and this link offers suggestions for privacy settings for computers and smartphones. My top two suggestions to my niece? Turn off geotagging on photos and restrict location settings on apps.

Turn off geotagging of photos on devices

Restrict location settings on apps

Privacy, Recap, 3D Design, Fall Websites

Time Change? 
Time to Check Your Privacy Settings on Your Social Media Accounts

Twice a year when the time changes, the American Red Cross reminds citizens to check the batteries in their fire detectors. Periodically checking the privacy settings of your social media accounts is good practice, too. With operating system updates and the resulting app updates, some of those settings that you thought you had limited may not be as strict as you think. For example, under Facebook settings, you can control your privacy (who sees your posts, who can look up your email address/phone number, etc.). Under the Timeline and Tagging tab, you can specify whether or not you want people to  post on your Timeline and who can see posts that you are tagged in. You have similar options on Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. It's also good practice to remember that no matter how careful we are with our security settings, anything that is posted, messaged, or digitally sent can be captured and preserved with screenshots.

As we prepare for the time change next weekend, take the time to review your privacy settings on all your social media accounts. If you teach secondary students, use the time change as an opportunity to teach digital citizenship by reminding them to check their privacy settings, too.

Recap for Formative Assessment

Recap is a "free student video response and reflection app developed by the makers of Swivl.... Recap provides evidence of student thinking, improves formative assessment, and supports personalized learning." This video shows how one math teacher is using Recap for formative assessment. Thanks, Mrs. Carr, for sharing this great tool!

Speaking of Swivl, the BMS Library has two Swivl camera bases available for faculty/staff check out.

3D Design

Whether you are working with primary or secondary students, adding a 3D design component to your science, social studies, ELAR, math, or elective curriculum supports STEAM strands and offers opportunities for collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. You don't need a 3D printer to engage your students in real-world problem solving fun; however, access to 3D printing is available in BISD.

TinkerCad and SketchUp are two programs used to make 3D models. Project Ignite offers students free access to TinkerCad in the safe environment of their teacher's virtual classroom. ProjectIgnite works great on our Chromebooks because it is web-based.  SketchUp Pro is available for free to Texas schools through a partnership between Trimble and TCEA.   SketchUp must be downloaded onto a desktop, so it works on our PC's.

I'd love to collaborate with you to integrate 3D design into one of your project based learning modules. Your students will LOVE designing in 3D so much they will not notice how they are growing in perseverance, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Contact sgroff@banderaisd.net.

TCEA'S List of Fall Websites for Your Students

Breath

 

by Andrea Pozzi

Check out Lori Gracey's blog (Texas Computer Education Association) for seasonal tie-ins for your students in math, social studies, poetry, music, and more.