One Word to Rule Them All - 2021 One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

The Updated 2023 One Word HyperDoc can be found here.

  

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students set goals for the 2021 year. This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. 

One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

Feel free to make a copy of of the document and modify it for your students. 

Reboot the Noggin - 2021 New Year's Welcome Back HyperDoc

 

Learn to Create - Create to Learn

I love being an educator and I am always excited to return to school after a break, but for some reason don't think most of my students always feel the same way. In an effort to reconnect with my students after a break, I like to do something more than just review for our final exam or jump right into new content. 

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students reflect on 2020 and set goals for 2021. 

Reboot the Noggin - 2021 New Year's Welcome Back

Feel free to make a copy of of the document and modify it for your students. I will also share my updated "One Word" 2021 HyperDoc soon.

Year in Review - 2020 Resources for Teachers and Students

 

I always welcome back my students to the New Year with several activities connected to the events, stories, and trends from the previous year. The goal is to reflect and make connections to our learning experiences. Here are some resources connected to 2020 in review. 

I will continue to update this list as I discover new resources. Feel free to share any resources or ideas in the comments below. Please come back and check the updates if you are looking for something more over the next couple of weeks.

I've also posted our 2021 One Word HyperDoc Activity and our Reboot the Noggin - 2021 New Year's Welcome Back Activity this week. Educators are  welcome to copy and modify these for their own students.

Recommended Books for Remote, Online and Distance Learning

The best educators are not content to do the same old thing year after year. Innovative educators push their thinking by engaging in social media, exploring blogs, attending conferences, and exploring the newest educational books.

We've created a Recommended Educational Book Site to organize and share some great books connected to teaching and learning. We are currently working on updating a new section for Online Learning.

Today I am recommending a book connected to our new world of online learning written by one of my favorite educators, John Spencer.

Empowered at a Distance: How to Build Student Self-Direction into Remote and Hybrid Learning

Embedding Google Drawings in HyperDocs and Interactive Digital Activities

 

Google Drawings has become one of most important tools in Remote Learning Toolbox. I've always thought that I've done a lot with Docs, Forms, and Slides, but Drawings was something that I never utilized as much as I could. 

These posts share a few examples of how I've used Google Drawings with my students this year. 

• Google Drawings Venn Diagram Template
• Google Drawings Meme Generator
• The Power of Google Drawings to Engage Students

In todays post I want to focus on how I am using Google Drawings embedded in Google Docs to create HyperDocs and Interactive Activities for remote learning. While my focus is on Earth Science and the Environment right now, I think these ideas could be adapted for any content area or grade level. 

2020 Digital Shopping Guide and Online Holiday Specials for Educators

 

Every year I do more and more of my shopping online. The thrill of driving from store to store and fighting the crowds just isn't there for me anymore. Add in the fact that we are living in a world where many stores are closed, online shopping make quite a bit of sense.

Each year I share some Holiday shopping tips I’ve organized to help teachers, families, and just about anyone save a little green this holiday season. I try put this guide out once a year and I think there is something in this post that can help just about anyone regardless of your online shopping experience.

Do you have additional online shopping tips or resources? Please share them in the comments below.
I wanted to stat this year with few sites that are new to me, that I will definitely be exploring this year.

Best Online Deals These sites work in a variety of ways to find some of the best deals online.

• Deal News
• Slick Deals
• Clark Deals
• Coupon Cabin

Online Cashback and Coupon Websites

There are many sites that take advantage of online advertising to provide the consumer with coupons and cashback for major retailers when you shop online. They are free, secure, and incredibly easy to use. Combine these with rewards on a credit card and it the cashback can start to really add up. Mr. Rebates, Rakuten, and Honey are great resources for online shopping.

• Mr. Rebates - Online Coupons and Cash Back
• Rakuten - Online Coupons and Cash Back
• Honey - Online deals and coupons. 

Amazon and eBay

Great places to shop for literally anything, especially Tech. You will frequently find the best prices for stuff here.  Remember that you are not always buying directly Amazon. Like eBay, Amazon has items for sale from other companies and independent sellers.  Both eBay and Amazon have incredible customer support. Mr. Rebates and Rakuten also support Cashback for both sites.

• Amazon’s Black Friday Deals
• Amazon Best Sellers
• My Amazon Store for Teachers and Learners
• Amazon Prime Membership
• Ebay Daily Deals

Technology Purchases Most major online retailers will run a variety of sales throughout the year. I would recommend starting your technology search by exploring the Amazon Deals Page. Most mobile service providers will include deals on phones when you sign up for a contract, but smart shoppers can often find great deals online.

Apple

• iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, or Macbook? Apple typically runs their once a year sale on Black Friday online and in store.
• The MacRumors Site typically has the most updated details about Apple Store Sales.

Android and Chromebooks

• Official Chromebook Site
• Official Android Site

Union Membership

Did you know that both the NEA and AFT posts some excellent deals for teachers? These deals include merchandise, restaurants, and travel. 

• NEA Member Benefits and Deals
• AFT Member Benefits and Deals

Protecting Your Credit Card Online

Most online stores/credit card companies do a great job taking care of credit card purchases, but a great way to pay from a lot of online purchases is to use PayPal. It’s free and provides an extra layer of security between your credit card and online shopping. Paypal also supports free returns for many purchases.

The Rest of the Story

Product Reviews

• c|net
• Consumer Reports
• PC Magazine

Online Electronics Retailers

• newegg
• TigerDirect
• Mac Mall / PC Mall
• geeks.com

Unique and Creative Gifts

• ThinkGeek
• Etsy
• Brookstone

Google Drawings and Google Slides Venn Diagram Templates

Creating is an essential part of learning. I've always believed that having my students draw is an essential component of our learning experience, but this has been a little harder to manage with my students at home. It's not that I can't have them draw on pen and paper, we still do this all the time. The problem is sharing these drawings with the rest of the class. There is always one glitch or another when my students take a photo of a drawing and then share it digitally.

To compensate during Remote Learning, Google Drawings has become an essential tool for creating to learn and sharing our learning with authentic audiences. While this is not something new for me, I am definitely using Google Drawings more now than I have in the past. Here are a few examples of how I've used Google Drawings in class. 

• Google Drawings Meme Generator
• The Power of Google Drawings to Engage Students

Today I wanted to share something new I created using Google Drawings that really isn't about drawing at all. I need a Venn diagram to compare rocks and minerals and after a short internet search I decided to create my own. I started with two perfect circles but stretching them a bit seemed to give a bit more room for text. I don't know if this is the best digital Venn Diagram on the market, but I think it will work for my purposes.

VENN Diagram Template - Google Drawings

Feel free to make a copy and modify for your classroom. If you think your students need more space for text, you can also make it into rectangles. I also have one that I created using Google slides. 

VENN Diagram Template - Google Slides

Curious About Google Drawing Templates? Here are a few more great resources your might want to explore. 

• 30 Free Google Drawings Graphic Organizers - Control Alt Achieve
• 25 Free Google Drawings Graphic Organizers - Ditch that Textbook
• Get Creative with Google Drawings - Learning in Hand
• Google Slides: Create A Venn Diagram - Teacher Tech

There are also some nice resources outside of the world of Google.

• Free Venn Diagram Maker by Canva
• Venn Diagram Maker by creately
  
• Venn diagram maker by Lucidchart
• Venn diagrams by visme

Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions. Happy Learning!

Friday Fun- Learning Reflections with Google Doodles

Happy Friday and Happy Almost Halloween!

I know it has been a while and this is not even close to the most useful post I've shared, but when you are struggling to engage in teaching and learning it can be a strange journey to inspiration. I found a bit of inspiration today and wanted to share. Yeah! 

Today I discovered the 2020 Google Halloween Doodle and this led me down the rabbit hole that is the Google Doodle Archive. My exploration inspired me to create something I might use to engage my students in both the Google Doodle Archive and our course content..

Google Doodle Assessment / Reflection Template

Even if this just leads to something fun for my students, I totally think it will be worth exploring during these strange days we are all living in. 

There have been so many incredible Google Doodles shared over the years. How can you use these to inspire and engage your students with a dash of fun? (Please, share your ideas in the comments below!)

I promise I'll be back to creating and sharing soon.

Happy Learning Everyone!

BTW - The animated GIF for the Doodle was created using Screencastify.

Additional Hybrid and Remote Learning Collection

Curiosity and Critical Thinking Resource - What's Going On in This Picture?

Images are a powerful way to engage students. I am not just thinking about using images in presentations or web sites as part of the design. I am thinking of ways to use images to inspire curious exploration and engage students in critical thinking.

One of my favorite resources to explore images is the New York Times site, "What's Going on in This Picture?"

Getting to Know My Students - Making Connections 7 Days and 7 Photos

I am adjusting to remote learning. Yes, there have been a few technology glitches and there will be more, but I am enjoying the challenge of finding new ways to engage my students.

If I am being complete honest, one thing I am struggling with is making connections and getting to know my students when are main connection tool is a Zoom Classroom with 30 of us all confined to a small digital box. I don't know my students as well as I would like to, so I've made a commitment to do some small things every week to build connections.

Getting Started - Remote Learning, Pear Deck, and More

 Welcome to Class! 
Remote Learning Style!

This is a year like no other! You've probably heard this a time or two, but how is it changing how we teach and learn? 

I'll let you know what I think in a few month's, but for now I am just trying to start the year without being in the classroom. We are full remote for a bit.  Today I wanted to share one piece of how I am trying to get to know my students while I introduce them to the way we are going to do learning.

Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts for Teachers and Students

Chromebook keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keys and clicks that can be used to perform specific actions, such as taking a screenshot. Knowing some essential shortcuts  help enhance anyone's Chromebook experience.

Google Applied Digital Skills Back to School Collection

 

Google Applied Digital Skills is a free online project based learning curriculum. The lessons engage students  in essential digital skills connected to Google's G Suite for Education applications. Students watch short step-by-step video tutorials, that support a variety of activities in each lesson. 

I love the curriculum and I've shared several posts about Google Applied Digital Skills since the product went live a few years ago. I think the student paced videos lessons and activities are a great ways to engage students in both content and essential digital skills. it is also a perfect tool to engage students in remote learning experiences. 

Tips to Use Google Applied Digital Skills for Remote Learning

Google has even put together a collection of 20 lessons that are perfect for back to school.

New Google Sites Tips, Tricks, and Training Resources for Teachers

New Google Sites has been around for a few years, so I am wondering when Google will drop the "New".?I have a tendency to just say Google Sites or Classic Google Sites. Using Google Sites alongside Google Classroom or another LMS is a great way for teachers to engage parents and students. We've organized a new website using to help teachers explore the features of Google Sites.

Split Screen on Chromebooks - Two Tabs One Window

Sometimes having two screens open side by side on a Chromebook is much more efficient then toggling between tabs. There are a few different ways to evenly split your screen into two separate Chrome windows on a Chromebook.

Google for Education Professional Development and Learning Resources Website

Google has some incredible learning resources for all learners. The Google for Education team also organizes and shares some incredible professional development and training resources. We've done our best to organize and share the best Google for Education learning resources in a newly updated Google Site.

Have You Seen the Awesome New Flipgrid Updates?

My favorite digital tools connected to student engagement and learning include
Adobe Spark , Flipgrid, Google Classroom, Padlet, Pear Deck, and G Suite EDU. You can do it all with these resources with a dash of your favorite formative assessment tools.

I was excited to explore the recently announced Flipgrid updates for the 2020 school.  These updates are awesome and will enhance how educators engage students in creative student voice. 

Remote Learning Daily Agenda Templates - Organization for Teachers, Parents, and Students

Graphic Created with Adobe Spark

I think one of the greatest digital learning challenges for teachers, parents, and students is knowing what, when, and where. One of the easiest ways to help everyone stay on the same page is using a digital agenda. There are many different organizational tools that can help with this, but I think one of the best ways to support parents and students is by using Google Slides to create a digital agenda that can be shared with students and parents.

Free Interactive Pear Deck Templates for Google Slides and PowerPoint

Pear Deck is an incredible tool for student engagement. Pear Deck works with Google Slides and PowerPoint to add interactive questions to existing slides. Teachers can also explore and use some incredible free existing templates.

Prepared to Learn: A Virtual PD Series Presented by Pear Deck, Screencastify, Book Creator, and Google for Education

I just wanted to make sure everyone knows this great event hosted by some of my favorite EdTech companies. You can explore the schedule and sign up for this free event by clicking on the image below. The schedule of presenters looks awesome! 

In Event of Moon Disaster . . . Unique Digital Literacy Resource to Learn About Deepfakes

"Deepfakes" are a category of videos that use AI to create or recreate a video using someone's face and voice in a place or scenario that looks and sounds real. Think about the old Photoshop tricks on steroids demonstrated in the Einstein image above.

Many of these are harmless fun, but they are also increasingly become a way to mislead viewers into believing something that isn't true. On the fun side, if you search on YouTube for "deepfake", you are sure to see quite a few videos with Nicholas Cage in movie scenes where he doesn't belong. On the dark side, these can be used to create and share misleading stories in political campaigns or celebrity interviews.

Favorite Google Resources for Teachers and Learners

How do you learn more about using Google for Education? I am in search of books, websites, blogs, and any other Google resources to engage educators and learners. This post includes some of the best resources I've explored this summer. What am I missing?

Remote Learning Resources to Support Digital and Hybrid Learning Experiences

I am uncertain about what teaching and learning will look like for my students this year, but I am also excited to take on the challenge of remote and hybrid learning. I am also nervous that I will do this right, but I am preparing this summer with the best intentions to create awesome learning experiences for all of my students. I think it should be quite an interesting learning experience. 

Today, I wanted to share some of the resources, ideas, and activities I am exploring to be ready to teach this year.

Have You Seen the New Pear Deck Trivia Templates?

Pear Deck has become one of the top tools I use to engage students in both face to face and remote learning experiences. I put together a PD Choice Board to help teachers explore all the awesome that is Pear Deck.

Today I discovered a new bit of awesome in the Pear Deck templates. Pear Deck recently shared a new template for creating interactive trivia games with students. Trivia is a great way to engage students in essential topics or a great way to take a break and have some fun. 

Building Classroom Culture with Pear Deck Trivia!

Be sure to check out the template and ideas on using trivia with students on the Pear Deck Blog. 

How would you use trivia to engage students? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Summer Reading for Teachers

I am working on writing a short book called "Embrace Change" to support teachers and learners as we move into what could be a challenging school year. It is taking me a while to get it write, but I hope to release it soon on Amazon. Stay tuned. Here is a short exert from the book draft, just in case you are curious. Let me know if there is something you think I am missing?

In addition to attempting to write, I am trying to catch up on my summer reading. My reading choices  this summer strongly influenced by current events and the uncertainty of next school year. I don't know if I will get through all of these, but I am going to try. 

Pear Deck PD Choice Board - Advanced Features

Pear Deck is an incredible tool that educators can use to add interactive questions for students to any presentation. I've primarily used Pear Deck with Google Slides, but it also works with PowerPoint. If you are curious to learn more about how I use Pear Deck with my students, check out these blog posts.

I recently explored a great post by Pam Huber about Coaching Choice Boards. It is an awesome way to deliver professional development. I was inspired to try something similar with a focus on one of my favorite EdTech resources, Pear Deck.

Picture Book Collection Connected to Equity, Empathy, and Kindness

Padlet Collection of Picture Books for Teachers and Learners of All Ages

A few months ago I started to put together a collection of picture books to engage students of all ages in essential topics and skills. I even use some of these books with my High School Environmental Science Students. With the help of my PLN I explored a variety of books and create categories to have a some sense of organization. You can learn more about my first attempt in this post which includes a link to the updated Padlet Collection. Today I am writing about my second attempt at learning as I update and add a new category. 

Inspirational and Motivational Learning Video Challenge

You Matter More Than You Know!

It has been an interesting year to say the least and I know some of my teaching friends have struggled with the world we are living in today. I've read quite a few posts and stories about teachers struggling to stay motivated. I've even talked to some teachers who are thinking about leaving the profession. This breaks my heart.

It's not all bad! There are many great educators doing incredible things to inspire and motivate learners during these unique times and I want to do my part. With this in mind, I am challenging my PLN to share videos or quotes connected to teaching and learning. The goal is to inspire and motivate our teaching friends. #BetterTogether

I think the rules our simple. 

1. Find a video or quote that puts a positive spin on being a teacher and lifelong learner. What inspires and motivates you? 
2. Share the quote or video using the #ShareYouWhy hashtag and any additional teaching and learning hashtags you love. 
3. It is ok to share more than once. The more the better!
4. Feel share to explain why the quote or video matters or leave it open to interpretation. 

If you need some inspiration or want to dive in before sharing, I've started this YouTube Playlist and I will also start to work on a Wakelet Collection of Shared Quotes.

Teaching & Learning Videos - YouTube Playlist

Know Your Why!

Awesome Templates and Visual Design Add-Ons for Google Slides 👀

  

This video almost always makes me laugh, but it also reminds me of some of the awful presentations I've created or had the misfortune of watching. I think that teachers and students sometimes focus so much on the content and what we want to say that we don't think about or find the time to consider design. I think visual design has to be at the top of our list if we want to engage students in learning experiences.

3 Simple Things to Consider When Creating a Presentation

• Less is often more when it comes to text. If you can't make your point with a few points, you may want to reconsider your purpose.
• Backgrounds should connect to you message and not distract the viewer. Backgrounds set the theme for your message. 
• Images should emphasize essential ideas and not just be space fillers. Remember a picture is worth a 1000 words if it is used in the right way. 

I've blogged about why I think design is so important, so I am going to use your time in this post on the why and the how of visual design. If you want learn more about visual design in general, please take a moment to visit or bookmark this post. If you are just getting started with google slides, be sure to explore the Google Slides Training and Help Center.

Today I am going focus on the tools that support visual design in Google Slides. Here are some recommendations for templates, images, and fonts. (While I am focusing on Google Slides, many of these can also be used with PowerPoint or Keynote.)

Recommended Book - Control Alt Achieve: Rebooting Your Classroom with Creative Google Projects

Control Alt Achieve: Rebooting Your Classroom with Creative Google Projects by Eric Curts

Eric Curts has been one of my favorite innovative educators for years. His blog Control Alt Achieve is one of my favorites. I've also been lucky enough to attend several presentations and keynotes by Eric. I am incredibly excited to share his new book with everyone. Eric's book will inspire new and experienced teachers to explore new ways to support creative activities with students.

Screencastify Updates To Support Remote Learning

There are many great screen recording tools for teachers and students, but the Screencastify Chrome Extension has long been one of my favorites. I love the ease of use, the ability to make animated gifs, and the connections to Google Drive.

I also love that Screencastify is always looking for new ways to support teachers and students. There are many innovative EdTech companies that I've gotten to know over the years and Screencastify is one of the best. 2020 has been no exception and today I wanted to share a few of the more recent Screencastify updates.

Google Read Along - Reading Practice App for Young Readers

I had a chance today to explore the new Google Read Along App on my Chromebook and I think it is something that will engage young readers in reading practice at home. Right now the App only works on Android-enabled Chromebooks and Android devices, but I hope it will be available for iOS in the future.

Here are some of the features that I really liked.

• It is free with no in-app purchases or ads.
• It is available in nine languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese and Hindi
• The in-app reading buddy that listens to the reader, offers assistance when they struggle and rewards them with stars and badges as they successfully complete passages.
• Students can also tap the reading buddy to get help pronouncing a word or sentence.
• Parents can create profiles for multiple readers.
• The app can recommend difficulty levels for stories and games based on the reading performance of the student.
• It works online or offline, but you do need to be online to download new stories. 
• Google is looking for feedback, so I think the App will continue to improve.  They have even created a place for anyone to send feedback at readalong@google.com.

I've read a few reviews and this app definitely has room to grow, but at first glance it definitely looks like something worth exploring.  Happy Reading!

Recommended Book - Tech Like a PIRATE Matt Miller

Tech Like a PIRATE: Using Classroom Technology to Create an Experience and Make Learning Memorable by Matt Miller

Matt Miller has done it again. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for new ways to use technology to enhance student engagement.

Updated Guide to Sharing Files in Google Drive

Google started rolling out some updates to sharing files in Google Drive. This includes Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and just about everything else but forms. The main changes include the interface and renaming some of the sharing options. If you haven't started to see the new sharing options you probably will soon. These changes are specific to drive and don't impact the drive sharing settings in Google Classroom. 

Thank You Educators!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the teachers and educational leaders who are doing so much to support all learners. I am thanking you all as both a parent and an educator. Parents, students, and teaching friends need to do this more often than once a year. #TeacherAppreciation

I don't have anything spectacular to give away today, but I promise that I will continue to do my best to share my appreciation by creating and sharing resources to support all teachers and learners. 

As a small bonus today, here are a few videos and resources for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

• The Best Teacher Appreciation Giveaways and Deals for 2020 (We Are Teachers) 
• Teacher Appreciation Week: What Teachers Would Like to Have During Distance Learning (Mindshift)
• #TeacherAppreciationWeek Hashtag on Twitter (Great Daily Giveaways) 
• 50 of the Best Quotes About Teaching (teachthought)
• A Teacher Appreciation Week for the Ages (Edutopia - YouTube)
• Teacher Appreciation Week: They wanted respect. It only took a coronavirus pandemic and worldwide economic collapse (Newsweek)
• Erducator Strong....it’s what we are! (Gerry Brooks - YouTube)
• Teacher Appreciation Day 2020 (Pearl Jam - YouTube)

I count my blessings every day that I am lucky enough to be a teacher and lifelong learner. I also want to thank my school, my district PLN, and all of my teaching friends for all everyone does to help me learn and grow daily.

Please feel free to share additional appreciation resources or thanks you's to a special teacher in the comments below.

I hope everyone is well and is finding moments of joy when and where you can. 

Explore the World with Google Arts & Culture

Google just released a new collection of lessons to engage students in virtual field trips that explore the mind of an artist, the history of a palace, the mystery of space, and more. Students will engage in exploring topics, collaborating, and practicing essential skills.

Pear Deck Now Lets Teachers Record and Upload Audio

Pear Deck just released the ability to add audio and it is awesome. Probably one of the easiest ways I've discovered to add audio to your presentations and interactive slide activities. Right now this is just part of the Google Slides Pear Deck Add-on, but I am thinking it will soon be an option in PowerPoint.

How awesome is it that you can now share your voice with your students. Connections matter and this is another great way that you can make sure your students are connected and engaged! I also love that you can upload music and other audio files to supplement images and text. 

Adjusting To Working at Home - Tech and Home Office Tips and Resources

I've been working at home for almost two months now and I've begun to think about what I need to efficiently work at home. Today I wanted to share the top 10 things I think every home office should have to maximize the space. 

Curiosity Matters - Unique YouTube Channels to Engage Curious Learners

Curiosity still matters and it is an essential skill for all lifelong learners. Learners need to challenge themselves to explore something new as often as they can. I'm not just talking about content or learning how to do something you need to get done. I'm thinking about exploring something unexpected, something unique. 

"There is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child than the discourses of men." John Locke

I think we sometimes get so caught up in what we have to learn that we forget to explore something we could learn. Today I wanted to share a couple YouTube channels that inspire me to explore something unexpected. How would you use these with your students? 

Earth Day 2020 - Introducing TED-Ed Earth School for Remote Learning

Today I discovered a new resource from TED-Ed and it looks like an awesome remote learning resource for educators and students.

Audio in Google Slides - Enhancing The Learning Experience

Did you know that you can insert audio files into Google Slides? Google started the rollout of this feature about a year ago and it should be available for all users by 2020. Creators can embed MP3 and WAV audio files from Drive into Slides.