2022 One Word Graphic Templates

"One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live."
"It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps."


There is nothing wrong with New Year's Resolutions, but too often I make resolutions that are just not sustainable. A few years ago I was inspired by my PLN and Jon Gordon's One Word that Will Change Your Life book to shift my thinking about making New Year's Resolutions and shift to the idea of choosing a word as my foundation for the year. Earlier this month I shared my one word activity for students and today I wanted to share my word and some graphic templates that should help students and teachers share their one word for 2022. 

12 Days of Google Tips: Day 12 - Updated Table Properties in Google Documents


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

I made it. Today I am ready to share my 12 tip to celebrate my PLN as we wrap up 2021 and move to 2022. Today I wanted to share a bit about the new ways to customize tables in Google Docs. I am probably more excited about these updates than anything I've shared. I saved this for last because it hasn't fully rolled out for me and may not be available for all users yet. 

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 11 - Using Focus Time in Google Calendar


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song ðŸ˜‰ to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my 11th tip connected to a feature in Google Calendar that has helped me quite a bit to wrap up 2021. Did you know you can set a "Focus time" in Google Calendar?

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 10 - Organizing Files and Folders in Google Drive

Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my 10th tip with a focus on a few useful and creative ways to organize files and folders in Google Drive. 

12 Days of Google Tips: Day 9 - Searching Chrome Tabs


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my ninth tip that is connected to searching your tabs in Chrome.

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 8 - Google Docs the @ menu (aka Smart Chips)


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my eighth tip connected to the @ menu now available in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. 

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 7 - Customize New Tab Page in Chrome


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my seventh tip connected to customizing the new tab page in Chrome.

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 6 - Google Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my sixth tip connected to the best keyboard shortcuts everyone should know when using the Chrome Browser.

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 5 - Google Chrome Reading Lists


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of each post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my fifth tip connected to saving online articles that I want to read later using the Chrome browser "Reading list". 

One Word to Rule Them All - 2022 One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

The Updated 2023 One Word HyperDoc can be found here.

I always like to welcome my students back after the holiday break with a bit of reflection. I also think it is important to revisit goals and set goals for the new year. For the last several years we've focused on the idea that one word can be the foundation for the year.
Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember a few weeks from now anyway!
Choose just one word.
One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.
It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps. (OneWord365)
Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students set goals for the 2022 year with the focus on "one word". This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word

Year in Review - 2021 Resources for Teachers and Students to Reflect on the Year That Was

  

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. 

I will also post our 2022 One Word HyperDoc Activity and our Reboot the Noggin - 2022 New Year's Welcome Back Activity this week. Come back to the blog to explore these activities. Educators are always welcome to copy and modify anything we create to use with their own students.

Today I wanted to share some of the resources I've compiled as I explore the year that was in 2021.

Reboot the Noggin - 2022 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 I don't always think many of my students feel the same way. This is one reason why I always try to come back after break with something outside of our content. Something that I hope if fun, reflective, and maybe a little inspiring.

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students reflect on 2021 and set new goals for 2022. While I use this after we come back from break, I think this also could be used before the holiday break. 

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 4 - Google / Chrome Omnibox Search Tools


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google specific tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of this post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my fourth tip connected to some of the unique Chrome Omnibox / Google Search Tools. 

Ditch the Final - A Project Based End of Semester Experience

 

Matt Miller recently shared some great ideas for end of semester final projects and I was inspired to ditch my traditional final do something a little different.

12 Days of Google Tips: Tip 3 - Linking Directly to a Word, Phrase, or Place on a Webpage


Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google specific tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. 
I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of this post for your reference. 

Today I wanted to share my third tip connected to quickly get students or teachers to a specific phrase or section of a webpage or online article using Google Chrome. 

Puzzlements Web Resources to Support Curiosity In the Classroom

 

My PLN recently shared a great resource connected to curiosity in the classroom and I would to share this resource today: Ian Byrd's Puzzlements Newsletter.

12 Days of Google Tips - Day 2: Organizing Chrome with Bookmark Folders and Bookmark Editor

Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google specific tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of this post for your reference. 

My second tip is really two tips for the price of one, both connected to Chrome bookmarks. I wanted to share the power of folders in the bookmark bar to better organize the sites you use the most. I also want share how to edit bookmarks to save space and maximize how many bookmarks you can access quickly. 

Google Earth - Where in the World Activity


Google Earth and Google Earth Voyager has become one of our top resources to explore our amazing planet. Today I wanted to share an activity that could be used as a brain break or connected to something students are exploring in any classroom.

Resources to Celebrate Computer Science and Coding in Every Classroom

"Very few people grow up to be professional writers, but we teach everyone to write because it’s a way of communicating with others—of organizing your thoughts and expressing your ideas. I think the reasons for learning to code are the same as the reasons for learning to write. When we learn to write, we are learning how to organize, express, and share ideas. And when we learn to code, we are learning how to organize, express, and share ideas in new ways, in a new medium." Mitch Resnick

I am always reminded how important it is to bring some computer science / coding concepts into every classroom every year during Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek).  Running from December 6-12th, CSEdWeek can inspire students to learn about computer science in fun and engaging ways. 

Today I wanted to share a few resources, lessons and ideas connected to the idea of bring coding into ever classroom.

12 Days of Google Tips - Day 1: Quickly Create Text Hyperlinks in Docs and Slides

Tis the season of giving and I've been inspired by my PLN and a certain holiday song to share some Google Workspace Tips that I've either discovered or rediscovered in 2021. To be precise, the plan is two share 12 Google specific tips in addition to any other posts I am inspired to complete during the month of December. I will link other 12 Days of Google posts at the end of this post for your reference. 

My first tip - Links in Docs and Slides. I'm not just talking about copying and pasting. Have you seen how quickly you can insert and clean up links in Google Docs and Slides?

I recently discovered that at some point Google updated hyperlinks in docs and slides, so that with a simple click, the full link becomes linked text.

Google Forms - A Quiz You Can't Fail Using Branching in Google Forms


I've long been a huge fan of Google forms for exit slips, surveys, and formative assessments. For me, it is one of the easiest tools to efficiently engage my students in reflective learning and assessments. I've even dabbled with using Google forms as a HyperDoc.

Another great feature of Google Forms is the ability direct learners to different sections of the form based on the answer chosen in a multiple choice question. This is a great way to support differentiated learning experiences. Students can be directed to a statement, video, website or other digital resource based on the answer they choose. 

Instant PD - Moments of Learning Awe

Some Almost Instant PD for my PLN in 2021 - 2022
Reflections On Moments of Awe Connected to Teaching and Learning Conferences

Near the end of the METS Conference in November, I was thinking about how I might better reflect on my learning experiences. I know that I need to make time reflect or too often I forget an idea or resource that would be great for my learners.

I’ve also always believed that the more you share the more you learn so I’ve always shared my conference notes with my PLN but I think I can do more. So, I am starting to create a document to reflect on and share some of my Learning Moments of Awe.

Curiosity Resource - Recollection Road

I've been exploring curiosity and resources to help students be more curious recently. I've posted a few sets of resources and updated my curiosity site.

Today I wanted to share a YouTube Channel I discovered that I think I will find ways to use with students to inspire curiosity and inquiry. I think that at the very least some of these videos would be hooks or set inductions for some of our class topics or curious brain breaks.

Recommended Podcasts Connected to Curiosity and Inquiry

My PLN has been helping me explore some Podcasts connected to curiosity and inquiry and I just wanted to share the list. I have not had the time to dive deeply into all of these, so let me know if you have any thoughts about this list in the comments below.

Digital and Printable Coloring Brain Breaks - Anxiety and Stress Relief for Students and Adults


Our guidance class houses will place tables with coloring sheets, crayons, and pencils every year around finals time and the students love it. I've also shared some creative digital resources for drawing and coloring in the past including, Google Arts and Culture Coloring Books, Google Autodraw, Google Drawings, and Digital Whiteboards

Most of my elementary friends have always known about the advantages of coloring, but I think we sometimes lose track of this in high school and as adults. Today I wanted to share a few resources and updates connected to the benefits of taking a brain break and coloring something simply for the joy of coloring.

Brain Breaks - Google Games and More

 


I've long been a huge proponent of finding creative ways to give students a break. Call them "Brain Breaks" or whatever I believe they have real benefits for students. These breaks can be a fun way to interact with students outside of the content or they can be connected to your content in creative ways. I find that my students typically are able to refocus and are usually more productive after we engage in a creative brain break. 

Today I wanted to share a few Google resources we've explored and will continue to use to engage students in creative brain breaks. These may even lead to so unexpected and  learning experiences that can be connected to essential course goals and content. 

Google Slides Templates - Social Media Templates, Activities, and Projects for Teachers & Students

I've been collecting Google Slide Templates to use with my students for several years and thanks to a recent Matt Miller post, I think I've found just about everything I could ever want. Even if social media is blocked in your school, you can still create and share social media with a variety of templates in Google Slides. 

I am always looking for creative ways to engage students in exploring and reflection. One of my favorite ideas is to have students create social media posts to reflect on our learning. Today I wanted to share a template I created for Twitter. I also wanted to share a more complete collection of Google Slides templates for creating social media posts with students. These are all free and ready for teachers and students to use today. 

Exploring the World - City Guesser, GeoGuessr, and Virtual Field Trips


I am always looking for new and creative ways to open windows to the world for my students. Google Earth and Google Maps are two of my favorite resources to explore our world with my students.

Today I wanted to start by sharing two resources connected to Google Street View, Geoguessr and City Guesser. Both of these resources bring students into a Street View. As the students explore the locations they guess where they think they are. The closer the guess to the actual location the more points they earn.

Puzzle Brain Breaks - Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication


I've struggled a bit this year with getting my students to collaborate and communicate, so I am always experimenting with different ways to encourage these skills. While I've built quite a few collaboration and communication activities in our content, I also occasionally like to provide students opportunities to think critically and collaborate outside of my Environmental Earth Science Curriculum.

Today I wanted to share two "Brain Break" activities that I've used to get my students talking, collaborating, and thinking critically.

Google Drawings Meme Generator and Creative Google Drawing Activities

Creative CommunicatorStudents communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. (ISTE Standards for Students)
Over the years I have become a huge fan of engaging students in visuals. I love to have students create and explore visuals. I believe we learn best when creating is part of the learning process. We need to design activities to get students creating before, during, and after engaging in a learning experience. Today I wanted to share how I engage students in reflecting on our learning using a Meme Generator.

Google Carmen Sandiego Games on Google Earth - Critical Thinking and Curiosity


If you have haven't heard, Google likes engage curious learners with resources for  educators and students. With this in mind, the Google Earth Team has created three fun Carmen Sandiego games that students and educators can play in Google Earth on the Web. These games are a great way to explore our world and inspire curiosity and critical thinking in all classrooms.

Cultural Crosswords - A Google Arts and Culture Interactive


I've been exploring the collection of Google Arts and Culture Experiments and sharing some of these interactive activities I've used with my students this past year and a half. These interactive resources have content connections for some of us, but I also think they can be great brain breaks for students or even teachers. There are also some great connections to creativity and critical thinking.

Today I wanted to share another Google Arts and Culture Game -  Cultural Crosswords. 

Be sure to also explore the additional Arts and Culture Experiments and Games linked at the end of this post.

My Educational Conference Wish List for the 2021 - 2022 School Year

 

If you know me, you know that I love collaborating with all of my teaching friends. While I enjoy connecting and sharing via social media, I've really missed in person conferences. I always walk away from educational conferences with a new sense of purpose and excitement and I've really missed this. Virtual conferences have filled the gap a bit, but I've really missed seeing my teaching friends in person this past year, but I think that is all about to change.

Today I wanted to share how much I am looking forward to the conferences I am hoping to
 attend in person with all precautions.

Book Recommendation - "Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education" by George Couros


The best educators are not content to do the same old thing year after year. Innovative educators push their thinking by engaging in 
social mediaexploring blogs, attending conferences, and exploring the newest educational books. How will you grow as a learner this year? 

We've created a Recommended Educational Book Site to organize and share some great books connected to teaching and learning.

My school district has been focused on a new program to engage students in becoming teachers in the future and this lead me to George Couros's newest book: Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education

Blooket - Game Based Formative Assessment

We discovered a fun game-based formative resource at the end of last year called Blooket and I am just starting to explore this as both a review and a formative tool with my students.

Inspire, Motivate, or Just Have Some Fun - Happy Friday Videos for Students in 2021 - 22

 

Happy Friday Videos are Back! After a year where I didn't have all of my students on Fridays we are ready to have our Happy Fridays back! 

I am always reminding myself that no matter how much I love my content, the most important thing in my classroom is that I provide my students with opportunities to grow as humans. I understand my responsibility to engage students in content, but I try to remember that it is not the only thing my students need. This post is about one way that I use videos to engage my students as lifelong learners every Friday. 

Today I wanted to share our schedule and the YouTube playlist where I will add a new video each week.

Getting Started - My First Two Days of Student Engagement

 


While I teach Earth Science, a big part of our first two days together are focused less on my content and more on these three concepts.
  • Empathy and Perspective
  • How We Learn?
  • Moments of Awe
Today I want to share this Instructor Paced Pear Deck created with Google Slides to facilitate student engagement. There are some videos and prompts that could be used in any classroom.

Digital Agendas and Calendars - For All Classrooms

Many educators upped their digital agenda game during remote learning and I think this is something we should continue to build on as we return to face to face learning. Last year I wrote this post to support keeping students organized during remote learning.

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

Today I wanted to explore some agenda resources that we can use to continue to support students as we get ready to head back to our classrooms with our students.

Book Recommendation to Start the Year - All Students Must Thrive by Tyrone Howard


The best educators are not content to do the same old thing year after year. Innovative educators push their thinking by engaging in social mediaexploring blogs, attending conferences, and exploring the newest educational books. How will you grow as a learner this year? 


We've created a Recommended Educational Book Site to organize and share some great books connected to teaching and learning.

Today I wanted to recommend a book that I just learned about today after listening to Dr. Tyrone Howard speak. This book is next on my reading list All Students Must Thrive: Transforming Schools to Combat Toxic Stressors and Cultivate Critical Wellness.

Global Oneness Project - Stories and Lessons for Growing Minds


I stumbled on the Global Oneness Project earlier this week and I was almost immediately hooked. I love the tagline, "Stories and lessons for growing minds". The site is focused on helping grades 3-12 educators and students explore social, cultural, and environmental issues. The Project has been around for a while and I've seen a few of the films, but I hadn't realized how much the site has to offer. 

What is Your Favorite Google Easter Egg?

 

One of may favorite brain breaks is exploring Google Easter Eggs. I love so many of these and they are always a hit as a fun and creative brain break in my classrooms.
An Easter egg is an undocumented feature or novelty in a program that the makers added for additional fun and credits. Easter eggs are in no way destructive to any software or hardware in the computer and are usually meant for something unique and fun. (Source)

We Were Made For This!

 

Learn. Believe. Change. Grow. Become. Succeed.

I personally have struggled as a teacher and a learner this year. It's been hard, but I am always reminding myself that this is a learning experience. I'm not saying I love remote learning or the hybrid experience, but I have to believe that all of this will help me become a better educator and that is always my goal. I believe in you!

That's all I have today, other than this playlist. Just a little something that helps keep me inspired. 

Inspire Teaching & Learning YouTube Playlist

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." Winston Churchill

#HappyLearning

Digital Literacy for Teachers and Learners - #DigLitCon 2021

 


#DigLitCon is less than a month away. I am looking forward to learning and exploring with some incredible educators.  More than ever I believe we need to engage students in digital literacy, media literacy, SEL, and digital citizenship.

We are connected to the world like never before, but the world also has unprecedented access to us. Navigating the digital world and building digital literacy skills is an essential skill for all learners.
ISTE Student Standard 2: Digital Citizen Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

Today, I wanted to share some resources we've compiled to support teachers and learners build essential skills for digital learning and digital life.

Thank You Educators - I Appreciate You and All You Do Now More Than Ever


US Teacher Appreciation Week 2021 is here and Google does not disappoint with a new Doodle that highlights 5 awesome stories about teachers. 

Today I wanted to take a moment to add my own thank you 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. I also know that we all need to make an extra effort to do this more often. #TeacherAppreciation

Give 1 Get 1 Strategy - Engaging Learners in Reflective Conversations

I am always searching for and exploring new and different ways to engage my students in discussions and conversations. One of my student-centered favorites is something we call "Give One - Get One". The goal of this strategy is to get students moving while at the same time encouraging students to engage in real person-to-person conversations. 

Today I wanted to share this strategy and some of the different templates I've used for face-to-face, hybrid, and remote learning.

Teaching and Learning Quotes - A Few of My Favorites Inspired by my PLN


Teacher and quotes go together like chips & dip or pancakes & syrup. At least that is the way I've always felt about quotes. 

I have to admit that one of my vices is a love of quotes. We share and discuss quotes all of the time in class. (I really need to put all of these in one place.) I also spend more time than I should online in a variety of places including social media searching for new quotes to add to my list of favorite quotes

Today I was inspired by a few recent tweets from my PLN to to share a few of my favorite quotes. (Thanks @mrpiper76 and @dknonpelko for the inspiration.)

TEDEd Earth School - 30 Video Quests for Students to Celebrate Our Planet

 

Last week I shared a Collection of Earth Day Resources and earlier this week I shared a HyperDoc and Google Applied Digital Skills Lesson for Earth Day.

Today I wanted to share one last resource that is ready for teachers and students to use straight out of the digital box. Who's ready for to go to Earth School?

Earth Day 2021 HyperDoc

 

Last week I shared a collection of resources connected to Earth Day and I promised that I would share any lessons or ideas I created connected the resources. I am planningto use Pear Deck and Google Slides to facilitate a student centered HyperDoc connected to Earth Day. For another class, I am going to use one of the Google Applied Digital Skills Earth Day Activities.

Earth Day Resources - Celebrating Planet Earth in 2021


Every day should be Earth Day, but that doesn't take away from how special Earth Day should be every year. It is that one day of the year that we can believe that everyone in the world is reminded to take at least a moment and recognize our planet and the environment. 

Today I wanted to share some resources my PLN has explored to engage students in at least one day of exploring Planet Earth and the Environment. Many of these resources could also be used throughout the year. #HappyLearning

Listen to Your Students - Listening is A Skill We All Need to Practice

 

"The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” Stephen Covey

I was inspired to create this post as a reminder for myself that I need to learn to be a better listener. Teacher to Teacher and my friend Don Sturm recently posted these questions on Twitter and they started me thinking about the simplest ways we can get to know our students.

Teaching and Learning PD Video Playlist - Engage, Inspire, Motivate!

 

I love using short videos to engage students, but I also think video is a great tool for educators. These videos can connect learners to content or they can be connected to skills that we all need. I am always looking for something new to inspire, motivate, or just to explore something new connected to teaching and learning.

Women's History Resources

I am no expert on Women's History Month, but I do try to remember to bring a greater emphasis to women in science changing the world during the month of March. I also do my best to be aware of this year round, but March is always a nice reminder.

Today I wanted to share some of the resources my PLN has helped me discover. These resources could obviously be used year round.

Visual Crosswords - Google Arts and Culture Interactive Experiment


I've been exploring the collection of Google Arts and Culture Experiments and sharing some of these interactive activities over the last few weeks. These interactive resources will have content connections for some of us, but I also think they can be great brain breaks for students or even teachers. There can also be some great connections to creativity and critical thinking.

Today I wanted to share Visual Crosswords. Instead of clues and letters the crossword clues are connected to works of art that are used to complete different crossword patterns. Be sure to also explore the additional Arts and Culture Experiments linked at the end of this post.

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