Visual Creativity - Infographics and Sketchnotes

Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

 In the course of my teaching career, I've tried many tools and strategies to engage students with creativity and visual learning. Despite this, I am often disappointed when many visual student projects share more text and not enough creative use of images. When images are included they often are poorly connected or they may even distract the viewer away from the learning goals.
In recent years, I've adopted two methods to help my students explore visual learning: infographics and sketchnotes. These methodologies have provided my students with new opportunities to create visually. 

 Infographics - "Infographics support focused data with good design to tell a shareable story in a clear and concise manner – Three rules to great infographics: 1. compelling data, 2. rich graphics, 3. viral title." Source
Sketchnotes - "Sketchnotes are purposeful doodling while listening to something interesting. Sketchnotes don't require high drawing skills but do require a skill to visually synthesize and summarize via shapes, connectors, and text. Sketchnotes are as much a method of note taking as they are a form of creative expression." Source

 There is no single best way to create infographics and sketchnotes. I do believe it is important to have students explore and discuss visual literacy, before having them create either infographics or sketchnotes. 
I always try to start my planning for a visual activity with a Google search to find an infographic or a sketchnote that connects to my content. I will have students analyze and discuss both the content and the design of any visual resource I discover before getting them creating.

If you are interested in having your students explore and create infographics or sketchnotes, here are a few general resources to help you get started. 
Ready to Start Creating? Explore These Digital Creation Resources. (I mix both paper and digital throughout the year.)
  • Google Autodraw - Google has created this web-based tool that pairs machine learning with drawings created by talented artists. 
  • Google Drawings - Google Drawings is a free, web-based diagramming software developed by Google. It allows users to collaborate and work together in real time to create flowcharts, organizational charts, website graphics, mind maps, concept maps, and many other types of diagrams.
  • Google Slides - Google slides is much more than a slide by slide presentation tool. Google Slides include many feature-rich drawing tools and the slides can be resized as you design an infographic or create digital sketchnotes. 
  • Thinglink - Free and user-friendly digital tool that provides users with the ability to turn any image into an interactive graphic
  • Easel.ly - A simple infographic web tool that empowers anyone to create and share powerful visuals... no design experience needed!
  • Piktochart - A web application that helps non-designers create infographics. 
Visit this Google Doc to explore even more resources connected to visual literacy.
Have an idea or resource connected to infographics or sketchnotes? Share it in this Padlet.

Creative Communication with the Bitmoji Chrome Extension

What is Bitmoji?
Bitmoji is your own personal emoji creator. That you can use right from your keyboard! Create an expressive cartoon avatar. Choose from a growing library of moods and stickers – featuring YOU!
How can these be used?
The Bitmoji Chrome extension works directly on many websites. Bitmojis can also be downloaded and inserted into most digital resources for display or printing. The extension is also directly compatible with Facebook, Twitter, Facebook, Slack, most email programs, and just about anywhere you might communicate on the web. You can insert Bitmojis as you type, or drag and drop your character into comments and posts.

 Bitmoji in Education
  • Digital Badges
  • Student Projects
  • Awards
  • Feedback
  • Twitter Avatars
  • Digital or Print Classroom Signage
  • Online Posts
  • Google Docs
  • Presentations
I would not recommend that younger students use Bitmoji on their own. While most of the Bitmojis are pretty tame, there are a handful of created avatar poses that involve alcohol or mildly inappropriate suggestions.

 Installing the Chrome Extension
1. Click here to access the extension in the Chrome Webstore.
2. Click on Add to Chrome and then Add extension in the pop-up.
3. The extension icon will appear in the top right of your browser window, and a sign-up screen will appear.
4. If you already have a bitmoji account you can log in. If you don't, click Sign Up with Email.
5. If you've used Bistrips in the past, you can retrieve the avatar from Facebook. Otherwise, skip this step, and you can create your avatar from scratch. Follow the onscreen instructions to create your avatar.
6. After choosing your avatar features, click on Save Avatar. (You can change your avatar and outfit at any time.)
7. Click on the bitmoji icon, and a window will open that allows you to Edit your Emoji, search by keyword, or browse the categories.
8. When you click on the Bitmoji extension icon you can drag and drop bitmojis onto compatible sites, or right-click to save them to your device, or right-click to copy / paste them.

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Growing a PLN - ISTE Blogging Buddies


My PLN has been an essential resource to help me grow as both a teacher and a learner. I am always looking for new ways to connect, so I recently joined the ISTE EdTech Coaches Network Blogging Buddies to connect, collaborate, and share. 
What are Blogging Buddies?
Blogging Buddies were inspired by Jennifer Hogan's "Compelled Blogger Tribe!"
Blogging Buddies are designed to be a chance for ed tech coaches (and those tasked with helping teachers integrate technology) to connect, network and learn from other coaches via blogging. Many ed tech coaches value blogging as a form of personal growth and reflection in their practice, but don’t always receive that online feedback in the form of comments from our coaching peers that we’re hoping for. So Blogging Buddies groups will be made up of about 5 ed tech coaches bloggers who come together to commit to posting on their blog at least once a month, read one another’s blogs, comment on one another’s blogs, and share the posts with their own networks. That’s it!
Learn more and sign up to be a part of the Blogging Buddies experience here. 

 If you have any questions, please email Katie Siemer at ksiemer@forward-edge.net or add your thoughts to the comments below.
My Blogging Buddies Group
Follow all Blogging Buddies on Twitter with this Twitter list here.
Follow all Blogging Buddies with this stream on Feedly here.



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Critical Thinking and Formative Assessment

Resources to Support Formative Assessment in 1 to 1 Classrooms

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” - Alvin Toffler
  • Formative assessments should be part of the learning experience in all classrooms, but they are particularly important in 1 to 1 classrooms. Quick formative assessments help teachers and students connect learning goals to classroom activities. 
  • Many digital resources can help teachers and students create and engage in quick formative assessments at any time with little extra effort.
  • Good formative assessments help both the students and teachers gauge understanding and adjust teaching and learning on the fly. Formative assessments can also be fun.
  • Before creating your own assessments using any of these resources, we recommend exploring the tutorials embed in most of the resources. If you do want to jump right in, get started by searching for assessments that have already been created. (Most of these resources have a library of shared public assessments that you can copy and modify.)

Quizlet Live
Quizlet Live is an in-class, team-based learning game. Students work collaboratively to correctly match a Quizlet set of terms and definitions. Teachers can create their own Quizlets or find one in Quizlet's public collection.

Kahoot
A bit more teacher centered, but the students get very excited to do this. They do sometimes focus more on speed than accuracy. You can search and find existing public Kahoots that you can modify for you students.

Quizizz
Quizizz allows you to create & play awesome multiplayer quiz games, both in class & at home. Quizizz is similar to Kahott, but a big advantage is the option for students to complete a Quizizz assessment anywhere and at any time.

EdPuzzle
The easiest way to engage your students with videos. pick a video, add your magical touch and track your students' understanding. EdPuzzle has some excellent searchable channels and public video assessments.

Google Forms
Flubaroo or Superquiz are Google Sheets add-ons to help grade, analyze, and return assessments in traditional forms. Flubaroo | Super Quiz

 Quizzes in Google Forms
Teachers can select correct answers for multiple choice and checkbox questions to reduce repetitive grading. They can also enter explanations and review materials to help students learn.

Looking for more formative tools?
Visit this Formative Assessment Google Doc to explore more formative resources.
If you have a favorite formative assessment resource or method please consider sharing in our please Formative Assessment Google+ Community.




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Google - Take It With You


Guide to Transfer or Download Your GoogleEDU Content
Your Account → Your Stuff → Take It With You

Educational G Suite accounts are typically closed when students are no longer enrolled or educators leave a school. This means that students who transfer or graduate no longer have access to the files and resources in G Suite. 

The end of the school year brings new changes for many students or staff members. 
  • Maybe a family is moving to a new school or district.
  • Maybe a student is graduating from high school or college. 
  • Maybe a teacher is moving to a new district or changing careers. 
  • Maybe an educator who is retiring after many years of service. 
If you are graduating, retiring, or leaving your school you should either “Transfer content” or “Download data” before leaving their school. You might just want to create a backup copy of your Google for Education Account data. Once it is gone it is most likely gone for good. The good news is that Google makes the process pretty painless. 

Transfer your content from Drive and Gmail

Copy and transfer your emails and Google Drive files to a personal Google Account.

1. Visit this site: https://takeout.google.com/transfer

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to copy and transfer your school drive and email stuff to a personal Google account. If you need a little additional help with this process, please visit this page: Copy content from your school account to another account

Download your data from all G Suite products

Export a copy of content in your Google Account to back it up or use it with a service outside of Google. This process allows you to choose what is copied for you to download.

1. Visit this site: https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to create an archive of your data.

If you need a little additional help with this process, please visit this page: Download your data

Right now the one thing that you can't make a copy of is "New" Google Sites. If you have a site that was created using the new Google Sites, you will need to either transfer ownership or make a copy of the site. 

Learn more about your data & personalization
Google Account - Data and Personalization
Your data, activity, and preferences that help make Google services more useful to you

 If you need more help, Eric Curts also has a great step by step overview of the process.

If you have questions or additional solutions, please post in the comments below. 
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