Are you setting up Google Classroom for a new school year with new students? Then avoid these 5 mistakes! Discover and learn what mistakes to avoid.
Has your classroom turned into a 1:1 Chromebook Classroom and you are unsure of how to utilize these devices each day? Come learn about some meaningful ways to integrate these devices into your elementary classroom!
Check out this list of over 85 Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom! Did you know that Google Classroom plays well with others? Yep! Google is known for making their applications open to working with third-party applications, and Google Classroom is no exception.
Happy Monday, all! To my American friends, I hope you enjoyed a fabulous Fourth of July! To my friends from other parts of the world, I hope you had a fantastic weekend! Does it seem like the summer is flying by? Maybe it’s because we took a vacation earlier than usual this year (our first ... Read More about Creating a Google Classroom Filing Cabinet
This is a list of my Google digital activities that can be used in the elementary classroom. Disperse to your students via Google Classroom, Google Drive Shared Folder, your Learning Platform, etc..
Use these fun Google Drawings activities for engaging technology practice your students will love all year long.
Wondering how to organize Google Classroom? This post will give you the most common organizational strategies for the Classwork page and topics.
Guest Blogger James Robinson
Happy Monday, all! I’ve been back in my classroom (for meetings and work time) since Friday, and I’m slowly growing accustomed to missing the afternoon naps that I have loved soooooo much during our summer vacation. Coffee to the rescue! In an effort to organize important information and make it more accessible for my students ... Read More about Creating a Class App with Google Slides
Have you wanted to get started with using Google Classroom but aren't sure where to start? Click to read my tips and tricks!
Learn why you should be using Google Classroom elementary assignments. You'll get some Google Classroom ideas you can use all year at home or school!
My Favorite Creation Apps for the Elementary Classroom
Novel Brochure - Pamphlet for Google Classroom Freebie! This resource allows students to create a pamphlet that can be edited for ANY novel! The file contains a Google Drive link that can be used for Google Classroom. **Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the link and save to your own Google Drive Enjoy! Ratings on freebies are greatly appreciated! :) YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5th Grade Novel Studies Bundle (5 Novels) Wonder Novel Study Holes Novel Study Number the Stars Novel Study Esperanza Rising Novel Study Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study ______________________________________________________________________ Tips for Savvy TpT Shoppers: How to receive credit on TpT to use for future purchases: • Go to your My Purchases page. Under each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, FREEBIES, and products: • Look for a green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will now be able to see FREEBIES and customized emails from my store! ©2017 StudentSavvy All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. (unless you purchase the multiple license)
Google Apps for Education, also known as the G Suite for Education, are transforming how teachers use technology in the classroom. In this this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed how they use Google Classroom and other applications as part of their instruction. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
Technology in the classroom constantly changes and so are the classroom tech tools that we use every day with our students.
Credit: The 3AM Teacher, Zip-ah-dee-doo-dah Designs, KG Fonts, Hello Fonts It's no secret that I use my iPad ALL the time in my classroom. Some teachers are REALLY lucky and they have a cart of iPads or a class set. I only have one Wi-Fi iPad (my personal iPad) to use with my kiddos but we make it work! Before we begin let me say that I am lucky to have a Smartboard and projector in my classroom. I bought this handy little gadget to hook my iPad up to the Smartboard which helps ALOT to make the iPad more accessible to all students. This is a VGA adapter for the iPad, you can get it from the Apple website or at Best Buy. Now that we're hooked up, here are 10 of my favorite apps/activities using my iPad that benefit all the kids in my classroom. 1. iBooks This is a free app to download from the iTunes. Any read aloud book I read this year (Magic Tree House, etc.) I downloaded it from iBooks. To help with cost, I asked for iTunes gift cards for my birthday, Christmas and as a wish item for my classroom. When we read the book aloud, I would hook up to the projector so my kiddos could see the books much better than if I just held it for them. Sometimes my kiddos would read along on the Smartboard or have a specific set of questions they were working on while we read it aloud. I found that my kiddos were so much more engaged when I projected books onto the Smartboard. 2. mClass Assessment My district uses the mClass 3D Reading assessment (which also includes Diebels Next) as the K-3 reading assessment for our kiddos. I originally used a mini-laptop and a Bamboo tablet before I found out that I could use my iPad! This quickly became the only way to assess since it was so much easier! Sometimes I use a stylus when assessing but you could use your finger just as easily. (Note: my school also has Wi-Fi which makes it easy to sync, if you do not have Wi-Fi at your school you can sync when you take it home to your personal Wi-Fi or whenever you are in a Wi-Fi range) HERE are the directions to get the mClass button on your iPad. 3. Storia I have talked many times of my love for Scholastic Book Clubs, well the Storia app has added to that love. I send home Scholastic Book Clubs every month and my kiddos order books. I can spend my points to get FREE e-books using the Storia app, which I then project onto the Smartboard and read aloud to my class. They also offer some books with audio. 4. Class Dojo About halfway through the year my kids grow a little tired of all the incentives I offer for good behavior. Around January I set up Class Dojo for a new, fresh approach. Now that Class Dojo is available as a FREE app it has gotten even better! The best part of this app is that I can I project my class dojo page on the Smartboard and then open the app on my iPad. While I am sitting with my iPad and teaching small group (which is usually the time that is most difficult for classroom management) I can give Dojo points by clicking on my iPad and it shows up on the Smartboard! I don't have to say anything, I just teach my small group, do a quick scan of the rest of my kids working on centers and give a few points (or take a few points) as needed. As soon as my kids hear the "ding" of points being given it becomes super quiet! It also has an option to pick a random student, no more popsicle sticks! If I need to call on a student, I open Class Dojo and pick at random! 5. Brain Pop Jr. App We LOVE some Brain Pop Jr. in my class!! Usually I just project the website using my computer but sometimes I want to watch a video while teaching small group. I teach small group reading and math instruction everyday so I spend a lot of time at my horseshoe table. (Note: you must have a subscription to access all the brain pop videos, but there is also a FREE Brain pop video of the week you can watch each week if you don't have a subscription). 6. Small Group Instruction I use my iPad ALOT in small group. I play short videos from Grammar Jammers, read short stories from iBooks/Storia or use skill specific apps depending on my kiddos needs. So, how do we do this without disrupting ALL the other kids who are working independently and want to see what's on the iPad?? We plug in headphones using this fancy splitter! I have heard of some teachers requiring students to bring a pair of headphones to school like any other school supply at the beginning of the year so that they have headphones ready to go when using a headphone splitter. I bought headphones from Dollar Tree so I would have enough to use, they aren't the most durable but they get the job done! 7. Tap Roulette App This is the simplest app but it is AMAZING! Do you ever have an argument in your classroom that you don't want to solve?? Well this app will solve it for you! Have whichever kids are arguing put one of their fingers on the iPad and you click "Pick Finger". The iPad will flash and then pick one of the fingers, solving the argument by random selection! If you need to solve a simple problem (who was there first?? who should get the first pick?? who gets the red crayon first?? ) then this app is a lifesaver! 8. Pandora Radio My kiddos LOVE listening to music! Sometimes we dance to pop music, play freeze dance, play musical numbers/words/operations and other times we write while listening to soothing classical music. I plug my computer speakers into my headphone jack on the iPad, we choose a kid friendly station and we are good to go! Pandora has it all! (Note: Wi-Fi is needed to access Pandora) 9. Mad Libs This is another app that I project to practice our parts of speech as a whole group or for just a fun brain break. This is a great review of the different parts of speech. There are many FREE stories and also ones you can buy. I usually move around the room and choose different students to fill in each blank. They always find the final story to be hilarious : ) 10. QR Codes I found myself incorporating QR codes into more and more activities last year. My kids were fascinated with them. QR codes are SUPER easy to make using THIS website. And I usually make QR codes with answers or hidden riddles for different centers/activities around the room. I don't let the kids walk around with my iPad scanning them because I know kids sometimes drop things and I would be so sad if my iPad dropped on the floor and broke. These FREE QR codes were fun to use for test prep and then I used these QR codes in HERE to countdown the last 10 days of school! The countdown codes were a big hit at the end of the year. I also have some ideas for them in the upcoming school year! And that's how we do it folks! I hope I have given you a few new ideas for how to use 1 iPad in your classroom of many!
Let's talk about Google Classroom. Going digital in kindergarten and first grade can be a powerful tool for differentiatng your kid's learning. Big myth buster- you don't need to be a 1:1 school to do it. Most teachers in the upper grades have been using Google classroom for ages, but it's not as popular in the lower grades. Not many of us have taken the leap to digital. I've actually heard people say you can't use Google in kindergarten (Gasp!) They couldn't be more wrong! Myth buster #2 Kindergarten students CAN use Google Classroom. So how do you get started? A little background. Just recently Google changed it's policy. You used to have to be part of a school district that adopted GAFE (Google Apps for Education). Guess What??? Not any more, you just need to have a gmail account and so do your students, that's bascially it. This opens the doors wide open for homeschoolers. It honestly could not be any easier. All the kids in a GAFE district will have an "email" and password. I put email in quotes because it's not always an actual email. My kids can't send or receive messages. It only works on the school platform. ( this is not always the case so check with your district). The older kids usually know their account and password, but you'll have to get your kids' info for them. My free driver's license is part of my "Getting Started with Google Guide" you can grab the guide here. I work in a large district and I can access my kids info through our district attendance site. Other possible ways include getting the information from a tech teacher, or IT department. Usually it's the kids name and the school domain. example [email protected]. The password is usually something associated with the student, like their birthday. Your tech person can get you that info. Don't be surprised when they doubt that your young kids can use it. Convincing people that young learners can use Google Classroom is the hardest part. See myth buster #2! Once you have this information you can get started. Setting up a classroom. Myth buster #3 Setting up a class is too technical. It's easy, you can do it. Please watch this video I created on getting started with Google. If you're like me, it's A LOT easier to watch someone do it, rather than read about how they do it. So go ahead and check my video it's part of my Google Guide you can access it here. Are you ready to give it a try? Grab my Guide and you'll get my video, my driver's license, and shhhh.... a free Google resource to try. You can get the whole guide here. If you're ready to start, you can access all my Google resources featured in this post here.
Since learning in now almost completely remote, it is time that we get our Google Drive and Google Classroom organized. Here are 5 google classroom tips!
Using MoveNote in the Classroom to record presentations. GAFE integration. Technology in the Classroom
Check out this Google Classroom tutorial that includes 10 tips to help you make the most of this online teaching platform!
Infuse technology into your digital distance learning upper elementary grade 4 5 6 classroom using easy and free Google Apps for Education.
A list of free digital resources for google classroom! Perfect for teachers who are teaching virtually online or using Google Classroom.
Google Slides Did you know that Google Slides can be used for much more than just presentations? Google Slides is one of the most flexible learning tools in the G Suite. In fact, I used
I am a technology junky! At any given time you will find a collection of iPads, laptops, iPhones, smart T.V.s, e-readers, you name it. If you haven't read Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd, you really should. This may very well have taken place in my house. ;) If you aren't sold on the importance of integrating technology in the classroom or have doubts, this video is an absolute MUST!! This video is one of the most powerful videos that I have watched lately. This year I was fortunate to receive Chromebooks for all of my students. Receiving these Chromebooks and feeling the pressure (mostly self-induced) to use them often and effectively was, and still is, overwhelming. To keep my sanity in check, I decided to start small. By starting small, I saved my sanity and also my students'. Whether you have one, two, three or many technology devices available for your students, start small!! To get you started or to simply get your creative technology juices flowing, I have a list of 10 simple ways to integrate technology into the classroom, and they are all free. These tools and resources are great for the classroom that is 1:1 with technology, or the classroom that has only one iPad or tablet. Do you only have one device? Create a center that focuses on the use of technology. 1. Listen/Watch digital stories. There are many free websites available where students can go, choose a book, and listen to the story. Zing and Storyonline are a perfect start! 2. Have students begin with a little research. Provide them with a topic and have them gather 3-5 facts. Here, on Upper Elementary Snapshots, we have a list of child-safe search engines that you can find HERE. 3. Create a Google form for students to choose their lunch choice for the day. 4. Practice math skills on IXL. IXL is a paid subscription, but students can practice for free until they have reached the daily problem limit. 5. Create a Kahoot to review for an upcoming test. They are a hoot and students LOVE them! 6. Have students visit Wonderopolis, read the wonder of the day, and reflect in their writing journal. 7. Create a classroom blog using Google's free Blogger. Post an open-ended reading question for students to comment. 8. For Social Studies, use KidsGeo.com to practice their geography skills. 9. If you are familiar with QR codes, create a question of the day and require students to check their answer by scanning the code. 10. Can students ever get enough practice with basic math facts?!?! XtraMath is a perfect free solution! Remember to start slow! Focus on one area of your choice. Allow students to become comfortable with using the tool and allow yourself to become comfortable implementing it. Once you and your students are comfortable, think about adding a new focus. Taking baby steps with ultimately lead to success! Teaching With Simplicity Pinterest Facebook Instagram Teachers Pay Teachers
It’s official: Classroom and I are no longer together. It was an amicable breakup. We just drifted apart. And I found a better LMS. Enter Canvas. I used it in grad school, and I loved it. Whe…
Download free digital stickers for the classroom! Learn how to add positive feedback to your students' digital work using Google and Seesaw.
Are you looking to create your own classroom website? Google Site is an amazing, FREE platform where you can easily create a website viewable to anyone online. This is a great way for teachers to make a fun website. My school currently has their own website platform, but Google Sites is easier to use and ... Read more
Have you ever wanted to add slides to existing Google Slides presentations your students have already started working on? Come read about the Slip-in-Slide Add-On that is ideal for teachers who use digital notebooks, digital writing journals, digital activities and more that are created in Google Slides! This is a game changer for the Google Classroom.
Have you been apprehensive about using Google Classroom with your students? Here are my best reasons why you should jump right in today!
Google Chrome Extensions have been a lifesaver for so many teachers this past school year. Check out 10 must-have extensions you'll want!
Integrating technology in the math classroom can go far beyond substitution, digital worksheets, and simple quizzes. In this blog post and episode, my guest, Craig Klement, will share 10 ways to use technology in the math classroom. You will learn about free tools, templates, and lesson ideas you can use across grade levels.
Google Forms can be an effective teaching tool and save the teacher tons of time. Learn how to use Google Forms in the classroom.
With the success of my post about how to use google forms in the classroom I thought I would create a post for how to use Google Slides in the classroom. Google Slides is probably one of the most used Google tools in my classroom. I use Google Slides and Google Forms daily. Google Forms […]
Need a way to engage your students and motivate them to learn. Use try using games to woo them into learning by incorporating technology in the classroom.
Come learn about my FAVORITE technology tools for digital communication and collaboration with elementary students. Use these tools with Chromebooks, laptops, computers and some can even be used with iPads. Global learning is making its way into the classroom and we need to make sure our students are prepared so they can make the most of these authentic learning experiences!
Help keep students (and parents) organized with Google Classroom using these FREE assignment checklists for Google Classroom!
Google Sheets is free and easier to use than you might think. Let's take a look at some tips and tricks for using Google Sheets in your classroom.
Check out this Google Classroom tutorial that includes 10 tips to help you make the most of this online teaching platform!
Guest Blogger James Robinson
Making digital math activities is fun! It’s a great way to save paper, get students comfortable with online testing, and get student engaged! My digital math centers were created using Google Slides. They have a variety of question types such as sorting, matching, inserting shapes/lines, entering text, and more! But what happens when these interactive […]
With this Google Sheets Gradebook, you'll finally stay on top of grading. You'll have access to your digital gradebook through Google Drive and can easily print the gradebook template, too. You'll find automatic averages, options for assignment weighting, and built-in student reports. There are two gradebooks available to you with purchase. ⭐ GRADEBOOK ONE ⭐ This gradebook is super simple to use. This is perfect for someone new to Google Sheets who just wants an easy digital gradebook to keep track of student results on assignments, projects, tests, etc. It works as a printable & digital gradebook so you can print a quick one-pager to add to your teacher binder to help you stay organized. This Google Sheets gradebook is 100% editable and customizable. It's appropriate for any grade level because the editable gradebook template allows you to record grades however you want: percentages, 4-point scale, fractions, etc. Gradebook one does not automatically calculate averages, offer assignment weighting, or generate student reports. But gradebook two does... ⬇ ⭐ GRADEBOOK TWO ⭐ This digital gradebook has ten subject pages (subject names and icons can be changed) that calculate student averages. It generates four different student reports and grades can be displayed by percentages, letter grades, descriptors, 4-point scale, or 5-point scale. Reports can be easily printed off or downloaded as PDFs. In this Google Sheets gradebook, there are three ways to adjust assignment weighting. You can do this by individually weighting assignments, adjusting term weighting, or assigning assessment category weighting (assignments, quizzes, projects, etc). You can also turn weighting options off so that all assignments, categories, and terms are weighted evenly. ⭐ TUTORIAL VIDEOS ⭐ Setup videos are included for both of the Google Sheets Gradebook templates to get you started to finally stay on top of grading! In summary, both GRADEBOOK ONE and GRADEBOOK TWO are included in the purchase of this resource. Which digital gradebook you choose to use, is up to you! GRADEBOOK ONE ⭐ Easy to use ⭐ 100% editable ⭐ As many subjects Sheets are you want ⭐ Perfect for keeping a simple record of grades ⭐ Flexibility in how you enter grades (percentages, fractions, letters, numbers, etc.) ⭐ No averaging, assignment weighting, or reports GRADEBOOK TWO ⭐ Best suited for those comfortable in Google Sheets ⭐ Ten subject gradebook Google Sheets ⭐ Automatically calculates averages ⭐ Options for weighting by term, assignment category, and individual assignments ⭐ Option to turn weighting off ⭐ Four different student reports are automatically generated ⭐ View grades on reports in percentages, letter grades, descriptors, 4-point or 5-point scales What Teachers Have Said ✿ Joy said, "Two words: lifesaver! I am thrilled I purchased this. Thank you for the video that explained how to use this. Thank you for making record-keeping so much easier!" ✿ Aisha said, "This is one of the most needed resources I purchased this year. I used this to organize my grades and complete checklists for my students. I enjoyed the premade templates. I copied the templates for every 9 weeks, saved them, and printed them. I am glad I stumbled across this resource." ✿ Karen said, "This resource has allowed me to put grades in as you would in a hard copy gradebook. It can be used over and over which I like (no need to purchase one each year) and you don't have to carry it around. Having it all digital has been a nice treat!"
I know so many of us are planning for remote teaching right now, and Bitmoji classrooms designs are popping up everywhere. I love so many of the amazing features of Google™ Classroom, but it can feel OVERWHELMING.
