MassCUE is hosting Googlepalooza on Feb 22nd

MassCUE is hosting Googlepalooza  Wednesday February 22nd.  

Presentation topics - New Google Site 
Older Site merging and linking options

Session 1: Exploring the NEW Google Sites Site https://sites.google.com/view/learnnewsites and Presentation goo.gl/1yrtdY Today’s media-rich world presents opportunities to showcase our interests and talents. Google’s new version of Sites makes this easier than ever! Come and see how Google Sites can be used for digital portfolios at both the classroom and individual levels. (Level: Intermediate/Advanced) Featured Google Tools: Sites, Docs and Slides

Session 2: Getting organized with Google Keep 10:30-11:30 Link https://goo.gl/oPS9PK Trade in your Post-it notes for Google Keep, a web and mobile note-keeping tool that allows you to add labels to notes, set reminders and create notes from photos or voice recordings. With Keep, you can move seamlessly between your teacher desktop, calendar and mobile device to have your notes and appointments at your fingertips!
UPDATE on NEW Google Keep
(Check out Eric Curts Blog/Video with new features for commenting on Docs with Keep)

Lunch and Demo Slam 11:30-1:00 Session 3: What's all the Hype about Hyperdocs? 1:00-2:00 Link goo.gl/GYRbJB

Hyperdocs are so much more than a document with links. They are visually engaging, carefully crafted lesson plans that challenge students to higher levels of thinking! You can turn simple Google Docs into vibrant, self-paced lessons that allow students to tap into all that the web has to offer learners. Explore free templates created by other teachers that you can easily adapt for your own classes. (All Levels) Featured Google Tools: Google Drive, Docs, Slides & other web tools

Session 4: Google Sites and Apps Smash (Adobe Spark) for Portfolios and Projects 2:15-3:15 Link https://spark.adobe.com/page/MEzloMLWoGZId and Site https://sites.google.com/view/learnnewsites Google Apps makes it easy for students to quickly sign into the Adobe Spark or use on a mobile device. Learn how students and staff can create dynamic, engaging presentations or portfolios that demonstrate and connect to an audience. In this session we will talk about how these digital storytelling tools can be used across the content areas. Featured Google Tools: Google Sites for Portfolios & Adobe Spark Page

Tools to Explore in 2017

Time to explore new options for note taking.  Lots of people on Twitter are into Sketchnoting #SylSketch A-Sketch-A-Day #5/100 "Life" http://bit.ly/SylBook #edtechteam #edtech #edchat #sketchnoting

I have noticed many of the sketches appear to be done on an ipad or even by hand.  So I was intrigues when I came across a could-based tool on sketching that seems to work with Google Drive and allows for free-hand drawing as well.  I plan to explore, Sketchboard sketchboard.io it actually looks like a sketch, as if someone drew it by hand. This makes it feel like you’re working on paper, but better, because it’s all saved in the cloud. Sketchboard has a lot of the same features and functionality as other mind mapping tools: Users can collaborate on the same sketch, you can add unlimited items to a map, and individual parts can be moved around at will. But the items can take all kinds of shapes: squares, circles, computer screens, people; you have over 50 icons to choose from.

If your idea can’t be represented with one of the icons from the Sketchboard library, you can just switch to the freehand tool and draw it yourself. This makes your map a whole lot more visual, so your ideas become even clearer.

There also appears to be integration between Sketchboarding and Slack, a team messaging platform for team communication. Messaging takes place on Slack through channels, which are like separate chat rooms for different conversations. A channel can be public or private, making it flexible for all kinds of communication needs. And it’s more than just messaging: Users can also attach files and hold side discussions about these files within the larger conversation.

I plan on testing out with a few teachers over the next few weeks.

Google Certified Trainers - Time to recertify

I am a Google Certified Trainer, this involved taking a series of tests in each area in order to become a Google Educator. I then submitted a portfolio and a recording of teaching a lesson to become a certified trainer.  As a trainer, I needed to submit evidence of sessions at conference, hangouts, PD sessions and classes. After 12-18 months we had to re-take all the test for a second time.

I was notified by a colleague this week the NEW re-certification process was due this week, Friday January 20th. I do wish they did a better job notifying us of the changes.  I was pleased to see the test was only on the new features of G-Suite and a study guide was provided. I was able to complete the Training Sessions and log with the Activity App, share a resource and take the Product Update Exam this weekend and pass!

To learn more about becoming a Certified Educator visit here.  To learn more about becoming a Certified Trainer visit here.