Volume 3.37 June 7, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Last Week's Name that Teacher Weekly Winner
Megan Holman @ LCMS
Sam Coulson from Never Been Kissed
Summer Learning
Of course, you can - and should - use your summer break to rest and recharge, but you might also want to do a little bit of learning, too. Here are some FREE & EASY ideas for you.
Share your thoughts so we can improve! Complete our....
Each correct response in the Name that Teacher contest this year earned an entry for our raffle. Thanks to all who participated! The $10 Starbucks card goes to:
Megan Holman
We wish you a wonderful summer break! See you next year!
Volume 3.36 May 31, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Eric Page @ AHS
Mr. Ryan from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
End of Year Tips
Google Classroom: Here are 6 things you can do to start fresh next year in Google Classroom. For the full article with directions, visit this post by Eric Curts.
Kasey Bell has similar advice, but talks more about Drive. Read her post here.
Seesaw:
Pear Deck:
Using Pear Deck? They have some great
templates for end of year reflections.
Need a laugh to fill your tank during these last few days? We Are Teachers has you covered. Check out their favorite memes about the end of the school year here.
They also have some easy to implement end-of-year assignments and activities for any grade if you are just plain out of ideas.
Share your thoughts so we can improve! Complete our....
Last chance to
enter and win!
Volume 3.35 May 24, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
QRCode Monkey is a free QR code generator that lets you create QR codes for urls, text, and more. Personalize your code by specifying the color (including gradients) and including icons and uploaded images. You could even add student faces to a QR code linked to their work!
Although we have descriptions of all the resources we have available for you to check out on our website, we have been asked a number of times to create a list of which specific Breakout games, virtual and augmented reality tours, and robot lessons we have. We have now indexed our Breakout games and are working on getting the other lessons in. If you want to check out where we are so far, click here.
YOU
FOR IT!
ASKED
Click the image or scan the QR code to learn more.
Volume 3.34 May 17, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Last week's contest challenged you to relax. We got some great entries, so we decided to pick three winners instead of one. Congratulations, Megan Holman, Carissa
Shaw, & Joanne Anderson!
Your prizes will be delivered next week.
Apps that work with Classroom
We know many of you are using Google Classroom. Did you know there are dozens of apps that integrate with it? These include many that you may be using with your students, including Aeries, Newsela, Quizizz, Peardeck, GeoGebra, BrainPOP, EDpuzzle, and Khan Academy. Click the image to see some of the most popular apps with descriptions of what they do, check out Kasey Bell's blog post, or visit Google's Apps that work with Classroom page for a complete list.
Ride the Carousel!
You can now add an image carousel to your Google site. What a great way for you and your students to share what you have been working on all year! Select Insert > Image carousel to begin. Click the image to learn more.
Don't see this feature yet? You will soon! It should roll out to all by the end of the month.
Volume 3.33 May 10, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
This week’s contest is all about relaxing! So put down that grading and enter to win a latte! All you need to do to enter is look at the suggestions below on ways to relax.Choose the one that is right for you! Take a selfie of you doing it! We will randomly select someone to win a latte! Or the beverage of your choice!
We searched and found some discounts some for this week and some that are available all year round.
Click on the
Latte to submit
your picture!
Last Week's Name that Teacher Winner
Megan Holman @ LCMS
Elton Bates from Freaky Friday
Even though we appreciate you everyday, we thought we would take advantage of Teacher Appreciation Week by dedicating this issue of Tech Tips to YOU! So sit back and laugh a little, search through some discounts, and find ways to relax this weekend!
Volume 3.32 May 3, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Megan Holman @ LCMS
Mr. Vernon. The Breakfast Club
Honorable Mention: Rachel Kaufman, CHS (Thanks for the quote!)
Newsela's presentation mode allows you to project an article for your class while hiding teacher features, student work, and quiz answers. Using presentation mode, you can model interactions and activities for students while displaying a screen that looks like what they see.
Launch Present Mode by clicking the screen icon while viewing the article in your teacher dashboard. Still have questions? Watch this 1 minute video.
Are your students having issues with sound on the
CAASPP test? Try these steps to avoid/fix the problem.
Volume 3.31 April 26, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
NOBODY!
Ms. Teacher from Cow & Chicken
Google added some much requested features to Classroom during March and April. Here are the ones you'll want to know about:
CAASPP testing is coming, and we want you to be ready. Most teachers received an email back in September advising them to create a password for their account.
If you will be administering the CAASPP test, and have not yet logged in to the system, you will need to go to the CAASPP site, choose "Test Administrator," and request a new activation link under the section "First Time User." The system will email you a new activation link. If it says your account has not been created, email Jim Klein at jimklein@lvusd.org for assistance.
Click the links above to learn more!
Google is very responsive to teacher feedback, so if there is a Classroom update you'd like to see, click the feedback icon in the lower left of any Classroom screen to let them know!
Volume 3.30 April 12, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Holly Stivers @ AEW
with Will Shuester from Glee
Monday, April 22, is Earth Day! Here are some resources and ideas you can use to teach students about protecting our planet.
Karen and Nancy
wish you a wonderful, relaxing, and refreshing Spring Break!
Volume 3.29 April 5, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Brent Kast @ AHS
with Dr. Larabee from Akeelah and the Bee
Google provides many built-in accessibility features throughout G-Suite. Two that stand out - and may help not only students with disabilities but also typical students:
More info on Accessibility available here.
is an online service with tools for students to make flashcards, practice spelling, play learning games, test their knowledge, collaborate with other students, and more. Teachers can easily find study sets to edit or assign to students as is. Need diagrams? No worries! Quizlet has them! Want some collaborative action? Quizlet Live is a collaborative learning game your students will ask to play over and over, no matter their age.
We recently purchased premium licenses for Quizlet, so if you want to
help your students learn
vocabulary or any basic
concept, let Karen and
Nancy know and we will
hook you up!
Captions
Volume 3.28 March 29, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
If you haven't used Pear Deck, you owe it yourself to check it out! We have licenses for the pro version of this easy to use, engaging tool. Matt Miller of Ditch that Textbook offers 20 easy ways to get you started.
Last week's prize winner!
April is National Poetry month! Here are some resources for integrating poetry across the curriculum.
Email to schedule us to model in your classroom or complete the form on our website to check out resources!
Volume 3.27 March 22, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Nobody... so we are giving you a second chance! This movie came out in 2006 and was inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
We're back from CUE and we brought you a present! There was much learning to be had and we found the best of the best! Check out all the goodies we have shared in our Google Drive just for you!
Not sure what to check out?
Prize Week!
Answer correctly for a chance to win!
Here are the sessions the teachers who attended liked the best:
Volume 3.26 March 15, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Amy Murray @ AHS
w/ Firenze from Harry Potter
The CUE Conference is this Thursday to Saturday and your tech coaches are going. We are excited about what we are going to learn and promise to share with you when we get back, but you don't have to wait for us! Learn from afar on Twitter! Follow #CUE19, #wearecue, and #notatcue.
You may be familiar with Google Arts and Culture's face match, which compares your selfie to famous works of art to see who you resemble, but there is much more to it. You can:
Click the image to see a screenshot of what you can find, including Stories of Invention and Discovery, Bletchley Park and Modern Security, Spotlight on artist Jacob Lawrence, Road to Equality: 100 years of women's rights in the UK, Braille, hand looms, Japanese ceramics, Life beyond Earth: Martian Discoveries, Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic Hut in 3D, Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, LA Philharmonic (including virtual tours), and so much more. No matter your grade/content area, you NEED Google Arts & Culture.
Volume 3.25 March 8, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Marnie Davis @ AHS
w/ Coach Calhoun from Grease
Organize your links with Wakelet!
This free service allows you to save content from the web, organize it into collections, and (if you want) share those collections with the world. You can even collaborate on your collections with others. Maybe you want to create a list of resources for a project, or even better, have your students create an annotated list for you to use next year. The possibilities are endless.
Here's an example of a public collection: What do you do with early finishers? Wakelet Collection by Matt Miller If you need some new activities to give to your early finishers, you will definitely want to check out the Wakelet collection curated by Matt Miller, the man behind Ditch that Textbook. He has put together 20 eduawesome ideas to occupy students �with free time on their hands.
None of our LVUSD schools were in the Top 32, but that doesn't matter. Anyone can move up at any time. Keep completing those activities in LVUSD FLIGHT, and you could be helping your school win a prize!
Remember, the school with the most activities completed will receive a catered lunch from Alludo, the March Madness winners trophy - and of course, bragging rights!
There may also be a District prize for the top performing LVUSD school as well! You also TD hours for each level you complete, so what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Alludo March Madness update
Volume 3.24 March 1, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Julie Paik @ AEW
w/ Jaime Escalante from Stand & Deliver
LVUSD FLIGHT March Madness
For all of you completing activities and earning points, and those of you who have thought about playing but haven't started yet, we are upping the game in March! Alludo, developers of the platform we use for LVUSD FLIGHT, will be hosting a fun competition for the entire month of March - nationwide!
The top school with the most activities completed, will receive a catered lunch from Alludo, the March Madness winners trophy - and of course, bragging rights! And there may be a District prize for the top performing LVUSD school as well!
Remember, you also get TD hours for each level you complete, so what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Looking for March Madness activities to bring into your classroom? Check these out!
March Madness Activities
Volume 3.23 February 22, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Hayley Tepper @ AEW
w/ Erin Gruwell from Freedom Writers
NowComment
This collaboration and discussion tool is terrific for evaluating media and encouraging rich student discussion. It works with a variety of file types that you or your students can upload. Common Sense Education (click for review and use tips) says, "It's a versatile discussion platform for teaching, peer reviewing, and fostering active reading, and offers much more than traditional word processors." Use it to create an online discussion space for any documents relevant to your lesson and hear from all your students, not just the ones who like to raise their hands in class. K-12. FREE. Get started today!
Thanks to the newest Google Classroom updates, you can once again reorganize the stream and move posts to the top so your students will see them first. Here's how.
Customize the stream in Google Classroom
You can also customize the stream by deciding whether Classwork notifications appear in the stream and what they look like (collapsed or expanded view)
Volume 3.22 February 15, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Megan Holman @ LCMS
w/ Mr. Morgan from
10 Things I Hate About You
NASA Spinoff Missions
NASA Spinoffs are technologies originally created for the space program that are now used here on Earth, including items such as aircraft anti-icing systems and scratch-resistant lenses. Now NASA is partnering with Adobe Spark to help students of all ages learn about these technologies and develop spinoffs of their own. There are three levels for students of different ages. Completed projects will be reviewed by NASA professionals and students can win a virtual visit from NASA or a real trip to the Goddard Space Flight Center.
For more information, visit https://opsparc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Don't want to send your kids to space? You can still use Adobe Spark. This tool can do so many things. Log into the application using your LVUSD account and you and your students will have all the premium features for free! Spark video includes integrated copyright-friendly image search with automatic citations, easy voiceovers, and it's easy to use. The Post & Web options are pretty great, too!
Learn more about how to access Adobe Spark here:
Use it for book trailers · character quotes · book covers · lab reports · creative writing · research reports · explain a process · persuasive ad · tutorial videos and so much more!
Visit the Spark for Edu page for more great ideas & tips!
Volume 3.21 February 8, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Tina Wilkie @ ACS
w/ Master Shifu from
Kung Fu Panda
Google Cast (NOT Chromecast!)
This free Chrome extension allows teachers to invite students to project their computer screens to the classroom projector. You are in control of who can project, and the extension integrates with Google Classroom to make it easier for you to find and invite your students. This video explains the process.
Download the extension here.
Edcamp LAN is THIS SATURDAY! If you have never been to an edcamp, you won't want to miss this. When you arrive, the session board is blank. That's because YOU, the attendees, DECIDE what sessions you want to have, and add them to the schedule. It's magical! Come learn what you want at Edcamp LAN!
Register on the HR portal or go directly to link.lvusd.org/lan. To learn more, visit bit.ly/edcamplan.
Volume 3.20 February 1, 2019
Tech Tips Weekly
Tech Tips Weekly
LVUSD Tech Tips updated weekly at link.lvusd.org/techtipsweb
Name that TEACHER
Last Week's Winner
Carissa Shaw @ LCMS
w/ Sean Maguire from
Good Will Hunting
Honorable Mention: Hayley Tepper, AEW
"Your move, Chief!"
Fab Flipgrid Updates!
Flipgrid Integration Docs: Teacher-create age- and subject-specific docs equipped with Disco Library Topics you can copy for your students, ISTE Standards, and powerful resources to help you engage your kids!
MyFlipgrid: On this single page, students (and you!) can
Sign up today to learn, share, enjoy lunch, and win prizes at Edcamp LAN at LCMS on Saturday, 2/9. At an Edcamp, the attendees choose the topics, so you're sure to find something of interest. If it's not there, you can add it! Participants receive 6.5 hours of TD time and lots of collaborative interactions with other educators.
Register on the HR portal or go directly to link.lvusd.org/lan. To learn more, visit bit.ly/edcamplan.
link.lvusd.org/techtips #lvusd
LET'S SHARE!
Meet the LVUSD Instructional Tech Coaches!
Karen Lagola
@kklagola
Nancy Minicozzi
@CoffeeNancy