Google Slides Templates + Student Gmail Groups + New Google Forms

Templates for Beautiful Google Slides Presentations

Creating a visually appealing Google Slides presentation can take quite awhile if you're starting from scratch. Now you don't have to. Slides Carnival is a website that has templates complete with background images, layouts, fonts, and re-sizable icons. The best part is that they are all free!

I've added all of their templates to this Google Drive folder for you to easily access. After opening the one that you would like to use just click "File" and then "Make a copy" to start crafting your own stunning presentation.

Here is their latest template for Halloween 2015. 

Student Gmail Groups Synced from Skyward

Groups of student email addresses are now automatically generated for every class that is in Skyward.  No more creating email lists for your students in each class.  These can be used to send emails to classes, to enroll students in you Google Classroom classes or push Android and Chrome apps to student accounts.

Here are the steps to finding those addresses (if you prefer a video see below):

1. Go to groups.google.com

2. Click the "My Groups" button

3. Click the "isd624.org" link (under the Red Create New Group button, last one on the right)

4. Open the Group for the class you are looking for

5. Click the "about" link on the right side

6. You will see the address for that group.

100 second video shows all the steps.  https://goo.gl/xTs2zc

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Pushing Android Apps

Pushing Chrome Apps

The New Google Forms

Have you seen the new Google Forms? They just made a few changes including a more simplified design, new themes, and a faster way to view the summary of responses.

Get started with the new version of Forms

You can learn more about the new features here.

Lucidpress and Lucidchart Add-ons, Google Voice Typing, and Computer Timers

Lucidpress and Lucidcharts

You and your students can create stunning visual displays with Lucidpress and concepts maps or flow charts with Lucidcharts. Lucidpress and Lucidcharts are add-ons available to you and your students in your Google Drive making them easy to access and share.

To access Lucidpress and Lucidcharts...
1. Go to your Google Drive
2. Select "NEW"
3. Select "More"
4. Select Lucidpress or Lucidchart from the menu - You may need to connect these apps by clicking "Connect more apps" and searching for them.

Click here for a video on Lucidpress and click here for a video on Lucidcharts.

Google Voice Typing

You and your students can type with your voice using Google Voice Typing. Click here for more information. Click here for a video on Google Voice Typing. This could be a great option for students who struggle with typing when typing is not the focus of the writing activity.

Computer Timers

This tech-tip comes from Otter Lake Elementary teacher, Luanne Oklobzija! You can set music timers on your computer to cue students. You might consider using this to schedule brain breaks or a time when student may begin packing up their things. Click here for instructions to set up computer timers.