Introducing the New "Google Earth"

Introducing the New Google Earth

Google Earth is a tool that has been around for a while. If you are anything like me, then you have probably used it to search for your house, neighborhood, or the city in which you live. It has such potential for students to explore places around the globe. The trouble has been that it has been a program in which you have needed to download to your device in order to use. That's no longer the case! Google Earth is now completely web-based and ready to start using! This tech tip will take a look at some of the features included.

Explore

Search for any address or place you want to visit. Google Earth will take you there. Give students visual background on the places they are learning or reading about.

Bookmark places you visit for easy access later on. These bookmarks are saved in your "My Places" tab that can be shared out to create your own guided content tour.

Street View

Once at a location, click in the bottom right corner to activate “street view” and gain the ability to walk around.

Drag the little person icon to anywhere highlighted blue on a location to start looking around. (Note: not every place has street view)

Voyager Tool

Google has joined with some of the world’s best scientists, storytellers, and non-profit organizations to create informational guided tours that are ready for your students to jump into.

These tours have multiple points of interest to visit and explore, each with an information card to go with it.

I’m Feeling Lucky

Click the dice icon for the “I’m Feeling Lucky” feature to uncover some fascinating new places around our world. When clicked, you will randomly get one of 20,000 different locations. Once you have landed on spot you can open up a knowledge card to learn more.

Google Lit Trips

Google Lit Trips are an idea that uses Google Earth to mark the journeys of characters inside different works of literature. Students can interact with the book they are reading as teachers add relevant media, thought-provoking discussion questions, and links to different placemarks. This creates an engaging literary experience that moves past just imagining the place in our mind.

Click here to learn more about Google Lit Trips and to explore some already created ones.

Please contact your Digital Learning Specialist if you would like additional information on anything mentioned above.

Class Link

Classlink

Classlink is a new single sign-on tool being introduced to the district. When fully implemented it will allow teachers, students, parents, and staff the ability to sign into the Classlink portal and have access to all district digital tools without having to use other usernames and passwords.

Sign in

• Go to any web browser and go to:  https://launchpad.classlink.com/isd624
• There are are also Classlink mobile apps for iPhones or Android phones
• QR code sign ons will be available soon for our K-1 students
• Introduction to Classlink Video.

• Quick Classlink Guide
• Multiple training dates will be announced soon
• Google Form Classlink App requests- You also can requests apps within your Classlink portfolio

Security

• Change your Google password before using Classlink because if anyone has your current password they will have access to EVERYTHING on Classlink; including Skyward student & your employment data!  
• Directions for changing your Google Password
• You may consider 2-step verification as an additional layer of security (Link added to ClassLink). Click here to learn more.

• Students- You must close your chromebook when you walk away.  If left open and unattended, others could get into all of your school apps..  Keep your information safe, never share your passwords with other students.  

• Teachers- You must lock your desktop, laptop or Chromebook to sleep to initiate password security whenever you step away from your teaching device.  With the advantages of Classlink also comes the possibility of somebody being able to access ALL of your information in one spot. Be mindful of this whenever you leave a device unattended.

• How to lock your devices
• Desktop- Ctrl+Alt+Delete
• Laptop - close cover
• Chromebook- close cover

Timeline

• April 18, 2017 - Classlink will be open to all  teachers
• May 1, 2017 - All K-5 student Chromebooks will have Classlink set as the homepage
• May 8 - Classlink available to all staff
• Fall 2017 - Classlink will be available for all staff, students and for parents. All district student Chromebooks will have Classlink set as the homepage.

Choice Eliminator 2 Add-On + Expeditions Update

Choice Eliminator Google Form Add-On

Choice Eliminator 2 will eliminate options from multiple-choice, dropdown, or checkbox types of question in a Google Form. Choice Eliminator 2 is great for signing up for time slots or having students choose topics without doubling up. Watch the video below for a quick tutorial or contact your digital learning specialist for help.

The basic work flow:

• Create your Google Form.
• Add the Choice Eliminator 2 add-on.
• Configure the Choice Eliminator 2 add-on to eliminate choices after a certain number of responses has been reached for a particular choice. 
• Use the response spreadsheet to see response data.

Update on District Google Expeditions Kits

We are very excited about how many of you are integrating Google Expeditions into your 4 C's lessons. The calendar has become a challenge and so to make sure the kit is where it is supposed to be on the correct days and times, we are asking that you contact your DLS to set up times. You will notice that you can see the calendar but only a DLS can schedule your expedition. Don't let this deter you! Look at the calendar and find a time, let your DLS know what day and time you would like and we will schedule it. Thank you for partnering with us!

PDF Merging, Formating in Google Docs, Google Expeditions

PDF Mergy

Have you ever found yourself needing to print a large number of documents that were all separate files? Did the thought of opening each one, clicking print, adjusting the settings and then clicking print again make you want to scream?

If so, PDF Mergy has you covered! Use PDF Mergy to combine many PDF files into one large document. Files can be selected from your computer or from Google Drive. PDF Mergy will then turn all of the files that you selected into one PDF document. This service is web-based and completely free to use.

Become the master of those registration forms, student award certificates or research papers with PDF Mergy!

Power tip: The Google Sheets Add-on, AutoCrat, has the option to merge to PDF. An efficient workflow for creating personalized documents that need to be printed would be to collect information with a Google Form, use AutoCrat in the responses spreadsheet to generate a formatted PDF for each response and then aggregate all of the documents with PDF Mergy before printing.

For help with these tools or any others, contact your digital learning specialists.

Change Capitalization Formatting in Google Docs

In case you missed it, you now have the opportunity to quickly change the capitalization of text in Google Docs.

• lowercase, to make all the letters in your selection lowercase.

• UPPERCASE, to capitalize all the letters in your selection.

• Title Case, to capitalize the first letter of each word in your selection.

You will find these options in the format menu.

Bring your class on a virtual field trip with Google Expeditions

We have exciting news! Our district owns a classroom set of Google Expeditions that is now available to check out. This kit includes 36 viewers, 36 mobile devices, a router, and an Android tablet for the teacher to lead the Expedition.

What is a Google Expedition? It is a virtual reality teaching tool that lets you lead immersive virtual trips all over the world — get up close with historical landmarks, dive underwater with sharks, even visit outer space! Click here to see the list of over 600 expeditions available.

A Google calendar has been shared with you to reserve the kit. Contact your digital learning specialist if you need assistance leading your first expedition.