Schoology Kiosk Application + Summer Tech Camp 2016

Schoology Kiosk App (Lockdown Browser)

The Schoology Kiosk Application is now available on all student Chromebooks. This application will disable students’ ability to open other tabs and take screenshots while working on an assessment in Schoology. This application is only available for Schoology and is only available on the Chromebooks.

Click here for full instructions!

Summer Tech Camp 2016: Automate, then Innovate

Join us at our summer tech camp, the largest technology PD offering for the year! This two-day camp, held on Wednesday, August 24th and Thursday, August 25th, will feature sessions that focus on automation and innovation in the classroom. Sessions will be led by our digital learning specialists as well as other talented teachers.

Automation: using technology to make classroom routines easier and more efficient

Innovation: creating learning experiences that wouldn't otherwise be possible without technology

View the full schedule and session descriptions at here. bit.ly/wblsummertechcamp2016

After viewing the sessions, register at this link. bit.ly/wblsummertechregistration

Summer Tech Camp 2016

Automate, then innovate

Join us at our summer tech camp, the largest technology PD offering for the year! This two-day camp, held on Wednesday, August 24th and Thursday, August 25th, will feature sessions that focus on automation and innovation in the classroom. Sessions will be led by our digital learning specialists as well as other talented teachers.

Automation: using technology to make classroom routines easier and more efficient
Innovation: creating learning experiences that wouldn't otherwise be possible without technology

View the full schedule and session descriptions at here. bit.ly/wblsummertechcamp2016

After viewing the sessions, register at this link. bit.ly/wblsummertechregistration

Hope to see you there!

Pear Deck Classroom Climate Feature + Inserting Special Characters

Pear Deck Classroom Climate

Classroom climate data provides you with a new layer of information to help you engage your students and teach to the whole person. Watch the video below to learn about Pear Deck's new Classroom Climate feature.

Click here for an overview of Pear Deck's Classroom Climate feature as well as step-by-step instructions for enabling it and using it. 

Click here for more information about using mood data in class.

Tips for Inserting Special Characters (Symbols) in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings

Watch the video below for tips on inserting special characters into Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings. A new feature enables you to search for a special character by drawing it in your screen. 

360 Degree Videos + Geoguessr

Immersive Video Hooks

The 360 degree video is gaining popularity as the technology develops. YouTube even has a dedicated 360 degree video channel. As the name suggests, you are able to view the scene in all directions. You don't need eyes in the back of your head to accomplish this. On a computer click and drag your mouse around the screen to see other angle. The experience is even better using a Google Cardboard viewer because you can turn your head to see all around you. It feels more natural.

These unique new videos would fit well into any curriculum as an engaging introduction to a new topic. Post a set of pre-viewing questions ahead of time or explain to students what you want them to look for as they watch. After watching the video, gather feedback in a large group discussion. Since they can move around the scene in the video, almost every student will have had a different experience while watching. After discussing what they saw, give students the opportunity to go back and view the situation from different perspectives (quite literally).

Check out all of the 360 videos that YouTube has to offer. Sharing these with your class is as easy as pasting a link!

Geoguessr & Geosettr

Geoguessr is an online game that leverages Google Street View technology. Players are shown a random scene from anywhere in the world. They can explore the area around them before dropping a pin on a world map to guess where they are. The closer your guess is to the actual location, the more points awarded. This game is fun for everyone to play, but teachers could use it to engage students in critical thinking as players are forced to find clues in the environment and use that to make predictions as to where it is. 

Instead of being dropped in a random location, use Geosettr to create your own custom game for students with locations that you choose.

Digital Presence & Communication + Image Search + Graphing and Converting with Chrome

Digital Presence and Communication

Many teachers are using Schoology, Google Classroom, or a blend of the two in their classrooms. After questions about expectations for using these tools, we constructed two models that meet the criteria for digital presence and communication.

Teachers should clearly communicate which approach below is being used and select the combination of tools that makes classroom information most accessible for your students and parents. We want to provide teachers with the flexibility to leverage the tools that make the most sense for each subject and grade level.

Click here for a short video on how to add your Classroom Calendar to your Schoology page.

Search Smarter for Images

This video will show you how to search for images that are labeled for reuse so that you (or your students) do not need to obtain permission from the owner of the image to use it. In addition, this video will show you how to search images by size, color, or style. 

Graph with the Chrome Browser

Google can now graph any function entered into the search bar if the word "graph" is entered before the trigonometric function. Example: graph cos(x)

Convert with the Chrome Browser

Google can convert measurements entered into the search bar if the word "convert" is entered before the measurement quantity followed by "to" the unit of measurement you want to convert to. Example: convert 5 gallons to liters