EDpuzzle Joins Forces with Google Classroom

Within EDpuzzle, you can now post your assigned videos straight to a Google Classroom Course.

There are two ways to join EDpuzzle and Google Classroom.

1. Link classes already created in EDpuzzle to Google Classroom courses.
2. Import Google Classroom courses to create new EDpuzzle classes.

Link EDpuzzle Classes already created to Google Classroom

Import From Google Classroom to EDpuzzle

Assigning an Assignment
To assign an assignment from EDpuzzle to Google Classroom, you will first need to assign a video to your Edpuzzle class. Once the video is assigned, click the Post button in the lower right corner. A new window will appear from Google Classroom allowing you to name the assignment, give it a description and assign a due date. Then click assign.

Note** You may have to allow pop-ups from EDpuzzle. 

Students will see the following when viewing an EDpuzzle assignment in Google Classroom.

Mail Merge and Google Sheets/Docs

There is a fabulous add-on within Google Docs that will use Google Sheets to create labels through mail merge.  Avery Label Merge is simple to use to create either mailing labels or name tags for the classroom.  Image creating a Google Form to get information from classroom parents and then using their responses to mail information from Sheets Response page.

First off it is necessary to get the Add-on in Google Docs.  Click on the Add-0ns in the Google Docs menu bar.  Choose Get add-ons and search for Avery.

Click on the +Free for the Add-on.  Make sure to allow Avery to access your Google Docs. 

To enable the Avery add-on.  Click on Add-ons again, and select New Merge.

It will then prompt you to select what form of label you will be using and the specific Avery label you will be using.

Choose the type of label.

The mail merge will now prompt you to choose the Google Sheets file you will merge from.

Now it is time to add your fields into your label.  On the right hand side of the Doc form it will show you the fields from the row 1 of your Sheets file.  

As you choose your topics it will place them into the box of the Doc file.  

Blank box

Filled in box.

Once you have your label set up the way that you wish, you are now ready to merge the two files into one.

It will give suggestions about merging and opening a new Document.

 Opens new file that it the program names as the type of label, it is strongly suggested to rename so prior labels aren't overwritten when creating new files.

Education Applications:  

This would be a great tool to use for classroom organization.  After receiving login information for students for different programs, generate labels to have them put in their interactive notebooks for easy access.  Sending out positive parent letters can be quite time consuming when you need to constantly make labels or look up addresses.  Create labels at the beginning of the year and use the labels as a reminder to who you haven't reached out to because their label is still there.

Open House Technology Ideas

The all important Open House is a chance to connect with parents and demonstrate what is happening within the classroom.  The use of technology can help to engage and connect with a child's family.

Quick Connection

When preparing for Open House, create a slide presentation using Google Slides and set the Share option to be view for anyone with the link. Make sure to add an FAQ page at the end of your presentation of frequently asked questions.  Now you are ready to share this resource with your parents.  Create a QR code using either Kaywa or Unitag that links to your presentation.  Make small cards with your name and the QR code on it to pass out to students the next day who may not have had parents attend the day before.

Kaywa offers a variety of types of QR codes that it can make from text, URLs, etc.

Unitag has quite a few customizing options.

Gather Information

Create a Google Form to gather information from parents.  To help the parents see the connection between you and them, include a positive statement.  Here is a link to a form that you could make a copy of to edit and make your own.

Here is the link to what the parent's would see.

Again it would be very easy to share the Google Form with a QR code that the parents could scan an input their information straight from their own devices.

Pearltrees- organize all your interests

Pearltrees - Visually Organize and Share Collections of Files and Links

Pearltrees is a visual bookmarking extension that bookmarks your favorite websites in a format of squares and folders.

Pearltrees now allows you to organize collections of links, videos, images, and files. The Pearltrees browser extension allows you to quickly add content from a web page to your collections (bookmarking in a visual format). To combine folders or create sub-folders simply drag and drop one folder on top of another just like you do when making folders of apps on an iPad.

The extension also works on your iPad the same way in your web browser by a free iPad app.

Itunes

The add button allows for your to add a collection, a website, note, pictures or files.

Once you have created a folder of great resources you are able to share in a variety of ways.

Online-Convert.com

Have you ever found yourself needing to convert a file so others can open it, so it is easier to share or so you can work on it with different software? With Online-Convert you can convert media free, fast and online without installing any software.

Online-Convert requires registration for the free service.  The process is easy, simply fill out the form, confirm your email address and you are ready to start using.

To get started, select what type of media you need to convert from the Home screen.

Let's say you want to convert a word document that you created on your Mac to a word document that would be compatible on any computer.  Your document will have the extension .docx and some computers cannot open a .docx file, so you will need to convert it to a .doc file.

Click on Select target format (drop down box inside the Document converter).

Select > Convert to DOC.

You will then be directed to a page where you can upload your file.

Click > Choose File.  Once you find your file, click on the Convert file tab.  Once the document is converted, it will download to your computer and give you the following options:

From here, you can convert another file, download the file again and/or delete your file immediately.  If you don't delete your file, Online-Convert will keep it for 24 hours and allow you to download it up to 10 more times.  After this, your file will be automatically deleted.  

It also gives you a QR code so you can access your file with a smart device.

With this free version, you can upload up to 4 media files at a time.  The maximum file size is 100mb with a normal upload speed.

If they don't have a format you need, you can email them and they will try to help you.

Online-Convert is a "one stop shop" for all of your media conversion needs.


Helpful resources:

• http://blog.online-convert.com/
• http://www.online-convert.com/faq

Pocket

 How many times have you come across something you wanted to read, but didn't have time at that moment to do so?  So you made a bookmark, and then lost track of it.  That won't be an issue with
Pocket.
Pocket is free resource that allows you to save anything you find on the internet and read it later. It can saved on your desktop, laptop, iPad, or phone. Create a free account on http://getpocket.com/ or download the free app.  Anything saved via the website (with either a Google Chrome or Firefox extension), by emailing to add@getpocket.com, or the Pocket app can be viewed on any additional device that you sign into with your free account.  Once saved, internet articles can be accessed offline.

Whatever you saved you can archive, mark it as a favorite,  

or even share the page with a colleague.  They will not need an account, it simply shares the web link.

Helpful Resources:

Frequent Pocket Questions 

How to use Pocket

Classroom Integration Ideas:

•  Find online articles to share with students via email (secondary campuses) or use to bookmark sites that can be shown in class at a later date.
• Save videos from YouTube to be used in classroom
• Create a professional online journal collection

Ge.tt

Ge.tt is an easy to use site that lets you share files. You don't have to register either if you want to use it for quick transfers (Ge.tt storage is temporary unless you register.)  After you click which file you want to share, you are given a link to send to the person you want to share the image, doc, zip files, etc. with.

Sendoid

Sendoid is  a new file transfer system that lets you share files as large as 1 GB.  Because Sendoid is a link-based service, your files are only passed directly between parties. Simply load the file you wish to share, and once it is uploaded use the unique one time link that is created to send to someone else to open and download your shared file.
 There’s no software to install for this use, but for files larger than 1 GB, you'll need to download the free desktop app. Once you download the app, and you no longer have any limitations on the size of file you can transfer.

Minus

Minus is a free file sharing service and supports all file types (pictures, documents, music, videos, etc). Once you create an account, drag and drop files from your desktop and folders directly to your browser to share the files. There are also desktop and mobile apps to use and a Chrome extension and web app.  There is a maximum file size of 25MB and you can only put 50 items in a gallery (folder). But, there is no limit to the number of galleries you can create.  There is even a way to share files as a guest without an account which could be useful for students who want to share a file with a teacher.

AirDropper

AirDropper is a site that allows users to email "others" and request files from them. Once the files have been requested people can then "drop" those file into a unique drop box just for them.


This was found thanks to David Andrade's blog.

Dropbox - online backup and file sharing

Dropbox is a 2 GB e-vault tool that allows teachers to drop files in an online folder and sync it with multiple computers. For example, I might create a file on my MacBook at school, move it into my Dropbox folder and then open it up on my Dell at home. No jump drives to lose or accidentally wash and no email files that are too large to send. You can also create collaborative folders in Dropbox to share with other teachers.