Mr. B EdTech Blog

Hello everyone! Here is one of my few posts of shameless self promotion. :) One of the questions I get from my various social media is do I present workshops or webinars? The answer is yes! How can I Request Mr. B? Head over to my website and make a presentation request. https://sites.google.com/mrbwebsite.com/home/upcoming-events Where is Mr. B available? Anywhere in the world for Webinars and distance learning platforms. Within reasonable driving distance of the Peoria and Bloomington-Normal area of Central IL for face-to-face meetings. Outside of this area will be determined on an individual basis. When is Mr. B available? "...Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there..." During school days, I am available after school starting at 4pm Central Standard Time. I am also available on weekends and during school breaks. Summer is a great time to schedule training sessions or presentations as well. What can Mr....

From the G-Suite Show, here is a brief tutorial on how to create a Virtual Training hub using nothing but G Suite apps.

For a long time it was not entirely possible to get pre-recorded narration into a Google Slides presentation. As you can see in the video, it is in fact possible due to a recent update with Google Slides. Using the technique outlined in the video, I was able to re-create a review game in the style of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Review Game

Have you used Tour Builder? It is simple to create a Tour; you and your students will be touring around the world in no time! See the Full Article Here http://talktechwithme.com/2017/01/30/connecting-students-to-curriculum-through-google-tour-builder/

In this video, I show how to create a Google Doc from the built in templates in Google Drive.

This is a much needed security measure. .js Files are bits of code that can run within a web browser, simply by opening an email. This helps prevent potentially malicious code from running and reeking havoc on your system. For More Information https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2017/01/gmail-will-restrict-js-file-attachments.html

This update to G Suite has been rolled out over the past 3 weeks. ... You can simply go to Drive > New > Google Docs/Sheets/Slides/Forms > From a template. From there, you’ll be directed to the applicable template gallery, where you can select the template of your choice. For More Information https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2017/01/creating-files-from-templates-now.htm

Reading literacy is key to many subjects, but I feel that reading literacy is especially important to Social Studies. Being able to sort and process, as well as synthesize, information is a vital skill for students to learn. With that said, take a look at some of the tools below that offer reading for the Social Studies classroom. Take a look at the resources I have included below, as well as in the article link. Some tools that I have used in the past include: For Current Events News-O-Matic -  https://newsomatic.org/ Newsela -  https://newsela.com/ Scholastic Upfront (Requires Subscription) -  http://upfront.scholastic.com/ For Primary Sources National Archives (Online) -  https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog Docs Teach -  https://www.docsteach.org/documents Article Preview How are you making connections between your English Language Arts instruction and the work happening in social studies? Incorporating social studies re...

Source:  http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/12/9-fundamental-digital-skills-for-21st.html

See the article linked below for some great education technology resources. https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/06/22/librarian-approved-30-ed-tech-apps-to-inspire-creativity-and-creation/ Apps I personally recommend from the list: Quizlet Create review flashcards or games for students EdPuzzle Show a video that asks questions while playing. This is a good tool for checking for comprehension and verifying that students watch the video. NearPod Create an interactive presentation that you present on each student's screen OR let the student go through at their own pace. Interactive features include web links, quizzes, and surveys among more...

Take a look at this resource that arranges digital tools and resources by Bloom's Taxonomy. See the full resource here http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/12/blooms-digital-taxonomy-for-web.html?m=1

  A long awaited feature has been added to Google Sheets. For those that used this function in programs like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets is releasing a feature to manage individual cells in a spreadsheet. This feature was released a couple of weeks ago to the Rapid Release track, and is available, starting today (Feburary 1st, 2017) to everyone else. It may take a few days for this to show up to all users. For More information https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2017/01/insert-and-delete-groups-of-cells-in.html

For Google (Gsuite) Administrators, a new feature is being lauched today, under the Rapid Release and Scheduled Release Channel. There is now the ability to launch apps in a private channel for the Google Play Store. This is similar to how the Chrome Web store works for having a filtered store for your domain. Preview ...(this) feature which allows G Suite admins to distribute private (custom) Android apps to their users via the Play Store app. With this launch, private apps will be more discoverable and easier for your users to access. Customers using private apps will also be able to whitelist these apps for work profiles and company-owned devices in a more streamlined manner by using an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) provider. For more information https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2017/01/google-play-private-channel-apps-are.html

See the full article http://www.shakeuplearning.com/blog/3-text-speech-chrome-extensions-support-struggling-readers-ell/

See the article below http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/11587

Parent communication is key in education. Take a look at some of the apps that will enable easier communication with parents/guardians. See the Article Here http://www.emergingedtech.com/2017/01/find-the-parent-teacher-communication-app-your-classroom-needs/

See the Full Article Here http://www.aschoenbart.com/2017/01/learning-rules-updated-thoughts-on-new.html

See this article for great tips and tricks with Google Classroom. See the full article here http://learning.zahnerhistory.com/2017/01/google-classroom-features-you-will-love.html

Often, we need to use the same photo or block of text for multiple Google Docs. No matter what kind of writing we do, we regularly repeat graphic elements, such as a company logo or or oft-cited trend chart. Here’s a time-saving tip: You can make copying and pasting multiple items an easy task with Google Docs’ own Web Clipboard. See the guide here: https://shift.newco.co/how-and-why-to-save-content-for-later-in-google-docs-8aa96f8543c5#.tag4n6379

For a text guide, see below https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/2998456?hl=en