Google's Jamboard

Google's Jamboard is free for educational users! It's an online white board that allows for collaboration. It also includes post-its and is a good replacement for Padlet. Check out Ditch That Textbook's info about Jamboards for more ideas!

Canvas's Google Cloud Assignment vs Google's Course Kit Assignment

Google files can be shared to view and also be assigned for students to edit their own copy then submit back through Canvas.

Viewing Files

If you only want students to view the file, like a copy of notes or a review answer key, you have a couple of options:

• Add to Modules List as "External Tool"

• Google Drive file
• Accesses only My Drive
• You have to manually change the file's share settings to "Anyone can View" or "Frisco ISD can View"
• Google Drive Course Kit file
• Accesses both My Drive and Share Drives
• Looks like you're adding an Assignment but you're really not
• It changes the share settings for you

• Add within a Page, Assignment, Discussion, Announcement, etc.

• Google Apps file
• Accesses only My Drive
• Manually change the file's share settings so "Anyone can View" or "Frisco ISD can View"
• You select to Embed or Link (hyperlink) the file
• Google Drive Course Kit file
• Accesses both My Drive and Share Drives
• Looks like you're adding an Assignment but you're really not
• It changes the share settings for you
• The file Embeds within the page

Assignments

If you want to use a Google file for students to edit and return as an assignment, there are 2 options:

1. Google Cloud Assignments
• Only accesses files in My Drive (not Shared Drives)
• When students open the file, it makes a copy in their own Google Drive that they then edit.
• When students submit, Canvas takes a PDF snapshot of the file for the submission. This means:
• no Version history
• no access to Draftback
• no Google's Originality Checker
• students still have the original doc and can edit
• If students make changes to the doc after it's submitted, you won't see the changes unless they resubmit an new PDF snapshot.
• Google Cloud Assignments can be added in a Blueprint and synced out to the Shell courses
• Can use Canvas Rubrics
• Grade through Canvas with the SpeedGrader
2. Google Course Kit Assignments
• Only accesses files in My Drive (not Shared Drives)
• More similar to Google Classroom
• When students open the file, it makes a copy in their own Google Drive that they then edit.
• When students submit, they are turning in the live document which means:
• you can view the Version history
• you can run Draftback on the file
• it includes Google's Originality Checker
• students lose editing rights upon submission
• Students can add multiple files to a single submission.
• If you return the file to students, they can then make changes and you can see the changes as they work.
• If students submit the same file again, it makes a copy of the original file for this submission. They have both copies in their Drive.
• Must be added to the assignment from the Shell course, not in Blueprint.
• Does NOT access Canvas rubrics; uses Google's rubrics
• Grade through Course Kit using Google's grading features 

For more, see this comparison chart.

Google's Free Online Digital Literacy Courses

Google offers a variety of FREE online courses over digital literacy topics. They seem to be more business focused right now but education can definitely benefit from these!
Read more. 

Google Updates

Google pushes out updates every month or so. The most recent update included these gems:

• Sheets gets loads of updates including macros, grouping rows and columns, checkboxes, page breaks, and more - Resource Link, Resource Link
• New option to insert Google Slides into a Google Doc - Resource Link
• Google Slides gets guides and rulers - Resource Link
• Google Sheets gets updates for more options for chart data labels - Resource Link
• Google Earth adds quiz format to Voyager content with Natural Wonder quiz - Resource Link

Enjoy!

Non-Googleable Questions

Students Googling answers is a world-wide issue. Take a look at this publication from Government of South Africa’s Department for Education and Child Development on creating non-Googleable questions. Take a look through the whole thing. There's some good stuff in there! 

Google's URL Shortener (goo.gl) is shutting down

Google is shutting down their URL shortener, goo.gl. Read more. Instead, use one of these alternatives:

• Bit.ly (my favorite)
• Ow.ly
• Tiny URL

Grab Text from Pictures Using Google Keep

Did you know that Google Keep can grab text from pictures you take? This video (no sound) shows how it works. 

Google's EDU in 90

EDU in 90 is a new video series from Google for Education. Each episode, we'll focus on an important topic for educators, administrators, and school leaders - things like product updates, new programs, and helpful resources for the classroom. 

Subscribe to the Google for Education channel to make sure you don't miss an episode!

10 Terrific Tools for Teachers

As part of Teacher Appreciation last week, Control Alt Archive posted their list of 10 Terrific Tools for Teachers. They picked some good ones! Read more... 

Oodles of Google Search Tips

Check out this article entitled The advanced Google searches every student should know posted at eClassroom News. I particularly love the suggestions given to students on page 2 to get them results from other parts of the world with completely different viewpoints than what they're used to.

And to go along with that...

Check out these Google search tips from the Google Gooru...

12 Google Search Tricks You Probably Didn't Know

14 More Google Search Tricks You Didn't Know Existed

The Force Goes Google

For those Star Wars and Google fans out there, check out Google Gooru's The Force Goes Google article. It summarizes all the ways you can customize your Google experience in a Star Wars way.

google.com/starwars

Is Your Brain Being Googled To Death?

Check out this article titled Is Your Brain Being Googled To Death? recently published by the Dallas Morning News. It's quite interesting.

55 Google Tips to make this school year yours

Check out these 55 Google Tips to make this school year yours.

6 Updates to Google Classroom

For teachers who use Google docs with students for assignments on a regular basis, Google Classroom can be a wonderful tool. It also can be linked from your Student Learning Hub site.

Here are a few recent updates to Google Classroom:

Read the article here

Back to School with Google Chrome: The Complete Guide

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Chrome browser can be found here.

Google's Cultural Institute

Through Google's Cultural Institute, discover exhibits and collections from museums and archives all around the world. Explore cultural treasures in extraordinary detail, from hidden gems to masterpieces.

Create your own galleries and share favorite finds with friends.