Mash-Up: Keep + Docs = Instant Photo Transfer

One of the latest updates to Google documents is that you can now bring in your notes and lists from Google Keep. The part that has me the most excited is the ability to take a picture on your phone or tablet and instantly add it to a document, without having to upload it Drive first.  

For years, I have been taking pictures, especially during conferences, and uploading them to Drive in order to insert it into a document. This had been my number one way of taking notes during sessions. Inevitably, I miss something the presenter is saying or miss the opportunity to take another picture because am focused on the upload process. In addition, all of these pictures are taking up space on my phone, until I take the time to go delete them. 

With Google Keep, my life and phone storage just got a whole lot happier. In the Keep app, you can take a picture using your device and now it instantly will appear in the Keep sidebar of your Google document. Drag and drop the picture onto the document, and any title or note you included in Keep with be included on the document, with editing ability. Plus, these photos are stored in keep and not in your camera roll. #spacesaver 

In the Google Keep app:

In Google documents:

What a great way for students to quickly add images to their stories, to the notes they are taking, or lab reports they are composing. There are a ton of possibilities with this new update. Thanks Google!

Mash-up: Online Article + Google Drawing = Blackout Poetry

If you haven't heard of Blackout Poetry, please check out the Austin Kleon website and Newspaper Blackout website. The concept is simple, but loads of fun and I felt empowered after my poetry creation. 

You can preselect the newspaper article or allow students to find an article of their choosing. While I am all about allowing students choice, I would be intrigued to see all of the poems that would come from one piece of published writing. 

Tools you will need:

• Computer with internet access
• Newspaper Website (any will do)
• Screenshot tool (on the computer or Chrome extension, such as Awesome Screenshot)
• Google Drawing

I wouldn't by any means consider myself a poet, but within 10 minutes I was able to take a screenshot of an article - the first one I came across - put it into Google, and create a poem. It might not be the best, but I am proud of my poem. 

Here is a video that will show you how students can perform this same activity. 

What a fun way to get students engaged in writing and creating masterpieces from someone else's published thoughts. 

Mash-up: Student Created Animated Dictionaries (UPDATED)

Updated as of June 2020.

An animated dictionary is a fun way for students to see vocabulary words come to life. The students can select a video that they feel best represents the word an create a GIF. Here is an example with the word geyser. 

To create an animated dictionary I suggest using the following tools:

• Google Slides
• gifrun.com (or another GIF maker website)
• YouTube

Here is a quick video showing you the steps I took to create the animated dictionary. 

I suggest having the students write the definition, in their own words, of the vocabulary word in the presentation notes section. 

Implementation Ideas:

• Create a dictionary for each unit and have students collaboratively build animations based on unit vocabulary.
• Group students and assign various roles (example: GIF Maker, Word Maker, Definer).
• Have students collaboratively create a whole class animated dictionary.
• Have students create individual dictionaries and share with one another.

Mash-Up: Google Slides + Photos to Create Master Slides

As the end of the year approaches there are more and more research projects being done in the classrooms. Here is a quick tutorial to show you how you can manipulate the master slides in order to create beautiful presentations. 

Click out my Stock Photos page to find additional websites with copyright friendly photos. 

Mash-Up: www.newsela.com + Awesome Screenshot Minus = Interacting with Online Text

This mash-up is going to showcase two tools: www.newsela.com and Awesome Screenshot Minus Chrome extension (the original post was created using Awesome Screenshot, but that extension has since gone away. Awesome Screenshot Minus is a replacement extension). Mashed together gives the students the ability to interact with online text. This one is not touchscreen computer compatible, which means students will need to use the touchpad or mouse to engage with the tools.

Newsela is a website that allows teachers/students to change the article's reading level by the lexile number. This will allow you to assign the same article at different reading levels. Great for having all students participate in a class discussion around the same topic, while allowing the students the ability to read the article at their respect reading level.

Awesome Screenshot is a Chrome extension that allows you to take a screenshot of the entire webpage and then interact by highlighting, adding text, drawing, etc. The screenshot with annotations can then be shared to Google Drive.

Mash-Up: awwapp.com + Screencastify = Interactive Whiteboard

I am starting a new series called Mash-Up. The idea came to me as I was thinking about the popular App Smashing concept. In App Smashing students use 2 more more iOS or Android applications to create a product. Mash-Up is going to show how to combine 2-3 web-based tools. For all the educators out there who don't have student iPads, this is for you. 

In this first Mash-Up I will showcase how to use awwapp.com, a web whiteboard, and Screencastify, a Chrome extension, to create an interactive whiteboard. 

I hope you will find this new series useful. There is no set schedule for when videos will come out, but stay tuned because more are on the way.