Thinking/Sentence Frames for All Content Areas

Thinking Frames are used to help students begin the thought process by providing a model for organizing their thinking. They should be used in any classroom K-12, regardless of level or content area.

When to use:

• during class discussions
• when answering questions
• during quick writes
• as starter/exit ticket to show what they know about a concept

How to use:

• give your students their own copy
• create anchor charts for your classroom
• project the thinking frame for them to reference

Thinking Frame Resources:

• Thinking Frames (English) from Lead4ward
• Thinking Frames (Spanish) from Lead4ward
• Sentence Frames for Academic Conversation

15 Integration Ideas for Teaching with Maps

Last Tuesday's #gafechat discussion I posed various scenario questions. One of the questions pertained to students learning about various locations in the world via maps. 

Here are the technology integration ideas that stemmed from our discussion. 

Have the students...

1. use Periscope to see the world through the eyes of someone else. (@AlexaSchlechter)
2. use My Maps to build collaborative maps with placemarks, video and images. (@alicebarr, @THLibrariZen, ShakeUpLearning, LISDTechie)
3. show the different locations with streets, buildings, etc. via Google Earth.(@MLunoff)
4. take a screenshot of the map using Awesome Screenshot Minus and annotate/add text. (@SPFTech_Treglia)
5. build a tour around the world using Google's TourBuilder, so they can add text, images, videos and more. (@jcalvert4, @LISDTechie)
6. add maps to a Google Drawing or Google Slides and collaboratively add information about the location. (@MLunoff)
7. build a map using Google Maps and a Fusion Table. (@VCSataylor)
8. explore the locations via Google Maps/Earth street level. (kilgoretech)
9. find locations via a scavenger hunt on Google Maps that ties to political and cultural geography. (@MattHarrisEdD)
10. use Screencastify to record a video explaining how they used websites to identify the locations. (@MLunoff)
11. identify locations via GeoGuessr, a game that requires you to guess a particular location based on street view. (@bluebutterflysm, @MathDenisNJ )
12. create an interactive map using batchgeo.com and Google Forms. (@kilgoretech)
13. label a map using Thinglink - a tool that allows you to add text, videos, images and more. (@curryhj2000, @AlexaSchlechter) 
14. use Google Cardboard to experience locations around the world. (@LISDTechie)
15. use Scribble Maps to build an interactive map. (@LISDTechie)

Here are some addition resources to help with your integration:

Around the World in 60 Minutes by Michelle Armstrong

Example using Fusion Table (shared by @VCSataylor)

Golden Treasure Series on Geography by Kasey Bell

Batchgeo.com and Google Forms tutorial

Tour Builder Information/Tutorial

Google Maps Information/Tutorial

Google Forms Has a New Look

Google has done it again, they have made another big change and this time it is to Google Forms. It looks completely different.

If you are in a Google Apps for Education district, you might not have access to it yet, as your Google Domain Administrator might have it set to 'scheduled release' as opposed to 'rapid release.' See below image for descriptions. 

Whether you have access to the new Google Forms look now or it is coming in a couple weeks, here is a guide to help you become familiar to all the changes. 

Revision History: Great Feature in Google Drive

Revision history gives teachers and students a record of the additions, changes and deletions that are made on a Google document, spreadsheet, slide, or drawing. You must be an owner of editor of the file in order to access revision history. 

Here is a quick demonstration on how it works:

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of May 25th

I started my journey of blogging about my favorite Chrome extensions back in August 2014. Each week for the past nine months I have blogged about four extensions that I felt teachers and students should know about. While I have enjoyed my journey of discovering and sharing all these wonderful resources, I feel it is time for this journey to come to an end. While I will continue to blog about Chrome extensions periodically, this will be my last official 'Favorite Chrome Extensions of the Week' post. 

With that being said, I hope you have found these posts beneficial. People say that you always keep the best for last and I truly feel that this post might be the best. The first three extensions showcased below can be game-changers in the classroom. Enjoy!!!

#1: Google Tone
Type: Accessibility
Summary: This is a new Chrome extension that will transform the way that teachers share online resources with students. The extension is similar to the app Chirp in that it allows someone to transmit a URL to other people via sound. All parties must have the extension downloaded and enabled for it to work. When you want to share a URL, simply click the extension icon and every computer within earshot will receive a popup with a link to the URL. 

#2: DocentEDU
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: This extension allows you to easily highlight text, add comments, embed videos, and add discussion to an online website. Assign the websites with the added resources to students. This extension is great for adding to already existing information. Teachers can create all inclusive lessons with this extension. 

#3: Appear.in
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: I just recently learned about this website/extension and I see so many possibilities. Appear.in lets you start a video conversation with anyone right in the browser, without the need to download and install anything, or register an account. Invite up to 8 people to a video conversation just by sending them a link. You can claim a 'room,' which means that you have that URL to use whenever you need. You can share your screen with the viewers which is great for demonstrations or tutorials.



#4: Silver Bird
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: This extension allows you to interact with your Twitter feed from any open tab/window. You can check your home feed, your mentions, direct messages, favorites, particular feeds from your lists, and compose a tweet. Great extension for anyone who uses Twitter. 

It has been a great journey showcasing my favorite Chrome extensions. Look for other recommendations in the future. 

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of April 20th

Here are my selections for the week. If you find something you love, make sure to share with others. 

#1: Point
Type: Social and Communication
Summary: This extension is great for anyone who likes to share and communicate about online articles. Both parties must have the extension installed for this to work. Find an article on the web, click the Point extension and share with another person. You can highlight portions of the web and leave a comment to guide people to certain portions of the reading. 

#2: Grammarly
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension runs a spell and grammar check on your writing. Works great with Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.

#3: Lightshot
Type: Productivity
Summary: Capture webpage screenshots. Annotate on screenshot, upload image, share on social media sites, search Google for similar images, print, copy, and save to desktop.

#4: Social Fixer for Facebook
Type: Social Networking
Summary: I will admit that I am not much of a Facebooker. I spend more of my social networking time on Twitter and Google+. With that said, I think this extension is pretty cool. I love that fact that I can tag a post as read so that it disappears from my feed. The extension creates tabs on the news feed and allows you to mark posts a read, save posts for later, and mark and mute posts so that they don't appear again (for those annoying ads). 

Click here to access my previous week's selections. 

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of April 13th

Here are my Chrome extensions for the week. 

#1: One Click Google Hangout
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: I love this extension. You can instantly create a Google Hangout simply by clicking the extension icon. The Google Hangout window pops up, while instantly copying the link to the hangout on your clipboard, so you can quickly share. Keep in mind it this works for a regular Hangout, not a Hangout on Air.

#2: Quickmarks
Type: Productivity
Summary: If you are someone who bookmarks a lot of sites on your bookmark bar then this is a must have. Once installed, type 'b + tab' in the omnibar, type in the name of your bookmark, hit enter and it will immediately open. 

#3: TimeStats
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension gives you a breakdown of the sites you visit daily, monthly, and more visited. It gives you the amount of time spent at each site, complete list of the domains from most to least visited, the days you spend the largest amount of time, and more. You can place the sites into categories to help you track the type of sites you spend most of your time. 

#4: Calculator
Type: Productivity
Summary: This is a scientific calculator that will open up in the tab/window you are in. Sure you can open the calculator in Google, but this takes you away from the page that you are on. There is nothing magical about this extension, it won't do the math steps for you, but it will allow you to quickly compute the answer. Some people think that calculators should be kept from students. I disagree. I think that students should use calculators when they are practicing problems to help them see if their answer is correct. It won't do the steps for the student and in no way should it replace the students working through the problem. It is just a way for students compare their answer to the calculators answer. 

Did you learn any new extensions that you are looking forward to using? 

Read Google Forms Submissions Easier Using the Transpose Formula

Sometimes it is hard to read people Google Forms submission because you have to scroll so far. I have found that sometimes transposing the responses makes it easier for me to see what each person has submitted.

Here is a short video tutorial to show you how to use this formula.

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of April 6th

Here are my Chrome Extensions for the week.

#1: Tab Packager
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension is amazing when you want to share multiple links with people. Click on the extension and it will turn all of your open tabs into one shortened link. Share that one link with people. When someone opens your link a page will appear with all of the links you had copied. You also have the ability to share the link directly with several social networking sites and email. 

#2: Synergyse
Type: Productivity
Summary: This is a must have extension for anyone who is a Google user. It will give you interactive, in application training for the Google tool. When enabled it will give show the Synergyse icon, simply click on the icon and it will show you all the video tutorials for the tool. 

#3: AdGuard Adblocker
Type: Productivity
Summary: Unmatched adblock extension against advertising and pop-ups. Blocks ads on Facebook, Youtube and all other websites. It has a 5 star rating from 7,300 ratings. With this extension those annoying ads disappear. I am especially happy to see those video ads that play prior to the video disappear. 

#4: Picture in Picture Viewer
Type: Productivity
Summary: This allows you to have a tab open inside another tab. This is great for watching a video and taking notes, having your Google Hangouts window open while working, and more. You must enable panels for this extension to work. To do this follow these steps:

1. Go to chrome://flags/
2. Search for 'enable flags' using Control/Command + F
3. Click enable under 'Enable Panels'

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of March 30th

Here are my Chrome extensions favorites for the week. 

#1: Wolfram Alpha
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension allows you to query Wolfram Alpha from any webpage. Wolfram Alpha isn't a search engine, it is referred to as a computational knowledge engine. When you conduct a query via a search engine you often have to put each entry in separately to get accurate data. With Wolfram Alpha you can put all of it in as once. For example, if you are searching for data on different planets, Wolfram Alpha might be a better solution. If you want to find the answer to a complex mathematical equation, Wolfram Alpha would also be a better solution. If you subscribe to the pro version it will show you all the steps to reach that solution.

#2: Bit.ly URL Shortener
Type: Productivity
Summary: It allows you to shorten the current URL, gives you the same shortened URL every time you use the extension on the same page. I usually use goo.gl for my shortened URLs, but sometime I get an error message when using that extension, so this one my fall back. 

#3: Shareaholic for Google Chrome
Type: Productivity
Summary: An easy way to share & bookmark great content from anywhere on the web with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & 200+ other services. You can also get a shortened URL for the webpage as well as access your sharing history.

#4: To Do List
Type: Productivity
Summary: Create a simple to do list from any open tab/window. Drag and drop the items to order the list. There is not advanced about this extension. If you are looking for a simple way to stay on top of tasks this extension might be what you need. The number of tasks to complete show up on the extension as a daily reminder. 

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of March 23rd

My favorite extension this week are all centered around my favorite topic, Google. Many of you might already be aware of these extensions, but I felt it important to share for those who might not know. 

#1: Google Voice
Type: Productivity
Summary: Make calls, send SMS, preview Inbox, and get notified of new Google Voice messages on your computer. This extension is only available for United States numbers.

#2: Google Mail Checker
Type: Productivity
Summary: Displays the number of unread messages in your Google Mail inbox. You can also click the button to open your inbox.

#3: Google Cast
Type: Productivity
Summary: Send content to your Chromecast and other devices that support Google Cast. I use this one personally to stream to my TV, but I know teachers out there are using it in their classrooms as well.

#4: Block Sender (for GMail)
Type: Productivity
Summary: Block annoying emails in Gmail. Say goodbye to unwanted newsletters, individuals, and other uninvited email senders. Note: free version allows a couple blocks, but there is a paid subscription available.

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of March 16th

Here are my top picks for the week. I hope you are able to find a new extension to love. 


#1: Replies and More for Google+
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: This was truly a find for me. If you are on Google+ this is a MUST have Chrome extension. While it allows you to quickly reply to the author of the post, that isn't the best part. The best part is it allows you to quickly share posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email, LinkedIn, Tumblr, HootSuite, and Pinterest. At the moment the Pinterest icon isn't work for me, but hopefully this is just a temporary glitch. 

#2: Pushbullet
Type: Productivity
Summary: The extension states that it is just for Android phones, but thanks to Jake Duncan I now know that this is for Android and iPhones. I am sooooo happy. Once he pointed that out I quickly downloaded the app for my iPhone and started pushing things between my computer and phone. 

Automatically see all of your Android phone's notifications right on your computer. This means you can see who's calling or read and reply to text messages even if you phone is on silent or in another room. Get notifications, links and files from your phone on your computer. 

#3: Simple Undo Close
Type: Productivity
Summary: 

#4: Google Voice Search
Type: Search Tools
Summary: This allow you to use your voice to conduct a Google search. When you are on the Google Search page, say 'Ok Google' and use your voice to conduct a search. Great extension for people who struggle with typing, spelling, or just want to search with their voice. 

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of March 9th

Here are my Chrome extensions recommendations for the week. These are not necessarily life changing Chrome extensions, but ones that might just bring you a little bit of happiness. And we could all use a little more happiness in our life, right!?!


#1: Spanish Characters
Type: Productivity
Summary: Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish, so this extension does not get a lot of use out of me. But this blog isn't for me it is for you, so hopefully people out there will find this extension useful. When you want to insert a Spanish character, simply right click on the page, go to 'Spanish Characters' and choose the character. To use on a Google document you must copy and paste the character from the Chrome Extension list, just know that you will have to format the character to your writing. 

#2: Attachment Icons for Gmail
Type: Social & Communication
Summary: Sometime is it the little things that makes me happy. This extension is one of them. It simply replaces the attachment paperclip icon with an icon that shows you exactly what type of file that is attached. Is this extension life changing...probably not, but if you are like me it will make you happier when checking email. 

#3: Fresh Start
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension allows you to save all open tabs to a new session, hand select tabs to be saved, recover tabs from a crash, restore a session in a new window or merge into current window, and more. That is great if you want to save your tabs to quickly start working on the same project next time you are online. 

#4: Post Editor for Google+
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension allows you to do some simple formatting, such as bold, italics, strikethrough, on your Google+ posts. 

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.

Favorite Chrome Extensions - Week of February 9th

This is another one of my weeks with no set theme. I actually like my random extension weeks because it gives you a little bit of everything. 

Yellow highlighter is my personal favorite from the four because I am one of those people who needs to highlight text when reading. Which one do you like the best?

#1: Yellow Highlighter
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension is great for people who like to highlight text while reading. When you activate this extension is allows you to highlight text from articles you are reading online. The highlight article automatically creates a shortened URL so you can save the highlights or share with others. You can even share the highlighted article quickly from the Twitter and Facebook buttons. 

#2: Google Input Tools
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension is so cool. It allows you to quickly switch to typing in another language (90+ to choose from) on a Google document. This is great for students in a foreign language class or teachers who need to compose text in another language. 

#3: Incredible StartPage
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension allows you to customize your start (home) page. You can easily find your bookmarks, create notes, locate closed tabs, see your apps, most frequently visited websites, and more. 

#4: Google+ Button
Type: Productivity
Summary: This extension allows you to quickly share a website on Google+. Click on the extension when the website is open and the Google+ post appears.

Want to learn more about Chrome? Check out my other resources here. 

Easy Steps to Creating Appointment Slots in Google Calendar

If you are part of a Google for Education district then you have the ability to add appointment slots to your calendar. 

Although you have to have a Google for Education account to set-up this feature you do not have to have a Google for Education account to book an appointment, which means you can share the link with people outside your district's domain.

Here are a few suggestions on why you would want to use this feature:

• students can sign up for 1-on-1 tutorials
• teachers can reserve the computer lab
• teachers can sign up 1-on-1 tech help
• teachers can sign up to meet with an instructional coach
• parents requesting a conference

Follow these quick and easy steps to get started:

Step 1: Open up Google Calendar

Step 2: Switch to Day or Week View (this feature will not work in any other view)

Step 3: Select the date and single click on the time you would like the appointment slot to start. Select Appointment Slots.

Step 4: Enter in title, choose date and time span, type of appointment slot (single or slots with duration), amount of time for appointments, and calendar you would like to post on. 

Step 5: For advanced features, click on More Options

Step 6: Click on 'This calendar's appointment page', capture the URL of that page and share with whomever you need to make appointments or provide link in on your website, email signature, etc. 

Here is how the appointment slots will appear for others:

View from your calendar with appointments made

If your district uses gmail, then you will receive an email every time someone makes an appointment. If something comes up and you can make the requested appointment, you can decline the request and the requester will receive an email. If the requester needs to cancel the appointment he/she can delete it from his/her calendar and it will delete it on your calendar.