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Goodbye Hangouts For the last year, there has been much discussion about the fate of Google Hangouts . Google announced the launch of Allo and Duo as messaging and video conference apps that would be available on mobile devices in the consumer market. Questions of what would happen to Hangouts flooded the Google world. It was then announced that Hangouts would remain for enterprise accounts (GSuite for Education). This was great. My teachers and staff have been using Hangouts all year. This has been especially helpful for my elementary teachers as they often do grade-level collaboration via Hangouts so that they can all meet at 3:00, finish at 3:30, and never leave the comfort of their classroom.  Change is brewing In February, a new player emerged:  Google Meet.  Hangouts are still in existence and still being used. However, Google Meet is now available. It even appears very similar to Google Hangouts. Much of the same functions and interface are the...

Hyperdocs I love doing presentations on hyperdocs. Laying out learning experiences for students via Google Slides or Google Docs and using it for opportunities to differentiate and/or personalize learning is powerful. I love doing the same thing for teachers so that they can organize their thoughts and collaborate. As I was presenting on hyperdocs this week, we discussed why digital collaboration is valuable to a face-to-face meeting. One of my teachers said, "It is a springboard for the conversation." It creates focus. It creates purpose. I found it to be very profound. I recently presented on the Indestructible Hyperdoc at the Indiana Google Summit . It is about editing the master in slides to organize and create learning experience for kids that they cannot easily destroy. Let's face it, you don't want kids deleting your questions or links to resources on the templates that you create for them. Using Google Slides resolves that issue. I also was always a b...

"Done is better than perfect..." - Eric Curts Keeping up with educational technology is not easy. To be honest, I can't say that I'm even remotely successful in the task. I know teachers certainly feel this way as this frustration is expressed every time I run a workshop or do a presentation. It is my full-time job to seek out digital tools and train teachers to use them; I certainly feel the pressure. My teachers take comfort in knowing that it is okay to feel behind. I was listening to a podcast this morning on my way to school (time efficient professional development) that featured Eric Curts . The hosts ( Brian Briggs and Ryan O'Donnell ) asked the question of how Eric keeps up with all of the trends and changes that occur in the realm of educational technology. Eric proceeded to mention his method and that many others have different positions on the topic. "Done is better than perfect." was the conclusion to that segment of the podcast.  ...

Chromebook woes Frustration has set in this year as teachers and students alike have struggled with tools such as Screencastify and Nimbus . Performance has been a huge concern in regard to the creation of videos. Audio and video aren't syncing correctly. There are times when the audio is glitching or the video starts to jump. Again, this seems to be an issue directly related to the use of the Chromebook and these resources. These are issues that weren't as prevalent in years past.  Many teachers, like myself, prefer to take their Chromebook home to do grading or create video lessons rather than lugging home a much larger PC laptop. The portability of the Chromebook is great, but only if it is working correctly. So if you are a student or a teacher that has been frustrated due to continual performance issues in regard to recording video; NRec might be the solution . This is also a great option for individuals that do not have an Internet connection. Videos can easily...

Moonshot Thinking My moonshot thinking started about a year ago. I had long collaborated with Chantell Manahan (Director of Technology) for the need of a team of teachers with which I could collaborate, train, and encourage to develop leadership skills. Around December, this committee started to be formed. Chantell and I made a list of individuals in each building and sent out invitations. With the invitations that were sent out, I received responses from 16 individuals that will participate in quarterly meetings with myself and other various members of the technology department. We will plan professional development opportunities, analyze district needs, and provide support as MSDSC has many experts on utilizing technology. By forming this team, the members can glean information and resources from one another as we journey down the road of utilizing Chromebooks in a 1:1 technology setting.  Our team had their first meeting here in March of 2017. It was a great experience...

Let's get organized! For quite some time, Google Docs has been the king of online collaboration spaces. They changed the way we work together. Google Docs has certainly spawned much of the collaborative online spaces that exist today. Even other technology giants have found their hand forced to rethink cloud-based workspaces due to Google's influence. As a teacher or organizational leader, the tasks built within a Google Doc (Sheets and Slides as well) is fantastic. It allows the user to use the comment feature to highlight specific parts within a collaborative document and assign that highlight directly to an individual. To do this, add a comment (ctrl+alt+m), add a plus sign along with the user's email address. The comment box will suddenly populate with users within your organization and allow you to assign the task to that user. The assigned task will then alert the user via email and provide a checkbox within the document for when the task is completed. Check...

Time A teacher's time is so valuable. Technology is intended to aid in the ability to save time. Google Classroom is a tool that can do just that. You can instantly distribute content to students with just a few clicks. The teacher has an automatic checklist of who has completed an assignment and who hasn't without having to flip through a pile of papers and check off names. Teachers can access classwork everywhere! It is like having your paper turn-in tray everywhere you go as you can easily access Classroom via the web or mobile app. Earlier this year I posted how you can utilize an iPad or an Android device to handwrite on the students' assignments . This was a nice feature added that bridges the gap between our individuals that like to mark papers with a pen and technology. With all of these positive aspects of Google Classroom, I still hear a cry for help as Classroom and grading is not a match made in heaven. The teachers I hear this complaint from are c...