Posts

ClassroomQ

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When students need assistance in the classroom, it can be one of the trickier things to manage. A student may need help, but not want to draw attention to themselves by raising a hand or speaking in front of their peers. If you happen to be in a lab setting or using devices in the classroom, this website could be an option to reach more students. ClassroomQ ( https://classroomq.com ) offers students the opportunity to ask for assistance by hitting a button on a website. The three steps in the process are: 1) Teachers hit the start button to start a session and get a class code. 2) Students enter their name and their teacher’s class code. 3) When students need help, they simply click the button to add their name to the queue. Student View (prior to hitting the button) I signed up and played around with the free account. It is simple, yet neat. Students also have the option to type a comment before clicking the assistance button. ClassroomQ lists the students in order of w

Google Updates

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There have been some nice updates with Google Sheets and the new Google Sites so far this month. First, you can now record macros and create 3D charts in Google Sheets. There are also new ways to print, group, and analyze your data. More on this can be found at:  https://www.blog.google/products/g-suite/think-macro-record-actions-google-sheets-skip-repetitive-work/ In the new Google Sites, it is now possible to add custom links in the navigation bar. Previously, you could only link pages within the same site. This means you can now have a link for a different website that you want visitors to access within your site's navigation. More on this can be found at:  https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2018/04/custom-navigation-links-new-sites.html Lastly, I received an email from Google a few days ago that stated our web based email interface (Gmail) is getting updated. The last major update it received was in 2011, so it is definitely time for it, in terms of how rap

Massac Unit #1 Blog | STEM Activities: From Building Code to Building Bridges and Everything in Between

Check out the latest post from the  Massac Unit #1 blog . It's the January Spotlight titled "STEM Activities: From Building Code to Building Bridges and Everything in Between."

Loom!

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Click. Record. Share. These three words are the backbone of  Loom . Loom is a free screen and video recorder that is available as an extension for the Google Chrome browser. I've used Loom (formerly Opentest) for over a year now. It has been, hands down, the easiest and best screen capturing tool that I've ever used. In the past year, I've been able to do recordings using Loom to help facilitate our online professional development offerings, provide better "over email" tech assistance, and start building a repository of how-to videos. On top of that, it is lightning quick. It truly has been a time saver. If you are looking for a quick and easy (and free!) screen and video recorder, check out Loom !

Embedding HTML and JavaScript in new Google Sites

One of the exciting features recently released in the new Google Sites is the ability to embed HTML and JavaScript. It not only adds an additional feature, but is especially handy for those who like to tinker with the code. In the short time that I've gotten to work with it, I've already been able to embed our Semester Grade Calculator  (something I was never able to get to complete functionality with classic Google Sites) on our high school site. I've also started reworking the staff directories on our websites with this new ability ( https://mjhs.massac.org/staff-directory ). There really are a myriad of possibilities with this. While a working knowledge of HTML and JavaScript is certainly helpful, just remember...Google is your friend :) An additional resource for learning HTML/JavaScript (and more) is one of my go-to sites for web building assistance:  https://www.w3schools.com/ . Additional information can be found on the official G Suite Updates Blog at:  https:

Massac Unit #1 Blog: Forging Ahead in an Online Learning Environment

Check out the latest post from the Massac Unit #1 blog . It's the October Spotlight titled "Forging Ahead in an Online Learning Environment."

Text Rotation in Google Sheets

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Google Sheets continues to receive new functionality. Recently, text rotation was added for our accounts. Text can be tilted, rotated, or stacked. It can also be set at a custom angle. Here's an example of what it looks like: To try out this feature, type some text in a cell, then click the Text Rotation button in the Sheets toolbar. Alternatively, you can also select Format, then Text Rotation in the drop down menu. Enjoy!