TIPSHINTS!
Oct. 17, 2018 - One of the websites that I like to use for reading is RIF.org (Reading is Fundamental). There are quite a bit of useful resources on this site for you to use with your class. One of the tabs that I use is Educator's Resources. There are book resources, book activities (this tab has leveled reading activities for many popular books), professional development resources, and calendar activities. This site is kept up to date and like I said previously it has many useful activities.
TIP#2 - .new (No, I really mean .new!)
October 31, 2018 - Google like they always try to do put out a NEW way to open a document, spreadsheet, forms, or slides from the address bar. All you need to do to start a NEW document is type: docs.new. You can also use the .new for slides (slides.new), forms (forms.new), etc. If even recognizes if you type in sheets.new, speadsheet.new, documents.new, etc. Go ahead and try this now! It's much quicker and easier for teachers and students.
tip #3 - flippity.net
This is from the TCEA website:
Hack #1 – Flippity.net
“Have you explored Flippity.net?” I asked session participants. Almost all shook their heads in the negative. Flippity takes data you have in your Google Sheet and then does cool stuff with it.
Note: With each Sheet, you will must go to File->Publish the sheet. This make its available on the web for viewing. When you get it setup, you will copy the Flippity.net website address (URL) (shown in blue in the image below) then share that with students or staff.
Here are some of the problems that the free Flippity website helps you solve as an educator:
Flashcards – Take content in a Google Sheet and turn it into online flashcards. You create two columns in a Sheet, putting side one (the prompt) of the flashcard in column one. In column two, you put side two content (the response). With this option, you can also generate more resources. Those include a simple list, practice, matching, and word cloud. Flippity makes it easy to send your list of data to create Bingo cards, Crossword, and even Hangman. It can generate a Memory Game, Word Search, and Print Quiz.
Quiz Show – Want to create your own trivia game a la a Jeopardy show? Flippity makes that easy.
Random Name Picker – Need a random name picker for selecting students for projects? This tool will use your class roster to make it happen.
Scavenger Hunt – Turn any Sheet into a scavenger hunt activity.
More creations that Flippity makes possible include Timeline maker tool. You can use its Badge Tracker, Spelling Word Manager, and Word Search tools, too. MadLibs, Mix and Match, and Certificate Quiz appear, too. Ready to get started? Go to Flippity’s website and follow the instructions that go with each tool.
I have already made a Random Name Chooser this morning that will also take the names and pair them into Groups of 2, 3, or 4. Make seating charts for you. teams for you, etc. It can make flash cards and much more.
TIP #4-Google Doc cheat sheet
Sorry, I haven't done a TIPSHINT for awhile, but I just haven't found anything that I deem is worthy to share. Today, I found one though. Shake Up Learning website has a Google Doc Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet is in eBook form and can only be shared with students, but I do have a link that you can use to get your own Google Doc Cheat Sheet. The link is: http://shakeup.link/docscheat. You will need to subscribe to get their newsletter, but this is an excellent site for you to add to your PLN and they are always having great resources for you to download.
Tip #5-The 20 Most Confusing Rules in the Grammar World!
Why is there an "r" in Mrs.? What's the difference between i.e. and eg.? If me and you (whoops), you and I have ever asked this question, then this article "The 20 Most Confusing Rules in the Grammar World" is a must-read! This article from rd.com (Reader's Digest) is a fun and educational read that can also help your teaching! I highly recommend this and adding this as a bookmark.
Tip#6-protecting your eyes!
Do you ever feel like your eyes are tired or things are blurry on your computer screen? Do you have students saying they can't read what's on the computer screen? If this is the case, TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association-You should add them to your PLN) has put up a blog post on Chrome Extensions that can help this. The link is: Protect Your Eyes With Chrome Extensions.
tip #7-Stranger Google Tools
Even though the title sounds different this tip could be very useful in the classroom. This is from one of the sites I constantly look at for tips and hints: ShakeUp Learning. This is a two part site, but I'm giving you the link for part 1. The link for part 2 is in the post for part 1. The name of the post is: Stranger Google: Crazy Tools From the Upside Down!
In part 1 one of the sites it references is called: Story Speaker. Students can write their own interactive adventure stories (using the provided templates) and share them with others. Another one I like is Talk to Books. Students can type in a question and it will search over 100,000 books to find the best answer to their question.
For the Harry Potter fans there is a link to Harry Potter: History of Magic.
Part 1 also has two music links to SUPER FUN music activities. Part 2 also has some great links including Doodle 4 Google and Notable Women. This is an AWESOME site to learm more about women from history. You can also print out the bills with the woman's face on them.
TIP #8-A "GOTO" SITE FOR ALL YOUR CLASSROOM NEEDS
Have you ever wished for a website where you can post instructions, while having a timer on the same screen, along with a noise indicator? If you answered "YES" to this question then Classroomscreen is the site for you! This website can put a random name chooser, sound level indicator, traffic light indicator, an exit ticket screen, timer, drawing tool, and much more!
TIP #9-Science of Reading (SoR) for kids (and bigger kids, like me!)
BRAIN BUILDERS VIDEO SERIES - "Brain Builders is an animated video series you can share with your students to help them understand what the brain does in order to read–the first time the Science of Reading has been placed in the hands of students. Join Minh on his journey as his babysitter, Tamara, helps him cultivate a love for reading and understanding the Science of Reading. Series includes 13 episodes you don’t want to miss!"
The link for this video series is: https://amplify.com/brain-builders/