Tutorial Videos

flipgrid

Flipgrid is a GREAT resource for you to use to record videos for your students, have your students record videos for you, and engage with each other. You can create different topics, add stickers, and kids can put emoji stickers over their faces if they don't want to be seen - so it's great for your shy kiddos, too. There's a lot of different options, including to moderate videos before they are posted because you never know what Jonny is going to do. I'm using Flipgrid on the daily during this closure and my students are really getting the hang of it quickly.

Here's a short video ---> that shows how to quickly navigate Flipgrid.

And, just so it's easy, here's the link to Flipgrid.

PADLET

I will be updating this tutorial and explanation as Padlet is no longer approved for use with GCSD students.

Padlet is a FABULOUS resource to use with your students, colleagues, anyone, really. It is kind of like a virtual bulletin board. Students can post responses to a question or a prompt. I like to use it as an "exit ticket" type activity or as a bell ringer. One of my teammates uses it to have students post their "Good Things" at the start of class. I've also seen it used during PD as a place for people to post questions that they want answered. This was great as it allowed questions to be answered in a timely fashion but also kept the questions and answers visible after the PD was over.

So do I have you hooked on Padlet yet? Thought so. Check out the video on the left to see how to use Padlet!

GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Today's Tech Tutorial is all about Google Classroom. Now, for many of you, Classroom is something you could do in your sleep. At least during a nap. But for others of you, Google Classroom may be brand new! So I figured I would cover it in a video regardless.

Google Classroom is just what the name implies - a virtual classroom. While I don't think that it is necessarily designed to be used solely with online learning (I think it is best utilized in conjunction with face-to-face education), it is definitely a great tool to supplement education.

This video overviews some of the features of Google Classroom but it assumes that you already have a Google Classroom account. So if you've been wanting to dive further into Google Classroom or aren't sure where to start, give it a watch and see if it helps!

NEWSELA

Our next Tech Tutorial features Newsela, which is a great site for articles for your students. I love this site because it has articles on a whole host of topics and it is synced with Google Classroom so you can assign your the articles to your students and easily keep track of who has read, answered quizzes, etc. Each article also comes with a quiz at the end and has adjustable lexile levels - which is great for differentiation.

The best way to figure out Newsela is just to click around on the site and explore it for yourself but the tutorial video to the left will help with some of the basics!

SCREENCASTIFY

Up next is the extension that lets me make all these tutorial videos - Screencastify! I absolutely love Screencastify. It is so user-friendly (which I always desperately need) and it is super efficient. There are two versions (free and paid). The biggest difference is you can only record 5 minutes with the free version. If you want to upgrade to the paid version, it's just $29 for a whole year if you use the educator discount. If we are doing eLearning again, I think it's worth it. And Screencastify might bring back their corona discount - you never know!

Anyway, Screencastify can record your whole screen with you on the webcam talking, it can record just your browser tab, or it can just record through the webcam. I've used all 3 types and they are all great.

The video on the right will walk you through how to get Screencastify and the basics of using it. It should also be mentioned that I used Screencast-O-Matic to record this tutorial and, while I prefer Screencastify, that is an option for you. Enjoy!

GOOGLE MEET

Google Meet is a great tool for videoconferencing in this eLearning time of life. However, if you aren't used to videoconferencing, it can seem a little overwhelming. It has some great things to offer, like conferring with your students, chatting options, and the ability to present your screen to your attendees but it can definitely have a learning curve.

The best way to figure out Google Meet is to watch my tutorial video! :) I'll show you how to create a Google Meet, how to push a meet out to your students, and how to operate the Meet itself.

INVITE PARENTS TO GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Next up is a short video that I put together specifically showing how to invite parents to Google Classroom as guardians. Now, it should be noted that this will not give them the same access to Google Classroom as students because of privacy and all that but it will allow parents to keep up with assignments upcoming, missing, and what's been going on in the Google Classroom world.

I'm also including here a link to a Google Support page regarding Guardian Summaries that will give a little more information on what it is that the parents will be getting.

Here's the video and I hope it helps!

EDPUZZLE

I am on a roll today!! Here is another tutorial video on Edpuzzle! If you aren't using Edpuzzle yet, what are you waiting on? It's a great tool that features videos you can assign for students to watch and questions to go along with the video that students answer AS THEY'RE WATCHING. So it's great to make sure the kids are staying engaged and not just zoning out.

There are tons of videos already "made" in Edpuzzle, with questions already ready to go and all you have to do is assign the video to Google Classroom. You can also import videos from a variety of platforms, including YouTube, Khan Academy, and Numperphile (I'm still not sure what that last one is but if it's on Edpuzzle, it must be legit...right?)

Check out the video and see how to set up and use Edpuzzle! And I was in a really good mood so I was being kind of wacky...so forgive me.

QUIZLET

Quizlet is a great tool to use for reviewing, introducing new content, and engaging your students with the material. You can create study sets (basically flash cards) and push them out to your students to use in Google Classroom or play games with them in the regular classroom. Students can even create their own accounts - just ensure that students are over 13 and you're in compliance with your district guidelines.

Check out the tutorial video to learn how to use this tool.

KAHOOT!

Kahoot is a great, fun, exciting tool to use for review games, preview games, and just games in general. I like to use it when reviewing for a test or quiz as it is a great way to review. I've also used it to preview upcoming material and let the kids see how much they already know.

While Kahoot is designed to work best in person in the classroom, it also has a self-paced challenge mode that can be used to assign games to kids at home and give them a deadline to complete the quiz - so they're competing against each other at home. This could be really great during eLearning.

Right now, while schools are closed, Kahoot!Premium is free so snag it now and try it out. Check out the video to learn more about Kahoot!!

ADDING THE SAME COMMENT TO MULTIPLE STUDENTS IN GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Have you ever needed to say the same thing to multiple students in a Google Classroom comment? And you're tired of typing it over and over again or copying and pasting it over and over again? Did you know there's a quicker way to do it?

This video will show you how to put the same comment on multiple students at once. It'll save you time!

SYMBALOO

Symbaloo is a great site that can be useful for containing links to much-used websites in one place. It is kind of like a virtual springboard to get to all the sites you might want your kids to use. Instead of having links in a myriad of places, with Symbaloo they are all contained in one spot. Easy!