2024 - 2025 School Year

May 2025

🟡🔴 Silent Mode with Google Read Along 🔵🟢

Google Classroom recently rolled out a valuable new feature called Silent Mode, designed to further support our students' reading development.

This innovative Silent Mode allows students to engage with reading materials without the need to read aloud. While reading silently, students will still benefit from the core support Read Along offers, including assistance with challenging words.

Silent Mode with Google Read Along inside Google Classroom

🔴✨ Use Gemini to Create a Button for Canvas! ✨🔴

Get ready to unleash your new creative power! The ability to create items with code in Gemini is quickly growing in popularity. Today's post shows how to create buttons for a Canvas page with a Gemini prompt.

The excitement doesn't stop there! Canva recently announced the highly anticipated arrival of Canva Code, a groundbreaking feature that promises to revolutionize design possibilities. I can't wait to see the incredible creations this will enable – the future of design with code is here!

Use Gemini to Create a Button for Canvas!

April 2025

👏 Unleash the power of the GIF on your Chromebook! 👏

Unleash the power of the GIF on your Chromebook! Transform static actions into dynamic visual guides for your students. GIFs offer a swift and seamless way to illustrate a concept, demonstrate a technique, or simply add a touch of engaging animation to your lessons.

Ready to bring your instructions to life with the magic of looping visuals? Check out the slides below ⬇️

Create a Gif on a Chromebook

🟡🔴 Google Slides New Sidebar 🔵🟢

Google just updated Google Slides! In today's post I highlight the new sidebar and many of the new features:

new templates
new building blocks
new stock and web images
new Drive integration
new recording options

Updates to Google Slides

💬 Google Chat Sections and Pinned Chats 💬

Chat sections is a new feature I've been testing out and I really like it. Also, did you know you can pin a chat so that it doesn't get buried and you can find the chat quickly?

Google Chat Sections and Pinned Chats (Quality).mp4

✨ Learning Opportunities with the Latest AI Action Figure Craze ✨

Critical Thinking Skills Activity Using the Latest Doll in Packaging Trend

📖🎧📺 What I'm Reading, Listening to, Watching 📖🎧📺

📖🎧📺 What I'm Reading, Listening to, Watching 📖🎧📺 April

🎙️ Brisk Podcasting Feature 🎙️

Brisk Podcast Feature and Brisk Boost

🖍️ Padlet TA 🖍️

Padlet TA

🟡🔴 Google Drive Workspaces 🔵🟢

Google Workspaces

February / March 2025

📙📘📗 Book Creator Libraries and Templates

Book Creator Libraries and Templates

This post shares how to create a library for your class(es) and how to share a template with students.

📕📗📘 Ideas for Using Book Creator 📕📗📘

Recently our district obtained a subscription to Book Creator. This platform offers a huge variety of ideas for creating digital books with students. Check out these 8 ideas to get you started.

Book Creator Ideas

✈️ EdTech ToolSlam Takeoff Recap ✈️

In this post, I share my presentation from the TechSlam called "Padlet Understood the Assignment!"

Tool Slam Recap

Adobe Express - Make a poster

Adobe Express make a poster

Let's make a poster with Adobe Express

Adobe Express has many useful features. In this post I invite you along as I create a poster for our EdTech ToolSlam Takeoff Event.

Padlet Sandbox

Padlet - Create a Sandbox!

Sandboxes are similar to Google Jamboard, which was discontinued, but are even better! I hope you will take a look at this post and consider how versatile and exceptional Padlet Sandboxes are. I think you will be impressed!

Check out the slides to the left or watch the video explanation below.

⬇️ Video Explanation ⬇️

Padlet Sandboxes February 11, 2025 10_35 AM.mp4

December 2024

12 Days of Techmas

Day 1

Welcome to the 12 Days of Techmas with this year's theme being Google Workspace updates. Click on the image to the left and look for new links in the collapsible group above each day to see a new Techmas Google Workspaces feature.

November 2024

Adobe Express Classroom and Guided Activities

Canvas Hacks to Reduce Grading Time

Google Classroom Student Groups

Adobe Express Classroom

and Guided Activities

Adobe Express Classrooms and Guided Activities

Canvas Hacks to Reduce Grading Time

CANVAS HACKS TO REDUCE GRADING TIME

Google Classroom Student Groups

Creating Groups in Google Classroom

October 2024

Canva's Magic Write and Bulk Create

Add Tabs to a Google Doc

I Created an eBook on Artificial Intelligence

📖📺🎙️ Oct. What are you reading, listening to or watching? 📖📺🎙️

Jamboard to Figjam

Add a Cover Image to a Google Doc

Canva's Magic Write and Bulk Create

Create Fall Writing Prompts in Canva using Magic Write and Bulk Create!

Add Tabs to a Google Doc

Google Docs - New Feature Add Tabs

I Created an eBook on Artificial Intelligence!

AI Tools for Students and Educators

📖📺🎙️ Oct. What I'm reading, listening to or watching 📖📺🎙️

One was The Digital Learning Podcast where Matt Miller and Holly Clark talked about Google's NotebookLM which is taking the Edtech AI world by storm. Have you heard about this tool yet? It has the ability to turn the information that you import into NotebookLM into an authentic sounding podcast! (Note: this app is not approved for student use at OASD; it's terms of use are for 18 years and older)

https://digitallearningpodcast.com/dlp054/

The other podcast is the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast by Vicki Davis. This episode is an interview with her principal. I loved hearing from Jonathan Dyal, the principal about how her approaches teacher observations and being present in the classrooms.

https://www.coolcatteacher.com/10-minute-teacher-podcast/

Jamboard to Figjam

Add a Cover Image to a Google Doc

New Google Docs Feature: Add a Cover Image

September 2024

Nearpod Collaborative Boards

Create Choice Assignments in Canvas

Stickty Extension

Remove Backgrounds of Images in Google Slides

Nearpod Collaborative Boards

Similar to Padlet. I love using Collaborative Boards in Nearpod.

Check out Nearpod Collaborative Board Activities

Create Choice Assignments in Canvas

Stickity Extension

Stickity Example

Remove Backgrounds of Images in Google Slides

Did you know that you can now remove the background of any image right in Google Slides? I used to use remove.bg or Canva to remove the background on images, but now it is build right into Slides! This feature is not yet available in Google Docs, but I have my fingers crossed that it will be soon.

Screencastify Submit

If you are looking for a video submission tool similar to Flip, you will love Screencatify Submit.

Check out the latest post to learn how to use Screencastify Submit.

If you would like to participate in a Screencastify Submit assignment like a student, click here.

Screencastify Submit

Google Sites

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