Google Apps
and
Extensions
So you hear all this talk about Google Apps and Extensions and you wonder, "Umm, What's the difference?"
Extensions:
Google Chrome Extensions are “applications that run inside the Chrome browser and provide additional functionality, integration with third party websites or services, and customized browsing experiences.” While there is some grey area between Google apps, extensions, and simply shortcuts to websites, the right extensions can turn your browser into a Swiss-army knife of utility and efficiency.
What Is The Benefit Of An Extension For Teachers?
They can make things simple, more accessible, more visible, more compelling, more convenient–there are dozens of potential benefits to you in your classroom. Clip a web page to Evernote with a single button push. Look up a reference. Model for students how to add a citation. Send a link to colleagues without opening another tab. Find a useful resource for a lesson? Scoop it. Tweet it. Pin It. Find a post you want to read? Don’t email it to yourself–use Pocket.
The criteria used to choose each extension? The extension had to increase your efficiency, provide a benefit to content/curriculum, allow you to connect with other teachers/parents/students, or enhance your workflow as an educator. If it has the potential to meet one of these four criteria, it was included. This list was originally taken from TeachThought, We Grow Teachers 2015 and I have modified it with some of my own favorites and additional lists from other sources. If you have more that you would like to add, please let me know and we can add them to the list!
Too Many Extensions?
Before skimming through these and installing 25 of your favorites, note that too many extensions can slow your browser down, and speed is one of Chrome’s other talents. Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul.
There is no standard for how many extensions you should use–your mileage may vary here. The speed of your PC, your available memory, your WiFi speed, how many tabs you keep open, and more can all impact your browser’s apparent speed, so add and remove extensions (it’s as simple as a few clicks–see the video above) to optimize your setup so that Chrome remains snappy and useful to you as a teacher. (From TeachThought, We Grow Teachers, 2015)
A Few Favorite
Add-Ons, Extensions and Apps
Great, easy-to-use for lesson videos, screencasting, flipped classroom.
Extensity
The biggest issue that teachers and students often have is having too many extensions and add ons enabled. Sometimes they will conflict with each other. For this reason, the first thing everyone should install in their web browser is Extensity. [Read more]
Google Voice Typing (With a Twist)
Ok, it isn’t really an add on, but it can be accessed through an add on. First, make sure you know how to use Google Voice Typing in Google Docs. You have to use Google Chrome. Learn how to use it. Then, if you want to use Google Voice typing everywhere, all you need is the Read Write Toolbar for teachers (see below.) After you install it, you’ll click the “speech input” button. This handy toolbar will make Google voice typing available throughout the web. Very cool.
You can highlight words on a web page and then pull those highlights into a new document. You can also take the words and put them into a vocabulary list.
Hover Speech reads the speech for you.
Dictionary looks up the word and you can also get a visual dictionary picture.
Translate will convert the words into the language of your choice.
Speech maker will create an audio file that you download.
Screenshot reader will read text to you from a picture.
Screenmask gives you a reading strip that you can move along the page as you read. Dyslexics will want to use this feature.
Simplify works like the Evernote clearly tool used to. It takes all the ads and other items off so you just have the text to read. You’ll want this if you take kids to some websites that have inappropriate articles listed.
Practice reading aloud – can read aloud and be sent to the teacher.
Voice Notes lets teachers leave notes of up to 1 minute inside Google Docs for kids. If you are teaching writing, you should be leaving voice notes.
Predictive typing helps beginning writers have better writing skills as it coaches them as they type. Fantastic tool.
Equatio (formerly (G) Math)
EquatiO easily adds equations, formulas and more into Google docs and forms. Formerly (G) Math, Equatio has new updates under the new name. This Chrome browser extension lets you type, handwrite, or dictate equations, formulas and more directly on your computer or tablet. Then add your expression with a click of a button to Google Docs or Forms. Input’s easy with EquatIO.
Geogebra has many teacher created tools that you can use and assign to your students in Google Classroom. It joins graphing, geometry, 3D, spreadsheets, computer algebra and probability in one easy-to-use package. Then, go to http://login.geogebra.org/user/create and just click “sign up with a Google Account.
An eye-dropper & color-picker tool that allows you to select color values from web pages.
G Suite Training is a Chrome extension that offers simple and interactive training lessons to get you up and running fast with G Suite
If you use Graphic organizers in the classroom, Lucid Charts is a must add for you! It has so many templates that you can use and add to Google Drive. Easily build flowcharts, network diagrams, and graphic organizers. Awesome!
Goobric lets you create a Google rubric for evaluating student-submitted Google Classroom assignments and Doctopus (Google Sheets add-on) lets you view all of your student submissions. In Chrome, download the extension called Goobric WebApp Launcher.
This is a great tool to share content from the web directly to your classroom!
And More ....
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