Update on Examview and Chromebooks

Hello again Tim,

I posted all my chapter 2 quizzes on my blackboard site for chemistry today and they all are working great using examview!!!!  I unlocked them around five tonight and I already have several students taking the first two quizzes and their score reports are coming in nicely.....

Just wanted to let you know and if anyone wants to see what I have done they are free to check it out....I can add colleagues to my blackboard/ googleclassroom sites as observers anytime they want.

Diana

Using Examview on Chromebooks

Site shared by Diana Bowman

ExamView on Chromebooks

You can use ExamView to deliver assessments to students via their Chromebooks.  Two known issues with Chromebooks:  1. Be sure that the students choose "download" instead of "view" in their emails.  2. Students may see two broken images at the bottom of the assessment. The one on the left is the submit button!  NOTE: The setup of the Exam View assessment should be done on a PC with the Exam View software.  Document created by Cheryl Hunter SV Uploading an ExamView Test to the Internet If you want images in your test, you have to do it a slightly different way.  1. You create and save the test using ExamView, which also creates an image folder for that test.  2. Put both the .htm (or .html) file and the folder in your Public HTML folder.  3. Click on the file so that it launches in a browser. You will see an address for that document that looks like this:  file:///H:/public_html/paddock_test.htm That address only has the location information for your local computer and cannot be used by other users to take the test. Instead you have to do one more thing.  4. Copy ALL of the text after file:///H:/public_html In this case, that would be /paddock_test.htm If I organized tests in folders inside my public_html folder, it might look something like this:  /tests/unit-1/paddock_test.htm 5. Attach that ending on to the end of this address: http://www.svh.richland2.org/~username/    (so for me, this would be http://www.svh.richland2.org/~jpaddock/) Full example: http://www.svh.richland2.org/~jpaddock/paddock_test.htm You can now send that link in a number of different ways to your students.  VERY IMPORTANT! Keep in mind that when you create the link this way, you are creating an open web page for anyone to view. It would be easy for a student to forward an emailed link to another student in a later class who then can see the whole test. Here are a couple of ways to address that:  1. Remove the test file from your Public_HTML folder when not testing.  2. Generate more than one version of the test.  3. Instead of emailing the link, create a TinyURL and write it on the board. This would make it a little bit harder for the students to write an email and send, though it would still be pretty easy to do. We do not recommend this method for major assessments for the security reasons, but it is a good way to fairly quickly deliver quizzes and provide the students quick feedback. Ideally, this testing method would be used more for formative, low-stakes assessments.

20 useful ways to use TodaysMeet in schools

Ed Tech Another gem from Matt Miller at Ditch That Textbook:

TodaysMeet is an easy-to-use, versatile digital tool. It can enhance discussions, provide a place for ideas and more.

TodaysMeet is so simple yet so versatile that it has become one of my go-to digital tools.

It’s designed as a backchannel — the conversation behind what’s going on.TodaysMeet creates personal chat room that you can set up and invite people to. They can quickly and easily write comments or questions for anyone in the chat room to see.

TodaysMeet is literally the easiest website to use I’ve ever come across. To create a room, just go to TodaysMeet.com, give your room a name (let’s say we named it “DitchThatTextbook” … no spaces, periods or certain other characters). Decide when it closes (i.e. how long you want it to exist). Then click “Create your room.”

That’s it. Your TodaysMeet room is created.

You can immediately share the URL to the room (in our DitchThatTextbook example, the room we would create is TodaysMeet.com/DitchThatTextbook) and start the conversation. Just join the room, type your name and you’re ready to post a message in the room.

Each message has a 140-character limit, so be concise. (Or just type multiple messages.)

I already use TodaysMeet in a number of ways in my classroom and can see so many other possibilities. Here are some of them:

1. Have a conversation. Students can talk about anything in a TodaysMeet room, and often you’ll draw out the shyest, quietest students — the ones who would never raise their hand in class discussion.

2. Share links. Post the URL for a website you want everyone to visit. Links you post are clickable in TodaysMeet.

3. Ask questions. During a lecture, presentation or movie, if students are unclear about something, they can ask questions and get answers without interrupting.

4. Give examples. Looking for students to show how something relates to their life? Or how they would apply a new concept? Participation is immediate and much faster than raising hands to answer.

5. Take a poll. Ask for a vote among a couple choices and the results will be visually obvious in a matter of seconds.

6. Check for understanding. Ask a comprehension question and have students type the answer WITHOUT clicking “Say” (the button you use to submit your answer to the room). Then, if they all click “Say” on the count of three, you’ll see who understands and who doesn’t.

7. Gather feedback. Did your presentation make sense? Do students like changes to the school? What is really working in class? What would they like to see more of?

8. Gather anonymous feedback. If you want participants to be REALLY honest, ask them not to type their names (maybe just a letter or character, or the same thing for everyone) when they answer.

9. Create “rotating stories.” Create a TodaysMeet room with a story starter. Have each student add a new sentence to the story. (Or, have every student create a TodaysMeet room and start their own story … then have each student visit every other student’s room to add a sentence.) See where the story goes.

10. Discuss an event. The State of the Union speech. A movie relevant to class. A presentation in the auditorium. Host a behind-the-scenes quiet discussion.

11. Hold online office hours. Tell students you’ll be available at a TodaysMeet room at a certain time to answer questions.

12. Crowdsource details. When my Spanish classes and I make up stories in Spanish, I like to ask them for details to add — a character’s name, where the character goes, what a character does next. I can get suggestions from everyone in about 15 seconds (or less!).

13. Connect with other classrooms. Extend a discussion beyond the four walls of your classroom. Invite a class from down the hall, in another city, in a different country.

14. Connect with experts. Find an expert in the subject your class is discussing and see if he/she will engage with your students in a TodaysMeet room. You can have a guest speaker without the hassle of travel.

15. Host a contest. The first person who correctly posts in the TodaysMeet room wins!

16. Teach brevity. Students can easily get too verbose and use unnecessary words. Expressing thoughts in 140 characters is an exercise in simplicity.

17. Practice digital citizenship. TodaysMeet rooms are online spaces for discussion much like many social media sites. They are a safe place to post and then talk about the do’s and don’ts about engaging online.

18. Facilitate group projects. Students can post links to useful articles, relevant information and ideas they want to include in a group TodaysMeet room.

19. Create a club/team communications site. Post meeting cancellations and changes. Connect with parents. Save yourself tons of phone calls or text messages if everyone checks the group TodaysMeet site.

20. Have asynchronous staff/committee meetings. Host a discussion where participants can discuss when it’s convenient for them. Let everyone pop in to a TodaysMeet room throughout the day (or week) and wrap up the meeting at a predetermined time.

Week 4 - Different Levels of Sharing

Different Levels of Sharing

Within our Google Apps system, Documents and Files that you create in your Google Drive are NOT shared and are only accessible by you. When sharing a document, you can assign specific privileges to different people and manage what they have permission to do. For example, you can choose to allow a colleague to "Edit" a Document and only allow your students to be able to "View" the Document.

Besides the "Owner" of the Document, there are three different levels of sharing privileges you can choose from:

Can Edit: A user that can edit a document can make changes to the document, export the document, view the list of other collaborators, invite additional editors and viewers (if the owner has given them permission), and make a copy of the document. An editor cannot delete the document; they can only remove the document from their own Google Drive.

Can Comment: A user that can comment on a document is able to highlight a passage within the document and insert a comment. The comment will not change the actual content of the document. A commenter can see the latest version of the document, export the document, and make a copy of the document. A commenter cannot make any changes, besides inserting comments.

Can View: A viewer can see the latest version of the document, export the document, and make a copy of the document. A viewer cannot make any changes.





When you share your Document and invite people (see last week), you can select from one of these specific levels of privileges. You can also change a person's level of privileges at any time (just in case someone lets the power go to their head).

Matt Miller's "Ditch That Text Book" Guide to Google Classroom

12 great ways to start using Google Classroom now

Ed Tech

Google Classroom is a powerful yet simple place to manage everything you do with Google Apps in the classroom. Here’s where I’m getting started with it. (Google Classroom screenshot)

After waiting all summer, Google Classroom is finally available to all Google Apps for Education teachers and students.

Google’s venture into the world of learning management systems seems to be a pretty solid one. My first impressions:

• It looks and feels like a Google product (which it should and which is a good thing)
• It’s clean and simple (which hopefully will make it easy to use)
• It provides a home base for everything you do in Drive

For those of us that used lots of Google scripts (i.e. Doctopus, gClassFolders) to manage our classes — and for those of us that didn’t know those existed! — Classroom should make life easier.

After taking Google Classroom for a spin, here are some features I know I’m going to take advantage of:

1. Set the class theme. This was the first thing I did after creating my classes. I love the breathtaking photos and the color schemes that go with them. Several photos will be a perfect fit for certain classes (i.e. there are a few nice ones for science).

2. Use the “About” page to provide information and important links for/about your class. After opening your class in Classroom, click the “About” tab at the top. Your “About” page can be a central hub for your class with clickable links (make sure to use http:// before links) and information students will need throughout the year.

Click for a larger version of this image.

3. Attach YouTube videos, Google Drive files and links to announcements. What better way to show students what you want them to do or inspire their work than with a video? Create a video to teach a new concept, to excite students about a new project or provide answers to frequently asked questions. Or choose a video available on YouTube. Attach photos from the classroom from your Google Drive in an announcement. There’s a LOT you can do with this feature!

4. Choose how to deliver files to students in assignments. If you include a file to distribute to students in your assignment, you choose the editing rights they receive. Select whether to let them edit the file or only view the file. You can also make each student his/her own individual copy of the file (so everyone isn’t typing notes on the same document).

5. Start a conversation/backchannel in announcements. When you post an announcement in Classroom, anyone in the class can comment on it. Post a conversation starter and let students reply to it, creating a digital conversation. Backchannels like this are a great way to make sure EVERY student is comfortable to contribute … not just the ones that are willing to raise their hands in class.

6. E-mail students from within Classroom. Using the “Students” tab at the top, send an individual student e-mail by clicking the mail button to the right. Or highlight several students and e-mail them at the same time. There’s no need to leave the app to send messages!

7. Provide an example of the work you’d like them to do. Within the description of an assignment, provide a link to an example you want students to emulate (and again, remember the http:// so it’s clickable).

8. Provide a collaborative space for students to work. Distribute a place for collaborative class notes. Create a Presentation and give everyone a slide as their own space to work on a class activity. If you create files that everyone can work in, teamwork takes place online.

Click for a larger version of this image.

9. Track student progress with submission history. Follow the changes students made to their assignments by clicking a student’s assignment in the “Assignment Status” section (after you click on the assignment) and “See submission history.”

10. Revisit previous work in your class folder. Classroom creates a new folder for submitted student work in your Drive when you create a class. It creates a new folder for each assignment so files aren’t jumbled together (like they were in your “Shared with me” or “Incoming” folder when students shared them with you!).

11. Toggle your e-mail notifications on and off. This is a nice feature if you don’t want an e-mail every time something happens in Classroom. Change it under “Settings” when you click the menu button at the top left of your class (the three lines button … sometimes called the “hamburger button”).

12. Give Google your feedback. Use the little button in the bottom right corner to send Google your praise, your frustrations and your suggestions. You never know if the next feature they unveil could come from you!

What are your favorite Google Classroom features? How will you be using this new tool? Share in a comment below!

Week 3

Sharing a Document (The Basics)

One of the most powerful features of Google Drive is the ability to share a Document with someone and allow them to collaboratively work on the same Document without having to worry about:

• Do they have the same software (and version) on their computer (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc)?
• Do they have a PC or a Mac?
• Who has the version of the document with the latest changes?

When Sharing a Document in Google Drive, all the work is done within a web browser and revisions are tracked so that you can rollback to a previous version at any time. You can work together on the Document at different times or work in real-time and see each other’s changes and edits live. Here are the basics on how to share a Document with someone else:

1. Create a new Google Document (or open an existing Docuement) using the instructions from "Day 2 - Create a New Document"
2. Click the “Share” button at the upper right corner of the document
   
   
3. In the “Add people” field, enter the email address of the person you would like to share the Document with
4. Choose whether they “Can edit”, “Can comment” or “Can view” the Document
5. Click "Send"
   
   
6. Click "Done"
   
   
Sharing a Google Document is as simple as that! I

Helpful Hints

Brandon Lester sent me an email with the following information.  I appreciate Brandon's willingness to "dive-in" to the technology and learning initiative and his willingness to "share."  Both items mentioned are available in the Chrome Web Store on your Chromebook.

As I have come to road blocks I have found a couple apps that I think are helpful:

Readium - allows you to store epub files and allows your chrome web browser to work like an ereader. 

Notable PDF - much more robust pdf view/editor, allows for page selection, highlighting and other features that adobe offered in its free version.

http://readium.org/

http://www.notablepdf.com/

5 Alternatives to Book Reports

Check out the link below to five different technologies as alternatives to book reports.  I am most excited about the idea of having students create short movie trailers about stories, books, etc. that they have read.

https://sites.google.com/a/apps.edina.k12.mn.us/techresourcesforteachers/5-alternatives-to-book-reports

5 Alternatives to Book Reports

1. Create book trailers. I ran a post about book trailers during the summer which you can read here. In short, a book trailer is a short video created by students to highlight the key points of a book. When creating their book trailers students should be trying to "sell" viewers on a book. To create their videos  your students could use Animoto for Education, JayCut, or PhotoPeach. Learn more about these free  video creation tools in my free guide Making Videos on the Web. 2. Create animated or stop-motion videos about a book's plot. To make an animated video try Memoov which is a free service that your students can use to create an animated video book review. Memoov allows  users to create animated videos up to five minutes in length. Creating an animated video with Memoov can be as simple as selecting a setting image(s), selecting a character or characters, and adding dialogue. If stop-motion videos are more your speed, Kevin Hodgson's Making Stopmotion Movies is a fantastic resource for directions and advice on making stop-motion movies. 3. Create literature maps. Using Google Maps or Google Earth students can map out the travels of character  in a story. Google Lit Trips has many examples of teachers and students using Google Earth in literature courses. If you're not familiar with how to create placemarks in Google Maps, please see my free guide Google for Teachers for directions. 4. Create 3D augmented reality book reviews. ZooBurst is an amazing service that allows you to create a short story complete with 3D augmented reality pop-ups. Students could use ZooBurst to create short summaries of books that really jump off the screen. 5. Create multimedia collages about books. Glogster allows users to create one page multimedia collages. Students could create a collage containing videos, audio files, text, and images about books they've read. For example, a Glog about Into the Wild could contain images of Chris McCandless, chunks of text about the book, and this video featuring a song from the movie based on the book. http://freetech4teachers.blogspot.com

Try This: Create a New Document

Similar to Microsoft Office, Google Drive allows you to create a number of different kinds of documents; word processing (Documents), spreadsheet (Sheets), presentation (Slides). One of the main differences is that you don't need to have any special software installed on your computer in order to create and work on these documents. You simply need an internet connection and a modern web browser (Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox work best).

Let's start out by creating a simple word processing "Document"

1. If you're not already there, go to your Google Drive by clicking the "Grid" icon at the top of the screen
   
   
2. Click the "Create" button on the left and select "Document" from the list that appears
   
   
   
3. A new browser tab or window will open with your new "Untitled" document
4. Click on the top of the page to name your new document
   
   
5. Enter a name for your document and click "OK"
   
   
6. If you look at the top of the screen, you will notice that Google Drive automatically saves your changes as you work. You don't ever need to manually save!
   
   

In tomorrow's tip, we'll look at where your documents are stored and how you can find them and work on them at a later time.

Week 2

Improvements to Editing Microsoft Office Files in Google Drive

With Google’s recent updates to Drive, the integration between Microsoft Office and Drive is now much more seamless. The new feature working behind the scenes is called Office Compatibility Mode (OCM) and actually gives you the ability to edit Office files right inside the Chrome browser.

To edit Office files within a Chrome browser, you must first download the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store. With this extension, you have the ability to edit Office documents from your Mac or PC, Gmail, and third party websites. Chrome OS and Chromebooks are automatically compatible (if on stable channel and updated to latest release).

New From Google

11 Updates You Need to Know About the New Google Drive

Google Drive, once again, has a brand-new look and there are a lot of changes to absorb. While many changes were design and user-experience improvements, Google also added some new functions. Check out the video below for our quick walkthrough, along with a list of some of our favorite changes!