There's An App for That? Apps and Extensions for Students and Teachers With Chromebooks

Chromebooks are not without their limitations.  They lack Java and all student work must be saved in the cloud.  To overcome the technical obstacles that have arisen throughout this semester, there are apps and extensions that I have used with students to save documents and pictures, provide feedback, organize links, and create content.  While there are thousands of apps and extensions available and I have only began to scratch the surface, here are a few of the tools that have made working on a Chromebooks more efficient and effective within my own classroom.

Apps that Students and I have used this semester:

1. Explain and Send Screenshots:

This extension is extremely helpful when trying to capture a screenshot or a partial screenshot online.  This app is user-friendly and allows students to save pictures into Google Drive.  In addition to being able to take a screenshot, this extension allows users to annotate and edit pictures.  These pictures can then be shared to social media platforms or downloaded for other purposes.  At the beginning of my the year, I taught students to use this app when they were creating video slide shows of pop culture experiences that shaped/influenced their lives.  Again, students found this extension easy to use and found it helpful for several projects throughout the semester.  

2. Goo.gl URL Shortener: 

Creating shorter URLs makes typing a website into an internet browser faster.  This extension not only shortens URLs, but it also makes QR codes as well.  I have used this to create QR images for class activities and for sharing URLs in videos and on physical handouts.  While I have not had students use this tool, I have found it handy for creating lessons and activities. 

3. EasyBib:

During major research units and even when working on smaller class activities, teaching students to use the EasyBib extension has made creating Works Cited pages much more accurate.  Having the extension located in the upper right hand corner of their Google Chrome browser is a helpful reminder to students that they need to cite their work, no matter how large or small the task is.  It also makes citing much more accurate and user-friendly.  There are so many different websites that inform students how to cite their work, but directing students to one source ensures that Works Cited pages will be much more accurate and consistent across the board.

4. Video Download Helper:

When trying to download videos to be used/edited for class projects, this extension allows users to download videos from YouTube and other websites.  There are many ways to download from YouTube, but I like this extension because it involves one click.  Also, this extension allows users to download from many websites, not just YouTube.  This is another helpful tool when students are creating multimedia projects and is also helpful for teachers when they want to save videos for future use.

5. Print Friendly and PDF:

Print Friendly is a great app that allows individuals to save websites as PDFs.  Before saving the website, Print Friendly provides users with the option of deleting pictures and even sections of text to shrink the document.  I use this often when saving news articles and other short texts for students to read.  After saving a news article as a PDF, the PDF can be pushed out to students to be read and annotated in hard copy or digital formats.

6. Kaizena (Voice Comments):

This semester, I have been fortunate to play around with several ways of providing feedback to students.  My department chair has encouraged us to use Turnitin.com, which I really enjoy for formal/long writing assignments.  I have also used Voice Comments to provide fast feedback on shorter writing assignments.  Voice Comments is a Google App that allows me to provide oral feedback to students.  Students do enjoy hearing my voice and feel that I provide even more detail than typing.  Providing feedback in this manner is fast and efficient.  When trying to give informal or short feedback, I have really enjoyed this app. This app has changed over the course of the last semester and continues to improve.

7. WeVideo:

This app allows individuals to create videos, much like Microsoft MovieMaker or iMovie.  It is a free app with some limitations, but it operates in the cloud and syncs with Google Drive.  Some changes have occurred to the free version of this app, which has made working with it more challenging, but students still find it easy to work with.  WeVideo allows individuals to share/post their videos on social media platforms. Students are able to manipulate their videos on this app with ease and have created some awesome projects with it.

8. Quizlet:

Reviewing for quizzes and test is made easy with Quizlet.  Quizlet allows teachers and students to create vocabulary cards, puzzles, and review games that can help reinforce important words or concepts within a classroom.  I have created review games for students, and they have responded positively.  Note cards created on this app can be shared via social media, email, and even pushed out to whole classes.  In addition to using cards created by a teacher, students can browse Quizlet by subject and access cards made by others.  Using Quizlet can make studying more fun and can help reinforce strong study skills.

9. Diigo:

Diigo is a bookmarking app that allows users to organize and save websites.  In addition, users can annotate websites and save those annotations.  Unlike annotating a paper copy of a text, annotating via Diigo can also include tags that can be saved and used to draw attention to specific subjects.  Diigo libraries can also be shared to other users, which could be helpful when students are writing a research paper or completing a project. There are many uses for this tool, and both teachers and students can use this tool for a variety of purposes.

Next semester, there are several tools that I hope to explore further.  Here are just a few:

1.Sound Cloud to create podcasts and audio reflections.
2-3. MindMeister and Cacoo to use for brainstorming activities and mind maps.
4. Online Video Converter to convert videos into mp3s.
5. PiktoChart to create infographics and other visuals for projects.
6. Report Comment Bank to help when providing feedback on Google Docs and other projects.
7. Read and Write to help struggling readers and ESL students with completing assignments and readings.

Experimenting on the Chromebooks is important.  Playing with new apps and extensions can broaden a teacher's or a student's toolbox.  Testing these tools is a valuable part of learning what works and what doesn't on this device.  Determining what an app or extension does, how effective it is, and how it can be used is an important part of teaching in a one-to-one classroom.  I am excited to see what new apps and extensions I can find in the new year!

Using Social Media in the Classroom: Like, OMG - Social Media Can Be Educational?

Each year, students seem to become more invested in social media platforms.  With smart phones and unlimited access to the Internet, they are sharing, posting, favoriting, and retweeting in record numbers.  While students have a great knowledge of how to maneuver through these platforms for social purposes, they often do not realize the implications of their digital footprints or that these platforms can be used for professional purposes.  Teaching them to be positive digital citizens needs to be part of the curriculum, and with Chromebooks in hand every day, I have found many teachable moments to reinforce these ideas with them.  For example, showing students how to access the revision history on a Google Doc and how each person's name is attached to his or her contribution can be an eye-opening experience for a sophomore in high school.  Encouraging them to Google their names at random too can create interesting conversations and generate funny pictures that will hopefully make them smarter and savvier posters in the future.

During my first semester with Chromebooks, I have wanted to create experiences that mimic how students share and post on social media, and I wanted to teach them that these social media platforms can be used for academic purposes.  Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other platforms can lead to job opportunities in the future.  When the high school students of today enter the workforce, they will be expected to be savvy consumers and more importantly, creators of content.  Their digital presences will be taken into account, and it will be a critical tool in evaluating whether or not they are hired by prospective companies.

Here are a few websites and activities that I have tried to utilize to start these important conversations about being critical creators of content online.  There are so many more activities that I hope to tap into next semester, but this was a start!

TodaysMeet

TodaysMeet is a real-time backchannel that mimics a Twitter feed.  Without having to create an account, students access the backchannel created by the teacher to converse in a variety of ways.  The creator of the backchannel can control how long it is available (for as little as one hour or as long as one year).  Then the URL is posted, students create usernames for the session, and they begin sharing.  URLs and outside content can be posted into the chat, which can be downloaded and saved as a PDF for assessment or reference purposes. This resource is very user-friendly, and kids enjoy it.

I have used TodaysMeet while watching documentaries in class.  This way, students can concentrate on the video and share their thoughts while watching.  I would pose a question to students, and they would type.  I find this type of activity to be more beneficial than a fill-in-the black worksheet that students may fill out during a class video.  While I enjoy doing this activity, it did take some coaching.  Initially kids wanted to post silly comments, but I make kids use their full names and give them participation credit which curbs their desire to fill the feed with goofiness.  Also, giving them a minute or two while setting up the video can allow them to get their goofy comments out.  Like with any online activity, the novelty wears off, and they learn to get down to business with familiarity.

Blogger

While I have not used Blogger as much as I would like, I have completed a few activities with it.  Students do enjoy posting online and sharing their thoughts.  Writing for real-world audiences is an important part of the new Common Core State Standards and is a motivating factor for improving and increasing the level at which students write. With an emphasis on technology, these standards require that students "use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products" with the hope that they will receive continuous feedback and gain new understanding of information (CCSS).

I have used Blogger as an online discussion board for both my sophomores and seniors.  When I post questions online, students can post responses and then comment on other people's responses.  I can also post YouTube videos or articles online that students can then read and comment upon.  Also, I have used it as a place for students to post their own daily work.  When completing these activities students are actively engaged, providing their own thoughts, and reading the thoughts of others.  As the semester went on, I found the results and quality of writing improved.  Again, this does take coaching.  Sometimes when students write online, they write quickly and forget to think about conventional grammar rules.  Talking about the fact that their posts are essential permanent does cause students to pause before hitting post.

Examples:

• CG Media
• CG Sophomore English

YouTube

Now that students have access to  YouTube accounts through their school email, I have encouraged them to create more videos to pair with presentations.  When video creation is as easy as taking out one's smart phone, filming for a few minutes, and editing in the cloud using WeVideo or other platforms on a device (such as iMovie), then they should be encouraged to utilize these technologies.  Students are highly motivated when it comes to making videos; they find it fun.  When given assignments to make them, not only are they utilizing technology, but they are also demonstrating their knowledge in a creative and collaborative way.

Recently, I just finished the Divergent unit with my sophomores.  During the summative portion of the unit, students took an objective test, completed a written assessment, and created multimedia presentations that persuaded individuals to join specific factions.  The Faction Propaganda Project asked students to determine why people should join the factions they chose at the beginning of the novel, write a newspaper article, create a digital poster, and produce a short video.  Students were also encouraged to share their work via social media, thus creating incentive to make stronger presentations and excitement around a class project.   Students enjoyed this project and with only a short amount of time to work on this, they results were solid.  This project not only encouraged them to make connections to the book; it also encouraged them to collaborate, create, and share their work with the world online and through an engaging and interactive class presentation.

• Student Example 1
• Student Example 2
• Student Example 3      

Classroom Hashtags

In addition to specific online platforms, I have also tried to model positive and professional digital interactions through my own use of Twitter.  I have two accounts (one personal and one that I use directly with students). In my senior classes, I use specific hashtags to share out content, send reminders, and make real-world connections with students.  With the #CGSpeech and #CGMedia, I have directly tweeted a few students, post information about class, and try to demonstrate how to use Twitter to research during the gender unit of each of these courses.  I also co-use the #CGSpeech with the Speech Team. While students don't often use the hashtag themselves, they do check it. When I specifically tell them that I'll be tweeting articles that would be beneficially for a research paper or project, they will access those resources.  Yes, social media can be used for educational purposes.  The more we model that to students, the more likely they are to use that for these purposes.

Other resources that mimic social media experiences:

• Fakebook
• Twister (Tweet Generator)
• Fake Tweet Builder
• Ning (Blogging community)
• Schoology and Edmodo (LMS platforms that feel like social media platforms)

Going Viral: Teaching Students to Share and Communicate Online

With Chromebooks and smart phones available to every student in the class, this semester I've made a concerted effort to teach students to share their work safe and professional manners. The act of sharing work with the world not only encourages students to more carefully craft their works and polish their presentations, but it also is a skill that they will need as professionals in their adult lives. In my Media class specifically, we had many conversations about what future careers will look like and what skills they will need to hone as adults in a high-tech world.

During the Internet Unit in my senior-level Media class, students study a variety of social networking and video platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Vine, YouTube as well as the impact of the Internet as a whole.  After watching the TED Talks How YouTube is Driving Innovation and Why Videos Go Viral, I wanted students to have the real-world experience of trying to spread an original idea to a large audience.

To guide our learning, I posed these essential questions to my students: What power do social networking platforms have on our lives? How do viral videos influence our society and become cultural moments?

First students watched several viral videos and discussed why these videos captivated so much of our society's attention.  Then students were given the assignment and were asked to create a short video in small groups, share their videos via social media platforms to friends and tastemakers (ie: Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, and other media moguls), and then reflect on the process.  Here are a few student examples:

• Student Example 1
• Student Example 2
• Student Example 3
• Student Example 4

Students were very excited about sharing their projects and even helped promote each other's videos.  While no one went viral, they did learn a great deal about how to share a message with the "real-world".  Their reflections and presentations regarding this experience facilitated a great conversation about how our society interacts, what types of information captivates our attention, and how social media drives the world in which we live.  With instant information available all the time at the press of a button and with 100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, students need to understand how to access information and how to creatively express themselves in order to make themselves stand out in a very crowded cyberspace.

During this project, students had to think creatively, create a multimedia presentation, and use social media platforms to essential market and promote themselves.  Students had to collaborate with a small group of people and coordinate their efforts to spread their digital stories.   They certainly utilized technology and were asked to metacognitively reflect upon what they accomplished and learned from the experience.   Having completed this assignment, I am glad that students had this opportunity to reflect.

To help make them more successful next year, I will encourage them to take more time with spreading their message and to reach out to more Internet platforms.  Next year, perhaps I'll encourage students to post their projects to BuzzFeed's open posting forum and other websites like it.  With more blogs and Internet sites gaining traction, maybe next year (or the year after that), one of my students projects really will go viral.

 

You want me to do what in 45 minutes? (Reading Activities)

I have often been told by observers that I get "a lot accomplished" in a 45-minute class period.  I move quickly, but I tend to establish routines to save time.  Maintaining a fast-paced learning environment keeps students on task, engaged, and makes learning seem a little more fun when they are not watching the clock for the bell.  Within a 1:1 learning environment, keeping a brisk learning pace is even easier.

I organize my learning activities and targets on a daily agenda that is labeled by class day, date, and unit.  Students have access to all agendas from the semester through the current week of class.  Each day when they walk into class and log into Chrome, they can access each agenda (just an example) and begin to prepare for class. Establishing clear routines for logging in saves time.  Students are able to preview learning activities and outcomes, and they are always aware of where we are in the learning process of each unit in our class.  Sometimes, students even log into the agendas before class and come in with the knowledge of what we will be doing that day because they have access to it.  That's always an awesome feeling.

With clear routines, students can accomplish a great deal.  While I do change activities frequently and apply them for a variety of purposes, I have found a few reading strategies with the use of Google Docs can produce great outcomes in a single, 45-minute period.  With clear objectives and familiar practices, students can accomplish a great deal in a short amount of time.

1. Variation on Reading Strategies Handouts:

When asking students to apply reading strategies to a short story, nonfiction article, or part of a larger text, I have traditionally given students a handout to work on independently before we talk about the text.  With Google Drive, that handout (Here's a basic example. So much can be added/changed as needed!) becomes a living document that can be edited by many people.  Now students can authentically work together to share information about a text.  In addition, this information can easily be collected by me via Google Form or directly sharing it with me.  I can enter their documents while they are working and can even project it on the big screen for the class to see.  Students can have chats within the document or they can sit with groups and have conversations while they type together.

Here are a few recommendations to make it easier:

• Have each collaborator write in a different color. This makes it easy to identify who has contributed what. 
• Collect via Google Forms.  This is an organized way to keep all of the same pieces of work in one location.  I like to think of a Google Form like a digital stack of papers.  Make sure that students change their share settings so that ANYONE WITH THE LINK CAN EDIT. 
• Make sure students know the purpose of the activity.  A Google Doc is not a worksheet; it is a "living" document that can be changed, altered, and share with anyone.  
• Find ways for students to bring in outside resources like news articles or YouTube clips to help make real-world connections.  This will encourage students to research, talk about what makes a reliable source, read more, and even reflect outside of class.
• Experiment and play with this type of activity.  Find what works best for the nature of the reading, the class, and the teacher.   Google Docs can provide so many new learning experiences that traditional paper could not.  It is important to capitalize on those opportunities!

2. Reading Jigsaw/Graded Discussion:

When reading about a nonfiction topic, such as a female gender issues in my Senior-Level Media class, a digital jigsaw can challenge students to analyze a current, nonfiction reading while being exposed to several other articles related to a central article.

First students are assigned to small groups.  Then, they are given a hard copy or a digital copy of a short article.  I personally prefer to hand students hard copies of the individual article that they are assigned so that they can annotate it thoroughly, but they can also annotate the article online.  Diigo is a great app that students can use to annotate articles online.  Students can also annotate PDFs in Google Drawing, too, but Diigo is easier.  After completing individual readings of articles, students fill out a shared document that will save important information about other articles.  Individual readings will take about 20-25 minutes, leaving about 15 minutes to have a meaningful (graded or not) discussion about the topic at hand.  This exposes students to several articles, which they will have access to in the future, that can be used for research assignments or as references in the future.

During this particular lesson, I also had students complete a survey using Google Forms to preview their feelings about female stereotypes related to the articles that they read, provided time to complete the readings individually and write responses, and saved time for class discussion.  At the end of the period, students even had time to evaluate whether or not they accomplished the daily learning targets and provide feedback for the lesson.  Again, this is a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, but it is possible when teaching students routines and using Google Apps purposefully.

Variations on this lesson are also very effective.  What I have used it for is to provide students with several gender issues for a major research paper.  This way, they are exposed to credible sources, have read and talked about several articles, and have these resources saved in their group's jigsaw document (that they also shared with me).

3. Reading Strategy Presentations:

This semester, I have played a lot with reading strategies activities especially during the fiction novel unit with my sophomores.  This year I taught Divergent, and the teaching experience was amazing.  Most students read this novel in three days, and many went on to read the second and third book finishing before the unit (which was 3.5 weeks) was completed.  In order to challenge them, I wanted them to apply reading strategies and then be accountable for their work, which would be shared in front of the whole class before the end of the period.

For this lesson, I chose small groups and assigned a short section of the night's reading.  Then I pushed out a Reading Strategies Presentation Template.  They had approximately 27 minutes to complete the document.  After looking at the agenda for this lesson, students went to file, made a copy of the presentation, and renamed it accordingly.  They then changed the share settings to ANYONE WITH THE LINK CAN EDIT.

Note: I almost always have them use this share setting.  This way it is easy for me to collect the link and make comments on their document as needed.  I can also go into revision history and see who contributed what. The routine of file, make a copy, and share with the group is one that I did coach them through a lot in the first few weeks of class, but now they do not even need to think about it.  They are expert collaborators!  A side note for teachers new to Google Drive - having students share their documents with the teacher is always important.  Even though I might not look at a small activity, having the ability to open up their doc on my computer while their working keeps them accountable, on-task, and gives me the option to assess students informally or formally as needed.

Even before they were done, I went around to each group and made sure they shared their presentations with me.  Using Google Form, I collected their group information, who covered what part of the reading, and was able to sort that information in a spreadsheet that I used later in the period.  Throughout the period, I circulated, helping students to coordinate and divide tasks as well as talk about the novel.  After the work time period was up, students went back to their seats and came up group by group to present their work.  Presentations were brief, with only 15 minutes to get through each group, but students had the experience of demonstrating their own knowledge of the text, applying reading strategies, collaborating with a group, and even presenting their material to the class.  Yes, it was a whirlwind of 45 minutes, and it really would have been nicer to have another five minutes to present, but the learning targets were met.  Students were active, engaged, and were using technology purposefully to accomplish the objective.

Student Examples:

• Example One
• Example Two
• Example Three

Reflections on My First Semester in a 1:1 Classroom

Blogging during speech season while taking grad classes seems to be a near impossible task.  Needless to say, it has been a while since I've posted anything.  The speech season begins the first week of August and runs through February.  Coaching is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life, and while it leaves me tired all the time, the relationships built with my speech team kiddos and the amount of personal and performance growth that I see in them each year is certainly worth the lack of sleep.

Now with a bit of a break from school and from speech (sans the practice we're having later this afternoon... and Friday), I want to spend this time reflecting on my first semester in a 1:1 Chromebook classroom.  Integrating technology into a classroom setting is certainly a mind shift that requires a great deal of thought as to how lessons are constructed, what learning outcomes can be accomplished, and what role the students will now take in their own learning.

This semester I have found myself retooling and reevaluating what I ask students to do and why.  Considering the purpose has not only been an important reflective exercise for me, but it has also encouraged me to have meaningful conversations with students about why we are learning what we are and how the activities that we do in class will help them to develop and refine essential reading, writing, and communication skills that they will need not only in school, but they will also need these skills in their professional lives.  From what I've learned in the past six years as an educator and communicator, teaching or public speaking is not about the educator or presenter; it is about how the students or receivers are experiencing the message. In a 1:1 setting, I often start my classes with a short lecture or presentation of what we will be learning and doing, and the rest of the time is for them to process, reflect, and accomplish the desired learning outcomes.  The focus is on the student, and now more than ever, students are in charge of their own learning.

One of the biggest concerns that teachers often seem to have is how this will impact their classroom.  Classroom management changes.  Many conversations I've had with colleagues often seem to stem back to the idea that students will be more inclined to become off-task.  Yes, students will inevitably want to play music on YouTube, find themselves playing games, or may simply surf the web.  The novelty wear off... quickly.  Through conversations with students, they learn very quickly that how they choose to spend their time in class directly impacts what they need to accomplish outside of class.  In addition, when the internet is running slow, they've come to realize that if people in class are off-task online, they're essentially stealing bandwidth from their friends.  As such, they end up policing themselves and encouraging those with whom they should be collaborating on a given assignment, to make meaningful contributions.  While there certainly appear to be differences in classroom management, my style of running my classroom really hasn't changed too drastically.  Positivity, patience, and proactive conversations about how/why we are learning what we are goes a long way, especially with high school students.

This break, I hope to truly examine the best lessons I've experienced with students this semester and to write more about those. My teaching life has changed so much, and I truly believe that the 1:1 setting empowers students and provides them with even more authentic experiences to grow their literacy skills.

What I've learned from this experience:

1. There are infinite opportunity to collaborate between students, the teacher, and the outside world.
2. Students will write more.  Typing is faster than handwriting, and when students know that others are reading what they are writing, they feel a great sense of accountability for what they produce. 
3. Students will read more.  They will have access to online resources and databases.  They do need to be taught to discern between inaccurate and credible sources, and that type of coaching will take time.  When students can decipher what makes a reliable website, the end results are worth the time spent. 
4. Differentiated instruction is easier to coordinate and provide to students through digital means. 
5. Students seem excited to share when they make real-world connections.  I cannot even count how many YouTube videos I have been emailed this semester by students who are making connections between conversations in class and what they are viewing on their own time. These emails make my day every time! 
6. Documents cannot be lost (as long as the internet connection is working).
7. Students are generally excited about learning and demonstrating what they know.  After the first few weeks of class, they walk in, ready to learn and excited to participate. 
8. Even if students get off-task, they are easily redirected.
9. Having access to all documents online from the course is incredibly helpful for students, parents, and the teacher alike. 
10. Google Forms is awesome. I am currently trying to learn how to make rubrics in Google Forms from a good friend/colleague.  She is a rock star.  Follow her on Twitter, if you don't already.  I  have learned so much from, @irishteach.
11. There are days when the infrastructure is down, a website changes, or the school filters block something unexpected.  Keeping an open mind, having a Plan B and a Plan C, and learning to laugh make these problems seem minuscule.  There are just as many days when a traditional paper lesson doesn't work as anticipated, too.  
12. Closing the Chromebook is important, too.  Some learning activities are just as effective or even more effective when the devices are down.  Graded discussions are rich ways to reflect and analyze important course content.  Detoxing from the Chromebooks often makes students appreciate the learning opportunities they have while using them as well.  

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