Category: Technology

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Force a Copy vs. Make a Copy

Have you ever shared a Google file (doc, sheet, or slide) with others and then had your master file ruined with edits made to your original shared file?

If this happens to you, then read further for a tip that will force shared users to make a copy of their own to edit.  Sometimes users aren’t familiar enough with Google to know how to Make a Copy of a file or may not have the proper permissions to copy.  With Force a Copy, you don’t have to worry about any of that.

When you share a file, you are given a URL link.  That link ends with the word “edit”.  By simply changing “edit” to “copy” you are forcing users to make a copy of that file to their Drive. WaLah! that copy now becomes their own.

Check out my link below to see how you will be forced to make a copy of your own.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_agU5AyzQfZkK-7TECWC7Hz1O3asQanuvHR3bi3rDq4/copy

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Wizer for Blended Worksheets

Think of Wizer Worksheets as digital hyperdocs or online blended worksheets and you will provide a new way to assign students an assignment using a learning management system.

Create engaging, interactive worksheets that includes video, audio, images and a variety of question types that includes technology enhanced items (TEI). Audio features allow you to record your voice for differentiation.  Easily assign to students in any learning management system like Schoology, Google Classroom, or Edmodo.  You can also share your activity by embedding or providing a link or PIN.

Don’t have time to create your own Wizer?  Explore the collection of free resources created by other educators.  Use as-is or copy and edit them to suit your needs.

The free-forever Wizer Lite account gives you the worksheet creator, ability to assign worksheets via URL or LMS, access to thousands of worksheets in the collection, and one classroom roster.

The Moon Phases worksheet below is something I created on the fly in 30-40 minutes. Give it try.  It’s only a sampling of what you get with Wizer.

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Can Learning Be Transparent?

How many times have you used an image on a webpage, publication, presentation, or a paper and the background of that image messed up your format and appealing display?  Numerous times most likely.

Here are a few tips for finding and obtaining transparent images.

  • Google Image Search with Advanced Features – after browsing for an image, click on TOOLS underneath the search field, select COLOR, then TRANSPARENT. Save the image and use in your file.
  • Google Drawing – background is already transparent, create your image/drawing, then save and download.
  • NoBacks.com – isolated free stock png photos
  • Lunapic – photo editing web app – upload photo, edit/magic wand, click on background, save and download.

For educational purposes, transparent images could be used in PPT’s, Google Slides, student created flip books/videos, PBA’s, interactives, comics, and websites to name a few.

Transparent images are more appealing that’s a fact but it also gives the impression of a skilled user of technology at hand.

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PlayPosit – A Blended Video Model

Students love watching videos and there is so much out there to choose from whether it be YouTube, TeacherTube, or Vimeo. What if you could take a good instructional video and prompt your students for understanding while they are watching it? 

Welcome PlayPosit!  (pronounced play-pause-it)
playposit logo

The delivery process is engaging—maintaining a high state of accountability for students via time-embedded formative assessments. Students benefit from a one-to-one experience, which gives them immediate feedback (correcting misconception in the moment) and also grants them control over their learning by allowing them to move at their own differentiated pace by pausing, rewinding and reviewing the material.

This blended model ranks high for individualized and differentiated instruction.  Sign up for your free account and browse ‘bulbs’ already created by other educators – or easily create your own.

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Online Learning Resources With Curriki

Curriki supports online learning in all major K-12 subject areas with thousands of activities therefore making Curriki a blended learning resource that will work well with Schoology or any other learning management system.  Curriki is OER (Open Educational Resources) which means it will always be a free resource.

Educators from around the world access and contribute to this free and open-ended library of digital resources in efforts to empower educators and engage students in their learning which in turn bridges the educational divide.

Browse the resource library by subject or standard, or browse collections and select specific statements.