The EduGals Podcast

In the first of this two-part podcast, we will be discussing how we as educators can prepare for a new school year, not knowing what it will look like. A pandemic is unpredictable, so it is important to consider the various options for what school could look like in September (or whenever it starts in your district) so that everyone is more prepared.
If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content!

We would love to hear from you – leave us a message on our FLIPGRID!

News and Updates:

• EquatIO updates - new science and math tools
• Wakelet - Wakelet Live on June 1st (lots of updates)
  • Join the Wakelet Community
• Zoom fatigue resources

Featured Content:

Tips for Teachers:

• Get Certified!
  • Google Certification 
    • Global GEG Level 1 bootcamp
    • Kasey Bell - Shake Up Learning
    • Google for Education Teacher Center
    • Level 1 - $10, Level 2 - $25 USD
  • Other certifications:
    • Apple Teacher
    • Microsoft Certified Educator
    • EdTech tools: Screencastify, EdPuzzle, Kahoot!
• Learn about your LMS (Learning Management System) and collaborate with a colleague!
  • Brightspace Training Resources
• Create a training resource library for teachers AND students
  • Build community - have teachers and students contribute to this library and create multilingual resources
• Community Building - create a Wakelet collection to share with others!
  • Example teacher intro video
  • Check out previous episodes for lots of other ideas

Tips for Students:

• Explicit teaching on tech tools
  • Start your course with skills needed to be successful online instead of with curriculum
  • Intro unit for your LMS
    • Practice the skills!
    • Self-paced
  • Instructions for parents on different tech tools you’ll be using
  • Use Wakelet for curating your resources!
• Use simplified language
  • Great for ELLs (and the rest of your students)
• Studying and Learning Skills
  • Watching a video and taking notes
  • Minimizing distractions from social media
  • Creating a quiet study space
• Classroom Culture and Mindset
  • Mastery-based approaches to move away from grades focus

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode, we talk about how you can use Google Forms with your students. We discuss the various question types, how to use sections in Forms, as well as how to really take advantage of the features present to increase student learning.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content!

We would love to hear from you – leave us a message on our FLIPGRID!

News and Updates

• Google Groups is getting a new updated interface! 
• Google Meet - Noise cancellation is coming soon!
• Global GEG Level 1 Training Bootcamp - June 12, 19, 26, 2020 - FREE! Sign up here

Featured Content

Main options

• Question types - short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, checkboxes, drop down, grids, upload a file, linear scale, date, time
• Import questions from other created forms - create a question bank to import from as a time-saving tool
• Add a title and description - breaks up the questions/content
• Insert image and video - look for the three dots for alignment options, show captions in video, hover text for image; double click to change its size
• Use images for multiple choice answers too; great for math/science or use EquatIO
• Add a section - use for “go to section based on answer”; differentiate learning, review concepts with video/activity/link etc.; plan, plan, PLAN before diving in!
• Three dots at the bottom of the question - description, shuffle order, go to section options

Settings

• General - collect email addresses, limit to 1 response, restrict to domain, edit after submit, see summary charts/text responses
• Presentation - show progress bar, shuffle question order, show link to submit another response, customize confirmation message (links next activity, Classroom assignment, video, etc here)
• Quizzes - toggle on, locked mode for managed Chromebooks (update Chrome!), release marks (immediately or later), assign point values
  • Answer key options (answers, feedback - incorrect and correct, add link and video)
  • Multiple choice and short answer can be set up for self-marking 

Themes

• Access via the paint palette
• Change image, theme colours, four font options
• Check out the new fonts from Google - Lexand (great for accessibility)
• Upload your own custom header - Slides Mania template

Three Dots beside SEND

• Add collaborators and make a copy of a form
• Get a pre-filled link - fill in any of the answer fields you want to be pre-populated, then click on get link; great for avoiding the common errors

Some Uses of Forms

• Quizzes, flipped classroom, formative assessments
• Feedback from students on your teaching
• Reflections on learning and goal-setting
• Escape Rooms (using data validation)
• Lots of other ways to process y

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode, we are talking about different game or quizzing apps that educators can use to engage their students. The specific platforms we are discussing are: Kahoot, Gimkit, Quizizz and Quizlet Live.

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

News and Updates:

• Google Chrome TABS on The Keyword Blog from Google!

Featured Content:

• Our summer reading recommendations:
  • Powerful Teaching: Unleashing the Science of Learning - Pooja Agrawal & Patrice Bain
  • Teaching Science to English Learners - Stephen Fleenor
  • Teaching Social Studies to ELLs - Tina Beene
  • Pathways to Greatness for ELL Newcomer - Michelle Yzquierdo
  • Talk, Read, Talk, Write - Nancy Motley
• Kahoot! An oldie but a goodie!
  • Kahoot Resources - question types, templates, spreadsheet template for import, live vs. assignment mode; lots of helpful resources here
  • Question bank available - great time saver!
  • Flashcard mode on iOS or Android devices
  • Premium account for free until June 17th - info on all available plans
  • Event on June 17th - Registration
• Gimkit - Lots of fun and created by a high school student!
  • Gimkit Guide to Remote Learning
  • The Help Center is full of useful articles and resources on the various features, such as assignments (anonymous possible here!), question bank, template spreadsheet for import, play modes, etc.
  • Free upgrade for educators - info on pricing plans for premium
  • Our suggestion: use it as a full review of your course (1 Kit per course)
• Quizlet/Quizlet Live - Fantastic for collaboration!
  • Awesome for in-class collaboration (Live)
  • New Teacher Guide
  • Help Center - excellent resource for all of your questions
  • Upgrade information - 30 day free trial
• Quizizz - Memes make this one super engaging!
  • Teacher Resources
  • He

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode, we discuss the many ways that Google slides can be used with students. We talk about the use of custom slide dimensions, insert audio, themes, and so much more!

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

Show Notes

News and Updates:

• Tony Vincent - URL Hack: Copy all comments (copy?copyComments=true)
• Fluency Tutor by TextHelp and Extension - currently free!
  • Lets students record themselves reading and share with the teacher

Featured Content: Google Slides

• Slide dimensions - any dimension is possible!
  • Uses: Bitmoji stickers, custom icons (Background = transparent, download as png)
• Clipboard Keyboard Shortcut - Mac: cmd + control + shift + 4
• Digital worksheets - Upload as background image (jpg or png), and add text boxes
• Advanced: Master View
  • Create backgrounds that cannot be edited. Insert image, use text placeholders (dropdown arrow - title, subtitle, or body placeholder)
  • Create your own theme if you dare! 
  • Change ALL the fonts at once
• Paint Roller - Copy formats
• Insert audio
  • Format options - start playing on click vs automatic, volume on presenting, hide icon, loop audio, stop on slide change
  • Uses - audio instructions for differentiation, listening exercises for language classes, student created items such as narrated eBooks, comics etc, student created podcasts
  • Use Screencastify to download audio only
  • Audio file need to be in your Google Drive folder and sharing settings to “anyone can view” and mp3 format
• Slides order
  • Link to “Slides in this presentation” in links menu
  • Uses: Choose your own adventure - eBook with audio, table of contents slide for crowdsourced materials, study guides
  • Digital planners - from Slides Mania! Types: student/teacher or weekly planners
• Themes: Slides Mania, Slides Carnival, etc.
  • Save all your themes to a templates folder in Google Drive
  • Themes > Import Theme - find your theme to add it to your presentation
• Import slides
  • Find it under File > Import Slides, choose the slides you want to import
  • Great for sharing resources with other teachers or recreating PD
• Publish to the web
  • Embed slide deck to sites using File > Publish to Web
  • Lots of settings here - time, start automatically or on click, password setup etc.
  • Use: stop motion animation (change time to 250 ms in URL or embed code)
  • URL hack - change edit to present in the sharing link to force presentation mode
• Manipulatives - Drag and Drop activities
• Social media experiences

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode we discuss tips and strategies to help you achieve inbox zero with Gmail. We discuss the use of inbox types, filters, integration with Google Calendar, Google Tasks, and Google Keep, and so much more!

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

Show Notes

News and Updates

• Global Google Educator Group (GEG) - Social Media and Website
• Screencastify - New app-smashing library (EdPuzzle, Wakelet, and Remind) and form for suggestions

Featured Content
Gmail is a powerful beast! There are lots of great ways to tame the beast and take control of your inbox.

• How to get to your main settings panel in Gmail
• Inbox types - Default, Unread First, Important First, Starred First, Priority Inbox, and Multiple Inboxes
  • Hover over the Inbox tab and click on the drop down menu for easy access to inbox types!
  • Default Tabs - Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums, Starred
  • Priority inbox settings - Important and Unread, Starred, Empty, Everything Else
    • Configure each with the drop down arrows
  • Filters setup and suggestions:
    • Use for sorting emails like notifications into labels so that they skip your inbox
    • Filter options: Skip the inbox, (Mark as read), Apply a label, and Apply filter to matching conversations 
    • Use Delete it if you dare!
• Nudges - annoyingly good reminders
  • Turn on in Settings > General - also turn on your Send and Archive button here!
• Templates (aka Canned Responses)
  • Save: Three dots > Templates (Compose window)
  • Delete your signature before saving to avoid doubles!
  • Enable templates under Settings > Advanced (also custom keyboard shortcuts, unread icon, and right-side chat here too)
• Other options in the compose window - Three Dots > Label emails and Request Read Receipt
• Integration with other Google Tools
  • Google Calendar - create an event from an email
  • Google Tasks and Google Keep - add as a task

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode we discuss tips and strategies for using Google tools to get organized and, more importantly, stay organized! We focus on three main tools in G Suite: Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Gmail. We will give you a variety of tips and tricks with these tools to help you manage your time during remote learning.

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

Show Notes

News and Updates

• Screencastify - Upload a screen recording directly to EdPuzzle; new app-smashing opportunities awaits!
• Teach from Home from Google - a hub with various synchronous and asynchronous online or remote learning
• Google Arts and Culture app-smash with Google's Applied Digital Skills - no accounts or logins needed!

Featured Content

Are you struggling with staying organized online? There are a million things going on right now so we're here to give you some tips and strategies to get yourself more organized going forward.

• Google Drive - Organization Tips
  • Starred folders - put your most important files and folders here to reduce the number of clicks you are doing
  • Priority tab - top bar contains frequently accessed files, based on machine-learning
  • Workspaces - set up for courses or areas of your job to put the most important files in this space; max 25 files per workspace
  • Colour coding your folders - creates an easy visual organization system
  • Numbering folders - so they show up at the top of your Google Drive (i.e. 00, 01, 02, etc.)
• Google Calendar
  • Check off only calendars you want to view; turn off the ones you aren't using or, better yet, hide them from your list
  • Change the colour of your calendars - again, for a nice visualization of your events
  • Notifications in events in your calendar - you can choose between notification or email here
  • Global notifications - choices are off, desktop notifications, or alerts
  • Pin your calendar (and all your most important tabs) in Google Chrome
  • If all else fails, set alarms for yourself on your personal device!
• Gmail
  • Labels - add labels to your emails to help keep them organized into various categories. Labels also help y

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode we share some ideas of how to build community with your students in remote learning and online learning environments using digital tools such as Google Meet, Gimkit, Hangouts Chat, G Suite, and more! 

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

Show Notes

News and Updates

• Google Meet - Grid View aka Tile View
  • Recently updated to include a tile view; you can now see up to 16 participants on a screen
  • Access via 3 vertical dots (aka snowman or timbits) > Change Layout > Tiled
• Google Sites - New templates available
  • Access the template gallery at sites.google.com
  • Templates available for education include: class, club, and student portfolio
• Bitmoji Headers for Classroom
  • Create Bitmoji Headers for your Google Classroom
  • Design a Custom Google Classroom Header (Alice Keeler)
  • Bitmoji Banner Tutorial (Lisa Mazariego)

Featured Content
This week, we discussed various ways to build community in our online classrooms:

1. Social Time (Synchronous and Asynchronous)

• Use Google Meet (or Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) to provide a synchronous social hour; no expectations around course work here!
• Play a collaborative game such as Kahoot or Gimkit during meets.
• Use Hangouts Chat (or Hangouts if you are not a G Suite board) for asynchronous discussions (texting is better than traditional discussion boards!) - tips here to get started.
• Use Google Classroom stream to post discussion questions, i.e. what is your favourite...? or would you rather... or ... and why?

2. Create Roles or Groups For Students
An engagement strategy to use with students by assigning roles such as creating flashcards, short videos to explain a new concept, or even study groups. Some digital tools to use:

• Screencastify Submit: careful of sharing settings!
• Shared Docs or Slides: collaborative tools
• Flipgrid: Video discussion platform
• Padlet: Discussion board, word wall, etc. 
• Jamboard - Similar to Padlet
• Course Blogs: Make sure you protect student privacy here!

Listener Feedback

• From

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode we are talking about helpful strategies to simplify and streamline instruction during remote learning.

Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app. Also be sure to visit our EduGals website for more detailed show notes.

Leave us feedback on our FLIPGRID!

Show Notes
Remote learning is not something that any of us were prepared for. And yet here we are. With limited time to prepare for the shift to remote teaching, educators have been scrambling to put together the best learning opportunities that they can for their students, and this has not been an easy task.

We have compiled a variety of strategies and/or best practices that we feel will help you through this difficult and challenging time:

• News
  • Google Meet Updates
  • Quizizz Question Types
• Hyperdocs
  • Learning is all contained in one document
  • Pedagogy links:
    • Hyperdocs website
    • Samples of Hyperdocs
    • Hyperdocs Handbook by Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton & Sarah Landis
    • Force copy, template view etc.
  • Our advice: keep it simple, avoid hyperlink rabbit holes, schedule/differentiate, slides is better than docs, and keep accessibility in mind!
  • Quick tip: Keyboard shortcut for adding a hyperlink (PC: control + K, Mac: command + K)
• Scheduling feature in Google Classroom & Gmail
  • Schedule send in Gmail
  • Schedule posts in Google Classroom
• Wakelet
  • Educator's Guide to Wakelet
  • Pam Hubler's Wakelet Lesson Planning Template
• Google Drive organization
  • Create new folders for your distance learning resources (name them something like "Pandemic Planning" if you want to be like Katie!)
  • In those folders, create other folders labelled "Week 1", "Week 2", and so on
  • Add all resources for that week in your folder to keep yourself organized!
• Google Classroom tips
  • Get Emoji website
  • Adding Emojis to topics in Google Classroom
  • Other useful Google Classroom tips
• Google Sites
  • One stop shop for all things: embed videos, images, webpages, etc., can also use collapsible text boxes to help with visual clutter, accessible to students and parents, better accessibility and viewable on mobile device

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode we are talking about how you can use Screencastify, a chrome extension that captures the screen and audio, for remote learning. Please share this episode with others and subscribe to our podcast using your favourite podcast app so you don’t miss out on any of our new content. 

Please visit the EduGals Website for detailed Show Notes

Show Notes

Screencastify is an extension for Chrome and interacts with you within your Chrome browser. It can be used to create videos of your screen as well as your voice, and can also embed your webcam in the video as well.

Getting Started With Screencastify

• Get the extension! Add it to your Chrome by clicking here.
• Once you’ve added it to Chrome, you'll need to give Screencastify permission to access your mic and camera, and access to your Google Drive (for saving your videos).
• During the pandemic, Screencastify is offering a free upgrade to unlimited recording times, etc. Click HERE for the company’s COVID-19 response.
  • Here is how you take advantage of this offer:
    Step 1: Go to this website, and click “Redeem coupon” under next billing date.
    Step 2: Entre code CAST_COVID
    Step 3: Click “Activate License”

Practical Tips For Use

• Keyboard shortcuts - The one for starting/stopping your recording is super useful to learn (Alt + Shift + R on PC or Option + Shift + R on Mac)
• Countdown setting - 3, 5, or 10 seconds; find it under Show More Options!
• Have a plan - create an outline BEFORE you hit record to avoid the sugar plum fairies!
• Know what type of recording to choose - tab, whole desktop, webcam? Determine the goal of your message to make your choice.
• Drawing Tools - use these to create focus in your video, enable them under the Show More Options menu - you'll find it right above the blue record button.

Practical Teaching Tips

• Virtual lessons (try app-smashing with Jamboard, Awwapp, and Google Slides)
• Explainer videos - student-created videos; take it further by integrating with Google Slides
• Lesson intro - record an overview for the week
• Feedback for assessment/eval - save yourself some time and typing pain
• Record with Google Slides and turn on Closed Captions - increases accessibility
• In place of presentations - individual or group

Additional Resources

• 50 ways to use Screencastify in the classroom
• 25 ways to use Screencastify with Google apps
• Screencastify Submit Beta program application
• Screencastify Teach

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode, we discuss the use of Google Classroom for remote learning. We also introduce ourselves and tell you a bit about who we are as educators. It is our hope that this podcast can help you learn amazing and useful ways to bring technology into your classroom.

We'll be honest... we were pretty nervous about hitting the record button and putting ourselves out there! So if you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear it. Please leave us a rating or review in your favourite podcast app or visit our website at edugals.com to leave us a message.

Show Notes

Reasons why we love Google Classroom:

• Students know it and are comfortable with it
• For the most part, teachers are comfortable with the platform too
• It is easy to use and, while it may not be as robust as other online tools, it does a great job of creating a central online space for teachers to communicate and post materials for students.

Sections in Google Classroom:
4 different tabs or sections of a google  classroom - Stream, Classwork, People and Marks:

• Stream - Great for posting announcements, fun activities, discussions, etc., can turn off classwork notifications using the settings/cog wheel
• Classwork - section with the most helpful features/use during remote learning. Can create
  • assignments
  • materials (lessons - slide decks, handouts, websites, etc.)
  • quizzes
  • questions for students to answer
  • topics (sort by topic, unit, week)
• People - can email all students, groups of students or individual students; single guardian or all guardians; click on a student and it will pull up a page showing all of their assignments, contact info, et

Tips for remote learning:

• Class settings – Here you can find guardian emails, notification settings and you can set up whether or not students can post or comment (or neither)
• Start fresh! Create a new classroom, and post this new code in your OLD classroom. This will help students as they are starting this new process of learning, and they won’t feel overwhelmed or be distracted by previous material posted during face to face instruction.
• Topics: Organize by week instead of unit!
  • When creating or posting new material, there is a section where it says “Topic” – default is no topic, but if you click on the arrow, you can create a new topic, or use another topic that exists – Create new, and label according to the week.
• Stream – This is the first page/screen that students see when they enter their classroom
  • Change settings to get rid of classwork posts: Default will be a post every time that you create material or assignments, and this will really clutter up the Stream. So change the settings so that it doesn’t post every time you add a lesson, etc.
  • Consider allowing students to post/comment on the Stream. This can also be changed in the settings. It will allow for more interaction and a feeling of community, despite the lack of face to face interactions.
• Ask questions not related to the curriculum! Sometimes a simple question about what they are doing, their favourite activity while being at home right now, etc. will create a sense of community and belonging, and helps to engage some of the students th

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show