I recently came across a fantastic Google Expert Eric Curts idea called a Photo Word. This is a way to use Google Slides to create a word with a photo inside to create word walls, flashcards, or graphics.
Believe it or not, this is much easier than it sounds! In addition, you could make your Photo Word more interactive by linking it to a Flip video definition of the word. Either a QR Code or hyperlink! Check out my video below for more information.
Lately, I have been revisiting old tools with a new perspective. My last installment looked at Google Earth's Voyager feature, an excellent resource for providing students with virtual field trips. Today, I want to look at Google Earth's Project feature, a fantastic tool for creating virtual field trips.
The Project feature is a free resource you or students can use to develop custom field trips depicting important historical locations or the settings of a non-fiction text. Everything saves on Google Drive, making sharing and collaborating easy. Students can place pinpoints in different locations, filling them with information through text, video, and images.
Several years ago, a colleague and I collaborated on building a custom field trip depicting the life of Milton S. Hershey. The trip correlated with a book our students were reading called Chocolate By Hershey. As the students navigated the presentation, they completed a scavenger hunt.
Although it was fun to create, it made me realize that an even better way of using it, would involve students creating their own Virtual Field trips. Want to see it in action? Check out my brief video tutorial below.
As the school year ends, most educators are taking a well-deserved break and taking time to recharge. It's a time to slow down, rest, and gather new ideas for next school year. The following series is devoted to revisiting familiar tools and creating new ideas!
Google Earth is a tool that many of us are familiar with; however, how often do we use some of its most basic features? Simply visit Google Earth and choose the captain's wheel icon to access.
The Voyager feature is loaded with dozens of educational field trips and games aimed at sharing the world with students! Here are some great voyages to take your students on!
Imagine you want to teach your students about the consequences of disappearing forests and global warming. The Changing Forests voyage uses time-elapsed imagery to showcase how deforestation ravages the planet.
How often do students ask you, "When will I need this?" The Triangular Structures tour helps you answer that exact question as you dive into real-life examples of one of the most powerful geometric shapes! The tour includes the Eifel Tower, The Louvre, and more! As you explore, students will learn why triangles are used so often in architecture.
This Google Earth voyage takes you inside classrooms from all around the world. From London to the Himalayas, you will see where students learn (and sometimes the challenges they face) and gain a cultural appreciation of how learning occurs across cultures.
Google Earth is a powerful tool for virtually traveling the world and exposes students to different cultures and perspectives. How will you use Google Earth in your classroom? The possibilities are endless!
There are various ways artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in education, but did you ever think about using it to develop quizzes? I recently wrote about how you could use Chat GPT and Classkick to create accessible and self-grading quizzes; however, I recently came across an even better tool called Conker that can be used for generating quizzes.
Conker uses AI to generate multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes based on a topic and grade level. The self-grading quizzes can be accessed through a join code in Conker, exported to Google Forms, or as a printed copy. There is even a text-to-speech option for students to listen to each question being read aloud, which is extremely helpful for students needing this accessibility feature.
First, create a free account and login to Conker.
Next, you will tell Conker the topic (i.e. Capital Cities, Mitosis, etc.), the type of questions (i.e. multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank), and how many questions (5 to 10 total). There is even an option to choose which language you would like the test generated in, which can be helpful for ELL or multilingual students.
Finally, you can access your quiz in the Activity tab. This is where you can share, edit, duplicate, or delete your quiz!
Being a teacher in today's classrooms might feel overwhelming, especially with the focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Chat GPT over the past few months. If you are like me, you might be unsure how to integrate AI into your everyday tasks. The following blog post will show you how to generate a self-grading accessible quiz using Chat GPT and Classkick!
There are a variety of different ways you could do create a quiz. You could ask Chat GPT to create a 10-question quiz on the US State Capitals.
Want to make it more engaging? You could ask Chat GPT to create your quiz as a Blooket.
Want your quiz on specific content from an article? No problem! Copy and paste the article into Chat GPT and ask it to create a quiz from the content. Copy and paste the quiz into a Word or Google Doc.
Want to make your article more accessible? Have you ever considered combining Chat GPT with Classkick to create a self-grading quiz with audio recordings? Check out my video on how to create a self-grading and accessible quiz:
Do you like writing learning objectives? I can't say that it is one of my favorite tasks. For example, I had to put together a description and objectives for an upcoming presentation; however, my brain was fried. I was on a time crunch and could not assemble an intelligent set of objectives. What did I do instead? I pasted my description and asked Chat GPT to help me craft my objectives!
Do you clear ramps or shovel steps? Your answer may determine how accessible and equitable your classroom truly is. In the world of education, examples of step shoveling stifle student performance and create a one-size-fits-all approach to learning. The following session will help you develop a ramp-clearing or UDL mindset, which employs proactive design to create accessible learning experiences and environments for ALL. Participants will learn a variety of easy-to-implement strategies, resources, and tools for creating access and providing flexibility in the product or process.
Objectives:
Understand the importance of accessibility and equity in the classroom, and how it impacts student performance.
Develop a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) mindset and utilize proactive design principles to create accessible learning experiences and environments for all students.
Apply practical strategies, resources, and tools that promote accessibility and flexibility in education's product and process aspects, fostering inclusive learning environments.
Sketchnotes are a great way for students to take notes visually, but did you know you can use them as a formative assessment tool? Visually representing content is a great way to quickly assess students and provide them with options for learning.
Check out my 4-minute tutorial video.
Hello readers! Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed since I launched my Learn Lead Grow blog. As we step into a n...
