Twitter is a great resource for learning new things and share what you know in education. Here is a great podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y_qJrPtzew8 that goes over how to use Twitter as a resource. You can also participate in Twitter chats. Here is a link that shares various PLN (personal learning networks) twitter hashtags
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Newsela - integrating literacy
Newsela is a website that helps to build close reading and critical thinking skills. It provides you with nonfiction reading comprehension passages, from fourth grade to college-ready. Each article can be adjusted to various reading levels. Articles are accompanied by Common Core-aligned quizzes to provide quick and powerful feedback. It covers a variety of subjects. Visit it at www.Newsela.com
Keyboard Shortcuts
Top 10 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert
Copy the highlighted text or selected item.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert
Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.
Ctrl + F
Open the Find in any program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.
Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc
Quickly switch between open programs moving forward.
Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs in a program.
Tip: Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards. For example, if you are pressing Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to switch to, press Alt + Shift + Tab to move backwards to that program.
Tip: Windows Vista and 7 users can also press the Windows Key + Tab to switch through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.
Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right arrow
Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.
Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.
Ctrl + S
While working on a document or other file in almost every program pressing Ctrl + S will save that file. This shortcut key should be used frequently anytime you're working on anything important.
Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End
Move the cursor to the beginning or end of a document.
Ctrl + P
Print the page being viewed. For example, the document in Microsoft Word or the web page in your Internet browser.
Page Up, Space bar, and Page Down
Pressing either the page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that direction. When browsing the Internet pressing the space bar will also move the page down one page at a time. If you press Shift and the Space bar the page will go up a page at a time.
Tip: If you are using the space bar to go down one page at a time press the Shift keyand space bar to go up one page at a time.
Google as a Timer
Did you know that the Google search box can be used as a timer. All you need you need to do is type in "set time for ___" filling in the blank with how long you want the timer to run for. Press the start button and go about your business. Make sure your leave the tab open with the timer in it and that they sound on your computer is one. Once the time is up the timer will beep.
Google Lit Trips
Google Lit Trips provides excellent models for using Google Earth in language arts lessons. The concept of Google Lit Trips is to help students gain a better understanding of stories and their authors through mapping. Students and teachers can use Google Earth to map a story or map the biography of an author. On Google Lit Trips you can find and download lessons and Google Earth files created by other teachers. The two videos below offer overviews of how Google Lit Trips work.
Zooming in and out
There may be a time when you want to zoom into a particular spot on the screen. There are two ways you can do this.
1. If you are more comfortable with the keyboard you can zoom that way. Place the cursor where you want it and then press command, alt(option) and the plus or minus key.
2. If you are comfortable with the track pad you can pinch your fingers (thumb and pointer) together and then pull them apart to zoom in. To zoom out place your thumb and pointer fingers at opposite
corners of the track pad and pinch your fingers together.
Sharing files with AirDrop
Share your files with others near you
AirDrop lets you quickly send files, clippings, webpages, and more to anyone near you—wirelessly. AirDrop doesn’t require passwords, setup, or special settings. It makes sharing with neighbors as simple as dragging and dropping.
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- To see other people nearby, click the AirDrop icon in the sidebar of a Finder window. The other people must also click the AirDrop icon on their computers. The computer names of those near you appear in the AirDrop window.
- If you like, for extra security you can verbally confirm the exchange before you share files to make sure you’re sharing with the right person.
- Drag the item you want to share to another person’s icon. Once the person accepts the file, it’s transferred directly to his or her Downloads folder. Here are some examples of things you can share:
- Text documents, photos, and folders
- A snippet of text that you’ve highlighted inside a document or webpage
- The URL (web address) of the webpage you’re currently viewing
- An MP3 (audio) file
- When you’re done with AirDrop, close the Finder window you used to transfer files. Your Mac is no longer visible to others.
You can also use the Share button to send files to your neighbors via AirDrop. In a Finder window, select the item you want to share, and then click the Share button in the toolbar.
Add folders to your e-mail inbox
Need to create new folders in your e-mail? The steps are below. As always, let us know what we can do to help you out!
1. Right click on the word “Inbox” (If you don’t have right click enabled you may have to hold down control and then click.). You will see a list pop up. Click on “Create New Folder.”
2. You will then see a blank folder appear in the list and you can type in what you want to call it.
3. Hit enter and you’re all set!
Remind 101 - safely send texts to your students/parents
Remind 101 - send text messages to students without sharing your phone number
WHAT IS IT?
Remind101 provides a safe way for teachers to text message students and stay in touch with parents for free. Teachers use remind101.com, the Android app or the iOS app to send texts to students and parents phones without ever having to share their own phone number. Students and parents also never have to share their phone number with teachers. Ever.
HOW MIGHT YOU USE IT?
Field trip reminders, motivational messages, homework, exam reminders, schedule changes, fun facts, and trivia. It’s a great way to communicate information to students and parents safely!
HOW DO STUDENTS OR PARENTS JOIN?
Students and parents sign up by sending a text message or email. They never need to visit the Remind101 site or create an account.
REMIND101 FEATURES
Add your Remind101 messages to your class website or blog with the simple, embeddable, and beautifully designed Remind101 widget. You can also preschedule all your messages to be sent at a later date or time
WHAT MAKES IT SAFE?
Teachers never see their students’ phone numbers. Students never see theirs. Remind101 is a one way broadcast system. Teachers cannot send individual messages to students or parents, and students/parents cannot reply. Remind101 also keeps a log of all message history, which can never be edited or deleted. Teachers never see their students’ phone numbers. Students never see theirs. Remind101 also keeps a log of all message history which can never be edited or deleted.
Preparing for the Regents Exam
Today's Tech Tip Tuesday comes from Education Portal.
They have created bite-sized, engaging video lessons that students can use to prepare for New York State Regents Exams.
All videos have been developed by professional educators. They include quizzes so students can test their knowledge. Students can watch each video as many times as needed to fully understand the material.
At Education Portal, students, teachers and parents can access prep materials for the following New York State Regents Exams:
- Chemistry
- Comprehensive English
- Earth Science
- Geometry
- Integrated Algebra
- Living Environment
- Physics
- U.S. History & Government
They hope you’ll share these videos with students, so that they can use Education Portal as a supplemental resource while they prepare for Regents Exams.
Making Folders on your computer
Folder basics
All the items on your computer—including your documents, pictures, music files, apps, and more—are organized in folders. As you create documents, install new apps, and do other work on your Mac, you can create new folders to keep your information organized.
Create a new folder
- Click the desktop (the background area of your screen) if you want to keep the new folder on the desktop; otherwise, open the window where you want to keep the folder.
- Choose File > New Folder or press Command (⌘)–Shift–N. If the New Folder command is dimmed, you do not have permission to create a folder in the current location.
- To give the folder a new name, click to select it and press Return. Then type a name for the folder and press Return again.
Move items into folders
- To put an item in a folder, drag its icon to the new folder.
- To put several items in a new folder, select all the items, and then choose File > “New Folder with Selection.”
- To keep an item in its original location and put a copy in a new folder, hold down the Option key while you drag the item.
- To keep an item in its original location and put an alias for it in a new folder, hold down the Command (⌘) and Option keys while you drag the item.
- To make a copy of an item within the same folder, select the item and choose File > Duplicate or press Command (⌘)–D.
- To copy files to a different disk, drag the icons to the disk. To move files to a different disk without copying them, hold down the Command key while you drag the icons.
Group multiple items quickly
You can quickly create a folder of items on the desktop or in a Finder window.
- Select all the items you want to group together.
- Control-click one of the selected items, and then choose “New Folder with Selection” from the shortcut menu.
- Type a new name for the folder.
Merge two folders
If you have two folders with identical names at two different locations, you can merge them into a single folder. To do so, you must copy (not move) one folder to the location that already contains a folder with the same name. In the dialog that appears, click Merge.
The Merge option appears only if one of the folders contains items that are not in the other folder. If the folders contain different versions of identically named files, the only options are Stop or Replace.
StudyBlue - online flashcards and quizzes
StudyBlue is a site that I started using with my classes this year and the students are really getting into it. I set up my classes and then invited my students to join. The site allows users to create flashcards and then share them with the other members in the class. Not only can definitions be added, but the cards can have pictures on them as well. The flashcards can be turned in a review sheet and an online quiz.
I have been setting up folders for each unit and then the students make the flashcards. This way it is not extra work for me and the students get the added learning experience of making the flashcards.
StudyBlue is not just a website; it has android and apple apps as well.
Keyboard shortcut - switching between applications
Keyboard shortcut:
If you want to easily switch between applications all you need to do is hit command and tab
How to take a screen shot on the mac
How to take a screen shot on the mac
To take a screen shot of the whole screen press: command, shift and 3 all at the same time
To take a screen shot of a specific area press: command, shift and 4 at the same time. You will then be able to select the area you want
to take a picture of.
If you have your sound on your will hear a shutter noise to indicate that the picture has been taken. It saves to your desktop and then you can move it wherever you want to.
CrashPlan - getting your backed up files
As you may have noticed, we have a new method for backing up our files. It's called CrashPlan (it's the house icon on the top of your computer). The great thing about it is that it is always backing up your files no matter where you are (you no longer need to be at school for your files to back up)
This means that if you log into another person's computer (or a library computer) you will not be able to access your files. If for some reason you don't have your laptop with you and need to access a file there is a way for you to get it.
If you have any questions please contact a tech team member.
You can also find the document by clicking here.
Saving Student Work
How to have students save their work
A video of this process can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKgxqtBxoNs
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The document above can also be found at by clicking here.
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