Bird Brain Science

BirdBrain is a site similar to ReadWorks in that it has various non-fiction articles for students to read with questions at the end.  You can take the same article and see it in a variety of reading levels in order to differentiate in the classroom.

Here is a link to sign up: https://www.birdbrainscience.com/schools/instructor.php?ic=PILOTFRIENDS

Video that explains more.

Tips for using YouTube in the classroom

The original document shown below can be found here.

Tech Tips

Heidi Bernasconi

hbernasconi@ccsd.edu

@BioBernasconi

Youtube Playlist

Past Tech Tips

Tip of the Week: Click here for the following Tips Safety in Youtube Advanced Searches in Youtube

Safety in Youtube

Sick of seeing ads in front of your students that you can’t control?

Download Chrome Extension AdBlockPlus

• This blocks ads on Youtube
• Banners
• Facebook advertisements
• Pop ups (you will have to disable or modify this extension for websites that require Popups)

Sick of seeing recommended videos when going to youtube.com in front of your students that you can’t control?

Easy fix:

Youtube is designed to “learn” who you are. Subscribe to baby channels like “Kids Play”, Baby Einstein. Youtube will start to think this account is for a young kid. This will help filter (but not 100% get rid of) inappropriate video recommendations

Other Chrome extensions to play with:

• Quietube
• Turn Out the Lights
• Focus on Videos
• Youtube Options for Chrome
• Cinetonic

What can I do to get rid of the bad recommended videos?

Go up to the subscribe link and click the three dots and hit, HIDE THESE VIDEOS

Is there a safety mode?

Sure is!!! Scroll down to the bottom of your browser

This blocks Comments on videos!!!

Safety Review
  1.     AbBlockPlus blocks ads from videos

2. Safety mode blocks comments from videos
3. Subscribing to baby channels helps filter inappropriate video recommendations.

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Advanced Searches in YouTube

You can set advanced settings in a youtube search to help filter what you are looking for.

Type in your search phase into the Youtube omnibox, hit enter.
You will see a button that says “Filter”

You can search for most recent, length, features, etc.

Result type:

1. Video: searches single videos
2. Channel: searches for channels (Everyone that has a Gmail account has a Youtube “Channel” where you can upload your own videos and where your playlists are stored). If your channel is public, people can search for it and find all your resources you created.
• Link to my Youtube Channel
3. Playlist: about your search phrase (ie. A playlist made by another teacher for the cells unit…...Holla...they did the work for me!)
• link to one of my Youtube Playlists

How to make a playlist. This is an old Tech Tip……..

Notes about Playlists

• You can search for other people’s playlist by clicking filter OR typing in the word “playlist” in the search box.
• 

• You can save other people’s playlists.
•  
• OR by hitting save
• 
• You can merge other people’s playlists into your playlists. Click ADD ALL TO after the three dots
• 

Other resources for you: 1. North Sign Up  for Tech Time 2. My Youtube Playlist for Google App Help 3. My Google Classes Website (has handouts for each of my courses) 4. 100 Best Web  2.0 tools for teachers 5. 40 Ways to Use Google Apps (great slideshow, not made by me) 6. Chrome Apps and Extensions (Made by Lisa Thumann, a Google Certified Teacher)

Do you have a Google Question or Google Tip? Fill out this form and maybe it will make the next Tech Tip!