#TechTipTuesday - Google Photo iMessage APP

Yes, I know I know, I keep blogging about how great the Google Photos app is, but new OS updates mean new features, and you are going to love this one.

As I mentioned before, the Google Photos app is a great way to store your photos online and clear up space on your phone.

Well now there is an app found right in the iMessage app which will let you access your photos stored online, making sharing your photos via text super easy.


If you have the Google Photos App you can access the iMessage App just below your text window.

Just click the App button located next to your Text bubble.

If you do not see the Google Photo iMessage app right away you can visit the store to download it or try swiping to the right and clicking the 2 dots and turn on the apps you want to show up

When you have it setup you can click the Google Photos app and you will have instant access to send your photos within your iMessage/Text.

#TechTipTuesday - When should I use paper?

As the month comes to an end, so does my mini series on assistive tools and practices to help reduce paper consumption in your learning spaces.

The last tip is one to help you determine "when should I use paper..."

The truth is there is no one right answer for knowing when to use paper or not to, rather, a method of asking yourself before you make copies: "Can I provide this digitally? Will something be lost in the process of going digital? Will something be gained?"

Your walls should ,of course, be filled with your learners creations, so print off their final copies, post their artwork, create fun idea walls.

The key is to reduce what you use a little more each time you go to use paper resources to help the environment,  yourself and your budgets.

Wednesday Wondering - Red Tape

A new week, a new wondering..

This week I am wondering about all the red tape in education.

It feels like the world of education is moving more and more toward democratic learning spaces and a leveled hierarchy , or at least it is talking about it. However the journey to the top of this hill seems riddled with red tape and bureaucratic processes. 

This week I am wondering what would happen if we all used a common lens to dismantle and remove some of this red tape in order to move forward. What if, with each decision we made we asked ourselves "how will this decision/action help our kids?"

What if we started and followed up our dialogs with teachers and faculty with this probing question? 
Would what you do each day change, would it stay the same?

Would love to hear your feed back, please leave a comment here on the blog, or send me a Tweet @TheTechSpec

#TechTipTuesday - Google Classroom Makin' copies

For those of you who have not yet experienced the awesomeness that is Google Classroom, it's time. 

This tool has much to offer any teacher, in particular since this month I am talking about tools to help reduce paper consumption, it only seems fitting to talk about Google Classroom Assignment options.


Once you've got your class all setup, learners added, and you are ready to launch your first assignment, be sure to pay close attention to the following function:

With this option you can assign a Google Drive File (document, drawing, slideshow, etc) and if you choose "Make a copy for each student" they will each receive their own individual file that they can then edit, change, or just read.

This is a great way to easily share files with them quickly and with ease. No more waiting in lines for the copier for you.

x

Sunday Post - Tech on the Side

from the Flipboard magazine, Tech on the Side, an editorial exploration of curated content.

It's Sunday, and as I continue this fun journey of (attempting) to blog each and everyday I thought I would try doing this week's Sunday Post a little bit different than I have done in the past.

So, please let me know what you think of this format vs the format from last week or weeks past.

Back Flipping Robots - Need I say anything more?

Well, Boston Dynamics is at it again, they've brought us all kids of amazing advancements in robots technology, but this one...well it may just be a show stopper. Atlas is now able to balance himself better than ever, and while the wow factor is impressive enough, you can only begin to imagine how these advancements will help our exploration of difficult or altering terrains. Check out the full article below.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot is a parkour master

Parkour! That's what we should all be devoting our combined robotics expertise towards. There's no nobler human pursuit, so of course we should create a robot that can master the so-called 'sport of kings.' And yes, that is the true sport of kings.

 Raspberry Pi, from computer to console
If you are not yet aware of the amazing potential that Raspberry Pi has given a new generation of kids(and adults) then you should start by checking them out. For the already initiated it's time to check out what this UK based company is doing with Raspberry Pi. The gist: Pip is designed for kids to create their own Gameboy like device. Code a game, build a device to play it on everywhere you go! Check out the full story at the article below

Pip is a retro games console for kids to learn coding

Another UK startup is using Pi electronics as the foundation for an edtech business idea, and Kickstarter to try to crowdfund their product: A learn-to-code retro games console.

How do we support the natural curiosity?
This great article came across my feeds this week and got me wondering about the idea behind academic success and learning. In this ever changing educational landscape we talk about wanting to foster more and more learner based inquiry, and problem based learning, and democratic learning environments...and then there is standardized test. In our world it is not two camps, the reality is the expectation for success in both of these worlds is what is wanted, so how can we support more of the learners natural curiosity and meet the demands of being funded based on test scores? Take a look at the article below to get a great perspective from a teacher wondering how to balance this task 

Why Teachers, Parents, and Society at Large Have Destroyed Kids' Love of Learning

I look at this mother with concern on her face, her eager pencil poised to write down my words of wisdom. I struggle to find a gentle way to explain that the daily nagging about points and grades both perpetuates Marianna's dependence on her mother's tendency to problem-solve and intervene on her behalf, and teaches her that external rewards are far more important than the effort Marianna invests in her education.

Tech Tip of the Week
Continuing my series on using our tools to help reduce paper consumption, I would like to share with you my post all about Adobe Fill and Sign, one of the best free apps out there for getting those pesky forms filled quickly, and from the comfort of your own phone. Check out the details in the post below.

#TechTipTuesday - Adobe Fill and Sign

Continuing the series on how to use our digital tools to help reduce paper consumption, this week I am highlighting and app you need to download. What this FREE app allows the user to do is amazing.

It's time for

Mushroom Joke

Explore TheTechSpec's photos on Flickr. TheTechSpec has uploaded 264 photos to Flickr.

As always, Stay tuned and stay connected

This Week at Hixson - Learning, failing, and moving forward

A few hiccups in our production schedule have allotted us to produce our second show. This week, I enjoyed the over all show and am loving the fails in it. Primarily you will experience a complete loss of footage during the middle of the show. 

For me, this is a live learning opportunity for the kids. If I had not mentioned it before, this is a learner led and produced show. My role in all of this is to encourage and push the kids further then where they started, answer questions, encourage them to see things differently and ultimately act as an executive producer of the show.

I often share with the kids that I will be their biggest critic and fan. I want them to think and try things that they have never done before and I want their ideas to succeed. At times that means that they may produce a single "pilot" show which takes weeks to record and edit. In the end, it may become part of the weekly show or it may flop. The learning that takes place during the entirety of this process is invaluable. 

Without further ado, I give you Episode 2, season 5 of This Week at Hixson:

Hixson Hub ON AIR ep 3

Their podcast continues onto the thirds episode,

Please enjoy their ideas, wonderings and creation:




If you enjoy their work then you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Google Play

#TechTipTuesday - Adobe Fill and Sign

Continuing the series on how to use our digital tools to help reduce paper consumption, this week I am highlighting and app you need to download.

Adobe Fill and Sign

for Android for iOS

What this FREE app allows the user to do is amazing. Once downloaded you can either open a PDF or file right from the app, and then click where ever you need to sign it and then sign the document and send it back to the person who needs the signed document.

It's amazing, and that's not all. You can add in custom fields like check boxes, dates, locations etc.

Check out the video below to watch a quick run down on how it works and then make sure you click the links above to download this app.

Tell a friend, tell your parents, tell everyone! 

Sunday Post - Tech on the Side

HixsonHub ON AIR episode 2

Their podcast continues onto the second episode,

Please enjoy their ideas, wonderings and creation:





If you enjoy their work then you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Google Play

Wednesday Wondering - Typing

A new week and a new idea to try out on the blog. 
A few weeks back I started a new segment on my Podcast where I shared a wondering each week. Being a curious individual, I have many of these wonderings.


This week I am wondering about typing.


I grew up taking typing classes in high school. Typing was important then, and had been for awhile. During job interviews they would ask "how many words per minute could you type."

What I am wondering is, will this skill be as valuable as it once was. It is not that I think people will cease typing, I am more curious about their input methods. How frequently are adults typing on computers presently vs typing on a cell phone. What will be the more dominant input method in the future our laptops/desktop keyboards or will it be our smart phones (which I think they just call phones now a days)

Will this concept or idea carry over into the future? In 10 years will typing be a necessity or will communication be measured differently and higher value place on instant access to one another and each others ideas? 

What are your thoughts? Leave your wonderings, ideas, or thoughts in the comments section of the blog or tweet me @TheTechSpec or on Facebook.

#TechTipTuesday - Scan documents right from your phone, with ease

I thought that it may be fun to attempt a series this month for my Tech Tip Tuesday posts. 
For this month let's explore the opportunities and avenues for helping to reduce paper consumption.

As I am a huge advocate for making, creating and exploring many types of medium I would never say that a school could or should ever go entirely paperless. I would rather encourage the people in the building to "Print with purpose"

So in this vain, let's explore a tip this week about tools available to help reduce paper consumption and print with purpose.

Recently a mathematics teacher shared with me how this year she is scanning in all of her work sheets. In this way the kids are able to view the worksheets on their personal devices or school issued Chromebooks and then solve the problem on a separate piece of paper. 



What an absolutely brilliant idea. Make it easy for the kids to get the work and see it where ever they are and they'll never lose the worksheet.






The next teachable moment may be to instruct the kids to take a picture of their work once they have completed it to make sure they do not lose their work. If you are comfortable with it then they can even submit their work that way.

WIN WIN WIN!

So a quick tip to avoiding long lines at the scanner:

If you have an iPhone then you have a scanner built right into your Notes app. You can simply create a new note in the notes section and press the + button and choose "Scan documents". Then you can use the app to scan in the worksheet if it was not yet digitized. No more waiting in lines at the copy machine to just scan a document.

The other awesome thing about this scanner is that it is not limited to what will fit on the copy machine. You can scan large sized documents, pieces of artwork, newspapers, anything.

Check out the video below to watch a step by step on how to scan using the Notes app:

Dronin'

Our school is lucky enough to have a drone. The drone was purchased through a grant several years back, and this year I have had a few kids who were super interested in learning more about the it.

 While learning more about the drone and capturing amazing footage with it, one of the boys said "how awesome would it be if your job was to fly a drone around and capture footage?" He was afforded this opportunity when our building principal asked him to capture footage of a big race that takes place in our district every year, the Ivory Crockett Run. While recording footage at the race he discovered the very real possibility of making a full time job out of flying the drone, when one of the race facilitators approached him about filming more of their races for them in the future.

Since that race and that meeting he has been practicing with the school drone and honing new skills and discovering more than ever about the drone. He has also captured some stunning footage and has piqued the interest of many other kids who he is hoping to train once he has perfected his skill set.

In the meantime check out some of the footage captured while flying around Hixson and Webster below:

Sunday Post

SnapChat Saturday

Continuously searching and experimenting...it is a way of life for me. I am inherently curious.

This year, I have begun to explore the world of SnapChat in more depth than in years past. I think that it is here to stay for awhile and it's offerings are ever expanding. I am naturaly curious to see where they take their product.

That being said, I thought I would try creating a SnapChat Saturday post, attempting to remove the ephemeralness of SnapChat Stories and archive a day's worth of SnapChats onto YouTube:

The results are below:




While I enjoy the fact that SnapChat allows me to export an entire days worth of posts as a single video file, I was perplexed why the export quality of the video was so poor. 

So this curiosity with SnapChat and it's potential will in fact fuel another blog post, in the meantime you can connect with me on SnapChat as TheTechSpec

Season 5?!??

In the past 4 years I have worked with Middle Schoolers to produce a weekly variety style show to be viewed by their classmates.

We start by brainstorming show ideas, creating a concept, recording a pilot, viewing the pilot show before airing and then adjusting the shows after peer feedback is shared.

This year, we have had many struggles in attempting to produce our first show. I am very excited today to share with you their first episode of the 5th season of This Week at Hixson:

Today, I would like to share with you...

... HixsonHub ON AIR.

This year I have the pleasure of facilitating an after school club in which they have decided to take on the charge of producing a weekly podcast.

It is called HixsonHub ON AIR.


We are using the Anchor app to produce the content each week and publishing to the platform which also can connect to a plethora of Podcasting venues so your podcast can be found in the vast majority of podcasting networks.




This week, I will share with you our first episode:






If you enjoy their work then you can subscribe to the channel via iTunes or Google Play

...a very good place to start

Here we are, another November and many of us are ready and excited to start posting each day to our blogs!

Or, maybe we want to, but we've no idea where to begin.

Well, let's start at the beginning, and for me that is a slew of questions to help and encourage others to create, produce, post, etc. 

I am Jason P Heisel, and I am here to help you make your dreams a reality...

Ok, that may be a bit of a bold statement, but it is what my colleagues and friends have helped me to discover about myself. I am passionate about helping others succeed, discover something new, and push themselves beyond their comfort levels. I see things differently, and ask many questions, and this is my blog.

When I started it, I am certain that I was testing out the full potential of Blogger as a tool that someone might want to use, and then it stuck.

I like it, I use it to share Technology Tips, and for sharing  ideas and wonderings and for sharing the amazingness that happens in our Technology Center too, and each November, for the past many Novembers, I embark on a journey to post each and every day. 

Why do this you might ask...

The simple answer...why not?

The more complex answer...because it's a challenge. It's hard. Each day we ask our kids to step outside their comfort level and learn or try something new, if we do not also challenge ourselves then why do we ask our kids to do this?

So, to wrap up this first #NaBloPoMo post...

Welcome to my blog, I hope you enjoy the ride, and as always.

Stay tuned and stay connected.

#TechTipTuesday - National Blog Post Month and Novel Writing Month

It's that time of the year, time to brush off the dust from your ole blog and get ready to post every day next month!

November is National Blog Posting month and National Novel Writing month, the focus is writing each day. One is to get in the habit of posting to your blog  more frequently and the other is to create a novel in a month.


Check out the hashtags:

#NaBloPoMo

and

#NanoWriMo

Looking for ideas on what to post to your blog: check out my blogpost form a few years back all about blog fuel.

If you are looking for more details about Nanowrimo then check out their site at: https://nanowrimo.org

Happy posting!

#TechTipTuesday - Google Maps. Plan your next out of this world trip, today.

In an recent update to Google Maps you can now explore planets and many other amazing things floating out in space.

Simply direct your web browser to the following link: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.187064,-87.4912982,23011087m/data=!3m1!1e3

And being exploring the space beyond our atmosphere.

You can also just direct yourself to maps.google.com and then choose the "Satellite" view and then begin zooming out.

When you get our outside of Earth zoom just a bit further to check out all of the other options of things to see in outer space.

#TechTipTuesday - Snapchat Bitmoji Animations

For those of you who have been following along in my zany exploration of SnapChat/Bitmoji Animation filters I thought it may be worth while sharing how to actually create or use the filter. 

I created this short video to demonstrate how to add your Bitmoji Animation filter to your video or Snap.

If you have not yet followed me on SnapChat below is my SnapCode. If you have any questions on how to use the filter feel free to send me a SnapChat or tweet @TheTechSpectwitter.com/thetechspec

Sunday Post

Sunday Post

#TechTipTuesday - Makin' copies

This week's Tech tip is one I learned just recently from @MsKraushaar and it is brilliant.

Sometimes you want to share your work inside Google, but then sometimes you want to share it so that a colleague can make it their own.

This past week I learned that by changing a simple word in the share link from a Google document (slide show, spreadsheet, etc) you can send a link which will force the clicker of said link to make a copy of the item you are sharing.

It is as easy as grabbing the url from a file you have in Google:

And then change this portion of the URL

to read like this

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HE9p36SSgjgBCzx3wSE7DZzp70kunWL9rv0uV3r7w-M/copy?

When you share the above link with someone they will be prompted to Make a copy of the document after they click it (see picture below)

Happy sharing.

Sunday Post

Sunday Post

#TechTipTuesday - When is the last time you shut that phone all the way down?

When was the last time you turned your phone off...like all the way off?

It is important to do this at least once a week. 

I know, it's not cool to have to do it, but you are carrying around a computer in your pocket. It is doing more processing than you think and honestly...it needs a break every once and awhile.

So take a moment each week to power your phone all the way down, let it be off for a minute, then boot it back up. You may find that it helps fix those minor "glitches" you've noticed and just pushed aside, it may help speed up it's performance. But what it will do for your phone is invaluable.

Sunday Post

#TechTipTuesday - Instagram

Continuing our exploration of communication tools, this week we will look at Instagram.

If you are just starting out and looking to share more, then Insagram may just be the tool for you. This Facebook owned application is one of the fastest growing social media services out there, and is is excessively simple to use, while still remaining a very powerful tool.

Once you have created your account you can either follow others or chose not to. You can also connect multiple social media accounts to Instagram so that when you post a picture with a caption you can opt to have it also share directly in these other social media apps ALL FROM ONE PLACE.

This is probably one of the top sought after features when it comes to sharing. With a few clicks you are able to send the single picture to multiple places rather then having to post the same things 3 or 4 times.

I often encourage first time bloggers to start by just posting a picture a day. Capture a moment in your learning space and  tell the story of the deep learning taking place in a few short words. Instagram is designed for this and would be a great way to share with your families. 

Families can either follow you, if they have their own Instagram account, or they can just go directly to your page by entering in the unique url. For instance mine would be https://www.instagram.com/thetechspec/

For those of you wanting to share multiple pictures of the learning going on each day, you can post multiple pics in a single post. Doing this will not over run your followers streams with pictures. To do this, click the plus button to add a photo then click the button on the bottom right hand of the screen which looks like this

Then you will be able to choose multiple pictures for a single post.

For those of you interested in sharing more each day, you may want to check out the Instagram Stories Feature. 

By swiping to the right when inside instagram you will be taken to a "camera view" where you can take a picture inside of the app and then post to a story. (You can also load a picture previously taken by swiping down inside the camera mode)

The story is a place where photos you post there will go away 24 hours later. It is a quick and easy way to share loads of learning without having to feel like you must craft the perfect picture. You can also "go live" within the stories feature and stream the learning live.

Pro Tip: Photo's posted in Stories are best in portrait mode. 

I could spend two more posts writing about all the potential greatness you could do with Instagram, instead I am going to encourage you to go check it out today.

As always,

Stay tuned and stay connected

#TechTipTuesday - Blogger vs Google Sites

Continuing my series on communication tools,  as we get ever closer to the first day of school,  let's will explore just two of the offerings from the surplus that Google grants one. 

Blogger vs New Google Sites

While both are unique and awesome in their own ways, when you have a Google account you have access to both of these fantastic tools, and each of them is worth exploring. My hope for the future is that Blogger is integrated into the New Google Sites so that you can have all of the great googliness in one spot.

Blogger

For the novice, Blogger has a quick and easy feel and setup time. One can simply go to Blogger.com sign in with their Google account and click the button "+ New Blog" and then choose from several pre made designs, which can be adjusted with a few clicks.

Once you've created the blog you can now start posting.  I always suggest keeping your blog simple in the beginning.

Do a post a day with a picture and a few words. I like to encourage Bloggers to share what they see in the picture. In our learning environments sometimes something that may look like a simple task may be filled with rich thought provoking learning and this tool allows us to show our viewers a glimpse into each day with a different perspective than their own.

One might also use a Blog as an active learning tool. Have one or multiple of your learners write up a daily or weekly summary of the learning which took place in your class. Allow families the opportunity to hear from the learners in the class and encourage your learners to reflect back on the day or weeks worth of learning.

Another fantastic option inside of Blogger are the built in widgets. A widget allows you to show case blog posts, show archived blog posts, and more. My favorite is "subscribe" which allows viewers to enter in their email address and get updates to their email when there is a new post.

New Google Sites

Back in November, Google launched a redesigned Google Sites dubbed New Google Sites. With this update came simple setup, mobile automation (instantly adjusts to mobile and tablet viewing) and more. 

Why might you use this tool?

• It's a great way to setup a page with all the information your may want to share with your learners or families.
• It integrates with Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Maps, and YouTube

This integration of the Google suite is a pretty enticing feature. With a click you can add your Google calendar, upload an entire Google Drive folder, embed a YouTube video, add a whole document to your page, and more.

With some clever folder placement or embedding a Google slideshow on the page you can easily share photos from your learning environments, share learner work, or allow others to easily see what is coming up in the future within your Google calendar.

For anyone with a Google account and looking for a starting place for building their own website, check out the new Google Sites by visiting sites.google.com/new

So which tool should you use?

Check them both out, ask yourself what your intended purpose or goal is, and think about your audience. Each has the potential to be a powerful tool for sharing the learning which happens each and everyday in your learning spaces.

In the future I plan to do a video walk through of each of these tools.

As always Stay tuned and stay connected.

Looking for a new podcast? 
Check out 
Tech on the Side 
My new podcast for all learners and technology enthusiasts.

Search for Tech on the Side in your favorite podcasting app and subscribe!

#TechTipTuesday - Google Classroom Guardian Summaries

As the new school year approaches it is time to starting thinking about how you will be communicating with your families about what is going on in your learning space, upcoming events, and for some of you sharing homework assignments.

As there are a plethora of tools available for you to do all these things I thought I would highlight a different communication tool each week leading up to school's start to help you explore and think about which method or methods you might employ this school year.

Up this week:

Google Classroom Guardian Summaries.

For those of you who are using or were thinking about using Google Classroom this year with your kids, you are in luck, as Google Classroom has built in a function where you can invite family members to receive emails from classroom regarding assignments and announcements in the class.

To do so, you must start by having kids assigned to your class (you can do this by sharing the code with them or manually adding them to your class).

Once you have kids in your Google Classroom you'll need to activate Guardian summaries
1. Click class
2.Click students
3. Toggle the switch labeled "turn on guardian summaries"

4. Choose the classes you want to have this feature

Now that you have the function turned on it's time to invite families to receive the summary

1. Click the class
2. At the top, click Students.
3. Next to a student's name, click Invite Guardians
4. In the text field, enter a guardians email address.
     (To invite multiple guardians, insert a comma between email address for a single student)
5. Click Invite to send the invitation

Some pros:

1. If you are actively using the assignment feature this is a great way to keep families in the loop about projects and assignments automatically. 
2. You can email all guardians in the class right from Classroom to keep them informed or remind them about upcoming events.
3. It's Google, so you know that they will continue to add new features to help make this tool even better

Some cons:
1. If you do not keep accurate information about assignments in Classroom family members may get summaries of things even though there may not be something that has to be "turned in"
2. The initial setup makes you have to enter in each email address for each kid (though I have been told by some kids that their parents were able to join the classroom themselves, no on has yet showed me how they would've managed this...testing this in the near future)


Over all it is a great function to use for keeping your kids and their families informed about assignments and events taking place with your classroom.

Check it out for yourself by visiting classroom.google.com.

As always,

Stay tuned and stay connected.