SlideRocket: A New Tool in Jeffco Google Apps

All staff and students in Jeffco Schools now have SlideRocket available in Jeffco Google Apps. You can try it out over the summer and use it next year.  You will find it in the "More" menu after you log in to the Jeffco Google Domain.

• As a Web 2.0 presentation tool, SlideRocket has some similarities to - and differences from - other tools like Google Presentations, Animoto, Prezi, Powerpoint and more. 
• One of the great benefits of it being linked to the Jeffco Google Apps domain is that your students all have access to it through their google account - no need to create accounts like you do in other Web 2.0 tools.  (and - like the rest of Google Apps, it's free)
• This is another of our "self-supported" tools.  It has been used in several Jeffco classrooms with great success and almost no "training."  SlideRocket has great help pages and tutorials. 

Watch their promo video and then log in to Google to play with SlideRocket over the summer.

Google Chrome Ninja Presentation - Favorite Extensions from an expert

FollowMolly.com: Google Chrome Ninja Presentation on Education On Air Conference:

Try some new extensions in Google Chrome to help you be more efficient and effective.

Google Docs: More than just "Plain Text"

A Blog Post from our friend, Michael Wacker, over in Denver Public Schools.

EdTechTeam: Google Docs: More than just "Plain Text": If you've dabbled just a bit or maybe even dove deep into Google docs the past five years you've b...

Find facts and do research inside Google Documents | Docs Blog

Find facts and do research inside Google Documents | Docs Blog:

Is this a good thing or the end of civilization (and education) as we know it?  
Read the Google Docs Blog Post and join the conversation below!

• "The research pane taps into Google Search directly from Google documents, so whether you want to add a cool destination to your itinerary for an upcoming trip to India or you're looking for the perfect presidential quote for a political science paper, you don’t even have to open a new tab."

Updated Web Policy Documents for Google Sites

Lots of questions surface about what can or should be on a Google Site, whether a parent volunteer can help with Sites, etc.


Here are some updated documents for the use of Google Sites in Jeffco:

• Web Governance and Standards in Jeffco Schools
• Volunteer Access to Edit a Jeffco Google Site
• Volunteer Web Agreement

Which Tool Should I Use? Docs? /Sites? /Schoology?

Questions about Schoology? Questions about Google Docs and Sites? Is one of those questions: Which tool should I use? Take a peek at this Google Doc to learn more about these exciting collaborative tools, their capabilities and how you can leverage them inside and outside of the classroom. Wait...What is JEFFCO SCHOOLOGY?!?!  Watch the video below. (or click the link)

Google Drive: The New Google Docs

As mentioned in a previous post (with promo video):  Google Docs will soon become Google Drive. 


Starting next Wednesday (May 16), Jeffco Google Apps users will be able to "Opt In" to Google Drive.
Please note - The Google Drive software install does not work on Jeffco machines in the Jeffco environment - yet.  That is being worked on.  But the web version of Drive will basically look, feel and behave like Docs does.  (you can try it in personal Google accounts now)


Here is the announcement from Google:

"Drive: On 5/14 we will start the rollout of the “opt-in” phase of Google Drive to scheduled track domains. The “opt-in” phase consists of the following:

• Users can visit drive.google.com where they can opt-in to Drive.
• As part of opting in, they will be shown an interstitial which includes this video.
•  If an opted in user visits docs.google.com, the user will be redirected to drive.google.com.
• The “Documents” navigation item will change to “Drive.”

The rollout will start on 5/14 and take 1-2 weeks. Once Drive is fully rolled out to a domain, new users in the domain will be Drive users. Even once a user has opted into Drive, they can revert to the Docs look via a setting in the Drive user-interface (although they will remain on drive.google.com)."

Password Changes for Jeffco Students

As a critical part of teaching students how to become good digital citizens in a 21st century learning environment, Jeffco's IT Department will begin to force password
changes for student accounts. 

Students will begin to change their passwords for Google Apps, computer logins, Infinite Campus (i.e. Student Portal), and Blackboard on Wed., May 9. These password changes will not affect any other student applications like Acuity or Horizon.

When students are forced to change their passwords, the change updates all student accounts. All students in second through 12th grade are required to change their passwords. A more simplified process will be used for second and third-grade students and those details will be communicated to elementary schools. 

The process can be accomplished in a few short steps; learn more here. Several schools will test the process onThursday, May 3. All students will change their passwords when they login beginning on Wed., May 9.

Some students use a different password for Google Apps than what they use for Campus Portal. Beginning at 9 p.m. on Wed., May 2, the passwords for these two systems will sync. Students will then use the same password for both applications. View password change information and resources.

IT and Ed Tech Services will coordinate with teacher librarians and principal secretaries at the elementary and middle schools, and with teacher librarians and technology coordinators in the high schools to implement this change.

For more information about the student password switch, e-mail Greg Mortimer or Chris Paschke.

Introducing Google Drive

 Introducing Google Drive, the newest member of Google Apps: 


“Google Drive will become the default and will replace the documents list as the way for users to access their files and documents.”


Stay tuned for when this will roll in Jeffco and what it might entail.  At first glance, it sounds like a nice upgrade!

If video doesn't display: http://youtu.be/wKJ9KzGQq0w 

Google Education On Air

EducationOnAir:

 This looks like a great opportunity.  They have several "strands" - Here is just one:

Instructional & Assessment Tools

12pm	Managing Digital Portfolios
1pm	Using Google Docs to Organize the Classroom
1pm	Use of Google Earth to Visualize Student-Collected Air Pollution Data
2pm	Using Google Tools to Create and Manage Online Courses
2pm	Google Docs for Writing Instructors
3pm	Google Earth Tours in Education
3pm	A Global Hip-Hop Passport
4pm	Assessment Trackers: Tools for Teachers
5pm	Formative and Summative Assessments Google Style!
5pm	Creating Comic Strips with Google
6pm	Using Google SketchUp in the Classroom
6pm	Grading with Flubaroo, and using Google Apps Scripts in the Classroom
7pm	The Play, The Playwright, and Your Scene: Using Google Docs, Sites, and YouTube
7pm	Project Portfolios - A Middle School Social Studies Year Long Project
8pm	Google Sites for Your Classroom (Basics)

EducationOnAir

Bloomin' Apps - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

Bloomin' Apps - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything:


Google Apps - iPad Apps - Android Apps...  All placed in the structure of how they support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy for cognitive learning.  Take a look and share your ideas below!


Bloomin' Apps - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything:

Google Calendar Sharing Tip

Helpful tips from the Jeffco Service Desk for sharing your Google Calendars:
This is to inform you of a workaround for the Google Calendar sharing issue that many of you have had when using Jeffco Google Apps.

Please follow these steps to enable others to properly share (see) your calendar AFTER you have shared it with them:

• Navigate to your calendar – you should see a list of calendars under your own personal calendar called: Other Calendars 
• Click the drop down next to the name of your calendar. 
• Select: Calendar Settings from the dropdown list. 
• On the Calendar Settings page, find a section called: Calendar Address 
• Click the blue HTML button 
• Copy the link provided in this window. Your link should look like this: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=(yourcalendarname)%40jeffcoschools.us&ctz=America/Denver 
• Email this link to all of the users you have shared your calendar with, once they click this link and display the calendar, the calendar will populate into their “Other Calendars” list. 

If you continue to have issues sharing your Google Calendar, please follow these steps. If you have any issues or questions about a Jeffco Google App there are a few options:

• Often times, you can simply Google your issue! Google is great about indexing and making a help widely available for their own tools. 
• Navigate to: http://www.google.com/support/?hl=en, where you can search for your issue or find help and info on known issues.
• If you just can’t seem to find the help you need, Jeffco Employees can contact the Service Desk: service_desk@jeffco.k12.co.us.

Using Google Docs to Create Digital Kits for Student Projects - The Tempered Radical

Using Google Docs to Create Digital Kits for Student Projects - The Tempered Radical:


Interesting blog post about using Google Apps to help kids organize their media for digital storytelling projects.  Includes tips on teaching copyright compliance.


How do you use Google Apps with kids?

Quick Way to Create Class Contact Lists in Google Apps

Run a report in Infinite Campus - tweak it in Excel - and import it into Google Contacts.  Presto!  You have your class list(s) in Google Apps for sharing, collaborating and communicating.
Directions:

How to create Google Contact Groups from the Campus JPS Google Apps Roster

Previous Post on how to pull a staff distribution list from Outlook Client and make it into a Google Contact List.

Sign up NOW for Spring/Summer Online PD Courses!

Please share!  If anyone wants to take online courses before the Level Freeze in September, now is the time!

The District has announced that we will be moving from Blackboard to a new learning management system called Schoology over the summer. Because Jeffco’s contract with Blackboard expires on June 30^th, all spring and summer courses must end by June 20th. All technology courses including Google for Educators 1, 2 and 3 will be offered in April. There will be NO waitlists for any online courses offered between now and June 20^th but be sure to sign up right away as many start the week after spring break. This will be your last chance for Inservice/Graduate credits from Jeffco courses before the September level change freeze. Don’t miss out!

Browse the course schedule at the Online PD course website and register on ESS. 

 

To learn more about Schoology, watch their Demo Video below (but no need to go sign up for an account - those will be created) 

Spread the Word! Jeffco Tech Share Fair - May 12

 

2012 Jeffco Technology Share Fair
A share fair is an opportunity for educators, administrators, school board members, and anyone else interested in sharing or learning about how technology can and does support today's student and adult learners.

Call for presenters Please visit the Jeffco Tech Share Fair website to sign up to present or share. Please share this information to all members of your staff. 

When: Saturday, May 12th from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Arvada West High School

Contacts: 

• Matt Cormier (mcormier@jeffco.k12.co.us) 
• Gia DeSelm (gdeselm@jeffco.k12.co.us)
• Leah Lindblom (llindblo@jeffco.k12.co.us) 

Website: http://tinyurl.com/jeffcosharefair

In the News: Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy

Many folks in Jeffco don't know about our friends in the Virtual Academy and the opportunities they provide for students.  They were recently interviewed on the Colorado & Company morning show.  Take a look and listen:

 

Creating a Google Contact List for Staff

Staff Lists - from Outlook to Google 

Please note:  This only works in "Outlook Client" - not in OWA (web version).  If you don't have Outlook software on your machine, you could ask someone who does to help you with steps 1-6 (office staff?).  After you have the excel file you can work on any machine.

Open this document for step by step directions on how to take a distribution list from Outlook (such as the "DL" list for your whole school) and put it in Excel, then change the format and ending of the email address (from jeffco.k12.co.us to jeffcoschools.us)  - and import it into Google Contacts to share documents, sites and more.

Also available:  Student Lists - from Campus to Google

Doodle 4 Google

Doodle 4 Google

Google is hosting Doodle 4 Google, which is an art competition that challenges students to redesign our Google logo, with a doodle based on the theme: "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..."

The national winner takes home a $30,000 college scholarship and awards his school with a $50,000 technology grant. In addition, the winning "Doodle" will also be displayed on Google's homepage, Crayola's iconic 64 box,  and even be displayed in a special exhibit at the New York Public Library.

Google Science Fair

2012 Google Science Fair

Google is accepting submissions for the 2012 Google Science Fair, which is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea. 

Prizes include a scientific trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Explorer, unique scholarships and real-life work opportunities in iconic science centers of excellence like CERN in Switzerland, and more.

Comments/Disccusions in New Google Presentations

Great presentations start with great discussions | Google Docs Blog


The new Google Presentation editor will become the default version for new Google Presentations starting tomorrow (March 6).  


Many great features, including the ability to have discussions while collaborating on a presentation.  


Watch the short video for a demo.

New Version of Google Presentation

I've been using the awesome new version of Google Presentations (the Google Docs "powerpoint") for months, but in the last week, I've come across several Jeffco people who still see the boring old presentation editor.
To switch - or help your students and other staff switch - watch the short video below.  Or just log into Docs, go to the gear and "settings" - click the Editing tab and check the box for New Version of Google Presentation.

Caution - The new Google Presentations uses HTML5. Google Chrome is the recommended browser when working with Google Apps.

Changes to the look of Google Calendar

Changes to the look of Google Calendar:
This might be old news for some of you - but brand new for others.
From Google:

" You might have noticed that Google Calendar looks a little bit different. This is the first in a series of changes to make our products more consistent and intuitive so your experience is more enjoyable and productive. "


Watch the video embedded below (or linked here) and/or go to the  Google Calendar Help

Google Docs Basics

Feel free to share with friends and colleagues!

From the Google Apps Learning Center

• Google Docs Basics
• Google Docs - Sharing and Collaboration

Google Sites - Tutorials and Reference Guides

The Jeffco Google Sites Support Page has a plethora of resources as our we transition to Google Sites for district web sites.
Be sure to look at the tutorials and reference guides created by Alice in Customer Learning Services (screenshot).
A reference guide and tutorial to help you utilize Picasa Web Albums for photo storage and sharing was just added today.

A Day in the Life of an Online Teacher

This isn't necessarily "google apps" - but it is definitely worth a watch!

Kristin Kipp, J21VA (Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy) English teacher and National Online Teacher of the Year, talks about what it's really like to be an online teacher.

http://youtu.be/M8NpTDsScjg

Google Chrome Browser in Jeffco

Google Chrome Browser in Jeffco

All computers in Jeffco are receiving an installation of Google Chrome as an alternative browser.  Google Apps (Sites, Docs, etc) will work better in Google Chrome.

Please visit the site if you want more information.

Easy Bib link is working now

For those who use - or have been wanting to use - Easy Bib with their students using Jeffco Google Apps, the link under "more" (in the black bar of google tools) as well as the link on the resource site now works again.


 Be sure the user is logged in to Jeffco Google first, and then it should connect to Easy Bib with that account - which then allows one click to make the Works Cited page in Google Docs.


Need help with Easy Bib?  Check out our helpful links for the self-supported apps.

Paperless Classroom using Google Apps

Jeffco teachers may have seen this in the Messenger:
Hats off to Arvada High School Spanish teacher Matt Cisneros for going paperless in class. Cisneros has created a class website in Google Apps, with calendars, documents, student portfolios and more!
The AHS Teacher Librarian, Tara McJunkin, also deserves a shout out for her part in helping make this vision a reality.

• View Cisneros' Spanish class Google site. 

• Watch Senor Cisneros present an overview of his class website en Espanol on YouTube.

Anyone else have some examples?  Post links in the comments below!

Please spread the word to those who want to get started with Google Apps.  Back by popular demand! We have opened another session of Google for Educators 1 starting on January 30^th. Please register in ESS by Friday, January 27^th to ensure your spot in the class. There will be a mandatory orientation meeting on Monday, January 30^th at 4 p.m. Location TBA. The course runs 8 weeks and will finish right before spring break. 

Google for Educators I

Course Registration Code: BETGOG-0012

Looking to enhance your web experience with Jeffco Google Apps? How can you maximize the tools supported by Jeffco? This course takes an in-depth look at how to use Google Sites, Presentation, Docs, Calendar and Forms/Surveys in the new Jeffco domain. Prepare to be Googlified in this highly interactive online course.

Credit Options: 3 Grad Credits, 3 Inservice Credits or 45 clock hours
Grade Level: All Grades (K-12)

You can also search ESS for Face to Face trainings on Google Sites and Google Docs, or sign up to drop in for one of the Google Apps Open Labs.

Google Sites - No Edit Button? - Simple fix

A few users in Jeffco have reported in just the past week that they can't get the editing tools in their Google Site.  Doesn't seem to matter what browser.  We have not been able to determine why - but for each person the solution ended up being fairly simple: refresh the page (reload).  One person had to right click on the page and select "reload."
If  you are signed in to Google Apps and you reload the page and you still don't see the editing tools, please contact the service desk.

Which Browser? Chrome, Firefox or IE?

Technology moves so fast!  Google made more changes recently and we are finding new surprises in how Google Apps behaves in different browsers in our school environment (and home).


Jeffco is testing Google Chrome in a few schools.  Stay tuned.  We hope to have a Google Chrome install tested and packaged and pushed out to schools with in a month (assuming we don't have any unforeseen problems).  Not surprisingly, Google Apps works better in Google Chrome - but you probably don't want to install on your Jeffco machine just yet.


Internet Explorer (IE) works for many things in Google, but has some glitches.


Firefox has been working better than IE in some schools, but this week a new hiccup appeared.  Thank you to a 6th grader at Falcon Bluffs for finding the solution!
From the Teacher Librarian discussion board:

• Is anyone else having issues with Docs and Firefox?  It worked very well prior to break but now I am not able to type into the documents.  (Everything opens fine, just not typing.)
• We had the same problem before break. One of our 6th graders found the answer. I know this sounds crazy, but it works. Simply right click in the document and then left click again, and voila, you can type! Weird, right?

Questions?  Comments?  Tips or tricks?  Feel free to share below.

Present at TIE Conference!

Some of you Google Gurus should present at TIE 2012 -the Technology In Education conference at Copper Mountain Resort June 19-21.


Sign up by Friday if you want to present! 


Registration for participants will open later.