Handy classroom utilities

posted Apr 9, 2019, 11:23 AM by Granger Meador   [ updated Apr 17, 2019, 5:15 PM ]
Here are three useful websites that provide easy-to-use tools for managing the classroom using your projector screen, wall monitor, or Promethean Board or for recording your lessons or online demonstrations.

Teachers who want to be mobile while using Classroom Screen or Flippity, or use their Chromebooks' microphones or camera with a utility, can use Google Cast to display their Chromebook screens on their desktop computers for projection. (This also lets elementary and middle school teachers use their Chromebooks' touchscreens.)
Classroom Screen

Classroom Screen

Free website with a variety of tools you click on and off as needed:
  •  Random name picker / dice
    • you can save the names in a text file you can load the next time
  • Timer
    • set or adjust a timer, with a variety of alarms
  • Clock or calendar
    • display analog and digital clock; show adjustable calendar
  • Text box
    • type in a resizable box;  you can copy and paste images into it
  • Drawing tools
    • draw on the screen (very useful with elementary and middle school teachers' touchscreen Chromebooks) with optional backgrounds like notebook or graph paper
  • Work symbols
    • display silence, whisper, ask neighbor, and work together signals
  • Traffic light
    • display red, yellow, or green signals
  • Sound level monitor
    • use on a Chromebook to monitor classroom volume and optionally sound a bell when the kids get too loud
  • Exit poll
    • display a question and have students tap the Promethean Board to select a quick answer
  • QR code generator
    • generates a QR code for a website you type in; kids can use a QR code app on iPads to go to that website (but 9-12 teachers should just use Lightspeed Relay Classroom to display a website on their students' Chromebooks; that utility should become available to ALL district teachers in August!)
  • Background
    • choose from a variety of background images and animated GIFs or load your own
Hint: Click the menu icon at the top left at the site for useful tips & tricks
Screencastify

Screencastify

We've already have a dozen or more teachers and over 100 students using Screencastify. It is a Chrome extension teachers or students can install on their Chromebooks so they can record their screens and/or record using their Chromebooks' built-in webcam. 

Some teachers use Screencastify for flipped video lessons where they provide the lesson as a video they embed in Canvas or Google Classroom for their students to view outside of class.
Free Premium Access through June 30
All district students and staff have free access to Screencastify Premium through June 30, 2019 by logging into the service with their district Google account. The free version allows you to record up to 50 videos, each up to 10 minutes in length, which will have a Screencastify watermark. The Premium version removes the length and quantity limits as well as the watermark, while adding online trimming and merging as well as exporting.

The district will be purchasing a limited number of Premium accounts for teachers in 2019-20. So try out Screencastify and, if you wind up needing the Premium features for your class, let Granger Meador know you're interested in Premium access.

50 ways to use Screencastify




flippity.net

Flippity

Turn a Google Sheet with student names or terms, etc. into a variety of free tools and games (some ads):
Sharing a link with your students
When you want students to use a tool on their own Chromebook or iPad, you will need to send them a Flippity.net link. Here are some ways to do that:
If you like Flippity, you can install its Add-on to Google Sheets so you can quickly invoke it within Google Sheets from the Add-ons menu.
 
Skip the spreadsheet: If you're in a hurry, you can just quickly type things in and use some of the features without using a Google Sheet.



Ċ
Screencastify-eBook-v1-9-27-18.pdf
(2188k)
Granger Meador,
Apr 17, 2019, 7:51 AM
v.1