Author: Mark Salzer

A couple of noteworthy Google updates this month

New Dropdown Menus
A fun way for students to create Mad Libs, Track Project Progress, Choose Your Own Adventure Stories, and more. Also perfect for Rubrics. INSERT–>Dropdown There are also some new building block templates that make it easy to get started with drop-down menus. (animated GIF below from Brian Buffington, who offers a weekly edtech newsletter) (You might also want to check out Richard Byrne’s post on this and 4 other new Google doc features)

New Chrome webstore badges

Google is making it easier to identify reputable app developers by adding badges that will help you avoid installing “copycat” chrome extensions.

Create more with Canva using these Template Shortcuts!

The EDU team at Canva wanted to save you some time and give you quick access to the most popular classroom templates. Categories include: Creating Positive Classroom Communities, Design Teaching Resources, and Design Student Activities. Each specific template is hyperlinked to blank templates. Click graphic below.

Digital Breakouts Teach Important Tech Skills Through Digital “ESCAPE” Rooms

Digital Breakouts are a great way to engage students in important tech skills through an action-packed digital scavenger hunt. Students are so engrossed in solving puzzles and competing with classmates, they actually don’t even realize they are being taught important content!

The REMC Association 21Things4Students has added four new digital breakouts to support technology proficiency and to keep students safe and secure online. Using clues to solve and open a lock, Digital Breakouts promote collaboration and teamwork while enhancing curriculum content. Interactive activities can include mazes, matching vocabulary, word searches, directional grids and more.

Check out the four new 21Things4Students Digital Breakouts:

21Things4Students has ready-made classroom activities and curriculum to help all educators integrate technology skills into their classroom learning. All materials are FREE and licensed under Creative Commons for use and duplication.

BrainPop’s Summer Learning Packets

Dive into summer learning at home with BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. through your school’s subscription. Download these summer learning packets with engaging ways to keep building skills to bridge gaps and stay on track.

REMC’s Personal Purchase Program is back

REMC’s Personal Purchase Program is now available through September 30th. Three REMC awarded vendors are offering discounted devices for staff, students, and families. These purchases are for individuals, not districts. Use the contact information on the flyer linked below for questions about specific devices, delivery times, etc.

You can find information about the program on the Personal Purchase Program flyer.

You may also want to check out the Dell Education Purchase Program (EPP) Online Store at: www.dell.com/pccsk12

Some recent Zoom updates

New and enhanced features include:

Zoom Whiteboard – In April, Zoom launched the all-new, designed-from-the-ground-up Zoom Whiteboard, a cross-platform visual collaboration solution accessible in Zoom Meetings, Zoom Rooms, the Zoom desktop client for Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Zoom web portal. With Zoom Whiteboard, you can brainstorm and collaborate on a persistent, infinite digital canvas. Manage, share, edit, and duplicate Whiteboards directly from the Zoom Web Portal to access Zoom Whiteboard anywhere.

View breakout room activities from main session – Once breakout rooms are open, hosts and co-hosts can view the level of activity in each breakout room, including which participants are in each room, along with icons that show whether their audio or video is on, if they’re sharing their screen, and if they have any active reactions or nonverbal feedback. This feature requires hosts and participants to have client version 5.10.3 or higher. Viewing breakout room activities from the main session is also available for Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop clients.

Central library of polls – Users can manage a central library of polls for meetings. They can create or edit polls and use them for Personal Meeting ID (PMI) and non-PMI meetings. Previously, polls for PMI and non-PMI meetings were managed separately. When a poll is marked as available to all meetings, it will appear in the list of polls that can be launched in a meeting. This new central repository will not replace the “Personal Meeting (PMI) polls”; polls created here will only appear in PMI meetings. This feature is also available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS desktop clients.

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How to get started with Zoom Whiteboard

To get started with Zoom Whiteboard, you’ll need Zoom version 5.10.3 or later. Here’s how you can create, access, and share your digital whiteboards:

Sign into your Zoom account using the Zoom client on your device or web browser.
Select the Whiteboards tab, and choose New Whiteboard to start a whiteboard.
To view your whiteboards, select the ‘My Whiteboards’ tab. You can also select ‘Shared with Me’ to view whiteboards that have been shared with you.
To share a digital whiteboard you’ve created, open the whiteboard you wish to share, select the Share button, and type the contact or email you wish to share the board with.

*Pro tip: Be sure to visit our support page to learn more about Zoom Whiteboard and its features!

Download the latest version of the Zoom desktop client to access all these features and more.

In early summer, Google will be replacing multiple-location Drive files with shortcuts

FYI, starting on June 27, 2022 and in the weeks thereafter, Google will be replacing multiple-location Drive files with shortcuts. Any impacted users in our domain will start seeing an in-product notification banner about two weeks before the replacement starts. The banner will notify them about the change and will point them to a support article with more info. The migration will take place automatically—no action will be required by users.

Google’s change is meant to simplify folder and file structures and helps reduce confusion around files with multiple parent folder locations.

When a file is replaced with a shortcut:

One location is preserved for files or folders currently contained in multiple locations. All other instances of the item will be replaced with a shortcut.
Ownership and sharing permissions for files and folders are preserved.

Drive shortcuts

Seesaw’s Monthly Feature Update Report AND Seesaw Connect

Seesaw is now maintaining an up-to-date online set of slides reviewing their monthly updates and showcasing what’s new as well as lessons they’ve introduced and webinars they’re offering. Teachers who use Seesaw are encouraged to bookmark the site for periodic reference as the service continues to evolve.

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Seesaw Connect 2022

Seesaw Connect is a FREE virtual conference for any educator. Explore short on-demand courses that interest you, no matter where you are in your Seesaw journey. Get inspired by passionate educators that share simple ways to engage students. VISIT HERE TO LEARN MORE AND ENROLL

REMC May Professional Learning

Here is the latest issue of the REMC Connect newsletter featuring their free courses with 10 free SCECHs. The courses begin May 2. The registration deadline is April 29.

Are you looking for a new classroom tech trick? Need to earn some SCECHs? Look no further than a REMC Course!

Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn, connect, collaborate and grow from the convenience of your home.

Check out May 2022 courses here:

Register by Friday, April 29th. You will receive a welcome email with the course login and other information prior to the course starting on May 2nd. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please contact Erin Rommeck, REMC Event Coordinator.

April 2022 Canva Monthly Newsletter

Greetings from the Canva K-12 Education team! This monthly newsletter includes new feature updates and tips for getting the most out of your enterprise-level Canva for Education tools.

Canva Tutorials for Students

Help students create, communicate and utilize Canva for Education. Short, easy-to-follow video tutorials help students of all abilities get the most out of Canva for Education whether creating presentations, editing photos, collaborating with classmates and much more!. SEE TUTORIALS

Comment-Only Links

Now you can share your design with others with a comment-only link! This link allows recipients to comment on your design and provide meaningful feedback without changing or editing the content. LEARN MORE