FTT - Faster, Friendlier Commenting with Mote

Faster, Friendlier Commenting With Mote

 @LisaBerghoff/@DanKim

I can remember getting papers back from my teachers and trying to decipher their comments. Yes, reading their handwriting was a challenge. They read and commented on so many papers that by the time they got to mine it looked like scribbles on the page. Most of the deciphering had to do with understanding the meaning behind their comments. Often there would be just a word or two written in the margins and I felt like I needed a decoder ring to figure out what my teacher was saying about my work. If the feedback was supposed to help me learn and get better for next time, knowing what my teachers intended by their notes was incredibly important. In an ideal world, we would be having ongoing conversations and conferences but that is so challenging with everything we need to get done in a day and the number of students we have in our classes.  There are also times when we would like students to comment on each others' work and hearing their voices would be so much more meaningful than simply text. We also know that they are more likely to give more feedback if they are talking and not just typing. 

Mote is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to leave voice comments on Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and Gmail. The free version allows you to record up to 20 voice notes per month and you get 1 minute for each note. When you first add the extension and create an account, you will get a 30-day trial for the unlimited version. In addition to voice memos, the upgraded version of Mote also allows you to have a transcript of the voice notes and can translate that transcript into many different languages.

Here's how you get started:

1. Go to the chrome webstore and search Mote

2. Click on Add To Chrome

3. You can click on the Mote extension icon to log in with your Google credentials

4. On docs, slides, sheets, forms, and gmail, look for the Mote icon and click on it to begin recording. Click it again to stop.

That's it!

Everyone who has access will be able to click on your voice comment to hear it.

Here is a quick introduction video to Mote:

Accessibility and Differentiation With Mote:

You might  have a student who struggles with typing or has stronger verbal skills, you can have them use Mote voice comments instead of typing.  Or, if you have a student who struggles with reading, you can leave them Mote voice comments to make sure they understand your feedback. You can also have students add the Mote Chrome extension and offer it as an option. Suggest to students that they try using Mote when they send gmail messages so the tone of their message is clearly understood. 

How will you use Mote? Want some help getting started? Let me know. I'm always happy to help. 

FTT - Brisk Teaching

AI Tool: Brisk Teaching

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS 

Today we are proud to start featuring Free Tech Tools proposed by some of our classroom teachers. This guest post is from DHS Special Education teacher, Paige Jack

What is Brisk Teaching? 

It is an AI Chrome Extension tool that is created for teachers to use to create lessons and materials, give feedback, and use it as a tool to create awesome material and save some time. 

I have been using the Brisk Teaching AI tool, free version, for a few weeks now. Here are the benefits I have seen as a High School Special Education Teacher, and some descriptions for the different features it has to offer. Some of the descriptions are written by me, and others I have used the Brisk Teaching AI tool to write the descriptions. 

Lesson Plan support

- You can get help writing a detailed lesson plan. You can select the grade level, length of time you want the lesson to be, and what standard you want it to match (i.e. Common Core). 

- All you need to do is tell brisk what the lesson plan should cover in as much detail as you can and it will create the lesson 

- Lesson plans can includes (based on amount of time you want for the lesson): 

• objectives
• materials
• standards
• bell-ringer activity
• introduction
• direct instruction 
• guided practice
• independent practice 
• exit ticket and conclusion 

Create a Resource 

- If there is a resource you want to use in many different ways 

- It can provide an introduction, an explanation of the topic with examples, and a conclusion

- Can be a good reference tool for students to increase that independence and possibly use in different settings/across curriculum 

- You can select the grade level for the reference to be written in 

- I have used this to create materials that include steps and examples for how to self-advocate in person or via email, editing writing, and a few other materials that are shared with students and parents to support the practice of skills at home. 

Give Feedback (written by the Brisk AI tool - Create Something Else tool) 

- The Give Feedback tool on the Brisk AI tool allows teachers to provide targeted feedback to students. Teachers can use this tool to highlight specific areas of improvement, offer suggestions for further development, and praise students for their accomplishments. This tool helps teachers save time by providing pre-written feedback options that can be customized to meet the needs of individual students. It also promotes student engagement and growth by providing timely and constructive feedback.

Change the Readability Level 

- You can change the reading level of various materials 

• Materials you have on a Google doc
• Articles online 

- Online articles that you adjust will be populated in a Google Doc with a link to the original article at the top of the document 

- Select the grade level you want the article to be read at 

- You can increase or decrease the level of the text that you have written using the AI tool OR that you have already created and open on a Google Doc

- I have used this many times to find articles of interest for my students, but rewrite it to their independent reading level or the level that matches their IEP goal. 

Create a Quiz 

- Identify the number of questions you want 

- Provide the topic or skills you want covered 

- Multiple choice, short response, long response options 

- Will provide an answer key with justification

- I have used this to create questions on a passage focused on the IEP goal (sequencing, main idea, key details, text evidence, inferencing, and more) 

- You could use this to create a quiz or test for a unit so you can work backwards from the unit assessment to plan the curriculum accordingly. 

Create Something Else 

- If you need ideas or prompts generated, or supplemental materials for a lesson this is a great feature. 

- In my Social Issues Essentials Class, I used this tool to create short articles about made up governor candidates for our voting unit. 

Detect AI (description written by Brisk AI Tool-- Create Something Else tool) 

The Detect AI tool on the Brisk Teaching tool can be used by teachers to identify areas of improvement in student work. By simply uploading a document or assignment, the tool can analyze the content and provide feedback on grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This tool helps teachers save time by automatically detecting and highlighting mistakes, allowing them to focus on providing targeted feedback and support. It also promotes student growth by helping them identify and correct their writing errors.

Adjust length and complexity (description written by Brisk AI Tool - Create Something Else tool) 

The Simplify option in the Brisk Teaching AI Chrome Extension allows you to simplify complex texts or materials to make them more accessible for students with different reading levels or learning needs. It can help break down difficult concepts and provide explanations in a more straightforward manner.

On the other hand, the Expand option allows you to expand on a topic or concept by providing additional information, examples, or resources. This can be useful for challenging students who need more in-depth explanations or for extending the learning for advanced students.

The Less Detail feature in the Brisk Teaching AI Chrome Extension allows you to simplify complex texts or materials to make them more accessible for students with different reading levels or learning needs. It helps break down difficult concepts and provides explanations in a more straightforward manner.

On the other hand, the More Detail feature allows you to expand on a topic or concept by providing additional information, examples, or resources. This can be useful for challenging students who need more in-depth explanations or for extending the learning for advanced students.

Note - these options can be used JUST after you have the text generated. Going back this option does not pop up with the tool on Google Docs. 

Wrap up: 

I have found this AI tool very helpful and use it almost every day. These are also just the tools that are used in the free version. There are so many other tools for the paid version that I have not used. If you try it out let me know. I hope if you do it is useful and helps save you time and is another tool in your teacher tool box. 

FTT - Digital Citzenship and Beyond

Digital Citizenship And Beyond

 @LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

Happy Digital Citizenship Week!

I have been learning, wondering, and talking about digital citizenship for many years. The conversation has shifted greatly over time. Initially, it was solely about keeping kids safe online. We needed to make sure students understood the dangers lurking on the internet and we thought if we told them enough scary, troubling, and shocking stories, they would be careful. One major error with this teaching method is that we spent a lot of time making lists of things that students should not do, but we never really told them what they should do. In this age of awareness of the connection between mental health and technology use, both good and bad, we absolutely must teach and also model what digital citizenship means in 2023.

 One thing that has not changed in this conversation over the years is the idea that digital citizenship should not be taught in isolation. Stand-alone lessons in digital citizenship make it really hard for students to transfer these skills. Also, digital citizenship is going to mean something different in a graphic arts class than in a world language class. In this post, I will unpack the many parts of digital citizenship as well as provide resources and some easy tips that you can start using right away.

What is Digital Citizenship?

Just like being a good citizen in society, digital citizenship is a collection of skills we need in order to fully participate in our communities and make smart choices online. As technology is moving quickly and students are introduced to technology at younger ages, the skills needed become more and more important. To make it easier for us to make sure we are teaching the right things, the ISTE standards are the compass for digital teaching and learning. ISTE lists digital citizenship as one of the standards for both students as well as educators. For students, the digital citizen standard has 4 subparts. You can unpack the digital citizenship ISTE standard, including viewing videos, here. 

• Digital Footprint: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation, and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.
• Online Behavior: Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including in social interactions online or when using networked devices
• Intellectual Property: Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
• Digital Privacy: Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security, and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.

The Do's Instead Of The Don'ts

In today's digital world, it is critical to give students a list of things they can and should be doing in order to be good digital citizens. The digital citizenship competencies were created by the DigCit Coalition, led by ISTE, along with many other coalition partners, in order to change the way we approach teaching digital citizenship away from don'ts to do's. I love this framing as it feels much more comfortable when I am speaking with students. These competencies make a lot of sense both online as well as in our in-person spaces. 

Digital Citizenship Competencies:

• Balanced: Students participate in a healthy variety of online activities and know how to prioritize their time between virtual and physical activities.
• Informed: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, and validity of digital media, and have developed critical skills for curating information from digital sources.
• Inclusive: Students are open to hearing and recognizing multiple viewpoints, and engaging with others online with respect and empathy.
• Engaged: Students use technology and digital channels to solve problems and be a force for good in their families and communities.
• Alert: Students are aware of their digital actions and know how to be safe and create safe spaces for others online.

Easy Resources:

• Common Sense Education has created 4 lessons for high school students and they are very good. Also, they are ready to go. All supporting materials and resources are included. Take a look here.

They also created a calendar for this week, but you can do these whenever it best fits into your scope and sequence calendar. Each day has a guiding question, an activity, something you can share with families, and a Spirit Week suggestion. Click on the image below to open it.

• PBS Learning Media AND KQED: This is a really nice roundup of resources that is both searchable and filterable. You can take a look by age and also by resource type. All videos also include closed captioning as well as a transcript. Topics are super relevant and helpful. They also include educator guides, source lists, vocabulary glossaries, and classroom activities  Click here to view.  I found this one on YouTube Algorithms: How To Avoid The Rabbit Hole, to be super informative. 

• Be Internet Awesome (created by Google): This is a collection of lessons, activities, and information that has the appearance of a very cute video game activity for younger kids. Given that you never know what our high school students will gravitate towards, I think it's worth checking out. The game is called Interland, but there are lots of other really useful tools in here. You can download the curriculum in both English and Spanish. There is also a collection of digital wellbeing lessons that were just added this past June. Again, I know these are created for younger students but I think they are easily transferable to our teens. (I actually learned a few things myself!) Take a look here.

Key Takeaway And A Challenge:

The key takeaway is this- we cannot wait for someone else to take on the responsibility of teaching our students how to be good digital citizens. It is the responsibility of every single one of us to foster these skills for our students in our own way. Our students need to be hearing this from us all year long in every content area. Just as you work on creating community in your classrooms and check in on their wellbeing, you also need to work on creating community online and check in on digital wellbeing.  

What will you start doing in order to promote digital citizenship skills in your learning spaces?

Challenge! Prize Alert! 

The first THREE people who complete FOUR items on this DigCit bingo card will get a prize. You can download it and print it or you can check them off digitally. It's up to you. Here's the link. Have fun!

FTT - AI Creation Tool #301: SlidesGo

 

AI Creation Tool #301: SlidesGo

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS 

When I first started teaching, Prezis were all the rage. Google Slides had yet to wrestle supremacy away from PowerPoint, and being able to zoom in and out of the Z axis during a presentation was extremely exciting. Although I spent countless hours making some fairly effective and entertaining Prezi lectures, I slowly began making my journey back to traditional Google Slides. Slides were easier to share and edit and collaborate on. I was also a little worried about putting all of my educational eggs in one rather small basket. I mean who knew when Prezi would go belly up and I would be shucks out of luck? It's just as well considering many of the sharper AI creation tools are focusing all of their attention on Slides and Powerpoint. 

One thing I try to explain to the freshman advisory classes is that AI tools can be more than just, "hey chatGTP, write me something..." It shouldn't merely be a simple replacement for our efforts and intellectual endeavors. We can use AI to enhance and augment ideas we've already got brewing or content we've been using for years. Instead of always asking AI to create a brand new worksheet or reading for class, I will input successful materials that I've used for years to look for ways to improve. Even when I do have ChatGTP or Perplexity create something for me, that's only a starting point that I myself will hammer and chisel into something worth sharing.

SlidesGO is a free and relatively powerful AI creation tool that can help you get started on creating a presentation on Google Slides or PowerPoint. It's easy to use, relatively free (freemium plan), and has a large library of templates and styles for you to choose from. All of their templates are fully customizable which allows you to tailor them to suit your specific teaching style, content, and classroom needs. Images and slide themes are beautiful, colorful, creative, and can fit 16:9 for class and A4 for printing. There are a few different AI options for creating Slides presentations, but this one is a good mix of practical and aesthetically focused and I highly recommend it!

Instructions:

1. Go to Slidesgo's website: https://slidesgo.com/
2. Sign Up: Click on the "Sign Up" button typically located at the top right corner of the page.
3. Browse Templates: Once logged in, navigate to the "Templates" section on the website.
4. Filter by Category or Subject: Use the filters to search for templates relevant to your subject or theme.
5. Preview Templates: Click on templates to preview them and find one that suits your requirements.

From there you can customize text, insert images, mess with your colors and fonts, and duplicate or add slides as needed. Once you're finished you can export the presentation and export it by clicking the "download" button and choosing either Google Slides or PowerPoint. 

Wait, there's more!

You can even create Infographics and charts that you can share or even print. You can use the AI tool to ask it to generate and organize your data with any type of chart you can think of: bar, pie, pyramid, cycle, anything!

We know plenty of educators out there that have aesthetically beautiful presentations that truly capture the attentions of our students. While there are a number of other important parts to a successful lesson, we know that people are primarily visual creatures and I think this could help with that. Give it a try and let us know what you think below.

FTT - Jamboard Alternatives

When Collaborative Whiteboards Are Your Jam

Alternatives To Jamboard

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS 

A colleague reminded me the other day of a phrase I used to say often when I started working as the Director of Instructional Technology. I definitely did not make it up but I can't remember who said it first. 

You date the device, but you marry the capabilities.

What does that mean? Devices and software will always come and go. Think about all of the different devices and applications you have used over the years. When we get too attached, it can feel devastating when that particular tool is no longer available. We need to realize that while we may have loved that device or that particular piece of software, we really mean to say that we loved what it did or gave us the ability to do. To that end, we then need to search for something similar and while we often wax poetic about the original, there are generally many other options to choose from. 

Last week, Google announced that they would be winding down the Jamboard application in 2024 so if you are a Jamboard user this is your official notice that you have been broken up with and need to find a new collaborative whiteboard space. While I know that to some of you, this is very, very bad news, I have done this enough times to know that this is very likely an opportunity to find something new and potentially even better.  Think about what it is about Jamboard that you love? What are the capabilities that you and your students benefit from?

In their announcement, Google also suggests some alternatives so let's take a look.

FigJam, LucidSpark, and Miro will now have Google Workspace integration to help us manage the transition. I am also a big fan of Kami, which has interactive whiteboard templates. 

Below we will look at FigJam and Kami as some great alternatives to Jamboard. 

FigJam: FigJam has partnered with Google to provide its tools FREE to educators and students. FigJam is an advanced collaborative whiteboarding tool with features including stamps, emotes, stickies, shapes, connectors, drawing tools, plugins, interactive widgets, and much more.

You and your students can use FigJam to:

• Brainstorm ideas for projects and assignments with sticky notes, shapes, and freehand drawing.
• Organize thoughts and research with decision trees, diagrams, and mind maps.
• Collaborate with classmates and teachers in real-time with feedback and comments.
• Plan and run group projects, presentations, and more.

Figma has lots of templates that are easy to use. 

Here is what the brainstorming template looks like:

I found this collection of voting templates to be super interesting:

Ok. Check out FigJam here.

Kami

The next option that I really really love is Kami.

Kami is a Chrome extension and it connects seamlessly with Google Drive. Kami started out as a tool to use with PDFs. You and your students can annotate on any PDFs using Kami BUT there is so much more to this tool. Kami has tons and tons of incredible templates, accessibility features, and whiteboard and collaboration tools. 

The template library is what really makes Kami stand out in my view as a superior option. If you want part of one template and part of another, you can also use Kami's split and merge feature.  Here is an example of a digital notebook from the Kami template library. You can see below that it shows you exactly what you can do with this template and you have the option to open it in Kami or just download it.

The Kami library also lets you filter and search by subject, item type, and grade level.

It's definitely worth taking a look.

While I know that there were so many things about Jamboard that we loved. The good news is that collaborative whiteboards are here to stay. Check out these two alternatives and let me know what you think. Want some help getting started? You can always reach out and I'm happy to work with you to make sure it's a success for your students.