Two on Tuesday: Google Calendar and Classroom

1. I know our faculty/staff members have a wide range of Google knowledge so many of you may know these few tips for Google calendar but I wanted to share for those that may not... I've been using Google calendar for years and just started using one of these this school year. This video will show you what I consider the easiest way to share a calendar and then a way to add events into your own calendar from another calendar that doesn't require adding a new event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJFmTW_RCvA&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

Google Calendar Tips Google Calendar Tips Watch now...

2.  Yesterday Google Classroom announced new features that will roll out over the coming weeks. Now, keep in mind that last time a roll-out was announced, our division didn't see the items until nearly 3 months later so sometime between now and the end of the semester you should see the following changes: the ability to move posts to the top if they have been pushed down the page by more recent posts), the ability to reuse posts (think of the time savings from year to year), posting a question and seeing how many students respond, Google calendar integration, optional due dates on assignments, and the ability to attach Google forms (not just link to them... this allows the resulting data to be right in Google classroom).  Here is the nitty gritty: 

 http://googleforeducation.blogspot.com/2015/08/head-back-to-school-with-new-features-in-Google-Classroom.html

Google for Education: Head back to school with new features in Google Classroom Read more...

Let your ITRT know if there are any questions or if we can help you in any way.

Have a great evening! 

The Faculty 15... This and That at LCMS

The Faculty 15 is the name of the ITRT's monthly presentation at LCMS faculty meetings... the 15 is the number of minutes of the presentation, the number of items, or both.  Not all topics will apply to other division schools but there may be some tips that do apply to your work in your building so I am sharing. Enjoy!

Click here to link the full page view.

Two on Tuesdays : More Website Ideas

I'm sneaking this in just before I have to rename my Two on Tuesdays to, I don't know, Website Wednesdays???  Here are a few more ideas, building on my videos from last week, of ways to maximize the effectiveness of your webpages while minimizing the time you spend keeping it updated.

1. Here is a short video showing how to share documents with students and parents in four different ways (handing them to students in class is not one of them): email, Remind, your website, and your announcements blog.

https://youtu.be/K3lirP4DtPw

Sharing Documents w/ the World - YouTube Watch now...

2. Are you sending out weekly emails that automatically publish to your website AND using the Remind App to send texts to keep your students and their families informed?  If you are, here is a way to combine them both together to really get your information out there. If you are not, be sure to check out my videos from last week to learn how to use these great communication tools. 

https://youtu.be/vs6qDx_shZ8

Combining Weekly Emails with Remind - YouTube Watch now...

Contact your ITRT if you need help with any of this!

Two on Tuesdays: Keeping your Website Updated!

Here are two ideas on how to keep your website updated with minimal effort outside of a little initial setup time.  Don't forget you can stop the videos at any time if you are following along!

1. Remind (remind.com) - It you aren't using this service to update parents/students via text message you really should consider it. Your personal information stays private at the same time the service allows you to text subscribers important updates about your class, your club, your team, etc. If you take it one step further, those same texts can be posted on your Google site so your site is always highlighting the latest and greatest class news without having to log into your site (outside of the initial setup). This five minute video walks you through how to add the Remind widget to your Google site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usrtJKAC-mo

2. Blogger (blogger.com) - If you are sending home weekly or regular emails to a distribution list, you should strongly consider having an announcements page (using Blogger) linked to your Google site.  Your Blogger page can have an email address and by adding that email address to your distribution list, your page gets updated every time you send out an email to that group. The initial setup takes less than 15 minutes and then there is no additional effort required, unless you choose to fancy up your Blogger page.

Here is a 10 minute video that walks you step-by-step through the process: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuVa9Q_I-28

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact your school's ITRT! We look forward to working with you this year!

New Year, New Resources

• Need help connecting a printer? Read more about the LCHS Resources!
• Not sure how to sign up for a computer lab or mobile lab? Read more about the LCHS Resources!
• Want to change the channel on a common area TV? Read more about the LCHS Resources!