Create FREE Animated Gifs using Snagit and your Chrome Browser
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Create FREE Animated Gifs using Snagit and your Chrome Browser

Animated Gifs have returned to the scene as a GREAT teaching tool. You can email them, post them on a website or on social media, add them to a document or slideshow, but any way you put them, they're a powerful, succinct way to get across the steps of a technology process. Easy, fun, and FREE! Thanks...
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Updated Student Choice Continuum
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Updated Student Choice Continuum

The idea of the "Student Choice Continuum" has had quite a bit of traction thanks to followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Thanks for your feedback. Below please find the updated Student Choice Continuum which has discarded the "Based on Curriculum" anchor found in the original version. Educators...
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3 Minute Tech Tip: Switch to the New Google Drive, Move Multiple Files at Once, and ADD (not move) Files to a Secondary Folder
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3 Minute Tech Tip: Switch to the New Google Drive, Move Multiple Files at Once, and ADD (not move) Files to a Secondary Folder

In this THREE MINUTE video, learn to do ALL THIS: Switch to the New Google Drive, Move Multiple Files at Once, and ADD (not move) Files to a Secondary FolderI know, that's a lot for 3 minutes, right?!?Direct Link to Vi...
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5 Features of Google Docs you are Probably Missing Out On (#FOMO)
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5 Features of Google Docs you are Probably Missing Out On (#FOMO)

While just about EVERYBODY’S using Google Docs these days, there may be some important features you’re missing out on, so if you’re having GDocs FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), read on... 1. Suggesting ModeThis relatively new feature allows you to highlight a mistake in a document, type a suggestion on...
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3 Minute Tech Tip: Automatically Label Incoming Email with a Filter + a Label
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3 Minute Tech Tip: Automatically Label Incoming Email with a Filter + a Label

This week's tip comes from a colleague who wanted a way to automatically label email messages based on certain criterion. This technique will DEFINITELY help you keep your inbox organized as well as draw your attention to important topics. Hope you enjoy it! If you do, please hit the thumbs up button...
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Top 5 Reasons To Give Google Play for Edu Another Look
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Top 5 Reasons To Give Google Play for Edu Another Look

Guys, You are SERIOUSLY missing out if you haven't looked at the new Google Play for Education store. And NO, you don't have to have a Google Play tablet to take advantage of it! Learn everything you need to know to get started in my post on the Synergyse Blog here, or click the image bel...
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CrowdSchool Seeks to Crowdsource PBL Units, Asks for a Start via Indie Go Go
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CrowdSchool Seeks to Crowdsource PBL Units, Asks for a Start via Indie Go Go

CrowdSchool recently launched an IndieGoGo campaign to help scale its platform for teachers to create, share, and sell project-based Challenges. CrowdSchool seeks to make it easier for teachers to find and use project-based resources in the classroom. All three Co-Founders have teaching experience, and Chief Learning Officer Tim Monreal still teaches middle school Social Studies. Pedagogy is at the...
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Three Minute Tip: Create and Share a Folder in Google Drive (and an Advanced Feature you Might have Missed)

Three Minute Tip: Create and Share a Folder in Google Drive (and an Advanced Feature you Might have Missed)

If you're sharing multiple files with the same group via Google Drive, how about sharing one folder then adding anything ELSE you want to share to that folder? I know, great idea, RIGHT?!? Learn how to . . . 1. Create a folder2. Create a file within the folder3. Move an existing file into a folderALL...
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Three Minute Tech Tip: Google Chrome Extension TabCloud
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Three Minute Tech Tip: Google Chrome Extension TabCloud

TabCloud is my FAVORITE Google Chrome Extension. It allows me to upload a set of tabs then open them on a different computer, at a different time, or just after restarting my computer. INDISPENSABLE! If you enjoy it, please share this post or like and share the YouTube video. Click here to install...
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Cables Can be SCARY! October is Cable Collection Month
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Cables Can be SCARY! October is Cable Collection Month

If your workplace is like every one I've ever seen, about 98% of people have a drawer and a half full of cables that either go to nothing or that go to nothing they still have or that go to nothing they know they have; meanwhile in the technology department, thousands of dollars is spent to replace...
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Getting Started with Google Classroom
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Getting Started with Google Classroom

As you may have heard, Google Apps for Education recently released Google Classroom. While it is NOT a Learning Management System (LMS), it does simplify procedures for teachers sharing files with students. Most notably, it automatically creates a copy of a specified file from Google Drive for each...
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Teachers . . . Molders of Dreams, Poem by Clark R. Mollenhoff
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Teachers . . . Molders of Dreams, Poem by Clark R. Mollenhoff

This year at our back to school assembly, our Interim Superintendent read the poem below. When he shared it with me, I gotta admit, I got a tear in my eye. So true. As you start the new school year, don't forget, whoever it is you teach, you are molding their dreams.&lt;/center&gt;<br />...
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My Favorite Google Chrome Extensions, Why I Love them, and Why You Will Too!
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My Favorite Google Chrome Extensions, Why I Love them, and Why You Will Too!

Learn about a few of my favorite Google Chrome Extensions in this video tutorial for use by education professionals and students. Think of all the time you can save with these great too...
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Getting to Know the New Google Drive Features for the New School Year
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Getting to Know the New Google Drive Features for the New School Year

You may have noticed some pretty significant changes to Google Drive lately, but if you haven't, no doubt you will as you begin the 2014-15 school year. Here's a great overview from Alice Keeler's blog and here's one in video form from me. Hope these help you get started on the right fo...
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Smarter Chrome Lesson 2: Themes &amp; Extensions (Video)
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Smarter Chrome Lesson 2: Themes & Extensions (Video)

Themes may not be essential to using Chrome, but they sure are fun! Learn how to get and change your theme then see how to install extremely useful utilities into your Chrome browser.For email subscribers, see the video here.&nb...
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Smarter Chrome: Session 1 Bookmarks and Tabs (Video)

If you're just switching over to the Chrome Browser or getting started with Google Apps for Education, this series is for you. Become a Chrome expert in no time starting with the first video in what will soon be a series. Hope you enjoy ...
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What Leads to Engagement? These Three Relatively Simple Things . . .
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What Leads to Engagement? These Three Relatively Simple Things . . .

I've been doing a lot of reading lately in preparation for the first upcoming Engage Me Academy. Here's one thing I learned . ....
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Graphic Design, Chrome-o-fried! Guest Post by Brian McLane
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Graphic Design, Chrome-o-fried! Guest Post by Brian McLane

by Brian McLaneTwitter: @brian_mclaneWebsite: techmantraining.comSecondary Educator - 32 years, Ed-Tech Junkie, MA Teaching & Learning with Technology, “Head in the Cloud; Caught in the Web”Chromebooks for Graphic Design?I teach a high school desktop publishing class which includes graphic design,...
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A Queen to Be: A Short Film worth Watching from Huntsville ISD Students

Huntsville High School students elected a special homecoming queen this past year, and the film students had the foresight to make a film about it. I think you'll agree that "A Queen to Be" is worth watching. Lucky for me, I get to see this lovely lady frequently in the hallways. Her classroom is right around the corner for my office. Enjoy the film, and be sure to leave comments for our student film-makers...
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Upcoming Webinar w/Tech &amp; Learning: Huntsville Independent School District helps close the digital divide with Google Chromebooks and Apps

Upcoming Webinar w/Tech & Learning: Huntsville Independent School District helps close the digital divide with Google Chromebooks and Apps

I hope you'll sign up to watch this upcoming Tech & Learning webinar with Cassi Caputo from Google's Education team and yours truly.Get registered here.Topic: Huntsville Independent School District helps close the digital divide with Google Chromebooks and AppsWednesday, March 26, 2014 12:00 pm...
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Engage Me Academy
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Engage Me Academy

Since my first year as a teacher in 1997 I've been deeply interested in how to get students interested in learning what I wanted and needed them to learn. Lately I learned what I was striving for had a name that has become quite the buzz word in education; I wanted students to become ENGAGED.Eventually...
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How to Create Data Validation for Phone Numbers in Google Forms
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How to Create Data Validation for Phone Numbers in Google Forms

I've always wanted to know more about the Data Validation setting in Google Forms, and yesterday, thanks to a participant question and a Google search, I learned how to make sure phone numbers in forms are entered in a consistent format, in this case, ###-###-####. Here's how . . . Set up your...
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Getting Ready for the Texas Google Summit
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Getting Ready for the Texas Google Summit

The Techs4Tex team spent a fast-paced and exciting day today in Brenham, TX preparing for the upcoming Texas Google Summit coming up May 17, 2104.We began by laying out the schedule (about 20 concurrent sessions).Below is Brenham ISD Tech Director Kim Strauss breaking rules by drawing on the table with...
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Who Owns Project Based Learning?
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Who Owns Project Based Learning?

Someone asked me recently if [insert organization name here] owned Project Based Learning. Well, I'd like us to think about that together because I understand the root of the question. There are some organizations, sales people, companies, etc. who seem to own the idea of Project Based Learning. Do...
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Taming the #EdTech Ego
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Taming the #EdTech Ego

I heard a significant amount of talk this week at TCEA14 (Texas Computer Education Association 2014 conference) about what I would describe as poor etiquette (self-promotion, self-aggrandizing) among EdTech gurus. I've got to admit. It really made me reflect. Luckily, I have a great, humble, wonderful...
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Autocrat is Easy &amp; Independent Studies Show It&#39;s More Satisfying than a Clean House
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Autocrat is Easy & Independent Studies Show It's More Satisfying than a Clean House

I'm just going to go ahead and admit that I'm kind of in love with Autocrat. I've set up two form/spreadsheet combos this week to send the results of forms to Google groups, and I felt satisfied like I had just finished cleaning the whole house, which completely offset the fact that I actually have...
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What you Post Online Becomes your Digital Tattoo
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What you Post Online Becomes your Digital Tattoo

The original idea “a digital history is more than a footprint” came from Adina Sullivan (@adinasullivan) whose session Matthew Lahey (@m_lahey)attended at ISTE 2013. For our local digital citizenship campaign, we’ll be sharing these images as appropriate and discussing the digital legacy each of us...
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Lucidpress: Deep-Fried Layout Design with Templates on Top
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Lucidpress: Deep-Fried Layout Design with Templates on Top

Guest Blogger Charly has been a camp counselor, K-12 math tutor, and collegiate print and digital journalist. She’s currently enjoying writing and snowboarding in Utah. Have you ever wished there were an easy-to-learn design tool which would let you and your students fry up print and digital documents...
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