Kahoot! adds TEAM MODE

If Kahoot! wasn't already a great addition for the classroom, they recently added a  Team mode  option for small group assessments.
Students can create their own team name, and then insert the name of each of its team members, allowing the teacher to collect data for both the team AND individual students.

A Kahoot reminder:

There is an option for teachers/creators of Kahoots to insert YouTube videos as part of the question page The video will play in it's entirety before the timer begins to countdown, but the answer options are still visible for students to answer at any time.  It is definitely worth a try for a short assessment!

As always, please reach out to any of us at Model Schools with questions.

Expiration dates on shared Google documents?

Yes, it's true- You can now set expiration dates on your shared documents within Google Drive.

Whether you have shared a folder or a document with another individual, you can now set an expiration from within the sharing window.  Once you choose who to sharing with and have set their viewing and editing rights, you can hover over their name, causing a small stopwatch icon to appear.

However, expiration dates will only work for users with "Can Comment" or "Can View" access.  Editors and owners have unlimited access to files within Google Drive.  If a user previously had full editing rights, by setting an expiration date, their rights will automatically adjust to "Can View".

By clicking on the stopwatch, you can then set the time limit for how long a user will have access to the document or folder you are sharing.   The default expiration date is for 30 days from current day, but also includes another option in the drop down menu for 7 days.  If necessary, you can choose a custom date, which will allow you to choose from a calendar window. 

The expiration date feature is applicable to everything within the Google Drive suite; Docs, Slides, Spreadsheets, and Drawings.  Sharing within collaborative Google Forms currently does not allow for expiration dates.  

Changes in Create a Question feature- Google Classroom

On April 7, 2016, Google announced a new option to POLL your students within the "Create a Question" option in Google Classroom. This addition will allow teachers to quickly check for understanding by populating results immediately to gain instant feedback.

If you're interested in polling your students to gather answers, choose CREATE A QUESTION, switch the option to MULTIPLE CHOICE, and then allow the students to see the summary of responses.

Once the teacher clicks on the STUDENT ANSWER page, a live results page will show you the student feedback.  Students are also allowed to view their peer results once they provide an answer.  

As always, if you need any assistance with this, please email any of us with your questions.

March Madness

Whew!!!  What a busy month.  Here are some highlights from the Mad Mad Month of March.

Hudson Valley NYSCATE.  

Orange Ulster BOCES Jim Treloar and Jaclyn Ellefsen each presented at the 15th Annual Hudson Valley NYSCATE Conference held Saturday April 12th at Roy C. Ketcham HS in Wappingers Falls.  Jim presented on 21st Century Formative Assessment Tools where he highlighted the use of many digital tools like Plickers, Padlet, MindMup, Today's Meet and more.  If you were unable to attend, here is the presentation:

Jaclyn represented Orange Ulster BOCES in the APP Smackdown where teams from each of the local BOCES presented their favorite apps.  While she made us proud, she was no match for the awesome game creator Pixel Press Floors, that was presented by Team Sullivan County BOCES.

Creating the 8th Wonder of the World in Washingtonville

The trailblazing eSports Club at Washingtonville High School sponsored their first ever Mincraft Building Competition on Friday March 18th where participants were asked to build what they think should be listed as the 8th Wonder of the World using the creative & interactive game Minecraft.  There were 10 students who entered into the final showdown ranging in grades 5-8 from roughly 230 that attended the initial interest sessions and signed up.  This program was spearheaded by the innovative and indefatigable WHS English teacher Kevin Calderin who is the group's advisor.  The announcement that all finalists would be receiving a 3D printout of their Minecraft Skin was met with much enthusiasm and shouts of joy.  The entries were all amazing and we can't wait to see what students come up with next year!

Minisink Valley Google Summit

The Minisink Valley School District teamed up with NYSCATE to have a Google Summit at Minisink High School on Wednesday March 16th.  Once again our very own Jaclyn Ellefsen and Christine Dworetsky helped out by sharing their expertise in integrating technology.  Our resident math expert Christine, shared Digital Math Tools at two different sessions that day.  Jaclyn imparted her expertise in Harness the Power of Google Forms and showed participants the Power of the Google Chrome Browser.  The event was well attended with nearly 200 local teachers and administrators in attendance.  The Hudson Valley continues to be a wellspring of tech infused teaching and learning.