Potential "Game Changer" in Google Apps Presentations

As you know, Google updates many of its applications frequently throughout the year. However, one tool that has seemed to go unchanged is Google Presentations, until yesterday!

While everyone was busy celebrating Star Wars Day, Google released its new Q&A feature.

To help you understand how this new feature works, Jonathan Redeker, a fellow Technology Integration Specialist, and U.S. History and Government teacher from the Goshen Central School District, has shared his screencast demonstrating how this tool can be a potential "game changer" for student engagement.

Test Prep with Varsity Tutors

Let's face it - high stakes tests are a part of our lives and, while we don't want to teach to the test, we do need to prep students for them.  There is nothing that will replace quality instruction for preparing for a major exam, but there are a number of quality online assessment tools out there that are effective at helping students build on that quality instruction and get great test scores.  One tool that we have come across recently is Varsity Tutors.  This site offers free diagnostic and practice tests with feedback that help students prepare for an exam.  All of these tests are free and open to the public and, should you find from taking these assessments that you need extra help, you can sign up for in-home tutoring from them (for a fee).

 Creating an Account:

Creating an account is easy and allows any user to take any of the tests and get immediate feedback. 

Taking Tests:

When you first create an account, you are taken to the list of tests that you can take. You can select from over 100 tests and sub tests for everything from the intermediate and high school level to AP, SAT and CLEP.  

Diagnostic Tests, Practice Tests and Flash Cards,

There are 3 main types of assessments that you can take.  One is a diagnostic test for the major exams that are intended to be an overview of the entire exam to see how you would do.  The practice tests are broken down into different sub categories and the Flash Cards are really individual questions that you can work through one by one.  Your receive feedback on how much time was spent on each question as well as your performance on each question.  They have included an explanation of the correct answer on each question so that you can learn from your mistakes.  

Classroom Tools

• Creating Tests
• Teachers can create their own tests by either adding questions of their own or by choosing questions from the item bank.  

• Sharing Tests
• Once created, you can share the tests with students either individually or as a group

• Viewing Results
• Once students have completed their test, they get a Full report - View an example by clicking here.  
• Teachers can then see an item analysis of those test results for their whole class and can drill down and see how each student did on each assessment.  

Embedding Assessments and Flashcards

If you are interested in having students study and want to keep them on your website you can embed both complete tests and flashcards right into your website or LMS.  Check out the example below:

Powered By Varsity Tutors

Overall, we are impressed with this assessment tool and think it is worth checking out.  Let us know what you think.  

Doodle For Google Art Contest 2014

If you are an avid Googler, you know that the giant search engine frequently surprises the world by doodling the Google logo based on famous birthdays, holidays or events. What you may not know is that Google launches an annual contest which invites k-12 students in the U.S. to use their artistic talents to redesign Google's logo. 

This year, the theme is "If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place...". The winning artist will see his or her own artwork on the Google homepage for 24 hours, win a $30,000 scholarship, a trip to San Francisco, and $50,000 technology grant for his or her own school.

All submissions must be received by Thursday, March 20, 2014. Visit the Doodle for Google homepage for contest details.

Details and Rules
• All submissions must be received by March 20, 2014.
• You can mail in applications or upload right on the website.
• Submissions must be accompanied by a completed Entry Form.
• Instructions, mailing addresses, official entry form, and official Contest Rules are all available at
www.google.com/doodle4google 

We highly encourage you to share this opportunity with teachers and students in your schools. We hope to share their doodles here on the Orange-Ulster BOCES Model Schools blog after the winner is announced. 

Happy Doodling!!