FT4T: Google Calendar Tutorials for Teachers

A Handful of Google Calendar Tutorials for Teachers From simply keeping track of personal appointments to sharing important information with students, Google Calendar is a versatile tool for teachers. The following tutorials can help you get the most out of using Google Calendar. [...]

Source: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/03/a-handful-of-google-calendar-tutorials.html

Tech Tools to Try 3.24.14

Teach Thought: 6 Tech Ideas for Nat'l Poetry Month

6 Technology-Based Poetry Ideas For Students That Think They Hate Poetry It’s safe to say that of all the genres of literature we study in school, poetry is the most scary–and not just for the students. Sometimes poetry gets a bad rap for being too dense, too pretentious, too much of an acquired taste for mainstream consumption. While it’s true that I could name many a poem that fits those descriptors, it’s also true that working with poetry can be a most whimsical, intriguing, dare I say light-hearted experience for you and your students. Try one of these six strategies during National Poetry Month to invite your students to explore the jungle of this most-feared genre. [...]

Recording in GarageBand

RECORDING IN GARAGEBAND

1. Open GarageBand (Guitar icon in dock, or Finder > Applications> GarageBand) and create a new Voice project (microphone)
2. Save your project with the title of your activity.
3. Select No Effects (Top of rightmost column)
4. Make sure metronome is unchecked (under Control menu).
5. Click on the red button to record and hit the space bar to stop recording.
6. Drag the red line (using the white triangle at top) back to the beginning to play it back.

***TO EXPORT YOUR RECORDING ONCE YOU ARE DONE - THIS MUST BE DONE!

1. Click on Share menu, then “Export Song to Disc”
2. Change the settings so it exports as a mp3
3. Click on Export
4. Click on Save (it will have the same name and be in the same place but will be a different format)
5. If you are uploading to Angel, make sure you select the file that has the Music Note icon and NOT the guitar icon - that is the audio file that Angel will recognize.

Setting Up Angel for 2nd Semester

Here are two video tutorials on how to set up your Angel gradebook for 2nd semester.  Both videos also cover how to add and delete students (and co-workers) to your rosters after the initial import from technology.

If you are teaching the same course as first semester and want to copy gradebook settings from Fall Quarter, watch this one. (You must be logged in with your MGSD account to view the videos because it shows student names and numbers).

If you are teaching a different course or want to set up your gradebook differently, watch this video.

Here are written directions if you prefer that.

GRADEBOOK SETUP

You will need to set up the following for EACH course that you have.  If you merge your preps, you will only need to set it up in the active course.

If you see a grid when you enter the gradebook tab, click on Gradebook Menu to return to the main menu needed to adjust the settings below.

TO SET UP TERM FILTERS (YOU MUST DO THIS!)

1. Click on the Manage Tab.
2. Click on Gradebook at left.
3. Click on Term Filters at left under Setup Tasks.
4. Check that all current quarters are selected and save.

TO SET UP GRADE REPORTS (YOU MUST DO THIS!)

1. Delete the default Overall report by clicking on delete at the end of the row.
2. Click on the Manage Tab.
3. Click on Gradebook at left.
4. Click on Grade Reports at left under Setup Tasks.
5. Title your first report 3rd Quarter.  Select 3rd Quarter from the dropdown. Leave Category set to all.  Leave the dates blank. Click Add Item.
6. Repeat for 4th Quarter.

TO SET UP GRADE CATEGORIES (YOU MUST DO THIS!)

Check first with your department / grade-level chair to see if there is a standardized grading policy you must use.

1. Click on the Manage Tab.
2. Click on Gradebook at left.
3. Click on Categories at left under Setup Tasks.

• If using points create only one category.

• Click on delete and delete two of the rows.
• Click on Settings for the one remaining column and rename it  to points.  Set the weight to be 100.

• If using percentages create all of your categories.

• Click on settings for the three rows that already exist.
• Change the name of the category and the weight.  Under calculation select Use All.  Do not check any other columns.
• Repeat for the other rows, or add rows if necessary.

TO SET YOUR GRADEBOOK PREFERENCES

1. Click on the Manage Tab.
2. Click on Gradebook at left.
3. Click on Gradebook Preferences at left under Other Tasks.
4. Under Report Defaults - choose how you want to see grades (% and Letter) and if you want ungraded items to be treated as zero.
5. Under Gradebook Settings: Gradebook Mode - Points or Percentages, Start Page - Main Menu, Uncheck Show Instructors
6. Under Default Report - Choose current term
7. Under Grading Grid Defaults: Directions - Displayed, Filters - Displayed, Term Filter - change to current term
8. Under Printing Options - You can change the font size of printed reports

Combining Multiple PDFs into One

Reposted from http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/combine-pdfs-in-5-seconds-with-macs-preview/49675

1. Open PDFs

The first thing that you want to do is to open both PDFs that you want to combine in Preview.

2. Show the PDF thumbnails.

Click on the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner and select “Thumbnails” on each PDF.

A tray will open on the lefthand side of Preview, showing you the individual pages of your PDFs.

3. Click and Drag the Pages

Select the thumbnails of the PDF that you want to combine from one file—use Command-A to select them all at once—and then simply drag these thumbnails pages onto the thumbnails of the other PDF. Shazam! You’re done! Simply save the file, and go about your life.

N.B. It’s important to drag the thumbnails onto the other thumbnails and not below the very thin line that appears at the end of the thumbnails. If you do the latter, you will still only have two files.

How to Make Preview Your Default for PDFs

1) In a Finder window highlight a file of the kind you want to change the application to open that kind of file. (ex. a PDF)

2) While that file is highlighted, select File > Get Info or press command (apple or propeller icon) + i to get a file information window.

3) In the lower part of the info window there is an "open with" menu with a list of applications.

4) If your application is already in the box then it is the default application for opening that kind of file and you don't need to do anything more.  Close the get info window.

5) If the application showing in the menu is not the one with which you wish to open the file then select a new application (such as Preview). If your application does not appear there then select the "other..." and track down the application (usually in the Applications folder at the main level of the computer).

6) If you wish to change all files of this type to open with this application in future, make sure the "change all" button is selected.

7) Close the get info window.