Reeve EdTech Tips

Students and teachers can insert fairly complex math and science equations into their Google Docs using a seldom-noticed feature called the Equation Editor. It can be accessed through either View > Equation Toolbar or Insert > Equation... It's pretty powerful, once you get the hang of how the cursor works. It's great for equations with numerators and denominators, and for numbers with subscripts and superscripts. If you use shared Google Docs in your science class, for example, this makes it easy to include formulas in lab reports or other assignments. Bonus points: Do you recognize the three equations in my example?

Have you ever been to an over-planned party? One where the host or hostess has planned every minute of the party so carefully that the guests felt like marionettes? Where the host or hostess, in effect, says "Stop having that un-managed fun, and come over here to do my structured fun instead?" This party planner knows that preparation is vital to a great party, but has not yet learned that the guests need to be able to participate naturally. Some fun can be planned in advance, but some fun must happen spontaneously, based on who attends. No, don't start socializing! We haven't played the icebreaker game yet! Now go back to that last paragraph and change the party to a classroom, the hostess and guests to teacher and students, and the fun to learning. Go ahead, I'll wait here. We can't help it. We plan. Teachers are planners. It's what we do. To keep our students as productive as possible, we plan our classroom management procedures care...

This was specifically written for someone a making a slideshow to display before a large group presentation. The directions are specific for a Windows 7 laptop. Feel free to adjust them to suit you own needs! Get  your Instagram pictures Go to http://instaport.me Click "Sign in with Instagram" and sign in Choose "All my photos" and click "Start Export" Let it work for a few minutes Click the little "Download only" link to save the zip folder. Open the zip folder and click "Extract all files". Click on "Desktop" and then click "Make New Folder." Make a folder called "Instagram Export." Click "Extract." Install PhotoStory Go to http://download.cnet.com/Photo-Story-3-for-Windows/3000-12511_4-10339154.html and click the big green "Download Now" button. The specs label this download for WinXP, but it works just fine on Win7 as well. Run the downloaded f...

Moodle keeps track of when users access it and make changes. Teachers can use the logs to see if/when students open the course, open a resource or activity, and contribute a file, forum post, or other schoolwork. To use this feature of Moodle, open your course and look in the “Administration” block.  Click the “Reports” link. This brings you to a screen with a lot of options.  They are not well labelled, but they allow you to narrow your search.  In orderfrom left-to-right, they let you select: The course to view All students or choose one student All days or just one day All assignments or just one assignment Type of action, such a when a student “views” a resource or “adds” a file. Display results now or download to a text doc or spreadsheet. This can be a very useful tool. You can see if students are accessing your course materials and when, and get a very specific list of their coursework.

Gmail allows you include a profile photo with your Google/Gmail account, so that people who receive your email can see your picture along with your message. It is a simple little thing that creates a professional appearance to your communications. It's simple enough to do, once you know where to look! Open your email account, click the gear icon and choose "Settings." Within the "General" tab, scroll down to the "My picture" option and click "Select a picture." Upload a photo, and resize it so that your face fills the box. Hit "Apply" when done. Pro tip: cute photos of your pets may be great for Facebook profile pics, but for a professional email photo, you should include a nice photo of your face, so people can recognize you instantly. When you return to the settings page, click the option to make your picture "Visible to everyone." Finally, scroll to the very bottom and click "Save Changes....

The combination of whiteboards, projectors, and document cameras is more powerful than many teachers realize. In the hectic rush of our everyday teaching, it's too easy to fall back on using these powerhouse tools as little more than digital overhead projectors.  So, here's what I call some "mini-tricks" to get more out of your whiteboard setup! Take a picture!  Your document camera is great for taking a snapshot of that worksheet you are projecting.  Many have a snapshot button right on the case; others use a little software program (ELMOs use ImageMate). Take lots of pictures! Are you presenting your notes via the document camera?  Take a quick picture for every page.  You can upload the pictures to Google Drive, DropBox, or Moodle, and share them with your students. Take video!  Most document cameras have an adjustable lens that can face horizontally.  It is a snap to record snapshots or videos of your students with the camera's software...

Have you ever emailed a list of students for a field trip, event, or some other activity, only to have to email again and again every time the list changes?  Why not try the easier way:  share a Google Doc! When you share a Google Doc, everyone on your share list always has the most up-to-date copy.  Every time you make changes to the list, anyone who opens the list automatically sees the changes. Steps: Go to your Google Drive and create a new document. Click on Untitled Document and give your document an appropriate name , like "Mr. Reeve's Six Flags Field Trip List" Enter the names of the students on your list. Click " Share " and change the permission to "Anyone in [my school] can view." Better yet, if your school has a full-faculty list, share the document with the list, and choose "can view." Be sure to check "Notify people by email" (or manually email out the share link) so they know the list is there! Now ...