Lemon Tech Tidbits

YOUR OWN PERSONAL EMOJI As teachers, we do so much online communication with students, wouldn’t it be nice to have an emoji to represent ourselves? First, create a unique avatar that represents you. Then, using Bitmoji, add stickers to represent emotions. Bitmoji can be added as a Chrome Extension making it easy to insert whenever you need it. When you send email through GMail and want to include your bitmoji, simply click on the icon. When you are using a G Suite item such as Google Docs, simply click on the Chrome extension and select which one you want to use. You can resize your bitmoji to fit and can move it around. Have fun and try one today!

12 Tools To Find Quality Reading Passages For Your Classroom In the article by Lisa Tanner from the blog, TeachThought ,  is a list of 12 different tools teachers can use to find quality reading passages online. Many of you are most likely familiar with some of the tools such as Newslea but there were a few that will be new.  Each tool contains a brief description and includes whether the service is free or paid. I do want to point out though that the article has one glaring omission. Nowhere in the article does the author mention using databases to find articles. The State of Kansas provides access to many free databases such as Explora . Explora lets you search for an article from a popular magazine, newspaper, or academic journal. You can browse through topics of choice or do an advanced search to find exactly what you want. You can even filter the results by lexile level. And the best part? The articles can easily be added and shared through Google Classroom.

How to Add the Grammarly Extension to the Chromebooks

WATCHING YOURSELF:   THE POTENTIAL OF VIDEO RECORDING IN STUDENT REFLECTION On the blog,  TeachThought , Jessie Johnson addresses how students can benefit and learn by videotaping themselves when they analyze or reflect on their learning. In the article , Johnson tells the story of a research assignment in English. The students would often discuss their topic of choice with the instructor verbally in a 1 on 1 setting but would then forget what they said or struggle with carrying it over to the written paper. A solution was to have students record themselves while they visited with the instructor. What happened next was students who seemed to be bogged down with the writing process found confidence in their ability to verbally brainstorm ideas. They were able to reflect and organize their thoughts in a way that helped them achieve the outcomes desired in th

MR. BETTS HISTORY CLASS Youtube Videos Mr. Betts, a history teacher, has created a youtube channel called MrBettsClass . Here is the description from the man himself: “ MrBettsClass provides education and humor on all topics social studies related. As an official YouTube EDU channel, I'm dedicated to high quality, high energy, and highly educational content. History is a collection of stories and MrBettsClass aims to tell that story in the most engaging way whether it be jamming out, making art, acting up, or diving deep into what made the world the way it is today. And we're not afraid to geek out here!” Every Thursday, Mr. Betts releases a new song parody over a famous historical event. All videos are short in length and can be used as

History Game: Play Your Dates Right On FreeTech4Teachers ,  Richard Byrne shared a new game from ClassTools called Play Your Dates Right. The game was developed by Russel Tarr.  The object of the game is for students to be able to pick the right order of three historical events. To use the template to create your own game, click on the Edit button on the bottom right-hand side. 

FACEBOOK GROUPS TO FOLLOW This summer, I started to follow several different library groups in Facebook. This has made a world of difference in my professional life. I have learned so much simply by following these groups. Here are a few Facebook groups recommended for teachers to follow. *Some groups are more active than others. We Are Teachers -First Years 6-9 ELA Teachers NGSS Biology Teachers Reading Roundup The PreK Spot Lucky 2nd Grade Teachers Not so Wimpy 3rd Grade Teachers Upper Elementary Planning & Implementing Project-Based Learning High School Teacher Helpline Art Teachers: Beg, Borrow, and Steal Classroom Freebies Teachers - Sharing ideas and resources These are just a few. There seems to be at least one for each subject, grade level, or core area. Let me know if you want me to find the right Facebook group for you.

EDPUZZLE UPDATE : NOW YOU CAN SHARE CURRICULUM WITH OTHER TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT What is EDPuzzle? EDPuzzle is a site that allows users to upload and customize a video by cropping, adding audio, or inserting questions making it perfect for formative assessments. What’s the update? EDpuzzle just released a service called Video Curriculum. What this does is allow you the ability to access and use EDpuzzles created by another teacher in the district. Now, you can create an EDPuzzle and share it with a team teacher. I have already signed up our school for the service by filling out the survey that was found here . To try out the new service, go to EDpuzzle at: https://edpuzzle.com/ ●  Login using your school Google account ●  Click on Search ●  Go to the far right and click  “My School” You   should   see   all   of   th

Stop Motion Animator

DocHub and Google Classroom

GOOGLE DOCUMENT URL TRICKS By TONY VINCENT We all use Google Documents such as Google Slides, Docs, Sheets and more. And we all know how we can share these G Suite files with others. But did you know there is an easy way to change the URL settings to customize HOW that file is shared? In this blog post: https://learninginhand.com/blog/google-document-url-tricks Tony Vincent shares how changing the URL of the share link can create some nifty tricks. For example: Share a clutter-free view of your document → Replace /edit with /preview Force others to make a copy before viewing your document → Replace /edit with /copy Share an easy-to-copy template of your document → Replace /edit with /template/preview Share a direct download of a PDF version of your document → Google Docs & Sheets: Replace /edit with /export?format=pdf → Google Slides & Drawings: Replace /edit with /export/pdf

BE INTERNET AWESOME! NEW GOOGLE PROGRAM TO TEACH INTERNET SAFETY FOR GRADES 1-5 Internet safety is so important to teach students from the very beginning. They need to understand how to behave online, how to evaluate what they see, and how to stay safe in an increasingly populated social media world. Students are invited to explore a world called InterLand where they learn internet safety tips while playing in a game-style environment. Topics include: Share with Care Don’t Fall for Fake Secure Your Secrets It’s Cool To Be Kind When In Doubt Talk It Out In addition, teachers can download “lesson plans that have received the ISTE Seal of Alignment and classroom activities that bring the fundamental lessons to life.” To watch a short introduction video and/or to learn more, go to: https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/