Tag Archives: google apps for education

New! HTML Coding for Chromebook Users

Teach HTML coding using Chromebooks

TechnoHTML5 has always been a favorite top seller for educators. With the current focus on STEM education, teaching HTML coding is more relevant than ever. Now that Chromebooks are prevalent in the classroom, TechnoKids has modified this popular project specifically for Chromebook users. Using a web-based text editor that integrates with Google Drive makes HTML coding a breeze. Now when you order TechnoHTML5 you will receive two versions: one for desktop HTML text editors such as Notepad or Code Writer and a version for Chromebook users that uses a free app such as HTML Editey.

STEM Activities to Learn Life Skills

I wrote in a previous blog about the reasons to teach programming. Of course, not many students will choose careers as computer scientists or program developers, but that’s not the main rationale for coding lessons. Strong communication skills and personality traits that lead to success in life and the workplace are critical goals for students. Learning to code does just that. As they learn to plan, organize, write, edit, and troubleshoot, students build invaluable life skills. Perseverance, problem solving, analytical thinking, creativity, and collaboration are enhanced by learning programming. These crucial personal habits will benefit students for life.

Everything Educators Need to Teach HTML

TechnoHTML5 for Chromebooks is an introductory HTML project for middle and high school grades. Students build a web page using HTML and CSS. They style text, graphics, and hyperlinks. Optional challenges have them format lists, add a background image, create a class, add animated gifs, and more! Step-by-step instructions with checklists in the Student Workbook build organizational skills. The Teacher Guide includes assessment tools such as a summary of skills and customizable marking sheet to evaluate the completed web page projects. Digital resources include sample files, reference sheets, review questions, and skill reviews for practice.

Students design a web page on the topic of their choice using TechnoHTML5.

Chromebooks Make HTML Coding Easy

HTML Coding is fun and easy using a Chromebook and Google Drive. coding for Chromebook On a desktop, I found it cumbersome to always save my work in the text editor then toggle to a browser and refresh to see a preview. But using a free text editor for Chromebooks such as HTML Editey provides instant feedback. Two panes allow the user to write code and see immediate results.

There are many other great features to HTML Editey that we’ll write about in an upcoming post.

Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts

In a previous post I listed some keyboard shortcuts for Google Slides. Here’s a list of some Google Docs keyboard shortcuts for a PC that may help to speed up your work.

keyboard shortcuts google docs

Action	Keyboard Shortcut
Working with a Document
Open a file	CTRL + O
Insert a page break	CTRL + ENTER
Find	CTRL + F
Find again	CTRL + G
Find and replace	CTRL + H
Insert a footnote	CTRL + ALT + F
Find the word count	CTRL + SHIFT + C
Go to the beginning of the document	SHIFT + HOME
Go to the end of the document	SHIFT + END
Print a document	CTRL + P
Editing Shortcuts Common to Many Apps
Undo	CTRL + Z
Redo	CTRL + Y
Copy	CTRL + C
Cut	CTRL + X
Paste	CTRL + V
Paste without formatting	CTRL + SHIFT + V
Duplicate	CTRL + D
Select all	CTRL + A
Text Shortcuts Common to Many Apps
Bold text	CTRL + B
Italic text	CTRL + I
Underline text	CTRL + U
Insert a numbered list	CTRL + SHIFT + 7
Insert a bulleted list	CTRL + SHIFT + 8
Insert a link	CTRL + K
Increase font size of selected text	CTRL + SHIFT + >
Decrease font size of selected text	CTRL + SHIFT + <
Working with Paragraphs
Left align	CTRL + SHIFT + L
Right align	CTRL + SHIFT + R
Center align	CTRL + SHIFT + E
Justify	CTRL + SHIFT + J
Increase paragraph indentation	CTRL + ]
Decrease paragraph indentation	CTRL + [
Apply normal text style	CTRL + ALT + O
Working with Images and Drawings
Resize larger	CTRL + ALT + K
Resize smaller	CTRL + ALT + J

If I’ve missed any that you use and find handy, please let me know. To see a list of PC, Mac, and Chrome OS shortcuts for computer, android, Iphone and Ipad go to Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Docs.

Explore Tool in G Suite for Education

The Explore Tool is in the lower right corner of any Docs, Slides, or Sheets document.

Google Apps for Education recently announced that it will now be known as G Suite for Education. Along with the rebranding, some other updates were made. Most notable for teachers, the Research Tool has been eliminated and replaced by the Explore Tool, which has some benefits and but also a significant shortcoming.

First, the bad news. Gone is the ability to add citations and footnotes directly into a document using the Research Tool. For teachers and students, this is an unfortunate setback. Being able to easily and quickly identify sources is an essential research skill. What used to be an onerous task, was made simple by the Research Tool. One click on Cite automatically inserted a citation and footnote. We hope that Google will reinstate this function soon. In the meantime, in my next post, I’ll include some online citation makers that create a citation with the click of a button!

The good news is that you can still search without leaving the document. Spending less time switching between apps allows students to focus on the assignment and its content.

In Docs, clicking on the Explore Tool offers three options: WEB, IMAGES, and DRIVE.

Enter a topic into the search box. WEB results include a title, URL, and short snippet summarizing the website. Clicking on a link opens a new browser tab.

Clicking on IMAGES offers a gallery of pictures related to the search term. To insert an image into the document, simply drag it where it is to be placed. It will, by default, be in line but text wrap can be changed by selecting the image and choosing Wrap text.
explore tool images

Selecting DRIVE looks in your Google Drive for files that include the search term.

If the Explore Tool is opened when there is already text in the document, instant search suggestions are given based on the contents. Google calls this ‘insight’ and it does seem to work quite well.

The Explore Tool is consistent in Sheets and Slides. In Sheets, use the Explore Tool to ask questions about data using words if you do not know how to construct a formula. Formula and formatting suggestions are offered based on the content of the spreadsheet. In Slides, the Explore Tool also offers design suggestions as well as search results.

The research recommendations, design tools, and insight capability of this new tool make it an effective and productive update to G Suite for Education.

Reflection Questions for Biography Projects

Biographies do more than inform readers about a remarkable life. These true life stories explain the contributions of a notable person. A study of a hero or famous figure provides advice and insight for life lessons. Biographies can offer motivation and inspiration as the reader makes connections to their own experiences. Reflection after reading or writing a biography provides further learning. History becomes more meaningful and relevant. As students consider the positive contributions of a successful life as well as the struggles, mistakes, failures and character flaws, they can find things in common with their own lives.

Biographies and You: Reflection Questions

After a biography study, students pick a question, discuss their insights with their peers, and write a short response.

How does the person inspire you to act?
How does the life of this person make you believe your dreams can come true?
What hope for the future does this person give to you?
What character trait does the person possess that you wished you had? Why?
What was the person’s secret to success? How can you apply this secret to your own life?
What can you do today as a direct result of the person’s contributions?
What emotions does this person make you feel?
How does their life story help you to understand a different viewpoint?
What change has happened in the way you think as a result of reading the biography?
What experiences did the person have that are similar to your own life?
What character traits do you share with the person?
What fact did you find most interesting about the person? Why?
Who do you know that is similar to the person? How are they the same?
What do you think would be different today if the person had not lived?
What celebrity should play the person in a movie? Why?
What does this person’s life tell you about the time in which they lived?
Why would you recommend this biography to another reader?
If you could talk to the person, what question would you ask?
Would you like to be the person? Why or why not?
Would you like to be the son or daughter of the person? Why or why not?

TechnoBiography is a project-based technology project in which students are guided through online research about a notable figure, write a personal history organized with headings, list contributions with a graphic organizer, and create a table showcasing artifacts. The completed Ebook is shared in Google Apps or Office 365 Online.