The feature you didn’t even know you needed! I’ve been measuring out distances before using the drawing tool for math. (Spoiler alert: I use maps in class to practice adding and subtracting fractions.)
Author: Admin
Notes on Google Slides
Earlier this week my students started on a group project – Road to the Revolution. I had given them a Hyperdoc with the information on the French and Indian War. I gave them very specific guidelines and some questions to answer. The end product is an Animoto video. As I was walking around and helping, I noticed that a group of students had Google Slides open. I got worried. It took a long time for me to get my students out of the habit of wanting to create a slideshow for presentations. So I stopped and asked why Slides was open and “Please don’t tell me you’re creating a slideshow.” I was so relieved when one of the girls explained that they were using it to take notes! I didn’t even show them this trick. Yeah, proud teacher moment.
One of the girls created and shared the slides with the rest of the group. Each person in the group had their own slide to take notes. I know this isn’t the first time this has been done, but I was really proud of my students for thinking of this. It is so much easier to take shared notes on Slides as opposed to Docs.
I LOVE it when students take learning into their own hands and make it work for them. Go Innovators!
Just another great example of what students will do when we give them the freedom to own their learning.
Google My Maps Part 7: Directions
Directions are one of those ‘nerdy’ features that make me happy. I haven’t used it in the classroom, yet. In the meantime, here’s how to use it. How can you incorporate this into the classroom?
Google My Maps Part 6: Base Map
I like the ability to customize the look of the map. My personal favorite is ‘satellite’. However, depending on your needs, a lighter or darker map is just the ticket!
Google My Maps Part 5: Import Data
Importing data into a Google My Map only takes a few clicks and a CSV, TSV, KML, KMZ, GPX, or XLSX file. This is especially handy in the classroom for research and tracking data.
Google My Maps Part 4: Layers
Another feature on Google My Maps is the Layers. When we were studying the 13 Colonies, I was able to separate information into layers. There was a layer for the original 13 colonies, a layer for the colonial regions (New England, Middle, Southern), and the current geography of the 50 states. The students were able to click on and off layers in order to clearly see important information.
Google My Maps Part 3: Lines and Shapes
There are so many learning opportunities with the lines and shapes feature of My Maps. We are currently adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. It gets really boring doing problems from a book. In the coming days, I plan to create a Hypermap with lines – making sure the distance will be a fraction. (NOTE: My Maps measures distance using decimals. This will be good practice for my 5th graders to convert). My Maps will also tell the area and perimeter of a shape, MORE math opportunities!
Google My Maps Part 2: Place Marker Options
The Place Marker has several options available to the user. The icon can be customized through color and picture option. Adding information, directions, videos, and/or pictures is a breeze.
Google My Maps Part 1
I have begun to create a series of videos on Google My Maps. I enjoy incorporating the tool in several areas of the curriculum and want to share my passion. Here’s a quick guide on Getting Started.
Tweet The Author
I recently wrote for the CUE Blog on how to own a premade curriculum. I spoke about taking it and tweaking it so that we, as teachers, feel the ownership instead of feeling like we have no say. Part of the way I take ownership in my math class is to use Andrew Stadel‘s Estimation 180 site. It’s a nice warm-up for the students and a great way to practice several of the 8 Mathematical Practices found in CCSS.
Most recently, we have been going through a series that has us estimate the value of coins in a container. It started with pennies, then progressed through until the day we estimated the value of dimes. We went through our normal routine – three minutes to discuss and find an estimate that is too low, too high, the actual estimate, and how they arrived at that estimate. Then, as normal, we viewed the video answer. Upon finding the answer, the RSP co-teacher got a discussion started. She disagreed with the answer. We left it at that so that the students could either agree or disagree. After they reviewed the previous two days’ answers and compared the answer to the dimes, the class determined that they too disagreed. Following the Mathematical Practices, they had to justify their reasoning, which they did. They reasoned that the pennies and nickels were mounding up to the point of almost spilling over, whereas the dimes didn’t quite reach the top of the container – same container.
Fortunately, with modern technology, we didn’t have to let the discussion die there. So, I got on my phone, hooked it up to the screen so the students could be active participants, jumped on Twitter, and sent Mr. Stadel a private message. This is what they wrote, well, told me to type:
After they got over the initial shock that one could actually do this, they got excited. Now, I have only been a participant in a few of Mr. Stadel’s sessions at conferences but was fairly certain that he would be open to what we had to say and would most likely respond. And he didn’t disappoint! The kids were VERY excited that he did respond. Okay, I was pretty excited too. This was such a real and relevant experience.
We then talked about how many more dimes we thought could fit. They determined that 1/2 roll more – 25 dimes – would be needed.
THIS is why we, as educators, need to be connected. THIS is why we continuously grow our PLN.
I would like to thank Mr. Stadel and Ms. Luke (RSP teacher) for making this all possible.
