đ Recently, Book Creator announced that we can now leave comments and feedback on every page of a book…
But, not just text comments, no, we can leave Audio, Video, GIFs, Stickers, and Emoji comments too! Just a note – you may have to install an app for some of these, like the Giphy app, for example.
Each comment has the option for an emoji reaction so that you can communicate that youâve acted on the comment. And if you donât want students to comment, just click on the Comment Settings cog to turn off commenting.
Finally, youâll get notified when someone leaves a comment in one of your books or when a student leaves a comment in an assigned book. đ
The Canva Visual Worksuite has added the ability to build one-page websites, no coding required.
Unlike Docs, this is not in beta – itâs ready to go now!!
As weâre used to with Canva, they have a ton of responsive templates all ready for us to customize. Also as expected, it uses their familiar drag-and-drop setup, and gives you access to tons of content. Like most contemporary site-builders, Canva Sites are automatically optimized for desktop, mobile, or tablets.
Once youâre ready to put your site out there, you can make a custom URL that ends with my.canva.site.
Another option is to use Canva to purchase a domain or, finally, connect it to your own existing domain. You can also set them up to have password protection, which is nice for educators and students! Once the site is out there, you can also track traffic and engagement like how many visitors the site has had. This is part of the Pro version, but itâs free on Canva Edu.
And, again, collaboration, commenting, and possibility of using it within Canva Teams. You can also take any document, presentation, PDF, etc. and turn it into a responsive website through this.
Canva Websites is free to all, though some features are not free.
However, Canva Edu accounts have access to just about all of it – aside from things like buying domains – for free. I should point out, it appears that users on free accounts are limited to 5 sites published on their Canva domain. Again, though, this wonât affect you on an edu account.
So, believe it or not thereâs actually MORE news from Canva, but Iâm going to hold onto it until future blog posts. Be sure to check back in for more Canva updates and additions. Up next, some news from Book CreatorâŚ.
Auto-generated summaries in Google Docs!? Let’s talk about it…
Several blog posts ago, I shared about adding summaries to your Google Docsâyou do that in the left-side menu where the document outline is. Those summaries also show up in other locations, like in Google Drive.
What I did not share (or realize) at that point, was for some of you those summaries will be auto-generated, at least if the document is long enough. Yup, you did all of the work on the doc itself, why should you have to do all of the work on the summary as well? Youâll find what Google calls a âsuggested summaryâ in that same location and you can then edit them if youâd like!
Here’s an example of what that looks like in your Google Docs workspace:
The announcement says that these are available to Education Plus users but not Education Fundamentals users.
Now, you might be thinking, âJake, arenât there 4 education account types!? What about Education Standard and Education Teaching & Learning users?â Well, dear reader, I have no stinking idea. Because does Google make their communication about their accounts clear? NOPE. There are now more than a dozen account types, when you count non-eduation ones, and some updates clearly list whether they apply to all of them or not, while this one only lists some of the account types.
So, help me out, if you know what kind of Google Workspace for Education account you have – Plus, Fundamentals, Standard, or Teaching & Learning Upgrade – Iâd love to hear if you get summary suggestions. And if you work for Google, Iâd love for you to tell someone to make your account level and feature availability messaging clearer.
Seriously, just add a chart, the same chart every time, with checkmarks or Xâs to each announcement. This account type has it, this one does not. Sheesh. Is it really that difficult?
Canva Docs is currently in beta and you can sign up to join the waitlist at canva.com/docs!
Their site says that it will be âa visual-first document creator that allows you to design documents supercharged with videos, images, graphics, charts, and graphs.â If youâre happy with more stripped down docs, than youâre probably going to be satisfied with Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Honestly, they almost certainly have more of the functional tools that we expect from Docs. But if you need your docs to be be visually appealing, than youâre going to want to check this out. And, guess what: your students probably prefer eye-catching docs, so you may want THEM to use Canva Docs instead!Â
The site reports that Canva Docs will have a drag-and-drop editor for adding and editing visual content, hassle-free data visualization tools for adding checklists, tables, graphs, and charts, and Canvaâs extensive content library of videos, images, graphics, and more.
For that content library, you can just type a backslash and itâll show you the options. You can collaborate, you can comment, and you can work on any kind of device.
For the most part, thatâs not all that different from Google Docs or Microsoft Word. But theyâre thinking out of the box here, too.
Check this out: You can share your docs online and viewers can interact with it like a website. You can track audience interactions, such as who has viewed your Docs and when. And, you can easily turn your Doc into a Canva presentation, using their âDocs to Decksâ feature! You can even create and embed other Canva designs like whiteboards and other visuals.
It does look, however, like Canva Edu users will be capped at 100GB storage for all of their designs. That should be plenty, but itâs worth keeping an eye on this to see how big these eye-catching documents are.
Canva has been moving and shaking lately! Iâve recently shared about updates to Canva video, the addition of Canva whiteboards, Canva presentation enhancements, and some Canva courses for students. But they went and topped all of that with the Visual Worksuite!
The tool that used to be a novelty for creating visuals and print media can now do darn near everything. Their Visual Workspace now includes Docs, Whiteboards, Presentations, Social, Video, Print, and Websites!
Their site calls it âthe perfect end-to-end solution for businesses, nonprofits, educators, content creators, and anyone who wants to make an impact with visual communication.â And I think theyâre right!
These tools all use Canvaâs familiar drag and drop editing, so once youâre used to it in one spot, youâll just apply it in another spot. And, best of all, theyâre all collaborative and work with the recent addition of Canva for Teams, meaning you can identify a certain set of collaborators that you work with as a team and have a collection of brand materials, like your school colors, that everyone can access.
The most exciting ones here, in my opinion, are Docs and Websites.
((More to come!! Check back soon for additional items!))
Note: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associated Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to fund my work by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases on some of the items below.
If you’re like me, you might be thinking ’tis the season of being stressed out about the gifts I have to buy!
If you’re a parent, you might be thinking ’tis the season of trying to figure out what my kid’s teacher would like for a gift!
If you’re a teacher, you might be thinking what should I get for my colleagues?
Or you might even be thinking whew! It’s been a tough year. I should reward myself . . . but with what!?
Well, I’d like to offer up a few suggestions! đđś These are a few of my favorite things! đđś
By the way, they’re not all teacher-specific ideas! Many of them would be great for anyone on your gift list!
My favorite lunchtime tech
Crockpot Electric Lunch Box, Portable Food Warmer for On-the-Go, 20-Ounce
Why are teachers’ lunchtimes so short!? Why are staff lounge microwaves always soooo slow!? Seriously, I actually stopped packing leftovers for lunch (and I love leftovers!) because by the time my food was warm, I only had 13 minutes to eat it. But then, my wife, who is amazing, bought me one of these handy-dandy gadgets! Pop your leftovers in your Crockpot Electric Portable Food Warmer at the start of the day and 2-3 hours later, your lunch is ready! Just open it up, turn on the most recent episode of The EdTech News Brief and enjoy your lunch!
Oh, and by the way, this will also help you avoid that horrible smell in the microwave after your weird coworker microwaves their fish (or whatever that was).
My favorite notebook
Rocketbook Flip – with 1 Pilot Frixion Pen & 1 Microfiber Cloth Included
I love taking notes in my Rocketbook Flip notebook! I prefer the letter size because it feels like I’m writing on a legal pad, but I can save those notes to my Google Drive (or Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote, Slack, iCloud, email, and more) and then wipe the page off and reuse it!
YETI Rambler 20 oz Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler w/MagSlider Lid
I hate cold hot coffee. I do like cold brew coffee, but I hate coffee that started hot and ended up cold. I’m not sure why, but I bet you agree. If you’re like me, you need something to keep your coffee hot! Personally, I always use my 20 oz YETI mug to keep my coffee just right!
By the way, did you know that you can purchase extra MagSliders? You’re welcome.
Since you’re reading this post, you’re likely already familiar with my Educational Duct Tape and The EdTech News Brief podcasts. Having recorded more than 120 podcast episodes and been a guest on dozens of other ones, I have some podcast equipment recommendations, too.
Samson Technologies Q2U USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone Recording and Podcasting Pack
First: microphones. I use an earlier model of the Audio-Technica ATR-2100x. It’s not super expensive, it connects via USB (and XLR!), is easy-to-use, and sounds great! If I was starting now, though, I’d probably purchase the Samson Q2U. It’s a very similar mic and tends to cost a little less. If you’re podcasting alone in a room (i.e., not multiple people physically together), you can’t go wrong with either of these.
InnoGear Microphone Stand for Blue Yeti Adjustable Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand
My podcast recording space is also my desk, so I need to be able to get the microphone out of my way when I don’t need it. So, I use a boom scissor arm stand. I have it mounted to the back of my desk and I can pull the mic towards me when I need it and push it away when I don’t. I’ve been happy with my InnoGear Stand.
While the C930e is good enough for Zoom calls and short interviews, sometimes I wish it was a little higher quality for my YouTube channel. I’m debating upgrading and, if I do, I’ll likely go with the Logitech BRIO 4K. I used one for a keynote years ago and was very pleased with the video quality.
If you just want to look good on Zooms and such, the C930e should be good. If you’re hoping to record some professional-looking videos and don’t mind paying more, check out the BRIO.
my favorite presentation clicker
Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote
I’m a little obsessed with my Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote. It’s not just a good-looking remote either: it has some really rad features and feels great in my hand. While most presentation remotes just click forward on slides, this one can also highlight and magnify on-screen, control your mouse to start a video, and vibrate to alert you when it’s time to wrap up your presentation! Plus, it works in Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, and more! I’ve got the charcoal one, but check out how cool that gold one is!!
my favorite on-the-go charger packs
2-Pack Miady 10000mAh Dual USB Portable Chargers
Whether you’re spending an entire day at a kid’s activity (baseball tournaments, swim meets, etc.) or getting your steps in at an EdTech conference, your phone and other devices may need a little extra juice on-the-go. My family has been very happy with these portable charger packs!
My favorite book of dad jokes
The World’s Greatest Dad Jokes: The Complete Collection (The Heirloom Edition)
Educational Duct Tape: An EdTech Integration Mindset
On the topic of books, did you know that I wrote one? It’s true! I’d love to send you–or a teacher on your shopping list–a signed copy with a personalized note! Plus, with shipping included, it’s about the same price as a non-signed, non-personalized copy from Amazon. You can get more details about Educational Duct Tape: An EdTech Integration Mindset and order your copy here.
My three books that impacted me the most
I’ve read plenty of books and have loved many of them. But these are the three that impacted me the most:
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
đ Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink – I haven’t seen classrooms, professional developments, or motivation the same way since I read this book. If you’ve never read it – whether you’re a teacher or not – you’re missing out.
What to Do When it’s Your Turn: (And it’s Always Your Turn)
đ What to Do When it’s Your Turn: (And it’s Always Your Turn) by Seth Godin – I podcast because I read this book. I blog because I read this book. I have the job I have today because I read this book. It changed my life trajectory, plain and simple. If you’ve got aspirations, read this book.
The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity
Kucaa Hand-held 1/4 inch 6mm Star Shape Metal Silver Heavy Duty Single Hole Punch
If you assign work on paper and prefer to check them for completion, I have a recommendation that you’re going to love! It takes too long to put a checkmark or smiley face on all of them, but you probably like to have visual proof that you checked that paper. So how can we do this? With this star hole punch you can quickly punch a star into a whole stack of papers! You can even do up to 30 pages at once!
my favorite backpack
ebags Pro Slim Jr Laptop Backpack (Heathered Graphite)
You’ve got a laptop. You’ve got a notebook. You’ve got a coffee mug. You’ve got a computer charger and a phone charger. You’ve got a portable charger pack. You’ve got 2 CLIF bars and 1 pack of Skittles. You’ve got 4 pens and a pack of tissues. You’ve got chapstick and, of course, some Aspirin (just in case). Where are you going to put it all? I swear by my ebags Pro Slim Jr Laptop Backpack. I can even comfortably carry two laptops and a few books in there without breaking my back!
my favorite inexpensive laptop stand
Laptop Stand for Desk, SOQOOL Computer Stand Riser for Desk
If you regularly hear your laptop’s fan running or feel its base getting hot, you may want to get a stand for it to set on. This lets air circulate underneath the device. While there are fancier ones out there, I’ve been satisfied when using this laptop stand with my MacBook Pro as well as with a MacBook Air that I used previously.
Note: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associated Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to fund my work by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
More to come!! Check back soon for additional items!
On Flip, formerly Flipgrid, you can set your topics to be moderated. That means that studentsâ videos and comments donât show up to other students until you approve them.
You probably already knew that, as itâs been around for quite a while. You probably also already know that this leads to lots of students saying âDid you get my video?â or âDid you like my video?â because they just see a blank topic with no oneâs videos, meaning thereâs no confirmation that their video was successfully submitted either⌠again, until you approve it to be seen. And, sometimes, it maybe for an assessment or something you donât want other students to see at all, so you may never make the response visible to others.
So that means that students may never know if their video is submitted and wonât be able to see any comments from you on the video . . . until now!
Now when a student submits a video to a moderated topic, theyâll see their video and, at the bottom left, theyâll see the word Hidden. That way they know itâs there, they can review it, they know itâs hidden, and, even more importantly, they can see comments that you make and so can they! This is super powerful for safe, secure teacher-student conversations.
A quick Edpuzzle update for you today- you can now change the language that you see their options, buttons, and all of the interface in!
Just click your picture and then name in the top right, and then go to settings. Youâll only see 4 options (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Indonesian) for now, but hopefully there are more to come.
And, good news, your students can follow this same process to change the interface language for them as well!
Did you know that if youâre trying to prepare an Edpuzzle activity with your own video, you can actually record in Edpuzzle? Itâs true!
They have a Chrome extension that records and pops the video right into Edpuzzle. You can record in-camera only, desktop, or tab mode, with your webcam in the corner. Unless, of course, you donât want your webcam on during your screencast – in that case, you can turn it off, too!
You can then trim or cut parts of the video, select its thumbnail, and decide if youâd like it to be public or not.Once youâre done editing, you can add questions, notes, and voiceovers just like youâve always done in Edpuzzle!
That same extension, by the way, adds a button in YouTube for sending videos straight to Edpuzzle. Thatâs a nice little added convenience!
Am I speaking a new top secret language? No, Iâm talking about the new capability to insert emojis in your Google Docs without clicking around in any menus or using any Chrome Extensions.
Built into the Smart Chip menu (that they released a year ago) is the ability to add emojis now! If you type, for example, the “@” symbol and brain youâll be able to get to the brain emoji from within that smart chip menu and then youâll be able to select the brain emoji. đ§
Unfortunately, youâll have to sift through some other results like Google Drive files and Google Maps locations that also involve the word brain. To make it quicker, follow that @ symbol up with a colon :.
That tells the Smart Chips menu to just look at emojis. When you do that youâll see matching emoji results, and you can click “enter” to accept the one at the top of the list. If you type a word in that has multiple results, like smile or heart, you may have to use the arrow keys or mouse to get to the one you want. You can also click on the right arrow in the top right of the smart chips pane to see the full menu of emojis to search or scroll through.
It wonât enhance your pedagogy but it might make you a little more efficient, or make your docsâand your studentsâ docs, a little more fun. Iâm here for each of those things!
This update is available to ALL Google users and is out now.Â
Why are teachers’ lunchtimes so short!? Why are staff lounge microwaves always soooo slow!? Seriously, I actually stopped packing leftovers for lunch (and I love leftovers!) because by the time my food was warm, I only had 13 minutes to eat it. But then, my wife, who is amazing, bought me one of these handy-dandy gadgets! Pop your leftovers in your 
I love taking notes in my 
I hate cold hot coffee. I do like cold brew coffee, but I hate coffee that started hot and ended up cold. I’m not sure why, but I bet you agree. If you’re like me, you need something to keep your coffee hot! Personally, I always use my 
Since you’re reading this post, you’re likely already familiar with my 
First: microphones. I use an earlier model of the 
While the 
I’m a little obsessed with my 
Whether you’re spending an entire day at a kid’s activity (baseball tournaments, swim meets, etc.) or getting your steps in at an EdTech conference, your phone and other devices may need a little extra juice on-the-go. My family has been very happy with 
If you listen to 
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
đ 
If you assign work on paper and prefer to check them for completion, I have a recommendation that you’re going to love! It takes too long to put a checkmark or smiley face on all of them, but you probably like to have visual proof that you checked that paper. So how can we do this? With this 
You’ve got a laptop. You’ve got a notebook. You’ve got a coffee mug. You’ve got a computer charger and a phone charger. You’ve got a portable charger pack. You’ve got 2 CLIF bars and 1 pack of Skittles. You’ve got 4 pens and a pack of tissues. You’ve got chapstick and, of course, some Aspirin (just in case). Where are you going to put it all? I swear by my 
If you regularly hear your laptop’s fan running or feel its base getting hot, you may want to get a stand for it to set on. This lets air circulate underneath the device. While there are fancier ones out there, I’ve been satisfied when using 
They have a Chrome extension that records and pops the video right into Edpuzzle. You can record in-camera only, desktop, or tab mode, with your webcam in the corner. Unless, of course, you donât want your webcam on during your screencast – in that case, you can turn it off, too! 