Uploading PDF's: Part 2

Uploading PDF's Part 2: To Google Drive from a computer

The cool factor continues.  Now that I've stumbled upon uploading PDF's from the internet to Google Drive (from an iPad), I must be able to do it with PDF's on my computer.  With a little determination, I was able to conquer my quest.  Unfortunately it was a two step process, and took a little bit longer.  If there is a faster way, I would love to learn.

1. Create a folder in Google Drive to save the PDF 
2. Select the upload button (next to the Create button, there is an arrow pointing up)
3. Select "Files or Folders" 
4. Select the desired PDF from your desktop/computer etc...
5. Click open
6. Select the link (file), when upload complete (a window will pop up bottom, right corner)
7. Select move to folder
8. select the folder you've created
9. selectt move

I created a folder for my GB+ reading assessments (this is the French Immersion equivalent to F&P reading assessments). The PDF's (GB+ reading assessment sheets) came on a disc with the kits, which I uploaded to My Drive using the process above. Then, I followed the steps from my blog  Uploading PDF's in Explain Everything & Google Drive: Part 1.  

Now I have all the assessment sheets for each reading level stored on my Drive.  To assess my students, I can open the PDF in Explain Everything.  To begin I can select record.  I can use the pen to tick off correct words, circle ones that were forgotten, add things etc... and at the same time,  I have a voice recording of how the student actually read the book!!!

Again, when complete, upload the presentation to Google Drive as a video record.  Share with students so they can see and hear how they read.  Share with your resource team, parents and teachers for the following year.

Comic Maker--a great story-building app!

I have recently been playing around with a free app called "Comic Maker".  It is great in a language class for the purpose of providing students with the option of "writing" a story through the creation of a comic, rather than through traditional paragraph writing. (The creation of a digital comic could either be used as an option for differentiated instruction or as an assigned task for all).  The app allows you to select any number of pages with an assortment of layouts of frames and to choose from an assortment of settings, characters, text boxes, colours, symbols, objects, etc. and to insert them into your comic.  It is a great hands-on, colourful and creative alternative to having students simply hand write, hand draw or type out a traditional story!  As my students are starting to use the app they are finding it easy to use and engaging  and I am getting better quality work from some students who normally would not excel at story-writing. :)

iPad Engagement

I just wanted to share about a great teaching moment that happened today.

My FSF 1P class (grade 9 applied French) is working to create "ME" presentations where they introduce themselves (family, friends, hobbies etc.) to the class orally and through some creative medium (poster, powerpoint, webpage, movie etc.)  Lacking exposure to technology, most of my students were opting to create posters or powerpoints, even after I excitedly showed exemplars of previous students who create film versions of the projects.  (I was so sure they would want to try filming after seeing the exemplars, but sadly, they didn't.)  So, they started working on their projects.  I decided to try harder.  I pulled aside a couple of students and told them that I just wanted to show them how i-movie worked in case they wanted to change their minds about their medium and try something new.  I called on these two girls in particular because they appeared very bored and annoyed at having to do this task.  After the three of us snapped a few pictures and filmed a few clips around the room, I proceeded to show them how to use that footage in i-movie and to add text, music, sound effects etc. into their film.  Once they saw how fun and easy it was and how it produced quality product, the two girls shrieked in delight, grabbed the i-pad out of my hands and started to create film versions of their projects.  They went from being bored to quite engaged!  Not only that, but their enthusiasm was so contagious that it caused other students to approach me for a tutorial on i-movie and on educreations so that they could re-think their projects.  When I asked the students what had prevented them from exploring the film option in the first place they said that when they saw the professional quality of the exemplars I showed, they figured it would be too hard and that only expert tech-types could create something like that, not amateurs.  They were thrilled that the technology was so easy to use.  What a beautiful sight to see grade 9 applied French students get SO excited about an assignment! :)

Learning Surprises and Staff Collaboration!

So, the other day I had a great time discovering something new, by accident!  I had taken photos of my students on my ipad and my colleague asked if he could have them to use in our school yearbook.  So, I proceeded to click on photos with hopes to email the photos to him.  Having emailed photos many times from devices before, I know that this method (or even sharing photos via google drive) can take some time and be a bit tedious as they are downloaded/uploaded.  However, upon selecting my photos in my photo app, the ipad prompted me to share them using "Airdrop".  I had no idea what this was but I was curious and decided to try something new by following the oh-so-easy prompts on my ipad to turn on "Airdrop" in the Control Center in the settings app, on both my ipad and my colleague's ipad.  Then, with just one tap, (selecting my colleague's ipad number that suddenly appeared under the Airdrop symbol in the photo app), all 10 of my photos instantly appeared on his ipad!  It was so fast and simple!  What another great way to collaborate in the classroom and as staff! :)

The Power of Collaboration!

Upon teaching my class how to create and share documents on Google Drive, using the i-pad minis in class, my students have been thrilled to find that they can create group assignments in real time!  My grade nine French Immersion class is currently working on creating their own movies, in any genre of their choice, in groups, in French.  First, they worked on the script in Google docs.  They were thrilled to be able to work from devices at home (or on the bus or in the car) to write one script, as a group, in real time, seeing changes being made by their peers on the spot.  They have used this form of collaboration inside AND outside the classroom setting and have actually been excited to do homework and collaborate on this project due to the technology involved.  They have furthermore used the i-pads in class to film their movies and will be using the i-movie app to edit and put together the final product.  I am excited to see the end results! :)