Bit-O-Tech - April 2025

 Ah, April!

    The air feels a bit lighter, the days are stretching longer, it might ACTUALLY be getting warmer to stay.  And most of us are likely navigating the tail end of state testing season. As the finish line of the school year peeks into view, it can be tempting to coast, but remember that your impact on students extends far beyond formal instruction. Every interaction, every word, every bit of encouragement you offer continues to shape their learning journey, even now. To help you power through these final weeks with positivity and engagement, I've gathered some tech tips and resources that I hope will make the remainder of your year a little smoother and even more impactful.

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Google Slides in New Features

    Google is becoming famous for debuting new features without telling too many people.  I can't tell you how many times I've been working in a Google application and went, "oh, I didn't know I could that!"  And while I would like to be better informed about improvements and new features to some of my favorite applications, I am also very grateful that the folks at Google are continually working to improving these invaluable resources.  And of course, it gives me something to write about in this blog from time to time.  

    And such it is the case with a new and cool feature with Google Slides.  Slides has introduced a new "sidebar" with quick button access to some really great features.  Located on the RH side of your Slides presentation, the sidebar contains four buttons to help you quickly navigate to some old and new Google Slide options.

Templates

    Google rolled out templates a few months back and while there are not too many options compared to template websites, it is incredibly convenient to have templates integrated right into the application.  And now, there is a sidebar template button that will give you quick access to templates you can access and insert right into your presentation.  Each template is a complete presentation and you can choose to insert 1 of the template slides or are given the option to insert all of them.  After they are inserted into your presentation, they are yours to alter in a every way available to fit your presentation goals.

Building Blocks

    Building Blocks might be my favorite and most used sidebar button.  Building blocks allows you to select and insert pre-made "blocks" that you would typically take several minutes (or hours) to design and configure.  Building Blocks are organized by categories and each category has several different choices in both design and content.  After they are inserted into your presentation, they are yours to configure to fit your presentation.  The categories are Agendas, Lists, Key statistics, Quotes, Headlines, People, Cards, Text callouts, Contact us, Badges, Collaboration, Phrases and Calls to action.

Stock and Web

    I used to use the Insert > Image > Search Web to find the images I wanted to insert into my presentation.  But the sidebar has replaced that feature with Stock and Web (also replaced in the Insert menu as well).  Now you get the option of choosing from Stock images, GIFs, Stickers and Google Images.  This is a much more efficient way to insert visuals into your presentation.

Drive and Photos

    Is exactly what it says.  This option pulls up eligible material from your Google Drive and your Google Photos.  Use the search options to quickly locate or filter down to your desired media to insert and put it directly into your presentation.

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Music Lab by Code.org

    This is something cool that I've known about for a while but have kind of kept it to myself until now.  Being a former music teacher, I'm always a bit wary of music construction programs that don't teach students how to actually read and write music.  And while my views will still lean towards that of music literacy, I also recognize that there is value in the combination of music with other academic skills.  Code.org has presented a fantastic way to have students interested and curious in both block coding and music with their music lab.  Using the architecture and structure of block coding, you can quickly create music jams with a lot of different options.  A good music teacher can recognize right away that there are teachable moments in regards to music structure and how to layer elements of an ensemble together.  A good tech or STEAM teacher will recognize that you can re-emphasize the principles of block coding will engaging the students in the creation of music.  A good classroom teacher can recognize that with a little help from their music and/or tech teacher they have viable enrichment option for their students that can easily be deployed and keep their students immersed and engaged in quality content.

    Code.org is free and easy to set up if you want an organized project for your students.  You can also send students directly there and have them start a new project using the Music Lab.   Here is a sample of one of my projects: Background Jam 1.  You can just listen to it or you can click the option to see the code and how I constructed everything.  Personally, clicking play and then following the code along is the best way to understand how all of this goes together.  And if you want some help getting your students started in all of this, just ask.

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Bring in Some Zen

 
  If spring finally takes hold then the sun will be shining and the warm temperatures will make everyone excited for summer.  That makes focus a tad more difficult for the young mind.  Enter Classroom Zen.  Developed by the fine people at SMART Technologies, Classroom Zen is a simple noise management tool designed to encourage calm and peaceful classrooms and to boost student development, work habits, and academic performance.  Choose from four different Zen categories (Noise Management, Breathing Exercises, Brain Breaks, and Typing Practice), select a specific tool from one of those categories and begin the calm.

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