How's That New Luxury Sedan Treating You?

Hey all!  We are going to go a little more into Google Drive today.  If you are still getting your feet wet with Google Drive, or have never used it before, check out one of my previous posts HERE.  In that post, it covers: 

• Introduction to Drive 
• Includes basic features that comes with it 
• Sharing and Comment features 
• Google Forms
• I include a sample form on performance feedback
• Google Drawing
• I include a sample of identifying parts of the staff that I use with my 4^th grade students.

If you are wanting some more in-depth tips on Google Drive, specifically with Google Forms, stick with us here!

Google Forms

In case you are not incredibly familiar with Google Forms, check out this video to get you started.

Cool Google Form Features

• Force students to watch a video if they answer a question incorrectly.  This allows for immediate feedback-so important when you can't be there one-on-one!  In this video you will see how to create new sections in your quiz and insert videos as well.

• Add images to questions or answer choices.  I made a Google Form quiz using images for recorder fingerings.  Take a look at it HERE to see how I have used it. Watch this video for a description on creating your own images in Google Forms.

• Want to see how student scores stacked up on the quiz?  Google Forms will place them in a spreadsheet for you.  Here is how:

***SIDENOTE***for those quizzes that you give to your students.  When they take a quiz, you most likely have a link to share with them.  Who has time to type in an address that is 68.66667 characters long?  Use tinyURL.com to solve the issue.  Copy and paste your sharable link into the website, get a tiny URL, write the tiny URL on white board, and voila!  Your students have a much easier time getting to your LOVELY quiz. 

Those are a few features that I think are a little more advanced with the basic version of Google Forms.  If you are ready for some more features that can rock your world, read on in the Add-ons section.

Add-ons

Don't know what an Add-on is?  Add-ons are the 'bells and whistles' that you can add to your basic Google Form.  Want to add a sunroof?  That would be an Add-on.  Want the side-view camera?  That would be an Add-on.  Want leather seats?  That would be an Add-on.  

How do you find Add-ons?  Click HERE.

For those of you that would like to integrate some Add-ons in Google Forms.  Here are some great ones:  

• Form Limiter is great if you want to place a time limit on when to complete a form,  or will no longer be available once you have the number of responses that you need.  I would use this if I gave students a time limit on an assignment.  Let's say that you have a practice log for students to turn in, and they are to enter their weekly practice minutes.  They cannot go back and log their practice time after each specific week.  

• Choice Eliminator will let you do sign-ups.  When someone selects the option, it will disappear at the number you preset.  This way, you don't have multiple people signing up for the same thing.  You could use this when researching different topics in your classroom and don't want more than one student researching the same topic.  Let's say I do not want more than 3 students in a group studying music genres.  Once 3 students have signed up to Jazz, that genre will no longer be available.

• Form Notifications lets you receive notifications when someone submits your form.  You can also have it send an auto response to the person submitting the form, as well.

• Form Publisher seems to be a pretty advanced Add-on, if you ask me.  However, it can be really useful if you have the need.  It will gather information that is entered in Forms and will export the data into one place- graded rubrics, for example. It can also create nice looking invoices if that is up your ally. Once you have done all the behind-the-scenes work, it will save you time in the long run.  I also think it can make your end product look professional. 

• g(Math) can be used for multiple things, but I thought the coolest thing you could use it for was the handwriting feature.  Sometimes, you just need to know what/why/how students are thinking and you want to save paper in the process.  This has a handwriting feature for students to write in an answer. Check it out.

• Check-in/ Check-out System in Google Forms is really useful if you are checking out instruments!  You could also use it if you wanted to keep track of specific iPads that students are using.  I am not in a one to one school,  so students need to keep track of the iPad they previously used in order to build upon their previous work.

WHEW!!  That was a lot of info. Soak it in.  Digest it.  Don't get a belly ache.  Look in to one that you think could change your life now, and then come back later when you realize that all of them are amazing!

The 80s AND Titanic? So Much To Reminisce About In 1 Post.

Search Tricks Through Google...Who Knew? 

I know I have posted on some search tips before, but I wanted to share a couple more with you: the quote and filetypes feature.  When you place quotes around your search terms, it will only pull those specific search terms.  No need for that other junk...unless you're Oscar.  Then you'd probably love all the extra garbage.

Searching for specific filetypes can save years off your life.  I wish I would have known this feature when doing all of my research papers while getting my masters.  This would have given back many-an-hour to family time.  Maybe learning of this, can save you some time as well.  Take a look at the presentation below and learn how you can incorporate these search tips into your daily life as well.

Alert! Alert!

Ok, this is a totally cool tool that I had no idea existed.  I promise, you are going to love this one.  Have I ever lead you astray?  Ok... don't answer that...I know we went down some theoretical black holes last week.  

(Everyone needs a little grumpy cat in their lives.)

No theories here...this is concrete.  Google will create alerts for you of "happenings" on the web.  I came up with a list of things that I would like to be notified on.  These things are what I would like to learn more about and to improve upon as a teacher.

• coding in the music classroom (our school is getting big on this)
• cooperative learning in the music classroom (such an amazing way for students to be held accountable for their learning)
• makerspace in the music classroom (kids thrive on exploring)
• scratch in the music classroom (this is a neat software that I just came across and would like to learn more about)

So, I put these 4 items into my google alerts, and voila!  I should be getting notifications of when new items are posted with these terms soon.  Here is a screenshot of the alerts that I used.  Get started at https://www.google.com/alerts to create your own alerts and make sure to watch this video for more detailed info. 

Custom Search Engine

Are you ready for another gem?

No, no, no...gem with a 'G!'  

What was that?

Was I a product of the 80s?  Gaw!  How did you know??  

And, yes, we all miss the pink, sparkly hair.  

Back to the topic at hand.  Google has made it possible for you to customize the search engine.  Don't want your students to have to sort through all of the crud online?  Want them to search factual information, and not muddle it all up with useless and/or incorrect information?  Define the sites and search terms that can appear in their searches for their research.  

My 5th grade students do a guided inquiry project on music genres.  Their research days in the library are always the most challenging.  They struggle on finding sites that are suitable and informational for what they need.  So, I created a CSE with some good websites that they can use.  I did some sample searches, and wowzers!  It was amazing.  I am undeniably going to use this when we do our research next year.  This is going to save them so much time.  Here is my CSE on music genres.  Go ahead and try it out.  Search for 'jazz instruments' or 'kabuki theater' or 'rock history.'  You should get some great information.

Music Genre Research Search Engine

Did you find some good info?  Pretty cool!  I am VERY excited about this, and cannot wait to use it with the kids!

Gmail

Are you a Gmail user?  I have found some useful gmail tips that could be some more life-changers for you.  Are you a To Do list maker?  I am.  If I don't write it down- right then and there- it is lost forever in the abyss of my mind.  It could be until the next lunar eclipse until it surfaces again.  There are a lot of unknown gems of Gmail that you all need to know about.  Check these out to get you started!

• 8 Gmail Hacks
• 5 Gmail Tips for Teachers

"What do we want?!" ..... "Black holes and telepathic abilities!!" ...... "When do we want it??" ..... "Now!"

 What is a "browser?"

Basically, a browser is the gateway that you take into the internet- or black hole- if you will.  Some people think black holes can make you jump through time or dimensions.  Let's think of Google Chrome as one of those cool black holes that suck you up and lead you to a dimension in which you can connect with people without actually speaking to them, but they know what you're thinking in an instant.  Almost telepathic-like.  

You can summon "your people" to improve your way of life.  Almost instinct-like.  

You can-wait a minute!  

You can! 

You can do that now!  

Your first step would be to download the black hole.  A.K.A. Google Chrome here.

Snap Out Of It!!

Back to reality folks!  I am trying to talk to you about black holes and how we can travel to different dimensions through your browser!  Geez-louise!  

Are we back?

As I was saying....Google Chrome can instantly communicate what you are thinking without speaking, but typing or using visuals like pictures or videos.  Searching for like-minded people?  Google Chrome has you covered!  

Ok, ok maybe I misled you.

There is no telepathy involved, but if you really think that I was going to answer that in a music education blog about technology, you might need to get your ticker checked.  If I had those answers, I would be doing something completely different with my life, folks. 

Navigating the 'black hole'

I'll point out a couple features to get you started in Google Chrome.  These are some good tips to get you started with navigating your browser, if you are not used to Chrome.  

How does it know what you want, when you don't even know you want it yet??  Maybe the browser is telepathic!!  

Web Apps and Extensions

Remember CDs? 

I know, Obi-Wan.  Times have changed.  We took those CDs and threw them in the 'black hole.'  In this new dimension, they are Web Apps.  Cuh-raaazzzyyy, I know!!!!  Here is how they work now.  Check out this video on Apps:

And here is one on extensions:

Music Education Apps??

So glad you asked!  These are a few apps that I have come across specific to music education.  There are so many more.  I am a little scared of this black hole that we have entered.  How do we get out of them?  We might be stuck discovering new things forever!!  

Flat is a FREE music composition app.  Sebelius? Who is that?  Ok, ok.  That was a little rough.  I'm sorry Sebelius.  We have had a love/hate relationship.  I will always remember what we had.

Flowkey is a really cool way to learn to play piano.  It will show you notation and hand position on the piano.  It has songs for beginners or advanced.  There are free songs, which of course are not full versions of songs; and there are paid subscriptions, which I am sure have full versions.

Noteflight is another music notation software.  The reason I am putting more than one here is because maybe you prefer one over the other. You know, you can't please everyone, but I can sure try!

Dubstep Balls is a pretty cool app.  I would use it for letting my students explore different sounds and how they work together.  Each ball is on loop.  When you click on one it gives a bass line, melody, or different beat.  Mix them up and see what you like!  It includes more than just dubstep.  Some genres this app includes is: house, reggaeton, electronica, hip hop, and more.

GoAnimate for Schools is the last app I want to brief you on.  This is not specifically a music app, but you could definitely use this for your music classroom.  If I had a choice of another career path, I might choose graphic design.  I love this kind of stuff.  I have always wanted a way to explain through animation to my students.  What child doesn't like cartoons?  I am thinking that I could even animate songs that the kids love.  I tried to do animations with Smart Notebook, but the timing was really hard to get while moving my mouse at the right time.  

I am really digging this app.  The catch is, you have to pay to use it.  **Disclaimer:  I have not actually used this app yet.**  However, I really think that I will splurge and pay for the 1 year subscription.  I'd like to gather up all the thoughts in my head about animations I have wanted to do, and try to knock them out in a year.  Who knows, maybe it'll be worth it to renew after a year's time.

Google+

Now for the connections to others.  Google+ is a large community of people wanting to connect.  Kind of like Facebook is a large community of people that want to connect.  Google+ has 3 sides to it:  Collections, Connections, and Communities.  (It's almost like they planned the alliteration.)  After doing some looking into Google+, I'm going to give you some analogies as to what I compared these to, so I could keep them straight.  

Collections is similar to Pinterest. 

• You can create your own collections to post about.  
• Others can follow your collections, if you'd like.  
• Others cannot post or comment on your collections-just view.

Communities is similar to a blog.

• You can create your topics to post.
• Others can follow your connections.
• Others can post, comment, and discuss in your connections. 

Connections is similar to your facebook or pinterest feed.

• People that you follow will show up in your feed when they post something. 

Clear as mud?  When I thought of it in this way, it helped me keep them straight.  If you need more clarification, check out this cheat sheet for a more in-depth, but to-the-point explanation.