Teresa Bruin

Featured Resource: Kami

December 2020Josh Whiting

A version of this post was first shared in our GSD Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers, authored and curated by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Team Leader. We’ve also included help resources created by Davina Sauthoff, Educational Technology Team Leader.

Kami (https://www.kamiapp.com/) is a tool that allows students to digitally annotate text and edit documents. Using the kid-friendly Chrome extension, students can make notes on ebooks, publisher-supplied PDFs, worksheets, and more. Granite recently purchased a district-wide license to Kami for all teachers and students!

[Read more…]

Featured Resource: Scrible

November 2020Josh Whiting

Scrible (https://www.scrible.com/) is a research and writing platform that can be used to bookmark, annotate, organize, and share articles and webpages.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has secured a statewide contract to provide Scrible Edu Pro to all Utah K-12 educators and students! Find out more about this contract here and read on to find out how Granite students and teachers can access this resource.

Video – Scrible Edu Demo and Teacher Testimonial

[Read more…]

Jamboard and Google Classroom

November 2020Josh Whiting

This post was first shared in our GSD Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers, authored and curated by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Team Leader. (Link: https://sites.google.com/granitesd.org/gsd-ed-tech-newsletter/2020-archives/november-2020/jamboard-and-google-classroom-integration)

Jamboard (http://jamboard.google.com/) is a collaborative whiteboard space with options to draw, add pictures, shapes, sticky notes, and text boxes. It’s simplistic collaboration, and now you have the option to add Jamboards as assignments in Google Classroom. To get started, go to jamboard.google.com. Students will not need the app to participate on a Jamboard you assign to them.

Students Can Jam From Anywhere

Educators can engage all students in the learning process, whether working together in a traditional classroom, a group seminar setting, or through distance learning. The Jamboard website and app for Android and iOS make it easy for students and educators to join in on the creativity from their phone, tablet, or Chromebook.

[Read more…]

Featured Resource: Loom

October 2020Josh Whiting

This post originally appeared in our GSD Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers created by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Team Leader. Note 10/14/2020: Loom pushed out a major software update just hours after this information was drafted and posted, so we will provide an update to these graphics and login information at some future time.

Loom is a simple screen recording and video messaging tool that can be used on Chromebooks, desktop computers, and iOS mobile devices. Granite staff and students now have access to the full professional features of Loom for Education.

[Read more…]

Featured Resource: Creating Student Portfolios Using Google Sites

May 2019Josh Whiting

Post by Teresa Bruin, originally published in our monthly Ed Tech Newsletter for teachers.

We often get asked to recommend a way for students to create digital portfolios. There are several online tools for creating portfolios, but Google Sites is free and easily started straight from their granitesd.org Google Drive.

To start a new Google Site in Google Drive, click the **+ New** button, click **More >**, and choose **Google Sites**.

The new Google Sites has been completely made over. You can create a new Google Site in a short time with its intuitive design.

Creating and Editing in Google Sites – Screenshot

Students will enjoy creating a place to showcase their best work and have an easy way to share it with family and their teacher(s).

Additional Resources

Student Portfolios (Granite Ed Tech TIP Resource Page)

Getting Started with Sites (G Suite Learning Center)

Student E-Portfolios in Google Sites – A Tutorial (Boulder Valley School District)

How to Create Powerful Student ePortfolios with Google Sites (Shake Up Learning)

Take Portfolios with You When You Leave the District (Technology Tip: Backing Up Your @granitesd.org Data with Google Takeout)

Featured Resource: Google Jamboard

April 2019Josh Whiting

Post created by Teresa Bruin, District Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. This first appeared in our GSD Ed Tech Monthly Newsletter for Teachers.

Jam Out Illustrating and Writing With Google’s Jamboard Web Tools

Google’s Jamboard web tool is like an endless notebook of paper with simplified drawing and text features. Each Jamboard can be shared with others to collaborate on. Jamboards can also be printed out as PDFs. [Read more…] about Featured Resource: Google Jamboard

Technology Tip: Backing Up Your @granitesd.org Data with Google Takeout

April 2019Josh Whiting

About @granitesd.org Google Accounts

All students and staff in Granite School District are provided with @granitesd.org Google accounts that include unlimited storage space in Google Drive as well as access to numerous other Google tools and services. However, these accounts are only active and accessible while you are a student or employee in Granite School District. When a student graduates from high school, an employee retires, or a student or staff member otherwise leaves the district, they will no longer have access to their @granitesd.org account, and any content that was in that account cannot be recovered.

Backing Up Your @granitesd.org Data

Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

March 2019Josh Whiting

Earlier this month the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) and the Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA) held their annual conferences. Many teachers, school technology specialists, and library media educational technology specialists from Granite presented at these conferences, and we collected links to their presentations in the table below. [Read more…] about Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

Featured Resource: Google Meet

February 2019Josh Whiting

Post by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. This post originally appeared in our Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for teachers.

Using Google Meet for Universal Collaboration

Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/) is available for all staff in Granite School District to use as part of our G Suite For Education accounts. Granite District staff can create a Google Meet with others outside of our district. Google Meet is not open for students, but students can participate in a Google Meet that the teacher has organized.

A Google Hangouts Meet is easy to setup and easy to join. See the information and videos provided for help with getting started.

Google Meet - Screenshot — Screenshot of Google Meet – a simple interface to start or join a meeting

Below is a list of a few ways Google Meet can be used in the classroom.

Teresa Bruin

Students Can Jam From Anywhere

Engaging Math Challenges for Students

Additional Resources

Jam Out Illustrating and Writing With Google’s Jamboard Web Tools

About @granitesd.org Google Accounts

Backing Up Your @granitesd.org Data

Using Google Meet for Universal Collaboration