Create a Forms Quiz Using Flubaroo

How to take a Google Form and apply a Flubaroo Script:

Preparing and Inserting Images in Google Forms (Collage Style)

Watch this video in order to learn how to create a collage image to insert in a Google Form. Using rock images obtained from Discovery Education, create a collage that becomes a key element of a Google Form quiz. In my next posting, you will learn how to create the forms quiz and grade it using the Flubaroo script.

Preparing and Inserting Images in Google Forms (Collage Style)

Google Forms Now Allow Image Inserting

For a Google Forms fan, one missing feature has been the ability to insert images. Missing no longer, the ability to add images (without using scripts or external tools) is now fully functional.

Sample map image from Discovery Education

Simply insert / image and drag your image into your form. Images can be titled and text entered to appear when a user hovers over the image. Images are free-standing features that can be dragged and dropped to appear between any questions. Change your mind? Change the image with a click of a button.

This, along with the recent addition of date and time fields, which allows for data entry consistency in dates and times, are fantastic additions to Forms.

For the teacher who wants to use Google Forms to create quizzes or tests (which can include short answer and essays graded separately) Flubaroo is a free script that combines with Google Forms - check it out here Flubaroo.

Google Forms User Support

CorkboardMe now NoteApp.Com

For fans of the Web 2.0 resource CorkboardMe, news today that the company is rebranding and renaming their site.

"You may see us kick up some dust as we switch our name from CorkboardMe to NoteApp. This is a full rebranding effort, so we appreciate your patience and urge you to let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Please note that your boards will *not* be affected, they'll just contain a new URL. For instance, if your board was located at https://corkboard.me/abc123, you can now find it at https://noteapp.com/abc123. In fact, you can continue to use the old URL with no trouble, it'll just be redirected to the new one.
So, a little recap:

- New name: NoteApp
- New board location: https://noteapp.com
- New site: https://hello.noteapp.com
- New Twitter: @NoteAppdotcom (we just renamed @CorkboardMe)
- New Facebook: https://facebook.com/NoteAppdotcom (also renamed)"

Adding Voice Comments to a Google Doc

Watch this video tutorial for instructions on how to add voice comments to a Google Doc!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llv1Nh4Om0c&feature=youtu.be

Think of all the ways this can be used - not only by teachers in leaving comments on student work, but for peer commenting, listening to read (have a reading passage saved as a Google Doc, then have students read the passage and leave as a comment), there is no limit to possible uses!

Thanks to Jennifer Roberts for creating this quick tutorial, and if you are looking for other great technology tips, be sure to follow Free Technology for Teachers written by Richard Byrne http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

Decrypting Short URLs - Is this link safe to click on?

Have you ever received a shortened link to a site in an email or seen a link on a webpage and wondered "Is it safe to click on this link?"

Check out this website, which will decrypt most shortened URLs and give you a preview of the full website address and even a visual preview of the website without placng your computer at risk! Once you see the full web address and preview you can decide whether to continue on to the site. In addition to decrypting shortened weblinks, the site will provide previews of full URLs also.

This is a great site to bookmark on your home and work computers:

http://www.decryptlinks.com/

If you use embed code, the site even provides embed code for your blog or webpage, click on the webmaster tab for the code.

Why use goo . gl to shorten links?

We all know that it is a good idea to shorten web links in order to share them on social media, in classrooms, webpages or during presentations.

Google’s shortening tool, found at goo.gl has some great side benefits. Paste your link into the box, then shorten the link by pressing the Shorten URL button.

Type or copy/paste your link into the box. 

Be sure to login to Google first!

When you click on Shorten URL, the right side of the screen will display your shortened link, a preview of the linked page, and a DETAILS line:

If you click on the DETAILS, you can automatically receive a QR code for your link, plus tremendous tracking information on who has followed your link in the past, what browsers/types of devices they are using, and even where they are from in the world!

Right click on the QR Code image in order to save the image file to your computer. As always, remember Google works best in the Chrome browser.

NEISD Google Resource Site Now Available!

Originally published November 27, 2012
Looking for information on Google? Check out our new NEISD Google Resources page:

NEISD Google Resources

Google Docs Research Tool Comes to Google Presentations

Originally published November 1, 2012

Last winter I wrote about the wonderful Google Research Tool. The tool has now been added to Google Presentations! Research and insert quotes, images, scholarly journal references – and when you insert the resource Google automatically includes the source citation. Citations also automatically update as you rearrange content – and you select the citation style. Warms a teacher heart. Go to Tools – Research to locate. First time you open a Presentation Tools may show on your right panel. Enjoy!

UDL Training

Originally published October 29, 2012
This is my visual of Universal Design. We all have the same goal – the destination of our beautiful tropical island, but we can get there in many ways, in a canoe, kayaking, on a cruise ship with sailors, etc.

Drawing created in Bamboo Paper on my iPad.