Connected Educator Month: 140 Pins on Social Media for Educators Connected Educator Month Kick-Off! In honor of Connected Educator Month, let's kick things off with some great pins on social media for educators. Here you will find 140+ pins to help educators AND students find ways to connect and learn. Connecting with educators is part of my everyday life and routine. It has changed my world! I have learned so much since connecting online through various platforms like Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. (More on that last one coming soon!) Follow Shake Up Learning's board Social Media for Educators on Pinterest. How are you connecting this month? How are you helping other educators get connected? Participate! Leave me a comment and share ways that you plan on connecting this month. **Here are some great ways to get involved! Don't forget to create your schedule for #CE14. (Oh, and use the hashtag!) Join the CEM Google+Community! Where are you finding your own, FREE Professional Development? I find mine mostly through social media, like the links in the Pinterest Board mentioned above. Be sure to check out this great Link-Up Party for more blog posts loaded with FREE PD! Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly

Flipping the Classroom with Zaption Create Interactive Videos for Students with Zaption! Zaption is a wonderful web app that allows teachers and students to turn videos into a complete, interactive experience! Add images, text, quizzes and discussions to private videos as well as those from YouTube and Vimeo to create a "learning tour." I love the possibilities this brings to the classroom and to staff development! We all know that no matter how engaging the video is (or we think it is) there is no guarantee of engagement. Using the Zaption tools, we can build in checks for understanding, and even some discussion and collaboration along the way. Perfect for flipping the classroom! Here's a great example from the Zaption Gallery (Zaption calls these "tours"): By the way, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Zaption has an entire gallery of videos that you can use and remix. Did I mention you also get analytics? Zaption is a freemium app, but if you want a peak at the Zaption Pro features, here is a FREE PROMO CODE (good for 30 days!). Want to learn more? Here is more info from the Zaption experts! "Zaption turns online video into engaging, interactive learning experiences. Teachers use Zaption’s intuitive web app to quickly add images, quizzes, and discussions to existing videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and private video libraries. The result is an interactive learning tour that turns passive video into an active learning experience. With Zaption’s rich analytics, instructors get real-time feedback and actionable data to track student progress toward learning goals. If you don’t want to start from scratch, Zaption has a growing library of high-quality curriculum that you can instantly copy and customize for your students. The Basic version of Zaption is completely free, and teachers and schools can upgrade to the Pro version to unlock additional features such as adding unlimited videos, creating groups, and integrating with learning management systems." Try it out and let me know what you think! Please share in the comments below! Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly

Google Slides CHEAT SHEET FREE DOWNLOAD: Google Slides Cheat Sheet! This Google Slides Cheat Sheet will give teachers and students an overview of the NEW Slides Home Screen, as well as a good overview of the available features in the menu and toolbar. I hope you find this handy and useful! It's definitely more than a cheat sheet. It was hard to know where to stop, so I stuck to the highlights to keep this from being a full manual. Save to your Google Drive using the button below, or use the download button below the embedded document. Google Slides Cheat Sheet Google Slides Cheat Sheet.pdf File Size: 704 kb File Type: pdf Download File Please let me know what other types of tips and tricks you need in the comments below. Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

Using Google Drive Offline Google Tricks and Tips: Offline Editing in Google Drive! One amazing feature of Google Drive is the ability to work offline. This comes in handy when you are traveling. It is also a great tool for students and teachers with limited or no Internet access at home.  With the New Google Drive, offline editing is even easier! Below are the steps to get started using Google Drive Offline. Set-Up Google Drive Offline Use Chrome! Seems like a no brainer, but you must be using the Chrome browser in order to use Google Drive offline. If you want to enable offline access on both your laptop and desktop computer, you'll need to set it up twice — once on each computer.Offline access is also available on other Chrome Devices. If you are new to Chrome, be sure to check out my list of favorite Chrome Apps and Extensions, and my latest presentation: Confessions of a Chrome Addict. Use one account per Chrome profile. Multiple accounts can use Drive offline on the same computer, but each account will need to log in with a different Chrome profile. Enable Offline Editing in Google Drive. As soon as you do, all of your Google documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings will be available for offline viewing and editing. Because of space limitations, Drive stores at most 4,000 items or 5 GB of data offline. In the NEW Google Drive, go to Settings and check the box to sync work to your computer. Set up Offline Access in the New Google Drive In the Classic Google Drive, there are a few more steps involved. If you’re on a Chrome device, find instructions for enabling Google Drive offline. To enable offline access in Chrome, follow these steps: From drive.google.com in your Chrome browser, click More on the left-hand side. Select Offline. Click the Get the app button. If you already have the app installed, skip to step 6. In the Chrome web store, click Add to Chrome in the upper right. Once the app is installed, click on the Google Drive icon to go back to Drive. Click the Enable Offline button. You can also click on the  Settings menu in the upper right and select Enable Offline to set up offline access. **Note: When you are in offline mode, this lightening bolt icon will appear at the top of your document as an indicator that you are working offline. Where Offline Editing is Available Where Offline Editing is Available How has offline editing made your life easier? Please share in the comments below. Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Area 10-11 TCEA Emerge Conference, Nov. 1, 2014 (Carrollton, TX) Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning Blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

5 Fun and Free Halloween Apps Have some fun this Halloween with these FREE iPad Apps! This post is a little late, but I wanted to share something fun today. Check out my avatar, she became a vampire with the help of Picmonkey. Below are 5 iPad/iPhone apps to keep you the kiddos entertained today. They are all FREE! HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Shake Up Learning! Halloween Card Creator Create spooky fun Halloween cards and share them with your friends.  Use Halloween Card Creator on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to design amazing cards with just a few swipes of your fingers.  The unique thing about Halloween Card Creator is that you can customize as much or as little of the card as you want. The app comes loaded with fun Halloween backgrounds, clip art and fonts. After you've created your masterpiece you can share it with your friends and family on Facebook, through Email or save it to your Photo Album.  There are customizations galore in this using touch gestures, widgets, color wheels and more. You can even select photos from your photo album to use as backgrounds and decorations.  Monster Coloring Book Monster Coloring Book is like fingerpainting without the mess!  Everyone loves to break out the paints, markers and crayons for an intense coloring session but sometimes it's just too much work or there is not enough space or...you get the idea. With Monster Coloring Book you get all the fun at the touch of your fingers. Clean up is simple and the coloring is just as fun.  A Storybots Halloween (Jib Jab) Looking for a fun and spooky way to share the Halloween "spirit"? Have no fear: A StoryBots Halloween is here! Cast your entire family (even Mummy) in this catchy and hilarious animated Starring You® Video and share it with all of your friends via email, Facebook or Twitter - all for free! You can upload up to five photos and dance with the StoryBots as a vampire, ghost, werewolf, mummy, and even Frankenstein’s monster. This will be a "Hallo-wallo-ween" that'll have you and your kids dancing like the "Boogie" Man! The adventures don't stop with Halloween, either. The StoryBots offer a world of learning and fun year-round for kids and parents. Check out all of the StoryBots apps and content for iPhone, iPad and web. Sago Mini Monsters Create your own colorful monster! Make your monster happy with paint, food, and decorations. When you’re finished, snap a photo to share with mom and dad. Make as many monsters as you like. Each monster is unique.  Sago Mini Monsters is a carefully-crafted activity which fosters feelings of pride, ownership, and nurturing. Part of the award-winning suite of Sago Mini apps, the app is sure to get your little one laughing. Disney Villains Challenge Now race against Ursula, your favorite wicked sea witch! Play each of the 6 NEW games as fast as you can to thwart her evil plans.  And don't forget all the sinister fun you'll still have with the 18 additional games featuring your other favorite villains: Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, and Captain Hook!  Be on the lookout for more evil fun…coming soon! Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Area 10-11 TCEA Emerge Conference, Nov. 1, 2014 (Carrollton, TX) Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning Blog to get all the latest posts: Subscribe via Email Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

Re-MAKE Learning I was very honored to be participate in the very first Bright Bytes Research Institute in San Francisco, "Re-MAKE Learning: Research Behind Building and Creating." Below is a summary of my experience and reflections. Yesterday, our very small group which feels much like a cohort, explored the ideas and experiences behind Maker Spaces. This is a concept I am familiar with in-theory, but something I have wanted to explore more in-depth and that is exactly what we did. Our group is led by one my educational heroes, Kristen Swanson. If you do not know who Kristen is, you should! She is an author, EdCamp Founder, and TEDx speaker. I am reading her latest book (co-written with Hadley Ferguson), "Unleashing Student Super Powers," so look for a review on this blog very soon. Oh and follow Kristen’s Blog, Teachers as Technology Trailblazers. You can thank me later... Our morning began with a carefully crafted ice-breaker designed to allow us to make connections with our own Maker tendencies and past experiences. Then we quickly moved to more experiential learning and making, facilitated by the fabulous Tim Hammill. Using our shiny, new Little Bits starter kits, we played and created semi-functional prototypes that also connected to our passions as educators. I must admit that I was ecstatic to play, but the minute this became an assignment--a timed assignment that needed to also represent my beliefs as an educator--I froze. Here I sit among a select group of brilliant educators, and the pressure to create something not only with working circuitry but also connecting it to what I do as an educator was a little paralyzing. I persevered. I am nothing if not a little GRITTY! This was a great activity. The short amount of time kept us focused, and connecting the prototype to our beliefs gave us a focused purpose, even in a short amount of time. Next, we boarded a bus for a field trip to Ravenswood to visit a working Maker Space in action. Seeing students in the space was AMAZING! We saw elementary students tinkering, taking the Cardboard Challenge, designing in 3D using Tinker CAD, building with Little Bits and using a Laser cutter. The facilitator and STEM coordinator, Rob Pronovost, does an phenomenal job with this space! The ideas were endless! We took a lot of pictures to capture the student’s learning and our own. But as outside observers and educators who are passionate about student learning, we were left with many questions regarding the viability of Maker Spaces in our schools. How do we find the sweet spot between playful learning and chaos? To reflect and move forward, we analyzed our printed photos. What did we see? What was missing? How do we give purpose, meaning and connect to learning goals? How do we add structure and meaningful assessment to something that thrives on student passions and choice without stifling creativity? I found myself discovering a lot of parallels between my questions about Maker Ed and Genius Hour. My brain hurt...but in that good way! Day two gave us an opportunity to take a deeper-dive into game-based learning. I know my GBL skills are very surface-level, so I was excited to gain a deeper understanding. The presentation from Peter Stidwill and Learning Games Network did NOT disappoint. In fact, it gave me a renewed enthusiasm for gamification and GBL, so much so that I revamped a training I was delivering the very next day. Thanks, Peter! Kristen led us through a debrief activity that really forced us to think critically about what we are already doing, where we wanted to go, and what we need. How do we take these idea back and model, support implementation, and move forward all within the constraints of our current educational system? Again...my brain hurt, but I was honored to be working through this issues with bright minds. So, as I sit on a plane back to Dallas, I’m contemplating the possibilities of all that we experienced and shared. It was an honor to be selected to participate in the inaugural Bright Bytes Research Institute, and I look forward to the resulting white paper and continued connections and collaboration. Bonus! I just got my certification badge (see image above)! Check out our Storified tweets below for great ideas, resources, and new tweeps to follow! [View the story "Bright Bytes Research Institute: Re-MAKE Learning #BBR14" on Storify] Please share in the comments below how you are implementing Maker Education and Game-Based Learning in your classroom, campus or district? What works? What doesn’t? I’d love to get some feedback. Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Area 10-11 TCEA Emerge Conference, Nov. 1, 2014 (Carrollton, TX) Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning Blog to get all the latest posts: Subscribe via Email Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

Google Forms Cheat Sheet It's finally here! A Google Forms Cheat Sheet for Teachers! Google Forms is a powerful tool for teachers, and while it may seem very simple at first, it is loaded with options and features for teachers. This Google Forms Cheat Sheet will help new and novice users learn how to create and use powerful forms, surveys and assessments. You will find form setting highlights, and a detailed table of all question types. A great resource for even the most Google-savvy teachers. Save to your Google Drive using the button below, or use the download button below the embedded document. Google Forms Cheat Sheet Google Forms Cheat Sheet.pdf File Size: 706 kb File Type: pdf Download File Want more? Get all the Google Cheat Sheets and Guides here. Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

Texas GEG Lesson Plan Jam! Join your local Google Educator Group! (GEG) Earlier this week I had the pleasure of participating in the Texas GEG (Google Educator Group) Lesson Plan Jam at the Google offices in Austin, Texas. It was an amazing experience with some rock star educators, so I had to share! What is a Google Educator Group (GEG)? "Google Educator Groups (GEGs) are communities of educators who learn, share, and inspire each other to meet the needs of their students through technology solutions, both in the classroom and beyond." Why Should You Join a GEG? "Learn. Share. Inspire. Empower. These four words represent the essence of GEGs. Educators will build relationships with other educators and gain the necessary skills to use open technology to deliver the best possible education to their students." How to Start: "Search the GEG directory to find the GEG nearest you, follow the group on Google+ to get their latest news, and feel free to show up to the group’s next event. Don’t see a group near you? Check back soon, as we're expanding GEG." Texas Lesson Plan Jam! The Texas GEG Lesson Plan Jam Story I am the co-leader of the Google Educator Group for North Texas (GEG-NORTX) with the fabulous Ann Witherspoon. We teamed up with Google for Education, our Central Texas friends (GEG-CENTX) Monica Martinez, Christy Fennewald, Brandie Cain-Heard, and Stephanie Cerda , and organized the Lesson Plan Jam. Check out our website for details on the day and bios for the organizers and lead learners: http://goo.gl/U0rZd3. What is a Lesson Plan Jam? The Lesson Plan Jam provides an opportunity for educators to create completed unit plans leveraging Google tools to enhance transformative practices. The Lesson Plan Jam consists of a full day session with demo slams, discussion on teacher challenges and tools, and dedicated time for "Googleizing" lesson plans. The Lesson Plan Jam uses a template for participants to customize and outline their unit plans, the Google tools used to enhance the plans, and any details on lesson activities and outcomes. Once all unit plans are completed they are submitted to one central site for the community to benefit from. The Results I think our first Lesson Plan Jam was a great success! We had an amazing group of teachers and lead learners. This was collaboration at it's best! Teachers were grouped with by their experience and specialties, and given this unit template to develop their own collaborative units. We had around fifteen unit plans developed and "Googleized," during our very productive day. (Look for these to be shared very soon!) The event was held at the Google offices in Austin, and Kevin Hodges was our very gracious host. Kevin gave us a tour of the offices where we could gaze at the amazing creative spaces, funky furniture, micro-kitchens and catch a glimpse of the internal workings of Google. Throw in a Demo Slam, door prizes, Chrome cookies, and some Texas-sized networking and you have one fantastic GEG event! Special thanks to Jordan Pedraza and Jennifer Magiera for guiding us through this event, and a very big thank you to the other GEG leaders who made this happen!  I look forward to future collaboration with these #edurockstars in the future! Follow them all on Google+! Below is a circle I have shared publicly. Not on Google+? You should be! Check out this post on 5 Reasons Educators Should Use Google+! Stay tuned, North Texas, there will be another event coming your way soon! And I have to give a special shout out to my NORTX crew for representing our area so well! Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS

The ULTIMATE Teacher Gift Guide 2014 The Gifts Teachers Want and Dream of...Give Teachers What They Want! This list is meant to be a guide for parents, students, administrators and friends and family of teachers. This list contains a few items I personally own and love, and many items that are on my very own wish list. So let's make this easy! Below is a list of 45+ gifts that will make teachers very jolly! The list is divided into two categories: Books and Gadgets (in no particular order). This page is long, so please be patient as it loads! Each item is linked to Amazon so it is one-stop shopping! Plus free shipping for Prime members!  Books Good teachers are learners first and always perfecting their craft. Below are some great books for educators. Unleashing Student Superpowers: Practical Teaching Strategies for 21st Century Students Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us The Creative Process Illustrated: How Advertising's Big Ideas Are Born The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level Professional Learning in the Digital Age: The Educator's Guide to User-Generated Learning The Edcamp Model: Powering Up Professional Learning (Corwin Connected Educators Series) BUNDLE: Corwin Connected Educators Series The Maker Movement Manifesto: Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters, Hackers, and Tinkerers: Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters, Hackers, and Tinkerers Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom The Art of Tinkering The Creative Process Illustrated: How Advertising's Big Ideas Are Born The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere (Kindle Single) Gadgets Again, these are in no particular order and include personal gadgets, classroom gadgets, maker space gadges and even some dream gadgets! Sphero 2.0 - App Controlled Robotic Ball - Retail Packaging Motorola Moto 360 - Black Leather Smart Watch MaKey MaKey The Original Invention Kit for Everyone littleBits Electronics Base Kit MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer - 5th Generation E&M Labs Skallops Fabric Collection with 27 Art Cards Bee Bot - Programmable Floor Robot (Rechargeable) Iona Robot Google Glass Explorer Edition XE V2 (BLACK / GRAY) Drone: DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Quadcopter with FPV HD Video Camera and 3-Axis Gimbal Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player GoPro Hero3: White Edition - (131'/ 40m Waterproof Housing) Google Nexus 9 Tablet (8.9-Inch, 32 GB, White) iHome Smart Brief Laptop Briefcase for Mac, Heathered Grey/Green (Fits up to 14") Leap Motion Controller for Mac or PC (Retail Packaging and Updated Software) Pencil by FiftyThree Digital Stylus for iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPad 3/4 - Walnut Anker 2nd Gen Astro Mini 3200mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable External Battery Charger with PowerIQ Technology for iPhone, Samsung, HTC and More (Silver) Google Cardboard Valencia Quality 3d Vr Virtual Reality Glasses New Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker (Blue) HP Chromebook 14 (Ocean Turquoise) ASUS CHROMEBOX-M004U Desktop UFCIT Extendable Selfie Handheld Stick Monopod with Adjustable Phone Holder and Bluetooth Wireless Remote Shutter for iPhone Samsung and other system over IOS 6.0 and Android 4.2.2 Smartphones (Black with Shutter) Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/B 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION) CanaKit Raspberry Pi B+ Ultimate Starter Kit (Over 40 Components: Raspberry Pi B Plus + WiFi Dongle + 8GB SD Card + Case + Power Supply and many more) OneUp 3D Printer Kit 4" x 4" x 5" Build Dimensions 50 Micron 1.75mm PLA Filament Swivl Robotic Platform for Video Arduino Uno Ultimate Starter Kit -- Includes 72 page Instruction Book What's on your wish list this holiday season? Please add in the comments below! Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: Teaching and Learning with the iPad, Nov. 20-22 (Raleigh, NC) FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning mailing list!!! Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS form code

So You Want to Be a Google Certified Teacher? 8 Tips to Get You There! So it’s official, I am a Google Certified Teacher!  The Google Teacher Academy in Austin, Texas was a once in a lifetime experience. I’m struggling to put this into words on a page. Words will not do it justice. In an effort to help others who aspire to this certification, I've put together a few tips and ideas to help get your there. What is a Google Certified Teacher? Educators who attend a Google Teacher Academy become Google Certified Teachers (GCTs). GCTs are: Outstanding educators with a passion for using innovative technologies and approaches to improve teaching and learning. Creative leaders who understand opportunities and challenges, and have a desire to help empower others in their local community and beyond. Ambassadors for change who model high expectations, life-long learning, collaboration, equity, and innovation. After the GTA, GCTs are expected to positively impact change in their communities through a personal action plan. Other expectations to be announced. In addition to two free days of training, GCTs get access to a private online community, opportunities to work closely with Google, a special GCT badge and more. Learn more about the Google Teacher Academy here. Learn more about all Google Certifications here. My Journey to Google Certified Teacher My journey began long before I was even accepted into the academy. As soon as the dates were released for GTAs this year, I marked my calendar with the dates for Austin. Knowing it was a long shot only made me want it more. I follow many other GCTs on social media, and had scoured YouTube for GTA videos that were accepted. The competition is massive, so I knew I had to really get creative to get noticed. I brainstormed a giant list of ideas, parodies, satire, and more. I finally decided to do a play off of my brand, and basically sell Shake Up Learning in an infomercial. My inspiration: a Sham Wow commercial. I knew it had to be campy and crazy to pull it off. The result is embedded below. What do you think? Would you buy Shake Up Learning? Most applicants shared their videos online with the hashtag #GTAATX. It’s hard to keep from obsessively watching videos and checking out the competition. I tried to keep my mind occupied and be ready to accept any outcome. The waiting was TERRIBLE! The acceptance emails didn’t arrived until the very last day of the window we were given, and very late that evening. It was thrilling watching the tweets roll in that evening. I felt so blessed to be a part of this! I was so overwhelmed, I tweeted this video: The acceptance tweets were so exciting. I have Storified them here. Once the acceptances were out, the #GTAATX cohort immediately began forming a community and collaborating. The hashtag was hot, we joined the GTA ATX Google+ community, a Voxer group was forged, and a group Google Hangout chat. I had a hard time keeping up with all of the conversations, but it was amazing connecting with new and familiar faces. The 2-Day Google Teacher Academy Fast forward five weeks to the Google offices in Austin, Texas. Fifty-two educators came together to connect, collaborate, learn and do some serious moon-shot thinking! It was exciting, exhilarating and exhausting--filled with inside jokes, a gift-exchange, Google’s delicious food, inspiring ideas, AMAZING lead learners, critical thinking, games, and of course, learning! I was surrounded by greatness, surrounded by educators I have admired from afar, and surrounded by what became the GTAATX family. I don’t think the academy can be summed in one blog post. So look for more specific highlights, tips and tricks in the coming weeks. I also Storified the tweets for the academy here. Lots of great resources were shared! 8 Tips for Google Teacher Academy Applicants These are just suggestions! Remember the ideal candidate reflects the attributes in the GCT description above. There are no hard and fast rules. They just want great educators! #1 Brainstorm Ideas for Your Two Minute Video Now If you are not familiar with the application process, there is NOT a lot of time to between the time the applications open and the time they are due. So my advice is to start brainstorming ideas for your video now! Get creative and outside your comfort zone. Be prepared, but don’t record until the applications are open so that you can address any details they may ask for or change. I’ve been told application requirements may vary each time. #2 Consider Pursuing Other Google Certifications The video is only one part of the application, but it is the most time-consuming. It’s also a bonus if you are a Google Educator, Google Education Trainer, and/or Google Educator Group Leader. It’s not required, but it helps I think. They will ask about this on the application. #3 Have an Online Presence Being active on social media should go without saying, but don’t just be a lurker or retweeter, share original ideas and content. Consider creating a blog or website to share more about who you are as an educator, projects, resources, etc. #4 Get Involved and Active on Google + Join your local Google Educator Group and get involved: share and collaborate. Not one in your area? Become a leader and start your own! Google+ is an amazing resource! Be sure to check out this post on 5 Reasons Educators Should Use Google+, or Eric Sheninger’s post, Stop Ignoring Google+. #5 Connect and Collaborate with Other Google Educators Follow educators who are already certified to see what they do and share. Be sure to ask questions and get feedback from these amazing educators! Here is a twitter list of the fabulous #GTAATX cohort from Tonia Dousay. (Thanks, Tonia!) #6 Watch Videos of Those That Have Been Accepted It helps to see the variety of videos that have been accepted. Some looks like they were directed by Spielberg, others are very normal, but all showcase something great! So don’t be discouraged. You don’t have to be Spielberg! Check out this playlist of the #GTAATX cohort. #7 "Don't get discouraged if you don't get accepted the first time (or two or three!) It's so worth the heartache." - Beth Still Many apply for GTA several times before they are excepted. Don’t give up! Persevere! #8 "Find blog posts from past GCTs. This one was my bible:" - Tonia Dorsay My hope is that blog posts like this one will help more educators reach their goals. Here is a list of some of the reflective blog posts from #GTAATX: It Happened for a Reason: Reflections on #GTAATX - by Jody Green Google Teacher Academy - by Matt Vaudrey Growth in Numbers: Reflections on Day 1 of #GTAATX - by Rafranz Davis Google Teacher Academy: A Reflection Through Tweets Day 1 - by Shaelynn Farnsworth Tonia Goes to the Google Teacher Academy - by Tonia Dousay I’m Fired Up - by Chris Aviles 6 Things I Learned in 3 Hours of the Google Teacher Academy - by Matt Miller #GTAATX: Not Just a Badge - by Victoria Olson If there is anything I can to help you reach your goals, please let me know! I’m happy to help anyone applying for GCT or GET. I also offer workshops to help prepare you for the Google Educator exams, as well as the Google Education Trainer application process. Contact me to find out more. Have other tips? Please share your ideas and expertise in the comments below! Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) Subscribe to this blog to get all the latest posts: Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning mailing list!!! Follow My Blog with Bloglovin Follow My Blog with Feedly RSS