As Quincy Jones once remarked, "I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain’t that the truth." That said, Edu-fun Friday is a series devoted to adding some humor to the lives of teachers who visit this blog. After all, there’s nothing better than ending the week on a positive note! Plus, do we have the best topics to provide us with some comic relief or what? I don’t know about you, but iLaughed [out loud] at this one! Ha, ha!

Hey, Edutech for Teachers fans! This chick just got a facelift. Yep, check out my new identity—the official Geeky Girl logo that I’ll now be using in conjunction with print and digital projects as well as social media. A ton of props go out to my friend and beyond talented graphic artist, Tom Worthington II, for making the design I visualized in my mind one cool reality. You’re the bomb!

How To Create Pinterest Board Covers with Canva Want to Make Your Pinterest Boards Shine? Create matching board covers with Canva to help you and your students navigate your Pinterest boards with ease! By now you have figured out that Canva and Pinterest are two of my favorite digital tools! Pinterest is such a popular tool among teachers! It's great for professional learning, and creating boards for your students. Why not get organized, and create beautiful covers for your boards? It's easy with Canva! Here's a birds-eye view of my Pinterest boards. Most of my boards, the ones that I own and use for education, have custom covers that I made using Canva. It makes it very easy to see the title of the board, and gives me an opportunity to use my own branding. Canva makes this task a cinch! I've detailed steps below. Here's a birds-eye view of my Pinterest boards. Most of my boards, the ones that I own and use for education, have custom covers that I made using Canva. It makes it very easy to see the title of the board, and gives me an opportunity to use my own branding. Canva makes this task a cinch! I've detailed steps below. Shake Up Learning on Pinterest Step 1: Get a Canva Account! Trust me, this tool is incredible. You will find so many ways to use this design and image tool in your classroom. Your students will love it, too.  More on that later...Go ahead and get your account set-up, I'll wait... Step 2: Create Your Canvas with Custom Dimensions. There are many templates in Canva for all types of social media, posters, presentations, and more. The Pinterest board cover is NOT in the list at the top. You must choose custom dimensions.  Use Custom Dimensions The correct size for a Pinterest board cover is 217 x 147. Enter these dimensions, and click Design! 217 x 147 Step 3: Design your Pinterest board cover! The next screen will give you options for the layout.  Canva Toolbar I usually start by choosing a background, but you can work in whatever order suits your creativity. Backgrounds can be solid, patterns, or images. You can even use custom colors, which is how I made my boards match my website and blog. Choose a Background You can search for images, frames, icons, lines, and much more to add a professional touch to your design. You can even upload your own images, as I did with my avatar.  Upload Images For an effective and professional Pinterest board cover, make the title of your board as large as possible so it can easily be read on your profile. You may need to reconsider the names of your boards, as I did. Short and sweet works best on the cover. You can add plain text, and choose from some great fonts! You can also try the special text holders to add a little flair. Add Text Step 4: Download Your Image. Click Download or Link in the top-right, then choose image. Download Image Publish Image Step 5: Upload Your Image to Your Pinterest Board. Login to your Pinterest account, and click on the + sign near the top-right of the page. Choose Upload a Pin. Navigate to your new Canva image, and add it to the board for which it is named. Upload a Pin Step 6: Set the Image as the Cover. Now, go to your profile page and hover over the board you wish to edit, and click on the Change Cover button. Use the arrows to navigate to your new image. (It should be the first one). Once selected, click Save Changes. Change Board Cover That's it! Now you can return to Canva and make a copy of your board cover to create more covers with a matching theme! Canva is a phenomenal tool for the classroom as well. Students can use Canva to create images for presentations, blog posts, posters, research projects, and more.  There are so many ways that you can use this tool! I use Canva to create images for the blog posts you see here, in my presentations, and across social media. Both Canva and Pinterest made my list of 10 EPIC Tools I Can't Live Without. Pinterest is a great way to connect and learn with other educators. Be sure you check out my list of 35 Educators You Must Follow on Pinterest. How do you use Canva? Please share in the comments below. Visit Shake Up Learning's profile on Pinterest.

Editing Images in Google Docs and Slides Add some pizazz to your images in Google Docs and Slides! Did you know you can crop, add borders, and even reshape your images in Google Docs and Slides? This feature has been around for just a few months, and it a great feature for students and teachers! Editing images give you the abilitity to add a professional touch to your presentations and documents.  Inserting Images To begin, insert an image into a Google Document or Slide by going to the Insert>Image. Navigate or search for the image you wish to insert. (Please see my previous tip: Image Search Tricks Every Teacher Must Know!) Once you have located the image, select or open to add it to the document or slide. Resizing Images (Google Docs and Slides) You can easily resize images by selecting the image and clicking and dragging the blue "handles" until you have the desired size. To keep proportions, click and drag from the corners instead of top, bottom and sides. Cropping Images (Google Docs and Slides) Double-click the image you wish to edit, or click on the crop button in the toolbar. Please note, one click gives you the blue handle bars for resizing and moving. A double-click will give you the new cropping tools as seen below. Click and drag the black cropping bars on the corners and sides to crop your image. Select the area you wish to crop, then click Enter on the keyboard or click the crop button on toolbar to crop the image. (Cropped Image) Add a Border (Google Docs and Slides) You can easily add a border or frame to your images using the special toolbar that appears when your image is selected. First choose your color using the dropdown next to the pencil tool. The second tool allows you to choose the weight of the line. The third tool even lets you change to border to a dots or dashes. (Image with 4pt orange border) Reshaping Images (Google Slides only) Google Slides gives you an additional feature. You can reshape you images in Google Slides for added effect. Select the image, and then click on the drop-down arrow next to the crop button in the toolbar, then choose your shape. Voila! A new shape for your image! Below is an example. There are many different shapes to choose from that will add a little something extra to your presentations. Hansueli Krapf, Aerial View of the Crop Circle in Diessenhofen, Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Reset Images Back to Original (Google Docs and Slides) Don't like the changes? Just click on the reset image button to return the image back to the orginal size and shape! This is just scratching the surface of the many ways you can enhance your Google Documents and Slides with images. Stay tuned for more Google Tricks and Tips! Check out my other Google Tricks and Tips! What are your favorite Google tips? 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 RSS

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

45 Fantasic Chrome Apps and Extensions My absolute FAVORITE Google Chrome Apps and Extensions! As many of you may know, I am a confessed Chrome addict! I even have a presentation to prove it: Confessions of a Chrome Addict. I have added 20 more Chrome extensions to my list for a total of 45 Chrome apps and extensions. There a something for everyone! These are my favorites, and my most frequently used apps and extensions. I will continue to update and add to this resource as I discover more apps and extensions.  CLICK HERE TO SEE MY LIST OF 45 CHROME APPS AND EXTENSIONS. Are you a Chrome addict? Please share your favorite apps and extensions 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

The Best #EdTech Posts of 2014 The Top 20 Shake Up Learning Blog Posts of 2014! As Shake Up Learning approaches it's one year anniversary, I thought it would be great to look back at the most popular posts of 2014. No surprise that the Google Cheat Sheets were particularly popular. For a full list of all the Google Cheat Sheets and Guides, click here. (Look for more cheat sheets in January!) Check out the list below to see what you may have missed. I can't wait to see what 2015 will bring to the world of educational technology! The Top 20 Blogs Posts of 2014: A NEW Google Drive Cheat Sheet 35 Educators You Should Follow on Pinterest Shut the Front Door! Digital Differentiation with Google Forms The Guide to Google Drive Sharing The Guide to Keeping Up with Google 10 Ways to Use Google Drawings in the Classroom Google Chrome Cheat Sheet My Favorite Google Chrome Apps and Extensions (an ever-growing resource list) Google Tricks and Tips: Image Search Tricks Every Teacher Must Know Choose Your Own Adventure with Google Drive The Guide to Google Apps for the iPad [infographic] Google Drive for the iPad Cheat Sheet Google Apps Smashing with Gapps Dice (Be sure to check out the follow-up Google Classroom Edition) Top Ten Tech Tips for Teachers Collaborative Note-Taking with Google Docs 5 Reasons Educators Should Use Google+ Google DOCS Cheat Sheet! 5 Tips for Using Google Drive on the iPad Gone Apps Fishing! finding the Best Apps for Your Classroom 5 Awesome Resources for Badges in the Classroom What are your favorite blog posts and resources of 2014? Please feel free to share other blog posts 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

The H&R Block Budget ChallengeH&R Block Budget Challenge Teachers, Take the H&R Block Budget Challenge and get free lessons plans, posters, games and WIN BIG! The H&R Block Budget Challenge is a fantastic program for high school teachers and students. Personal finance is so important for our students. Give your students the skills they need to manage their own financial future by taking the challenge!  What teacher doesn't love FREE resources for their classroom? Get your FREE lesson plans, games and posters now! The challenge encourages students to learn personal finance in a fun, engaging way while competing against other classrooms and students! THAT'S GAMIFICATION! It's FREE. It's EASY.   OH!...AND DID I MENTION THERE ARE PRIZES??? There is $3 MILLION up for grabs for teachers and students! What is it? The H&R Block Budget Challenge is a free financial literacy program for teens that are 14 years of age or older. Students work through a real-world simulation game to learn personal finance skills: paying bills, saving money, investing in retirement, paying taxes and more. The game is competitive and puts classroom against classroom, and students against student to compete for $3 Million in classroom grants and scholarships! How much does it cost? IT'S FREE!!!! Who's eligible? Budget Challenge is open to students 14 years of age or older, enrolled full-time in grades nine through 12. Teachers must register classrooms to play the Budget Challenge. How to Register: Teachers simply visit hrbds.org to begin the classroom registration process. Registration closes one week before the simulation start date, so be sure to sign up before it's too late. The next simulation start date is January 16, so register by January 9 to get into the next simulation round! (Simulations will run through April, but sign up early!) REGISTER NOW! How are you teaching financial literacy and preparing students for their future? Please share in the comments below.  And keep me posted on how you and your students are doing in the H&R Block Budget Challenge! 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

Enter to Win a Swivl Robot for YOUR Classroom! ENTER to Win a Swivl Robot for your Classroom!!! The folks over at Swivl have been VERY generous! Not only did they give me a Swivl to use and reflect on my own teaching and learning, but they also gave me one to give away to my loyal readers! It’s been a big year for Shake Up Learning! This blog is nearing it’s first anniversary, and I’d like to offer something special to my loyal readers: a Swivl! Don’t know what a Swivl is? Did you sleep through 2014, because Swivl became a very hot topic in edtech this year. So for those of you who missed it, here’s Swivl: What is Swivl? Swivl is a robotic mobile accessory that works with your mobile device or camera to record videos. The Swivl tilts and rotates to follow the presenter as he or she moves around the classroom, recording wireless video and audio with its Cloud and Capture app. Swivl then automatically uploads these recordings to its highly secure network, Swivl Cloud. Swivl is particularly great for teachers and students. This of what this fantastic device can do for the flipped classroom, for reflection, for presentations, and more! Don’t believe me? Check out this awesome video post from Tech Crunch on the impact the Swivl is having in the world of education! Below is a video to give you a better idea of what the Swivl can do: Introducing Swivl from Swivl on Vimeo. For more details on how this fantastic device can be used in the classroom, check out my previous post: Sweeten the Learning Experience with Swivl. Here's what people are saying about Swivl: "a powerful suite of tools ideal for flipping the classroom, lesson capture, and professional development."  - Tech & Learning "Teachers use Swivl like pro athletes use game film. "  - Tech Crunch Now...who wants one? These little beauties retail for around $400. How would you like to win one for your classroom? Here are the details... The Swivl Sweepstakes Giveaway! The Prize: Swivl Robot with Free Cloud Includes: Base, marker (wireless microphone), charger, lanyard, grip adapters plus 200 minutes free. (Please note that this does NOT include the camera. The device is designed to work with your mobile device’s camera, DSLR or video camera.) Who Can Enter: Anyone who is currently 18 years or older and a resident of the United States. (Sorry, the laws and shipping costs make it difficult to do giveaways outside of the U.S.) How to Enter: Subscribe to the Shake Up Learning email list by filling out the form below. Already subscribed? Please complete this special form to be entered in the Swivl Sweepstakes Giveaway. YOU MUST USE THIS FORM TO ENTER! ---> Bonus Entries! Check the form for details on bonus entries for sharing on social media and more! (Options will appear after initial entry is completed.) Deadline is January, 31st at 11:30 PM CST. The winner will be chosen at random, and contacted via email using the email address provided in the form. Winner will be announced and contacted by February 2nd. Good Luck!!! and I wish you all a Happy New Year! Let's make 2015 the Best Year Ever!

Editing Microsoft Office Files in Google Drive Yes! You can edit your Microsoft Office files in Google Drive! This feature is no longer new, but has been on my list to share for a while. When first made available, some people struggled to get this feature to work on the desktop. Others may not even know this is an option. But I love the fact that you can now edit Microsoft Office files in Docs, Sheets and Slides! I rarely use Microsoft Office these days, but occasionally I am sent Office files to view or edit. (My eyes usually roll when I see a giant .pptx file attached to an email.) Anyway, I realize some users still need to edit Office files for various reasons. So below I have detailed How to Edit Microsoft Office Files in Google Drive on a desktop.  How to Edit Microsoft Office Files in Google Drive 1 - Use Google Chrome!  I’ve said it before, and will say it many times again, Google works best with Google. If you use any of the Google Apps, you should understand they work better together. Using Chrome is a no-brainer. Chrome will give you additional functionality with almost all of your Google Apps, AND it’s the only browser that will allow you to edit Office files in Google Drive. If you have ever seen one of my presentations, or been in my training, you know how I feel about Chrome. You probably also know how I feel about Internet Explorer (IE is Evil). In case you don’t, explore this post: Confessions of a Chrome Addict. Download Google Chrome 2 - Upgrade to the New Google Drive! Insure you have upgraded to the New Google Drive. Take a look at your Google Drive. If your the red button still says, "Create," then you are using the old Drive. If your red button says, "New," you are using the New Google Drive.  To switch to the New Google Drive, click on your settings wheel in the top-right and choose, "Experience the New Drive." The New Google Drive is still optional at this point, but I’m sure it won’t be for much longer. And if you are looking for some tips to help get your started with the New Google Drive, look no further! I have a New Google Drive Cheat Sheet available here as a FREE download. 3 - Install the Chrome Extension: Office Editing for Docs, Sheets and Slides. This Google Chrome extension must be installed in order to edit Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. Install it now…I’ll wait. Oh, and if you are looking for more great Chrome extensions, check out my list here: 45 Fantastic Chrome Apps and Extensions. Get the Office Editing Extension Editing Office Files in Google Drive Once you have the completed the above steps, you can then move on to opening and editing Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. The Chrome extension will allow you to do this from several different places: From your New Google Drive: Locate the Office file (remember to look for the Office icons) and double-click to open and begin editing. From Gmail: When viewing a preview of an Office attachment, click Open in Docs (or Sheets/Slides) to start editing. From your local storage: Open any locally stored Office files and begin editing: On a Mac or PC, open the file by clicking File > Open file in the menu of your Chrome browser or simply drag and drop a file from your desktop into a Chrome browser window. On a Chromebook, open Files.app and double-click the file you’d like to edit. From a Docs, Sheets & Slides home screen: Simply click on any Office file to begin editing in OCM. From third-party websites: With the Chrome extension installed, clicking to open a Office file on any webpage will open the file in a new tab for editing. Do you have other questions about Google or technology integration? Please share 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) WEMTA, March 22-24 (Wisconsin Dells, WI)

Google Sheets CHEAT SHEET You asked, and here it is: a Google Sheets CHEAT Sheet for teachers and students! Google Sheets is a wonderful spreadsheet tool for teachers and students. It is loaded with functionality and features! This Google Sheets Cheat Sheet will help new and experienced users learn how to use and understand Google Sheets. This cheat sheet includes an overview of the NEW Sheets Home Screen, menu highlights, a toolbar explanation and more! Use it, share it, and increase your knowledge and skills of Google Apps!!! (Now, for fun, say, "Google Sheets Cheat Sheet," three times fast!) Save to your Google Drive using the button below, or use the download button below the embedded document.  Google Sheets Cheat Sheet Google Sheets Cheat Sheet.pdf File Size: 519 kb File Type: pdf Download File Want more? Get all the Google Cheat Sheets and Guides: Google Drive Cheat Sheet Google Docs Cheat Sheet Google Slides Cheat Sheet Google Forms Cheat Sheet Google Chrome Cheat Sheet Google Drive for iOS Cheat Sheet Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: FETC, Jan. 20-23 (Orlando, FL) TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) WEMTA, March 22-24 (Wisconsin Dells, WI)

Force Users to Make a Copy of Google Drive Files Here's an easy way to help users make a copy of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides or Drawings! Ever share something and instruct your students to go to file>make a copy, and instead they all start typing on the document like it's their own? There are lots of ways to make a copy and distribute to students, like using Google Classroom or Doctopus, but this little trick is super simple! (Thanks to the FABULOUS Alice Keeler for sharing this!) Here's how it works! Grab the link of the doc, sheet, slide or drawing--the one you see when you are editing. (Hint: this link has the word "edit" at the end.) Then simply replace the word EDIT with the word COPY! The user will then be prompted to make a copy of the file. Once they click the "Make a Copy," button, it will make a copy of the file and add it to their Google Drive. AWESOME! Remember, your sharing settings will still apply so users/students will still have to have viewing rights to the file in order for this work. See how it works in the animation below: This tip is similar to another tip I posted a few months ago: Amazing Shortcut for Sharing Google Docs. This allows you to use the word "Preview" in place of edit to see a preview of the file. So there are three keywords that can go here: edit = editable file preview = view only copy = prompt to make a copy of the file Check out all the Google Tricks and Tips here! What are your favorite Google Tricks? Please share 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) WEMTA, March 22-24 (Wisconsin Dells, WI)

iPad Tic-Tac-Toe for Teachers   Differentiate with Learning Menus Using Google Docs! I love learning menus, and it is one of my favorite ways to incorporate choice and differentiate learning.  What are Learning Menus?Learning menus or choice boards are a form of differentiated learning that give students a menu or choice of learning activities. One easy way to dip your toes into the learning menu water is a Tic-Tac-Toe menu. A Tic-Tac-Toe can be used for anything from short activities, to bigger, unit projects. Below is an example of an iPad Tic-Tac-Toe menu that I created for teacher who are learning to integrate iPads in the classroom. It was created in Google Docs, and then "Published to the Web," which is an amazing and under-utilized feature of Google Docs!  I typically have very mixed groups in my training sessions (multiple grade levels, subject ares, and tech savviness). I usually address concepts, ideas and apps that are applicable across all grade levels and subject areas. Then I move into an activity like the iPad Tic-Tac-Toe learning menu to allow teachers to dig deeper into their own subject areas and grade levels, AND move at a pace that is comfortable for their level and learning style.  If it's not showing up correctly above, click here to see the web version. The Tic-Tac-Toe model is very low-prep, and can easily be adapted for short activities, or used in longer unit projects. The middle space can be used in one of three ways: (1) create a free space with no activity assigned, (2) allow students to propose their own learning activity or project, or (3) it can be the one required activity (which is how it was used in the example above). Design the other squares to insure that all of your skills and content are covered no matter which direction they go, but get creative and give them flexible learning paths to reach the same learning outcomes! Make it Interactive and Paperless with Google Docs.  I love to use the, "publish to the web," feature of Google Docs. I prefer this over view only because it cleans up the page and just makes it look like a very plain website instead of a document (and you get embed code!). Oh! and you don't have to worry about sharing settings, it's public on the web and anyone can view without logging in. Learn how to Turn Your Google Doc into a Web Page here. Of course making it interactive is sooooo easy! Just add links! These links could be to other Google Docs with further directions and links, web quests (does anyone still do these?), interactive games and websites, you could even link to an app and use these on your tablets. The limits are endless! Also see my previous post on learning menus and differentiation:  Giving Teachers Ownership of Their Learning. Shut the Front Door! Digital Differentiation with Google Forms More differentiation strategies with Google Apps coming to #FETC and #TCEA15! Look for my presentations to be shared on this site.

Happy Birthday Shake Up Learning! Shake Up Learning is 1 Year Old! I don’t normally post on Sunday, but today is a special day. Today is the one year anniversary of my blog Shake Up Learning. So much has happened in the last year, and I am so grateful for the people this blog has brought into my life. There have been so many surprises and blessings from entering the blogosphere. So today I wanted to share some reflections on my first year as a blogger, and offer some tips for educators who want to start a blog. Tip #1: It’s Worth the Risk! Here is a link to my first blog post: A Perfectionist with Paralysis: Why I’m Finally Blogging. It was not a long post, and didn’t include any tips or tricks, but just me putting myself out there. I took a risk, just like I encourage teachers to do in my workshops. I had to model the skills or risk becoming a fraud. So I did it, and just like the graphic in my first post, it was a F.A.I.L., or First Attempt in Learning. (I know that has made the rounds, but I still love that acronym!) I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I was all in! First Attempt in Learning Tip #2: Perfect is the Enemy of Done!  In a lot of ways, I am still that same perfectionist with paralysis. There are times when I have to make myself publish, even though I am not happy with my images, layout or copy. Mistakes happen, typos are a given, but you have to let things go or you will never finish! Remember, "Perfect is the Enemy of Done!" Draft your copy in a word processor (I use Google Docs), use spell check, read and re-read, but don’t let yourself get caught in the revision web. Share your content! Educators are forgiving and supportive! Tip #2: Educational Bloggers are Friendly and Supportive To be honest, I was very nervous when I hit publish for the first time. I really didn’t want anyone to look at it until I had more content. (Terrible, I know!) But I had set up Twitter to automatically share my posts. I had my first comment the same day, which was also a little terrifying. The comment was encouragement from a friend. I’d like to send a special thank you to my friend and colleague, Dr. Brian Brown (Doc Brown), for leaving my very first comment and encouraging me to keep going.  This is the first thing you should know about becoming an educational blogger: We are a pretty nice crew! Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of naysayers and trolls, but for the most part I have felt fully supported and encouraged by my own PLN and beyond. Be a teacher is tough...We all know that! So I think we all appreciate those that are willing to share their tips and ideas. Sharing is caring people!--SERIOUSLY! Tip #3: Set Realistic Goals that Work for You I started out with a goal to post once a week. For the most part, I was able to stick with that and then some. I published 60 blog posts in my first year of blogging! While I wasn’t able to post every single week, I was able to make up for it by posting 2-3 times during the other weeks. Life gets busy, and if you let it, a blog can become a second job. I have really enjoyed blogging and there are some days that I wish it was a full time gig. Tip #4: Let Passion Be Your Driver I am very much an edtech geek, and enjoy learning and sharing with teachers. My number one goal is always to improve teaching and learning. I want to be a difference-maker, and reach as many classrooms as I can...Oh! And I want to have lots of fun along the way! Carefully consider the reasons you want to blog, and what topics you will blog about. Make sure it is something you can talk/write about for days on end. The moment blogging becomes a chore, take a step back and remember why you started it. Your blog should be about something you are passionate about, or you will never stick with it. Be honest with yourself, and set-reminders for drafting and posting so you don’t forget your goals! Tip #5: Encourage Reader Interactions, Be Social and Grow Your PLN (So maybe this is three tips in one, but they are all connected.) Always remember, blogging IS a social media platform. Many people may not know this about me, but I am very much an introvert. Some days it can be a struggle for me to put myself out there, and to network face-to-face. It’s definitely easier to do this online. So be sure that you ALLOW comments on your blog, and give readers a question or call to action to encourage them to leave a comment. This is something I am working to improve upon. So PLEASE feel free to leave comments! I try very hard to respond to all of the comments I receive. In addition to being social on your own blog, If you want to start a successful blog that people actually read, you really must be active on at least a couple social media platforms besides the blog itself. So get rid of your Twitter egg, and stop lurking. Join the conversation, join twitter chats, and share on other platforms that you like. You don’t have to do them all, but do what works for you and share great content, not just your own. (I am a HUGE fan of Google+! Check it out, and connect with some AMAZING educators and communities.) My goals for 2015 included getting back on Facebook, something I am still struggling with, but I know that is a platform that teachers use and will allow me to further my reach. Feel free to check out my new Shake Up Learning Facebook page. I am also more active on Instagram these days, and I’m looking for great educators to follow: Shake Up Learning on Instagram. I think one of the biggest surprises of the last year, was the people the blog brought into my life. I have met some of THE most AWESOME educators, both on and offline. Some of these are educators that I have admired from afar, my academic crushes, and some are just #awesomesauce that I have found along the way. I am now learning with these members of my PLN everyday. I wish I could give shout outs to each and every one of these great people, but (1) it would make this post way too long, and (2) I’m afraid I would forget someone! So this is my shout out and love song to all of those I have connected and learned from along the way! THANK YOU!!!!!!! This blog is a long way from where I want it to be, so I have set a lot of new goals for the blog and myself. Thank you to my readers and subscribers! I appreciate all the support, ideas, and learning that you have offered. Please continue to connect and share and let me know if there is ever anything that I can do to help you and your students. We are better together! Thanks for a great first year!  Kasey Bell My Favorite Moments in My First Year of Blogging and Beyond This has been an unbelievable year for me, and I’d like to share some highlights! I’m very proud of these accomplishments! June 5, 2014 - authorized Google Education Trainer Becoming an authorized Google Education Trainer really upped my game, opened new doors for me, and gave me some great ideas for blog posts! June 26, 2014 - EdTech Magazine 50 Must Read K12 IT Blogs I really couldn’t believe I made this list after just five months of blogging. It was such an exciting honor! July 11, 2014 - Co-leader of the North Texas Google Educator Group (GEG-NORTX) This community, and the community of GEG Leaders has deepened my own learning and expanded my PLN in ways I never expected. Join your local GEG! November 3-4, 2014 - Re-MAKE Learning: Research Behind Building and Creating at Bright Bytes in San Francisco This deep dive into maker spaces and playful learning was a great learning experience, and an honor! I was so grateful to be selected for the very first Bright Bytes Institute with one of my educational heroes, Kristen Swanson! Look for the resulting white paper to be shared on this blog very soon! December 2-3, 2014 - Google Teacher Academy, Austin (#GTAATX) This was an honor and a privilege, and I can’t’ say enough good things about the experience, the lead learners and my cohort. See my blog post to hear more about the GTA experience: So You Want to Be a Google Certified Teacher? 8 Tips to Get You There. December 6, 2014 - Edublog Award Finalist (in two categories) So in less than a year, Shake Up Learning made the list in two categories! I couldn’t believe it. This was such an honor! Best New Blog 2014 Best EdTech / Resource Sharing Blog 2014 Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events: TCEA, Feb. 2-6 (Austin, TX) WEMTA, March 22-24 (Wisconsin Dells, WI)

We have a WINNER!I am proud to announce that we finally have a winner of the Swivl Robot! Michelle Sparks from Little Elm ISD in Little Elm, Texas is the lucky winner!A few words from Michelle: I've been teaching fourth grade in Little Elm, Texas for the past 22 years. I truly love to work with fourth grade students by helping them to push and challenge themselves farther than they ever thought possible and love to use technology to help make that it all possible. It is always my goal to make learning fun and easy. I am originally from the Lansing, Michigan area. I graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and moved to Texas so that I could begin teaching in Little Elm. My husband, David, and I live in Little Elm. He is even a Little Elm alumni! My daughter, Hannah, is a freshman and our son, Benjamin, is a fast-moving preschooler who keeps us very busy! Please congratulate Michelle and follow her on Twitter: @benjabc123. I can't wait to hear how she uses the Swivl in her classroom!