Google Apps for the iPad and iOSWe have come a long way with using Google on the iPad. We now have 50 official apps from Google, Inc. for iOS. The following is a list of Google Apps for iOS. This list is exhaustive and includes several apps that are not on the infographic Guide to Google Apps for the iPad. Some of these are natural for classroom integration, and some are more for personal or business use. Some are optimized for both iPad and iPhone; some are only optimized for iPhone. Each app title is linked directly to the App Store so you can click directly from your device to download each app.Productivity AppsGoogle GmailInbox by Gmail (invite only)Google CalendarChromeChrome Remote DesktopGoogle Drive AppsGoogle DriveGoogle DocsGoogle SheetsGoogle SlidesGoogle ClassroomSocial AppsGoogle+Google HangoutsBloggerGeography AppsGoogle MapsGoogle EarthField TripYouTube AppsYouTubeYouTube KidsYouTube CaptureYouTube Creator StudioGoogle Play AppsGoogle Play BooksGoogle Play MusicGoogle Play Movies and TVGoogle Play NewsstandPhotography AppsPhotosphere CameraSnapseedChromecast AppsChromecastPhotowall for ChromecastBig Web Quiz for ChromecastOther AppsGoogle AdminGoogle ExpressGoogle Life Sciences Study KitGoogle News and WeatherGoogle TranslateGoogle TV RemoteGoogle VoiceGoogle WalletGoogle AuthenticatorIngress (game)One Today (support non-profits)Business Apps (Just in case you are interested.)AdWords ExpressGoogle AdSenseGoogle AnalyticsGoogle CoordinateGoogle FiberGoogle My BusinessMyGlassPrimer - marketing lessons for startupsZagat (Yep...they own that, too.)**This list will be maintained on the Shake Up Learning website here: Google Apps for iOS.Looking for more details on Google Apps for the iPad? See this infographic Guide to Google Apps for the iPad, or refer to the Google and the iPad section of this site.Related Posts:5 Tips for Using Google Apps on the iPad6 Fun & Free Avatar Creators for the iPadFinding the Best Apps for Your ClassroomKasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events:#TechUpTxState EdTech Conference at Texas State University (San Marcos, TX)#GoogleEduOnAir (May 8-9)#TXGoo15, May 16: Texas Summit feature Google for Education (New Caney, TX)TCEA Area 16 Conference Jamboree, June 4 (Amarillo, TX)Prosper ISD Tech Conference, June 10 (Prosper, TX)Speed 21 Conference, June 11 (Wylie, TX)Texas ASCD Ignite, June 15-17 (Irving, TX)iPadpalooza, June 23-25 (Austin, TX)ISTE, June 28-July 1 (Philadelphia, PA)TIA 2015, July 21-22 (Denton, TX)

Best of Both Worlds: Google Apps for the iPad!I was so honored to be a presenter this weekend for the Google Edu On Air conference for educators! It was so exciting to participate in this conference as a learner and as a presenter. I was happy to see friends from Texas, across the U.S. and Canada, participate, and it was a thrill to have participants from Iceland, Brazil and Australia! If you missed out on participating in the live conference, no worries, you can watch all of the presentation On Demand!The session below was part of the Google Edu On Air online conference for educators across the globe held on May 9, 2015. Below is the recording of my session, "The Best of Both Worlds: Google Apps for the iPad," along with the presentation and resources.The Best of Both Worlds! Google Apps for the iPad!Don't let anyone tell you that the iPad doesn't play well with Google Apps! There are now 50 Google Apps for iOS. Let's dive in, and discover the best Google Apps for the iPad. Learn practical tips and tricks to save you time and storage space, practical integration ideas for the classroom and shared iPads, and ways to stay more productive with Google. Presentation and ResourcesShake Up Learning Presentations by Kasey Bell are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Based on a work at www.ShakeUpLearning.comLink to published slidesMaximize Google Drive on the iPadGuide to Google Apps for the iPad [infographic]Google Apps for the iPad and iOS (The Complete List!)Google Drive for iOS CHEAT SHEETMore Google Apps for the iPad ResourcesAccess the entire #GoogleEduOnAir Conference Here.What are your favorite tips for using Google Drive on the iPad? Please share in the comments below.Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events:#TXGoo15, May 16: Texas Summit feature Google for Education (New Caney, TX)TCEA Area 16 Conference Jamboree, June 4 (Amarillo, TX)#ProsperTrendingNow Conference, June 10 (Prosper, TX)Speed 21 Conference (Keynote), June 11 (Wylie, TX)Texas ASCD Ignite, June 15-17 (Irving, TX)iPadpalooza, June 23-25 (Austin, TX)ISTE, June 28-July 1 (Philadelphia, PA)Missouri Google Summit, July 11-12 (Kansas City, MO)TIA 2015, July 21-22 (Denton, TX)Texserve's 2nd Annual "Bridging the Gap: Technology & Instruction" Symposium (Keynote), July 30 (Dallas, TX)

Google Cardboard Comes to iOS2 New Google Apps for iOS Released!Over the last few weeks, Google has released two new Google apps for iOS: Google Photos and Google Cardboard. Yes! Google Cardboard for iOS has finally arrived! I have updated my complete list of ALL Google apps for iOS (now 52 apps!), which can be found here. Below is a bit of information about these two new, fabulous apps for iPad and iPhone.Google CardboardWhy You Should Use It:Easily transform a smartphone into a virtual reality device.InexpensiveTransport students into a new learning environmentGet Cardboard or Build it Yourself!Google Expeditions also shows some promising and engaging content for students using Google Cardboard. Find out how you can pilot the program at your school!Watch this video to see what Google Cardboard can bring to the Classroom!Google PhotosWhy You Should Use It:Auto-backup and sync your photos to your device! (FREE Unlimited Storage!)Save storage space on your device by storing to the cloud.Organize Photos (face matching technology)Visual SearchCreate interactive stories, animations and more!SHARE!Have you tried Google Cardboard? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.Kasey Bell will be presenting at the following upcoming events:Texas ASCD Ignite, June 15-17 (Irving, TX)iPadpalooza, June 23-25 (Austin, TX)ISTE, June 28-July 1 (Philadelphia, PA)Missouri Google Summit, July 11-12 (Kansas City, MO)California Google Summit, July 18-19 (Palo Alto, CA)TIA 2015, July 21-22 (Denton, TX)Texserve's 2nd Annual "Bridging the Gap: Technology & Instruction" Symposium (Keynote), July 30 (Dallas, TX)Hunt County Tech Camp, Aug. 4 (Commerce, TX)Revolutionize Learning Conference, Aug. 5 (Royse City, TX)

Back to School with Google ChromeBack to School with Google Chrome: The Complete Guide!Going back to school is hard enough! Why not make the most of what Google Chrome has to offer and get you and your students ready for school with the best apps, extensions, tips, and tricks? I like to think of Google Chrome as the learning environment for all things Google! Like I've said before Google works best with Google! With Chrome, you can customize your learning environment to fit your needs and interests. Better yet, customize the learning environment to fit the needs of ALL learners!I have put together the Back to School with Google Chrome Guide for teachers. Below you will find a very useful list of essential Chrome extensions and apps, tutorial videos, and a few tricks and tips to help you and your students prepare for the #bestyearever!Get the Google Chrome Cheat SheetIf you are new to Google Chrome, or just need a refresher, use this cheat sheet as a reference guide. It includes the anatomy of Google Chrome, defines Chrome extensions and Chrome apps, and includes lots of tips along the way. Click on the button below to save a copy to your Google Drive.Google Chrome Cheat Sheet by kbell6Download Chrome for All of Your DevicesOne of the best things about Google Chrome is that is works on just about any device. Be sure you have installed Google Chrome on all of your desktops, laptops and mobile devices so you can seamlessly move from working on one device to the next. Below are links to each of the available Chrome apps.Desktops/LaptopsChrome for Windows 10/8/7 64 bit Chrome for Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP 32 bit Chrome for Mac OS X (10.6 or later) Chrome for Linux Mobile DevicesChrome for iOSChrome for AndroidSign-in to ChromeChrome is even more powerful when you sign-in with your Google account and sync your settings across your devices, including bookmarks, preferences, saved passwords, and time-saving extensions and apps.Manage Multiple Google Accounts in Google ChromeDo you have more than one Google account? Then this tip is for you! There is a right way and a wrong way to manage multiple accounts. Most of us have at least two accounts, a work/school account and a personal account and toggling back and forth can be cumbersome. Using Google Chrome profiles, toggling becomes so much easier! Of course, it is also a great way to manage multiple accounts on a shared computer, like the one you share at home with your spouse or children. Watch the video below for a full tutorial. This will change everything! Explore the Chrome Web StoreThe Chrome Web Store is key to customizing the Chrome browser to fit your needs. In the store, you will find apps, extensions and themes for just about anything your heart desires. Even though I’ve given you a lot of great Chrome extensions and apps to choose from below, you should take the time to explore the store on your own. The Chrome Web Store is constantly adding new apps, extensions and themes. The video below will give you a good overview of the purpose of the Chrome Web Store if it is new to you. Please note: Chrome apps, extensions and themes ONLY work in the desktop version of Chrome, not on tablets, iPads, or other mobile devices.Choose a Chrome Theme to Make You SmileTake a moment to customize your Chrome browser with a theme: a set of images, colors, and fonts that will bring a smile to your face every time you open Chrome. The Chrome Web Store is loaded with themes for just about anything that interests you. If you need to hang on to summer a little longer, install a beach theme. Pumped for football season? Find a theme for your favorite team.Essential Chrome ExtensionsGoogle Chrome extensions will give you an added feature or ability inside the Chrome browser on a desktop, laptop or Chromebook. (Extensions are not currently available on tablets or mobile devices.) They can be huge time-savers, and doesn’t every teacher need to save time? If you have followed this blog for very long, you know I love Google Chrome extensions, and I keep a list of my favorites here. So I tried really hard to keep this list to a minimum, just fifteen extensions. Find what works for you! Each extension below is linked directly to the Chrome Web Store to save you time. It is possible to slow down Chrome by installing too many extensions, so be sure you install Extensity to easily enable/disable extensions when you need them.Add to Google Classroom: This extension allows you to easily add websites to Google Classroom. Just click the Google Classroom button to save the site to your class, and share with students as an announcement or an assignment. This one is just for teachers with Google Classroom accounts, but will come in handy as you create assignments for students.Apps Launcher: This extension will give you access to all of your Chrome Apps from the extension in your toolbar. The list defaults to alpha order, but you can click and drag to reorder so the apps you use the most are at the top. Nice shortcut to your Chrome Apps, and they will open in a new window.Bookmark Manager: Saving and syncing bookmarks is a great way to stay organized and access your favorite websites. Google has given us an even better way to view and organize our bookmarks with the Bookmark Manager extension. It is a very visual and intuitive tool.Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer: I love this one so much that it got its very own blog post last year. The Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer will allow you to view PDF and PowerPoint files in the Google Docs viewer instead of downloading. This can save you valuable time and space as you begin to search for back to school resources!Extensity: Extensity is a must-have extension if you have installed ten or more Chrome extensions. It is possible to run too many extensions at once and slow your machine down, or cause other issues. The Extensity extension will give you easy access to enable and disable your Chrome extensions and Chrome apps. I use this to enable just the extensions that I need without overwhelming my toolbar or my machine.goo.gl Shortener: This handy extension allows you to shorten the current website URL right from the extension in your toolbar. Bonus: It will also give you a QR code!Google Calendar: This extension will allow you to check your Google Calendar right in the toolbar! You can view upcoming events and add new events as well. Google Mail Checker: If you use Gmail, this is a great extension that will display the number of unread messages you have as well as give you one-click access your inbox. With this extension, there is no need to keep your email open in Chrome all day.Google Tone: This extension just debuted back in May and can be a time-saver in the classroom. Google Tone allows you to send the link to any website to other computers (using the extension) with just a simple sound. This is an easy way to get a link out to all of your students at the same time! This is hard to explain, so watch the video below to get a better idea of how this works.Hangouts: Google Hangouts offers an easy way to chat and video conference with your colleagues, students, and the outside world. This handy extension will give you a quick way to access your chats and start video calls in a small pop out window.Improved TubeImproved Tube: YouTube = learning at your fingertips, but it also contains some features that can distract students in the classroom. With the Improved Tube extension, you can easily hide comments, change the default resolution, so it doesn't take too long to load, and a few other amazing customizations. Check out the screenshot below for all of the options included with this extension. And if you are looking for other YouTube resources, be sure you visit my post on 20 YouTube Channels for Educators.Office Editing for Docs, Sheets and Slides: Did you know you can edit Microsoft Office files inside Google? You can! You need three things: Google Chrome, the Office Editing extension, and to upload a Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint file into your Google Drive. When you open it, it will magically give you the ability to edit the file WITHOUT converting to a Google file type. For more detailed directions on this one, visit this post: How to Edit Microsoft Office File in Google Drive.Tab Scissors: This is one that I use all the time! Tab Scissors will allow you to evenly split your Chrome window between two tabs. This extension is perfect for assessing student work in one tab, and entering grades in your grade book in a side-by-side window--no more toggling back and forth between windows!Tab Glue: This is the companion to the Tab Scissors extension above. After you are done with your split windows, glue the windows back together with Tab Glue. This is so much faster than clicking, dragging and resizing.Want more extensions? Visit my list of Favorite Google Chrome Extensions to find the best ones to fit your needs.Shake Up Learning Chrome ExtensionShake Up Learning: (Shameless plug!) Yep, I have my own Shake Up Learning extension. Get one-click access to the latest Shake Up Learning blog posts!Essential Chrome AppsGoogle Chrome apps, for the most part, are shortcuts to websites and web-based applications. There are a few exceptions to this rule, and occasionally, there are apps that install something additional on your machine. Shortcuts can make things run much more smoothly in the classroom. I’m keeping this list as short as I can and focusing on Google related Chrome Apps. Below are the core, essential Google Chrome Apps for teachers and students.Google CalendarGoogle ClassroomGoogle DocsGoogle DrawingsGoogle DriveGoogle FormsGoogle SheetsGoogle SlidesGmailTip: Having trouble finding your Chrome Apps on your desktop or laptop? Be sure you enable your bookmarks bar in Chrome so you can easily find them. Go to the Chrome Menu>Bookmarks>Show Bookmarks Bar. Or use the Chrome Apps Launcher extension mentioned above. You can also just use this link to go directly to your Chrome Apps: chrome://apps/.Want more extensions? Visit my list of Favorite Google Chrome Apps to find the best ones to fit your needs.Incognito ModeIncognito mode is a way to privately browse the web. You are not automatically logged into any applications, and none of your browsing history is stored. This sounds scary, but I always promise it can be used for good and not evil.To open an incognito window, go to your Chrome Menu (hotdogs)>New Incognito Window, or use the keyboard shortcut: shift+control+N (PC) or shift+command+N (Mac).Why would you want to use incognito mode in the classroom? Here are just a few ways it can make life easier:Shared/Public computers: We always want to be careful about logging into Google accounts (and others) on a computer that is public or shared. Unless it’s a shared computer designated for a certain student/teacher to use on a daily basis, you should use an incognito window. As soon as you close the window, your account is logged out, and all your information is removed.Student Presentations: Instead of having students take the time to log in and log out of their various accounts to present to the class on a shared machine, open an incognito window. After each student has finished, close the incognito window. All their account information is gone. No more logging out and removing accounts.Sharing Your Own Computer: Do you ever need to let a student or teacher use your computer? Open an incognito window so they do not accidentally use your account!There are many other ways incognito can come in handy. These are just a few tips to get you started. I will post a more in-depth article on incognito mode soon. Don’t forget to monitor your students. If they have access to incognito mode, they may be using it to hide something. Monitor! Monitor! Monitor!I hope these tips will help get your school year off on the right foot. Be sure you check out my other Chrome Resources and Google Tricks and Tips! Stay tuned to Shake Up Learning (subscribe here) for even more resources and tips. Here’s wishing each and everyone one of you the #BestYearEver!I appreciate your vote! I have proposed a session on student voice with Kristen Swanson and Chris Aviles for SXSWEdu. Check out the panel picker for more details!

Take PD to the Next Level with Badges (credit: Denton ISD)A few weeks ago I had the privilege of speaking at the 2015 Technology in Action Conference (TIA) held in Denton, Texas. The conference is always great and led by a stellar team in Denton ISD. It's a local conference for me, and a great time to connect with other educators in my area. During my time there, I noticed something outside the teachers' doors: badges! I had heard about this amazing, gamified professional development plan implemented in Denton ISD, but to see the badges outside the door really brought it home. I snapped the picture below that day and posted to Instagram and Twitter. It became a very popular share, and other friends were asking me for more information and links. So I decided to highlight my friends in Denton ISD in this post, AND their fantastic idea!Gamification and the use of badges is nothing new, and many of us have found ways to use these in adult learning and professional development. In my experience, teachers love badges! The Instructional Technology Team in Denton ISD, (Dwight Goodwin, Ross Garison, Leslie Taylor and the other amazing team members), created a Google Site of self-directed PD for teachers. Through this program, teachers are rewarded for stepping outside their comfort zones with fun badges to display outside their classroom door.Badges Outside Teacher DoorThe Badge WebsiteThe first thing that teachers see when visiting the website is the video below, a creative little Powtoon to explain the purpose and process of the badges.How it WorksBadge ExampleFrom here, the teachers have CHOICE in their learning. They can choose from topics around Google, Apple, Assessment, Communication, Miscellaneous, Flipped Class and Social Media. Within each section, they can choose what they want to learn AND how they want to learn it: through a self-paced course or video, or they can request a face-to-face training. Voice and choice make this a powerful, differentiated professional learning experience.What I love is that they didn't reinvent the wheel. They linked to online courses in the Google training center, and video tutorials that are already out there. That makes something like this so much more doable! And considering how fast technology changes, we have to share our resources! Share is caring, right?!The BadgesThe badges for each option have to be earned and applied for individually. These badges were created with Google Drawings, one of my favorite Google tools. (Check out my infographic on 10 Ways to Use Google Drawings in the Classroom.) Badges do not have to be complicated and time consuming; they just need to reflect the accomplishment! Looking for other options for badges? See my post on 5 Awesome Resources for Badges in the Classroom.The other thing I absolutely love about this program is that teacher badges are printed and displayed outside their door! No one ever said badges had to be displayed digitally. I love this because the accomplishment is recognized by other teachers and staff, and I'm sure the students notice these as well! (FYI, I'm also a big fan of printing badges for students. They can be displayed on a bulletin board, the cover of their notebook or locker!)This professional learning idea can quickly transfer to the classroom with student-centered challenges and badges. Make it meaningful and be sure it is aligned to your learning goals. It's a win-win!The bottom line: Choose what works for you. If you spend all your time reinventing the wheel and designing the perfect badge, you will never get it done! Go for it!Tweet: If you spend all your time reinventing the wheel and designing the perfect badge, you will never get it done! Go for it! - @ShakeUpLearningWhat are you favorite strategies to shake up professional development? Please share in the comments below!

5 Tips for Parents in the Digital AgeThis post was originally published on the Responsibility.org blog, where I serve on the Educational Advisory Board.Our world is changing faster than ever before. Keeping up with technology is much harder than keeping up with the Kardashians! How do you help prepare your children for the digital age, and a future that will look vastly different from our pasts? Let’s take this one step at a time! Below are five tips to help you and your children take some positive steps in the right direction and learn to navigate the waters of the digital age.1. Become a responsible digital citizen (and model that for your child).Let’s begin by defining digital citizen. DigitalCitizenship.net defines it as, "The norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use." That’s a good starting place! What do you consider good and responsible online behavior for your children? Do you model that? We often tell students in the classroom that if you wouldn’t want your grandmother to read/see that, then don’t post it! Pause and Think Online is a great campaign from Common Sense Media aimed at just that idea. This video is an excellent way to introduce this idea to your kids. Digital Citizenship is a big topic and goes beyond the tips above. Take some time to explore the concept, what it means to you, and how to communicate about this with your children. Common Sense Media is loaded with resources and videos for parents, teachers, and students on the subject. Use this resource to help you learn and model good digital citizenship skills in your household. Click here to see all of the Digital Citizenship resources from Common Sense Media.2. Become a power searcher.Searching the internet can be an overwhelming and scary place if you don’t have the skills to find what you need or want. Brush up on your search skills, so you can help your kids navigate the murky waters of the Internet. Here is a great infographic from HackCollege.com to show you how to "Get More Out of Google."3. Use YouTube for learning.YouTube is loaded with funny and interesting videos that keep you and your loved ones entertained for hours but did you know YouTube is also a powerful tool for learning? It is the first place kids go when they want to learn how to do something, and it should be a go-to resource for you to learn as well. Practice searching for tutorials for online tools and apps that your kids are using like Google Docs, Instagram, Blogger. Of course, it’s also great when you need to fix that dishwasher! Be sure to set up your YouTube profile and begin saving your favorite videos and tutorials to playlists so you can quickly find the videos later. Another great skill you can learn and share with your kids. BONUS: Create a how-to video with your child and upload it to YouTube! Start working on that positive online presence!Looking for good YouTube channels for learning? Check out this post: 20 YouTube Channels for Educators.4. Model a positive social media presence.Speaking of positive online presence, what types of thoughts and posts do you share online and across social media? Remember to model the behaviors you want to see from your children and stay positive. What happens in Vegas, now stays on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! Even after something has been deleted, it can always be re-shared and copied. Consider everything you post to be public and permanent, and model a positive online social media presence for your children. They will be Googled before they are accepted to college or hired for a job!5. Don't be afraid to let your children teach you.Let’s face it, our students and children are pretty fast learners when it comes to technology. I say this to teachers all the time, but I think it’s a great tip for parents as well. Have your child show you how to use popular websites and the apps they use in school like Google Drive. They will love showing off their skills! The bottom line is to not only monitor what your kids do online but also to model positive online behaviors. Know what they are doing and who they are communicating with and ask questions! You might be surprised what you will learn from each other on your journey together as good digital citizens.What are your favorite tips? Please share in the comments below!

The Guide to Keeping Up with Google - Part 1: The Google Hashtag DictionaryI’m sharing the secrets to keeping up with Google! To update one of last year’s most popular posts, The Guide to Keeping Up with Google, I am putting together a new guide and blog series with tips for keeping up with Google. I often get asked, "How do you keep up with Google?" Well, first let me say that it’s almost impossible! However, social media is the best way to stay up-to-date on all things Google. I am not an expert. I am a learner first! I learn from my PLN, from bloggers, from news sources, from YouTube, and a variety of other social media platforms. I have compiled a list of hashtags, people, blogs, communities, and more that I follow. Click to Tweet: "I am not an expert. I am a learner first! I learn from my PLN!" - @ShakeUpLearningBut let me begin by saying that this guide is meant to be just that, a guide, a starting point. I do not read everything. You have to select your most valuable players, and that will vary depending on your purpose and your goals. Choose what works for you!I am starting with hashtags. Keep in mind that hashtags are not just for Twitter and Instagram, they can be found all over the web. Hashtags are a way of categorizing and connecting information. Below are some of the most common hashtags, and the ones I find most useful in finding Google resources and other Google Apps enthusiasts. Search for the ones that interest you, and on the platforms that appeal to you and see what’s there. (Note: The links below are to a Twitter search to give you an idea of what people share with that hashtag.)The Google Hashtag DictionaryThe top two hashtags for Google in Education:#GoogleEdu (Google in Education): This is Google's official hashtag for all things Google in Education. #GAFE (Google Apps For Education): This one has been around a little bit longer but is still very popular, and is shorter, so it comes in handy when you only 140 characters.General Google Hashtags:#Google: Of course this is still a very popular hashtag but will connect with much more than just educational uses of Google.#GoogleSearch: Google's search engine is full of amazing tricks and information. This hashtag will help connect you with search related information.Google Events:#GAFEchat: GAFE chat is a great Twitter chat founded by my fabulous friend, Kelly Fitzgerald, and takes place the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month from 8-9 pm (CST). Click here for more info on GAFE Chat. You can sign up for reminders, so you don't forget!#GAFESummit: If you haven't had the privilege to attend one of the EdTech Team's Google Summits, no worries. You can follow their official hashtag and soak up all of the morsels of learning online! But if you get a chance to attend a Summit, I highly recommend it! Click here for more information on the Global Summits featuring Google for Education from the EdTech Team. (I will be keynoting at the Summit in Colorado next month! Register now!)Google Certifications:Google updated the certifications over the summer and gave us new hashtags. Follow these hashtags to connect and learn with Google Certified Innovators and Trainers.#GoogleET (Google for Education Certified Trainers)#GoogleEI (Google for Education Certified Innovators)App Specific Hashtags:You will see various versions of hashtags for specific Google Apps, like #GoogleDocs, but they are not all used consistently enough to list here. But feel free to use and search when you are looking for app specific resources.#GoogleClassroom: Google Classroom is quickly becoming a favorite app among educators, and with all of the recent updates, this hashtag will come in handy when keeping up with Google Classroom.#GplusEd: I have often said that Google+ is an amazing resource and social media platform for educators. This hashtag isn't the most popular but is another way to connect and learn.#EduHangout: Google Hangouts offer an amazing way to connect and learn with other educators, experts, authors and more! Check this hashtag for details!Stay tuned for more ways to keep up with Google by subscribing to the Shake Up Learning blog! Next up: Who to follow on Twitter!Follow the entire Guide to Keeping Up with Google:Part 1: The Google Hashtag Dictionary (this page)Part 2: Who to Follow on TwitterWhat are your MVP's for keeping up with Google? Please share in the comments below! I love learning from you!New and Updated Google Cheat Sheets are in the works! Who's excited? Share your love of the Shake Up Learning Google Cheat Sheets and let me know!Click to Tweet: I can't wait for the next version of @ShakeUpLearning 's Google Cheat Sheets!© Shake Up Learning, LLC 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com.

The Guide to Keeping Up with Google - Part 2: TwitterAs you probably know, keeping up with Google is a challenge for anyone. That’s why I have put together The Guide to Keeping Up with Google! In Part 2 of this guide, I am going beyond the hashtags to share who I follow on Twitter for all things Google. Twitter is a fantastic resource for learning and is a mainstay of my PLN. Below are some of my favorite Google enthusiasts to follow on Twitter, as well as some of Google’s very own twitter accounts and Googlers, where they share the latest updates and tips. There are more than 50 Twitter accounts on this list! Follow these accounts on Twitter to find the latest Google Apps for Education resources, ideas for classroom application, tutorials, and more!Did you miss Part 1 of The Guide to Keeping Up with Google: The #Google Hashtag Dictionary? Click here to access the entire blog series on Keeping Up with Google!Google has several official twitter accounts, and I have shortened that list to the ones that I find the most useful in education and in my personal use of Google Apps and products. As I said before, find what is most useful for you in this list!Official Google Twitter Accounts:@Android @Gmail @Google @GoogleCalendar @GoogleCardboard @GoogleChrome @GoogleDocs @GoogleDrive @GoogleforEdu @GoogleforWork @GoogleStudents @SolveforXWant more? Click here to explore the entire Google Twitter directory. Tweet: Need help keeping up with Google? Here are 50+ users to follow on Twitter: http://ctt.ec/W0zLf+ #gafe #googleedu #edtechThe Official GooglersIn case you didn't know it, when someone is referred to as a "Googler," it doesn't mean they have mad search skills, it means they work for Google. The official Googlers have a lot to offer across social media! Here are some official Googlers, including the new CEO, product presidents and managers, members of the Google for Education Team, and more (in alpha order):Amit Singh: @aksingh77 Angela Larkin: @ang_larkinAstro Teller: @astrotellerClay Bavor: @claybavorEileen, Huang: @eileenhuang Eric Schmidt: @ericschmidtJaime Casap: @jcasap James Leonard: @JamesLeonard1 Jamie Neuwirth: @jneuwirth4Jennifer Holland: @jencmillerJonathan Rochelle: @jrochelleKevin Hodges: @khodges18Marta da Silva: @mtdasilv Suan Yeo: @suaneuSundar Pichai, CEO of Google: @sundarpichaiTia Lendo: @tialendoZach Yeskel: @zachyeskelClick to Tweet: When someone is referred to as a "Googler," it doesn't mean they have mad search skills, it means they work for Google. - @ShakeUpLearningOrganizations and Companies to Follow for All Things Google:The EdTechTeam: @EdTechTeam OMG Chrome: @OMGChrome Synergyse: @Synergyse The Gooru: @TheGoogleGooru MVP #GAFE and #Google TweetersThere are so many great educators to follow on Twitter that this list could go on forever. And trust me, I tried to find the best of the best for you! These are my MVPs for Google info on Twitter, listed in alpha order. Please share your favorites in the comments below! I’m sure there are many more to add to this list!Alice Keeler: @AliceKeeler Amy Mayer: @FriEDTechnology Ann Witherspoon: @avwitherspoon Brandie Cain: @brandie_cain Chad Kafka: @ChadKafka Christy Fennewald: @ChristyFenne Dee Lanier: @DeeLanier Eric Curts: @EricCurts Holly Clark: @HollyClarkEdu Jennie Magiera: @MsMagiera Jennifer Scheffer: @Jlscheffer Kasey Bell (ME!): @ShakeUpLearning Kelly Fitzgerald: @LISDTechie Kyle Pace: @KylePace Rich Kiker: @RKiker Matt Miller: @jmattmiller Michael Fricano: @EdTechnocation Michael Jaber: @MichaelJaberEDU Stacy Behmer: @sbehmer Sue Gorman: @SJGorman Tammy Lind: @Taml17 Be sure to explore all parts of this series: The Guide to Keeping Up with Google!Part 1: The #Google Hashtag DictionaryPart 2: Twitter (this page)Who do you follow on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all things Google? Please share in the comments below!© Shake Up Learning, LLC 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com."/>

5 Tips for New BloggersBlogging can be intimidating! There are so many amazing bloggers out there, and it is easy to talk yourself out of sharing your voice. But remember your voice matters! Everyone has something that is uniquely you to share with the world. Back in June, I shared my reluctant journey into blogging and issued a challenge to other educators holding back: The #ShakeUpLearning Challenge: Share Your Voice! I still consider myself a relatively new blogger. I am not an expert. I am still learning and growing as a blogger, but I think it is important to share what I have learned with my readers. Remember, the best bloggers are learners first, not writers! Sharing is caring! Below are my five tips for new bloggers.Click to Tweet: "The best bloggers are learners first, not writers." - @ShakeUpLearning #edtech http://ctt.ec/U8rRC+1. It's Worth the Risk!F.A.I.L.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 still love that acronym!) I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I was all in!Don't wait until your blog is perfect. Perfect is the enemy of done. Just jump in and put your words out there.Click to Tweet: "Don't wait until your blog is perfect. Perfect is the enemy of done." - @ShakeUpLearning http://ctt.ec/Y37eq+ #edtech2. Educational Bloggers and Blog Readers are Caring 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!) I received 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. Being 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!3. Set Realistic Goals.When I first started, my goal was to post once a week. For the most part, I was able to stick with that and then some. Life gets busy, and if you let it, a blog can become a second job. Decide what is doable for you and your schedule, but set a goal to write on a regular basis. Be honest with yourself, and set reminders for drafting and posting so you don’t forget your goals!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 students 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. 5. Encourage Reader Interactions and Be Social.(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 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. Here are 5 Reasons Educators Should Use Google Plus.)Click Tweet: "Get rid of your Twitter egg, and stop lurking. Join the conversation!" - @ShakeUpLearning http://ctt.ec/PM355+ #edtechWhat's holding you back? Did you take the #ShakeUpLearning challenge and start a blog? Did you keep posting? Please share in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you.Kasey will be presenting at the following upcoming events:Colorado Google Summit, Louisville CO (Oct. 10-11)Indiana Connected Educators Conference, Noblesville IN (Oct. 14-16)TCCA, Houston TX (Oct. 17)Texas Gear Up, Austin TX (Nov. 1-3)

Tell Us Your #NewselaGoalsNewsela is a wonderful tool to support leveled, non-fiction reading in the classroom and is a tool that I often share in my presentations. This week, Newsela is kicking off a campaign for teachers to share their goals and win fabulous swag and prizes. (Update! This contest has ended, but read on to learn more about Newsela!)What is Newsela?Newsela: Non-fiction News Articles for 3-12Newsela is a web-based resource of leveled, non-fiction news articles for grades 3-12. The news articles are adapted from top news sources like the New York Times, Dallas Morning News, and more. Each article is available at FIVE different reading levels. Yes, you read that correctly! Each article is available in five different Lexile levels giving teachers the ability to differentiate and support the struggling readers in their classroom.But wait...there's more! Some of the articles also offer aligned quizzes that you can assign to your students, AND some articles are also available in Spanish so that you can also support those English Language Learners in your classroom.Newsela offers a Google Chrome app that allows teachers and students to log in with their Google accounts. (Don't you love it when you don't have to remember a new password!) This Chrome App is also on my list of Favorite Chrome Apps. I also included Newsela in my post: 3 Google Chrome Apps for Leveled Reading.The #NewselaGoals Campaign and How You Can Win!Here are the details from the Newsela Blog:"Newsela is excited to kick off (pun intended) another school year with you. We have a host of new features to support your teaching practices this upcoming school year:Are you a primary school teacher? Newsela Elementary makes it easy to find articles that younger students can relate to most.Looking to support Spanish-speaking students? Newsela Español has over 100 articles, with new articles now being published daily. Read more about Newsela Español.Pairing fiction with informational texts is a cinch with our new Text Sets for Literature. Check out our collection based on popular classroom literature for grades 2-12. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, let us know. Better yet, create your own Text Set and share it with fellow educators.We hope these new features inspire you to use Newsela in creative and exciting ways - so we’re asking you to share your Newsela goals for the upcoming year. Here are a couple examples to get you started.Newsela Community Adviser Dave Crumbine wants his students to read, annotate, and respond to 20 articles each this school year.Michigan educator Mike Lerchenfeldt plans to read three articles per day with students.To sweeten the deal, we’re giving away 3 $50 Amazon gift cards to 3 randomly chosen winners who share #newselagoals now through October 5. Here are the giveaway details:To enter, compose a tweet or post to our Facebook page describing your goals, using the hashtag #newselagoals.Enter once a day now through October 5.3 winners will be chosen at random on October 9.Full terms and conditions available here."How to Get Started with NewselaNewsela is super easy to get going, and they have a great Back to School Toolkit full of resources, including:​Quick Start Guide for TeachersQuick Start Guide for StudentsBack to School FAQsBack to School Lesson Plan SeriesBack to School Text SetStudent ToolkitText Sets ToolkitWrite Toolkit

Google Hangout with author Kate MessnerRegister Now!Connect Your Class with Author Kate Messner!To celebrate the National Day on writing, We Are Teachers is offering a unique opportunity for you to connect your classes with an award-winning author! On October 20th, connect your classroom with author, Kate Messner through Google Hangouts.About the AuthorKate Messner is an award-winning author whose books for kids have been New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, Indie Bound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. was the winner of the 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers. Kate also spent 15 years teaching middle school and earned National Board certification in 2006. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family and loves spending time outside. To learn more about Kate and her books, please visit her website, http://www.katemessner.com/.Check out some of Kate Messner's books below!​ Amazon.com WidgetsHow to ParticipateEnglish Language Arts & Literacy, Grades 3-5Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at 12:00 p.m. ET on Google+ (40 minutes)Join New York Times "Notable" author Kate Messner on an inspirational journey through the process of writing a book. During Messner’s live Google Hangout, students will learn that published authors go through the same process as student writers when creating a book, including brainstorming, researching, planning, drafting and editing. Messner will also share how authors, editors, copy editors and illustrators work as a team to publish a book. Best of all, students will leave the event with not only a new appreciation of the writing process, but also with the confidence that anyone can tell a story!Before the visit: Download and try a FREE student activity on writing inspiration (topic TBD) in the classroom. If you’d like, you can also read one of Kate Messner’s books. The virtual event will focus on the Ranger in Time chapter book series.During the visit: Come with questions for the author—we’ll take questions from the crowd. After the visit: Extend the learning with a FREE downloadable student activity on revision (topic TBD).Use the button below to register! ​Register Now!

Halloween Magnetic Poetry with Google DrawingsClick to Tweet: Halloween Magnetic Poetry with Google Drawings! http://ctt.ec/unCMs+ #gafe #googleedu #gafesummit #edtechHalloween Magnetic PoetryHalloween Fun with Google Drawings!Who's ready for a little Halloween fun with Google Drawings? I've created a Halloween-themed magnetic poetry template with Google Drawings for you and your students. There are nearly 100 words in this one, so adapt the words that are appropriate for your grade levels. You can use this as an independent activity, or take it a step further and make it a collaborative activity and see how the poetry evolves. You can use the "magnets" included, or even add your own text boxes to extend the activity.(Note: The words I created are actually images and cannot be edited, but you can delete them. The images give you more of the "magnet" effect. You can add your own by creating a new text box and filling it with a white background, or right-click on the name box and copy it to use.)Have some fun! Click here to make a copy of the template, and save it to your Google Drive, or use the button above.Please share your student creations with me! I'd love to see how this gets used in the classroom. Use the hashtag #shakeuplearning!​​

Spring has been a time of immense change for gomo. Our US launch at Learning Solutions was incredibly successful, with Mike and Huw demoing gomo to hundreds of enthusiastic visitors to the stand. We then invited a few select candidates to help give gomo a test run in the beta programme. We launched on 2nd April, and have seen masses of interest since. An important announcement Our parent company, LTG, yesterday announced that it has acquired LINE, joining the portfolio alongside gomo and Epic. We are delighted to be joined by such a respected e-learning company, and this is a very positive move for LTG. It’s fantastic for us to be part of such a dynamic and innovative group, and we hope to see many more exciting developments as part of LTG in the future. But that’s not the only reason change is good. Change and multi-device authoring The gomo collaborative project structure Change is intrinsic to the core design principles that make gomo unique. Adaptive and responsive design standards are used at all times to ensure that any content you create will fit perfectly into the space available on all your devices, meaning no more awkward pinching and swiping to see the other half of a giant image. Your screen sizes certainly aren’t going to mould themselves to your content, so we make sure your content always fits perfectly into whichever screen you’re using. The learning technologies industry is fast-paced, and it’s vital that authoring tools can keep up. Unfortunately, most of today’s legacy tools are not in a position to deliver multi-device learning, meaning instructional designers have had to make do with authoring tools which can’t deliver the multi-device content customers want and need. That is why we’re already working hard on gomo’s next round of updates to make sure our authoring tool can genuinely stand up to the test of time and change at the same speed as the technology learners are using. Making multi-device learning work for you It’s important to remember that the entire multi-device learning movement has been fuelled by learners’ thirst for change. Learning on tablets and smartphones is not just a novelty; it’s also a more practical way for organisations to reach employees who aren’t based at desks or who are constantly on the move. Work is no longer a place you go, but a thing you do, and tools like gomo help make that ‘thing you do’ a lot more efficient, with easily accessible training for staff in all roles. To see the changing face of multi-device learning for yourself, sign up for a free trial of gomo today to start creating your own beautiful multi-device content. The post Why change is so important for multi-device learning appeared first on gomo Learning.

Creating mobile learning is all well and good, but jumping straight into it can cause a whole host of problems in the long run. It can prove costly, and any problems may be felt by the workforce, affecting the uptake of mobile learning in the future. Mobile learning should be thought out and strategised, so you can be sure that it works cohesively alongside your  existing learning strategy. It can often be difficult to make stakeholders understand what it means or how it will look on the ground, so we’ve pulled together a few things to keep in  mind when creating or revising your mobile strategy. Why a mobile learning strategy? We use devices during our working day when travelling, in (and in between) meetings and at any other time while away from our desks. They are increasingly important, informal extension of our desktop, which, when harnessed for learning at an organisational scale, is extremely beneficial. Creating mobile learning content isn’t about squeezing a few more hours of work a week out of staff, but giving them a way to access any information, performance support resources and learning that they may need during their working day. Doing so can improve productivity and have bottom line benefits through cutting training costs. There’s often little investment needed, as you can guarantee nearly every desk in your office will have a smartphone somewhere nearby which staff can use to access content. What is a mobile learning strategy? A mobile learning strategy decides the specifics of mobile and multi-device considerations - things like whether mobile content exists on public app stores like Google Play, private app stores or mobile app management systems, for example. A strategy should work towards organisational goals that are already in place, whether it’s a drive to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction or encourage collaboration and innovation. This will give you an idea of the content you will be creating, and more importantly, how you will build mobile learning content. Future proofing your mobile learning strategy You will probably find that your workforce requires accessibility from just about every smartphone around and that you want to push video, audio, e-learning courses and just about every other type of content going to them. This is where it’s important to ensure your strategy is future proof - you don’t want to get six or twelve months down the line and find that all the resources you have created are not supported by a new screen size or device. Your strategy needs to consider how you will respond to a new iPhone release, with a new screen size. The technology landscape is always shifting and you need to be sure your organisation can keep up. While this might sound like a very expensive fire-fighting exercise, it doesn’t have to be. gomo is an adaptive, responsive tool, which means that gomo-created content automatically adjusts itself to fit whatever screen it is accessed on. Furthermore, it allows you to change specific assets of a course without having to output different apps, making it simple and easy to release learning to your entire workforce. To see how you could benefit from gomo’s simple, multi-device e-learning content, sign up to our next webinar. If you found this post useful, we think these blogs might also be of interest to you: Designing e-learning for mobile A team effort: collaborating on projects with gomo Want to create your own beautiful multi-device learning? The post Have you considered a mobile learning strategy? appeared first on gomo Learning.

With the latest Apple iPhone expected to be released to the world next week, rumours, leaked images and predictions are circulating tech blogs like wildfire. It’s a popular time of year for smartphone releases, with Samsung, Sony and other big players  also looking to release new and updated smartphones and tablets. Within a matter of days and weeks, the smartphone landscape will have changed completely, once again. Each new release often means a new size screens and operating systems, altering how your current mobile learning content will display and in some cases, whether it will run at all. You need to be sure that as the device landscape shifts, you can create future proof mobile learning, as how users will access mobile learning will begin to change considerably. Constant releases, upgrades and development shouldn’t pose a threat to how learners access multi-device e-learning. New technology should be harnessed and not prevent progress - after all, both technology and mobile learning are trying to give us fewer headaches, not more. It’s important to invest in an authoring tool which provides responsive, adaptive output which can handle the pace of new device releases and screen sizes. This way, you can be sure that when a new iPhone, Galaxy or Xperia is released, learners can access it on new and varying screen sizes with no issues, and you can begin creating assets that cater specifically for these devices. gomo’s responsive, adaptive learning content makes the best use of the screen space available, meaning gomo courses are optimised for whatever device it is viewed on, regardless of whether it’s released now, next month or next year, giving you future proof mobile learning. As a SaaS tool, gomo is constantly updated based the experience of paying customers, who are creating learning for multi-device learners around the world. gomo is a future proof tool which gives you the capability to output truly multi-device learning, leaving you to concentrate on creating great learning content for your workforce. To see gomo in action, book your place on one of our regular webinars or sign up for a completely free  21-day trial. If you enjoyed this article, we think you’ll also find the following blogs useful; Shaping the future of your e-learning authoring tool Have you considered a mobile learning strategy? Designing e-learning for mobile The post Future proof mobile learning appeared first on gomo Learning.

Creating learning for various devices is all well and good, but it’s important to set out a clear mobile learning strategy before jumping in, to ensure uptake on courses and avoid any costly problems further down the line. The following  guide will provide you with insights and first steps to help you begin building a robust learning culture through implementing a mobile learning strategy in your organisation. Take stock of business strategy, current use of mobile, existing learning strategy and learning provision what is the need your multi-device/ mobile learning strategy will address? What can you address if learners could use technology to access learning from mobile devices? Introducing a mobile learning strategy is a change initiative, so it requires the input of internal stakeholders For example, IT buy in is needed to determine what operating systems are supported, if it will be a Bring Your Own Device strategy or not and how connectivity and security issues will be addressed. Identify delivery methods and overall solution do you have an LMS/ an internal place to host content? Can apps live in a public app store? Here you need to have faith in the authoring tool you are investing in - are you confident you are investing in an authoring tool with future-proof solution which  gives you the flexibility to output HTML5 web and native apps to all devices? Build, test, validate, review a lot of research will have gone into your organisation by now and you should have a clear vision of what form mobile will take and how it will impact your organisation. Identify a pilot group from across your organisation to test mobile learning alongside their everyday role before rolling it out to your entire audience. Engage, market and support You could have built the best library of support resources for your workforce, but if they don’t know about it, they can’t access them or begin integrating them into their day-to-day roles. Taking the time to plan a mobile learning strategy can help you reap huge financial and cultural benefits. For example a small team gomo licence costs just £1,480/ $2490 for an entire year, giving you the freedom to create and update as many courses as you like in that time. While you may benefit from the expertise of a vendor for the build of a large, interactive course, there’s no reason why simple and shorter courses can’t be built in-house. You can begin a trail of gomo today to begin to feel the benefit of our simple yet intuitive authoring tool within our organisation. To read more about mobile learning strategy and why you should build mobile support resources for your workforce, read the rest of this article in November’s issue of e.learning age magazine. The post Five steps to define your mobile learning strategy appeared first on gomo Learning.

gomo is delighted to have won a silver award for excellence in the ‘Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology’ category in the prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards in Technology. This award represents a significant achievement for a brand new authoring tool to be recognised in the international industry awards. Managing Director Mike Alcock said: "The whole gomo team is delighted to receive this recognition from such an esteemed organisation as Brandon Hall. "gomo 2.0 launched in April 2014. To get this level of endorsement, in less than a year, for ‘Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology’, is a huge confirmation that our approach and technology are making a serious impact in the e-learning world." "With a rapidly expanding global blue chip client base, industry recognition and a host of new features and capabilities coming very soon, we are looking forward to an even better 2015." gomo was evaluated based upon the product itself, its unique differentiators, its value proposition and the measurable results customers can expect, by a panel of independent senior experts and Brandon Hall Group senior analysts and executives. "With some exciting plans in the pipeline for the new year, the award-winning gomo product offering is set to improve even further," added Mike Alcock. The post gomo wins silver Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award appeared first on gomo Learning.

There’s a lot of talk about learning analytics today, but often less understanding of how we can go about benefiting from the insights they give us. With the introduction of Experience API (xAPI) analytics, it’s a real revelation to be able to see live insights from courses detailing devices used, location, number of launches and pretty much anything else you could want or need to know. Amongst all of the excitement, and with so much data to take in, it’s easy to lose sight of what we can do with the numbers to benefit future learning initiatives, strategy and e-learning content development. Following on from our webinar ‘5 ways learning analytics tools can make your training more effective’, we decided to go into a little more detail and explore each of the 5 aspects we covered a little further.  Improve learning design - go off more than a hunch You might think that people don’t get an aspect of your company’s brand and vision, despite having launched a new e-learning course about it in the last six months. It’s easy to panic and presume fault with the course, especially as SCORM tracking has historically left us guessing what people got up to in the x number of minutes they were in a course. Where traditional LMS and SCORM tracking would tell us that a learner got a 65% score on a quiz, xAPI analytics lets you drill down into each question or user, showing what they got wrong and also how each question performed. This helps you begin building a picture of what your people know and don’t know, giving you data to back up the e-learning content development process and help you avoid any knee-jerk reaction from stakeholders. Understand what devices are most popular and design with them in mind Understanding what devices your organization favour for learning changes everything. Simply knowing how many launches a course has is too generic and doesn’t account for the full learning experience - it’s important that you can take launches per device into account. Why create courses for desktop if over half your course launches are taking place on a mobile device (or vice versa)? With device use data to hand, the e-learning content development process is informed by data. You can build with the most popular devices in mind, create extra, branched content for a particular device or play to the strengths of any one device a little more. Map what people have and haven’t experienced The clue is in the name - Experience API… it’s about what learners experience, not just that a course is completed. We want our learning to improve skills and change behaviour, and evidence that they’ve been through a course or not isn’t really enough to go off. It’s only natural our courses won’t be perfect upon release, so it’s important we’ve got analytic insight to help us build and improve until we have something that does the trick. It’s not always essential that we must test or quiz to prove an understanding of knowledge - in some cases, just seeing that a video has been viewed or a game has been played is enough to show understanding. This allows us to get creative and move away from MCQ’s and hotspots from time to time, pulling data based on certain triggers and experiences. Those who haven’t watched the crucial video? Send it out in an email to them, get it involved in internal communications, give them a soft prompt and help edge your organization’s understanding forward. Build secondary courses based on what people did and didn’t do Collecting and analysing data from individual nuggets or a specific aspect of a course can begin to show us what people favour and, more importantly, what they don’t bother with. It might be the content, the subject or the amount of time they have to spend on e-learning, but it’s your job to make sure they do take it in, and we can’t just force people into it. Whether you make a lean, mobile on-the-go course or re-evaluate the learning outcomes and look for new ways to engage, with a wealth of new data at your disposal, you’re able to understand what hasn’t worked in order to put strategies and courses in place to get it right. Use data to inform learner journeys, future e-learning content development and more targeted learner outcomes All of the above help us move toward a better understanding of our audience, which can only mean one thing - better learning. The more relevant data we can collect, the more we can be sure we’re creating courses that will resonate and engage. The more we analyse courses with a fine tooth comb, the closer we are to truly proving how well different subjects and competencies are known. With more numbers in what we do, we can work toward more real, numeric targets and better defined goals which will improve how our teams approach designing courses. It helps us get down to the essence of what we’re trying to do and achieve while helping us prove what we’re doing is right. If the idea of this level of analytical insight gets you excited, maybe you should put it to use by trialling gomo today. The gomo learning suite comes with xAPI tracking to help you harness the power of analytics; learn more. The post Using analytics to improve e-learning content development appeared first on gomo Learning.

Our amazing development team are constantly working to make our award-winning multi-device authoring tool better than ever before. The latest version of the gomo learning suite has a variety of enhancements and features to benefit learners, designers and managers - saving time, improving functionality and generally making the learning experience more vivid. Here are the powerful capabilities we’ve recently added to gomo… Wow learners with HTML5 video backgrounds Create a high impact, brand-affirming statement with a beautiful full-screen background. Great from a learning perspective but also for brand, marketing or storytelling, striking full-screen HTML5 background videos transform your courses into learning that really comes to life. Save time by instantly updating LMS content direct from gomo As part of the gomo learning suite, our integrated hosting and xAPI analytics platform that allows effortless publishing and tracking of multi-device learning content, you can now update courses on your LMS from within gomo. Simply upload a tiny SCORM wrapper file and courses can be instantly updated without any republishing, zipping and uploading. This not only saves hours but allows you to track courses with Experience API analytics, giving you a truly rich understanding of the full learning experience. Adjustable column widths for super flexible multi-device design The gomo content editor has always worked in columns to allow a beautifully smooth multi-device experience, whatever screen size a course is being viewed on. We’ve made the column widths adjustable to give further design and layout flexibility to designers while ensuring that everything will look its best on any screen size! Take assessment further with screen and completion conditions Display conditions, which allows designers in gomo to change the on-screen experience based on variables, has now been extended to include topic and screen completion. This means you can hide an assessment menu until all preceding topics have been completed, or only allow learners to progress once the on-screen activities have been completed, which is great for those crucial screens of compliance training! Like the sound of that? Have a play with gomo’s new features and loads more by beginning a free 21 day trial of our cloud multi-device authoring suite today! The post Introducing new features to gomo appeared first on gomo Learning.

There’s a lot going on at gomo as we head towards Devlearn in a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d take to the blog to let you know what we’re up to and how you can catch up with us in Vegas. The basics What - Devlearn 2015 - gomo’s final U.S exhibition of 2015 When - September 30th - October 2nd Where - MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada How - Registration details can be found on the Devlearn website gomo at Devlearn 2015 gomo will be setting up camp at booth 211 of Devlearn, which might be a number worth remembering if you’re interested in an exclusive discount on our award-winning multi-device learning suite… We’re offering all Devlearn attendees who visit gomo at booth 211 the opportunity to get free hosting & analytics if they sign up to the gomo authoring tool. That’s all of the gomo learning suite - an award-winning, cloud e-learning suite that allows teams to design, build, distribute and analyse beautiful multi-device learning - for half of the price. All you have to do is visit booth 211, pick up a voucher and follow the instructions before the date shown and voilà, you have yourself an entire learning suite for either $89 or $249, depending on size of the package you opt for. What is the gomo learning suite? gomo is somewhat of the new kid on the block in the authoring tool space. In the short time we’ve been around we’ve been voted a top 5 authoring tool by e-learning guru Craig Weiss as an authoring tool to watch and Brandon Hall awarded us the Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology award last year because our unique authoring suite has been delighting clients like JP Morgan, Santander and Nike. The secret is an authoring suite that lives in the cloud and outputs beautiful, multi-device HTML5 learning, backed up with flexible cloud hosting and xAPI analytics. It’s great fun to use and we think you’ll love it - check out our feature tour here. gomo’s seminar at Devlearn As well as showcasing the power of beautiful multi-device authoring at booth 211, our MD Mike Alcock is taking to the fittingly titled Emerging Tech stage to share new and innovative ways that learning can be delivered easily and cost effectively. In his seminar ‘Everyone everywhere: how to create and deploy multi-device learning content’, Mike is looking at how organisations can deploy content to familiar, non-training environments such as social media, website and app stores, reaching learners during glitches of downtime. The session, which takes place at 12:15 on Day 1 of Devlearn, is ideal for learning practitioners interested in connecting better with learners, tracking the entire learning experience and taking advantage of personal devices for learning. If there’s anything else at all you’d like to know about gomo at Devlearn, don’t hesitate to drop us a line here. The post Announcing an exclusive gomo discount for Devlearn 2015 appeared first on gomo Learning.

Accepting a new job is an exciting and nervous time. As soon as your contract arrives and notice is handed in, the countdown to the next step of your career begins. As an employer, the period between accepting and beginning a job is a great opportunity to begin employee orientation and engage with new staff, channeling their early enthusiasm to ensure that it continues well after they officially join your company. What is pre-induction training? Pre-induction training is getting in early. It’s about reaching out and engaging new joiners before their first day, helping them feel welcome, understand a little more and calm those first day nerves. From a business perspective, it has the potential to reduce speed to competence, lowering training costs and helps to ease the first day face-to-face information overload. How does it improve employee orientation? Pre-induction training is important because it takes the pressure off teams and managers to induct staff themselves whether on the first day or beyond. New staff can be a drain on productivity for departments, especially if they arrive knowing nothing more than they did when they accepted the job. With other team members busy or otherwise engaged, inductees can have their high hopes slashed by bad first impressions of the company, which could lead to a churn in staff and increased cost of recruitment. Mobile learning for pre-induction employee orientation Pre-induction training can’t be a face to face intervention as the people you are trying to reach don’t yet work for you. Besides, face to face would only increase the cost of training and may leave some new starters in the dark, as it may not be possible for training to take place on their first day, leaving them to fend for themselves in the meantime. Mobile learning makes it really easy to reach staff before their first day, allowing them to access welcome training and begin the employee orientation process on whatever devices they have at home. If the course is built in HTML5 you can be safe in the knowledge that a single course - which will work on an iMac, Nexus smartphone, Windows laptop or iPad - can be delivered to all new starters, ensuring a standardised, up to date experience. With cloud-based learning tools like gomo, courses can be delivered by QR code or direct link, allowing courses to be accessed from welcome letters and emails, channeling staff toward welcome training while the are excited, engaged and eager to learn more. Mobile learning means that new starters can begin to work through content at their own pace as their first day approaches. The beauty of mobile learning is that staff can bring their devices with them on their first few days if they would like, with training acting as a kind of performance support tool during the early stages of the employee orientation period. What should be in your pre-induction training? Pre-induction training is a great opportunity to introduce the values, brand and locations of the business, including its history, key figures and structure… all the general stuff that people are told the first time they walk into the building - the stuff that line managers have told staff thousands of times! Training should also tell new starters where they need to head on their first day, how to sign in and all of those simple things that seem like such a big deal on your first day. Some basic skills training may also be useful to start the employee orientation journey early, but this may differ from industry to industry. To get a feel of how mobile learning could bolster your employee orientation while wowing new staff that join your organisation, trial gomo today to begin creating induction training that can be delivered to new staff long before they step foot in your offices.   The post Enhance employee orientation with pre-induction training appeared first on gomo Learning.

gomo is built from the ground up to solve the headaches associated with e-learning authoring at enterprise scale, so we’re super excited to have a load of new, global organisations onboard using gomo as a key component of their global learning strategies. Santander, Xerox, British Airways, Medline and Amazon are among the latest organisations to begin creating with gomo. Although they work in different industries with very different strategic goals, one thing they have in common is the need to effectively create and deliver multi-device content to learners on a global scale. We pride ourselves on the enterprise-friendly nature of our platform and we’re delighted to have more organizations pushing adaptive and responsive gomo content out to learners by the thousand using a variety of delivery methods. Whether you are an e-learning agency serving clients or an internal team delivering content to ten or ten thousand learners, gomo is a cost-effective solution built to overcome the deliverability and publishing issues associated with training. How can content be published and delivered globally? gomo is a cloud-based tool, which opens up the delivery options when compared with traditional desktop tools. gomo content is already in the cloud and can be distributed direct to learners. gomo central If an organisation doesn’t have an LMS - like in the case of a fast-growing start-up - gomo central, gomo’s cloud learning portal, is a great way of giving learners instant, multi-device access to learning content. gomo central is a flexible, customizable portal that gives your learners a fully personalized experience and because all content is hosted within gomo, gomo central benefits from full xAPI analytics, allowing you to get the full picture of everything your learners are up to within a course. Learners simply follow the link and login to gomo central to access learning on any device. gomo SCORM LMS wrapper If an organization has a traditional LMS (or multiple LMSs) in place, gomo’s SCORM LMS wrapper allows content to be updated in gomo with the changes appearing in the LMS. At enterprise scale, this takes away the hours of admin time involved in updating, zipping and uploading courses each time a minor change needs to be made, which really mounts up if a business has hundreds of courses live at any one time. How can we reach our global workforce at a time that suits them? Along with gomo central and the gomo LMS wrapper, the gomo learning suite comes with a couple of less conventional distribution channels to help organisations reach learners when it matters. Direct link Sending out multi-device e-learning via a link means that however learners view their emails, they will be able to learn on the go or on the job as and when it suits them. Direct link access is all about getting content out to the world, fast. Targeting the right websites, social channels and internal forums allows teams to catch learners in non-traditional environments, securing uptake while everything can later be analysed back to gomo with full xAPI tracking. Website embed Similar to the above, gomo content can be embedded directly onto a website by simply copying and pasting an embed code. Great for intranets and other internal locations, allowing learners to cut to the chase whatever device they are viewing from. As per the above, when a course is updated, the new version will immediately appear wherever the course has been embedded, keeping learners around the world with the most up to date and relevant knowledge. A gomo course embedded into a website - perfect for intranets. How can updates and changes be made quickly and effectively at enterprise scale? All of the gomo learning suite’s distribution methods allow updates to take effect instantly, wherever they might be stored. This means if you have the same course in an LMS, embedded to an intranet and linked in a tweet, it’s all updated in one go, so organisations can be sure that regardless of region or device, staff will always have the most current and up to date knowledge in their hands. The proof is in the pudding, the best way to really get a feel for the gomo learning suite, whatever your infrastructure, is to give it a go! Begin your free trial today or get in touch to find out about enterprise pricing. The post Delivering learning effectively at global scale appeared first on gomo Learning.

gomo learning is ecstatic to have won a gold award in the prestigious Brandon Hall Group Technology Awards last night for Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology. This is among the highest of accolades an authoring tool can achieve and a testament to the pioneering development of the gomo team over the last twelve months. This award follows a silver Brandon Hall Award also for Best Advance In Content Authoring Technology in 2014. The gomo learning suite, which launched in January 2015, takes gomo beyond e-learning authoring and integrates a cloud hosting, distribution and analytics suite, allowing teams to seamlessly create, deliver, update and analyse multi-device learning, with or without an LMS. Brandon Hall is known for their stringent judging process, with over 50 categories and entries from around the globe plus a judging panel made up of independent senior experts and Brandon Hall Senior Analysts and Executives. Managing Director Mike Alcock said: "This is an amazing achievement for such a new product and a huge validation of what the gomo team have been building for the last two years. The introduction of the gomo learning suite makes gomo significantly different from traditional authoring tools with integrated hosting and analytics for instant content distribution. We believe that we have a unique set of capabilities and that Brandon Hall has recognized this with a Gold award." To find out why Brandon Hall gave us gold, begin your free trial of gomo today. The post Gold for gomo at Brandon Hall Technology Awards appeared first on gomo Learning.

This weekend was all about relaxing and getting amped up about starting B-School tomorrow. I’ve been taking my time catching up (or trying to) on the B-School community, but there’s a lot to it, and I only have so much time in the day! Yesterday Joe and I ran a bunch of errands, had a little thai lunch date, and walked a pup at the city pound. We hosted Sunday brunch today, and now we’re both enjoying the mild weather. Oh! I also registered for some Canadian business tax services I needed for a new contract…what does that mean? My business is official! This week was light in terms of links, but here are some of my favourites! Professional: David Anderson posted the Challenge Recap for E-Learning Heroes (24 weeks of amazing submissions)! Angel interviewed several freelancers about how they manage projects. I was a last minute registrant for Marie Forleo’s B-School, and I look forward to discussing it in the weeks to come. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through Breanna’s best of be free, lance for 2013 (albeit, I was a bit delayed). Development: I stumbled upon Tidy Repo, a repository of the most reliable wordpress plugins, and I’m excited to begin sifting through it. Personal: I started reading Build Your Dreams by Chip Hiden - So far, so good! How was your weekend?