Maths: Symmetrical Patterns

Found this great app through Facebook today 'Amaziograph'. It does cost NZ $1.29 but it is worth it.

You can create Geometric patterns using Reflection, Rotation, Symmetry and Kaleidoscope.

You can make mandalas. It is best used with a Stylus.

Here a few examples that show how you can do it.





How could you use this in the classroom?

• Draw Mandalas
• brain break
• symmetry and reflection activity
• make patterns for others to colour in (make a colouring book)

Creating Clipart, cartoons and avatars

I like to create my own graphics and I used to spend hours drawing them on my iPad from scratch. Then I found Adobe Illustrator Draw,
a free app. Gradually I discovered loads of shortcuts that cut down my time in creating. You can upload a photo and draw over the top of it and then bucket fill it. Hide the photo and you have a great looking original graphic. Students love this and those who say they can't draw have a real sense of achievement when they finish their graphic. Now they can make their own cartoons and use their own drawings. They look great in Google Slides and Book Creator. It is a good idea to use a stylus as it gives you more control over your drawing. Here are some examples of mine.

 Here is a great tutorial by Tony Vincent that explains the process.

Creating Teacher Portfolios

I often get asked about setting up Teacher Portfolios. Here is a tutorial for setting one up in Google Blogger.

Writing Motivation idea with Google Slides

I was working with some teachers on a Reading workshop today and we came up with this idea for writing motivation using .png and .gifs.
.png files are graphics with no backgrounds and .gifs are animated graphics.

Follow the steps in this slideshow to make an animated writing prompt. This works in slides on iPad as well, but you will need to collect your images and save to your camera roll.

Using Google Slides for Writing Motivation

This was an idea that I used to do with PowerPoint. Now I do it with Google Slides. It is a mixture of digital and analogue technologies. Students can create their own authentic writing motivation by taking photos of their environment and then using graphics to make a fictional imaginative montage. Change the view of the slide into Notes, add some lines and print out. Student's then publish their writing under the picture. See instructions below

Adding Sound files to Google Slides

I have made several Journal Workshops that teachers can download from my Literacy Workshop page. Level two journals (from the TKI Literacy online website) have sound files so I worked out a way that can incorporate this wonderful resource into a workshop.

1. Download the audio file
2. Upload back into Drive (New - Upload File)
3. Open the file and click on the 3 dots 
4. Click on Share and then click on Shareable Link, copy the link
5. Go back to your Google Slide, find a speaker image by going Tools-Research, type in 'speaker clipart', drag a suitable image on to the slide (or copy my one that I have made by right clicking on image, save image)
   
   
6. Hyperlink the sound file to the image by clicking on the image, click on the Link button
7. Paste in the link
8. When you click on the Present button in Slides, and then click on the speaker icon, the sound file will open and start playing

How would you use this?

Use it as a pre-reading activity, students have their journal story and listen to it, or they can read along with it.

Listen to chunks and then do some follow-up activities.

Students can use it independently to listen to the story.

You could also hyperlink the PDF of the journal story on your presentation for quick access. I like to particularly use the PDF for Group instruction where we can pick out features of text, circle any teaching points (if you are using a Whiteboard) and if you don't have enough journals, everybody can see it on the projector or TV. In my example I have screen captured the first page of the journal story, downloaded the PDF of the story and then the same process as above, click on Share and then click on Shareable link, copy the link and then hyperlink to the screen capture on your Google Slide.

Feel free to click on the Download button of my two level 2 examples of Journal Stories. These are my teaching slideshow/modelling book and follow up activities for students all in one slideshow.

Google Docs and Slide Tip: Make Check boxes in Docs and Slides

For student accountability you may want them to check off what they have been doing in their work on a Google Slide or Doc. Here is how to do it. (Thanks for the tip Amy from Alfriston School.)

Google Form Tip: Add graphics to Questions and Answers

You can now add pictures to the Questions and the answers on the form. This is great for making quizzes where you can show fraction pictures or visuals for younger students.

Look at the slideshow for more things you can do with forms.

Gmail Tip #1 Save Gmail to Google Drive

Have you ever wanted to file an email in your Google Drive? This method will save it as a PDF to your Drive. Any attachments are still clickable and able to be downloaded as well.

Embed a twitter stream or Facebook stream on a Google Site or Blog

Why would you want to have a 'twitter' or 'facebook' stream on your site or Blog?

Many of you are creating a blog or a Google Site for your Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC). Under Professional Relationships and Values - Leadership

You could add your Twitter stream to show that you are 'actively contributing to the professional learning community'

and under Effective Relationships

you could add your class Facebook stream under 'whānau and other carers' as that is there to inform parents.

Decimals and Money Workshop

I was working in Tracey's class today and she is going to work with her students on adding decimals. She wanted some activities where this could be integrated with money. There are lots of money game websites but they are all either American dollars or UK pounds. 'Change for the Better is hosted on the NZ Maths site and it has lots of great games we can use in our classroom. I have put together this workshop with some of their games and links to other sites that will help with the teaching of decimals and money. To download this workshop so that you can edit it, click on the black download button if you are a GAFE school then just go File-Make a copy and rename it or go File- Download as PowerPoint

New Updated Forms

The New Forms layout is so much easier to use then the old. Here is tutorial for the new forms.