Fun Formatives... with Fake Tweets, Snaps and Facebook Posts

Using the site Simitator as a means for formative assessments is a fun way to share their knowledge in a format they are more than likely familiar with.

Simitator allows users to create FAKE images of:

• Facebook Status
• Facebook Chat
• Twitter Tweets
• Twitter Messenger
• Yahoo Answers Questions
• iPhone Text 
• Snapchat 
• And More!

1. Go to the site and select a format.  
2. Once all the information is entered, 
3. Click on the "Download as JPG image" button.  
4. You will be directed to a new screen and prompt you to "right-click" and "save image as".  
5. The image will be save to the location you select.  
6. Students can print or email the final product.

*Click images to enlarge
Twitter Tweet Example

Yahoo Answer Question Example

How to Embed a Google Doc on a Website, Weebly etc.

Google Docs are a great tool for gathering input from students and parents without having a login required.  Embedding Google Docs into your website (weebly) can be frustrating.  Take a look at the image below.  If you copy and paste the embed code from the Google Doc you often get a tiny little box which only allows you to see a corner of the entire document.

It is time to put on your coding boots!

The original embed code gives you this....

The altered code gives you this...

Share Google Doc and Force Recipients to Make Copy

Scenario 1

Mr. Smith worked really hard on creating the perfect Google reading strategy template for his lesson. He was so excited to share it with his students.  He put the link on his website, made a note before the link and on the template, reminding students to make a COPY of the doc.  Unfortunately, some eager students started the lessons and didn't see the "make a COPY" reminder.  Now many students have made a copy with the eager students work.  What can Mr. Smith do to avoid this?  SIMPLE...

Mr. Smith's link https://docs.google.com/document/d/17O_89DvczzQwh5TEu_BRvNbXpvyAjaRFu_qf8O9bQ28/edit

When sharing the link, Mr. Smith can simply delete "edit" at the end of the link and add "copy".  .

Example 1:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17O_89DvczzQwh5TEu_BRvNbXpvyAjaRFu_qf8O9bQ28/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17O_89DvczzQwh5TEu_BRvNbXpvyAjaRFu_qf8O9bQ28/copy


Note, some links might have extra letters and symbols at the end, delete everything from the end to the word edit.

Example 2:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IyZA-Iah8lpxwdzeh4vMCkSbx3lTaLz6GJr5_kdT1vk/edit?usp=sharing 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IyZA-Iah8lpxwdzeh4vMCkSbx3lTaLz6GJr5_kdT1vk/copy

Stich.it Together

Stich.it great tool to keep students focused and on task when searching online, for all ages!

1. Create a list of websites you want your students to explore
2. Copy and paste the links - one to a line
3. Put them in the order you want them (if needed)
4. Click on the red "Stich it" button
5. Name your Stich it
6. Share the "Your Stich" with your students. 

Example: http://stich.it/siMTU3MjA=

Add website links in the box.

Share the "Your Stich" with your students.

Windows Short Cut Tips

I LOVE computer shortcuts and recently came across a blog with awesome shortcut tips for educators.  Check them out, you won't be sorry!

12 Windows shortcuts every educator should know

URL Shorteners and Single Link

"Time keeps on slipping into the future" (a high school flashback to Steve Miller Band-sorry couldn't resist) as you wait for students to type in a long website address correctly.  A simply solution is shortening the URL.  There are many sites that will shorten a website address it all comes down to user preference when deciding on a site.  There are also many sites that allow you to create a list of sites and create a single link to share the list.

Example 1:

If I wanted to transport you back to my high school days I could have you check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6lAwbE1J4.  Now Would you like trying to type this out if copying and pasting wasn't an option?  How many mistakes would be made in attempting to type this?  What if the link was http://bit.ly/smbflash, would it be easier?  Would there be less mistakes?

I used bitly https://bitly.com one of my favorites.  Logging into the accounts allows you to create customized shortened urls as well as computer generated shortened ones.

Other popular URL shorteners are:

• Bitly
• Google
• TinyURL

Example 2:
Let's say I want to share a list of songs that were played at my high school dances and are stilled played at high school dances today.  If you didn't have a website to link these one... how long do you think it would take individuals to successfully type these addresses out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo2qQmj0_h4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7Vr3yQYWQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p4MZJsexEs

Using the site fav7.com, I copied and pasted the links to fav7.com and it generated a single address to share all the links. http://fav7.com/Z2949053

Other popular URL shortener sites that allow users to share multiple links with one URL.

• Brief.ly
• Fav7 

On the FLIP side, there are sites that allow you to unshorten the shortened links.  I use these sites because often our school server blocks shortened URLs accessed on social media sites.  I can simply enter the the shortened URL on the site and find out the original source.

• Unshorten.It!
• URL Expander

LIST OF ALL RESOURCES MENTIONED IN POST

The Endless Activities in Google Draw

I have to be honest, I have never seen the worth of Google Draw until recently.  Now.... I LOVE it.  Following are a few reasons why and how Google Draw can be used in your classroom.