Gradebooks, Flipgrid, and Voicepods - The Week in Review

Good morning from chilly Paris Hill, Maine where it's a crisp 7F as write this. In the category of "things I never did before having kids" today we're going to look at a big Christmas tree display and to see Santa. It should be fun even if it takes thirty minutes to get the kids into snowsuits to go outside. Wherever you are this weekend, I hope that you can get outside to do something fun too.

These were the week's most popular posts:
1. A New Gradebook for Google Classroom!
2. Turn Text to Speech With the Voicepods Chrome Extension
3. Free Environment Data Fact Sheets and Posters from the UN
4. How to Add Videos to Google Slides Without Using YouTube
5. Ten Resources for Teaching and Learning About Pearl Harbor
6. 120 Free Winter-themed Reading Lesson Plans
7. How to Upload Videos to Reply to Flipgrid Topics

Three Online PD Courses Starting in January

I'm offering three professional development courses to start 2019. Discounted early registration is now open for:

• Video Projects for Every Classroom
• Getting Going With G Suite
• Teaching History With Technology

Book Me for Your Conference

I’ve given keynotes at conferences from Australia to Alaska for groups of all sizes from 50 to 2,000+. My keynotes focus on providing teachers and school administrators with practical ways to use technology to create better learning experiences for all students. I like to shine the light on others and so I often share examples of great work done by others as well as my own. Send an email to richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com book me today.

Please visit the official advertisers that help keep this blog going.
Practical Ed Tech is the brand through which I offer PD webinars.
TypingClub offers more than 600 typing lessons for kids.
Storyboard That is my go-to tool for creating storyboards.
University of Maryland Baltimore County offers a great program on instructional design.

Seterra offers a huge selection of geography games for students. 

How to Download Google Docs

It is not a secret that I'm a devoted Google Docs user. Since the first time that I tried it, I've done nearly all of my writing in Google Documents. Even when I was writing for a magazine that required all submissions to be in Word format, I wrote in Google Documents. I was able to do that because Google makes it easy to download your Google Docs in Word, PDF, TXT, HTML, and EPUB format. To download a Google Document in one of those formats simply open the File drop-down menu in Google Docs then select "Download as..." This short video that I made demonstrates how to download Google Documents.


Applications for Education
If you ever find yourself needing to send a document to someone who refuses to use Google Documents, downloading that document as a PDF or Word file is a simple solution. I often use the "Download as PDF" option for easier printing and distribution of handouts.

Learn more about Google Docs in my upcoming course, Getting Going With G Suite in 2019.

This TED-Ed Lesson Explains What Causes Heartburn - No, It's Not Your Kids

At one time or another we've all suffered from a bout of heartburn. It usually happens to me if I drink soda pop (sometime the allure of a cold can of Coke on a hot day is too strong to resist). What else can cause heartburn? And what is actually happening in your body when you experience heartburn? Those are the questions that are answered the TED-Ed lesson What Causes Heartburn? The lesson includes excellent drawings that illustrate how stomach acid gets back up into your esophagus. The lesson also covers the lifestyle habits and diets that contribute to heartburn.


Applications for Education
This lesson could be a good fit for a health class in which students are learning about the effects of diet and nutrition. The lesson could also be a good fit in a science class in which students are studying anatomy and physiology.