How to Make Videos Autoplay in Google Slides

Earlier this week I received an email from a reader who wanted to know if it was possible to make videos automatically play in Google Slides. It is possible to do that if you set the video properties to automatically play when slides advance. With that setting enabled your video will automatically play when you advance slides in full screen mode. Watch my one minute video to see how you can set your videos to autoplay in Google Slides.

An Easy Way to Download Google Drive Files in One Folder

Last week I shared a tutorial on how to download individual Google Documents. That method works well if you only need to download one item. But if you need to download a whole bunch of documents at once, it can be a little tedious unless you use the method that I demonstrate in the following video. With the method demonstrated in the following video you simply select all of the files that you want to download and they'll all be added to one .zip folder that you can save on your desktop.


Learn more about Google Drive and Google Docs tricks in my online course, Getting Going With G Suite. 

How to Use Flipgrid - From Sign-up to Video Responses

Flipgrid is one of the most popular ed tech tools to emerge in the last couple of years. It can be used as tool for video-based formative assessment, it can be used as an alternative to a classroom YouTube channel, and it can be used to connect classrooms around the world. Those are just a few of the ways that teachers use Flipgrid.

At this time last year I published a video about how to get started using Flipgrid in your classroom. In the ensuing twelve months Flipgrid added a bunch of new features. But the most exciting update of all was that Flipgrid was acquired by Microsoft who then immediately made all of Flipgrid's features free for everyone! So to reflect that fact that all of Flipgrid's features are free, I made an updated video on how to get started using Flipgrid.

This video covers all of the basics that you need to know to get started using Flipgrid in your classroom. In the video you'll learn:

• How to sign-up.
• How to create a grid.
• How to create a topic.
• The difference between a grid and a topic. 
• How to post prompts for students. 
• How to post responses to your students' videos. 

Check out my YouTube channel for more Flipgrid tutorial videos including how to create IDs for students who don't have email accounts and how to grant guest access to Flipgrid topics.

DIY Emojis

Emoji Builder is a fun little site for making your own emojis. To design your own emoji on Emoji Builder you simply pick a base face then add on eyes, mouth, and accessories from menus on the site. When you're done designing your emoji you can download it as a PNG. The site doesn't require any kind of registration.

Applications for Education
I have to admit that it took a long time for me to see the potential uses of emojis in a classroom for anything more than just decoration or distraction. Then in August Tony Vincent published a vocabulary game that uses emojis and I finally saw a clever way to use emojis in a classroom. Emoji Builder could be used to have students create emojis to represent themselves, their emotions, or, as Tony suggested, vocabulary words.

H/T to Lifehacker.

Last Day to Make Readers' Choice Nominations

Last week I posted the nomination form for the 2018 Free Technology for Teachers Readers' Choice Awards. Today is the last day to make nominations. The form will close at the end of the day and I'll be opening the final voting on Saturday. You can use the form embedded below to nominate your favorite educational technology app, site, or service. You can make nominations in one category or all of the categories. Please make only one nomination per category.