Math Keyboard and More Updates to Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms doesn't get as much coverage on this blog as Google Forms, but that doesn't mean that Microsoft Forms doesn't have some great features. In fact, it has some features that I wish Google would add to Google Forms.

In March Microsoft added some nice features to Microsoft Forms. For students and teachers, the most significant of those new features is the inclusion of a math keyboard. This feature lets students use a virtual keyboard to answer open-ended math questions in Microsoft Forms.

A small, but convenient update to Microsoft Forms lets you launch Forms from the header of Office.com

Six G Suite Updates You Might Have Missed in March

Every month Google rolls out new features for G Suite and many of their other products. Some of those updates are irrelevant for teachers and students while others can have a direct impact on how teachers and students use their favorite Google products. If you want to see every update that Google makes to G Suite throughout the month, follow the G Suite Updates Blog. But if you prefer to trust me to filter and pass along the relevant updates, here's what I think were the Google product updates that were relevant for teachers and students.

• Insert images into cells in Google Sheets. 
• I covered this update ten days ago. The feature is still rolling out to users. 

• The Google Drive iOS and Android apps were updated. 
• As I wrote a few weeks ago, this change is almost entirely cosmetic. It's worth noting this update because it does change the layout and location of some features. Overall, it's an update that I appreciate because it makes the app's user interface cleaner and easier to navigate. 

• Google is adding a "priority page" to Google Drive in your web browser. 
• When I wrote about this update earlier this month I questioned whether or not Google suggesting which files to prioritize would be annoying. A handful of beta testers of Priority Page wrote to me to share that they liked it. In particular, they liked the workspace function that is a part of Priority Page.  

• Set start times and reminders in Tasks.
• I'm surprised it took this long for Google to add that feature to Tasks. It has been available in Keep for years. 

• Jigsaw, a Google/ Alphabet subsidiary, launched a Chrome extension called Tune. 
• This isn't a G Suite product, but since most G Suite users use Chrome it is worth mentioning. Tune is designed to help you hide "toxic" comments on social media platforms. I tested it this week. You can read about my Tune experience here. 

• You can now use your own VR tours in Google Expeditions. 
• You can use Google's VR Tour Creator through your G Suite account if your domain administrator has enabled it. Those tours can now be used in the Android and iOS versions of Google Expeditions. I wrote about this update and included tutorials here. 

Cards, Assessments, and Poems - The Week in Review

Good morning from Maine where the April showers have arrived a couple of days early. That's okay because all week long it was sunny and warm which let my kids and dogs get lots of outdoor playtime. Speaking of outdoor playtime, next week I'm hosting a webinar about how to blend technology into outdoor lessons.

This week I didn't do any traveling. I stayed home and hosted some some webinars including a Best of the Web presentation. If you missed my Best of the Web webinar, you can view it right here.

These were the week's most popular posts:
1. Make Trading Cards for Historical and Fictional Characters
2. Fast & Fun Formative Assessment - Slides
3. Langscape - An Interactive Map of Languages
4. Theme Poems and Shape Poems - Activities for Poetry Month
5. How to Create an Activity Tracker With Google Forms & Sheets
6. The Story of the United States Told in 141 Interactive Maps
7. Check Out the Periodic Table of iOS 12 Apps for Education

The Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp is happening on July 15th and 16th. I've secured a beautiful location for it that offers lots of activities for the whole family within walking distance. Register in March and save $50! Registration is now open here.

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.