Over the last few years, teachers have come to LOVE Google Jamboard!

But just when we settled into using it regularly, Google decided to take it away! BOO!

Have no fear! My friend, Tom Mullaney, is an expert on FigJam–your Jamboard alternative with endless possibilities!

Tom has been kind enough to share ideas from his TCEA conference presentation with us.

No TCEA FOMO for Shake Up Learning readers!

by guest author, Tom Mullaney

App Smashing with FigJam is going down RIGHT NOW at booth #2339 with @TomEMullaney He’s a Fig deal!! #FigmaEdu #FigJamFunhouse #FigJam #TCEA #TCEA24 pic.twitter.com/ws1EScGiRx

— Alex @ Figma Edu (@Alex_FigmaEdu) February 5, 2024

Google’s announcement that Jamboard is going away can cause teachers concern. All that work is gone, right? The good news is that one replacement option, FigJam, has an import from Jamboard feature. It also has App Smashing that solves a persistent problem: Students have too many tabs open on 11-inch Chromebooks.

App-Smashing with FigJam (YouTube Presentation by Tom Mullaney)

Say Hello to FigJam

FigJam is Figma’s collaborative whiteboard. Unlike Jamboard, it pairs with apps and websites teachers use. Students can use these apps directly in a FigJam, enabling one-tab learning instead of multiple-tab confusion.

Here are educational apps and websites students can use directly in FigJams.

Google Docs

Copy a Google Doc’s sharing URL and paste it into FigJam. Students can see the Doc in the FigJam and even edit it. Teachers can use this to have students enter responses to items in the FigJam.

Google Doc in a FigJam.

Google Slides

Teachers can add their Google Slides to a FigJam, allowing students to use sticky notes to answer a prompt related to the slides. Students can also edit a collaborative Slide presentation in a FigJam. 

A Google Slides presentation opened in FigJam.

YouTube

Copy a YouTube link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can watch it directly in the FigJam. Students can watch at their own pace and respond to a related prompt in sticky notes.

Two YouTube videos, a prompt, and blank sticky notes in a FigJam.

Google Books Ngram Viewer

Google Books Ngram Viewer compares the usage of terms in printed materials from 1500 to the present. It is a good resource for spurring student inquiry and questions about data and vocabulary terms. Copy an Ngram chart’s embed link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can interact with the chart directly in the FigJam. 

A Google Books Ngram viewer chart showing the use of “suffrage,” “nationalism,” “militarism,” “trench warfare,” and “shell shock” in books written from 1900 through 1930 is displayed in a FigJam.

NPR Audio

NPR audio segments cover a wide range of content teachers teach students. Copy any NPR audio file’s embed link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can play and replay audio and respond to prompts with sticky notes.

An NPR audio track, a prompt, and blank sticky notes in a FigJam.

ThingLink

ThingLink is a web-based app that allows students and teachers to add interactive “hotspots” to images. Copy a ThingLink’s sharing link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can click on hotspots in the ThingLink to see the link content, such as images, videos, and text.

A ThingLink displayed in a FigJam.

Felt Maps

Felt is a collaborative web-based mapping app similar to Google My Maps but with more features such as drawing, comments, text, YouTube videos, and hyperlinks. Copy a Felt map’s sharing link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can navigate the map and adjust the zoom right in the FigJam. Any maps students and teachers create can prompt collaborative activities in FigJam.

A Felt map displayed in a FigJam.

Other FigJams

One final edtech app smashes with FigJam: FigJam itself! Copy a FigJam’s sharing link and paste it into another FigJam. Collaborators can navigate the embedded FigJam and adjust the zoom. Students and teachers can embed FigJams to refer to prior learning and activities.

A FigJam embedded in a FigJam.

Conclusion

Students and teachers regularly use apps and websites for student creation and consumption. Accessing these in a collaborative file allows clarity instead of confusion. FigJam empowers collaboration and interaction with multiple files in one place. 

How will you App Smash with FigJam?

About Tom Mullaney

Tom Mullaney (he/him) is a former teacher who uses his Special Education and Instructional Design background to help teachers design inclusive lessons with creativity, collaboration, and fun. Tom’s education experience includes Special Education, Social Studies, educational technology coaching, and digital design. Contact him on Twitter, @TomEMullaney, or via e-mail, mistermullaney@gmail.com.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Google Quick Tips Video Library for Teachers

Each week on the Shake Up Learning Show podcast, I share a quick tip. These tips are 2 minutes or less and are all about your favorite Google tools–Google Classroom, Google Chrome, Google Drive, and more!

You can catch the tip by listening to the podcast or watch the quick tip video on YouTube!

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In this video, I do a quick head-to-head comparison of results from using the same prompt in Google’s Bard AI vs. Chat GPT.

Who will win? (Watch the video below.)

As soon as I got access to test out Google’s Bard, the AI chatbot, I knew I needed to share it with Shake Up Learning readers.

Teachers, this is not a well-engineered lesson plan prompt, but a simple one to see which tool will give us the best solution with the least amount of input.

Google’s Bard vs. Chat GPT

* Google for Education Updates You Need to Know

*Related: Use the “@” Symbol to Insert and Access Shortcuts in Google Docs

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Let’s continue to discuss all the Google for Education updates coming your way!

In this podcast series, Kasey explains the important updates teachers need to know.

In this episode (Part 2), we explore Google Classroom Practice Sets, interactive YouTube lessons, privacy and safety, and more!

Did you miss Part 1? You can read or listen here.

Listen to article.

This episode is sponsored by Everfi.

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AI-Powered Google for Education Updates (Part 2)

In Part 1, I shared updates to Google Docs, Chromebooks, Chrome, and more. In part 2, we are taking a closer look at the updates to Google Classroom and some important privacy and safety updates.

Please note, most of these updates require a paid tier of Google for Education.

Google Classroom Practice Sets (coming soon)

Google Classroom Practice Sets are coming soon to those with the Teaching and Learning Upgrade or higher.

With practice sets, teachers can transform a PDF into interactive assignments and use the auto-grading tool to save time.


Practice sets also help teachers figure out which concepts need more instruction time and who could use extra support, giving them quick performance insights to shape future lesson plans.

*Related: Google Classroom Advanced Tips (Part 1)

All practice sets you create will be located in the practice sets library within Google Classroom (available from the main menu).

Teachers can upload questions from a PDF or write their own questions and turn them into interactive learning experiences with immediate feedback for students.

The creation process looks very similar to Google Forms and Quizzes with similar question types, click-and-drag to reorder, etc.

Math teachers will appreciate the built-in math keyboard for special characters.

*Related: The Google Classroom Master Class Online Course

But practice sets use adaptive learning technology to help identify the relevant skills for the question and add hints and resources for students who need extra help.

Students open practice sets from the assignment inside Google Classroom.

As they work, auto-grading lets them know right away if their answer is correct. If they don’t get it the first time, they are offered hints and resources.

Teachers get a quick view of class performance and can see student work for every attempt they make per problem, and make data-informed instructional decisions.

At first look, the platform looks best for math and science questions that have one correct answer, and more difficult for subjective topics.

FREE Training on Practice Sets available here.

Interactive YouTube Questions (coming soon)

Soon, teachers will be able to add questions to a YouTube video and assign it inside of Google Classroom.

As the video plays, students can answer the questions, get real-time feedback on their responses and rewatch the video as needed.

Educators can receive data about student progress and see what questions were the most challenging for their students.

Safety & Security Updates

ChromeOS (available now)

• Block, warn, and report end-user actions
• Clipboard and printing
• Screen capture and sharing
• Dynamic electronic privacy screen controls
• Google security center integration

App Badges in Admin Console (available now)

We’re adding app badges, which will help admins evaluate important app information like app usage, developer information, and user reviews directly within Admin Console.

Context Aware Access Updates (coming soon)

Last year, Google launched context aware access which lets admins control which apps can be accessed based on context, like whether their device complies with an IT policy or whether they’re currently connected to the school wifi.

• Set rules for apps that are accessing Workspace data via APIs.
• Block managed Chrome browsers, and set data protection rule conditions.
• Understand the number of users impacted before deploying new settings and make updates as needed

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Google Docs just got some new features that make creating a Table of Contents so much easier!

You can now customize styles, headings, indent, links, tab leaders, and more.

If you wanted to know how to get the “dots” for your table of contents, this is your video!

Save time and organize your Google Docs with a TOC!

Learn how in the short video below.

How to Create a Table of Contents in Google Docs

(NEW Features)

*Related: How to Insert Drop-down Menus in Google Docs 

*Related: Use the “@” Symbol to Insert and Access Shortcuts in Google Docs

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Google continues to update the smart canvas features, including special chips and insert features inside Google Docs and Google Sheets.

In this video, I will show you the new timer and stopwatch feature in Docs.

And check out some of the new smart chips in Sheets.

AND don’t miss all of the Google for Education updates coming your way!

Learn how in the short video below.

New Smart Canvas Features in Google Docs and Sheets

*Related: How to Insert Drop-down Menus in Google Docs 

*Related: Use the “@” Symbol to Insert and Access Shortcuts in Google Docs

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Google Trends just got a refresh!

Explore real-time and historical Google Search Trends trends over time, across regions, and more.

It’s a nice update and easier to use.

“You can now explore real-time trends right on the home page. These are updated every hour and are accompanied by links to relevant news articles, so you can learn more about the trending topic. And to help you better understand the world around you, the homepage highlights what’s trending in your local country or region – and sparks your curiosity by sharing trends from around the globe.”

Learn how in the short video below.

A Brand New Google Trends!

*Related: Stranger Google: Crazy Tools from the Upside Down

*Related: How to Change the Default Font in Google Sheets 

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Conditional formatting with Google Sheets is very powerful!

You can create rules that format cells so that their appearance changes dynamically according to the value they contain or to values in other cells.

Formatting makes it easy to see trends and patterns in your data.

Learn how in the short video below.

Get Started with Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets

*Related: How to Insert Drop-down Menus in Google Docs 

*Related: How to Change the Default Font in Google Sheets 

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Did you know you can open a side panel in Google Chrome?

You can use the side panel to display your search results on the right side of the window while viewing pages from your search on the left.

This is much easier than going back and forth between tabs when searching.

It’s also great for student research!

(OH! and the side panel also allows you to save reading lists, view bookmarks, and your Google Search journeys.)

Watch the video below to learn how.

The Google Chrome Side Panel Search

If you are having trouble, you most likely need to search for something first and open one of your results. Then you should see Google in your dropdown.

Google support directions can be found here.

*Related: Name and Color Code Chrome Tab Groups

*Related: How to Search ALL of Your Open Chrome Tabs

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Hooray! A new feature in Pageless Google Docs!

You can now pin the header of a table in a pageless Google Doc.

This will keep your header labels at the top of the page even as you scroll further down.

(I needed this!)

I use tables like this all the time. Now, they are easier to read and scroll.

Watch the short video below to learn how this works.

How to Pin the Header in Pageless Google Docs Tables

*Related: PageLESS Google Docs

*Related: New Drop-Down Menus in Google Docs

*Related: Emojis in Google Docs 

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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