PPS Instructional Technology

Whether for students, parents, or conference attendees, sometimes it is just easier to have a short, clean web address to share, especially when that URL needs to be typed. And, with goo.gl shutting down and the necessity to block all other URL shorteners for student and network safety, we would like to welcome you to...  ... the PPS URL Shortener! https://ppsurl.me/create Google Classroom... ... is still the most efficient way to share links with students; however, during instances where a link must be typed, such as parent-teacher conferences or for printed materials, a shortened URL is more convenient. How to... Locate and copy the URL you wish to shorten Visit ppsurl.me/create Erase the "http://" in the URL box and paste your URL in its place Provide a Title (Optional, yet convenient) Check the captcha box, if present Click Shorten What to do next... In the image below... This box holds your new short link (example: https://ppsurl.

Have you heard of Flippity? Yes, well, read on for some more coolness! No, well, go check it out then, Flippity.net .  (NOTE: Read to the end to get the best surprise!) Flippity uses Google Spreadsheets to store information, like student names, questions and answers, timelines, spelling words, and more. Then, Flippity displays that information in very visually interactive ways, such as a quiz show, flashcards, and crosswords, etc. Flippity makes information dynamic! Today, I want to write to you about the Random Name Picker. The basic Random Name Picker displays your student names in the form of a Spinner that, when clicked, will randomly choose a student. Need more students? Return to the linked spreadsheet and add them. Student drops? Spreadsheet to the rescue! However, the fun begins when you click on the tabs at the top of the name picker. You'll see lineups and groups and teams and more... Below, you will see a screenshot of the Groups of 2 and a screenshot

It is one of Google's goals to constantly be working to make their products better.  Their philosophy is to "Launch and Iterate". In the spirit of constant improvement, Google Classroom is getting a new look and some great new features for the New Year.  Some of these features include... New look—Fresh new design and 78 new themes. Drag-and-drop classwork—Quickly organize entire topics or individual posts on the Classwork page. Quickly see and share a class code—Class codes now at the top of the Stream page for each class. So if you and/or your students open your Google Classroom over the next couple days, don't be surprised with the new look.  Google is just working on making the product better. To read about the new features, or see a short video (about 1 min), check out the Google blog post at: https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/new-year-new-classroom/ Enjoy!