Custom Avatar in Google Classroom

You can now have a custom icon for yourself (a.k.a. avatar) in Google Classroom.  This personalizes your online classroom a bit and gives a little visual feedback to students by putting your avatar next to anything you write.

If you want to use a custom avatar, you can set it up with the following steps.

1. Pick out your avatar.  This can be any photo you took with your phone, found online, or anywhere else.  For a professional look, use a photo like those on ID badges or in the yearbook.
2. Login to Google Classroom.
3. Click on the icon in the upper-left corner that looks like three horizontal lines.  A menu will slide out of the left side of the page.
4. Click on "Settings" at the bottom of the panel.
5. Click on "Change profile picture".
6. Follow the on-screen steps for selecting your photo.  If its on your phone, you might need to email it to yourself and then download it on the computer.

That is it.  Once its set up, every classroom, announcement, assignment, and comment you make will have your avatar next to it.

PikToChart.com for Infographics & Signs

If you've ever needed a quick way to build a small sign or flier quickly, give PikToChart.com a try.  It provides a way to build "infographics" - highly visual documents that communicate tips and/or data.  It lets you quickly make things like this:

Some ways to use PikToChart include making a sign for your classroom, a flier for an event, or having students color code maps as an assignment.  Students can even research a topic and build an infographic as a summary of their research or as a presentation tool.

Getting started is amazingly quick.

1. Go to piktochart.com
2. Click on "Login" on the top-right.
3. Click on the Google logo.
4. Click "Accept".

You're now logged in and ready to go.  Pick a template, drop in your material, and go.  Adding things is just point-and-click.  Objects can be moved around the page with a simple click-and-drag.

When you're done, use the "Download" button on the top right to keep a copy.  You can put that file in email, Google Classroom, or share it on social media.

Clip Art in Google Docs

Want an easy way to spice up your documents?  There is a quick way to add clip art to Google Docs.  To install it, follow these simple steps:

1. Create or open any Google Doc.
2. Click on the "Add-ons" menu and then "Get add-ons..."
   
3. You'll see the add-ons collection.  To cut through the list quickly, search for "clipart" on the upper-right corner.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click on the "+ Free" button.
5. Click the "Accept" button.  
   
   

Congratulations.  Your new clip art system is now installed and ready to use -- in this document and any others.

To use it, just click on "Add-ons", then "Openclipart" and "Search Clipart".  (Its easier than it sounds.)

That will bring up a sidebar where you can search for images and just double-click on them to insert them into your document.

"Read Mode" for Chrome Removes Distractions

Many web pages are full of distracting advertisements, animations, buttons, and "If you liked this..." links.  These can often get in the way of the real reason that you went there:  To read something.

To handle this, install "Read Mode" on Chrome or chromebooks.  It can take a cluttered website and strip away the distractions, noisy ads, and other "busy" items that tug at your attention.  In other words, this:

Before using Read Mode

...becomes this:

Read Mode leaves only the useful part

To install it, go to the Chrome Web Store (at chrome.google.com) and search for "Read Mode".

Once installed, there will be a small eye glasses icon at the top-right whenever Read Mode thinks it can remove distractions.  Click that and it will perform its magic.

Click the "eye glasses" to activate Read Mode

Bonus tip:  Using Read Mode before print a web page can make the printout much cleaner and save ink!

Chromebook Login Quick Fix

Chromebooks are largely trouble-free, but no computer is perfect.  One thing that sometimes goes wrong on a chromebook is that it gets "pointed at" the wrong wireless network and asks you to login to the "Guest" wireless network.  Fortunately, this is easy to fix.

If you see this:

That means the chromebook is on the "Guest" wireless network.  To switch it back to "Data" just do the following.

First, click on the lower-right corner.  A menu will pop up.

Next, click on "Connected to Guest".

Lastly, click on "Data".

Wait for a few seconds while it connects.

Once it connects, things should be back to normal.

Google has notified me of an upcoming change that I wanted to share with you.  Its largely a cosmetic change, but it could easily confuse someone not expecting it.

Sometime in early 2014, they will be changing the login screen from our custom CDCSD page to the standard "Google login" style.  Here are two pictures to show the difference.

Current Login Screen:

Future Login Screen:

In the case of chromebook use, once a student logs in to the chromebook all of their Google services (such as Docs) will already be logged in.  So they might never be exposed to this change.

Anyone using Google Apps from computers at home and from Mac and Windows computers at school would most likely notice the difference.

Google has stated simply that this change will occur "early next year."

Shopping Tips, 2013

This is my shopping tips update for 2013.  I should have put this out a week ago, but I lost track of time.  Fortunately, this is still useful.

Other Tips

First off, I want to point out my previous two years' advice.  Its all still valid.  I especially encourage the smart-phone shopping trick from 2012.

• November 2011:  Electronics Shopping
• November 2012:  Three Big Tips

Video Games

If you're looking for a Wii U, I've noticed something odd.  The Basic model is $299.  The Deluxe model (which is the Basic model plus some stuff) is $299.  The Deluxe model with two Super Mario Brothers games or a Zelda game is $299.  The Basic model with the new Skylanders:  Swapforce game and a bunch of Skylanders parts is $299.  So if you're looking for a Wii U, pick the game bundle that you want and get that, but don't get the Basic model.

If you are shopping for someone who doesn't have any gaming system at all, the older X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii are available for record low prices.  I've noticed used Wii consoles at GameStop for well under $100.

iPads

There are new iPad models out and a lot of people are excited.  The interesting thing for deal-hunters, though, is that the previous models are deeply discounted now.

If you go to apple.com/store, scroll all the way to the bottom, and click on "Refurbished & Clearance" in the small print, you can find deals on the 3rd and 4th generation models.  I have a 3rd generation iPad myself and it is still doesn't feel old or slow.

Chromebooks

A few parents have asked me about buying chromebooks for home.  Its a low cost, fast, virus-free computer and we have hundreds of them in the schools.  They make a great second computer at home and a great way to end arguments over which of your children gets a turn at the computer.  I can't recommend it (yet) as the only computer in the house if the parents need to do office work, but its great for Internet use, students working from home, or a second computer.

At this point, I'd recommend the Acer C720 model with 4GB of RAM.  There is a model with 2GB of RAM, as well.  Either would be a good computer, but the one with 4GB of RAM is going to handle multitasking better.  The 4GB model costs roughly $250 and the 2GB model costs about $200.

If you want a bigger screen, the HP Chromebook 14 is a nice model.  Just make sure you're buying this year's model.  For $299, you get a chromebook with a big screen and a 9.5 hour battery.

One word of caution:  Avoid the HP Chromebook 11 model.  I don't think they're sold any more, but they were known to overheat.