I am SOLD on book snaps! After hearing about book snaps and seeing them on twitter and at ISTE, I decided to try out the concept. (Big shout out to Tara Martin, she is the one that came up with the idea!) I have been on snapchat with my kids, just because it's a place they are and I wanted to understand it. However, the thought of using it as a learning tool had never entered my mind.  So the first few book snaps that I tried were of course to my own children.  After their initial response of rolling their eyes, I actually got really good feedback, as in you should do this with students and they would respond well. 

Learners can use snapchat to create book snaps without ever actually sending their work through the app. Everything they create can be saved and shared through a mobile devices camera roll. 

Watch how to create a book snap in Snapchat below. 

A recap of what all the icons represent on the Snapchat screen:

 1) Discard your Snap                  5) Set a timeframe for your Snap
                2) Add emojis                               6) Save your photo to your Camera Roll 
3) Add a caption                          7) Add a Snap to your Story        
                  4) Doodle                                      8) Select recipients and share your Snap

 So much information can be transferred in one image or in a string of images in a video.  To combine a series of snaps into a video watch below.

It's a creative process that allows the learner to go as deep as they want to show their learning. 

The next time you are reading a text try creating either a snap or story that shares a reflection.  

• Insert free response or multiple choice questions during the video allowing for quick checks for understanding. 
• Teachers can prohibit students from fast-forwarding through videos and assign each video a due date.
• Insert an introductory comment, a conclusion, a remark, or a verbal prompt. 
• Do a complete voice over of a a video.
• Access student data from individual student responses.  Classes can be imported from Google Classroom. 
• Students are required to create an account or log in.
• EdPuzzle is free to all educators.

When embedding in our LMS, I found that students needed to refresh their screens sometimes to allow video to play through. 

• ​Teachers have the ability to insert multiple choice, free response, and reflective pauses throughout their videos, allowing students to interact as well as serving as a formative assessment. 
• The teacher has the ability to enable students to be able to rewind and watch a segment of a video to gather more information before answering a question.
• Audio can be added to their answer choices in multiple choice questions.  (Audio comments can not be added in the actual video as in Edpuzzle)
• Students do not need to create an account to participate in a video that is shared by a teacher, they simply join by using a code. 
• Provides analytics for teachers that include student performance data as well as interaction data. 
• Playposit has a paid subscription that allows teachers to embed a number of other types of questions and elements as well.

One noticeable difference between the two tools is that while both tools allow a video to be shared through a link or embedded, Playposit allows teachers to use a video he/she has designed in Broadcast Mode. Broadcast Mode allows a teacher to project the video whole class and as questions and stopping points are inserted student screen go from a blank blue to an interactive environment. Depending on a teacher’s purpose and learning outcomes, this option gives them a completely different strategy in which to use video in their lesson. 

Some “A-Ha Moments” in working with video that I have found. 

• Short and sweet beats drawn out any day
• Use technology to allow for formative assessment 
• Utilize transcripts and closed caption resources
• Pushing play and having students watch and just take notes is not an instructionally sound practice.

If you are going to be working with teachers and want to take a look at the PD structure I used to introduce teachers to these two tools below is an example.

Chrome is my go to browser and I really love it when I find add-ons that save me time.

Recently I have added a couple of add-ons that not only have saved me time but increased the efficiency of my work flow.   goo.gl URL Shortener is one add on that has made it's way to my chrome menu bar. I use to copy and past long URL's in a separate window and use bit.ly to shorten the link. There is a much simpler solution. Install goo.gl URL Shortener and when you go to the website that you need a shortened URL for, just click on the extension and select copy.  You can also click QR Code and the add-on will auto generate a QR code for you. This is what you'll see:

It's like magic and fast! (Ok, it's really not magic but the first couple of times it feels like it is.)

The second Google Add-On I recently added is Black Menu.

Once you install the add-on you can customize the menu that appears on the left navigation menu and include the google tools you use the most.  If you have multiple google accounts you can add them in the upper right corner where your username appears and switch easily between accounts. 

Have you found add-ons that you really like? Share and let the rest of us know! #WeAreBetterTogether 

As the week comes to a close I am reminded about living life passionately and leaving things better than we found them. This past week was a tough one at my high school. A senior and her sister, that graduated in 2014 both lost their lives in a car accident on the way home from Spring Break. Death and tragedy are never invited, wanted or something that makes sense to any of us. 

Following the accident I witnessed a student population come together and work for the greater good and honor the students that lost their lives in the accident. We talk a lot in education about authentic learning and allowing students space to create real world solutions and connect their learning.  This situation was real and what this group of students did was move into problem-solving mode to do something that would honor and help the surviving members of these girls families.  As they came together, they found a passion, basketball and came up with an idea to hold an event to benefit the families affected by the accident.  The accident also took another student's life that attended a local high school, and left a student in critical condition yet from another school. The group planning the event wanted to make the fundraiser about all victims and not just the sisters from their high school. They came up with a basketball event that would have a team named after each victim in the accident, and they reached out to our large city to get the best players from area high schools to play. They did more than that; they also connected with athletes that had graduated and are now playing in college. The planning team launched their idea on social media and were blown away by the response that they received. Real ideas, real communication, real results, all done by students. 

Now I have to admit when they showed up at school with their enthusiasm and plan in motion with no viable venue, I thought oh goodness I hope there is a field house available. The district I work for graciously provided a venue when our principal reached out to them. The rest of the planning....well let's just say was amazing. The planning committee all took on different roles, from coordinating basketball players, bringing on help to organize the athletic event from a major university in our city, students to advertise, students to get media involved and students to bring sponsors on board. The students even appointed a point person to make sure the school's administration was  up-to-date.  
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My post cannot begin to document or detail all of the work they did. What I can offer is...that it has been fantastic to see students work together and make a difference. I heard more than one student say this week, "I can't believe that we have been able to reach so many people and get responses...." These students felt the power of hard work, planning, vision and what can happen when a group of individuals come together and work for a common cause.

After the funeral, I happened to come across a Twitter post that shared the following video with Inky Johnson. Knowing your why, how and what ignites your passion and puts you in a lane to leave things better than you found them.

A family laid to rest two beautiful young women today.  Both of these girls time on earth was brief but powerful. They left all of us better than we were before they came into our lives. The student group working to honor them is following their lead and making us better as a community.  The event will take place this week, and I can't wait to see and experience it with them.​

As educators, how can we encourage our students to find their voice and experience the power of making a difference through their learning and actions?