Category: Post

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3/5 #5posts5days – Google Classroom for Marks

I have been exploring the types of posts I have traditionally posted. On Day 1 of the challenge I shared my thoughts and on Day 2 it was a Podcast. Today is Day 3 of the #5posts5days challenge and I am working on a ‘How To’ to help my colleagues as our School Board migrates to 1:1 Chromebooks for all students.

A few weeks ago I was helping some teachers learn about Google Classroom. I was explaining to them that it was a great tool for assignment management but awful for keeping track of marks. Of course after I said that, I started to demonstrate how you can only download the marks as a .csv file and you would need to import them into Excel or another spreadsheet like Google Sheets.

 

Of course, just like when you are having computer problems and you ask for help the problem always disappears. Somewhere along the way I missed the memo that you could now export your marks to Google Sheets. Classroom is becoming more of a one stop solution for most classroom needs.

 

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2/5 #5posts5days – Podcast with Alison Bullock

This is my second blog post in the #5posts5days challenge. It is not a reflective post but a podcast where I talk to other educators that I have learned from. Also, face to face with your PLN is a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

This weekend I interviewed Alison Bullock (@aliringbull) over breakfast. We talked about her passions and she taught me that knitting was 11th century coding. I always learn something from Alison, have a listen and you might too.

 

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1/5 #5posts5days – Why Blog?

Via Pixabay

I want to be a blogger. I want to write things that people are interested in reading. I lack the discipline to publish on a regular basis. I wish I could do it!

I was updating my WordPress site on Saturday morning and I was thinking to myself, ‘I really need to blog more’. I started thinking about why I blog. I always hoped it would be a time of reflecting and sharing.

I do occasionally blog. I interview interesting educators and post the podcasts. I post ‘how-to’s’ for things I have found useful in the classroom or at home. I sometimes write reflective pieces and share my thinking. It is this last point I want to further develop.

When I read blogs by George Couros, Seth Godin, Mark Carbone, Vicki Davis, or Tim King. I appreciate the thought and effort they put into their posts and how they share their thoughtful reflections. These are the bloggers I would like to emulate so that I can become a better blogger.

So how did we get here today? Another great blogger, Donna Fry, saw my blog post on Saturday and we started an exchange of ideas on Twitter. Next thing I know, I accepted Donna’s challenge and posted on Twitter that I would be blogging 5 posts over the next 5 days as a way to jumpstart my writing. A hashtag was born (#5posts5days) and this is my first instalment.

If you are like me and find it difficult to attempt a 30 day challenge and wish you blogged more, join me on this challenge and blog for the next 5 days and see if that gets you reflecting and writing.

One more thing, leave your name, blog site, and Twitter handle in the comments so we can follow you.

I am Carlo Fusco and my site is Shift+Refresh+Me and you can find me on Twitter @mrfusco.

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Why Is It So Hard to Blog?

I know that blogging is a powerful tool in developing your writing skills, to share information, to process and develop your thoughts, but why do I keep falling off the blogging wagon?

Yes, as a teacher my life is busy and I have many outside interests to eat up my time. But, I want to be a blogger. That is why I have decided to challenge myself. Instead of trying to blog for 30 days straight, I am going to try a more manageable task. Starting Monday, I am going to blog every day for 5 days. That’s right, from Monday to Friday next week. If I can do this I will try to set up a regular schedule that fits into my routine.

The next question, what will I blog about? Truth is I don’t know. It will be education related and likely have an EdTech angle. I just hope you are there to see how this experiment goes.

See you Monday.

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Building a Library Search Kiosk using a Chromebox

Set Up Non-Managed Chromebox to Auto Boot into Kiosk Mode:

  1. Wipe the data on the Chromebox using the following procedure:
    • Turn off the Chromebox.
    • Put a paperclip (or pushpin) into the recovery button hole.
    • Press down the recovery button with a paperclip (or pushpin) while turning on the device.
    • Press Ctrl + D.
    • Press the recovery button with the paperclip again.
    • The device reboots and displays a red exclamation point.
    • Press Ctrl + D.
    • The Chromebox reboots and starts the transition to developer mode. This clears all local data and takes approximately 10 minutes.
  2. After reboot you will see a welcome screen → DO NOT LOGIN
  3. Press Ctrl + Alt + K and enable the Kiosk mode.
    • This key combination works only if no one has ever logged in to this Chromebox.
    • If it does not work, go throught the proceedure in step 1 again.
  4. Login into the Chromebox.
  5. Open a new tab in the Chrome browser and surf to chrome://extensions .
  6. Make sure there is a check in the checkbox next to the Developer Mode. Developer mode allows the Chromebox to do some extra actions.
  7. Click the “Manage kiosk applications” button and enter the ID of the Kiosk App you’d like to enable.
  8. Press the “Add” button. The app will appear above.
  9. Highlight the Kiosk app and click the “Set to auto-launch” button.
  10. Press the “Done” button.
  11. Reboot the Chromebox and when asked (if you’re not asked, wait few minutes and then reboot it), enable app for Kiosk mode.
  12. Now, the app will auto launch each time you reboot.
  13. To Turn off Kiosk Mode, begin by rebooting the Chromebox. While the device is starting up, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + S to interrupt the process and return to the login screen.

 

Set Up Kiosk App

  1. The first time you start the app it should open into the app, otherwise press CTRL + A to open the login screen (default is username: Admin and password: <<leave empty>>)
  2. Enter the address of the library search page and hit return.
  3. Check any restrictions you want.
  4. Set the username and password to something of your choosing ← very important
  5. Set to refresh every 15 min of inactivity.
  6. Set to reboot every day at 6 am.
  7. Click save.

You now have a kiosk set up for searching the library catalogue.

Things to Remember:

  • CTRL + ALT + S during a reboot will open the ChromeOS and it will function like a regular chromebox
  • CTRL + A in Kiosk mode will open the setting page for the app