Tuesday, April 25, 2017

My Homework Reminder

Many students struggle with Executive Functioning.  According to WebMD, "Executive Function is  a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe. Executive function helps you: Manage time. Pay attention."

One option for helping students that struggle with managing time or paying attention is My Homework Reminder


My Homework Reminder is an extension that provides a simple way for students and teachers to create reminders and to-do lists from within the Chrome browser. Because it is a Google Extension, users can quickly add items, create due-dates, and view completed assignments without having to disrupt what they are currently working on.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Misunderstood Minds


In 2002, PBS aired a 90-minute story called "MisUnderstood Minds". It is a documentary about kids that struggle with learning disabilities. It discusses some of their struggles, successes and failures. It is worth the time to watch. The information shared in this video is still relevant, even 15 years later.

PBS also created a companion site to the publication: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/intro.html

Throughout the site there are some very interesting "Try It Yourself" links. The links provide you with a very eye-opening, insightful look into what some of our kids struggle with every single day. They give you a great look into what an individual who struggles with focus and attention sees and/or hears when they are faced with different situations.

Please check out the webpage and "Try It Yourself" for some great insight.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Google URL Shortener

Some of the greatest learning materials are now available online. Websites can be long and complicated for students to type or remember. One way to help with this is to use a URL Shortener.

Google has a URL Shortener: https://goo.gl/

With the Google version your shortened URLs are saved and can be used over and over again. It is quick and simple.

Create a shortened URL
  1. Visit the Google URL shortener site at goo.gl.
  2. If you aren’t signed in, click the Sign in button in the top right corner.
  3. Write or paste your URL in the Paste your long URL here box.
  4. Click Shorten URL.

goo.gl URL Shortener also has a Chrome Extension. The Extension shortens the URL of the webpage you are currently on. It is quick and convenient. In the extension settings you can also grant access to add the shortcut to your goo.gl dashboard.  The Chrome Extension also generates a QR code. QR codes are another quick and easy way to help our kids get to the correct website, but that is for another blog post :).

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Android Apps Are Coming To The Chromebook In 2017

The district that I work in does not have many Chromebooks, but I know that many schools do.  Attached is a link to an article in Forbes titled, Android Apps Are Coming To The Chromebook In 2017.  There is some good information in the article that I thought was worth sharing.