Closed Captions for Google Slides

Hello, I'm still around and I'm back to offer a new tech tip this week. I am a fan of Google Slides and it has been a tool I've used for a long while. You can do some fantastic things in Google Slides by including images, art, drawings, animations, video and tons of text, but it can't replace what the presenter has to share in person.  For those that may be viewing the presentation later or those that may be hearing impaired, they could possibly be losing out on important details.

However, now there is a feature within Google Slides that allows you to turn on Closed Captioning while you are presenting your Google Slides.  Yes, it has been staring me down all along and it took the right question from one teacher to open my eyes to a simple feature which automates closed captioning making your presentation accessible to everyone. When presenting, you will see your presenter toolbar at the bottom left of your slide.  Simply click on "CC" to enable auto closed captioning while you speak during your presentation.  Just make sure you are standing close enough to your microphone.  You can also screen record your presentation so you can save the closed captioning to share with others.  

For now it works with spoken English, but I hope to see other languages in the future. Please feel free to share other closed captioning tips and tricks you would recommend in the comments below.  I'd love to see what everyone is using to make their slides, videos, etc. more accessible for students.

~Rosie F. 

TCEA Membership for Teacher Appreciation Week

Hello All! Happy Teachers Appreciation Week to all educators. This year the folks at TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) are doing something fabulous for educators. Read their announcement below!

They say nothing’s free. But during Teacher Appreciation Week, a number of great, no-cost opportunities to reward educators for their hard work will pop up in shops and on social media. We wanted to make you aware of one particularly amazing deal ahead of time, to ensure you can take advantage of this offer.

From May 6–10, 2019, you can get a one-year membership to TCEA absolutely free!

What is TCEA and why should you join? It’s a Texas-based, global nonprofit; a member-based organization that supports the use of technology in education, provides top-notch professional development, and hosts world-class events, including the TCEA Convention & Exposition. Since 1980, TCEA has worked to develop digital learning knowledge and access in PreK-16 education.

As a grassroots organization, TCEA advocates for the smart use of technology in education based on the interests of its thousands of members: teachers, administrators, librarians, CTOs and technologists, and ed tech aficionados. As a member, you can get 24/7 access to webinars and gain CPE credit, join an online community sharing best practices, and become a leader on your campus or in your district.

But that’s not all. For more about the benefits of your free membership, and to sign up, check out https://tcea.org/teacher-appreciation/.

In addition, you can now join one, some, or all of TCEA’s SIGs (Special Interest Groups) for free as well. The SIGs are special communities of educators who share a common job role (librarian, CTO/technology director, instructional/technology coach) or ed tech interest, such as robotics or virtual learning or Technology Applications. You can find out more at https://tcea.org/membership/sigs/.

Take advantage of this free way to up your teaching, learning, and leading game today!

Now, head on over to TCEA's site and get your free membership to enjoy the many learning opportunities and benefits their yearly membership offers.  

~Rosie F.

Novel Effect: Make Storytime Magical

I was so excited to try out Novel Effect that I downloaded it while a passenger in the car and tried it immediately with my family.  I loved it instantly.  I knew immediately that elementary teachers, librarians, and families with small children would not only love this app, but need it immediately.  So what is it?  Put simply, you read your child's book while running Novel Effect and you will have music and sound effects that are timed perfectly with your story.  It brings your stories to life.  You can use it with many of your favorite children's book and they are adding more titles.  If you're like me and decide to try it while on the move and without a children's book handy, you can also use an eBook that you have on your device.  Watch this short video to learn more about Novel Effect. 

You can currently find Novel Effect in the Apple App Store for FREE (yes, that's my favorite word.) The Android version will be coming soon.

Share your thoughts about this amazing little app in the comments below.

~Rosie 

Create New Google Docs On The Fly

Today, I have an easy peasy trick you can use to create brand new Google docs, sheets, slides, forms and sites right from your Google Chrome's omnibox.  Simply add ".new" to one of the following terms:"docs", "sheets", "slides", "forms", or "sites".  It takes a total of two seconds to get that typed in and you are ready to start editing your new Google creation.  See it in action below and give it a try.  

Hope you find today's tip useful.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

~Rosie F.