In an effort to ease the stress on teachers to convert their .notebook files to .pdf files (animation is lost, but content preserved), Myles in the CESD technology department wrote a script (aka program) to automate this process. Instead of YOU converting your files, you put them in a folder and they will be converted through the night. To access this amazing tool, you’ll need to do the following:
Dig out your old windows laptop and dust it off.
Boot it up, and go grab a coffee. Try to maintain your patience while it boots up, the old sack of silicon chips and circuits is now in its senior years.
When eventually it’s ready to cooperate, click on the start button
Open Computer
The folder you are looking for is called DIVISIONSHARE.
5. Open it, and you’ll see a bunch more files. 6. Scroll down the list of files – you’re looking for a shortcut. It’s named “Smart Notebook Conversion”
7. Double click that shortcut and you’ll see a list of folders that other CESD teachers have created.
8. Create a folder with your name. 9. Drag any SMART files you’d like to have as .pdf files for future use into your folder. 10. Go home for the night. 11. Have a nice supper. 12. Spend time with your family. 13. Walk the dog. 14. Watch some TV, or play a game, do a puzzle or read a book. 15. Relax. 16. Go to bed. Sleep well. 17. In the morning when you go to work, open that folder with your name on it and drag your .pdf files out of it. 18. Load your .pdf files into your Google Drive. 19. If you wish to, pick up a flash drive or external hard drive and save all your files – notebook, word, excel, pdf, jpegs onto it and toss it in the bottom drawer of your desk. You never know if a few months from now someone will have written a Chrome extension that can read a .notebook file (whoever does it could make themselves very rich – GSuite is the new platform for Ed Tech entrepreneurs, and the resources are increasing daily!)
Drag files off the desktop of your Windows computer onto the Chrome Screen showing your Google Drive
The files will begin to upload to Google Drive
If my description above isn’t clear, here’s a video – fast forward to the 5-minute mark for a demonstration of the above steps.
Recommendation 1 – Create a file called “uploaded” on the desktop of your windows computer and once you’ve uploaded a folder/file place it in that folder called “uploaded” so that you don’t get confused if you have a ton of files.
My reasons for suggesting this are twofold. Firstly, we can’t know if somewhere down the road someone may write an extension for Chrome that will allow Chrome to read a Smart Notebook file.
Secondly, that content is yours, and while your windows computer will be returned this spring, maintaining the original files is not likely something you’ll regret. Finally, all schools will have a Windows computer in the office for teachers to use. So, should you require the ability to access one of those files, you will be able to do so.returned this spring, maintaining the original files is not likely something you’ll regret. Finally, all schools will have a Windows computer in the office for teachers to use. So, should you require the ability to access one of those files, you will be able to do so.
One of our brilliant tech EAs alerted me to the existence of Photopea today – https://www.photopea.com/ – The screen actually looks exactly like Photoshop, and while it lacks a few of the “bells and whistles” of photoshop (keyboard shortcuts, for instance), it would certainly be more than any student not enrolled in 30-level CTS courses would need!!
With the old Windows computers, the utility for printing photos grew familiar throughout the years that people actually did this (printed photos at home). But, printing photos at home is no longer something that -people do, and so this feature is disappearing.
If we can make our peace with the fact that printing photos from a Chromebook is going to be different, then 50% of the frustration evaporates.
You can set your smartphone to upload your camera roll into Google Photos automatically (Personally, I do this with my photos; the space in education accounts is unlimited, and the privacy policy of Google as it pertains to education is solid.). If your smartphone loads photos into your Google Photos account, it means they will be in a folder in your Google Drive (called Google Photos). Running them through this handy little website makes printing them a Breeze.
Did you know Google has a significant training course for teachers? Did you know that by completing the training you could become a Google Certified Educator?
Have a look at https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/
Even if you don’t want to become certified, the lessons there are well designed and will expand your capacity to use GSuite in your classroom. You’ll learn things you had no idea Google would allow you to do (I certainly did!) and you’ll be well-informed as to Google’s policies surrounding education, kids and privacy.