Common Sense Media, a leader in quality internet information for young people has launched a service to assist during the Covid-19 quarantine. Wide Open School has a lengthy list of activities and resources for teachers to access. It is important to check the privacy policy of these identified resources prior to enrolling students, but many of the resources don’t involve student logins, and therefore can be used without hesitation.
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:
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!)
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.
There are resources ready for your use here!