How to Change Read & Write to French in Google Docs

This video shows you how to change your Read & Write settings so French can be used as the input language for Read & Write and speech to text. 

Casting Google Slides and Controlling them with a Tablet or Phone

Sorry I am late getting this one out. Google has announced that Tablets and Phones can now cast and control slides with speaker notes to Apple TVs and Chromecast devices. This not simple mirroring. Instead the user can see their speaker notes, timer, etc. 

More details on how it works on various devices can be found at the Google Help Centre. 

Here is the link: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2763168#present

SALT - A Framework for Integrating Learning with Technology

The SALT framework was developed and conceived solely by Chris Ashford-Smith and is the intellectual property of Chris Ashford-Smith.

Introduction

Many discussions around integrating technology and learning focus on larger systems (e.g. TPAC) or on the characterisation of how technologies are adopted in and by  learning systems (e.g. SAMR). While this focus on the larger system and characterisations can inform many choices around the insertion of technologies into learning systems, I want to shift the focus to planning.  I think a planning framework that shifts the focus away from systems and characterisations and onto students and learning is needed.  

If a learning system has adopted technology as a tool, what kind of planning framework could inform teaching and learning to help students achieve their goals? Clearly this is a huge question. After some thought, I have developed a model that is still in its early stages of development. However, I think it provides a more practical model for schools, teachers, and students to use when considering how to use technology as part of their learning.

The framework I have developed is called the SALT framework. As you will see its focus is clearly on how students and learning objectives should inform the choice and use of technology in the classroom. Technology is the last item considered in the framework. This is deliberate. It is hoped that this framework makes learning about learning NOT about devices and tools.

The SALT framework can be outlined as follows:

S - Student(s)

A - Achievement Goal

L - Learning Objective or Activities to Achieve Goal

T - Technology that will support Attainment of Achievement Goal (Consider - Access, Availability, Activity, Appropriateness)


Basic Components of the SALT Framework

S - knowledge of students is crucial. This includes the school community, atmosphere, location of school, etc. A whole child and children view. 

A - What do your students want and/or need to learn? What do you want and/or need them to learn?

L - What are the specific learning goals and activities that can be used to achieve the achievement goal(s)?

T - What technology will assist in the attainment of the learning goal or completion of learning activities? What access is available? Is the use of technology appropriate? 

SALT attempts to be paradigm neutral, but of course there is in built bias based on my own teaching, learning and life experience. SALT can be used to frame a variety learning models. Table 1 demonstrates how SALT can be used in teacher centric, student centric, and collaboration centric models of learning. It is important to note that models are just that. The underlying spirit of SALT is that of the guide. The SALT process guides and informs, but, as always, the final decision on teaching practise and uses of technology rests with the professional teacher. 


TABLE 1 - SALT and Some Learning Models 

	Teacher/Curriculum Centric	Student/Curriculum Centric	Collaboration Centric
S	Students - a good teacher knows her/his students.	Students - in a student centered SALT “S” becomes self. Do you know yourself?	Students - All are students learning together and from each other.
A	Achievement Goal - How can you use this to build engagement in learning?	Achievement Goals - students reflect on their personal learning and establish learning goals based on their interests that are cross indexed with curriculum learning goals	Achievement Goals are developed by the learning community and based on immediate or long term goals of the learning community.
L	Learning Goal and Activities - What are the specific learning goals or learning you are trying to achieve? What kinds of activities and groupings are conducive to successful learning in this instance of learning?	Learning Goal and Activities - students still need to have a goal in mind. In the self or group generated process they arrive at a goal that meets a want or need. Some of these wants and needs could be imposed by the curriculum or teacher. The learning goal could be assigned but the students have a choice of ways to accomplish the learning.	The learning community co-develops the learning goals based on what the community and its members perceive as the want or need. Different members within the community might achieve the goal in different ways, but the focus remains on the individual within the community.
T (Access, Availability, Activity, Appropriateness)	Technology is selected for use by the teacher, but based on knowledge of students. Technology used to support and assist in the attainment of the learning goal. Technology use is informed by access and appropriateness of the technology. Technology may have an affect on groupings.	Technology is selected by the student(s).  Students base choices on what activity they need to accomplish. Learning occurs both in the actual task and in the thoughtful consideration of what tools to use to achieve the task. Learning occurs as “mistakes” or "inappropriate" technology selections are made.	Technology is selected by the learning community based on the learning goal. The importance of compatibility and cross platform collaboration are stressed. Learning occurs beyond the learning task as the community adapts and uses tools to achieve the goal. Groupings may arise around or through devices.

Example of SALT in Action

Student(s) - The students are 7 to 8 years old. Many have shown an interest in the forest beside the school. The students come from a mixed urban and rural neighbourhood. 

Areas of Need -  Questions are asked in class about what lives in the forest, how living things in the forest survive, what kinds of trees there are, etc. Some students want to catalogue what lives in the forest, others want to answer deeper questions. 

Learning Goals and Activities - investigate the ways in which a variety of animals adapt to their environment and/or to changes in their environment, using various methods (Ontario Science Curriculum, 2007).  Go to the forest several times to observe animals over time.

Technology  - Access can be a challenge. In this context the students do not have access to the school WIFI or other network. Availability can also be a challenge. We only have 5 devices to use so this will inform our groupings. Activity - So we can make small groups to share devices. We can use our tablets to take pictures, videos and notes on and of the animals we see. We can then use the pictures and notes to create a journal using BookCreator. We can then share these books with parents or the world via the class google site. The teacher may need to remind students not to just be taking pictures and videos but also quietly observing and making notes on their observations. A further step is to have some students just use speech to text and notes to record their observations while others use pictures and videos. Review these later in groups. And ask what are the differences between what the video recorded and what the student observed?

Of course, in the real world teachers do not consider these questions in isolation. As the teacher is thinking about their students; they are also thinking about their students area of need, the learning goal(s) and the technologies available. The purpose of SALT is to framework to ensure all these factors are being considered and students and learning are put before technology. There should times when the use of the SALT framework causes a teacher to question whether the use of technology is appropriate or meaningful. If the use of the technology is only an add-on and not adding, in someway, to the learning technology should probably not be used in the lesson. 

As stated above, this is just the beginning of thinking about the framework. I plan to put more work into and refine it over the coming months. 

Limitations of the Chrome Browser and Google Docs on iPads or Android Tablets

I often receive questions about what chrome extensions will work with the chrome browser on an iPad. First, I need to clarify what extensions I am talking about here as there is confusion over what is meant by extensions. Here I am not talking about iOS apps that can be linked with the chrome browser on your device. I am speaking specifically about extensions like the ones in my blog (Readability, TabResize, Hangouts, Lightshot, ScreenCastify, etc.). 

Chrome extensions do not function within the Chrome browser on the iPad or Android tablets. Of course, there are options within the iPad that fulfill many of the options and features the various Chrome extensions address. Some of these come in the form of built in features, while others, require the download of an app or apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store . 

The same can be said of Add-Ons in Google Docs on the iPad or Android tablets. You will notice that when you open the Google Docs app on the iPad the Add-Ons menu item is not available. Some of the features like speech recognition that you would normal use an Add-On for are available in the iPad iOS or Android OS, but many functions and features of Adds-On are not available on iPads or Android tablets. 

There are work arounds for these limitations, but you lose the seamless nature, of the Google Apps for Education  that you experience on other devices like Chromebooks, Windows, or MACBooks.