Blue Mountain Math

Making Math Fun with Engaging Activities

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Free
  • Videos
  • Links

Google Extensions Every Teacher Needs

There are so many google extensions that make life easier in the classroom. It is important to remember that apps slow down your computer. It is the equivalent of having an extra tab or window open for every app you use. Still, some are so useful.

Note: these are not listed in the order of importance.

Nearpod Extension for Google Slides

Capture all the beauty of Nearpod activities and versatility by starting in google slides. You can use your own content, add Nearpod videos, matching, open-ended questions, polls, or any other of dozens of types of activities right in google drive. Then upload your finished  lesson to Nearpod and assign to students with either a link, email or post in Google Classroom.

Tab Resize

In virtual meetings I often have a dozen windows (or 20-30 if I am honest).  I lose track of some of them but with this google extension I can view several at once. Using Tab Resize is handy to splitting the screen either in two or four parts. Or watch the students on one window and present another.

It’s also useful for grading. Split your screen in two side by side windows and open your gradebook in one window and assignment from Google Classroom in another.

MOTE

Tired of writing all those comments in Google Classroom assignments? Yep, me too. So imagine just speaking the words. How much more effective to hear your teacher telling a student feedback. Just like in the regular classroom. This google extension will make that feedback so special.

That little purple “m” in the private comments you type to students is now available once the MOTE extension is added.  Comments are short (30 seconds) and students can click on the comment to hear the feedback. During Virtual learning it means so much to students to hear personal feedback from teachers.

Change Your Cursor

Ok, this one has little usefulness except it is fun. But it does make the cursor easier to see. I have a white arrow (typical cursor on a pc, I think) and it gets lost on the background. Try using a minion. This google extension is just for fun, but I notice that with a bigger, more interesting cursor my students are paying a little more attention.

No more boring cursors. It is big and colorful and it makes me smile. And if I want to change it up to something a little more superhero, there are a ton of cursors available for free. I prefer cartoon characters, but there really is something for everyone.

Emoji Keyboard:

 Need a supply of emojis at your fingertips? ?Then Emoji Keyboard is for you. ? Yes, it’s a google extension and even has an additional extension for phones, if you need that. ? Spice up your documents with emojis…. ?. You can copy them anywhere. ? This one is pure entertainment factor, but what’s wrong with that?

EquatIO – Math

This one is an oldie but goodie. This helps create math equations in google forms to make quizzes. You can write the expression, such as exponents, and then it will save as a picture. It comes in handy and helps create fancy math quizzes that uses the correct notation instead of using 12x^2, and then explain what the caret means instead of just typing 12x2 .

Students need to see the symbols often to become comfortable using it. See example of quiz with Equatio Math .

See a little demo here of using Equatio to make this quiz:
https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYXl3EMJTq

Page Marker

Have you ever wanted to add an emphasis to a webpage? This can do it. Add color, underline (with a thinner pencil than I did), or blank out some information. Draw arrows, have fun.

Sir Links-a-lot.

Chrome extension and works with google apps. Shortens links, downloads files as pdf, changes the links for sharing so users can get a clean copy and not modify your original.

Dualess

It is a great idea, but there is some performance issues. This opens your screen into a variety of configurations. It is like having 2 monitors and you should be able to change the dimensions of each window so one is bigger, one is smaller. But, and this for me is a big one, when I added it to my extensions, it kept closing all my windows and I had to log back in. It could be just my device, but be careful.

Flipgrid

Flipgrid has been a livesaver while virtual teaching. It is a voice and video recording app and can be used in a variety of ways. At the beginning of the school year students introduced themselves and answered a few get to know you type questions. I always moderate the recordings and then make them available for the class to listen and get to know their peers.

I have used it to have students present a project, explain math problems, present an error analysis for their peers to resolve and give feedback to each other during group activities.

Flipgrid

Night Shift Redux

Spending a lot of time online? Your eyes are probably tired from all those bright beams of light and sometimes if you stay online too close to bedtime it can affect your sleep patterns. But with Night Shift Redux, you can change the background to dimmer colors to give your eyes some rest. Notice the light green color on this google search instead of the stark white. You can change the colors to those you like to take the edge off. Your eyes will thank you.

Bitmoji

No list is complete without including Bitmoji. I made bitmoji stickers for each month of the year. I also made some for holidays which I give out to students. I use Bitmoji to make lesson plans, introduce lessons and add something extra to those announcements in google classroom.

I am sure the students are tired of them, but I am not, lol.

For Halloween I demonstrated how to use Google Drawing and Bitmoji to make stickers so students could have some fun making their own. The video is posted on the videos page as well as YouTube if you want to try your hand. Be careful, they can be addictive.

Kami

This extension is handy if you use a lot of pdfs. You can use Kami to write on a pdf without having adobe or converting the pdf. There is a paid and free version. I honestly do not upload a lot of pdfs to my classroom or use with my students. I use a lot of digital activities but if I did need to upload a pdf for some reason, Kami would be useful.

Pocket

If you have ever gone down the rabbit hole of the internet, seen a few useful links, pictures, videos or ideas only to try and find them later, you will enjoy Pocket. You can save videos, website links or articles that you may want to use later.

Jamboard

Jamboard is a google product, much like docs or slides that can be used to collaborate in the classroom. You can use a template and have students answer questions, solve problems or just give opinions. Students can add sticky notes, use text boxes, add pictures and shapes. You can do a 4 corners type activity where every student responds to the 4 ideas or have this in a group where 2-3 students work together to make a board about their combined knowledge.

I will be having an in depth look at Jamboard soon, including templates to use in the classroom.  Stop back in a week or so and see how Jamboard can transform your teaching.

Do you have any favorite extensions not mentioned? If so, drop a comment. I am always looking to experiment. I made a handy infographic of the best of the best. To get that delivered, click the link below and enter your email address.

https://mailchi.mp/2adfd9291975/google-infographic

Filed Under: activities, classroom management, internet activities Leave a Comment

« Google Tips for Math Class
Jamboard in the Classroom »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Categories

Boom Learning

Teachers Pay Teachers

Amazon Disclosure

Blue Mountain Math is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The links that are indicated as "affiliate links" mean I will be paid a small sum at no additional cost to you. Blue Mountain Math uses links to provide a service to the reader about products that have been used.

Latest on Pinterest

  • Boom Cards™ are a great way for students to practice every day skills In this deck, students practice finding combination and permutations. This set of Boom Cards features 35 different Digital Self-Checking Task Cards. (No printing, cutting, laminating, or grading!)
  • Students practice using the distributive property, both in distributing and combining like terms, in these 2 puzzles in google slides. There are 2 puzzles--one in each simple level and challenging level. In the simpler level, the outside edges are blank, so if students are having difficulty, have them arrange the pieces so the blank sides are on the outside.
  • Sector Area in a Circle Paper Chain is a fun, engaging  activity that is self-checking, collaborative. Set of 15 problems that need to be cut apart, reassembled in the correct order and fastened together like a chain until the end is reached. Great worksh
  • This is a twisted trivia game where students (either in groups or playing individually with white boards) practice identifying solutions and writing inequalities from graphs. Check out the video preview to see the type of questions included.
  • Boom Cards™ are a great way for students to practice every day skills In this deck, students practice tipping using a percentage and finding the total meal cost. I use this in my teen finance course during the budgeting unit. This is great reinforcement of rounding and using percents. This set of Boom Cards features 35 different Digital Self-Checking Task Cards. (No printing, cutting, laminating, or grading!) #bluemountainmath #boomcards
  • Great practice, worksheet alternative, formative assessment for students that you can HEAR if they are successful.  No printing, no laminating.  A Lifetime tool for the classroom.
  • Boom Cards™ are a great way for students to practice solving one step equations and assessing their understanding. This will give students a challenge in solving equations. Students will see 6 different equations and need to select the two with the same answer. This set of Boom Cards features 40 different Digital Self-Checking Task Cards. (No printing, cutting, laminating, or grading!)
  • Boom Cards™ are a great way for students to practice every day skills In this deck, students practice adding expenses from a budget, finding savings on budget choices and finding budgeted amounts. I use this in my teen finance course during the budgeting unit. This is great reinforcement of rounding and using percents. This set of Boom Cards features 35 different Digital Self-Checking Task Cards. (No printing, cutting, laminating, or grading!)#bluemountainmath #boomcards
  • Boom Cards™ are a great way for students to practice every day skills In this 20- card deck, students practice solving quadratics using the quadratic formula This set of Boom Cards features different Digital Self-Checking Task Cards. (No printing, cutting, laminating, or grading!)

Latest on Instagram

Bow Ties send a signal that you are smarter and mo Bow Ties send a signal that you are smarter and more tech savvy than people who wear neck ties.....just a thought..... #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
My cat is upset that dogs have a day until I expla My cat is upset that dogs have a day until I explained that National Cat Day is October 29. So Happy Dog Day to all your fur family. #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
And for my southern relatives, have some fried chi And for my southern relatives, have some fried chicken with those waffles #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
AT last, a day for those of us who are over a cert AT last, a day for those of us who are over a certain age. Although, the picture does not reflect many of us. We are not sitting with our hands folder, we are still active and making a difference. #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
I still love radio, mostly music. I used to listed I still love radio, mostly music. I used to listed to a lot of talk radio, but it got so negative that I noticed it was influencing my day. Are you a talk radio person and do you notice that? #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
Did you know that the Wright Brothers who are cred Did you know that the Wright Brothers who are credited with the first airplane flight were not funded by the government? The government had funded several others, who failed. #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
Why can't we have a fajita day each week like Taco Why can't we have a fajita day each week like Taco Tuesday?  We could have Fajita Friday each week  So today enjoy the fajitas and think about having them weekly--like tacos. #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
We have already used our colored markers and penci We have already used our colored markers and pencils.  Yeah, I love color. #teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt
Did you know that left handed people have brains t Did you know that left handed people have brains that work differently? Their brains communicates differently and have greater verbal skills....⁣
#teachersfollowteachers  #teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteachmath#mathteachers #mathteacher #iteachalgebra ⁣
#iteachgeometry #highschoolmathteacher ⁣
#highschoolteacher ⁣
#mathteachertribe#teachersofinstagram  #secondarymath #secondarymathteacher  #secondaryteacher⁣
#geometry⁣
#teachertribe⁣
#tpt ⁣
#teacherspayteachers #algebra #teachersoftpt

Latest on Facebook

Blue Mountain Math

10 months ago

Blue Mountain Math
You have to do what makes you comfortable, however it is not feasible or even necessary to grade line item on every single paper and still remain sane.Read more 👉 lttr.ai/rkwv#minimizeclassroomdisruptions #savetime #seatingchart #seatingcharts #routines;TimeSavingTips #completenoncompletedassignment ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blue Mountain Math

10 months ago

Blue Mountain Math
Engaging Activities for Math Class after Spring Break: lttr.ai/vBby#familiaractivities #feelsafe #activities #famousthinghappened #blanktaskcards #doesntbelongworks #familiarclassroomstructure ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blue Mountain Math

10 months ago

Blue Mountain Math
It takes a long time to get a bingo, sometimes the entire class period is spent trying to get just one.Read more 👉 lttr.ai/jVPW#greatpractice #increasesengagement #bingo #playbingo #reviewmathwithbingo ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blue Mountain Math

10 months ago

Blue Mountain Math
Algebra tiles offers a great way to see an expression or what makes a variable different from an integer.Read the full article: Ways to Get Started With Algebra Tiles▸ lttr.ai/tLkj#concreteexamples #algebraicconcepts #algebratiles #manipulatives #activities ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blue Mountain Math

10 months ago

Blue Mountain Math
After students finish the worksheet, and the work is shown, have them scan to see if their answers were right.Read the full article: Save Time Grading▸ lttr.ai/sjen#homework #collectedclasswork #grading #selfcheckingactivities #partneractivities #activities ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.