Google Cast for Education

If you are familiar with Apple TV or similar products (Amazon Fire TV stick, Roku streaming stick, Chromecast), you may already realize that you can connect your phone or computer to your TV through these services in order to watch streaming video or show photos.  Being able to show the content from your screen becomes even more useful when the teacher can allow the students to show their screen on the Smartboard in a 1:1 environment.  This is now possible and extremely user-friendly with the Google Cast for Education extension.

To get started, you will use the Google Cast for Education extension with your laptop or chromebook, so add it here.  Once you add it, click on its green icon in your chrome browser at the top right-hand corner to open it.

When it opens, it will look like this:

It will ask you to name it, so I recommend giving it something that is simple for students to type in, such as your building and room number.  For example - MS101.  Notice that in the bottom left-hand corner, I named mine C&I.

Then it will ask you to share with certain people.  You can share with individuals, groups, or Google Classrooms.  That will allow you to instantly give permission to multiple students / users.

Once a student wants to cast to your window, they will use the same extension (Greg says he will add it for them), and then click the 3 dots (the kebab menu!) and choose "Cast" and a list will appear.

When the window pops up to "Cast to," they can type the name that you used, such as MS101 that I mentioned above.  Then it should come up for them to select.

Once a student is casting on your screen, it will look like the image below.

Notice that the person who is casting to your device is listed in the bottom center.  You can close them out by hitting the X at the top center.

If you want to see a video about how to use this, watch one here.

Many of us have experienced changing devices connected to a projector and the technical difficulties that can arise as a result.  This cast system can eliminate some of that heartache and create greater opportunities for students to share their work with the class in a 1:1 environment.  Test it out!

Useful Chrome Extensions

In a previous post, Liz explained why you should be using Google Chrome if you aren’t already.  Along with Google Chrome, you can add extensions that will extend Chrome’s capabilities.  In the following information, you may find one that can help you get organized, boost your productivity or be more prepared.  Follow the links to add them to chrome.

• Make a screencast with Screencastify or MediaCore.  These are great for making a video for your students on how to do something with the chromebooks.  Students can also use them to create a video presentation on a topic that they have researched.

• Schedule e-mails to send later with Boomerang.  If you want to send an email but don’t want it to go out until a certain day, use Boomerang to tell it when to send.  If you need Boomerang to re-send you an email and move it to the top of your inbox, tell it when to remind you as well.

• Organize your e-mail like a to do list with Sortd.  If your e-mail functions as a checklist of tasks, you’ll like this one that allows you to sort it into different lists, check them off as you complete them, and even add other non-email tasks under 3 different customizable headings.  There’s nothing more satisfying than hitting “DONE!”

• Make a functional home screen in a new tab with Momentum.  This extension will give you the local weather, a to do list, a place to put in your goal for the day and an inspiring photo from around the world to relax you.  Each time you open a new tab in chrome, you will see the photo for the day.

• Quickly save something to the cloud with Save to Google Drive.  Do you see something on a website that you want to save for later?  Click on the icon for this extension and it will quickly save it to your Google Drive for you to use later.

• Look at your calendar for the day without loading the calendar in another tab with Checker Plus.  If you just want to quickly reference something without waiting for the whole calendar to load, this can save you some time.

If you have one to share or I missed one that has changed your life, feel free to send them my way.  If you have questions about using one of these, let us know!