This is a guide I produced on using Google Classroom. I must acknowledge both LAGAN COLLEGE where I worked and BELFAST HIGH SCHOOL, where I currently work.  I have used this in taking  training alongside my friend and colleague Phil Kemps and it seems to be quite effective. It's always good having something to refer to. I may have to do an advanced guide with all the additional things we can do now! I hope it proves helpful. :-)

These two fabulous videos from Alistair Hamill and Desmond Tennyson really demonstrate how effective marking can be carried out using the Rubrics feature of Google Classroom. 

Do you have a booklet that you want to create quick weblinks for your students ? Or a Poster that you want to create a YouTube link to? Or a set of past paper exams that you want them to be able to access at any time using digital devices? Then this is the app for you -Qrafter allows you to create a QR code in an instant. This can be matched to whatever you wish.  Think about making your corridors interactive bringing displays potentially to life !  Easy to use and free

Kami have very kindly extended their full free trial to all C2ken.net email addresses until October!

We have added our YouTube Kami Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBLH14q8MojA6yade6Spqa-x4DcRZfWVN

The video below shows how to add KAMI to your browser. I really think this is an amazing tool and principals and HODs should consider this for your teachers. You can contact KAMI for pricing.
In our school, 100 teachers and 1700 students are priced at just over £4,000.  However, using this would negate the need for photocopying anything and so will easily save you money! Plus...... it is kinder to the environment, stops us losing anything, allows you to mark work on a tablet with a stylus, and integrates with google classroom and Teams to pull across the marks into your google classroom mark book.

I cannot recommend this strongly enough it will save teachers so much time during what is going to be a really difficult year. Please go on and have a play before the full version trial runs out next week!
https://www.loom.com/share/7cca39bdb6724d9c963f24ee4cb8ebed

Back in July the lovely Celia O'Hagan from Stranmillis University College, offered her support to the members of NI Teachers Collaborate, as our 'Blended Learning and Technology Enhanced Learning' advisor. Celia provided a free webinar to teachers in the group in August and many of you attended on those two dates. Stranmillis University College have given us permission to share the webinar that Celia offered to the group in August as a recording.  The full recording of this webinar is available here and on our YouTube Channel (https://youtu.be/Yf8HGipBr0M)

Celia who has 30 years experience both as a classroom teacher and University Lecturer has a wealth of knowledge and experience in delivery of online lessons.  Celia leads the College's mission for widening participation and coordinates the College's online  Master of Teaching provision for in-service teachers and learning leaders . She has received many accolades including being nominated for both a national training award in 2011 and, for previous pioneering work, as far back as 2010, in online teaching in HE, when she was shortlisted for eTutor of the year as part of the Times Higher Education awards, the only NI finalist. In 2017, as part of her teacher education work, using technology to support disadvantaged students, Celia was nominated by staff and students in HE and won the educational leadership award for excellence in teaching and learning with Signature UK.

When Covid 19 arrived and Northern Ireland was put into lock-down, I like many of you was not prepared to deliver my lessons online!  My lessons during lock-down were to say the least BORING! As a biology specialist, I followed the science closely and when the World Health Organisation made their announcement (In July) that Covid-19  transmission was now confirmed as aerosol and droplet (previously it was thought to be only droplet), I knew we were going to have a huge disruption to our teaching this academic year.  I spent lock-down trying to up skill so that I could deliver engaging lessons online.  Come 11th July I thought.......  "if I don't know how to deliver lessons online then neither do many of my colleagues".  I decided to set up the group.

I am so fortunate to know some real 'tech geeks' Karen Czaban, Glen Pattterson and John Wishart and some brilliant marketing people Carol Majury and Jamie Muir so I asked them to help me and they said yes!!!!

None of us thought in the early days that we would actually get the interest there has been in the group so I have to thank the other 5 admin who have given up a lot of their summer holidays working on setting up Twitter, YouTube and now this amazing website. I really am grateful to them.  What has been equally incredible is the genuine collaboration among the members of the group.  Celia O'Hagan from Stranmillis University college contacted us to offer her support as a 'Blended Learning Advisor' to the group and Celia's  input has been invaluable.  The education Minister, Peter Weir. and the Chief Executive of CCEA, Justin Edwards, have also been engaging with the group since mid July and we are grateful for their advice and guidance to date.

To the members of the group I am in awe! Many of you have shared your knowledge, skills and resources in the true spirit of collaboration.  I truly believe that this input will give the young people of NI the best opportunity to succeed in their education during this pandemic.  I want to say thank you to you all!  Have a lovely weekend and I wish you  and your pupils a safe return to school on Monday. 

Thank you so much to George Blackwood for sharing on the Facebook site. 

Thanks to Elaine Murray for re-sharing this great resource

Thank you to Sherlockisma Holmie Rooney-McKeown for sharing this

Thank you so much to Eileen Rowntree for sharing this amazing resource full of hyperlinked resources