😱 This Google tool makes teaching materials in seconds

Create lesson plans, quizzes, slides super fast

Author

Matt Miller
September 19, 2024

⌚️ Let’s save you some time today

In the last couple years, all of the time-saving teacher tools have grown by leaps and bounds.

I’m all for it. TIME is what we educators use to do great things in the classroom.

Brisk Teaching (the Google tool mentioned in the subject line) creates a first draft for TONS of teaching resources.

Lesson plans. Slides. Google Forms quizzes. Rubrics (ughhhhhh my nemesis!).

Oh, and the free plan? 🤌 It’s glorious.

Or keep scrolling to check out Brisk … and some other cool stuff in our email today …

Inside:

  • 📢 Schoolwide AI Conference in Cincinnati

  • 👀 DTT Digest: Teachflix, virtual field trips, Adulting 101, 30 day challenge

  • 💡 The Big Idea: Must-have Google tool for teachers

  • 💻 Tech Tip: Run quick polls with your students

  • 😄 Smile of the day: Super Bowl rings for teachers 💍

  • 👋 How we can help

📢 Schoolwide AI Conference in Cincinnati

If you’re in the Cincinnati area — or want to travel there — you’ll want to know about this great AI Edu event! I’m presenting!

Event: Schoolwide AI Conference
When: November 5, 2024
Where: Fairfield High School (Fairfield, OH)
Cost: $99 (early reg. thru Oct. 4) / $124 (regular reg thru Oct. 25)

I’ll be sharing some big-picture info about AI and its impacts on schools — as well as lots of practical teaching ideas to support classroom learning.

👀 DTT Digest

4 teaching resources worth checking out today

  • 📺 Teachflix: Videos for class — Our collection of classroom videos is teacher-vetted, teacher approved. Plus free activities for videos, too!

  • 🧳 Free virtual field trips database — Dozens of free virtual field trips, including on-demand and live video calls for your students.

  • 👨🏽Adulting 101 — Khan Academy has put together a guide to help young adults learn how to “adult”. From managing money and understanding credit cards to figuring out how to budget that first paycheck this guide is packed with practical tips to help them navigate the future.

  • 🪞ICYMI Our 30 Day Reflection Challenge starts today! — We’ve teamed up with MirrorTalk to challenge you to reflect on lessons, strategy, personal growth, and PD. Join us for a reflection adventure and a chance to win some awesome prizes!

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

💻 A must-have teacher Google Chrome extension

This message is sponsored by Brisk Teaching.

We know you want to save time without sacrificing the good stuff.

The Brisk Teaching Google Chrome extension streamlines lesson planning, feedback and resource creation.

It’s made just for teachers — and lives in the Google tools you already use.

Here’s why I love Brisk …

  • It’s a Chrome extension (here) you can install quickly.

  • It lives in your favorite Google tools like Docs, Slides, and YouTube. No copy/pasting. No switching between platforms.

What can you make with Brisk?

  • Slide presentations on anything you want to teach

  • Google Forms quizzes based on a prompt, site, video or more in seconds.

  • Rubrics (you know you hate making them)

  • Lesson plans based on your topics and standards

Plus, it’s just easy to use. Do what you need with just a few clicks.

3 sample activities

In today’s new post about Brisk, you’ll find examples and step by step tutorials for using some of our favorite Brisk tools, like …

  1. Google Slides Presentation on Biomes: Generate a presentation for 3rd graders covering essential biome features.

  2. Quiz from a History Video: Create quizzes based on educational videos like those from Crash Course.

  3. Comprehensive Lesson Plan for Math: Develop detailed lesson plans aligned with standards.

3 months of premium for FREE

Brisk already has one of the best free plans in ed tech.

But you can get three months of its premium features for FREE.

No credit card. No commitment. Keep whatever you make with premium.

💻 TECH TIP 💻

✅ Use polls to engage students in FigJam

FigJam (figma.com/education) is an online whiteboard tool. Many times, with online whiteboards, we think of sticky notes and doodles.

But some of FigJam’s best features go beyond that — like polls. Ask students questions about class — or about life! — and let them vote.

Just click the plus (+) in the bottom menu/tray. I suggest searching for the two from the image above:

  • Poll (by Figma)

  • Alignment scale (by Figma)

Students can jump in and vote — and then you can display the results!

Want to know how to get students started with FigJam? Check out this “First lesson for the whole class” file (and watch the accompanying tutorial video).

😄 Smile of the day

Don’t forget the million dollar salaries 💰

h/t Teacher Related via Teacher Memes Facebook group

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

  1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

  2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

  3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!

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