I have found coding with Google Apps Script to be very fun and I use it to solve many different problems. The built-in features of Google Apps Script have infinite possibilities and value, and this tool is embedded within most of the Google Suite applications. In this session we will look at how to get started with Apps Script through a few creative solutions. These include incorporating a really basic random topic spinner into Google Slides that selects a topic (hidden in the speaker notes) and then places the result into the Slide automatically. Additionally, we will look at an advanced version that uses some freely available HTML based resources to make a more engaging spinner. While exploring a variety of other scripts you may even come up with some creative uses of your own. I personally have authored Slip-in-Slide, Slide Randomizer, Simple Audio/Video Recorder and my new Connect More! add-ons, each to solve a unique problem I saw in the classroom. I would love to help you learn how to get started using Google Apps Script today!
This session is inspired by my experience that learning to code can be really empowering, and a ton of fun. I wanted to share these experiences with students and developed a quick bit of code that allows anyone to use Google Docs as a coding environment. Through a new method I like to call Code with Docs, teachers can easily bring coding skills into the classroom with easy to access coding that does not require any external resources while empowering students to learn and create with code. Through the use of a very simple Google Apps Script that is freely available, viewable and included in the shared Docs files, participants will use a few tables to write code that will be presented in two ways. The first way takes the participants' code and through a menu (similar to an add-on’s menu) will allow them to see their code as a pop-up modal window right inside of their Google Doc. The second way will be to take the same written code and through a few simple steps publish that code as a WebApp allowing for a web page to be created. This webpage has a direct connection to the document, so as users continue to edit their document, their WebApp will also be updated (this is an awesome feature).
This session is built for beginner and novice users of technology who may have no coding skills and want to explore creating with code along with their students. The skills are easily connected to 3rd-9th grade CA Computer Science Standards, but can extend to students in lower grades with typing skills as well as with high school students, and even adults (that's you)! The use of tables to store the participants' code allows the remaining space to support learning with various instructions, options and resources to allow for many representations of similar information. This session will be framed around an “About Me!” type page where participants can present themselves in a unique way while learning code.
The session will culminate with all willing participants walking through the steps to create a WebApp, copying their specific URL, and submitting that URL to a Google Form. Through this method we will be able to explore the creations of each participant of the training. Identical processes could be used to share student work with other students, teachers, and parents. Imagine a CS Ed Week next December where students author code for an hour and then share it with the community. Imagine what power that would bring to each and every student!
