Washington Tech Tidbits

Google's Santa Tracker is up and running for the month of December! Here are three coding games to help kids of all ages learn the basics of coding. They are a must see!

Code Lab

Code Boogie

Code a Snowflake

There are many other fun activities on the site, as well.... and don't forget to come back on Christmas Eve to track Santa's journey around the world!

Google Classroom Users, click here to sign up for beta access to the *NEW* Gradebook features in Classroom. New features include: viewing submissions across classwork and students, adding grade categories, choosing how overall grades are calculated, and MORE!

The NICE MiniCon will take place on the morning of Saturday, January 26 at Evanston Township High School. This fantastic conference offers over 50 sessions and costs only $5! Registration will be open soon. Click here for more information.

Create your own holiday emoji with code! You can add messages and accessories, modify clothing, and more!

Here are 6 holiday-related EdTech activities to try with your students. Build a Snowman with Google Slides, Wintertime Magnetic Poetry with Google Drawings, Pixel Art Ornaments with Google Sheets, and much more!

If you're a fan of Breakout EDU, Digital Breakouts are a must see! They allow individuals and small groups of students to search for clues on a webpage. Clues may be hidden in the text on the page or in embedded videos, images, and links. Some clues may lead to puzzles that students need to solve to determine the combinations to the digital locks. Like Breakout EDU, students have 30-45 minutes to solve the puzzles and open the digital locks.

Here are a few seasonal puzzles to check out:

• Snowman Party
• Winter is Snow Fun
• Winter Sports
• Save Christmas
• Holiday Hideaway

Check out this Google Earth quiz to test your knowledge about holiday celebrations around the globe! Other quizzes are also available.