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Do you know that TCEA has been dwelling it up within the Google Workspace since means again in 2010? Top-of-the-line issues about working within the Google ecospace all through these years has been exploring and utilizing Add-ons. These third-party purposes lengthen the performance of your Google apps. Simply know this weblog goes to cowl ONE WHOLE ADD-ON — Stickity – an add-on initially constructed for Google Slides.
What’s an Add-on?
Google Add-ons are custom-made purposes that stretch the performance of Google Workspace purposes, permitting customers to boost their productiveness and streamline workflows. These add-ons will be built-in into numerous Google Workspace apps, resembling Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Varieties, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Slides.
Introducing the Creator
I’m at all times excited to share tales about creators of helpful instruments for training. The creator of Stickity is Lauren Heil, a former graphic designer turned educator who developed an revolutionary add-on for Google. Lauren’s journey to creating Stickity started with a profession shift from graphic design to training. After working as an artwork director and designer for high-profile purchasers, she sought a extra fulfilling path. A transfer to Colorado led her to substitute instructing, igniting a ardour for training that prompted her to turn into a full-time digital arts and laptop science trainer.
Within the classroom, Lauren utilized her design expertise to create visible aids that helped college students, notably multilingual learners and people with IEPs, perceive complicated ideas extra simply. The effectiveness of those graphics sparked curiosity from different lecturers, inspiring Lauren to develop Stickity throughout her participation within the Google Innovator Program’s Sweden 2019 cohort. Launched in March 2023, Stickity is now an accessibility-focused add-on for Google Docs and Slides, utilized in over 60 nations. Lauren manages all elements of Stickity herself, pushed by her ardour for enhancing classroom experiences globally.
Not Only a Fairly Sticker
In response to Lauren, “The primary job of those graphics have been to assist in accessibility, to make it simple for any scholar to navigate classwork and perceive what they wanted to do. I based mostly every sticker design on the commonest IEP lodging, necessary ELL helps, UDL requirements, and WCAG 2.0 pointers. Every sticker is inserted with alt textual content for anybody utilizing a display screen reader. The colours all meet applicable distinction ratio in order that they’re seen to anybody with low imaginative and prescient. The white define is what makes it seem like a “sticker”, nevertheless it’s truly very intentional — in order that they continue to be seen on any background coloration.
Stickers “present and inform” by animating or depicting the which means of the sticker along with regardless of the textual content says, an enormous assist for MLL and college students with numerous disabilities. All this to say, this isn’t only a device to “enhance” your slides/docs with. It’s meant to really make the coed studying expertise one thing the place they really feel profitable in what they’re attempting to perform that day. It lightens the cognitive load of the “how” in order that college students can get straight to the “what” of sophistication. It additionally saves lecturers time in crafting that have for his or her college students.”
Stickity: Options and Advantages
The device guarantees to:
- Take away studying boundaries
- Improve classroom communication
- Assist differentiated instruction
By integrating digital stickers into generally used platforms, Stickity goals to enhance scholar comprehension and engagement. Heil’s creation displays her dedication to leveraging expertise and design to create extra inclusive and efficient studying experiences.
Availability and Pricing
Paid: Particular person, College, and District plans
Availability: Stickity was first launched as a Google Slides Add-on however is now out there in Docs, Sheets, and Varieties.
Group: The digital stickers are organized into ten primary classes, often with a bonus seasonal sticker class. These classes supply many free stickers, whereas Stickity Professional stickers are recognized by an orange star emblem.
Pricing: Freed from cost with paid options
Stickity showcases the facility of mixing design experience with instructional perception to create user-friendly, inclusive instruments for the digital classroom. I need to personally thank Lauren for her revolutionary contribution to training, which helps lecturers improve their supplies and assist numerous scholar wants.
