Welcome to new and returning teachers at NT Schools for 2024. This website contains links to previous SMOOTHIES sessions and a link to book a personal SMOOTHIES session. Check out the topics in upcoming SMOOOTHIES Episodes here and then join me on Friday for a live SMOOTHIES session. Invites are sent out to ICT Role holders and if you are not an ICT and would still like an invite, make sure you are a member of CLoverTeams. The site also contains useful links and reference resources specifically aimed at our teachers in the NT.
Short Multimodal Online Opportunities To Help Interested Educators Succeed
Table of Contents
Previous Episodes of SMOOTHIES
- Previous Episodes of SMOOTHIES
- JUNE | 24F4 24F3 24F2 24F1
- MAY | 24E5 24E4 24E3 24E2 24E1
- APRIL | 24D4 24D3 24D2 24D1
- MARCH | 24C3 24C2 24C1
- FEBRUARY | 24B5 24B4 24B3 24B2 24B1
- JANUARY | 24A1 24A2 24A3 24A4
- NOVEMBER | 23K1 23K2
- OCTOBER | 23J3 23J2 23J1
- SEPTEMBER | 23i4a 23i4 23i3 23i2 23i1
- AUGUST | 23H4 23H3 23H2 23H1
- JULY | 23G3 23G2 23G1
- JUNE | 23F5 23F4 23F3 23F2 23F1
- MAY | 23E4 23E3 23E2 23E1
- APRIL | 23D3 23D2
NT Schools EdTech Resource Links and More
- What's new in 2024?
- Microsoft Training Resources Links
- Adobe Creative Educator Resources Links
- Curated Journal of AI in Education resources
- How the interactive videos work
- About SMOOTHIES
- Contact me (Mark Christie)
- Join MS Teams communities of practice relevant to EdTech Join here first (https://bit.ly/cloverteams)
- Resources for School ICTC (NT Government Schools)
- Contact the help desk for ICT Technical Support for incidents or problems (NT Government Schools)
- Find links to lists of software applications - (We are working to just have the eLearn Digital Applications Catalogue as the single comprehensive source of all software matters)
- My personal learning blog - LearnShifting (not affiliated with my employer)
Upcoming SMOOTHIES Topics
- Please let me know what topics you would like to cover... My email is at the bottom of this page.
Previous Episodes 2024
Episode 24F4 (June 28 2024)
Panda Dad was created in Firefly and then edited in Photoshop to transform into a Character Animator character. I will show how I created this character and share this puppet in this week's SMOOTHIES episode 24F4
- Character Animator Workshop - lots of videos in the PowerPoint
- ISTE June 2024 Microsoft Announcements (Links to content here)
- Copilot for Microsoft 365 – Educator Features
- Copilot for Microsoft 365 – Learner Features
- Learning Accelerators Updates including two new progress applications
- Learning Management System Integration
- Teams Updates
- Clipchamp Updates
- Visual Studio Code for Education
This is more of a guide than a deep dive – reference links provided
Episode 24F3 (June 21 2024)
- Express Workshop - click here to remix the above template
- Password App
- Edtech competition
Episode 24F2 (June 14 2024)
- This is an extension of last week's smoothies episode.
- A lesson example incorporating a digital literacy value chain (primary level)
- Creating projects and libraries to share Adobe Express assignments out and receive work back.
Episode 24F1 (June 7 2024)
- LLLLL – Login License Leads Learning Lessons
- Got iPads? Got Management Challenges?
- Couple of new Adobe Express Features
- MS Word in the classroom with little ones
Episode 24E5 (May 31 2024)
- Create prompts for lesson plans, rubrics in CoPilot (Also check out episode 24B3 which also covers this topic).
- More multicam – with just one camera
Episode 24E4 (May 24 2024)
- ChatGPT 4o plus Khan Academy
- Will we need teachers?
- Some multicam editing in Premiere
Episode 24E3 (May 17 2024)
- Polished Performance Promotes Positive Praise
- (Video workflows)
- MS Teams - STMBU
- Speaker Coach (PowerPoint Rehearsal)
- More Microsoft
- Search Coach
- Classwork Module Reuse
- AI Policy – suggestions for your school
Episode 24E2 (May 10 2024)
- May 2024 Update – Microsoft Edu
- Edge Workspaces
- Stream Interactivity (adding quizzes to video)
- Happy Mother’s Day
Episode 24E1 (May 3 2024)
- Power Query – https://youtu.be/6lBqYInBldkhttps://youtu.be/0aeZX1l4JT4
- HP Robot – programming interface
- Vimeo AI – must try
- Animate with Audio – steps to spice up presentations
- Free Learning Links - bookmark
Episode 24D4
Episode 24D3 (April 26 2024)
- The new Planner – replaces Project? Your call
- Create a remixed media poster in 5 minutes with me
- Why AI won’t replace you…
- Power Query –
- https://youtu.be/6lBqYInBldk
- https://youtu.be/0aeZX1l4JT4
Episode 24D2
- Create Training Screen Captures with SNAGit 2024
- Integrate Video Training with Adobe Express
Episode 24D1
- Use Express and Premiere Rush to create a video
- Mobile App – Adobe Express – in Beta
Episode 24C3 (March 19 and 22)
- Introduction to Premiere Rush
- Creating video clips in Adobe Express
In the following looooong video, I cover both creating video clips in Adobe Express and integrating them into Premiere Rush before editing and sharing the video.
Episode 24C2 (March 12 and 15)
- Free apps for improving Reading, Typing and Arithmetic
- Create a logo in Express
- Share an Express Template with your kids to remix (my adaption of show off your state / territory project)
- Quicknotes – AI education tools
- OnePage Microsoft Learning Accelerators
Episode 24C1 (March 5 and 8)
- Deeper dive into the MS Bookings app
- Firefly version 2 – a quick look
- Podcast tool now generally available to schools
- CoPilot AI in our school - now with CoPilot Labs
Episode 24B5
- Creating School Newsletters with Express Web Page
- Shortcut Keys common to Windows and Office
- Scraping websites (if you need to transfer them to another location)
Episode 24B4
- Aero - Creating geospatial data with Google Earth [24B4 - 20 and 23 Feb]
- Basic Meeting Options in Teams [24B4]
- So you're the School ICT? What next? Resources and Help [24B4]
- Commonsense.org - website safety review and our own eLearn Digital Applications Catalog
Episode 24B3
- Khanmigo
- How to use Vimeo instead of YouTube
- Using templates with Adobe Express - Create a Valentine's Card
- Structuring a Copilot prompt to create a Quiz in Forms - 24B3
Infographics Creation with Adobe Express and Gen AI - Starring Abbie and Eric - recorded 14/2/2024
Episode 24B2
- Working smart with OneDrive - Your massive file share location
- Adobe Express - 2 minute creation sample
- Leaving a team
Episode 24B1
- New way of joining SMOOTHIES
- Quick Actions in Express (free)
- PDF Options (if you haven't got Acrobat Pro)
- AERO Augmented Reality (free)
- Use Q&A in Teams Meetings
- Forms Plugin for PowerPoint
- Fresco (Adobe) Free art drawing app
Episode 24A4
- Quizzing with MS Forms New Features - new features for quizzing
- Try this sample quiz (with embedded YouTube videos)
- Reading Coach for ALL (students, teachers, parents and more) feature deep dive
- Create, edit, rearrange your photo collages in the free Adobe Express
Episode 24A3
- Godot, Gaming, Game design SACE L1 and L2 with Grant Christie
- MS AI for Class Stuff (updates to my curated links)
- Reading Coach Launch try this out...
Episode 24A2
- QR Codes (Using them in class)
- New version of MS Teams - features (videos below)
- Comic Life
- An update to my AI curated links (specifically for education)
Episode 24A1
- Our systems for ICTs and schools – what’s happening?
- Embedding a MS Form into OneNote for Class Teams
- New version of MS Teams - features (and a small temporary problem)
- Comic Life and Comics in Education (maybe)
- Resources for teaching talented and gifted kids
- An update to my AI curated links
Previous Episodes 2023
Episode 23K2
- Moving a OneNote from any location into teams
- LTANT Presentation – Multimedia Storytelling and Interactive Videos
Episode 23K1
This SMOOTHIES episode was a discussion about ICT resources for NT Schools so I have included a link to the recording, but it will only be available for folks with an NTschools login. While there is nothing confidential, it is mainly relevant for our schools.
- Schools ICT Resource Portal
- Audience and Resource Communication Content Matrix
There was a great demonstration of a prototype proof of concept by Adam which is available to those with ntschools accounts check it out along with the PowerPoint for the session.
Episode 23J3
- Typing Tutors (Free and Paid)
- Podcasting between two locations (podcast.adobe.com)
- Creating a YouTube or Vimeo Podcast with Express
Episode 23J2
- New AI Course for Teachers
- Adobe MAX – New Features in Products
- Lens Blur in Lightroom (this picture)
Episode 23J1 - Intro to Adobe Express
I realised that while many folks use Adobe Express, there are many more who have never ventured into the wonderful world of multimodal content creation using this tool. This episode covers the basics of creating a flyer using Adobe Express showing some of the image creation and manipulation features available in the web version of the product.
The videos below are not from the episode, but are intro videos to get you started.
Episode 23i4a Special Edition - Newsletter Creation with Adobe Express
Adobe Express has a great webpage creator (you are using it right now!) - Many schools use this to create their school newsletters. Click on the button below for a resource designed around a fictitious newsletter created in Adobe Express. It contains many tips and tricks along with samples of real newsletters to view. It covers the main sections of a school newsletter with ideas on how to create reusable templates and how to safely involve your students in content collaboration on your school newsletters. The 10-minute flipped classroom style video below used the express page resource as a basis for guiding you through the newsletter creation process.
This is a great watch and memory of the 2023 Adobe ANZ Summit. Check out where we were in Melbourne and the great fun we had catching up with fellow educators in the great location at both the Melbourne Adobe offices and also the conference itself at Haileybury College City Campus.
Episode 23i4 September 22 2023
SNAGit is a program I use all the time and as we have a few licences where I work and throughout education, I ran a short session this week on some of the features. There is no PowerPoint for this episode, Just a demo video highlighting some of the features. I also cover how you can easily (and should) add chapters to any videos you create via Teams / STREAM that you want to share with others. As with other products I talk about - I have no commercial affiliation with them. Snagit 2024 literally just dropped yesterday 4 Oct 2023 - and has a few new features worth checking out.
Episode 23i3 September 15 2023
- Adobe Express now has Firefly AI available for teachers and students
- Photoshop has released Firefly AI capabilities into its latest general release
- Join me for my workshop on Adobe Express (Newsletters, portfolios) on 26 and 27 September
Don't forget the video has chapters, clickable transcript and interactive hotspots so the links in the video are live...
Episode 23i2 September 8 2023
- Education Resources for School Leaders
- Podcast.Adobe.Com (beta software)
- Animate in Adobe Express – deeper dive
The link above is only viewable for folks with ntschools accounts as the primary subject matter is already addressed by Mike Russell's Adobe Podcast Tutorial and Dave Werner's video about animate from audio below and the screen captures in the PowerPoint.
Episode 23i1 September 1 2023
- Character Animator
Dave Werner from Adobe - known as OKSamurai is the go to guy for great training videos that are fun to watch - check out his channel. There are a variety of tools you can use from the professional level of Adobe Character Animator to the Starter version of Character Animator and now you have access to the animate from Audio feature in Adobe Express.
Episode 23H4 August 25 2023
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Animate with Audio (Character animation in Adobe Express)
As I have a number of videos regarding OneDrive, rather than record a video that is a curation of existing content, I am including the three OneDrive videos here as well as two videos where I have created a puppet animation from audio in Adobe Express. The PowerPoint for the session is below.
Episode 23H3 August 18 2023
- Microsoft Lists App
- Microsoft Search Coach and Search Progress
Episode 23H2 August 11 2023
- 23H2 Viva Insights, Reflect, Learning and More
Episode 23H1 August 4 2023
- Microsoft Bookings App
- Reading Progress App
Episode 23G3 July 21 2023
- Editing and publishing videos from MS Teams
- Capturing video meetings in PowerPoint (Cameo, Dictate, Record and Publish)
- MS Streams and Vimeo
- Interactive Videos
- Other solutions
Once you have Vimeo contributor or Folder Contributor (School Vimeo Admin) access, you need to know how to access and upload videos. The video below covers this.
Episode 23G2 July 14 2023
- Microsoft Forms
- Adobe Libraries
Episode 23G1 July 7 2023
- Updates App in MS Teams
- Lightroom CC Storage
Episode 23F5
- Microsoft Planner
- Adobe Express Beta
Episode 23F4
- Microsoft To Do App
- Adobe Fonts
- Random Bits (Search Progress, Vimeo AI, Outlook Meeting Recap)
This was an interesting episode in that I was running a competition to get folks to guess where a bicycle I had removed using the generative AI feature was. The plan was in MS Teams to use Whiteboard to get participants to draw on the map where they thought the bicycle was.
We have an issue with whiteboard where collaboration in Teams could not be activated. So we abandoned that fun exercise. In hindsight I should have used OneNote, pinning the photo to the background so we could draw over the top of the image.
In real life, the very next day, my own bicycle was stolen from my front yard where the thief came in through my front gate. The bike has not been recovered. I did use Adobe Express to create a poster for the stolen bike which I include here.
Episode 23F3
- Project Manager Office Manager Teams Special (10 Weeks)
- T2 W9 Overview of the Apps we will cover
- T2 W9 Approvals App + Reading Coach (Word)
Episode 23F2
- New Adobe Express Beta
- Themes and Plugins in School WordPress Sites
Episode 23F1
- Vimeo Basics
- Interactive Videos with Vimeo
- Add Vimeo videos to PowerPoint and Adobe Express Page
- One thing Camtasia does well (I forgot this last week)
- Student Creativity Challenges (Adobe tools - aimed at 10 to 14 years olds)
Episode 23E4
- Where is the Jira Form (for Adobe, Vimeo and Cloud)
- Phonetic Readers and Generative AI
- Photoshop now has Generative AI (and beta blockers)
Episode 23E3
- Search Progress and Coach
- ACE Level 1 and 2
- Updates App in Teams
Episode 23E2
- It’s all about ME
- Assignment Features
- Search Coach
Episode 23E1
- April Teams Update
- Assignment Features
- Search Coach
Episode 23D3
- Camtasia vs PowerPoint
Episode 23D2
- MS Class Teams Update March 2023 (Education and General)
- Lessons from Edex with assets
- Firefly from Adobe – More AI but with guardrails for students
MS Teams Training Resources
Practical Learning Pathways for educators
- Microsoft Educator Course
- Microsoft Advanced Educator Course
- learning Environments (Course)
- 21st Century Learning (Course)
- Microsoft Educator Trainer Course
- Microsoft Innovative Educator
Free Adobe Training Resources
Practical Learning Pathways for Educators
- Adobe Creative Educator - Level 1
- Adobe Creative Educator - Level 2 (Design your creative class)
- Adobe Education Leader
- Join the Adobe for Education Facebook group for the latest updates and events.
- Follow Adobe For Education on Twitter @AdobeforEdu.
- Join one of our online live community events. View topics and dates.
- Join the Adobe Educator Community on the Adobe Education Exchange.
How the Interactive Videos Work
This webpage has video episodes that contain links to websites. while watching the video you can click on the location on the video to jump to the connected website. In some cases, I will explain in the video, but in earlier videos I am trying to retrofit them with interactivity. Typically, the open screen will have a link to the PowerPoint for the episode and at the end of the episode will be a link to the random topics and also this webpage. I would love to hear from you if you think this approach makes it easier for you to find information. I have a sample of the start screen and end screens below as an example of what is clickable.
School ICT Resources
- ICT Handbook (Check this first)
- iCentre (only available from within the ntschools network)
- ICT Teams Forum (Your invitation will be reviewed by a team owner)
- Ict.ntschools.net Public dashboard that has many common links relevant for schools
- Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Office)
- SAMS g2 Student Administration System
- CATS (Computer Asset Tracking System)
- CLoverTeams or if comfortable using join codes 2vltegb
- CLoverClasses or if comfortable using join codes pfvbrzt
- Epass (Our identity management solution)
- Directory.ntschools.net
- SMOOTHIES this document (Book SMOOTHIES)
- JAMF (Mobile device management for apple devices)
- Jira - General Request (Use this for any type of support request - of course you can itsupport.doe and the support phone number as well)
- Jira - Request Vimeo Video Contributor Account (We have enterprise Vimeo video account. Great place to store your school assembly videos. Use this to set up a free account)
- Jira - Request software (eg Adobe Creative Cloud)
- Jira - MS Team SDS (School Data Sync) request
- Apple School Manager
- CISCO Cprime - This tool assists with network troubleshooting at your school. Not available to all.
- Adobe Administrator Console (Manage Adobe Creative Cloud Accounts at your school)
Back to Top
Logging jobs and getting support
For starters, you will need to be on our network and have an NT schools login to use any of the following links. Because I mainly focus on Microsoft Office, Teams, Adobe Products, Moodle and Vimeo I only include the links to those items.
NTSchools Teams Links for similar content
You will need an NTSchools login to join any of these teams. If you are unsure of their purpose, you can contact me.
If you have your ntschools login information and are logged in, you can join a Microsoft Team called "CLoverTeams" which stands for Connecting learners over Teams by clicking here OR if you know how to use teams, go to https://teams.microsoft.com/v2 using Microsoft Edge, sign in and enter the following join code (only ntschools folks can use this code) pfvbrzt
What are SMOOTHIES?
Short Multimodal Online Opportunities To Help Interested Educators Succeed or SMOOTHIES. These are live – but recorded 30 minute informal webinars with wide ranging topics on software you can use in the classroom and also some ideas for using them, focusing on the tools we have ie Microsoft and Adobe. They cover much more than those two vendors products and they are topical. As you can see from previous episodes - a wide variety of subjects are covered. You have to book for each SMOOTHIES episode although links to the teams meeting can be shared after you have booked. If you want the PD Certificate for collecting PD hours, you will need to book and enter your name and email.
Physical attendance at SMOOTHIES will earn you a 30 minute PD certificate towards your required PD hours and covers the following AITSL standards:
- Standard 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
- Standard 2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) - Use ICT in teaching to expand curriculum learning opportunities
- Standard 3.4: Demonstrate knowledge of ICT resources to engage students
- Standard 4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
- Standard 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
If you can't make it, sessions are recorded and have an accompanying PowerPoint - available through the links in the Table of Contents above.
I would love to see you at one of our SMOOTHIES sessions and you join them by booking here. Feel free to reach out directly via teams or the following:
SMOOTHIES Code System
The code system I use for SMOOTHIES Episodes names is simple. First two numbers are the year, the letter is the month with A = Jan increasing through the alphabet for 12 letters until we get to L = December. The last number which is 1-5 reflects the weeks in that month. So 24B1 would be an episode run in the first week of February 2024.