Until this week, I had never heard of WolframAlpha. Seriously, someone created a search engine with a brain to help find an answer. Have you never heard of it either? Watch this video for a quick overview:
I am eager to show this tool to my research students to just give them another avenue to search for relevant information. Forget the "I feel lucky" button on a Google search, just type in your question on WolframAlpha and (bam!) it searches to find your answer. If you value Siri on your iPhone, you absolutely need to check out WolframAlpha! Pose a question and WolframAlpha will find an answer for you - in chart form, in graph form ... more specific and focused than Wikipedia in my opinion.
From history facts to math equations to science concepts, WolframAlpha kicks search capabilities up a notch or two (or three!). One of its awesome features is its subject focused fact page. For Chemistry, it looks like this:
And I like the way the answers are presented. It presents multiple perspectives of the answer, providing a basic graphic answer as well as some higher level thinking options as well.
I added Wolfram/Alpha to my Symbaloo webmix. I liked it that much!
If you have not yet given it a whirl, you should. I think it'll knock your socks off. This video highlights some of the cool search features of WolframAlpha:
I am in still a little in awe that I did not know about WolframAlpha until this week. Why did no one share this with me until now? Well, I for one can't wait to share this with my students and colleagues.
I am enjoying learning about programs that hold value to a teacher.
This week, Padlet is my new friend. It's a site that allows a teacher to create a board and share with students. This allows students to brainstorm or post an answer on the board.
At first, the randomness of posts and the seeming disorganization of the board was a negative/con for me. I didn't like how kids could click anywhere on the board to haphazardly place their post. After watching more tutorial videos on Padlet, I realized the beauty in this.
First, there's a way to click and put all posts into a grid - nicely organized columns and rows. In literally a simple click, the disorganized mess in put into straight rows and columns.
Then, I realized another value of this randomness is that I, the teacher, can take students' input and rearrange into categories that I see fit. For instance, if I used this as an exit ticket, I could sort the answers into an area of correct and an area of incorrect and know how many (and who) needed more support with the concept taught. [A downside I see to this is that other students can see others' answers, so it would be obvious who wasn't on target. A way to alleviate this would be to have the kids anonymously answer. Then, after they're done posting, under settings, click "attribution" and the authors' names appear.]
Here's a video that explains how to set up a padlet and some basic features and uses:
I see usefulness for padlet in these ways:
- brainstorming
- exit tickets
- quick checks for understanding
- KWL learning charts
I'm sure this list could go on and on.
Here's a sample padlet that I used for my advanced chemistry course.
Another tool I discovered this week is called Symbaloo. I created a webmix, a collection of frequently visited websites. Now, each is just a click away - nicely organized onto this one page that I can share with others.
Here's my Symbaloo webmix:
The webmix I created was done relatively quickly, to fulfill a required assignment for my grad school class. My intention is to revisit this and create a resource that I could share with my students, one that would provide organizational sites as well as study/practice sites. The websites can be organized in different webmixes, or I can organize by color within the one webmix. Either way, it puts all the sites together in one place, easy access for my students because it is so easy to share and it makes the websites a single click for the students.
These are just two more ways to increase my effectiveness as a teacher and to use technology to support my teaching methods. Both of these have significant value in my world! You should give them a try. Let me know how that goes!
This week I looked at websites that would be helpful to a teacher. Much of what I looked at were lesson plan resource sites, but there are also some that help with other areas of teaching. You know - sites that help organize things or help save time ... created with the teacher in mind.
I chose three to highlight here: Teachers Pay Teachers, Remind.com and Tiny URL. All have purposeful uses in my classroom, and I actually have used each of these this year in my classes.
Teachers Pay Teachers is a great resource for teaching material for any grade in any discipline.
Remind.com is a safe and private way to communicate with students and parents.
Tiny URL makes it easy to share links with students or colleagues.
I used Adobe Spark to share information about these great sites. If Adobe Spark sounds familiar, it is because earlier I had created an Adobe Spark post and shared it with you here. This week, I created what is called a "page" on Adobe Spark, but that is rather misleading as a lot of information can be included on a rolling "page" on Adobe Spark. Take a gander at this:
Adobe Spark is super easy to use and the finished product appears so polished and professional looking. Don't you agree?
If you're interested in creating something in Adobe Spark, here's a tutorial to get you started:
If you create one, let me know how it goes! If you try out one of the three helpful websites, let me know how that goes too!
Google Add-Ons. There are a gazillion of them. (Ok, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but there are a WHOLE BUNCH of them out there.)
This week, I was introduced to about 25 different ones. I was rather amazed/impressed/surprised that of the 25, I knew about only 3 of them. All the "common" ones I used were not part of the list! I actually appreciated that, as I was able to learn about new ways to utilize Google and find a few that I think are usable in my classroom.
So, these are all new to me. I have not had a chance to try these out in my classroom, but I plan to. As you read my post, if you've tried these and have some helpful suggestions, please feel free to post a comment!
I often like to take class notes and reorganize information into a graphic organizer to help kids visualize how information is related. Word maps, flow charts, Venn digrams, and the like all serve this purpose. Sometimes, though, this is time consuming to use a Word doc chart template and re-type all the information into shapes.
MindMeister seems to be a teacher's dream. Take a bulleted list and turn it into a mind map with just a highlight and a click.
Here's a video to introduce you to MindMeister:
(2) Gliffy
In the same light as MindMeister, Gliffy allows you to create a graphic organizer in a Word doc. I use graphic organizers as a way to differentiate learning, so I will try both of these in the classroom and report back later which was easier to use and/or more successfully implemented with my students.
In the meantime, here's a video to introduce you to Gliffy:
(3) Kaizen
My current professor leaves comments for assignments using voice recordings. It's a fun twist to reading comments, allows me to hear her voice (which is nice since this is an online class), and lets her leave me detailed comments without taking so much time to type all her thoughts. I'd like to be able to offer this same feedback to my students, especially in my Advanced Chemistry Research Class. Kaizen might be the tool for me to use!
Here's a video to introduce you to Kaizen:
So, three new add ons that I intend to try with my classes. Check back later for a more opinionated post once I try them out!
Technology has a place in the classroom and used effectively, technology can increase student engagement and improved teacher efficiency. Here is a video about the top ten reasons to use technology in education:
Edmodo? Schoology? Eenie meenie minie mo.
Which one do you pick/prefer/use? At WCS, we have options for our platform to distribute materials electronically to students: Google Classroom, eBackpack, PowerSchool and Moodle. All are available and the school supports whichever one a teacher chooses to use. It's flexible that way, which I appreciate. I have used a Google Forms with the Flubaroo Add On to quickly grade an assessment and provide feedback to students. I post homework on a Google Sites, and I have begun to post resources for each unit there as well. PowerSchool is used to record grades, and it also provides a mechanism of communication with parents. I assign and collect much homework through eBackpack, which is linked to PowerSchool (which I love!). Although I use Moodle with my Baker U graduate classes, I do not implement that platform at all in my classroom (although the other chemistry teacher does). So, suffice it to say, I think WCS has provided us ample opportunity to choose which platform each teacher likes best. And, different teachers prefer different platforms ... and our school is ok with that ... and our students can manage that as well. This week, I was introduced to Schoology and Edmodo. I had heard of Edmodo long ago, but again - I didn't have a need for the bells and whistles it offered. I had never heard of Schoology until this week. As I played and interacted with each, I found that I gravitated toward Schoology, enticed by its ability to grade assessments. Convenience is a big factor in my choosing to use something. I am happy to use Google Forms now, simply because of the Flubaroo Add On. If only grades could migrate to PowerSchool on their own from a Google Forms results page! Anyways, I digress. I've been asked to make a comparison of the two platforms based on my limited exposure to both. So while I do not expect that either is something that will become
commonplace in my world, there are a couple of functions that I like of each –
and I may sporadically incorporate its use into my classroom. (1)Edmodo
Spotlight: I love having educational apps available with a simple search
function that sorts by grade level and discipline. I have bookmarked this (oh,
I should add it to diigo too, huh?!?) and will use it as a resource for
technology support for specific topics.
(2)Schoology’s
discussion boards: I love the idea of being able to filter comment using a
“filter by” tool. To be able to easily see which students are actively
participating in a discussion board would simplify the act of using that as an
assessment grade. My method of doing this now is rather archaic and time
consuming.
Honestly, there isn’t one (Edmodo
or Schoology) that is a “must have” feature for me, although I see value for both. If I didn’t already have the programs
available to me at WCS, I would probably lean toward Schoology for the
assessment grading capabilities and the collaborative discussions. I like that
both allow you to post resources, communicate with parents, and organizes
assignments.
What I do like about both is the ability to make announcements. I
have a “Did you know” section on my website, but I think the way this shows up
on both Edmodo and Schoology is better than on my website.
Interested in learning about either? Check out these videos:
As I learn new technology applications, these always fall into two categories:
(1) something I can use a teacher to improve myself as a teacher
(2) something my students can use to facilitate learning in the classroom
As I look back at what was introduced this week, I think I am going to focus on category #2. This is probably more of a brainstorming blog post. It might be a little (ok, a lot) focused on me and my chemistry world. But, in order to use what I have learned, I have to find motivation to incorporate something new into my classroom. This week I found a few things that I could do that would (could be) useful for my students.
I always have the grandest of ideas to do exit slips each day. But we always run out of time or I forget to have the slips of paper ready. I read the Teacher's Handbook to Twitter and was inspired.
What's my plan? At some point during class time, I will stop and have the kids tweet. They will have to use a specified hashtag so that I can see their tweet using a hashtag search. They will need to tweet a fact, something they learned in today's class. The other option would be to have them tweet a question they have about what we are covering. If I ask them to tweet facts, my intention would be to use paper.li to compile a review sheet of their facts, something useful as a study tool for the unit test. If I ask them to tweet questions, their questions would guide my teaching the next day. I just started a new unit with my AP Chemistry kids, so I might give this a go this week!
If you're interested in creating a Twitter account, but do not really know what Twitter is all about, watch this video:
How many of you find a fabulous website and bookmark it? How many of you have a tool bar of so many bookmarks that you cannot really find what you are looking for? How many of you look at a bookmark and wonder why you saved that site to begin with?
I remember how tickled I was when I created folders for my bookmarks. Mine are actually well organized with titles that help me remember what their value is in my life. But this week, I was introduced to diigo and I think this is going to be an awesome tool for this OCD teacher.
This is a website organizer that you can easily share with others. Compile a list of your favorite science websites, type a comment to state what you like best about each one, and share your library with others. Find a few awesome webpages, highlight or add a sticky note to indicate importance, and (again) share with others.
One of the best features of diigo is the ability to tag the websites or webpages. I can give a general category of AP Chem, but then I can give a secondary tag of Thermodynamics and a super general category of chemistry, and if it is about a lab experiment, I can tag it as such. So one article, four tags. And, as my library grows, I will be able to search a tag and find all the resources relevant to that particular tag. For someone who loves organized lists, this is a game changer.
Does diigo sound like something you need in your life? Watch this video about how to create an account and how to use diigo:
I think this social bookmarking tool could be useful in my Advanced Chemistry Research class. I knew from last year that we needed a way to keep all the articles in one place, so I started a class blog for students to post articles and summaries. The problem arises because I did not have them put tags on their articles, so when they look for something now, they have to scroll and scroll and scroll ... and (because they are teenagers) eventually just give up. I am considering having students post their article link on diigo with a 20 word or less description, with tags. I will probably have to provide a list of possible tags, so that there will be some consistency among the class. In my head, this sounds like it would solve some of our issues. I need to see it in action to confirm its value. (Of course, the tell tale sign is if the kids like it and find it useful. Otherwise, I am just creating busy work for them.)
I was also reintroduced to Padlet this week. It is a great tool that could easily be used in the classroom. It is a collaborative board on which each student can place a "sticky note" to add to the class effort. The page is automatically saved and students can see each other's posts. It sounds a lot like the Twitter feed I mentioned earlier, but this is one one board.
I think I might use this and have the kids add a question on one day - something that they learned in class, but written as a question. So, if we learned that sodium forms a +1 ion, the question posted could be "What ion does sodium form?" These questions will all post on a padlet page. The next day as bell work, I could ask them to answer a question (not their own). Do you think that will work? I will have to try again. Sometimes the grandest of ideas flop in my world.
So, three new tools to use in the classroom, each with potential to increase student engagement and to improve study skills. I'll have to post an update in a couple weeks to let you know which ones were keepers in my science world.
If you try something awesome with twitter, padlet, or diigo, let me know how it goes.
This week I have two cool tools that I am hoping will find a use in my classroom.
The first is more for me to use as a teacher who is always learning from others. I discovered Feedly. I am not sure how no one had ever shared this tool with me, especially in my days of crafting when I routinely visited scrapbookers' and card makers' blogs on a daily basis. It was inefficient to check each blog each day because not everyone posts on a daily basis. Getting email notifications of updated posts was a good reminder to check, but often these emails were lost amidst an inbox full of other emails.
Feedly is a great option for organizing frequently read blogs and for creating a centralized place to check for new posts on those blogs. As I was setting up my Feedly page, it seemed a little reminiscent to setting up a Pinterest board. Instead of having a Pinterest board of pins, this creates a Feedly page of blogs.
This is what my Feedly page looks like today:
I only have four blogs that I am watching right now, but this is a work in progress. (Don't you remember when you had just a couple pins on Pinterest and now you have multiple boards with lots of pins on each board? Just give me a chance. This is going to be a great resource one day!) To use Feedly, you choose which blogs you want to follow and you add them to your Feedly page. Those are mine listed on the left side. As your list of blogs grows, you can categorize the blogs by topic and/or interest. As authors post on their blogs, this feed (on the right side) shows up. To read the post, simply click on it. It is that convenient. This is a must have for all of you who follow a lot of blogs!
Setting this up is super easy. Here's a video to show you how, if you're interested:
The other cool tool I discovered this week is Adobe Spark. Have you seen pictures where someone has put text over the photo with a cool font or arrangement? Have you tried to do this with other graphics program, but got frustrated because it was so difficult to create? Well, you might want to give Adobe Spark a try.
This is useful to create a post, a page, or a video ... pretty much any graphics. Whatever you choose, the Spark actually walks you through the creation of your visual piece. There are format choices, including creating graphics for Twitter and Facebook. There are template choices. There are font choices. There are lots of choices at each step of the way in the creation of your graphics project. But what makes Adobe Spark so great is the ease of creating.
In no time at all, I created this post:
If you have a series of photos that you wanted to share, you could do so by creating a page. There are different ways to display your photos and different ways to present the page. It's a scrolling page, so there's lots of room for creativity.
You can even use Spark to create a video, like a storyboard. I have not had time to try this out, but from the tutorial, it seems to be a very user friendly program.
Adobe Spark has potential, although I'll have to think about some ways I can use it in my classroom. If you have any ideas, feel free to comment and share with me!
If you have not already tried Adobe Spark but want to, here's a great tutorial to get you started:
Two great tools with so much potential. I can't wait to spend more time with each of them and to figure out how to use these with my students.
This week, I created a website using Google Site. I will use this website for all of my classes. It was a lot of work, but I think it is actually something that I will be able to use -- or better yet, that my students (and their parents) will be able to use.
Before using this website, I used a blog to post homework and OneNote (or email) to distribute handouts or worksheets. Editing is not too difficult, once you get started.
I created separate pages for each of my classes. On each of those pages, I intend to post worksheets and bellwork for my classes. So far, there are just a couple relevant items posted on each page.
I created a homework calendar. On it, I compiled the assignments and announcements for all of my classes. I had initially tried to create three separate calendars to post on three separate pages on the site, but that seemed to be cumbersome and required significant organizational effort to maintain and edit. My homework blog (which my students have been using for weeks now) is set up with all three classes combined, so I am hoping the coding system I used (which is similar to the blog's) is easily understood and followed.
There is a place for website links, where I compiled a small list of school related sites. As time continues, I plan to include more links to relevant support sites that offer chemistry practice problems and/or concept information for my students to use as resources as they prepare for an assessment.
The links posted can lead to anything. A document in Google Drive. A YouTube video. Another website. Creating links (instead of embedding) keeps the pages looking less cluttered. I embedded a couple videos to demonstrate that I knew how to do that, but I think I prefer links.
Overall, it was a lot of work to create something I am not sure I am going to like using. However, I put a lot of effort into this - so I will (at least) try to use for the remainder of this first semester. Check back in January for an updated opinion on the usefulness of Google Sites.
For now, here are some links to videos that will help you get started, if you want to create your own Google Site:
And, here is a video created by a teacher. Her site is full of information in a very well organized fashion. It has a lot of pieces to it, so I would not recommend creating one this intricate if you are creating your first website. It may be overwhelming. However, if you are a Google Sites veteran, this video might give you inspiration to tweak your existing site just a bit!
Good luck creating a site of your own. Remember to leave me a link in the comment section because I would love to see what you have created!
I had never used this tool before, but it seems to be an extension of Google Earth. Using the images and map features we are accustomed to with Google Earth, Google Tour Builder takes the ability to visit anywhere on Earth and merges it with the ability to use those images to create a story.
I am not certain how to incorporate this as a learning tool into my high school chemistry classroom; for my attempt to use this tool, I created a tour of science stops in Wichita.
While I am having difficulty developing a chemistry related use of this tool, I see lots of applications for humanities and social studies teachers. If you teach in one of these disciplines, you should really look into utilizing this gem of a tool in your classroom. If you are a science teacher and have an awesome application using this Google tool, please share it with me; I am always open to new ideas!
Here's what I see as the "easy uses" of Google Tour Builder:
Utilizing images from Google Maps, the opportunity for storytelling using Google Earth images is easy to do. Click here to learn more about storytelling using Google Tour Builder.
Want to use your travels as a learning opportunity, incorporating images, photos, and videos? Use Google Tour Builder as in this example, created a video journal uniting maps, images, and her story.
Do you volunteer or work for a charity or non-profit group and want to share the group's story of service? Use Google Tour Builder as in this example, highlighting specific areas of service and describing the work done.
Here is a video that not only gives you a "down and dirty" description of how to set up a Google Tour, but demonstrates how to use this as part of a history project:
Does this sound like something you could use in your classroom? Here's an easy to follow tutorial to set up a Google Tour:
I will have to give this some thought to see if there is a relevant application within my own classroom. However, if I were a history or geography teacher ... Google Tour Builder would be a "must use" technology tool.
I honestly am not sure how I had never used playlists to organize favorite and frequently watched videos on YouTube. Seriously, how much time have I wasted searching for videos? As someone who likes a specific level of organization, playlists are p-e-r-f-e-c-t for me!
This is what I used to do:
I would search YouTube, often just having some information on a video topic.
For the classroom, I would rely on my previously written notes (often just scribbled on a post it note stuck within a textbook chapter) about the title and creator of the video. I always hope the video that I showed in previous years would still be available.
Socially, when I wanted to show a friend a funny video I stumbled across, I would always have to search to find it. Sometimes, I would be unsuccessful; often I would waste precious time searching for a video.
Sound like you too? So, if you're anything like me, you're satisfied with how things work simply because you know no better methods. You know the video is on YouTube and you don't really mind taking time to find that video.
Today, though, I want you to know that I've discovered a game changer. This tool will help you reclaim time spent searching for videos. This tool will help you remember which videos you loved and which you want to watch again. This tool. Amazingly helpful in the world of organization.
It is super easy to create a new playlist and add videos. In fact, I now have three different playlists (with more to come, I'm sure), one for each of the classes I teach. My intention is to add the videos I show this year into the appropriate playlist. I will keep them ordered, chronologically based on when I show the video. An absolute game changer.
If you refer to specific YouTube videos on a regular basis and you don't utilize playlists, you ought to give it a try. Honestly, taking the time to post your frequently watched videos is time well spent. Efficiency is key, right? We all know, as teachers, our time is precious ... so why waste time when there's a better way?
Here's a video in case you'd like to set up your first playlist too!
Using the sticky notes app has been commonplace in my world, but this week I discovered a Google Tool that is going to replace sticky notes for me. The tool? Google Keep.
Have you heard of it? Do you use it? And ... why hadn't you shared this treasure with me already? Maybe I'm just a nerd and love a good list! But if this helps me not forget something my husband needs me to do, my kids needs me to buy, or a school task that must be completed, then - in my book - it is a keeper. So, what's so cool and useful about this app? Here are some things that I have fallen head over heels about: (Feel free to click the links to learn a little more!) 1 - You can share your lists with anyone in your contact list. I can start a grocery list and instead of having multiple texts from my kids with things they need, plus my paper list that I take to the store, I can give them editing permission for a particular note and - BAM! - their lists sync with my list and I have only one place to look when I'm at the grocery store. 2 - Do you tend to forget things? Reminders are always nice, especially in my forgetful world. I have reminders and alarms set for specific times because I get wrapped up in things and forget. Google Keep kicks it up a notch; it has a reminder feature that is based on location. For example, with my shopping list for Dillon's, I can click for a location reminder at Dillon's. When I get to Dillon's, my grocery list will pop up on my phone. Seriously so convenient! 3 - Four words that might rock your world: Image conversion to text. Using your phone, take a photo and make a note out of an image. Google Keep reads the image, grabs the text, and takes the text to create a note. No need to retype the text. (And, if you need to, you can then copy that Google Keep text and paste in a Google Doc.) 4 - Anything you do on your phone in Google Keep syncs with your desktop and vice versa. This consolidation of notes makes accessibility and usefulness exceed any of the other note taking apps I've tried. This alone should tempt you to try out Google Keep. Here's a video you can watch to learn more about the bells and whistles of Google Keep. And here's some more information about Google Keep. This is a new tool for me, but I have high expectations for its priceless value in my life. I see its effectiveness both as a teacher and as a wife and mom, so if something can make my life easier in different facets of my life, using it is a win-win in my book! What about you? Are you going to give it a try? Comment and let me know what you think about Google Keep!
I have been an avid believer in/user of Google Drive as a way to store my files. I liked the idea of my files being safe in the cloud, just in case tragedy fell upon my computer. But Google Docs was just an icon on the list in Google Drive. I never paid much attention to it. Even as I started to watch a tutorial video on Google Docs, I thought, "And why would you want to use this? Just to share a document?" But, being the conscientious student I am, I continued to watch the video in its entirety. All thirty five minutes of it. And, boy oh boy, am I glad I did! So, some things I learned that Google Drive can do:
The search engine for Google Drive is amazing. It can search titles of files, as well as within the text itself. The search capabilities are so impressive that, making organizing files into folders is not a great necessity. One can simply use the search engine to find your file.
If you're doing collaborative work, others can comment on the document. As the document is revised in response to the comment, click "resolve" and the comment disappears, almost like a to do list.
Google Forms has templates that may fit your needs (and make it so much easier to start a new form). You can even change the graphics to make your form more appealing to those seeing it. When using Google Forms for assessments, Flubaroo is a great add on to use.
When doing research, Google Docs is the way to go. When typing the document, click on TOOLS > RESEARCH. Research can help find text, images, scholarly books, and the like. It can even cite for you and add footnotes!
When creating a new file, once you title your creation in Google Drive and start typing in the body, Google Drive autosaves. If you've ever lost a file due to not saving, this autosave feature alone is a priceless benefit of using Drive.
So, yet again, even though I had been using Google Drive for some time, there is a Google Drive world out there that I have yet to utilize to it fullest potential. Am I a total nerd because I feel like a kid in a candy store right now?
PS - Here's the video I watched that introduced me to all things Google Drive. It's a lengthy video, but worth watching!
How I wish I knew this little trick when I taught middle school and I wanted to limit where the kids obtained researched information. What's done is done ... but as I create a library of great chemistry websites, I think this tool will come in handy to guide students to specific internet sources. As teachers, we have the power.The power to control where students search. The power to control what information students can see. The power to control how material is presented to the students. This is yet another time that I ask myself, "Why had no one ever told me I could have this power?!" Custom search engines. That's where the power lies. Do you want this power? Do you need this power? Here's a video to demonstrate how to set up a custom search engine: And here is a custom search engine I created for my students in my Advanced Chemistry Research class. As they search for articles about fatty acids and physiology, this custom search engine limits them to websites that are .edu or .nih.gov. When searching, their results will be limited to the sources I set as acceptable.
This is what my custom search engine looks like:
You can see that it says "Custom search" in the bar. That's how you know that you have it set up correctly. If you type in something into your search bar, you should find that all the results fulfill the limitations you set when you created your custom search engine. Surely, you can think of an assignment or project when you could use a custom search engine to guide student learning. Instead of just telling the students where they can go or posting on the board the websites you want them to use, now you can set up a search engine with restrictions in place. You're already thinking of times when this would be a valuable tool, aren't you? ** If custom search engines aren't impressive to you, then check out this post about cool features of gmail.
I have had a gmail account for years. I currently have a personal account and a work account. I remember being tickled that I could link the two, having emails from one account forwarded to the other. I enjoy the ability of the search feature to find "that email" from months ago, just by remembering who sent it and some word that would be in the email. Honestly, this feature has come in handy many times!
But, this week I spent some time watching videos and reading articles about special features of gmail; it seems that gmail has more to offer that I had realized.
Here are my top four ways to make gmail serve me better as a busy teacher/mom/wife:
(1) Creating to do lists on gmail:
By emailing yourself (most likely from your phone), you can use your email account as your revolving to do list. Put "TODO:" in the subject line of the email and then creating a filter, when you open gmail, you can choose TODO from the left sidebar list ... and TAH DAH ... your reminders are listed all together in an organized list. (The filter helps separate the TODOs from the rest of your email to avoid overlooking a buried TODO!)
I often email myself reminders, but on days when I get a lot of emails, sometimes my reminder gets buried deep in my inbox and (of course) I forget all about it until I finally reach the message in my inbox. I've done the key word in the subject line before, but I never thought to create a filter to funnel those to do emails into one particular place. Genius!
(2) Add a PLUS sign to your email address to filter unwanted emails:
You're at a store and they ask for your email, but you don't want to give your email address. Give it as youremailaddress+STORE@gmail.com and then when you receive your first email, click MORE > FILTER EMAILS LIKE THIS ... then, in the "TO" field, enter +STORE (or whatever you put after the plus sign) and click CREATE FILTER WITH THIS SEARCH. You can even filter emails to go directly to trash!
I was just complaining the other day how my inbox is full of commercials - emails from Michaels Craft Store, Home Depot, Groupon, and the like. The next time I have to give out my email to a store or business, I am going to try out this PLUS method of filtering emails.
(3) Gmail Offline:
Did you even know you could access your inbox when you were OFFline? Seriously. Accessing mail that is reaching me over the internet without using the internet. What?!? Don't believe me? Watch this video:
(4) Quick Links:
For. The. Love.
How many times have you had that one email that you continually referred to or regularly had to look for because the information in that one email was so relevant to what you were working on at the time? How frustrated did you get, constantly having to search for that one email? Well, there's a way to be more efficient: gmail quick links. This feature is almost as great as disposable diapers. Almost.
Here's a video to show you how to set this up:
It's crazy how much I am learning about gmail. I already thought it was great for email ... but - holey moley - I've only discovered just a fraction of the benefits having a gmail account! It's a start, though, right? Baby steps. Learn a little. Use new skills. Learn a little more. Discover even more. The cycle of learning is forever, right? Keep on learning .. and if you find something super cool that gmail can do, feel free to share your discovery with me by posting a comment!
Another cool Google perk? Custom search engines. You can read more about CSEs on this post.
I have been a Google Chrome Browser user for awhile now, but simply because that's what my school uses. Unfortunately, I do not consider myself too tech savvy and I really only use the computer tools I am taught to use and/or directed to use by my school administration.
I have learned NOT to click on Internet Explorer or Firefox at school because (for some reason unknown to me), "things" {Do you like my vagueness there?} just don't work properly with those browsers. Again, I don't know why ... nor do I have the time to figure out why. Seriously, I am a busy teacher {Aren't we all?!} who needs my computer to do what I need it to do when I need it to do it! I'm sure you are the same, yes?
And, so, I use Google Chrome almost exclusively, but that is mainly because of default. I am a good little worker bee who does as I am told, without much question. However, I spent much of this week watching videos to introduce me to Google Chrome, and now I find myself a little disappointed that I had never realized the untapped potential of Google Chrome. It can do so much more than I was using it for. I know that as I continue to learn what it can do for me, I am going to be even more in love with Google Chrome than I already am!
I know you're wondering, "What is so great that you are raving so much about this?"
Here's a video to share some great things Google Chrome can do. It's a little on the long side (about 20 minutes), but there's a TON of good information. So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy being convinced that you need {Yes, need!} to use Google Chrome. Heck, even if you already use Google Chrome, you should take the time to watch this video.
This video describes a lot of the features and benefits that Chrome offers. I am certain that the twenty minutes I spent watching this video will save me a ton of time in the future. {My bookmarks are now nicely organized into folders thanks to this video. Be still my OCD heart!}
Some benefits I find with Google Chrome:
Keep bookmarks constant for all your devices (& organize them in a way that works for you)
YouTube videos will play without that "Update Flash Player" pop up
The plethora of available apps and extensions - I think discovering which of these I can most effectively use in the classroom (and for the classroom) will be the greatest gift of Google Chrome. I had already been using some; but, seriously, I did not realize all the options out there. I cannot wait to take some time and find some favorites that will become a staple item in my life! Untapped potential. Honestly, how did I not know the value of all these apps and extensions until now?
Surely, if you don't have Google Chrome already and now you want it (or at least are tempted to see what all my hype is about), here's a link to download Chrome to your own computer!
If you want to learn more about Google Chrome Apps, click here.
To learn about Google Chrome Extensions, click here.
If you want to watch a video about some favorite and useful Google Chrome Apps and Extensions for educators, click here. Amy goes through several apps and extensions, showing you how to get them from the store, and telling you what she loves about each one. I am learning that choosing favorites is based on personal preference, but I expect that I'll have a future post about apps and extensions soon!
