Game Changer: YouTube Playlist

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!

Google Keep is a keeper in my book

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!

Did you know that Google Docs could do this?

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!

Controlling where to google

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.

Gmail: It's more than just an inbox!

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!)

Here is a video about how to set this up:

Or, here is a different method to use gmail as a to do list.

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!

Click here and scroll to #3 to read about how to set this up.

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.