4 Google Chrome Extensions for Better Workflow

Our Professional Development theme for the month of September was Communication and Workflow. Now as the month draws to a close, I wanted to add just one more post about some great Google extensions I have found helpful for my organization and efficiency (which, I promise you, I need all the help I can get!). You can find all these extensions and more in the Google Chrome Store. 

Black Menu for Google
This one is pretty cool. Instead of going to a new tab, then to my Google Drive, then to a folder in my Drive, I click on my Black Menu extension, then my Google Drive items are already there, as are my Google sites, my Calendar, my notes in Google Keep, and the latest news and trends.

I can customize my menu by dragging and dropping the items I want most. And I have a ton of shortcuts to other Google Apps and a built in search bar as well.

    

Do it Tomorrow
This is the tool that every ruthlessly organized procrastinator needs. First I set up the app through the play store, then I grab the extension. I can enter items into my to do list from the extension, then go directly to my list and cross off the items. I can move tasks to the next day myself, but the awesome part is that at the end of the day, the app moves any unfinished work to the next day for me, so I never lose a task!

OneTab 
Often my brain is a lot like my computer - too many tabs open. OneTab can help me organize my many tabs into something way more manageable. When I'm researching and I have several tabs open that I want to keep, I hit the OneTab extension and all my many open tabs are synthesized into one list, from which I can open an individual page, or I can bookmark the entire list for later. Teachers and students can use OneTab to curate resources for bibliographies or web quests.






Time Stats
Ever think about how much time you're spending on a particular project? Ever feel like you worked all day but you don't feel you actually accomplished anything? Ever wonder where your time went? Time Stats lets you find out how you spend your online time. Just install the extension and then open up the very neat pie chart that monitors your time on particular pages. I can see from my stats I have spend an awful lot of time writing this blog and preparing other publications as well. You can also categorize your sites so you can see the breakdown of work vs. play time. You can even share these stats with others.

These are just some of the great Chrome extensions out there. Find the ones that work best for you! 

All images taken with Microsoft snipping Tool directly from my computer. 

Taming the BUTWHATIF Beast: Strategies for a Well-run Digital Classroom

If you are walking into a 1:1 classroom for the first time, or if you've taught in a digital learning environment and are acquainted with the unique frustrations that entails, you can fall victim to a truly heinous animal called the BUTWHATIF beast.
       

  BUT WHAT IF they don't all have devices?

      BUT WHAT IF they misuse the device?
          BUT WHAT IF they just play games all day?
               BUT WHAT IF....
              BUTWHATIF.....

Honestly, the BUTWHATIF beast can completely paralyze you from using your technology effectively, because you're too darn scared of everything that could possibly go wrong. 

Here's a secret that's not so secret: something will go wrong. 

You can't avoid any and all possible problems with technology, mostly because the humans using the technology are, well, human. We get distracted. We explore where we shouldn't. We are inexplicably drawn to videos of cats in cardboard boxes and ice bucket challenge fails. 

What you can do is use some simple strategies to help you get control of your class and tame the BUTWHATIF beast for good. 

Strategy 1: Timers

Kids actually do care about finishing in a timely manner. Use an egg timer, or post one from the web on your board via your projector. Bear in mind you do need to hold the kids accountable for actually finishing, because when that timer dings and you add "just 5 more minutes," the ding won't mean a thing anymore. 

Also, don't set a timer for 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Those times aren't as concrete feeling as 7 minutes or 11 minutes. 

Here's a good online timer fromTimeandDate.com, which also has some cool global clocks and calendars. Steep.it is another fun online timer that actually darkens as your tea steeps - it's a cute visual cue to the class that time will soon be up. 

Strategy 2: Active Engagement

Really think about how and why you're using technology in the classroom. If you're only using it to digitize what was previously done on paper, you may be adding a small amount of efficiency to your class, but you're adding a massive amount of distraction as well. Instead, have kids use their technology for creating projects or for research-based and problem-based learning. If they are actively solving a problem they find interesting, they are much less likely to misuse the technology or get off task. 

Strategy 3: Have a Plan B

Actually, you want to have a plan C and possibly D. When technology goes awry, you need to be able to continue without losing too much traction. Something as simple as a few extra paper copies for students who may have forgotten their device goes a long way toward maintaining control and momentum. 

Strategy 4: Monitor Monitor Monitor

If you're at the front of the room talking and the kids are looking at their computers and you can't see their screens, they are off task. There's no question. Just think about how many meetings or professional development sessions you've attended where you were checking email (or Facebook) while you were supposed to be listening. 

• walk around your room - It's amazing how simple proximity cuts down on most off-task behavior
• get a wireless slate or keyboard and teach from the back
• have kids close or clam-shell computers to listen
• learn to spot the red flags, like too many open tabs or multiple browsers open at once

Strategy 5: Model Good Behavior

We've heard the old saying "do as I say, not as I do," but we can't afford to live by that maxim in education. We have to be daily models of good character and good citizenship for our kids. That means we need to keep our personal and professional online accounts completely separate. We need to model good organization of online resources. We need to carefully watch what we say on social media, because it can and will get back to kids (or parents). My grandfather used to say to live so that you don't wind up in the newspaper. In our digital world, you want your online reputation to be such that you wouldn't be embarrassed by a Google search. 

These five strategies are just the starting point. When you feel like you can face the BUTWHATIFS with a clear head, then the technology your kids use will work in your favor instead of against you. 

Image citation: Feller, Patrick. "The Eyes of an Old Black Cat" Flickr, 30 July 2009

Work Smarter: Embed a Google Calendar into your LMS

It's always a struggle to clearly communicate with your students and parents. 

We all know the value of clear and timely communication, but with so many technology options and communication platforms available, it can become confusing and tedious to try to communicate to a wide audience operating on various devices.

The teachers in my district use Moodle as our designated LMS, and some use Google Sites as their information page for parents. It's important to have clear, consistent information across platforms, so embedding a Google calendar helps my teachers streamline their workflow and communication.

First, go to your Google calendar settings. then go to your list of calendars and choose the calendar you want to embed.

Once you've chosen your calendar, choose to "Share this calendar" and then click the box to "Make calendar public." Doing this ensures that anyone can see your calendar.

Now go to "Embed this calendar." From here you can adjust the size of the calendar, change its colors and borders, and even choose to display more than one calendar at a time. Once you have made your adjustments, copy the embed code above the calendar and paste it into your site's html settings. Be sure to "turn on" your html by selecting the little carrot brackets! < >

You can use the same code to embed your calendar on multiple sites. When you update your calendar, your changes push through to all your platforms instantly, meaning you never have to visit each separate spot to update individual calendars. Plus, students and parents can copy your events to their own calendars.

With so many demands on teachers, having the ability to streamline your communication is key. Consider using an embedded Google calendar to effectively and efficiently reach your students and parents. I have found it to be an excellent way to keep my teachers up to date (yeah, I meant that pun!)