Googley

I've struggled the last year trying to decide the best way for me to get information to our staff about various learnings that I've picked up through the week or the the things that I have seen in classrooms.  I've always enjoyed writing and putting my thoughts on paper (or screen I guess you could say).  I feel in writing, I've come a long way from all my letters that started "Hi!  I hope this letter finds you well.  I am doing fine."  My husband and parents have made fun of my letter beginnings often (yes, I was still starting every letter like this well into my 20s).  So, here goes this week's learning pieces compliments of Google!

Google does so many things that I am positive that I could learn something new everyday and never come close to fully knowing what it is capable of doing.  The first thing I learned about Google this week came from the wonderful GCISD tech blog.  You can read their article here.  For years, I have created documents and have shared them and instructed others to make a copy and rename only to return to find that my original document had been edited. How great that you can change the end of the URL from "edit" to "copy" and it instantly prompts the receiver to make their own copy.  They have no other choice! 

My second piece of learning this week was some of the search features within Google.  Wow, there are so many, but here are a few that I thought would be most applicable to educators.  If I want to search and find out about managing my Chrome extensions, I don't want to see articles from a year ago because I know there have been updates to Chrome since then.  To find the most recent information you can select a certain time period using Search Tools.

While looking at Search Tools, check out how you can search for images!  Would you like a black and white picture to use in your classroom for students to label the parts of a flower?  You can search for black and white images?  Do you want a transparent image to use on your website?  You can search for those as well.  Would you like for your students to find images that are free to reuse?  You can search for images by Usage Rights.  These are just a few of the many extras that Google Search Tools can do.  What is your favorite?

Lover of All Things Chrome

I am in love with the Google Chrome browser.  So much so that when I go to help someone with the computer that isn't using Chrome, I feel like I am looking at something from another era.  There are so many extensions on Chrome that it can become overwhelming. Sometimes I had them and give them a few days and then delete them.  Then there are others that I just fall in love with and can't imagine life without them.  Here is a link to a S'more that I created to share my favorite extensions.

Chrome Extension Smore

It's Been A While

It's been a while since I sat down to write my thoughts.  Although it may appear from my blog that I didn't go far on the GCISD Virtual Voyage, I actually completed many tasks, but just failed to document my thoughts. If you know me, you know I am constantly pondering something new or an a new learning tangent.  My goal for this round of blogging is to blog at least once a month.  Let's see how this goes!