Category: timesaving tips

Just Luv Pinning Tabs!!!

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Recently in the Chrome Help Forum a user asked if there was a way to prevent tabs from being lost when closed. The question reminded me about one of my favorite Chrome Tips for Students. When students are engaged in a research project I like showing them the “Pin Tab” feature. The pin tab feature allows the student to return to the open tabs if the Chrome Browser is accidentally closed. Just follow the below steps to help prevent losing hours of research.

  1. Right Click Chrome Tab
  2. Select “Pin Tab”
  3. Repeat as needed
  4. Close Chrome Browser
  5. Right Click Tab
  6. Select “Reopen Closed Tabs”

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Why Dim Google Calendar Past Events???

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The “New Google Calendar” user interface (UI) offers quite a few helpful updates such as brightness control for past events. You might be thinking, “Why is it important to dim the color of past events?” In the world of education this is one of those “No Brainer” answers in support of visual learners. If a students maintains a Google Calendar as a schedule for school assignments and events it supports them with visually keeping track of daily activities. When a student is absent or behind and notices an event appears a brighter or pastel color this sets a signal off to check the event. The new calendar also offers both notification and reminder tools. When all three calendar tools are used together this becomes a powerful support for helping students keep track of everyday school activities.

G-cal Past events

How to Reduce Google Calendar Event Brightness

  1. Open Google Calendar
  2. Click Gear Icon (upper right corner)
  3. Select Settings
  4. Scroll Down to View Options Section
  5. Uncheck “Reduce the brightness of past events”
  6. Click Settings Back Arrow

7 Fav Tips Using New Google Calendar

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According to the October 2017 G Suite Blog post the transition from the “Classic Google Calendar” UI to the  “New Google Calendar” UI will be completed by February 28, 2018. After G Suite made the announcement about the updated interface I decided to switch and explore the New Google Calendar. Everyday I use Google Calendar to communicate and collaborate sharing classroom information with both teachers, teacher aides and teaching assistant. Following are are a few of my favorite tips for effectively using the New Google Calendar UI.

1- Expanded or Condensed View

Clicking the Main Menu Icon (3 horizontal bars)

Screen Shot 2018-02-11 at 6.53.20 PM
expands or condenses the calendar view.

Calendar expand & Contract

NOTES:
As a bifocal wearer I find the expanded view easier to read.

2- Show Weekdays Only

  • Click Gear Icon
  • Select Settings

Select Settings

  • Scroll to “View Options” Section
  • Uncheck “Show Weekends”
  • Changes are Automatically Saved

Uncheck Show weekends

NOTES:
I push into classrooms to assist students and take supplemental notes.
Having my calendar in week view no weekends provides me quick access to the information needed for supporting my students.

3- Add Lists to Events

  • Add or Open an Event
  • Type Agenda Style List
  • Highlight Text
  • Click numbered or Bulleted List

Calendar List

 

NOTES:
Lists are quick & easy to create. I use lists to share classroom information with SPED Teacher, Teaching Assistance and Teacher Aids.

4- Use Bold Face Text

  • Add or Open an Event
  • In Event Composer Click B (Bold)
  • Type word or sentence
  • Click B again to unbold

Cal Bold Text

NOTES:
I like to add bold title to separate my list sections. Examples: Homework, Classroom Activities, Other & etc…

5- Hide Calendars from Listing

  • Click Gear Icon
  • Select Settings
  • Left Sidebar Scroll to Calendar Lists
  • Wave Cursor (Pointer) Right of Calendar Name
  • Click Preview Icon (Looks like Eyeball)
    • A / appears through Preview Icon
    • Calendar no-longer seen in listing

Hide Calendar.gif

NOTES:
If you belong to a handful of Google Classrooms the other calendar list may have grown. I’m a visual learner and find the listing becomes overwhelming when too many calendars are listed. The calendars are important so I don’t want to delete them but hide from the list.

6-Duplicate an Event

  • Click Event
  • Click Options Settings Icon (3 vertical dots)
  • Select Duplicate
  • Click Date Field & Select New Date
  • Edit Information
  • Click Save

Duplicate Event.gif

NOTES:
Duplicating an event is a “Big Timesaver” for me. It saves time adding a new event, typing a title, details and sometime adding new attachments. It is easier and quicker to edit an event already formatted in an easy to read communication style.

7- Dim Color for Past Events

  • Click Gear Icon
  • Select Settings

Select Settings

  • Scroll to “View Options” Section
  • Check “Reduce the brightness of past events”

Dim Events

NOTES:
Once more as a visual learner this supports my finding the daily event with ease.

Backing Up Keep Notes it’s a Breeze…

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Teachers and students who use Google Keep to maintain notes and organized to-do list do not have to worry about losing this information. Recently I had a user ask this question in the Google Docs Forum. The user wanted a way to backup a group of  Keep Notes easily on a regular basis. What I suggested was using the “Copy to Doc” tool as a work-around.  This allows the user to select all the notes in one label or on the opening page.

Directions for Backing Up Keep Notes

  • Open Google Keep
  • Click and Drag until all Notes are Selected

Keep Select and Drag.gif

  • Click More More
  • Select Copy to Google Docs

Keep-Click-&-Select

  • Click Open Doc

Click Open Doc

NOTES:

  • This creates a Google Doc with all the list notes, Images, drawings and etc…
  • There are a variety of applications for using the Copy to Google Docs setting
  • This is not the only way to copy a Keep Note to a Doc

Well as you may guess this small little post just may lead into more future tiny tip posts!

 

New Google Calendar Tops the Cake!

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As an Educator using a shared Google Calendar may be an efficient “Timesaver” to use in collaboration with colleagues and students. My reasoning is due to every-time the calendar is updated it appears instantly in realtime on a colleagues or students shared calendar. This means nobodies email box has to be inundated with emails & attachments. All worksheets may be attached in a calendar event along with other classroom information. The list feature in the new calendar event editor allows one to organize a “To Do” or “Event List” filled with classroom information.

As an extra bonus a single event may be shared with absent students. If the teacher doesn’t want to share the original event it is easy to duplicate an event to share. The teacher may send a notification email when a new event is shared with a student. This will alert the student there is new event to add to their default calendar. These are just some “Small Possibilities” of how the New Calendar may help both teachers and students save a bit of time within a busy productive day!

How to Add an Event

Typing an Event List

  • Click Event Edit Pencil
  • Screen Shot 2017-11-12 at 7.41.16 AM
  • Select Ordered List or Unnumbered List
  • Type in Add Description Area

Calendar Type List

NOTE: You may Add a Title to the list by bolding first line of text before the list.

Adding Attachments to an Event

 

  • Click Event Edit Pencil
  •  Click Paper Clip (Located Above Add Description Area)
  • Choose between:
    • Google Drive
    • Upload
    • Previously Select
  • Click Drop Down Arrow (Located to Right of Search Window “Omnibox”)
    • Select File Type
    • Type File Name
    • Click Search Icon
    • Select File
    • Click Select Button
    • Click Save Button

Send an Event Notification

  • Click Event Edit Pencil
  • Add a Guest
    • Start Typing a Name or Email Address in
    • Select Name from Drop Down List
  • Click Save Button
  • Pop-out Window Opens
    • Click Send

Calendar Event Notification.gif