Tech Tip Tuesday #8

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For this week's Tech Tip Tuesday, I have a Gmail tip.

Displaying a professional email signature is an important aspect of email correspondence. It's like handing someone a business card every time you send an email. It is recommended that you include your name, title, and phone number. You can also add your Twitter handle or a link to your website.

How to Set Up Your Email Signature

- In Gmail, click on the setting gear and select "Settings"

- Scroll down to "Signature" and add what you want in the rich-text editor box

- Scroll down to the bottom and click on "Save Changes"

- You're done!

FYI - When we send an email to someone outside of the district, the logo and a confidentiality statement are automatically added to the bottom of your email.

Tech Tip Tuesday #7

For this week's Tech Tip Tuesday, I have a Schoology tip.

This is an awesome video tutorial with some YouTube embed code hacks. Do the "related videos" at the end of embedded YouTube videos drive you crazy? Do you wish you could change the start and stop times of a YouTube video when embedding it? Do you wish you could remember how to embed a YouTube video? This video tutorial has it all.

How to... Embed YouTube Videos into Schoology Without Related Videos

Tech Tip Tuesday #6

Since it's a short week, I am sending a Tech Tip Tuesday on Monday. This week is Digital Citizenship Week over at Common Sense Education!

Please take some time out of your classes this week to talk about digital citizenship. Below are some questions to give you some ideas on how to get started discussing digital citizenship with your students. Feel free to pick one or two that apply in your classroom, or do your own thing. 

10 Essential Questions from globaldigitalcitizen.org

- How can students source and use content for multimedia projects safely and ethically?

- What can students do to keep themselves safe in their social media environments?

- How can we manage and minimize the negative impact of our "digital footprint?"

- How will I show appreciation and respect for any intellectual property provided for free online?

- How can I share my interests and skills with others?

- How can we preserve and protect our health when using technology?

- How can we use technology and teamwork to help local and global communities?

- How can we help people in different parts of the world lead better lives?

- What can we do to stand up against bullying and cyberbullying?

- What projects can students collaborate on to learn about other world cultures?

Not convinced digital citizenship should be taught in all classrooms? Read this blog post from TeachThought titled 5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching Digital Citizenship. Or read this blog post from ISTE titled Digital Citizenship is the New Citizenship. 

Want more? There are a bunch of resources on Common Sense Media's Digital Citizenship Week web page. Google also has some digital citizenship lessons here.

Happy Digital Citizenship Week!

Tech Tip Tuesday #5

This week is all about Keyboard Shortcuts. These are an easy way to be more efficient, especially on a Chromebook or when you are working without a mouse. 

Beginner's Guide:

Using Shortcut Keys Video

This overview of the basic shortcut keys was made for both staff and students. Consider showing this video in your classroom.

If you are already comfortable with the basics:

Check out these lists of MANY awesome keyboard shortcuts to add a couple more handy ones to your toolbox:

- Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts The popular shortcuts list at the top of this page includes how to take a screenshot and use Caps Lock on a Chromebook. 

- Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts Printable This is a great two-page list to print out and keep by your workspace from TheGeekStufff.com.

- 200 Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows) to Boost Your Productivity This is a list for Windows, so all of these shortcuts should work on your desktop or laptop computer. Many of the shortcuts will also work on a Chromebook, but some will not.

Advanced Users:

Did you know you can create your own shortcuts?

- How to Customize Google Chrome Hotkeys

- How to Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts For Extensions in Google Chrome

What are your favorite keyboard shortcuts? How do you teach keyboard shortcuts to your students?

Tech Tip Tuesday #4

This week is all about Bitmojis! 

What Exactly Is Bitmoji?

These are the super fun personal emojis a few of you have asked me about. Students know and love Bitmoji due to their recent integration with Snapchat. I like to use Bitmoji to put add a fun personal touch to my "digital products" (emails, presentations, Schoology, etc.).

Why Bitmoji?

Here are a few reasons from 10 Reasons To Like Bitmoji:

- Creating your avatar is simple and easy.

- It brings joy and smiles all around.

- We live in a visually-enhanced world.

- It's a great way to connect to your teens.

How to Get Your Bitmoji:

1. Download the app to your phone from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. OR get Bitmoji for Chrome by visiting the website here: https://www.bitmoji.com/.

2. Walk through the steps to create your account and your Bitmoji. (I highly recommend having a friend nearby to help you pick out the perfect eyebrows. It's extremely customizable. Read more here: Why Your Bitmoji Looks So Much Like Your Actual Face.)

3. Play around with it! I use Bitmoji for Chrome to easily insert my Bitmojis into Google Products and into Schoology.

More Fun Reading:

Using Bitmoji In Your Classroom so many great ideas here!

Bitmoji Feedback in My Google Doc from Alice Keeler (She is amazing! She has so many awesome tech in the classroom ideas, tutorials, etc. on her blog.)

Want to get Bitmoji into other Google Products? Check out some of Alice Keeler's tutorials here.

Bitmojis in the Classroom some more examples here 

How will you use Bitmojis?