Managing tabs in Chrome

How many open Chrome tabs is too many?

Are you making use of the Chrome bookmark bar and the feature where you can organise bookmarks in folders?

Have you explored Chrome tab groups yet?

If you ‘live you life in bookmarks’ consider using raindrop.io! It is one of my favourite apps and I use it on a daily basis.

The [Chromebook] Screencast

If you have a Chromebook you have access to the Screencast app. If you have the need to record what is happening on your screen along with your commentary, maybe to explain a process or similar, it is worth checking out the following video, produced by John R Sowash →

Google Documents notifications

For a long time now it has been possible to be notified when changes were made to a Google Sheet. Google has now brought similar capabilities to Google Documents.

Tools → Notification settings →tick 'Added or removed content'

I use this function to monitor a 'bulletin' document. When additions are made to the document I receive an email notification. This means that I do not need to remember to regularly check the document - but also not miss out when additional content is added.

Top tips when using YouTube

There's a range of keyboard shortcuts that you can make use of when using YouTube to display your fluency and skills. Here are my favourites →

• Spacebar → Play/Pause.
• f → Activate full screen.
• c → Activate closed captions and subtitles if available. To hide captions and subtitles, press C again.
• Number 0 → Goes to the start of the video

Find more Keyboard shortcuts for YouTube here.

If you place the pointer over a video's progress bar a red dot will appear. If you then right click on that red dot you are presented with some options. One of these is 'Copy video URL at current time'. If you click on that and then share the copied link (URL) with somebody then if they click on the link the video will open and start playing at that time.

YouTube clips

Some content producers allow you to produce a 'clip' of their video. This would then allow you to easily share that clip (section of a video) with a student, class or team. The following video explains the process →

Read more about this here → support.google.com - Share clips

The Google Sheets Timeline feature

You can now produce timelines in Google Sheets. This is a useful and powerful feature that presents opportunities for use in the classroom as well as by educators for project management.

Check out this excellent video produced by Eric Curts →

How to use Google Sheets Filter Views

If you get shared a Google Sheets spreadsheet with loads and loads of data on it and decide to filter the view - you are doing that for everybody who visits that spreadsheet.

This situation is why 'Filter views' has been added to Google Sheets.

Watch this video →

or

Read more here → Chrome Unboxed - How to use Google Sheets Filter Views to analyze data without screwing it up for everyone else [15 April 2022]

Use new table templates and dropdown chips in Google Docs

You can use dropdown chips, in Google Docs, to easily indicate the status of your document or various project milestones outlined in your document. There are two default dropdown options:

• Project Status, which includes selections for “Not Started”, “Blocked”, “In Progress” and “Complete”
• Review Status, which includes selections for “Not Started”, “In Progress”, “Under Review” and “Approved”.

Additionally, you can create a dropdown chip with custom options and colours to best suit your needs.

Google has also adding table templates, which allow you to quickly insert building blocks for common workflows such as a:

• Launch content tracker
• Project asset
• Review tracker
• Product roadmap

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - Use new table templates and dropdown chips in Google Docs to create highly collaborative documents [2 May 2022]

Level up your padlet skills with a variety of keyboard shortcuts and editing tricks

Mouse shortcuts:

• Drag and drop a file: Open the post composer with content inside.
• Drag and drop multiple files: Open multiple post composers, each with one of the files. Click the icon on the right to publish all drafts.
• Double-click on padlet: Open post composer
• Double-click on post: Edit post
• Double-click on padlet title: Edit padlet settings

Keyboard shortcuts:

• C: Create a new post
• Cmd/Ctrl + Enter: Publish current post
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Publish current post and start a new post
• Esc: Close post composer

Read more here → padlet.blog - Triumphant tips and tricks [20 April 2022]

From @UNGeneva

.new

Not new but this could improve your ninja like Google Workspace skills.

Type doc.new into the Chrome 'Omnibox' and a new Google Doc will open ready for you to start using. Type sheet.new and guess what... a new Google Sheet is created.

cal.new or meeting.new opens a new Google Calendar event.

Other terms that work →

• Docs
  • docs.new
  • doc.new
  • document.new
• Sheets
  • sheets.new
  • sheet.new
  • spreadsheet.new
• Slides
  • slides.new
  • slide.new
  • presentation.new
• Forms
  • forms.new
  • form.new
• Sites
  • site.new
• Keep
  • keep.new

Check out more → https://goo.gle/Shortcuts

New Navigation bar functions in Google Drive

From the URL bar in Google Drive, you can now quickly access key pages and functions When navigating into the Google Drive web application from the URL bar by hitting the "Tab" key, you can access buttons like "Skip to main content", "Keyboard shortcuts", and "Accessibility feedback"from the bar at the top of the page

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - New Navigation bar functions in Google Drive

Using Padlet to collect, organise and share bookmarks

All Foundation teaching staff have access to full padlet accounts.

Padlet is super useful for collecting and organising ideas and resources. This could be done on an individual basis or working with a team of colleagues or class of students.

Installing the Padlet Mini Chrome Extension makes this process really easy. If you have a useful resource open in Chrome all you need to do is click on the extensions icon and a menu asking which of your padlets you would like to add the resource to.

Font choice to support reading

“Google publishing Lexend in August 2019 has really helped bring awareness and spread the message of [the importance of] making reading more accessible to a wider audience,” Shaver-Troup said.

An interesting read about the impact of font choice upon reading outcomes → Google Design - Clean and clear: making reading easier with Lexend [2 February 2022]

Chromebook users - it's time to have another look at Cursive

Those teachers who are luckily enough to have a C13 Chromebook should take a moment to explore Cursive again.

To launch Cursive go to → https://cursive.apps.chrome

The initial pen input lag issues that we present at launch seem to have been fixed.

Read more here → chromeunboxed.com - Cursive, Google's Note-taking PWA, has been updated and is actually usable now [16 December 2021]

Google Calendar - Set aside time for focus

Google has added the ability to add 'Focus time' to your calendar "so you can block out and protect your time for heads-down individual work".

Similar to the Out of office event type, focus time has a different appearance on your calendar and includes the option to automatically decline conflicting events.

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - Set aside time for focus in Google Calendar [20 October 2020]

Google Sheets - New intelligent suggestions for formulas and functions

You’ll now see in-line, sequential, context-aware suggestions for formulas and functions when working with data in Google Sheets.

Formula suggestions will make it easier to write new formulas accurately and help make data analysis quicker and easier.

Simply begin inserting a formula in Sheets—suggestions will be automatically displayed and as you continue to type. You can view additional incremental suggestions in the drop-down menu.

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - New intelligent suggestions for formulas and functions in Google Sheets [25 August 2021]

Teaching with Google Arts & Culture

Google have releasing a new Teacher Guide – "a dedicated resource for educators to make learning with Arts & Culture and using the platform in class easier than ever".

"It includes ready-to-use handouts and customizable activity templates, and compliments other popular experiences on Google Arts & Culture that were designed with educators in mind. "

In my opinion Arts & Culture is one of Google's best kept secrets. It is a huge resource of super cool stuff. It is well work 10 minutes of a teachers time - whatever the subject they teach!

How about →

• A Brief History of Vaccines
• A Whistle-stop Tour of Indian Heritage
• Machine Learning Meets Opera - Blob Opera
• Time Travel to Ancient Egypt

Google makes some age related changes

Google recently launched a new age-based access setting to make it easier for domain admins to tailor experiences for their students and educators based on age when using Google services like YouTube, Photos and Maps.

Since September 1, 2021, students who are under 18 are seeing changes in their experience across Google products.

For example, after September 1, students designated as under 18 in K-12 domains can view YouTube content assigned by teachers, but they won’t be able to post videos, comment or live stream using their school Google account.

Safer learning with Google for Education [29 June 2021]

If you used to get students to create videos and add them to YouTube you should still get students to create videos - but now they should add them to their Drive and share them with you.

Read more here → Google Workspace Admin Help - Control access to Google services by age

Are you looking for a to-do list manager?

I find that a 'proper' to-do list manager really helps me to organise what I need to do and therefore reduces the stress associated with rushing or forgetting things.

My to-do list manager of choice is Todoist. It is great on the web and has a slick smartphone app as well. It integrates nicely with Gmail so that you can easily generate tasks from emails.

If you want to know more check out this post → An Educator’s Guide to Todoist.

Chrome tab management

I have (strong) opinions on font choice and the number of tabs a 'normal' person should have open in Chrome!

If you struggle with managing all your tabs you may want to read this blog post → The Ultimate Guide to Chrome Tab Management by Jonathan Wylie. Super useful.

Basic actions on multiple tabs in Google Sheets

Now you can select multiple tabs in Google Sheets and perform basic actions on the selection (such as moving the tabs together, deleting, duplicating, copying, coloring, or hiding). I just thought some of you might like to know!

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - Select multiple tabs in Google Sheets and perform basic actions on the selection [22 July 2021]

Richer information on the edit history of a Document

You can now view richer information on the edit history of a particular range of content in Google Docs. Simply highlight and right-click on a range of text and select “Show Editors” from the dropdown menu. Here, you can view a list of editors and their latest edit along with time stamps.

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - “Show Editors” provides more context on changes made in Google Docs [3 May 2021]

How to Find Public Google Docs, Slides, Forms, Sheets, and Drawings

Another useful video from Richard Byrne that demonstrates how to use Google's advanced search function to find publicly shared Google Docs, Slides, Forms, Sheets, and Drawings. 

Four new types of citations in Google Docs

Now you can add these four additional citation source types in Google Docs:

• Film
• TV Series
• TV Episode
• Miscellaneous

Read more here → Google Workspace Updates - Add and manage four new types of citations in Google Docs [31 March 2021]

Google Sheets: Every Keyboard Shortcut You Need for Windows and Mac

Useful post listing all the Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts, including a free cheat sheet PDF, from makeuseof.com.

Read&Write for Google Chrome

All staff and students at Campus des Nations has access to Read&Write for Google Chrome. For the extension to appear and be available - you need to be logged into Chrome using your school account and have sync turned on.

Check out the video below for some of the features. Personally I find the highlighting tool useful and have used it with MYP and DP students of all abilities.

Schedule Google Calendar events from Google Chat

This hasn't appeared on my account yet - but it should be with us any day soon.

You will be able to schedule meetings in Calendar directly from Chat conversations. You’ll see a new icon in the conversation’s compose bar.

Clicking on the icon will start a draft calendar event with the attendees from the chat. You can then customize the invite (including attendees) before sending it to guests.

Read more here → Schedule Google Calendar events from Google Chat

Getting started with Google Sheets

A useful video from Danny Nicholson about Google Sheets. Those with a good memory may remember that Danny came to Nations and worked with us during a PED day before we started our BYOL journey.

Google Meet and Kahoot!

Some useful advice on using Kahoot quizzes within Google Meet here → Google Hangouts Meet and Kahoot! help teachers and employees connect and instruct online.