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Select To Speak: Highlight Text Anywhere And Have It Read Aloud
HOW: Turn on in the iPad's accessibility settings, then use the finger gestures when needed.
STEPS:
Open the Settings app on your iPad.
Go to General (left side) > Accessibility > Speech
Turn on (toggle) Speak Selection and/or Speak Screen.
Use Speak Selection: Highlight text anywhere, then click "Speak."
Use Speak Screen: Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen.
NOTE: In the "Speech" accessibility section, you will also see an option for "Voice Over. The Voice Over feature is designed for low-vision and blind students. It verbally annotates everything you do on the iPad, so it is not the solution if you want to be selective about when the iPad reads to you.
How: Turn on "Select To Speak" in the Chromebook's accessibility settings, then use the keyboard shortcut Search + S.
STEPS:
Open Settings on your Chromebook: Click the Status Bar (lower-right), then click the gear icon.
Search for the word "Accessibility" and click on the item that appears.
Click (toggle switch) ON the "Select to Speak" feature.
Optional: Click the Select-to-Speak Settings button to customize the voice and highlight color.
Use Select-to-Speak! Anywhere on the web, highlight text, and click Search Key + S.
Note: There are only two English speaker options: American (female) and English (male).
Add Check Boxes In Google Sheets
STEPS:
Open a Google Sheet.
Select a cell(s), row(s), or column(s).
Click Insert > Checkboxes.
Begin using the checkboxes! Simply click to check.
TIP: Change the checkbox size and/or color using the font tools for that cell (such as font-size).
Voice Typing In Google Docs
STEPS:
Open a Google Doc.
Expand the Tools menu at the top, and select Voice Typing.
Make sure your cursor is in the document at the location where you want your spoken words to appear.
Click the microphone icon (left-side), and articulately speak whatever you want Google to type for you.
*You can say things like "period" and "new line."
When done, click the microphone again.
Final Step: Read and revise the typed words! Google may not have transcribed everything perfectly, so you can manually make changes to the text when needed.
NOTE: Voice typing is NOT an option in the Google Docs > Tools menu on an iPad; however, you can use the microphone button within the on-screen keyboard instead!
Understand The "Shared With Me" Section In Google Drive
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
HOW To Add "Shared With Me" Items To "My Drive"
STEPS:
Log into your Google Drive.
Click on "Shared WIth Me" (left side).
Locate a folder or file you want added to your "My Drive."
Right-click on that folder or file, and select "Add To My Drive." NOTE: If you do not see "Add To My Drive" as an option, it means the files is already in your "My Drive."
Files that have been shared with you will remain in "Shared With Me," in addition to now being in your "My Drive" (where you can organize them!).
Find Images You Are Allowed To Use
STEPS:
Go to images.google.com and search for an image.
Click Tools to expand the many drop-down filters for your image search.
Expand the Usage Rights menu.
Select "Creative Commons."
***You can then copy or save the file, make sure to cite the source with your images, and rest easy knowing you are allowed to use it .
Turn 'conversation View' On Or Off In Your Email Inbox
BONUS TIP: When you search for images from WITHIN a Google File (such as a Doc or Slide), the results are already automatically filtered and only show images that have been labeled for reuse!
STEPS:
Within a Google Drive file (Doc, Sheet, Slide, Drawing), select
Insert > Image > Search the Web
The search results that appear on the right-side of your Google file will only display images that have been labeled for reuse! Easy Peasy!
STEPS:
Within your Google Email, click the settings Gear (upper-right).
“Quick Settings” will open
Scroll down to the very bottom until you see the “Conversation View” section.
Choose “On” or “Off.”
You will then need to select "Reload."
*Google Help Center >>> (includes instructions for cell phones)
Change The Subject Line When You Reply To An Email
STEPS:
Click the Reply arrow (or Forward arrow) in an email.
In the reply email that opens, click the arrow to the left of the recipient's name.
Select Edit Subject.
The subject line now appears in your reply email for you to modify if desired.
NOTE: For users whose inbox is set to "Conversation View" (where all replies to a single subject stay together in one line), changing the subject will start a new 'conversation' on a new inbox line.
Find Emails More Quickly
STEPS:
Click the down arrow at the end (right-side) of your search bar within Google mail.
Use any of the search fields to help narrow your results and find the email you need!
Color-Code Your Google Drive Folders
STEPS:
Sign into your Google Drive.
Right-click on a folder in Google Drive. (Chromebook users: 'right-click' = click with two fingers at the same time)
Hover on "Change Color."
Select your preferred folder color.
"Pin" Frequently Used Tabs
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
NOTE: This is not the same as a bookmark. Pinned tabs are still open and running. Pinning just visually consolidates and locks the tab(s) on the left.
STEPS:
Right-click on an unpinned (normal, open) tab.
Select Pin Tab.
Drag to reorder pinned tabs (if desired).
Right-click on pinned tabs to unpin or close.
Reopen A Recently Closed Tab
Steps:
OPTION 1: Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + T ("T" for "tab") Your most recently closed tab will reappear.HINT: You can repeat the keyboard shortcut to open the next consecutive recently closed tab(s).
OPTION 2: After closing a tab, right-click on an existing tab and select Reopen Closed Tab.
Clear Internet Browsing Data Regularly: Keep Your Browser Happy
STEPS (In Chrome):
Expand the Chrome Menu (3 vertical dots in the upper-right corner).
Hover over More Tools.
Select Clear Browsing Data.
In the pop-up window, set the Time Range drop-down menu to All Time.
Click Clear Data.
Repeat as needed. (We recommend making this a weekly habit.)