Tips, Tricks and Timesavers
Organize, Organize, Organize
1. Office OneNote: a place for everything and everything in its place: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/
2. Flash drives are great portable storage. Organize and use!
3. SyncToy 2.1: sync computers and flash drives www.microsoft.com/downloads/
4. Sync your desktop, phone, calendar, website,docs, music and email with Google www.google.com/
5. Organize your computer by creating useful desktop folders
6. Organize browser favorites by creating topical folders
7. Create a password list in Excel, encrypt and print
8. Use the smart phone tools: GPS, flashlight, calculator, calendar
9. Delete or at least, archive old material!
From the Internet Toolbox
1. Teacher Tools:
a. Check out the free offerings from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/education/
b. Join Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Network for the free download of the Essentials for Educators pack. http://www.partnersinlearningnetwork.com
c. Random generators, game templates and more: http://www.superteachertools.com/index.php
2. Post your digital lesson material on a quick website like Google Sites
3. Use Google tools: calculator, conversions, search features, comparison shopping
4. For interactive boards, don’t reinvent the wheel, take advantage of available resources:
a. SMART Notebook, http://exchange.smarttech.com
b. Promethean ActivInspire, www.prometheanplanet.com
5. Need a piece of software that does the job in a hurry? Check online for a free substitute:
a. Aviary: similar to Photoshop, www.aviary.com
b. Letterpop: similar to Publisher, www.letterpop.com
c. Awards: http://www.certificatestreet.com/index.html
6. Bibliographies in a hurry: www.bibme.org
7. Create your own music at www.jamstudio.com or www.aviary.com
8. PowerPoint or movie music: www.brainybetty.com or http://incompetech.com
9. Puzzlemaker: www.discoveryeducation.com/puzzlemaker/
10. Instructions from avatars: www.voki.com
11. Quick online budgeting: YNAB, www.youneedabudget.com
12. Quick Surveys: www.createsurvey.com free 7 day trial
13. Edit photos quickly with iPiccy: http://ipiccy.com
14. Photo templates @ BigHugeLabs: www.bighugelabs.com Motivational posters and more
15. Use Animoto to create a quick movie from photos or video: www.animoto.com
16. Zamzar converts almost any file: www.zamzar.com
17. Make quick games to post online at Classtools: www.classtools.net
18. Watch TV @ Hulu: www.hulu.com
19. Educational Jargon list: http://www.sciencegeek.net/lingo.html
20. Create panoramic pictures: http://photosynth.net
21. Add some spice to your presentations with Prezi: http://prezi.com
22. Protect your home computer with AVG Free: http://free.avg.com
And a few often overlooked keyboard tricks:
1. Copy: CTRL-C, Cut: CTRL-X, Paste: CTRL-V
2. Select all: CTRL-A
3. Double click selects the word
4. Triple click selects sentence
5. Full screen in browser window: F11 (it’s a toggle switch)
6. CTRL-HOME in Excel goes to cell A1
7. Undo last action: CTRL-Z
Share time!