Tech Tuesday Tips

Just when you think Google couldn't get any cooler, they released a redesigned Google Earth for web and Android . The new version, which has been in the works for more than two years , adds new features such as 3D maps and guided tours. Google says that more than 50 interactive tours are available.  They are led by various experts in the scientific and cultural fields.  Just look under the new “ Voyager ” section.  One of my favorites is a tour of the Tanzanian Gombe National Park led by primate expert Jane Goodall and her team. Also in Google Earth, you can find video journeys produced by BBC Earth , and a series of kid-friendly voyages with various Muppets such as this  trip to Mexico with Sesame Street muppet Lola , to learn about Mayan ruins. The new Google Earth also adds an I’m Feeling Lucky button. Click it and the service will take you somewhere unexpected, say the North Island of New Zealand , and show you a “knowledge card” of interesting ...

Most people these days find email is a chore! An inescapable part of being an educator is the daily management of your inbox. This tip which is based on using google email accounts will also work with outlook based email with some minor differences. First a bit about how Google mail (gMail to its friends) works. All the mail that comes into your account or is sent from your account is kept in a main folder (label) called All Mail. You can find this folder by clicking the more button and it will be in the next section down. The all mail folder is a good place to start if you have lost a message and need to locate it. The next thing you need to know is that folders are called labels in Gmail. They work the same way as a folder with one main difference: messages in gmail can be labeled with more than one label! To label a message click on the message checkbox and then on the label menu. In my example the message is labeled Classroom Messages (yellow) and also upda...

Capitalizing a significant amount of text can be tedious and converting all caps to lowercase equally laborious. Good news! Google released a new update for Google Docs that allows users to easily select a portion of text and then modify text by choosing between UPPERCASE, lowercase, and Title Case. To access the new feature, users need to navigate to the Format menu and then go to Capitalization. From here, users can choose UPPERCASE, lowercase, and Title Case (capitalize the first letter of each word in your selection.) This new update can certainly help you spend less time formatting while composing a document, which means you will have more time to spend with students!

Google just added the ability to use voice typing in Slides.  There is one caveat though... it only works in the Speakers notes section. Here's how it works. From the Tools menu, choose Voice type speaker notes. You may get a message asking for permission to access your microphone.  Allow this. Once you do, just click the microphone icon and begin speaking.  While you are talking, the icon looks like this:  And this is the end result: Again, this only works in the speakers notes.  But, you could copy and paste that text into the slide itself for an easy workaround.   BONUS TIP! Google Classroom just added a "Copy code" option!  Now you can quickly copy your enrollment code to give to students.