4 Chrome Extensions to Control Your Tabs

photo credit: jasonEscapist via photopin cc

With my limited attention span, I like Dory from Finding Nemo, and I quickly accumulate around 1,000 tabs in my Chrome browser at one time. While perusing the Internet or participating in a Twitter chat, sometimes the amount of resources I find can be overwhelming for both me and my computer. When the tabs start to blend together with little indicating marks or icons, it's time to start saving the tabs to read or review at a later time. In this post, I wanted to share my four favorite extensions that help me control the number of tabs I have open at a time.

Most of the time, I save items to me Pocket account using the Pocket extension or a Pinterest Board using my Pinterest Extension.  If it relates to a specific EdTech topic I collect on Pinterest, I will definitely just save the resource to Pinterest. Another option that I use is Evernote's Web Clipper extension. I really like saving content like PDFs using my this web clipper extension because I can save 1 GB/Month with my Premium account and I can annotate over these PDFs in Skitch if needed.  

These three extension are great for a read-it-later option.  Basically, the idea is to save your tabs to Pocket, Pinterest, or Evernote using these extensions. Then, read or review the site's content at a later time. 

However if you are like me and have too many tabs open and cannot decide which ones to close, then consider downloading One-Tab. It does a great job of consolidating all your tabs into one that can be accessed as needed or shared as a web page. In addition, it will reduce the amount of memory that Chrome is using. So, not only does One-Tab make it easy for human beings but this extension also makes it easier for our computers to function properly. 

Four Extensions to Control Your Tabs

1. Pocket Extension - Requires an account with Pocket but allows for saving content to read later, star as a favorite, and to remove ads for easier reading.  
2. Pinterest Extension - Of course, this extension works in tandem with a Pinterest account, but I thought this could help eliminate tabs by saving resources to a "Read it Later" pin board using the images on the website to pin. With this extension, images on the website will be marked with the Pinterest logo in the upper-right corner of the image when hovering your mouse over the image. By clicking this Pinterest icon, you are able to pin the image to any of your boards.  
3. Evernote's Web Clipper Extension - Requires an Evernote account, but allows for many options when "clipping" or saving images, PDFs, or websites to your Evernote account. 
4. One-Tab Extension - No account required. Just press the One-Tab extension to put all of your tabs into one. MY LATEST FAVORITE!

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What extensions do you use with Chrome to trap information or limit the number of tabs open in Chrome? What Chrome Extensions do you use?  

Another Web Search Blog Post

Web searches are an overlooked skill that need to be taught to students.  The following video resources were retrieved from GoogleHelp YouTube channel.  If you have a YouTube account, I suggest following this channel as they come out with a lot helpful videos related to Google Products. These resources were compiled here in order to provide help with Google Searches and can be good tips to share with students.  The first video shared above all of the rest is a basic set of tips that can provide help for any search.

Basic Search Tips

Specific Search Tips

The next set of videos are more specific search tips.  They are extremely short and straightforward, which is exactly what I like to see in a YouTube video.  I'm not a big fan of watching videos that are over ten minutes on YouTube.  For me YouTube is my quick and dirty way to learn something.  I say dirty because sometimes multiple videos have to be used and sped up to find exactly what you need sometimes.  Even though you might have to weed through a few bad videos from time to time, YouTube is still one of the fastest ways to learn a difficult skill that couldn't be learned through tinkering.

Ideas and Techniques

Although this document, which I believe was created by +Richard Byrne, provides a list of search techniques to try that will make a "Google Search Star," there aren't many examples displayed here.  The second tip has a video associated with it, but the other techniques do not.  That's where I challenge you to locate someone demonstrating these techniques on YouTube.  Use YouTubes search bar and locate the reading level filter.  Or if you are like me, try it first and then seek help from YouTube.  

Filtering Images by Usage Rights with Google

The following document demonstrates the steps needed to perform an Advanced Search with Google Images.  This might seem like more steps then you want to perform with your students, but setting up this expectation now will avoid future issues with stealing copyrighted images from a regular Google Images search.  These steps should provide you with the basic steps needed to perform an Advanced Search within Google Images.

Google Images - Advanced Search

Google Docs - Research Tool

Video Demonstration

The following video and animated GIF provide teachers with an overview of the Research Tool within Google Docs.  This isn't a new feature in Google Docs, but I wanted to share it because I noticed many classrooms have been collecting information from online sources.  It would definitely be easy for students to keep a notes page to collect information from the web and cite it with little effort using the Research Tool's cite button.  

Even if this tool isn't used to locate information, the Research Tool can be used to locate images for a class project.  For instance, because the Research Tool can also be accessed within Google Slides, students could locate images filtered by usage rights to be dragged into their presentations, while citing the online source simultaneously.  

The video below reviews some tips on using Google Docs during the information collection stage for any essay writing.  This tool makes a great argument for why your students should be using Google Docs on a more regular basis.  

  

Images to Demo the Google Research Tool

Google Santa Tracker

This is just a simple share through a post.  I wanted to share the link to Google's Santa Tracker.  With each day in December a new Christmas-related game or tool is unlocked, keep up with all 24 days until the 25th.  Day ten had a cool voicemail creation tool with a Santa chat window.  Check out Google's Santa Tracker.  Here is a link to the message I sent to someone.

The Connected Classrooms Community

Recently, I posted my introduction on Connected Classrooms last night, and I think you should do the the same.  

From what I am seeing within the community, there seems to be many opportunities for classrooms to connect with reputable organizations and experts through Google Hangouts.  The video below provides a fancy overview of Connected Classrooms concept.  I am excited to see all of the opportunities yet to come from this community.  

Google Hangouts

I like Google Hangouts a billion times, or should I say a Google times, better than other telecommunication tools.  With Google in Education's Connected Classrooms community, we, as Google Apps Schools, now have a place to connect with learning experiences like found with Skype in Education.   Google Hangouts is not as well known as Skype and maybe this is the catalyst for me to start marketing the concept of virtual field trips, classroom connections, and communication with experts through Google Hangouts rather than Skype.  

Joining Connected Classrooms

In order to request to join this community, create a Google+ account (if you are part of my school district let me know that you are interested) and go to the Connected Classroom Community on Google+ in order to request access.  Once you are accepted, write an introduction to the group and make scroll through the posts from other teachers looking to collaborate or organizations hosting events for classrooms to join.  As displayed with the image below you can easily search or filter posts to locate information pertinent to your interests. 

So, Connect Already!

I have a few teachers using Hangouts within my school system, but I want more people tapping into the potential power of Google Hangouts and Google+.  The extra features within Hangouts makes it a great tool for any connected classroom and the Communities with Google+ are definitely worth your time and effort to connect.

Most of my teachers connecting globally are involved in the reading projects.  Let's continue to connect and develop partnerships with experts and reputable organizations through Connected Classrooms.  What connected projects will you initiate? 

Google Chrome Tips

Google Chrome - Setting a Webpage to Open

Google Chrome - App Launcher

Learn.ly

Here is a video overview and document to help explain the Learn.ly tool and how teachers can record commentary over students Google Documents.

Live.ly Overview

3 Topics to Promote Digital Literacy

Searching Google is a skill and I would claim it is as important as many reading skills being taught today.  Many teachers are engaging students in a more project-based approach to learning.  As a result, students have to locate information on topics they are studying.  

Finding "Just Right" Sites: 

If students are researching a topic, it is crucial that they are locating age-appropriate sites.  It's like a Goldilock test.  Students need to be able to tell when a website is...

1. Too difficult, 
2. Too easy, or
3. Just right 

I might provide students with a rule similar to discarding difficult books.  For instance, if the first paragraph has 3 or more unknown words, this website is might be too difficult.  Of course, I wouldn't want you to say, "Get out of this website immediately!"  But, it at least gives students the thought that if this site is too difficult to understand; I shouldn't use it.

To help guide students to kid-related sites,  have students use the phrase "for kids" within their search.  Additionally, Google has a search filter that allows you to search for "easier" reading levels for students.  No, you cannot search websites for their associated Fountas & Pinnell reading levels, but it gives you the choice of easy, moderate, or advanced reading materials.  Refer to the image for accessing the Reading Levels search filter (Disclaimer: Google likes to move things around; so, this is where the reading level search filter was the day this post was published.)

Search Suggestions: 

First, teach your students basic searching tips.  Engage students in digital literacy skills by providing practice with searching.  It really is a skill to effectively search for specific topics and using keywords will usually eliminate unwanted websites.  Google's Search Education lessons will help even the most novice searcher, but there are advanced search tips for the Google Ninjas.

Take the Google-A-Day challenge...

Reliable or Not:

Next, I would focus on teaching students how to spot reliable/unreliable websites.  Check out the these Edcanvas resources and see if you or your students can spot unreliable websites: 

1. Spot the Unreliable Website 1
2. Spot the Unreliable Website 2

Have students use a checklist to evaluate a site's reliability.  NetSmartz has a decent evaluation tool on their site.  Their evaluation tool looks carefully at the website, the author, and the information.

These are lessons that should be iterative and not a one time process.  Instead, whenever you, as a teacher, see the need for lessons on finding just-right sites, searching the web, or determining a site's reliability, just intertwine these topics within one of the projects you are completing within your classroom.