Time Management & Web 2.0

Filling out forms and collecting data by hand can be one of the biggest time wasters. Let Google Forms work for you! Take your paper forms to the cloud and save time! You can find step-by-step instructions on how to create a simple Google form here.

Click here or go to goo.gl/qzEIK to take a quick quiz to see how productive you really are. Then you can goo.gl/N8Gfq and see how you rank!

• Combining your calendar, mail and the ability to create tasks in both gives you a powerful tool for staying organized and maximizing productivity.
• You can layer multiple calendars to see what you have coming up and also what other's have on their schedule. This is great for team teachers, departments, campuses, sports, etc.
• You can create a task list in your calendar (click on Tasks in left column) or add a task directly from an email in your Google Mail account (click on More > add to tasks).

Google Chrome will definitely be your preferred browser if you are moving to or already using Google Apps for Education, but also because Chrome offers many productivity apps and extensions to help you save time.

• goo.gl - URL shortner
• Last Pass - online password manager
• Nanny - allows you to block certain URLs at certain times during the day
• StayFocusd - restricts how much time you can spend on one website
• Evernote - capture, file, and access notes, pictures, URLs anytime anywhere
• Yellow Highlighter Pen for Web (marker.to) - highlight and share webpages

Evernote allows you to take notes, snap pictures, bookmark webpages, upload audio files and so much more for access anywhere anytime. You can access all of your information on your computer, mobile phone, or handheld device and it is always synced and ready to go. Have you become a paper monster?! Let Evernote rescue you!

Remind 101 is a safe (and FREE!) way for you to send text messages to your students and parents to keep them informed about what's happening in your class.

Click here for instructions on how to sign up for Remind 101!

How it works:

• Sign up for a FREE account
• Add a class (give it a name)
• Have your students (or parents) send a text message from their phone to the number indicated by Remind 101 and include the designated code in the message
• Once your students/parents have subscribed, you can securely send them text updates without sharing your cell phone number (or them sharing theirs!)
• You can even schedule texts to go out at a certain time/date!

Ninite allows you to install multiple apps/add-ons all at once. For example, if you get a new computer in your classroom and you know you want to have Chrome, Skype, iTunes and DropBox all installed on that machine, you simply go to Ninite, check all of those applications and click on Get Installer. You'll get everything you need with only one easy step!

Setting time limits for classroom activities, as well as your daily task,s is incredibly important and sometimes difficult to do. Use a site like Online Stopwatch, which has TONS of different FREE online timers that are perfect for projecting on your wall. My personal favorites are the bomb countdown and the cash clock, which charges you for your time. Because let's face it - TIME IS MONEY!

We don't always have time during our busy day for face-to-face meetings with colleagues, students, or even parents. Here are some online tools and services that allow you to meet digitally when in-person just isn't an option...

• Skype - free web conferencing & phone calls, even have Skype in the Classroom page
• Google+ Hangout - chat with up to 9 other people, screenshare and "fun stuff"
• Twiddla - no sign-up required, collaborate on webpage or document or whiteboard

Looking for some more ideas? Check out this list of 50 Free Collaboration Tools for Education!

Now it's your turn! Click this link or go to goo.gl/0xNTX in order to discover some new Chrome apps and practice using the tools we discussed above.

Click here or go to goo.gl/odWWP to see the results!

Please take a moment to evaluate today's session. Click here or go to goo.gl/6wM4w. This Smore flyer and the session evaluation can also be found in our Edmodo group for this session. Thank you so much for your time and feel free to contact me anytime with questions!

I am an Instructional Technology Specialist for Brenham ISD. My favorite hobby is tweeting and building my PLN. I love finding new Web 2.0 tools to share with my faculty and students and I think social networking can be a powerful educational tool. I am a Google junkie...a perfectionist in everything I do (sometimes to a fault!)...and I am one of those people who genuinely enjoys getting up and coming to work each day!

Email: edtechchic@gmail.com
Website: edtechchic.com
Location: Brenham, TX
Phone: 979-277-3760
Facebook: facebook.com/edtechchic
Twitter: @edtechchic