Tech Tip - Chrome Tabs

Tech Tip...

Chrome Tabs

Are you tired of typing the same urls for pages you want to visit each time you open Chrome?  The following shows 3 ways you can streamline your use of tabs in Chrome:

1. Setting your startup tabs:

You can set what page or set of pages open up when you start up Chrome.  That way you can have immediate access to your email, your district webpage, your calendar or whatever you prefer.  To get started click on the  Chrome Menu icon in the upper right hand of the browser 

Then select the "Set Pages" under the On Startup section

You will then see a dialogue box that allows you to type in any number of urls that you want to have open each time you start up Chrome.  (Please note - If you haven't yet logged in to Chrome and you open it, your pages won't open automatically once you log in.  This only works where you are already logged in to chrome and open it up)  

2. Setting your home page

Your homepage in Chrome is a page that you often refer to that you don't want to enter the whole url every time you want to go there.  Whether it is your Gmail, Google Search, or your district's webpage, this is a handy tool to use.  The Home button is hidden by default so you need to go to the Chrome Menu to both view it and to set it.

Look at the second section entitled Appearance and check the box to Show Home Button (if not already appearing to the left of your address bar) and then select Change to set the page you would like to use.  (Please note - If you are a Google Apps school, they may have disabled the ability to change this)

3. Pinning Tabs

Another tool for managing your browsing experience is to Pin a tab to your browser.  This only stays as long as you have that browser session is open, but it will allow you to put an oft referred to tab all the way over to the left and shrinks the size so that it isn't crowding out your other tabs.  To Pin a tab, simply right click the desired tab and select Pin Tab.  You will now see it move all the way over to the left and shrink down to just the size of the Favicon.  

I hope that you have found this Tech Tip useful.  Come back each week for more.

Welcome

Welcome the Orange Ulster BOCES Model Schools Blog.  

It is an exciting time to be involved in education technology.  There are so many web applications out there that provide students with unique opportunities to engage in what they are learning, express themselves and what they have learned in novel and remarkable ways.  Students can collaborate with each other on projects in real time using Google Docs, they can create engaging multimedia presentations using Prezi, they can publish their own podcasts using Vokki, and their cartoons using Pixton.  All of these are free to use for teachers and students and require very little prior experience.  With all of these tools out there, the technology space can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming.  Jaclyn Christine and Jim are here to help you find which tools are most effective in different situations, learn how to use those tools and see how those tools are being used effectively in other schools.

Model Schools offers Instructional Technology Workshops in the use of old standbys like Smart Notebook, document cameras, Microsoft Office and Moodle, and emerging tools like Edmodo, Schoology, InstaGrok, Vokki and more.  These workshops are designed to build technology skills and support teachers with the integration of technology in the classroom as a tool for instruction. The courses demonstrate how to integrate technology with curriculum, assessments and the New York State Learning Standards. All of our workshops are listed in MyLearningPlan and are listed on the side of this blog for your reference.

We also provide Shared Staff to school districts allowing them to bring our expertise to their district to work one on one with their teachers to ensure comprehensive use of the district's technology resources.  Ask us how we can help you to foster the use of technology in your district.

We look forward to serving you in the coming school year and welcome your feedback.  We would also like to welcome you to share your technology success stories to share with other districts so that we can celebrate the work that you do.