Home Microsoft Tips and Tricks
Category:

Microsoft Tips and Tricks

Image generated by author
Microsoft Tips and TricksReadingScienceSocial StudiesSTEM/STEAMWriting

Story Bins: The Virtual Edition

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

In the earlier blog entry, Seven Ready-to-Use Story Bin STEM Activities, you saw hands-on, makerspace-like activities to foster literacy. As important as hands-on, manipulative activities are, virtual story bins are something you can take advantage of. If you are familiar with Microsoft Minecraft or Minetest (free, open source version), then you can also adapt these Story Bin ideas for virtual construction. That’s right, instead of messing around with physical bins, you can do some of this in online virtual spaces!

Did You Know?

TCEA offers an online, self-paced course that shows you how to use a program for Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux computers.:Virtual World Builder: Game-Based Learning, The program is free, no-cost, and is called Minetest.

Find out more about the TCEA course, Virtual World Builder now.

Engineering Design Process for Story Bins

Before exploring STEM challenges for story bins, let’s revisit the Engineering Design Process below:

Please find an adaptation of the Engineering Design Process. What if you ran one of the story bin challenges through this process?

Stages of the Engineering Design Process
Public View Link | Template Link

To use Minetest (or Minecraft), think of building something. Here are some AI-generated ideas to get you started:

ChallengeAskImaginePlanCreateShare
Build a castleHow do we build the best castle?Think of different castles.Draw our castle and list materials.Build our castle and fix any parts.Show our castle to others.
Make a farmHow can we make a farm with animals and crops?Dream up farms with animals and plants.Plan where everything goes on our farm.Create our farm and plant seeds.Share our farm and how we made it.
Create a rollercoasterWhat makes a super fun rollercoaster?Imagine rollercoasters with loops and drops.Draw the track and figure out where it goes.Build the rollercoaster and ride it.Show our rollercoaster to our friends.
Design a water parkHow can we make the coolest water park?Think of slides and pools.Plan out the water slides and where pools are.Build our water park and splash around.Invite others to see our water park.

Let’s explore what this might look like in the context of Minecraft (available via Microsoft Education subscription) or Minetest (free, no cost).

Minetest offers Castle mod, which can be quite helpful

Sample Instructions for the Build a Castle Challenge

In the first Story Bin challenge, you can see the question is, “How do we build the best castle?” Here is one set of instructions you can tailor for your own use:

  1. Choose Your Location: Find a suitable spot for your castle. Consider factors like terrain, space, and proximity to resources.
  2. Gather Materials: Collect blocks for your castle. Good options include stone, cobblestone, stone bricks, and wood. Don’t forget torches for lighting.
  3. Lay the Foundation: Decide on the size and shape of your castle, then create a flat foundation using cobblestone or stone blocks.
  4. Build the Walls: Erect the outer walls of your castle. Use stone or cobblestone for a sturdy look. Consider adding texture with different block types.
  5. Construct the Towers: Build towers at the corners and along the walls for defense and visual appeal. Make them taller than the walls.
  6. Add a Gate: Create a grand entrance using wooden doors, iron bars, or a portcullis made with fence posts and pistons.
  7. Create the Inner Courtyard: Inside the walls, build a courtyard with a well, garden, or training grounds.
  8. Design the Keep: Construct the central keep or great hall where the lord resides. Use impressive blocks like quartz or stone bricks.
  9. Add Details: Enhance your castle with details like banners, stained glass windows, arrow slits, and a moat.
  10. Light it Up: Place torches or lanterns to illuminate your castle at night and add ambiance.
  11. Furnish and Decorate: Add tables, chairs, beds, bookshelves, and other decorative items to make your castle feel lived-in.
  12. Finish the Roof: Top your towers and buildings with crenelated battlements or sloped roofs using stairs and slabs.
  13. Test and Refine: Step back and admire your work. Make adjustments as needed to improve the design.
  14. Share Your Creation: Give your friends a tour of your completed Minecraft castle!

What you may notice from these instructions is that all the materials for your challenge appear in Minecraft or Minetest.

Image Citation

Feature image. Castle featured from r/Minecraft. Available online 5/22/2024 at https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/kwgtzy/first_ever_attempt_at_building_a_minecraft_castle/

2 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Feature Image with title "3 AI Tools for Creating Spreadsheet Formulas" showing three screenshots, one for each tools, with their names on top of the images.
Artificial IntelligenceGoogle Tips and TricksMicrosoft Tips and Tricks

Three AI Tools for Creating Spreadsheet Formulas

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

If you’re like me, you find yourself using spreadsheets for a multitude of tasks beyond the common ones such as budgeting or inventory management. Spreadsheets empower us to handle data in ways that enhance our efficiency and productivity. When we begin to incorporate formulas into our spreadsheets, they gain new powers and can become even more insightful. However, as you may have noticed, crafting the right formula for a complex task in a spreadsheet — especially if it’s a task that’s new to you or one you haven’t tackled in a while — can be quite challenging. Fortunately, a variety of artificial intelligence (AI) tools have recently been introduced to the market specifically designed to assist spreadsheet enthusiasts in finding the right formulas. Let’s take a look at some AI tools for spreadsheet formulas.

1. Sheet+

Consider Sheet+ this handy AI assistant your new best nerdy friend. The freemium tool gives you five credits each month. But you can jump to the pro account to get unlimited credits and a soon-to-be-released add-on for Google Sheets and/or Excel. While I have been able to stay within the five requests per month, this is one tool that I’d be willing to pay for since I use spreadsheets for so many things.

I have mainly used the formula generator which is where you tell it what you want to accomplish and it generates the formula to make it happen. If you already have a formula and aren’t sure how to tweak it, then check out the formula explainer which will analyze your formula and make it understandable, so you can approach it with confidence. And if you have a formula that doesn’t seem to be working correctly, use the Debugger tool to have it detect and correct any errors in your formula.

Screenshot of Sheet+ tool
Screenshot by author

2. Ajelix

Ajelix is a robust tool for folks who may be working on formulas but may also want to write scripts (Excel VBA Script and Google Apps Script) to extend the functionality of the spreadsheet. An Excel add-on is available for you to download and use. The template generator will generate an Excel spreadsheet template based on your explanation of what you want the sheet to do. You can download the file and open it in Microsoft Excel.

Because it doesn’t have all the data for your spreadsheet, you can expect to tweak the spreadsheet more to get exactly what you want. You are able to preview the template before you download it. If you are hoping to have conditional formulas and dropdowns to choose from data that is in a particular range, then you are exceeding the limits of the template. But you can have Ajelix help with such sub-tasks of developing your spreadsheet by using the Google or Microsoft formula generator.

Screenshot of Ajelix tool
Screenshot by author

ChatGPT

Yes, ChatGPT can even help with crafting formulas for Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. When using ChatGPT, be sure to declare the role you want your AI assistant to take on. For these purposes, ask it to take on the role of a “Formula Expert” or a “Spreadsheet Consultant.” This will help ChatGPT know how to better guide you. And, as previously mentioned for Sheet+, be sure to specify cell references and/or ranges when you can so that ChatGPT can create accurate formulas tailored to your spreadsheet.

One example of a prompt request might be: “Take on the role of a formula expert for Google Sheets. I will explain what I want the formula to do, and I need you to craft an accurate but efficient formula. I want a formula that concatenates cells A2, B2, and C2. A space should be added between cells A2 and B2. Parenthesis should be added before and after B3. Add a line return after B2. After sharing the formula with me, explain it as if I’m five years old. Do you understand?”

Screenshot of ChatGPT
Screenshot by author

Similar to Ajelix, ChatGPT can also write scripts to add to Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel to automate some tasks. For this type of task, it’s best to use the highest version of ChatGPT available. After having it generate the script, ask it to analyze the output it gave for any errors.

Let us know which of these tools you’ve used to enhance your spreadsheet superpowers. And, if you found a different AI tool you like to help with spreadsheets, let us know of it along with a brief description of why you like it.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
AndroidAppleChromebooksGoogle Tips and TricksMicrosoft Tips and TricksTechnical SupportWindows

Digital Spring Cleaning Made Simple

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

As the end of the year comes up, you may be looking with trepidation at the folders and files on your device. What do you need to keep for the long run? What do you need to throw away or wipe in a secure manner to ensure no one can find it? Wait, what about those errant accounts you created in online ed tech spaces but no longer need? These can be tough questions. Let’s work our way through them.

Four Digital Cleaning Steps to Consider First

These days, digital spring cleaning seems easy. You can always take the easy way and do this:

  1. Dump all your files and folders into a 2022-2023 folder
  2. Move all your emails from your email inbox. I like to organize mine by year. Everything from 2022, goes in a 2022 folder. Everything from 2023, in a 2023 folder, etc.
  3. Delete videos and photos you don’t want to keep.
  4. Make a list of accounts you made with your email, then scroll to the bottom of each email and click “Unsubscribe.”

Will this process take time? Yes, it will. Consider getting rid of what you don’t need to keep. The problem is, sometimes everything seems worth keeping. So pretend you are going on a trip, and you can’t take everything. Keep only what you will need and dump the rest at Goodwill (or in this case, delete/wipe it).

File Management and Organization

Image of MuCommander File Management
MuCommander File Manager

Too many folders and files? Dealing with over twenty folders on your screen can be daunting. You may want to learn how to use a file manager (you can put it on your portable hard drive or flash drive). That way, it’s a tool you always have available. Tools include:

Both tools allow you to move files from one place to another (e.g. hard drive to USB portable hard drive). You get a bird’s eye view of your files, folders, and digital storage spaces. These file managers make it easy to copy, move, delete, and rename files and folders. Moving forward, take some time every day to sort and organize files and folders to make it easier at the year’s end.

Digital Backup Solutions

Have a lot of data stored in Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, but you’re not sure how to move it? Let’s take a look at these different storage ecosystems one at a time.

Google Drive user? Use tools like Google Drive Cleaner to remove duplicate files. No need to backup duplicate files. Once cleaned out, you can try one of the following options depending on your needs:

Are you a Microsoft OneDrive user? You can simply download your OneDrive files and folders to your USB hard drive.

If neither of these approaches seems appealing, try CloudHQ.net and MultCloud. Each offers wizards, or help, to assist you in copying or moving data from one space to another. They do have trial plans, so you can use them and then leave them when done.

Wipe Sensitive Data, Don’t Just Delete It!

Safeguard sensitive data by wiping it in a secure manner. Do you really need to keep a copy of top secret student or staff information on your device? If no, then wipe it.

Wiping is different than deleting a file. The latter involves a process where you drag files/folders to a trash can or recycle bin. But all this does is hide the file. Bad actors can still recover it. They can use free tools like Disk Drill, Data Recovery, Recuva, and/or KA Undelete (recommended).

Wiping a file or folder makes it unrecoverable. On a Mac, choose to use a free tool such as Permanent Eraser. On Windows, you have a variety of options. Those options (my favorites have asterisks) include:

If your hard drive is a solid-state drive (SSD), recovery may still be possible, and these wipe tools may not work as well. For those hard drives, whole disk encryption is the preferred option.

Want to Learn More?

Not sure how to use these different tools? Sign up for the TCEA Cybersecurity for Educators: Data Guardian online, self-paced course. You’ll learn all about these tools and how to use them to safeguard sensitive data in your care.

Prevent Unauthorized Access, Encrypt It

Have sensitive data you have to share with others or keep for reference? Make sure to encrypt it and decrypt it when needed, then encrypt it again. In that way, you ensure your data will be inaccessible to strangers. My favorite file encryption tool is Keka or 7zip on Mac and Windows, respectively. For Chromebooks, I rely on FileLock.org.

Additional free encryption tools that work on Mac and Windows include:

Remember, a data breach is as simple as someone stealing a USB flash drive with sensitive data on it. And if it’s not encrypted, you must report it in most states.

Cleaning Digital Accounts

You may have signed up for a few dozen online accounts this past year. Each may still be generating emails and burying you in unwanted mail. One way to stop those emails is to unsubscribe from each. If your school or district relies on a service like Clever or Identity Automation, you may be stuck. It will determine what accounts you continue to have and need for your job.

If you signed up for demo accounts or email lists with your work email account, you may need to visit each account and delete it. This process varies by website, so take your time and do one per day.

More Tips for Digital Spring Cleaning

Want some more tips on digital cleaning? Here are some other TCEA blog entries that may provide more information:

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Microsoft Tips and TricksPodcastsWindows

Recording Audio with Audacity

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Ever wish you could record audio playing off your computer? I do every time I run into an internet radio station or play a video I only want a snippet of audio from. Today I’ll share one of my favorite audio recording, editing, and capturing tools. I will also provide a list of additional uses for this versatile audio editor.

My favorite tool? Audacity. “It is a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. The interface is translated into many languages. You can use Audacity to record live audio, record computer playback on any Windows Vista or later machine, and edit sound files.”

Source: Audacity website

How to Record Audio with Audacity

Find a talk show you can’t listen to behind firewalls and content filters? You might be tempted to use an approach that combines the free, open-source tool, Audacity, with self-recording. Here’s one way that works:

You’ll first need to install Audacity. Once you have it installed on your Windows computer, you will need to adjust some of its settings by changing the preferences as shown below:

Make sure to change the Recording settings to ENABLE “Sound Activated Recording.” That way, you can turn on Audacity and have it record once you start a radio station.

This will allow you to record audio from your Windows computer as the browser plays a radio station. Be sure to adhere to copyright guidelines, of course.

How to Use Audacity to Record Audio Books

There’s a bonus application for Audacity that you may not have thought of. On Windows computers, you can have an ePub or PDF book read to you. Audacity can record the audio of computer-generated reading as it is being read. To create your own audiobooks, follow these steps:

Step 1: Get the Freda App

Freda is a wonderful free ebook reader you can install on your computer. You can use the Freda app on Windows to read any nondigital rights management (DRM) ePub ebook.

Free Reader, or Freda for short, provides a wide variety of options that include reading EPUB books, changing type size, font, spacing, margins, layout and color scheme, along with being able to customize the controls and gestures. You can also add bookmarks along with highlighting and annotating sections of text.

The application allows you to search for words or phrases within a book and to search online for definitions, translations (great for those wanting to learn a second language), and information related to any text element you may select.

Step 2: Get Freda to Read a Book Aloud to You

Open your ebook in Freda. You can choose several voices (Microsoft David, Zira, or Mark) when having Freda read the ebook to you, as shown below:

Choose to have it read the ebook to you, ensuring you select the option READ ALOUD.

Now that you have Freda all set up to read aloud to you, you need some way to record your computer’s audio. This is where Audacity comes in.

Audacity has an extensive support area to assist you

Step 3: Adjusting Audacity’s Settings

The next question is how to record Freda reading the ebook to you. You can get Audacity online.

Once you have Audacity installed on your Windows computer, you will need to adjust some of its settings by putting in the preferences as shown below:

Make sure to change the Recording settings to ENABLE “Sound Activated Recording.” That way, you can turn on Audacity and have it record once you turn on Freda to read aloud.

This will allow you to record audio from your Windows computer as the Freda ebook reader reads the book aloud to you. Here’s what that looks like:

Listen to Microsoft David read “About Carroll.” Want to add more languages and voices? You can follow the steps outlined on this Microsoft Help page. One easy way to get started involves you going to your Windows 10 Start button (the Windows flag icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen), then going to Settings (represented by the gear icon). Select Time & Language. Then, go to Region & Language to add a language (e.g., Spanish), then go to Speech to select your default voice. There may be a slight delay as Microsoft adds a language to your computer.

Get Audacious with Audacity

There are many other possible uses for Audacity. Recording audio readings from books, or documents you create, like ebooks, is but one example. Some other uses include:

  • Create and explore sound effects
  • Cut, copy, and paste music tracks to generate phone ringtones
  • Remix existing audio to create new versions
  • Interview students, teachers, parents, and community for podcasting
  • Record book jacket recordings for QR Code readings
  • Record and edit stories for digital storytelling efforts
  • Record peer evaluations of other students’ work
  • Audio record journal assignments or provide oral responses to journals or written content

Give Audacity a try! You will have fun learning it and applying technology to new situations.

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author

0 comment
2 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
AppleChromebooksGoogle Tips and TricksiOS Tips and TricksMicrosoftMicrosoft Tips and Tricks

10 More Shortcuts You May Not Know

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

Back by popular demand, it’s a whole new batch of shortcuts you may not know. These guys can help save you time and improve your daily life. If you missed the first edition, read it here! But now, let’s jump right into a new batch of tech tips and shortcuts.

1. CTRL + Shift + Z (Undo Your Undo)

Okay, so you thought you needed to get rid of that text or image, but it turns out you didn’t after all. Happens all the time! Just tap CTRL + SHIFT + Z, and voila! Undo what you just did.

2. Missing Keys

I have no idea why (I’m sure some of you do), but the Chromebook does not have a delete key. You can use ALT + BACKSPACE to start deleting text to the right of your cursor.

What about the CAPS LOCK key? Chromebook decided to leave this one off the list, too. Now, you could just use the shift key, but sometimes, you need to say a lot loudly. Use ALT + SEARCH to get your shout on via all caps!

3. CTRL + SHIFT + V

Have you ever copied and pasted something from the internet into a document, and the font, text size, etc., didn’t match up? Use CTRL + SHIFT + V. This little trick will save you time as it will only copy the text and not all the other details and formatting that come along with it.

4. Bookmark a Webpage

Like what you’re reading? Save it with ease by using CTRL + D.

5. Gmail Shortcuts

There are a plethora of shortcuts in Gmail. Here are three:

  • Use R to reply to an email.
  • Use CTRL + SHIFT + C to add CC recipients.
  • G + T opens your Sent folder!

6. Rename Files

Need to rename a file? Just select it, and tap the F2 button. No more right-clicking!

7. Browsing Hacks

So you’re surfing the web, and you reach for your mouse. STOP! Just use the spacebar to read along.

8. USB Cables

Are you always having to try, try again when you plug in those USB cables? Next time, just look for the logo or symbol and make sure it’s facing up.

9. Don’t Give Out Your Wi-Fi

Tired of changing your Wi-Fi password after each guest is gone? Here’s a tip that you will love. Qifi.org has made your life a little simpler by generating a QR code that people can scan to access your Wi-Fi without entering a password.

10. Group Text Messages

If you have an iPhone and are in an ever-evolving group chat, chances are someone has checked out. So, if you need to get their attention, tag them by typing @ symbol followed by their name. Then, you just hit the space bar or add a punctuation mark. It will make their person’s name bold, and they’ll receive a notification.

Did you learn something new? Share with me in the comments. Is there a shortcut I need to know? Let’s hear it!

6 comments
3 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
conditional formatting
Google Tips and TricksMicrosoft Tips and Tricks

Google Sheets Tip: Conditional Formatting Custom Formulas

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Do you ever wish the color of your spreadsheet rows would change color to match the content? If yes, you may enjoy learning about conditional formatting. Conditional formatting is a wonderful feature in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Let’s explore how to use custom formulas that can change the color of cells and rows of data based on the data in a cell.

Diving 🏊‍♂️🥽🌊 into #GoogleSheets with Biology to show how Ss grew from pre- and post-Quarter 1 test using TEKS and a little conditional formatting. Source: Lauren Hawkins’ (@EdTechHawk) Tweet

Meet the Problem

“Oh, I use conditional formatting all the time. But I want to change the colors of the first column when the data in the last column changes. How could I do that?”

It might help to see what this problem looks like. Most spreadsheet users know you can use conditional formatting.

Consider this spreadsheet, which represents a list of workshops and the number of registrants for each course:

Conditional formatting could allow me to change the colors. For example, I could add conditional formatting rules for different conditions. Let’s take a look at examples.

1) Create a sliding color scale.

These settings would adjust the colors of the cells where values appear. For example, the minimum number “0” would be red. The midpoint (“15”) would be yellow, and the maxpoint (“30”) would be green. You can see what that looks like below, as well as take a look at the color scale:

2) Apply single colors.

This is the most often used conditional formatting solution. In this case, you can use a variety of format rules. These format rules say, “Format cells if…” certain conditions are met. Here is the list of most conditions you can apply:

I often use these when getting data from a Google Form, and I want to see how YES or NO responses look.

As you can see in the screenshot above, conditional formatting changes the color of the cell. The colors depend on the value in the cell. In this case, “Yes” is green, and “No” is red.

But what happens when you want the entire row to be green or red based on the YES or NO? That’s where custom formulas come to the rescue.

Introducing Custom Formula

Custom formula makes it easy to apply colors and formatting to an entire row of data. After you highlight the rows you want to apply conditional formatting to, go to Format -> Conditional Formatting. Then, enter a formula into the “Custom Formula” option, as shown below:

You can see that you will need to enter a “value or formula” into the custom formula box:

This will allow you to enter a formula for the conditional formatting rule. In this case, I want two rules to be present:

  • When the word “Yes” appears in column “C,” the entire row to turns green
  • When the word “No” appears in column “C,” the entire row to turns red

But how do you do that? What do you type into the custom formula box?

Here’s what that looks like with one custom formula rule applied:

Notice that the $ in the formula applies formatting that matches the row of data where it appears (A2 to C2, A3 to C3). This is referred to as “absolute references” rather than relative references. If I were to not include the dollar sign, only the first column would change color, as you can see below:

To add the red fill color to each cell in a row, I have to add another rule:

Both of the custom formula rules appear below:

  • When the word “Yes” appears in column “C,” the entire row to turns green:  =$C2= “Yes”
  • When the word “No” appears in column “C,” the entire row to turns red:  =$C2= “No”

And that looks like this:

Isn’t that cool?

Want to Learn More?

As a Google Sheets user, I often find myself learning new things about stuff I thought I knew. I’ve been using conditional formatting for years. Yet, I never thought to scroll to the bottom of the formatting rules to see what else was there! Now that you know about custom formulas in conditional formatting, how will you use them?

Learn more about conditional formatting and Google Sheets:

If you don’t use either Google or Microsoft, give OnlyOffice a try. It also offers many features in spreadsheets without the price. You can read my blog entry about OnlyOffice here.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Screenhot of templates in Word
MicrosoftMicrosoft Tips and Tricks

More Microsoft Word Features You May Not Know

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog about features of Microsoft Word you might not know about. And today I’m sharing even more tips and tricks to make Word more useful for you.

Signature Feature in Word

If you have a document that requires a signature, you are in luck. With Microsoft Word, you can draw a signature and add it to your document. To do this:

  1. Go to the Insert tab.
  2. Click on Shapes.
  3. In the Lines section, click on the icon that looks like a scribble.
  4. Your cursor will now be ready for you to click and drag your mouse to write your signature. Once you are finished, it will be converted into a picture that you can move around or resize.

If you have a touchscreen, it might be easier to use that instead of your mouse.

Screenshot of Microsoft Word's signature feature

Start Typing Anywhere

Don’t think that you must start typing in Word at the top line. You can start in the middle of the page or even at the bottom. To do this:

  1. Move your cursor to wherever you want to type.
  2. Double click on that spot.
  3. Start typing.

Word Shortcuts

Using shortcuts can save you a lot of time. Below are a few to try out:

  • Ctrl + W – Closes Word.
  • Ctrl + Z – Undoes your last action.
  • Ctrl + Backspace – Erases entire words.
  • Ctrl + Click – Selects an entire sentence.
  • Ctrl + Enter – Inserts page break.
  • Ctrl + F – Finds specific text.
  • Ctrl + End – Goes to the end of the document.

Pre-Made Templates

You can use pre-made templates when creating a resume, menu, brochure, or need to complete other projects. These templates are provided by Microsoft and set up the document so you can start working immediately. To find and use a template, do this:

  • Go to File, then New.
  • You’ll see templates appear. You can also use the search bar to search for templates.
  • Click on the template you want to use.

There is no use in recreating the wheel if a template already exists!

Screenshot of Microsoft Word's templates

Microsoft Word Translate Feature

You can use Word’s translate feature to read and write in foreign languages. To do this:

  1. Select the text or sentence you want to translate.
  2. Right click on it.
  3. Scroll to Translate. The Translator panel will open showing the text.
  4. Select the language you want to translate it to.

If you want, you can also place the translated text into the document by clicking Insert.

Screenshot of Microsoft Word's translate feature

Try a few of these tips and tricks to boost your Microsoft Word experience! For more tips and tricks when using Microsoft Word, check out this blog post. And feel free to add your own tips in the comments.

10 comments
2 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Google Tips and TricksMicrosoft Tips and TricksWeb 2.0 Tool

More Ed Tech Tools (You Know You Want Them!)

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

Do you have enough educational technology tools in your toolbox? Can you ever have too many? While I know that it’s not about the tool but is instead about teaching and learning, it’s still helpful and convenient to have exactly the right tool in your reserves to address a specific need. So with that in mind, and to save you time in hunting for some new resources, here are a few fun tools that I’ve discovered recently.

1. Collaboration Activity Wheel

I like wheels. And so does everyone else, if the continued high readership numbers of An Online Wheel Spinner for Every Occasion by Peggy Reimer’s hold true. You’re sure to like the Collaboration Activity Wheel. It’s a standard online wheel spinner but has a different focus. Instead of student names, it has exit questions on it. I like the idea of using this with your own exit questions at the end of a lesson or unit for student reflection in pairs or small groups after a collaborative activity.

2. Mouse Skills Choice Board

Teaching kindergarten students to use a mouse or trackpad can be difficult at the beginning of the school year. But John R. Sowash has put together a nice choice board that will do this for you. The first few activities do require some reading, so he recommends that you do them as a whole class activity. After that, the students may pick which activity they want to do. You can make a copy of the choice board here.

3. Copying Web Data into Excel

While this isn’t a tool, it is a tip that really has saved me a lot of time. Let’s say that you want students to do a report on a country. They go to a website and find all of the data they need to begin analyzing. They would then have to painstakingly copy it into Excel. Instead, follow these five steps!

  1. Copy the web address, and go into Excel.
  2. Go to Data.
  3. Select Get Data from Web.
  4. Paste the URL.
  5. Select the data table you need.

Voila! Your content is copied and ready to be studied. What’s really cool is that the data will auto-update when the table is refreshed. You can see a short video of the process created by a Reddit user here.

4. MapPuzzle.xyz

Although basic, this interactive site is a good way to have kids learn where countries and states are located. You can select the type of map you want and then the students can drag pieces into the correct location. The activity is timed and will show mistakes and successes. You can even change the language the activity is offered in.

5. Etch a Sheet in Google Sheets

I must admit that there is not a huge amount of educational value to this tool. But it is so cool! Ben Collins has created an Etch a Sketch game in Sheets using checkboxes to move left, right, up, and down. He gives a complete explanation of how the game works, which is really interesting. For secondary students, you could even challenge them to make a similar game using his work. Make your own copy of the template here. (Ben also has a great checklist template that you can use.)

6. Turing Machine in Google Sheets

While I’m on the topic of Sheets, here’s another great template and explanation from Tyler Robertson. He created a Turing Machine, which is incredibly complex to begin with. He provides a lot of detail on how he did this, as well as the history of the original Turing Machine. This might be good for first year computer science students to study.

7. Sook

Sook is a free Google Chrome or Firefox plug-in that aggregates product listings from stores that sell via Shopify to help you “buy from the boutique next door.” It was designed to help small, local businesses compete with Amazon. The tool serves up a page of nearby products for you to browse. Sook also alerts you with small business suggestions when browsing on big retail sites. Search for a jacket on Amazon, for example, and Sook will alert you of similar products sold by small, local alternatives. (Yes, I know it’s not an educational tool, but it’s still useful!)

8. PALMS Backchannel/Yoteach!

I love using a backchannel tool with students and adults. It’s a powerful way to allow everyone to have a voice in the learning. My old favorite was Today’sMeet, but it’s been discontinued. You can easily replace it, however, with PALMS Backchannel. Like all of the other tools shared in this blog, it’s completely free and doesn’t require registration or login. The teacher creates a virtual room and gives the students a PIN code to enter it. Once in, students can share only with each other and the teacher. If you create a free teacher account, you can add administrative features, text-to-speech, and more. It’s available in different languages and will accept text and images. You can even create a collaborative space for groups to work in.

I hope that at least one of these resources will meet a need that you or your students have. And if you’ve discovered a new tool recently, please share it with all of us in the comments section!

0 comment
4 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Microsoft Tips and TricksWindows

Five Lifesaving Portable Apps to Try

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

If you’re looking for a roundup of portable tools to load on your USB pen drive, then you’ll find this list handy. Save these five apps on your USB flash drive, then run them when you need them. They can be a lifesaver when you’re working on a school computer you don’t have admin rights on.

Note: MakeUseOf.com inspired this blog entry with their list of portable apps. The ones you will find in this blog entry are my favorite picks from their list. You can find a longer list of Portable Apps available online.

Ready to start exploring? Let’s get started.

Tool #1: Snipaste

You may be familiar with a few other great screenshot tools, like Lightshot, that works in the browser. Lightshot also works as an installable program on your computer. It excels because it works everywhere. Unfortunately, its image annotation isn’t as great as it could be.

portable apps
Snipaste

Here’s what Snipaste allows you to do that other tools struggle with or don’t do at all:

  • Run from USB flash drive on your Windows computer
  • Adjust the font size and color of any text you type on an image while you are annotating it
  • Use all sorts of lines and add arrowheads to match
  • Draw solid or hollow shapes (e.g. boxes, circles)
  • Blur text with a Mosaic blur (adjustable) feature

These features make it a powerful improvement over tools like Lightshot. That aside, you may want to use Lightshot if you need a full-featured screenshot tool in the browser.

Tool #2: STDU Viewer

Need a quick way to view an unfamiliar document? You may not have MS Office or ebook viewer handy. Or you may not want to upload it to Google Docs. Here are the formats it supports:

  • Documents:  TIFF, PDF, DjVu, XPS, JBIG2, WWF
  • EBooks: FB2, TXT, Comic Book Archive (CBR or CBZ), TCR, PalmDoc(PDB), MOBI, AZW, EPub, DCX
  • Images: BMP, PCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, WMF, EMF, PSD

Besides being able to view those file formats, you can export text from formats like the ones below:

  • TXT, TCR, PDB, FB2,
  • PDF, XPS,
  • MOBI, AZW, EPub or Djvu

Even better, STDU Viewer is freeware for private, non-commercial, or educational use. Isn’t that amazing? This is a must-have portable app to have in your toolkit.

Tool #3: PeaZip Portable

Need to compress files or folders? Or you may need to protect data? You can compress and encrypt confidential data before sending it via email. This is a must-have for your toolkit.

portable apps

You may prefer MakeUseOf’s recommendation of 7-zip Portable for file compression utility. I prefer PeaZip Portable instead. This compression tool also offers AES-256 encryption of files and folders. This makes it a nice feature to have to safeguard data on the go.

From their website, you can see this description:

PeaZip is free file archiver utility. It bases itself on Open Source technologies of 7-Zip, p7zip, FreeArc, PAQ, and PEA projects.

It is cross-platform, full-featured and a user-friendly alternative to other compression tools. You may be familiar with WinRAR and WinZip. It can open and extract 180+ archive formats: 001, 7Z, ACE(*), ARC, ARJ, BZ2, CAB, DMG, GZ, ISO, LHA, PAQ, PEA, RAR, TAR, UDF, WIM, XZ, ZIP ZIPX.

Not bad, huh?

portable appsDid You Know?

Sure, you can get a boring USB flash drive or pendrive. But you can also get one in the shape of your favorite, well, whatever. I bet my colleague, Peggy Reimers, would love this robot USB flash drive (shown right in silver but available in pink, too for my other colleague, Diana Benner). You can find my list of cool flash drives online.

Tool #4: Photo Demon

Image editing software is available in plenty. Still, you may need an image editing tool that isn’t web-based (e.g. PhotoPea), or complicated as Photoshop. This is where PhotoDemon, which is free, and open source, fits.

portable apps

Although my simple editing tool go-to has been Irfanview, Photo Demon offers a lot. In fact, it has some features Irfanview may obscure in its feature set. Take some time to check out Photo Demon.

Tool #5: Don’t Sleep

And, finally, finishing up this list of five essential portable apps? Don’t Sleep. Ever been in the middle of a presentation, making an emphatic point to your students, then without warning, your computer goes to sleep to protect the screen?

portable apps

Most people can tweak their computer’s power settings. But, if you are working on a managed machine, those options are not available. That’s where Don’t Sleep comes into play. Use it to stop your computer from falling asleep or throwing up a screensaver in the middle of your presentation.

Image Attribution

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Microsoft Tips and Tricks

Five Microsoft Word Features You May Not Know

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

Are you an avid user of Microsoft Word? Did you know that Microsoft Word has many features beyond just simple editing? I’ve compiled a few tips and tricks that will help you work faster and maximize the capabilities of this program.

1. Convert a PDF to Word

If you need to edit a pdf, then open it in Word, and it will become editable. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to File, Open.
  2. Select your pdf. It will open and convert to Word.
  3. Edit the text.

2. Remove Distractions in Microsoft Word

If you find all things surrounding Word, like the ribbon and the white space, then you can remove them. To do this:

  1. Go to the View tab.
  2. Click on Focus.

You will now see a cleaner version of Word without all the distractions.

3. Alphabetize a List

Any list in Word can be alphabetized in just a few short clicks. To do this:

  1. Select the text in your list.
  2. Click on the Sort icon from the Home tab.
  3. Choose to sort the text in ascending order.

4. Listen to Text Read Aloud

In Word, text can be read aloud to you. Just complete the following steps:

  1. Go to the View tab.
  2. Click on the Immersive Reader Icon. Immersive Reader will launch.
  3. Click Read Aloud. As each word is read aloud, it will be highlighted.

There are also some additional settings you can change from the Settings icon. The Settings icon automatically appears when you click on Read Aloud. You can drag the reading speed control to adjust the reading speed. You can also use the Voice Selection dropdown menu to choose different voices.

alphabetize in microsoft word

5. Transcribe Your Text in Microsoft Word

If you need to take quick notes or transcribe something quickly, it’s possible in Word.

  1. Click on the Dictate icon from the Home tab.
  2. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening.
  3. Start speaking to see text appear on the screen.

You might need to go back and make minor edits, but you will save a lot of time by allowing Word to type the text for you.  

dictate microsoft word

Try a few of these tips and tricks to boost your Microsoft Word experience! For more tips and tricks when using Microsoft Word, check out this blog post. And feel free to add your own tips in the comments.

0 comment
5 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts