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PowerPoint
Microsoft Tips and Tricks

No More Death by PowerPoint

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“No worries,” I said to my captive cafeteria audience of teachers back in the 1990s. The extra long telephone cable ran from the cafeteria manager’s office and plugged into the modem on my laptop. “I saved my PowerPoint on the Internet and we can watch it that way.”

For some of us, PowerPoint offered a way to ditch lovingly crafted, black-and-white overhead transparencies. PowerPoint makes adding color and embedded videos and images incredibly easy. And, lest we forget, it was simple to share those files on the burgeoning web. Now, we hate PowerPoint, a symbol of a bloated, grumpy person who has so much to offer that we no longer want or need it. But is that really the story? Perhaps we put too much of the blame on the software and too little on ourselves. It’s not the program’s fault if those who use it #fail. It’s time to revisit our friend from yesteryear and explore the anatomy of PowerPoint productivity.

Note: Welcome to this ongoing series on productivity tools for leaders and do-ers. Check back often to see more!

Create Engaging Experiences in PowerPoint

Tears running down her face, the Dances with the Stars judge looked at the winded dancer and celebrity Rashad Jennings. “I felt your dance, you emoted…emotion=emotion.” As Rashad pointed out, “I honestly felt like I was translating a message…It takes you back to what actually transpired in your life.” That’s what a powerful presentation can do, and to accomplish that, it takes YOU.

“For me, the sign of a great keynote or lecture is if I’m still thinking about it later. If I’m making connections, thinking deeply, and wanting to watch it again, then I usually enjoyed it.” —–Michael Wacker, Reflections and Discoveries

Create a series of emotive experiences that take you and your audience on a journey of discovery. When creating your slide deck, your goal is to create amazement and stir the feeling of awe in your companions. That means that you aren’t putting up bullet points for your audience to read with you. Instead, you are telling a story that is vibrant and filled with images. You are connecting yourself to the participants and to each other. Here are some tips:

  • Use a powerful story to connect with the audience.
  • Find the underdog in the story and tell it from that perspective.
  • Use images that create insight into the feelings and learnings of the story.
  • Use a word or phrase to capture a thought, to inspire those gathered around your metaphorical campfire listening to the tale.
  • Dramatize your tale; don’t be afraid to get excited, to lower your voice as you reach a sad point in the story, or to smile as there is a happy ending.
  • Invite participants to share what they’re thinking and feeling as it happens, using backchannel tools like TodaysMeet or Padlet.

Know Your Tool

Ever watch a doctor on Grey’s Anatomy hesitate before asking for the right surgical instrument? Of course not! Before a doctor goes into a surgery, he reviews the case file and studies alternative procedures. Doctors know exactly what they are going to need and what they might need if all goes down the sink. They embody “Prior preparation prevents a poor PowerPoint!”

Here is a curated list of tools to enhance your presentation, from audio insertion to templates and tips for Windows users.

  1. Keyboard shortcuts:
    • Open PowerPoint Fast: Windows+R – powerpnt [enter]
    • CTRL+enter selects the slide title of a page. Or you can press it again and insert a new slide
    • F2 switches between “edit object” and “edit text.” It allows you to edit the text box words, highlighting the words in a text box. CTRL+shift+’=’ (CTRL-Shift+) changes selected text into superscript
    • Right Click button: Get the same effect as clicking the right click button on your mouse by pressing the key between the CTRL and ALT on the right side of keyboard. This will give you the same menu you get with a right click on your mouse.
    • Here are a few more keyboard shortcuts you may learn to treasure.
  2. Miscellaneous Tutorials
    1. Basic Tasks in Powerpoint
    2. Know Your Powerpoint File Formats
    3. Add, Rearrange and Delete Slides
    4. Use Sections to Manage Slides
    5. Create Slides using Outline view
    6. Insert a Linked Excel Chart into Powerpoint
    7. Cropping a Picture to a Shape with Crop to Shape (video)
  3. Using Templates for PowerPoint

Engage with Video, Pictures, and Sound

  1. “Learners process video 60,000 times faster than text!” Make sure you embed short video clips when you want to get a point across quickly. Link to the video at the time you want (right-click to get “copy video URL at current time,” shown below). Snap a picture of the video and insert that into your slide, then link the picture using the video URL at current time.anatomy
  2. Create engaging pictures and images featuring information. Find copyright-friendly images online.
  3. Add music clips and sounds to enhance the mood. Find some online.

Finally, don’t be afraid to assess the audience using one of the tools in this blog entry: High Five: Free Web-based Assessment Tools.

Find Out More

Want to learn other ways to save time and be more productive at work? Attend the Productivity Tools for Administrators on Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Austin. The one-day learning experience is guaranteed to provide you a wealth of hands-on activities to ensure you walk away with the tips and techniques you need to do more in less time. Register here.

 

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assessment tools
Good TeachingWeb 2.0 Tool

High Five: Free Web 2.0 Assessment Tools

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

This is a guest blog by Beth A. Burau, Instructional Technology Coordinator and German teacher at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, TX.

Perhaps the most frustrating sound for a teacher is that of complete and utter silence following the question, “Are there any questions?” While a student or two may take a teacher up on the offer for some clarification or insight, more often than not, the silence simply indicates to the teacher that the class understands the material. It’s not until homework is turned in later that the truth and the teacher’s assumption are revealed – there should have been questions.

To monitor whether or not students are learning and to help provide immediate feedback, we should make sure that “checks for understanding” or formative assessment tools are a consistent part of any lesson. Here are five simple Web 2.0 tools to help teachers quickly assess student understanding before the bell rings. They’ll be certain to prompt high fives at the end of class for a job well done.

Socrative – With this free app, students can use their own computers, tablets, and phones to respond to teacher-created questionsl which are either self-paced or teacher-paced to check for understanding. Socrative also has an easy-to-use Exit Ticket option, which is great for getting student responses to spontaneous questions during class or as a way to check for understanding after the lesson is done. The responses are graded, and the results are easy to use.

Plickers – If students don’t have access to devices, but the teacher has an iOS or Android device with a camera, this is the perfect free Web 2.0 tool to use. However, this tool requires some preparation in advance and is not suggested for last-minute assessment. The teacher needs the app installed on a mobile device to use during class, but can create the true/false and multiple choice questions on a desktop computer. Teachers create their questions online and print out Plickers Cards for each student to use. The teacher poses questions to monitor class learning. Then the students simply hold up their card to show their answer, and the teacher scans the room with a mobile device to record and view the results.

Quizizz – Have you used Kahoot! with your classes? If so, you may want to try Quizizz, a similar Web 2.0 tool for formative assessment. Students can use their own device or share devices to answer teacher-generated questions. As a teacher, you can use the app in class or assign quizzes for homework or review. Unlike Kahoot!, Quizizz is self-paced, so students don’t feel as much pressure under time constraints, which is great if you have anxious students or students who need more reading time for each question in class. Students are afforded more time to process the questions and respond instead of simply guessing quickly to earn points.

Microsoft Forms  If you’ve heard of Google Forms, but have Office 365 Education at your school, you may wish to use these forms for formative assessment instead. As the instructor, you can require the students to log in using their Office 365 account to access the form, which allows you to not only verify the student’s identity, but also to view student results by name. The teacher can then quickly scan all the class responses to check for understanding or identify select students who may need some additional help or instruction.

QuizSocket  – This free, online “fast quiz” beta tool doesn’t require an account, just an email address. Using mobile devices, students are given a quiz key to join in. A teacher can then ask real-time multiple choice questions verbally, write them on the board, or include them in a presentation slide. The pace of the poll or quiz is controlled by the teacher, who advances the multiple choice options “ABCD” one at a time for the students. Individual question responses can be viewed synchronously on the website during each question and can also be downloaded as a .csv file at the end of the quiz for further analysis by the teacher.

These are just a few great—and best of all, FREE—assessment tools, so you’re never left wondering if your students are truly understanding the material. Do you have any favorite assessment tools? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Beth A. Burau has taught levels PreK-College across various content areas since she began teaching in August 2000. She now serves as the Instructional Technology Coordinator and German teacher at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, TX. Beth holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame and has published education articles and chapters both in print and online. She is a proud member of TCEA and a TCEA certified Campus Technology Specialist. 

 

 

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Dotstorming
Web 2.0 Tool

Dotstorming: Brainstorming on Steroids

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

If you want your class to brainstorm ideas for their next project and then vote on the best ones or have the faculty decide how to increase reading on the campus or get your relatives to decide on a location for the next reunion, then Dotstorming is for you. Dotstorming is a Web 2.0 tool that lets people brainstorm ideas and then vote on them, quickly and easily. And it’s free.

How Dotstorming Works

Create an account with just your email address and you’re ready to begin. You’re given a blank Dotstorming board. Add your topic or question and then invite participants to join in. They can post ideas, links, graphics, text, and more. Once the brainstorming process is over, set the number of votes that each participant will have (up to 10) and ask them to vote. It’s just that simple.

Dotstorming

Dotstorming New Features

In April 2017, Dotstorming added some new features. You can now choose to clear a board of all votes and comments. This would be great for having the same poll for a number of different classes to take or if you wanted to poll a group at the beginning of a discussion and then again at the end to see if their opinions changes.

Another new feature added is an easier way to put images into a Dotstorming poll. While you could add images before, the new process allows you to simply past the URL for an image and the image will appear.

Similar to Padlet but with more features, Dotstorming should definitely have a place in your toolbelt. Not only is it great for brainstorming ideas, it’s a wonderful way to post discussion questions, math problems with several correct and incorrect solutions, and anything you want students to discuss as it includes a chat box. It works on any device and can be used by even very young students. Take a look at it today!

This blog was updated with new content on April 19, 2017.

 

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infographics
Web 2.0 Tool

Infographic-Creation Strategies for the Art-Challenged

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

I don’t remember how it happened or what I was working on, but the “F” in Art on my kindergarten report card painted its own picture. And that “painting” hangs on my mental wall of shame, a constant reminder that I am terrible at art.

In that context, that is why the act of creating infographics can be stressful and frustrating; nothing you create will be good enough to meet the standards of your inner critic. That inner art critic may be saying any of the following to you:

  • You can’t draw.
  • Stick figures will be as good as you ever get.
  • You don’t know enough to make an infographic.

By taking action against the inner critic, you can silence that inner voice that stops you before you begin. But how DO you take action?

Three Strategies to Creating Infographics

While chatting with Peggy Reimers (Director of Professional Development) during a TCEA Lunch and Learn (free weekly webinars available only to TCEA members), she made the following recommendations. I have followed each strategy with some reflection and ideas from the Lunch and Learn chat:

Strategy 1: Voice and Choice

Voice and choice are powerful motivators. That sense of ownership can be quite beneficial when designing infographics, whether alone or as part of a team.

When creating an infographic, voice and choice may manifest as having a say about what information you are sharing, finding a way that uniquely expresses who you are and intersects with the content. As an infographic creator, do not forget to ask yourself, “What could I create that would make this more helpful to viewers?” To do that, I ask myself, “In each of my respective roles as a teacher, administrator, parent, how could I make an infographic that answers my questions and meets my needs?” Once you have overcome your fear, consider using a site like Daily Infographic as inspiration, not for examples that you may never be able to replicate (“Be silent, inner critic! Silent!”), but for examples of design elements you can incorporate into your own creations. And some might find this rubric for digital infographics helpful.

Did You Know?
TCEA Lunch and Learn webinars (there are other webinars that you can sign up for, too) are FREE for TCEA members, and membership is only $49 a year! Wow! And you get access to LOTS of resources that might take you days to find via your favorite professional learning network. And, reflecting on building your PLN, have you considered adding these accounts to those you follow on Twitter? @preimers, @diben, @drbruceellis, @mguhlin and, of course, @TCEA ?

Strategy 2: Start with a specific topic

Starting with a specific topic, the more specific the better, you are able to shed the vague unease of creation. This limitation actually enables you to carefully select what would be most helpful and engaging and avoid information overload. One way to narrow a topic is to make a semantic web or concept map (spider map). This is a relatively simple approach that makes it easy to focus on key concepts, information, and data. And while I may not use all the data in one creation, I can still develop it in another.

Strategy 3: Use easy tools

In Peggy’s presentation at the TCEA Lunch and Learn, several TCEA members shared some of their “go to” infographic creation tools. For example, Casey Phelps recommended PiktoChart (which Laura Howard [Twitter @saisdtechtrain; San Angelo ISD; read her blog] said World Geography students in her district also employ) and Infog.ram for use with students and staff. Smore was another easy tool Casey recommended, saying, “We use Smore as our instructional technology newsletter for our staff. On Smore, multiple users can collaborate; they just have to be signed in using the same account.” Others suggested the Canva iPad app and especially their infographics site.

And, finally, for overcoming your inner critic when it comes to infographics, Alison Berquette suggested beginning with Thinglink. Combining PiktoChart (used to create the infographic) and Thinglink (add interactivity for web posts) can extend the reach and usability of your new creation. Another supportive infographic tool is Easel.ly, which I have used to create some of my first infographics. It features, as most of these tools do, templates and clip art that make it easy for the art-challenged to spruce up words and numbers.

Join the ongoing TCEA Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) SkypeChat via your mobile device or online. Explore and share concepts at the intersection of teaching, learning, leading, and technology!

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Voxer
Web 2.0 Tool

Ready? Set? Vox!

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“May I audio record you reading your story?” I asked a sixth grader at a San Antonio middle school. “We will post the audio recording with your story on the web.” Earlier that month, I had spent some time working with students on their writing. The title of his story is How the Skunk Got His Bad Smell. In the past, I would have reached for an audio recorder (there are many available for iOS and Android devices). But this time, I decided to try a versatile app: Voxer.

Some quick info about Voxer:

The app styles itself as a walkie-talkie app with push-to-talk features that makes it possible to have just-in-time, asynchronous conversations. Connect with others using it on a device or online. Push a button on the screen, speak, and your audio/text/video is added to a “chat” where others can listen/view and then offer their own thoughts. It is drop-dead simple to get started with and use. Get it here for both Android and iOS devices. You can also listen to this audio recording explaining what Voxer is and how educators use it.

While you can customize your user name and organize chats with people with the free version, you will definitely want to get the Pro version, which is just $3.99 per month. The Pro version allows you to recall audio/video/text messages that you have sent, as well as manage group chats better. And you can save chat contributions indefinitely. Here is a chart outlining the differences between the Free and Pro versions.

Consider these approaches to using Voxer.

Approach #1 – Enhancing Student Publishing

“The minute kids think their work will be published, they take greater pride in the result,” says editor Susan Meyer (read source). Apps like Voxer allow a teacher to quickly collect photos and audio collections of student(s) reading their pieces. By going to the web version, you can save pictures, video, and/or audio to Dropbox or to your computer.

Approach #2 – Tapping into Students’ Collaborative Potential

“Greater access to technology and computer-assisted learning can be effective in engaging English Language Learners’ (ELL) motivation, developing writing and editing skills,” said Dr. Roland Rios of Fort Sam Houston ISD at the TCEA 2016 Convention and Exposition, “and tapping into the collaborative potential [technology].” At our presentation, Dr. Roland Rios and I had the opportunity to introduce a roomful of TCEA members to Voxer. Participants learned the app, then recorded ideas for how to use it in teaching and learning.

Approach #3 – Participate in Peer Learning Chats

“When we view ‘sharing’ as something that both supports and pushes us to be better,” writes George Couros in Innovators’ Mindset, “the big winner will always be our students.” The quote came from a picture capture on a mobile device and was then shared via the Innovators Mindset Voxer Chat.

Ready to give Voxer a try? Join the TCEA Voxer Sandbox!

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Chrome Music Lab
ChromebooksContent AreasGoogle Tips and Tricks

Why You (And Your Students) Must Try the Chrome Music Lab

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

Google Chrome is such an amazing browser, primarily because of its ability to be personalized for each individual using it with different apps and extensions. And now Google has come out with yet another amazing resource developed for Music in Our Schools Month: the Chrome Music Lab.

Now, before you stop reading because you are not the music teacher on campus or because you don’t think you are musical, please wait. The Music Lab is for everyone, and especially for your students, regardless of what you teach. This free resource features a series of experiments that let anyone, at any age, explore how music works. Designed by musicians and coders (what a fun conversation that must have been!), the site is designed to help you learn, understand, and have fun with rhythm, chords, arpeggios, sound waves, harmonics, and more.

I started playing around with the Music Lab and must confess that I soon lost all track of time; it’s just so much fun! I was able to create amazing (at least to me) pieces of music, experiment with sound waves, interact with major and minor chords, program a drumming monkey, and so much more. No directions were required, although they are available for each experiment; I just had to be willing to wade in and try.

The Chrome Music Lab would make a great center in an elementary classroom or work well in a makerspace at a high school library. Innovative teachers will be able to create engaging, interactive lessons around the science of sound, how tone in music can be compared to tone in writing, the natural mathematical relationship between a string’s length and its pitch, and how the speed at which we speak impacts what others hear. Because the site is so open ended, there is really no limit to what students will be able to learn. I would encourage you to put students in pairs and assign each pair one of the experiments. Ask them to play with it and become an “expert” in it. Then have them share what they’ve learned with others. And then turn them lose to experience the joy of music.

What will your students create today?

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Posts on a Padlet.
Web 2.0 Tool

Collaboration Tools

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Not so long ago, I had a colleague tell me, “It’s all about the collaboration and communication when you work at TCEA.” So true! The two tools below, plus a Diana Benner bonus app, are part of my work lifeline. Each receives a number one ranking in my book.

Google Docs is certainly not the new kid on the block, but Google Docs is the NUMBER ONE tool. In both your personal and professional world, this is a great tool for collaborating and communicating. You can plan a wedding, a picnic, or a family reunion without the confusion about which email is the most up-to-date. Google Docs can also make a great tool to divide and conquer at a convention, take notes at a faculty meeting, or tackle lesson planning with colleagues.

See the history of changes made to a file with Google Docs revision history, or, if you do not wish to give full edit rights to a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide, use the comment feature. Collaborators and viewers can leave comments directly in the files to ask questions, make notes, or highlight changes.

Padlet is a virtual wall that allows people to attach a “sticky note” with text. You can add images, videos, and documents anywhere on that wall from all sorts of devices. A padlet can be customized with a small image and background.

Padlet has many great features for educational use, and creating an account is recommended. Four different options for visibility include: private, password protected, hidden link, or totally public. Choose how the posts will appear on the wall: freeform (posts can be put anywhere and resized freely), stream (posts are placed one below the other), and grid-like (posts are placed in a grid format). Another great feature is the option to moderate posts. The teacher can approve student posts before they are actually displayed on the wall.

In preparing for a webinar, I needed to setup a Padlet for seven different groups. This was as easy as pie with the Padlet copy feature. You can Copy with Posts (create a copy with the same settings and posts) or Copy without Posts (create a copy with just the same settings like title, background, privacy, etc., and leave the posts alone). This is why Padlet receives a blue ribbon on my collaboration tool list.

Since it is the new year, I reached out to my colleague Diana Benner to see which tool I should try out in 2016. Her top tool is Voxer. Voxer is a free Walkie Talkie app for both Android and iPhone. You can send images, videos, and voice messages to individuals and groups. You will need to download the app and create a free account on Voxer. In order to create a group chat, one person creates the chat and adds everyone to that group. To get oriented with Voxer, check out the #eduvoxer hashtag on Twitter.

Happy communicating and collaborating in 2016!

Featured Image: Screenshot by author

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on September 19, 2023 for accuracy.

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BYOD

BYOD Across the Curriculum

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

This is a guest blog post  by Pat LeMay Burr, Ph.D., University of the Incarnate Word.

There are now three billion Internet users worldwide. 90% of the U.S. population can connect to the Internet. In 2016, approximately 704 million hardware units will be purchased.

So, what can your students do with what they now have? Increasingly, almost anything. Two major media categories for realizing creativity, mobility, and productivity on various devices (audio and video production) are discussed below, and additional opportunities are noted in the separate table.

Audio Production

Audacity: A longtime favorite of PC users, this free and amazingly powerful download allows creation of original audio files and editing of files from other sources. It works well for audio interviews, using a splicer microphone that allows simultaneous input from two contributors. Compress final files to optimize them for mailing and upload.

iTalk Recorder: This free iOS recording app is so simple. Press the big red button to record; press it again to stop recording. The app features three levels of recording quality and allows for emailing files directly from the app.

AudioBoom: Record and edit straight from this free app or just follow friends, podcasters, and content providers. You can record up to ten minutes per clip for free for an unlimited number of clips. You can also explore featured and trending content from around the world.

PowerPoint (PPT) with Audio: PowerPoint production now includes audio options, including uploading from your hard drive, connecting to an online source, or recording via a headset microphone. Open PowerPoint, go to Insert, Audio, and then choose the next step from the dropdown menu to experiment with this easy-to-use option.

Video Production

Photo Story: Another longtime favorite free download from Microsoft, this one has more sophisticated options than most users ever realize. Import JPEGs, voiceover, and music. Panning, timing changes, and on-screen text headings are optional. Ordinary photos can evolve into a dramatic educational video in minutes.

ShowMe: An iOS download, this simple-to-use video production application has features similar to the Microsoft Photo Story software. While Photo Story-compressed files are default-stored on a computer hard drive, the iOS files are stored at the ShowMe server and can be made public or private.

Screencast-O-Matic (or SOM): Both Photo Story and ShowMe applications rely on imported files as the source material, but SOM captures anything visible on the computer monitor. The flexible “capture” boundary may cover a small screen segment or the entire screen. Use keyboard commands to avoid showing on-screen mouse movements in the final video. Voiceover is available to explain, refer, or highlight material captured in the video.

Summary

The creativity, mobility, and productivity that were once limited to Windows products are now available for non-Windows users. The array of devices and options are, more than ever, offering new learning moments across the curriculum.

Additional Tools for BYOD Success across the Curriculum

Audio Production
Audacity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXB8FsazaJc
iTalk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTZjT_PF1xo
AudioBoom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQeu-MDZSzE
Video Production
PhotoStory http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-xp/help/digitalphotography/create-first-photo-story
ShowMe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OErJZQRD2Cc
iMovie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfX0ptAA10Q
Screencast-O-Matic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfowNVjefwI
PowerPoint with Voiceover

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uk4CU7uobM
Lecture Capture
Swivl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k9WK3PRVXQ
Open Broadcast Software

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuO3LZnt-Vw
uStream http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/42341916
Co-Authoring Collaboration
PrimaryPad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcTDjDmiyU
Google Docs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8acnIYKJ9g
Document and File Sharing
Dropbox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rxeAydwkbY
Box https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He-h6vG17Gw
Google Drive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ydv7N7KHAY
Polling and Assessing
Socrative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPkqFxWHG4M
Poll Everywhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry0udGjAY28
Doodle (Scheduling) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fyDLCYt2G0

 

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Google Tips and TricksiOS Tips and Tricks

A New You for the New Year: Tools to Help You Achieve Your Goals

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Whether you call them resolutions or goals, many folks will be making them for the new year. While some are abandoned within a few weeks (or days), hopefully the main ones will be realized and accomplished so that 2020 will be a much more productive year. Here are a few tools that you might find helpful as you make (and tweak) your goals for the new year.

Fitness Tools

  • Fitocracy (iOS/Android) – Use this app to manage and track your workouts as well as meet with trainers and other Fitocracy community members to help you stay motivated.
  • 7 Minute Workout (iOS/Android) – If you are pressed for time but serious about wanting a good workout, then this may be the app for you. You’ll be amazed at what you can do in just seven minutes!
  • Zombies, Run! (iOS/Android) – If you are a runner (or a runner wannabe) and into the zombie craze, consider using this app to help liven up your time. Every run becomes a mission where you’re the hero and at the center of your very own zombie adventure story!

Time Management Tools

  • 135List (Online) – Prioritizing tasks has never been easier than with the 1-3-5 rule. Each day you identify one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks to focus on. You can access your list within your device’s browser or, if using Google Chrome, install the 135List Chrome extension.
  • Trello (Online/iOS/Android) – If you find that you have multiple lists that you are tracking, or want to better organize your to-do lists, this app is a perfect fit for you. You can also share to dos with others.

Goal-Setting Tools

  • GoalsOnTrack (Online/iOS/Android) – This app helps you track goals and habits for a better you. Use the journal feature to record information as you go along. After you try the free 30-day trial, you might find that the $5 per month fee is nominal for the help of getting new goals established and underway.
  • Strides (Online/iOS) – More than just a habit tracker, Strides touts itself as a smart goal tracker with reminders and several charts to help you keep track of your success.

Personal Improvement Tools

Depending on what you want to improve, there is most likely an app specifically for that. In general, though, consider tuning in to podcasts for live and relevant information from experts. Hearing a real person talk about the same issues you are experiencing can be very empowering. And many podcasts offer forums on their respective hosts’ websites for interaction with other listeners. Here are a few of the top tools for finding and listening to podcasts to consider:

  • Stitcher Radio for Podcasts (iOS/Android)
  • Podcast and Radio Addict (Android)
  • Overcast: Podcast Player (iOS)
  • Downcast (iOS)

What Tools Will You Use?

What tools will you use during this new year to help you accomplish your goals? Share with us in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

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Web 2.0 Tool

Tech and Treat: A Free, Fun-Filled Webinar for Everyone!

by
written by
The bewitching hour is here at last
And we’ve planned an event sure to be a blast!

 

From witches to warlocks, goblins to ghosts,
Join TCEA as your spooktacular host!

 

The staff are dressed up and wanting to teach
Fun resources to use that will earn you a screech!

 

October 22nd – what are you doing, I ask?
How about teaching and learning and wearing a mask?

 

Creep and crawl on over, monsters and ghouls,
And learn from TCEA about some wonderful tools.

 

Just trust when we say this won’t be a fright.
You’ll learn all the tricks to do your Halloween right.

 

4-5 pm Central, it’ll be a treat, oh my!
Just keep an eye out for bats and broomsticks that fly.

 

We hope to see you there, costumes and all.
This will be a treat for one and for all.

 

Join TCEA on October 22, 2015 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central for a fun, free-to-anyone webinar as we show you wonderful tech ways to get your students into the spirit for Halloween.
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