Five On Friday

Happy New Year folks!  Since many of us will not be here tomorrow, I thought I would send this out one day early.  I hope you enjoy your four day weekend!

1.  Here are 5 tricks you can use on your Chromebook!

• Search + L will lock your Chormebook immediately.
• You can open apps pinned on the taskbar using a keyboard shortcut. ALT + Number, where Number is the position of the app. For example, on the taskbar, the first icon is always the Chrome icon which opens a new tab. Ignore that, assume that the second app pinned there is Gmail. Press ALT + 1 and you will see Gmail opening in a new tab.
• To take a screenshot, use the following keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + the 5th key over from the esc key.  It looks like a square with two lines to the right of the square.
• Press SHIFT + ALT + M to open the file manager. The file manager on Chrome OS is called the Files app. This app has an inbuilt audio player, video player and a picture viewer with basic editing options.
• CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + RELOAD will make your Chromebook do a barrel roll. Its cool! Do not forget to try this next time you are showing off your Chromebook to friends or students.

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2.  I received 3 emails last week asking how to change the background on a Chromebook or in Chrome itself.  I thought maybe some others would want to know as well.  On your Chromebook you can find your settings.  On a Chromebook you will find your settings in the bottom right corner.  Just click on the time and a menu will open.  From the menu you can access your settings menu.  If you are on a Windows machine and you are just changing your Chrome settings, you can find the settings by clicking on  the "hamburger menu", or the three dots that will be located in the top right corner of Chrome.

3.  Some folks have really wanted to use their Smart Notebook documents on a Chromebook.  I have discovered a way!!!  I have been playing with Classflow lately and I am absolutely in love with Classflow.  Best things about it are 

• It integrates with G-Suite for Education 
• You can use your existing Smart Notebook documents in it.  
• IT'S FREE!!!!

Please feel free to check it out or ask me to show you some of the best features I have found.  

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4.  This resource would be perfect for second or third grade.  This could be offered as a way to help them learn their weekly spelling words.  Students can click on the letters and drag them onto the "chalkboard" to spell words.  To access the resource, click on the image and then File-Make A Copy.

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5.  Friday at the Movies - Bloom's Taxonomy according to Nemo. (PS:  Scroll down under the movie for two bonuses!)

6.  It is time for our General Assembly to start working!  If you would like to be kept abreast of what is happening in the Virginia General Assembly, please visit the VEA General Assembly Daily blog for updates.  If you are an Association member, check with me and I will show you how this news can come directly to your inbox!

7.  There is a free poster on this blog that I really like called 25 Things to Say Instead of Good Job!  I printed it off as a 4 x 6 print and have it taped to my desk.  It would also be good to stick inside of a teacher plan book.  As I sit here and type this, it just occurred to me that this poster would be a good one to hang up and allow the students to refer to it when they are working in small groups!