Google Chrome, Extensions, Google+, Oh My!

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This week I was introduced to the world of Google, like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia -- there's so much to see and explore. As a teacher, I'm beginning to realize that there are so many useful tools out there that I have yet to discover. Someone is out there trying to make our lives easier.

First, I downloaded the Google Chrome browser, which you can find here. As a first time user, I can't say that I notice a huge difference in it's browsing ability compared to other browsers like Firefox or Safari, however, if you dig a little deeper, you learn that there are these things called EXTENSIONS! Extensions are things you can download to make your life easier on various webpages. For example, if you're showing your students a video on YouTube, you may want to download and apply the Turn Off the Lights extension that makes everything on the screen (other than the video) dark to avoid distractions, or Adblock for YouTube which eliminates all those pesky ads that could take your students places they don't need to go. There are extensions for practically everything, from list makers to tools that help you screenshot websites. The possibilities are practically endless.

Additionally, I learned about Google+ this week, which I would best describe as a mashup between Facebook and Pinterest. This is a social place for teachers to join Communities and share resources about certain topics of interest, like Educational Apps for Students or Teacher Tips for Organization. Here you can also follow Collections, which are similar to a Pinterest Boards, and offer additional meaningful resources and ideas based on user searches.

All I can say is, Narnia is magical, and I'm not going back anytime soon.

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About Me

My name is Megan, I live in Overland Park, KS, and I'm a Head Start early childhood teacher. I love music, art, and I'm a little bit stuck in the 90's. This is a blog about useful Google features & technology tools that can be applied to any classroom setting. Teach on!

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