Clear your Cookies

Sometimes Chrome (or other internet browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox) can act a little funny.  Things may not load correctly, or something just doesn't seem to work.  The first thing I do to try to solve the problem is clear my cookies.  

Support.google.com defines cookies as "a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer when you visit a website. At Google we use cookies to improve the quality of our service and to better understand how people interact with us".  

Sometimes, these cookies can cause some problems with how your browser works.

 Fernandez Gegen Den Strich
http://picchore.com/comics/delete-cook

Follow the steps below to clear your cookies.  After doing so, refresh the page you were having problems with.  Hopefully, the problem is solved.  If there are still problems, this would be the time to put in a ticket at support.seq.org.  

Clear your Cookies

1. Click on the three bars on the top right of your Chrome window.
2. Click on "History".
3. Click "Clear Browsing Data".
4. Change the time to "the beginning of time". 
5. Check "Cookies and other site and plug-in data. (And it doesn't hurt to add "cached images and files.)
6. Press "Clear browsing data".  

Google Docs Speech Recognition Add-On

Many of us have students that have a hard time typing or writing, for a variety of reasons.  There is now an add-on in Google Docs, Speech Recognition, which allows students to "talk" to their computer, and their words become the text of the document. 

Students can speak in a wide variety of languages and dialects.  The add-on doesn't add in punctuation, so a student would need to go in and edit their document to polish it up.  However, this add-on is an amazing tool to help students get started with a writing assignment.

The video below shows you how to install and use this add-on. 

Grading Online Work - View Two Tabs

When grading online work, I like to have two tabs open, splitting my browser screen.  I want the student work on the left, and my gradebook on the right.

Two of my favorite Google Extensions are Tab Scissors and Tab Glue.  These two extensions allow you to split apart your tabs into two equally sized screens, or glue them back together into one.  This works with any tabs you want to display side by side.

Alice Keeler, one of my favorite ed tech educators (check out her blog!), has just started creating her own Google Extensions and Add-Ons.  Her newest, Gradebook Split, allows you to click on her extension, and a new tab with your gradebook will automatically open, splitting your screen. This extension will make it so much easier to grade your student work.  You will need to enter in your gradebook URL in the settings for the Gradebook Split extension.  Check out Alice's blog for more information about how to use Gradebook Split and a video demonstration.

Notes about using Gradebook Split with School Loop:  If you have multiple gradebooks in School Loop, you can only choose one of your gradebook URLs to enter into the extension.  Also, you must be logged in to School Loop when you click on the extension, or, it will prompt you to log in first.  

Control SMART Notebook Software from your iPad

Have you ever wanted to walk around your classroom with your iPad, and control SMART Notebook presentations, wirelessly?  Even write on your SMART Board (using SMART Notebook) from around the room?  Now, it's possible!  (And this isn't like the old SMART wireless tablets where you couldn't see a thing on the tablet.)

What do you Need?

• SMART Notebook 14 
• (the district will be upgrading our Notebook Software from v.11 to v.14 very soon)
• an iPad (iOS version 6.1 or later) 
• sorry, we won't be able to provide you with one, but if you have your own, and feel comfortable using it at school, you will love this!
• SMART Notebook iPad App 
• It will cost you $6.99.
• SMART Notebook Maestro 

How to enable Maestro

• Download the SMART Notebook Maestro add-on.  Then Install the add-on by double clicking the download. Then select "OK" to continue and then "Done" to close the window.
• Enable the SMART Maestro - see the picture to the right.

1. Press the "Add-ons tab" in SMART Notebook. 
2. Select "Notebook Maestro."
3. Then press "Enable Maestro."
4. Restart SMART Notebook software. 
• You must restart SMART Notebook software to enable the connection.

Using SMART Maestro

• Open up your SMART Notebook iPad app. 
• Tap "Connect to SMART Notebook Software" in the SMART Notebook for iPad app, and then follow the pop-up instructions in the iPad app to complete the connection process. 

• Open SMART Notebook on your computer.

1. Open up the "Add-ons menu."
2. Select "Notebook Maestro."
3. A QR Code will appear.  Scan this using your iPad (after choosing "Connect to SMART Notebook Software" from the above steps.
4. Now, you will be able to control your SMART Notebook wirelessly from your iPad.

 

Note:  
There may be an issued if your iPad and computer are not on the same Wi-Fi network. (However, it worked for me when I was logged in to the Staff Wifi on my iPad and the computer was plugged into the wired Internet.)  If it isn't allowing you to connect, please put in a support request at support.seq.org to make sure your iPad is on the correct Wi-Fi network.

This will only allow you to control the SMART Notebook software, not any other website or program (like Microsoft Office).   

However, you can always "print" your documents or web pages into SMART Notebook.  

In a document (or webpage), click on print.  Change the printer from your actual printer to the SMART Notebook Document Writer.  Here are some step by step directions on how to do this, and other ways to capture your pages into SMART Notebook software.  Now, you will be able to write on these SMART Notebook docs with your iPad.