Google Tips - Offline Accessible Google Apps

The ability to customize Google Chrome to fit your needs is one of the biggest draws to the browser.  Adding apps and extensions can make many of things you do or use just one click away.  What many people might not know about, however, is that there are several apps that can be used while offline.  These can come in very handy in places you do not have WiFi access.  You can find these apps by checking out the Chrome Web Store or by clicking here.

Google Tips - Table Borders in Docs

If you are used to using a processor like Microsoft Word, then working with Google Docs will seem quite different.  At first it seems like Google Docs cannot do as much as Word.  The more you play around, however, the more you will find it actually can do.  You just have to know where to look.

For instance, how do you hide the borders of a table on Docs?  On word this is simple.  On Docs, it can be done as well, however.  Right click on the table, click on table properties, and set border width to zero.

Class Calendar

This is a reminder to students and parents that the class calendar is up and running.  This is the agenda for the class as it contains homework, reminders, important dates and due dates.  It is easy to sync your mobile phones and/or i Pods to have access at your fingertips.  This calendar will help everybody stay in the loop of what is going on in class.

Update on the Chromebooks

The junior high class has been using their new Chromebooks for a few weeks now!  The little hiccups are working themselves out and it is turning into the great pilot project we all knew it would be.  Students are getting acquainted with Google Apps and they are learning how some of the applications (like Google Docs) differs from programs they had become accustomed too (like Microsoft Word).  

The 100 Word Challenge is still going strong and the Chromebooks have made the completion of the weekly posts much smoother.  If anybody is interested in checking out the 100 Word Challenge they can visit the website at http://100wc.net/ or they can simply click on some of the students blogs along the side of this page.

Google Tips - Research Tools

As the school year takes off and the classes are back and into a routine, so to is the use of technology in the junior high class.  Last year, the junior high got to try out everything Google has to offer.  It is quite unbelievable what they can do with it.  Here is another handy video of some of the things you can do using Google Docs.