Month: October 2018

There are several ways to create a new Google file. You can do it using the plus sign in Google Drive… or start a new document from a current one using the File menu… or go to docs.google.com/create.

Now there is a super easy way to start a new Google file… and it’s (dot) new!

Want to make a new Google Doc? Open a new tab and enter doc.new, docs.new or document.new in the address bar.


How about a Google Sheet? Try sheet.new, sheets.new, or spreadsheet.new.

Need a quick Google Form? That’s form.new and forms.new. read more

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If you are like me then your Facebook feed and perhaps Facebook messenger (if you use it) has been jammed with messages from people like this one.

In short, these folks have not been hacked. They are the victim of the modern day version of the chain letter. The objective seems to be to get everyone all worked up that they have been hacked and generate a bunch of traffic on your social media feeds.

If someone does guess your password and can get into your account. That’s a pretty serious thing and you should log in and change your password as soon as possible. read more

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Guess what’s back?
Back again.
To-do’s back.
Tell a friend.

(with apologies to Eminem)

One not-so-good thing about the new Google Classroom is that you can’t see if students have submitted work unless you click on the assignment on the Classwork page. One of the most requested features was that the To-Do list be brought back and now it has!

Click on the 3 lines in the upper left of the Classroom window to reveal the side menu. Then, choose “To-do” from the menu.

The To-Do list shows assignments from all your classes by default. At quick glance, you can see how many students have turned in each assignment. read more

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Twitter is an online news, and social networking service where users share information by posting messages known as “tweets.” Because of the 280 character limit, some recognize Twitter as micro-blogging. It is a quick and effective way to send and receive real-time updates. A tweet can be just text, or it can include an image, video, GIF, poll/survey, and the precise location of where the tweet is posting.

Many educators already use a variety of social media. With that being said, “Why use Twitter?” It is a fantastic tool to grow your Personal Learning Network (PLN) — your “flock”. Chris Malanga’s featured article last week discussed the importance of creating a PLN. He even shared some of his favorite like-minded educators and techies to follow. read more

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