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Issue #154
Date of Publication: March 19, 2016
Welcome to the SchoolCounselor.com eNewsletter which is designed to advance counselors’ level of technological literacy, application, and integration. You will find practical solutions and answers to technology related problems, especially as they apply to your job as counselor. If you would like to share a tip or trick, or if you would like to ask a question, e-mail Russ Sabella at news@schoolcounselor.com.
Must See Videos
New videos have been added since the last issue:
- Creating a thermometer chart in Microsoft Excel
- PDF Tricks
- The 3 Cups Challenge – You always win the bet!
- Any advice about using social networks?
- Google Docs: Type with your voice
Resources, Tools, and Tips
– Keeping Kids Out of High Tech Trouble. This site supports Dr. Russell Sabella’s work on educating children, parents, educators and other stakeholders about the responsible use of technology. Included in these pages you will find helpful resources, lesson plans, links, and more. Russ’s most recent book and workshops are primary resources for meeting this mission.
– SchoolCounselor.com eNewsletter. The SchoolCounselor.com e-Newsletter is an electronic publication designed to advance counselors’ level of technological literacy, application, and integration. You will find practical solutions and answers to technology related problems, especially as they apply to your job as counselor.
https://schoolcounselor.com/newsletter/
– Must See Videos. When I see a video that would be useful, inspiring, enlightening among counselors, I post it here.
http://www.schoolcounselortv.com
– Twitter. Postings about all things counseling, life, humor, and more.
http://twitter.com/rsabella
– Pinterest. Lots of resources for counselors, parents, and others.
http://pinterest.com/rsabella/
– YouTube. Counseling related playlists and more.
http://bit.ly/Sabella-Playlist
TECH TIPS AND TRICKS
Quick Reverse Image Search (only in Chrome Browser)
Hold S and right click an image to do reverse image search in Chrome.
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Select Current Page in Microsoft Word
This is one I wish i would have looked up a long time ago, I just didn’t realize that it was possible in Microsoft Word. Turns out, there is a shortcut for selecting a page without being a mouse ninja. After your cursor is on the page you want to highlight, press CTRL-G (this is the Go To menu) and type \page in the “Enter page number” field. Click close and then you can do what you need to do next such as delete or copy the page.
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Tips for finding files (Windows)
Finding a file is a lot like looking for a pair of socks when you get dressed in the morning. You can’t really start working until you locate those socks, and it’s something you need every single day. Windows can’t help you find your socks any faster, but it can definitely lend you a hand when it comes to finding your files
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/tips-for-finding-files
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Free Technology for Teachers: How to Use Find & Replace in Google Docs
Does Google Docs have a ‘find and replace’ function?” The answer is yes. You can locate “find and replace” in Google Docs under the “edit” menu or use “ctrl + H” to open the menu. Watch a video to see it in action.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/02/how-to-use-find-replace-in-google-docs.html
Here is a playlist of Google Tutorials!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtx-qUNKJwDz6b_3NaGTkGXaTPrLCpacY
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Flippity.net: Flashcards
Easily turn a Google™ Spreadsheet into a set of Online Flashcards (Free, but but they are supported by ads). This link will allow you to access other similar tools such as turning a Google™ Spreadsheet into a quiz show.
http://www.flippity.net/flashcards.asp
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5 Ways to Reduce Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Size
Is your mailbox full? Are you getting weekly or even daily messages from your system administrator saying you need to reduce the Microsoft Outlook mailbox size? This can lead to a lot of wasted time cleaning up your mailbox. Try these tips for a faster, more organized approach to keep your mailbox smaller and easier to work with. Note: Although these techniques are most valuable to Outlook users running under Microsoft Exchange (including Office 365), you can still cleanup your Outlook mailbox size if you are running Outlook as a stand-alone (POP3) version. Reducing the size often improves performance.
http://thesoftwarepro.com/reduce-outlook-mailbox-size/
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What are the Top 10 Excel 2013 New Features?
These happen to all be my very favorite as well, especially Flash Fill and Recommended PivotTables.
http://thesoftwarepro.com/excel-2013-new-features/
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80 Useful Keyboard Shortcuts For Microsoft Outlook
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/80-keyboard-shortcuts-for-microsoft-outlook/
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Animating Numbered Lists in PowerPoint (PowerPoint Playbook #1) – YouTube
In this video, the author (Tom Richey) explains how to create numbered lists in PowerPoint, how to animate numbered lists, and how to bring emphasis to items on a numbered list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EBP1ij9UKE
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The Top 5 Free Tools to Split or Merge Music Files
I get recordings from my interns so they can demonstrate counseling skills and I can give them feedback. I’m constantly running into the issue where they have to submit 2 or more files because their recorder accidentally stopped or they hit “stop” rather than “pause” or something else. I did not realize how easy it is to merge the files before submitting. My favorite is the command option which i just tried and it works like a charm! These methods would also work if you needed to merge multiple songs or other files into one long one.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-free-tools-split-merge-music-files/
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Microsoft Word: Hard Space
To keep two words together, use a non-breaking or “hard” space. To do this, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys as you press the Spacebar. So, for example, the phrase Mrs. Smith will always be together on the same line when you do it this way.
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Google Forms Add-on:Choice Eliminator – YouTube
Choice Eliminator will eliminate options from a multiple-choice, list, or checkbox type of question. Great for signing up for time slots or having students choose topics without doubling up. Version 2 uses spreadsheet functions to keep the results up-to-date, besides being more reliable when using limits, this allows you to restore eliminated choices and set the order.
Get the addon directly here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFcLgN1QVTg
Also check out Email Notifications for Google Forms – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygnww96eXE8
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Jazz Factory Blog: PowerPoint Tip – 3 Professional ways to Design your Agenda slide
Three contemporary ways to redesign your agenda slide and make it look professional.
http://blog.jazzfactory.in/2016/02/powerpoint-tip-3-professional-ways-to.html
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WORTHY WEBSITES AND SOFTWARE
Quizalize
If you like Kahoot, you might like this one even more .. Make fun games on any topic, to play in class or as homework
Watch videos about this tool here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsN-UvRQ-hYUAndrQePJkMA
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Kiddle – Visual search engine for kids
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The Time Elapsed Analysis & Reporting System (T.E.A.R.S.) is a Microsoft Excel add-in that automatically calculates the total amount of time that you have spent in different aspects of your work. After exporting your calendar data from Microsoft Outlook to Excel, this add-in extracts elapsed time, sums up the number of hours in each category, and then produces both a table and a chart. If you ever wondered where your time goes, you will want to use T.E.A.R.S. to learn more.
http://www.schoolcounselor.com/tears/
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35 Permission Slip Templates & Field Trip Forms
There are situations that may require another adult to take care of your child who is a minor, these could be occasioned by a trip or a school activity which requires travel to a location that’s away from home. As a parent or a guardian it is a requirement by law to give your consent on your child being away from home while in the care of another adult. A good way to lawfully do this is by the use of a permission slip.
http://templatelab.com/permission-slip/
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Zaption provides free interactive video tools and ready-to-use video lessons to engage learners. Our video platform is perfect for blended and flipped K-12 classrooms, higher ed & training. This link will take you to a school counselor, Jim Deeken, using this tool in action:
https://www.zaption.com/lessons/569e65cc6ad2b9f90bf1827e
Watch the Zaption Demo Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=92&v=SxEu112XMNw
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Free Images – Pixabay
Free images and videos you can use anywhere. According to the site, “All images and videos on Pixabay are released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty-free for anything you like, even in commercial applications”
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Padlet
Easy way to create and collaborate in the world (with students, staff, or anyone).
Watch a tutorial here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzciL8qCYM
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Three Tools Students Can Use to Add Annotations to Videos
Source: Free Technology for Teachers
One way to flip the standard flipped classroom model is to have students find and annotate videos that then submit to you. The following three tools can be used by students for that purpose.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/03/three-tools-students-can-use-to-add.html
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Online Photo Editing
I use lots of graphics for developing websites, blogs, presentations, tutorials, and family albums too. My go-to editor is pixlr (available online and also as a download for Windows). Pixlr has some terrific features although there are some that are missing. Here are several other powerful tools that, together, round out about every photo/graphic editing feature you can imagine. I also love these because, at least for me, they seem to be a great deal easier to use than Photoshop or Gimp.
Pixlr Express | Autodesk Pixlr
https://pixlr.com/express/
BeFunky: Free Online Photo Editing and Collage Maker
https://www.befunky.com/
Fotor
http://www.fotor.com/
iPiccy
http://ipiccy.com/
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JUST FOR FUN
Zero Dollar Movies is a collection of 15,000 movies that are available on YouTube for free. The site indexes only full-length films and no trailers, rentals or partial uploads.
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The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra – All Compositions – Listening Library
https://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/
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Relax Lite: Stress Relief – Android Apps on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.saagara.relaxlite
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Pac Man – Play Free, Fun Online Games for Kids (and Adults)
http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/games/pac-man/
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Sabella & Associates, LLC, 4922 SW 26th PL, Cape Coral, FL 33914
Sabella@Schoolcounselor.com
Dr. Russell A. Sabella is currently a Professor in the Department of Counseling in the College of Education, Florida Gulf Coast University and President of Sabella & Associates.