30 Educational Technology Tips in 30 Days

We all want to be more productive, rested, calm, collected, alert, and generally amazing. Here are 30 tech tips that can help you leave the month better than you found it.

1. Learn how to make SMART goals.

2. Drink your coffee from a spillproof mug. Trust us.

3. Work in 90-minute intervals.

4. Show your Chromebook (or laptop) some love.

5. Schedule breaks into your schedule to do something fun on purpose.

6. Add a calming picture to your desktop screen.

7. Then hang a pretty picture in your office, about 20 feet away. Looking up at every 20 minutes for twenty seconds can prevent eye fatigue.

8. Color-code your Google Calendar.

9. Silence notifications to minimize distractions.

10. Use Microsoft Word’s Gridline tool to keep your document in line.

11. Dedicate a set time each day to read and respond to emails, and stick to it.

12. Drive the above message home by adding a statement to your email signature like, “I check emails every morning and will respond by 10am.”

13. Follow these hashtags on social media.

14. Set an out-of-office message for after-hour emails that reminds senders you don’t take work home with you. Remember. Those who need to contact you for true emergencies will likely have your cell phone.

15. Create embedded links in a Google Doc by clicking CTRL+K and searching for the content within the pop-up menu. No more extra tabs!

16. Use Microsoft OneNote in your next meeting for amazing notetaking.

17. Organize your desktop files into folders.

18. Empty your trash.

19. Commit these quick keys to memory.

20. Schedule coffee with a friend via a calendar appointment, so you both remember.

21. Treat yourself to a new laptop or phone case. It will feel like a brand new machine at a fraction of the cost.

22. Organize your GDrive or Cloud files.

23. Follow Arey Jones on Facebook.

24. Add these tips to your OneNote vocabulary.

25. Put a seven-minute workout app on your phone and challenge yourself to do at least one circuit daily (here’s one to try)

26. Listen to an audiobook on your commute.

27. Sort and empty your Download folder.

28. Catch up on what’s new in Microsoft EDU.

29. Watch a TED talk.

30. Go absolutely tech-free for at least 30 minutes a day (when you are awake).

These are just a few ways to boost your productivity and get more out of life in general with (and without) technology. How many did you do? We'd love to know.

Tech Cleaning Tips From Your Grandmother

My grandmother fit every grandmother mold possible. Impeccable hair. Crisp aprons. Mouthwatering homemade bread on the counter. She ran a tight ship with even tighter hair. For Grandma, spring cleaning was as much a celebration as it was a chore (but then she always smiled most when she was working).

I have more than a little of her blood coursing though my veins, and now that the weather is shaking off winter’s chill, I have the urge to clean as she used to do. And I can apply her methods to my phones, laptop, and tablet just effectively as I do everything else in my home.

Get sorted. While my grandmother had an eye and a hand for organization, my grandfather had a different method. Every weekend, she would group the mail, his receipts, and his tools and put everything back where they should have gone in the first place. Take the time to organize your documents and files in a system that makes the most sense to you, and delete files that are no longer relevant. For every minute spent here, you’ll save twice. 

Put the right things into the right storage. It’s okay to hold onto things (I myself am pretty sentimental). The trick is figuring out where to put them so that they can be reached where you need them and out of the way when you don’t. Consider organizing your files in bulk by year, and clearly label each file and folder with its exact contents. This saves you stress and energy, whether you are looking for Aunt Lucy’s china or last year’s lesson on volcanoes. And no, “Science stuff” doesn’t count.

Clear your desktop. If Grandma could see my laptop screen, she would sigh, “Clutter, clutter, clutter, dear. How can you see what you mean?” It was an odd expression, but I understood it. If you save everything to the desktop, you’ll never find what you really need. This works just as well for your desk as well as your desktop. Save it only for items you need to find quickly or things you use every single day. Rely on your filing system for the others. Delete the rest.

Clean your Windows. Grandma loved a clean window (even if the birds didn’t). If you are running the digital version on your laptop, Windows 10 has a handy Disk Cleanup tool to clean up temporary and unnecessary system files that could be obstructing your computer performance. Use this handy guide for additional information.

Empty the trash. Now that you’ve gotten everything where you want it, it’s time to remove what you don’t need once and for all. My grandma always emptied the trash as the last part of her cleaning routine, grabbing a bag and hitting every bathroom and bin on her way out the door.

Grandma made the most of everything (I can still taste her creative leftovers), and I hope these above tips help you make the most of your time and managing your technology this spring. If you found any of these valuable, we’d love your feedback--follow us on Facebook for more!

7 Microsoft PowerPoint Tricks For Every Day This Week

As a staple of the Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint often gets a bad rap, mostly because it’s associated with speeches, presentations, and seminars--and they aren’t always the most exciting events (to put it mildly). Since it’s estimated that PowerPoint is a key software on over one billion computers worldwide, it’s safe to say slide-based presentations aren’t going anywhere.

The question, however, isn’t where PowerPoint can go; it’s what PowerPoint can do to make those presentations even better.

Here are our favorite Microsoft PowerPoint tips to make sure your presentation goes smoothly.

1. Launch your PowerPoint presentation with one click. To start your presentation off quickly and cleanly, all you need to do is save the file with a .PPS or .PPSX file extension and save it to your desktop. Instead of nervously launching from editing mode or from your email (for all the world to see), all you’ll do is double-click and get on with the show. (Keep your desktop free of embarrassing distractions for full professional effect).

2. State your case in black and white. PowerPoint presentations are meant to be an aid to your presentation--not necessarily be a word-for-word account of it. To keep them from being a distraction, press “B” or “W” on your keyboard to make the screen black or white. This will help your audience focus on you and what you are saying.

3. Doing a demo? Get a screenshot. If you need to replicate the feel of your computer screen while giving a presentation, use the PowerPoint Screenshot tool on the Insert tab. It will give you a thumbnail of each window you currently have open. Simply select, resize, and click--and it will automatically be inserted on your current slide.

4. Animate charts. Turn charts and graphs from boring to mindblowing with animation. Once you’ve set up the chart or graph as you need to, head to the Animations tab to turn on the Animations Pane. Pick an animated effect, add sound, adjust timing and, most importantly, change the “Group Chart” options from “As One Object” to “By Category.”

5. Employ Kiosk mode. For presentations that don’t require an active speaker, you can set the presentation to play in Kiosk mode, which will play it on a loop, no human required. You can also output the entire slide deck to a video format.

6. Duplicate without the CTRL C + V. Instead of quick keys to copy and paste reused elements, go one step lazier--hold the CTRL key while you click and drag on the element you want to multiply. Great for elements as well as entire slides.

7. Be zen with Venn. Venn diagrams are a useful visual aid, but they can be a pain to make--unless you know how to Merge Shapes. Simply layer your pre-created shapes as you want, head to the Drawing Tools, and select “Merge Shapes” from the menu. This feature also makes light work of inserting pictures and text into shapes and vice versa. 

There are so many ways to do more in Microsoft PowerPoint in less time. We can help you figure them out.

Google Gold: 7 Nuggets You Didn’t Know Existed in the Google Suite

G Suite--what most of us first knew as Google Apps for Work--is one of the most powerful cloud-based collaborative and productive tools on the market. It’s no secret why it has become the fastest go-to for schools, business, and personal use. The trick is how to make the most of it.

Here we’ve broken down our favorite hidden gem for each product in GSuite (so far). We’re finding more ways to use these tools all the time, so check back often for more tips!

Gmail Tip: Get the Group Together

Use Contact Groups to get your team, your classroom, and your students’ parents all on the same page. By creating separate groups for each, you can email the group without fear of forgetting anyone important, and you can easily manage additions and edits. To avoid the awkward accidental Reply-All moments, put your own address in the “To:” field and use “BCC:” for your group.

Google Forms Tip: Form an Opinion (Poll)

This underutilized app can help you take a quick poll, give a test, get to know your students, and reach out to parents right where it’s easy for them--online. The Google Form generator is easy to use and intuitive, you can choose from text answers to multiple choice, check boxes, lists, sales and schedule options.

Google Scholar: Use Your Resources

Google Scholar performs your query against an index of scholarly publications. It works the same as a Google Search, only it filters everything out but academic papers across an array of disciplines and formats.

Google Drawings: Chart Your Heart Out

Whether you use it as a literal drawing board for collaboration or as a place to create customized charts and graphs, Google Drawings can bring your documents, presentations, and imaginations to light. As part of the Google Docs package, it’s easy to use, integrate, and share.

Google Docs: Improve Your Image.

Within Google Docs or Google Slides, you can insert a variety of royalty-free images to give your paper or presentation the wow-factor you want.

Google Drive: Slash Your Search Time

If searching for your files is taking longer than just creating the doc itself, keep reading. You can perform a filtered search in Google Drive by simply clicking that tiny black triangle to the right of the field. You can filter your search by date, words, and how it was shared.

Google Everything: Find Your Shortkeys

Use the Ctrl+/ combo to quickly find available keyboard shortcuts--and then commit them to memory, so you save even more time.

What “Google Gold” tip has saved you more than once so far? We're always looking to add more to our resources here at Arey Jones.

Greener Pastures: The Dawn of the Paperless Classroom

I picked up my son’s backpack the other day, and the weight of it astounded me.

It was so...light. Empty even.

I remembered my school days. I didn’t just wear a backpack; I lugged it. I measured my progress in school by the physical weight of my assignments. I remembered how frustrated my mother would get when I home--yet again--with a broken arm strap or a ripped seam because I had demanded too much of it. After all, aren’t backpacks crammed with notebooks, worksheets, books, and scratch paper a normal part of education?

Not if technology has anything to do with it.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, technology--when appropriately used--can reduce paper usage by up to 30%. Take Bank of America for example (they did). When the largest bank in the country turned to online reports, forms, email, double-sided copying, and lighter-weight papers, it reduced is paper consumption by over one billion sheets of paper. That’s a 32% reduction--on internal operations alone. 

And if Bank of America can do it, so can your school district.

There are several ways to save paper and money through the use of technology. 

• Use emailed school and class newsletters instead of sending home printed ones.

• Direct parents toward a consistent website or web page for frequently asked questions, the latest news, or the most recent homework assignments.

• Store documents in electronic archives for instant retrieval (rather than relying on file cabinets).

• Encourage the use of on-screen editing features, instead of printing and editing by hand.

• Share events on a shared calendar with reminders.

• Use Google Forms instead of worksheets, quizzes, and paper tests.

• Use Google Drawings for scratch paper.

• Use OneNote for notetaking.

• Embrace the cloud system for swift data recovery and increased collaboration and distribution of resources.

But it’s more than just paper schools are saving. Printing supplies--everything from copier purchases to toner to maintenance contracts--are expensive line items. With reduced paper comes reduced printing costs, and printing supplies--everything from copier purchases to toner to maintenance contracts--are expensive line items. Moving to educational technology also saves more precious resources: family time, patience, creativity, sanity, and wear and tear on a backpack you can keep for years.

How does your school save natural resources while unleashing productivity, innovation, and collaboration? We can always help you find more ways.

6 Tools in Google Docs To Help Write (and Grade) Term Papers

We’re in the throws of March Madness, and productivity across American businesses--and classrooms--is taking a nosedive. (Research shows that employers lose an estimated $4 billion in revenue due to the paid time lost in managing brackets, discussing team matchups, and watching games.)

And your students aren’t immune.

While college basketball teams are gearing up for the culmination of the season, high-school students across the country are prepping for midterms, term papers, and research projects. To stay ahead of the game, they have to stay on the ball--and Google Docs is a fan favorite.

1. Choose your Add-ons wisely.
   There are several Google Doc add-ons that can help you write--and grade--an effective paper. Word clouds, editing tools, a worthy thesaurus--all of these can improve your language and flow while demonstrating your knowledge of the material. Before you start adding a bunch, however, start with Extensity, an add-on that makes sure extensions and additional add-ons play well with each other.
   
   Try: Pro Writing Aid, Kaizena, and Easy Bib

2. Get a second opinion.
   Having another set of eyes on your paper is always a good thing. An unbiased proofreader will catch unclear phrasing, grammar, and flow problems, and they may be able to offer insight on specific context you could be missing. Use the Chats and Comments functions within Google Docs to make sure you and your friendly editor are both on the same page.

3. Find supporting research.
   Just like you can use the CTRL + K function to create link text, you can also use it to find likely resources--and sources— for your material. Simply type out the topics you are researching, highlight, and hit the shortkeys, and Google will give you some suggestions. Make sure to cite!

4. Use your Tools to Explore
   Another excellent resource in the Google Doc toolbox is the Explore function. Hidden in the Tools menu, Explore opens a side tab in your doc and gives you additional ideas and sources that support your paper based on the phrases, topics, and ideas you are talking about. It pulls from other Google services, like Google Scholar, Google Images, Google Quotes, and Google Dictionary.

5. Harness collaboration.
   With Google Docs, you can pass around thoughts, edits, suggestions, and formatting questions with relative ease. You can also sneak back into past revisions if a tossed idea ends up being relevant again. These commenting tools are also crucial for teachers who want to encourage deeper research or call out worthy sentences.
   
   Tip: Make sure you understand the difference between the Editing and Suggesting modes in active collaborating. Determine who has the final say before ideas start to swarm.

6. Minimize distractions.
   While not a specific function of Google Docs, it’s all-in-house ability to focus a student’s efforts can help funnel creativity in a purposeful, productive way. There’s no need to have multiple tabs open (including ones with live updates of the games); there’s just you and the page, and all the time and tools in the world to fill it.

What add-ons are you using in your Drive? We would love to know.

How To Put Play Tech to Work

As an educational technology company, we love to talk about how technology helps kids learn more efficiently, engage in heightened collaboration, and access real-time data and resources that would otherwise be unavailable in traditional classrooms. Technology can and often does make us better at almost everything.

And it can make us really good at being distracted. 

One could argue that the minds of students have always been easily lured away from classroom activity. The only difference now is that instead of staring out of windows, they are staring into Microsoft’s equivalent; instead of daydreaming, they are building virtual realities in Minecraft.

As adults can attest, switching from “play mode” to “work mode” isn’t easy, especially when using the same device for both. Children have a particularly hard time making this transition; not only are they more easily influenced by technology, but they also don’t get as many chances to learn and practice their focusing skills--and the distractions are only a click away.

And I don’t think we’re alone when we say us adults could use a refresher course, too. Here are a few tips to help you and the students in your life focus on what’s important and still make time for play, be it in their Minecraft world or on social media.

Give yourself a clear lead.
You may never be able to remove every distraction from your classroom, office, or home, but you can learn to clear and calm your mind. If it helps (and it likely will), remove visible and audible distractions from your desktop, log out of your email and social media, silence notifications, and put your phone in a drawer. If all else fails, fight tech with tech. These distraction-diverter apps can help.

Classroom focus: Guide the kids through a quick mindfulness exercise that includes some deep belly breathing before starting a new task.

Intentionally place your focus on the task at hand.

It’s been proven that multitasking physically shrinks your brain, so stop doing it. Work on your task or watch television or text your best friend, don’t try to do all at the same time. Your attention will suffer on all, and you’ll only accomplish a fraction of what you want and need to get done.

Classroom focus: Clearly state the one task you want your students to accomplish and what you expect to be completed at the end of the alloted time. Have them write it down or repeat it (out loud or to themselves) to make sure it sticks.

Take short breaks.

“Downtime is to the brain what sleep is to the body,” said Dr. Rich of Harvard Medical School in a New York Times article. “But kids are in a constant mode of stimulation.” 

There’s a reason why productivity systems like Pomodoro are popular--because they work in realistic ways. The Pomodoro Technique, which is a time management method that interlaces timed bursts of productivity with short breaks, helps keep people focused because it keeps work and play in perspective, all while allowing access to both. Make sure some tasks or breaks are of the unplugged variety to give the brain time to process and adapt to something new.

Classroom focus: Incorporate tech-free breaks throughout your day and encourage students to take breaks from a task on a regular basis to do something physical or an activity that allows their brain to rest.

What else are you doing in your classrooms to maximize their focus and learning potential? If you ever need ideas, we've got a few.

6 Markers of Memorable Mentors

We’ve all had at least one teacher or adult make a notable impression upon our lives. They singled us out, pushed us out of our comfort zone, guided us in our chosen craft, or put us on the road to our destined career--or all of the above.

Being someone’s mentor isn’t easy, however. It takes time, dedication, patience, self-control, and generosity--all the qualities that make a great educator (and a pretty decent human being). Here are ways to develop those traits and use them to benefit your mentee.

Make sure you’re ready.

Being a mentor is an important job--and it’s one you must do on top of the other important jobs that fill your life. Make sure you have the time, emotional intelligence, mental bandwidth, and organization skills to properly nurture a mentee, and you must be willing to work with students and young professionals who may have different backgrounds, education, opinions, and strengths. Remember, this is mentoring, not cloning. There’s a good chance you’ll both come away learning something valuable.

Light the fire with a good match.

One of the reasons your mentee approached you (or the other way around) is likely because you both share an enthusiasm for your job or your field of study. Embrace this and use it to shine a light on your mentee’s potential strengths, opportunities, and challenges. While this enthusiasm will fuel your initial arrangement, pay close attention to how well the two of your work together. Chances are the arrangement will either add to your own fires, or it will sap your energy and burn you both out. Be aware of this chemistry early so you can either mix it up or dissolve it before any damage is done.

Remember where you started.

It can be easy for those of us established in our respective fields to forget what it was like at the beginning of our studies and careers. Your mentee may enter into the relationship with idealism and unrealistic expectations; your job is to harness that passion and direct it toward what’s possible. Help them focus their efforts, find the tools, and develop the necessary skills. Meet them where they are, so they can determine for themselves the best way to go.

Be generous with your knowledge.

Great mentors are teachers, and great teachers are always learning. Take the time to clearly share what you know about your field, the industry, or the task at hand, and don’t let your mentee be the only one asking the questions. Make sure you both stay in tune with the process by asking how they are doing, what they are getting from the experience, and how you can be of greater assistance.

Stay available and accountable.

Establish a regular schedule for meetings so that you both can plan your time accordingly and hold each other accountable. Set the tone for these sessions, and have specific objectives. These expectations also serve as boundaries so that you can both tend to the other important aspects of your lives.

Remain objective and fair.

Perhaps one of the hardest parts about being a mentor is attempting to be an active observer. Mentorship is not friendship (think more LinkedIn and less Facebook); you are their advocate, but you do not owe them any favors, nor do they owe you any allegiance. For a mentorship to work, the mentor must feel comfortable conveying honest assessments and constructive feedback, and the mentee must feel comfortable approaching you for advice and guidance, even if one of their challenges is working with you or your field. Your role is to guide. Their role is to learn. There should be no hidden agenda or ulterior motives.

Mentorships can have a profound effect on education, careers, and personal lives. If you have a moment, we’d love to hear your stories about what being a mentor (or being mentored) meant to you. 

16 Hashtags Worth Following (and Tagging!)

We do a lot of Twitter outreach at Arey Jones because we love to be in on the educational technology conversation, and there is always something to new going on in our industry. Whether you want to contribute to the discussion or learn something new every day, these hashtags will put you--and your followers--in the know.

By Platform

• #OneNoteEDU

• #MinecraftEDU

• #Skype2Learn

By Software

• #GoogleSheets

• #GoogleSlides

• #GSuiteEDU

By Company

• #MicrosoftEDU

• #GoogleEDU

• #AcerEDU

By Broad Reach

• #edtech

• #education

• #digcit 

By Teams

• #GTT

• #MIEE

• #GoogleEI

• #edtechteam

Obviously, this isn’t an extensive list, but it is a great start to learning just how connected educational technology is to how we work, learn, and share advancements. The next time you share a cool teaching-with-technology moment, add these hashtags to your post. You could inspire others with your ideas, and you also may learn a thing or two in the process.

Ready to learn more? Follow us @AreyJones, or feel free to contact us traditionally.

Show Your Chromebook Some Love

Your Chromebook was built to last, and so is your friendship with it, especially if you take this tried-and-true advice from Arey Jones, your technology relationship expert.

Give your Chromebook some space.

While Chromebooks won’t get overheated like traditional laptops, it’s a good idea to avoid blocking airflow around the device while it’s on. Also, don’t get overly touchy; Chromebooks’ screens don’t work well under pressure, so keep your hands off.

Also, since Chromebooks are pretty literal, it’s a good idea to give your Chromebook some more space by cleaning up and organizing your files.

Keep it clean.

Friends don’t play dirty, and your Chromebook won’t either. The keys to every great relationship include clear communication, including a clean screen and freely moving keys. If a lightly dampened cloth doesn’t help you two see eye to eye, it may be time to take it in for professional help.

Handle with care.

Even the toughest Chromebooks still have delicate centers. You won’t hurt its feelings, but its hard drive may put you two on a permanent break. This goes for power plays, too. Chromebooks are only as good as their power cords and ports are, so protect them at all times.

Don’t leave your Chromebook out in the cold.

And don’t let it take the heat either. Chromebooks shouldn’t be exposed to temps under 32 degrees or over 100 degrees, which means they should never be left in your car.

It’s okay to do your own things once in a while.

Every once in awhile, your Chromebook may need to take a moment to process a few things. This doesn’t mean it has a virus (although you may want to check if it’s misbehaving by extension), but it could mean it needs a Powerwash.

You, on the other hand, shouldn’t feel guilty about not taking your Chromebook out to eat or letting it try your coffee or soda. It won’t take it personally; it pretty much grabs bytes without you all the time.

Create a secret language.

The more time you and your Chromebook spend together, the more efficient you can be at communicating. Start by learning our favorite Chromebook quick keys or press Ctrl + Alt + ? to see a pop-up map with all the available keyboard shortcuts.

Want more ways to create a lasting relationship with your Chromebook? Follow us on Facebook, keep reading our blog, and never stop learning.

18 Excel Formulas and Functions for 2018

You already geek out over Excel’s amazing functionality and its features in Windows. Maybe you’ve already used it to create a calendar template. Maybe you color code your personal budget targets. Maybe you already use it to track student progress, grades, test scores, attendance, and days until your next school holiday. We’re not here to judge. We’re here to help you make the most of what this powerful spreadsheet application has to offer.

Basic Conditional Formatting

When you’re dealing with a mountain of data, conditional formatting can help you find specific information quickly and visibly by color-coding cells that match specific criteria. For instance, you can highlight any student who has missed more than three days of class or any test scores that fall below passing. Learn more here.

Formula-based Conditional Formatting

And sometimes, just a basic highlight isn’t enough. Sometimes you want your spreadsheet to help you identify the next step in your process, like setting up a conference with parents or an email to the student. Formula-based conditional formatting can help with that. Here’s how.

=SUM(): The first function you learn really adds up.

You already know how to add up cells in Excel, but did you know you can hit CTRL + [Cells you want to add] to instantly add them to an equation? This is a fast way to add across random columns or rows.

=SUMIF(): For more selective sums

Sometimes you want to add and gather data in a different way. The =SUMIF equation will look for certain data in a table and add similar items together. This could be helpful if you track attendance by day of the week and want to learn which days most kids come to class.  Learn more here.

=COUNTIF(): Add up occurrences of a value.

=COUNTIFS(): Add up occurrences of multiple values.

The COUNTIF() function allows you to count how many times a certain criterion occurs in your specified range. For example, if you add a letter value grade to each assignment, you can use the COUNTIF() equation to count how many As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Fs a particular class or a particular student has. Use =COUNTIF(Where do you want to look?, What do you want to look for?).

More information on COUNTIFs here.

=AVG(): The average formula for above-average teachers

The average function works similarly to =SUM in that it allows you to grab the data within a column or throughout a sheet. If you use average test or homework scores to finalize grades, the =AVG function adds up (and divides evenly).

=MIN(): Find the lowest number in a range

=MAX(): Find the highest number in a range
This is a great way to find the range of cells quickly and accurately, especially if you are grading on a curve, or want to quickly obtain the range of test scores for a given exam.

=LEN(): Count characters in a single cell.
Never misjudge your Twitter character count again. This function will count the number of characters in a specific cell. Great for writing assignments with text limits.

=RANDBETWEEN: Generate a Random Number

Need help picking which student goes first with a presentation? Enter the RANDBETWEEN equation. Simply type =RANDBETWEEN(1,100) and it will return a completely unbiased whole number between 1 and 100  just like that.

=ROMAN: Convert to Roman Numerals

Perhaps not the most useful of formulas, but when C, V, L, and I are Greek to you, it can be a useful tool. Use =ROMAN(Destination cell with number you want to convert).

=ROUND(): Do a one-handed round-off

The =ROUND function allows you to round off numbers to a specific digit. Use =ROUND(number, digit) as the equation, keeping in mind that “0” digit will return a whole number, “1” returns to the tenths, and so on. =ROUNDUP() and =ROUNDDOWN() are equally fun, and further explained here.

=YEARFRAC(): Compare a date range to the entire year.

=DAYS(): Count the number of days in between two dates.

=NETWORKDAYS()

Still counting down to the end of the year? Excel can take the work out of that, too. Use =YEARFRAC(start_date, end_date, [basis]). For example, =YEARFRAC(1/1/2018,5/31/2018, 1).  Learn more about the calendar basis here. For the number of days or actual work days, use =DAYS(start date,end date) or =NETWORKDAYS(start,end) respectively. Place your date values in cells for increased flexibility and celebrate further with conditional formatting. 

These are our favorite Excel equations so far in 2018. Which ones did we miss of yours? We'd love to know and talk more about education tech, especially when it comes to Microsoft.

How To Prevent Tech Injuries

Technology has moved us forward in many ways, but it can also have us curled up in pain if we’re not careful. Here are four common tech-related injuries that are as easy to get as they are to prevent (thank goodness).

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)

If you use a computer for more than two hours a day, you could be at risk for computer vision syndrome, a condition characterized by eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. While the condition is temporary, it can be frustrating, especially for people who must focus on computer screens for a large part of their days (and this adds up to about 70% of us, according to the American Optometric Association).

If you suffer from CVS, add frequent breaks to your daily routine, adjust the distance between your computer and your eyes, and keep your doctor apprised of any symptoms that don’t go away.

Tinnitus

Avid cellphone users--those who actually use their phones as phones--may be at a higher risk of developing tinnitus, a consistent ringing in the ear. While the connection is up for debate, some studies found that people who talk on cellphones for more than four hours a day were at an increased risk of developing tinnitus, which is difficult to treat.

Tech Neck

Tech neck is the catchy name for a condition that refers to degenerative neck changes due to poor posture, namely the shape we take while we are pouring over our smart phones and laptops. Maintaining this posture for long periods of time can lead to disc injury, muscle strain, nerve impingement, and ongoing related pain over the shoulders, down the back, and along the length of both arms.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the reasons why repetitive motion injuries rank ninth for most common work-related injuries. The more time you spend hunched over your keyboard, the more likely you are to irritate the median nerve in your wrist, causing numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain in your fingers and hand.

Preventing carpal tunnel, and all of these tech-related injuries, is as easy as maintaining good posture at the keyboard, elevating your wrists while typing to avoid nerve compression, and taking frequent breaks to stretch, focus, and move your body in a variety of ways. Make it a habit to remind yourself and your students to sit up straight, pull shoulders back and down, and place both feet flat on the floor.

Arey Jones is here to make educational technology a comfortable experience for all, which is why we’ve been an industry leader for more than 30 years. Learn more about Arey Jones.

Setting SMART Goals For Your Classroom

While the New Year for the rest of the country started on January first, most teachers would agree their “new year” started last fall--and so did all of their goals for the school year. That said, January is the perfect time to review those goals, establish new parameters, and determine if they need to be adjusted.  

And using technology is a great way to do it.

We at Arey Jones are a big fan of the S.M.A.R.T. method of goal setting, a way of setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound goals. And when it comes to tracking and tackling targets, we dream big--and we dream in spreadsheets, calendar reminders, forms, and fonts - all in Google Drive.

Specific: Write Down Your Goals in Google Docs
On top of being portable and flexible, Google Docs allows you to share your goals with relevant people in your life, and they can leave comments of support, hold you accountable,  or add resources to help you along. How you phrase your goals is an important part of the process, and it’s important to keep these things in mind:

• What do I want to accomplish?

• Why is it important?

• Where must I focus my energy and time?

• Who is involved in its success?

• Which resources will help me succeed and which hurdles will make it more difficult?

Measurable: Using Google Forms to Track Progress

A SMART goal is a measurable one, and Google Forms is a relatively simple tool with many versatile uses. Simple set up the form to input all the metrics you want to track on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. From charting how many pages your class has read at home to keeping track of how many cups of coffee you’ve had each day, Google Forms is a highly-customizable tool that streamlines, validates, and consolidates answers and translates them into visible charts and graphs. 

Achievable and Relevant: Using Google Sheets to Keep It Together

Some people have found additional success using Google Sheets to track goals. Unlike a software with a steep learning curve, Google Sheets is easy to use, personalize, and adapt to your goals. Use Conditional Formatting to help you stay on track and organize your goals by worksheet to keep your thoughts, relevant resources, and successes handy. 

Time-Bound: Use Google Calendar To Set Reminders 

If friends, forms, and spreadsheets don’t hold you accountable, a daily reminder in your Calendar feed will. Create a fresh Google Calendar for your goals and set up small, actionable deadlines for the goals you want to work on today, next week, next month, and so on. 

What are your goals for the next semester? We hope you're able to accomplish them, and if you need help, we're always happy to chat.

5 Ways to Strike the Right Keys (And Keyboard Shortcuts) This Semester

While we wish life outside technology offered this sort of efficiency, it’s nice to know that these quick keys are there when we need them. They won’t solve all of your woes this semester, but they may create a little more time to make them easier to handle.

Find what you are looking for, instantly.

Want to know when an internet article mentions a certain concept or name? Hit CTRL + F. This Find function will not only tell you how many times the word or name occurs, but it will also highlight them throughout the document. Use the F3 key to toggle in between mentions. Want to find something in your files? Use the WINDOWS + E quick key to search File Explorer.

Want to use this quick key to find something more valuable? Give it a whirl. Click CTRL + F and type “sanity” in the field. <--See? Win.

Go back in time.

I’m guessing you already know the ever-useful CTRL + Z quick key to recover previous material and undo the most recent change.

Add to the time traveling ability while also eliminating the minutes (hours?) you spend moving your hand down to the trackpad or mouse to hit the back button on your web browser by using the CTRL + LEFT ARROW instead. Use the time you’ve saved to close the 13 tabs you aren’t using (and CTRL + SHIFT + T to open them all again).

Improve your vocabulary.

We all want to keep our conversations and papers engrossing, succinct, and perspicacious, which is why it’s nice that a thesaurus is just a SHIFT + F7 away.

Be in two (or more) places at once.

When you want to output your screen to a projector, broadcast to a wireless display or connect to one or more external monitors, you can find all of your options with the WINDOWS + P command. It will bring up an interface screen that will provide you with display options, all at the click of a button.

Start over.

We all need a do-over button once in a while, and your Windows machine has several to choose from. CTRL + R will refresh your browser. CTRL + ALT + DELETE will restart your computer. There’s also the handy power button quick-key for when you really feel like shutting down.

Want to learn how to save time with your educational technology in other ways? We can help with that.

5 “Cool” Ways to Learn Something New Over Winter Break

As much as we love educational technology at Arey Jones (and you know we do), we also enjoy time spent completely unplugged. This winter break, take a moment to explore the many off-line experiences that are right outside your door or in your game closet--and learn something new about the world, your family, and yourself in the process.

Get some fresh air.

Created in 1916, the National Park Service manages over 84 million acres of parkland in 417 areas, all 50 states, and four territories. Chances are you have a national park, a historical monument, a national or regional battlefield, a historic site, lakeshore, seashore, riverbank or scenic trail near you that is worth exploring. Bundle up and bring your camera; you’ll want to document and share what you find! 

Explore a museum.

According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are over 35,000 active museums in the United States alone. A vital part of American culture, history, and the educational landscape, these museums provide rich and real content for every age of learner. From spy museums to planetariums, from art museums to zoos, there is a museum for every interest, hobby, and day of the week (for the next 96.3 years). Explore them all here.

Read.

Nothing passes winter boredom like an adventure between actual pages. Put your nose in book and your feet in a library--one of the 119,487 libraries in the United States alone. Despite being chock full of fact and fiction, there is no single annual survey that provides real-time statistics for all types of libraries--but that is ok. All you need to know is where to find one, how to get a library card, and which sorts of books you can’t wait to read. 

Get your game on.

Nothing connects families together like some good ol’ fashioned competition. Dust off generational favorites like checkers, chess, cribbage, or even a game of war with two decks of cards. Stay home, make some hot chocolate, and brew up some fun right in your living room. You may not make history, but you will make memories, one move at a time.

Will you be unplugging over the holidays? How will you pass the time this winter break? If you're researching about educational solutions to provide to your classroom, be sure to get in touch with us.

Global Learning Opportunities with Classroom Technology

The Internet is a global marketplace--not just for the exchange of goods and services, but also the exchange of ideas and experiences. Communication, collaboration, and innovation are now operating on a worldwide workspace, and today’s students now have the chance to not only learn about the world but also immerse themselves in real conversations with the people who live in it--in real time.

Researchers are finding that there is a difference between the digital divide and what’s becoming known as the “participation gap;” it’s one challenge for students to not have access to the digital media experiences, and quite another to have those opportunities and not use them to access, participate, and create connections with information and people. 

How to Use Technology to Enhance Global Learning

Harness worldwide news to capture cross-cultural context and understanding.

As we’ve seen in our own country’s news sources, there are at least two sides to every story. Use this opportunity to help students learn how to uncover, identify, analyze and evaluate news sources, not just from the United States, but from around the world. Use these real-time sources to grow students’ awareness of how different countries, cultures, and peoples respond to events--and how those reactions are represented in global mass media.

Assignment idea: Take a recent global event and compare headlines from around the world.

Uncover personal opinions through research.

By widening students’ exposure to the opinions of others while also giving them access to factual commentary, resources, and collaboration, students are better equipped to discover their own opinions about global matters--all the while understanding the tools to form their own opinions about issues closer to home.

Assignment idea: Look for “citizen journalists” on the internet who find and report on breaking news as it happens in their countries. Ask students to analyze the difference between these reports and those broadcasted on the news and help them identify fact from personal opinion. Take it one step further and uncover the possible roots for those opinions and context.

Log into global knowledge networks.

Gathering our collective intelligence on a global scale is possible through the use of global learning networks where information is collected and analyzed. Reading and participating in these networks allows students to grow their cross-cultural understanding while actively and responsibly collaborating to build on existing knowledge. 

This is most evident in the world of science, where people can collect information and share it with people around the world for a common goal.

• Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is operated by NASA and the National Science Foundation in 110 countries. It engages youth, educators, community members, and scientists in collecting and sharing data internationally about critical environmental issues.

• The National SEED Project (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) opens up conversations between communities.

• ePALS: Explore ways to connect students, classrooms and learning opportunities.

• iEARN invites students to “learn with the world, not just about it.”

There are many ways classrooms are reaching across oceans and borders to learn about each other. How are you incorporating technology into your quest for to learn and teach greater global understanding? If you aren't sure, be sure to reach out.

Five Onederful OneNote Tips for Teachers

Microsoft’s OneNote is basically today’s version of a Trapper Keeper; it organizes topics by subject, has a place to store the pictures, videos, and freeform ideas may otherwise fall through the folds, and, bonus, it can be duplicated, shared, locked, and loaded anywhere. For teachers, it means being able to pull every component of a lesson plan together, from quizzes and writing prompts to resources, reading lists, and class notes.

One thing is for certain, the more you learn about OneNote, the easier it becomes to teach. 

Make Note-taking a Team Sport

OneNote gives teachers the ability to frame out a lesson and let their students fill in the gaps with the note-taking. By sharing a note with the entire class, students can access, contribute, and collaborate in real time--and long after the class bell rings. Password protection for notes makes it all the more secure.

Go beyond typed notes.

OneNote allows you to “make a note” of something in almost any medium. Video, images, audio, digital ink--all of it can be noted, recorded, linked, saved, and shared in the OneNote platform. You aren’t limited to an 8.5” x 11” sheet, either; its infinite canvas ensures you’ll run out of ideas long before you’ll ever run out of room to put them on. Creating new sections is easy--and you can even color code them by subject, note type, or student.

Teach in the moment.

Have you ever had an “aha!” moment in class and wished you could share it more readily with your students? Enter OneNote. With its immediate syncing capability across devices, you can take a picture with your mobile phone and add it instantly to your presentation, allowing you to teach and collaborate with your students in real time, just in time.

Embrace your own teaching style.

One of most empowering aspects of OneNote is that it’s not just one thing, nor does it confine its use to one tool. “Learning is messy,” says Tom Grissom, the Director of the Instructional Technology Center at Eastern Illinois University and contributor to the Microsoft Education blog. “OneNote provides the free-from tools to help you--and your students--think through it.” he notes that OneNote excels at “gathering artifacts for learning” while also allowing the information to be redistributed and assimilated. 

Get it all down and get it all done.

OneNote is the perfect bucket in a brainstorm. It speaks Google tools as a first language; you can toggle between Google Docs, Google Sheets, and even Google Forms as part of your lesson planning and classroom management practices. And, since you can take it with you wherever you go, you never have to worry about losing a great idea or missing an opportunity to interact with a student because you aren’t at your desk. OneNote lets you check notes, grade papers, send assignment reminders, share videos, and inspire a new generation of learners with a few clicks. 

How do you use Microsoft OneNote in the classroom, along with other Microsoft technology? We've got a few ideas.

Your End-of-Semester Tech Checklist For Google Classroom

Wrapping up a semester takes more than just accounting for all the class laptops, cleaning off your desk, and unplugging the printer; you should also spend a few minutes organizing your Google Classroom.

The emergence of technology in the classroom has given teachers something else to think about before locking up their classrooms for a long winter’s nap (or a much-needed summer break).

Google Classroom is a wonderful tool, especially when it is organized and maintained year after year. Here are a few suggestions to help you clean up after your last semester so that you can strike the right key with the next one.

Return all student work.

Google Classroom makes light work of homework by adjusting sharing permissions when it is assigned, and then once again when it is turned in. When you are done grading the assignment, don’t delete it; instead, turn it back to the student. This will remove the file from your drive and return it to the student (and they can delete it if they want). Emptying classroom files of assignments is a fairly cathartic process. Enjoy it.

More directions on how to return Google Classroom assignments here.

Remove students from old classes.

If you don’t want past students accessing (and potentially sharing) current class content, it’s a good idea to remove former class members from your student roster at the end of each semester. It may not prevent all forms of cheating, but it can be a strong preventative measure. 

Learn more about how to remove students from a Google class here.

Archive completed classes.

Archiving classrooms allows you to remove the class from your main Google Classroom page while still allowing you to copy, reuse, and access previously created material. The biggest reason to archive is that it helps make your page cleaner and easier to navigate--something most teachers appreciate, especially when logging in the first time after break. 

More about how to archive a Google class here.

Don’t forget about class calendars.

Every time you create an assignment with a due date, you automatically create a calendar entry in the class’s Google Calendar (yes, Google Classroom is just that good). Once the class is done, however, that calendar link just becomes one more thing to clutter your sidebar. Delete or hide the unwanted calendar in the Google Calendar Settings.

Clean up Google Drive.

Google Classroom is just a shinier, automated interface for Google Drive, which is doing all the heavy lifting of creating folders, sorting documents, and more. You may never want to dive this deep with your cleaning, but on the off chance that you want access to files in a different way, here’s your chance to keep your current files where you need them (in the Classroom folder) and to remove old ones to other locations as you see fit.

A good tip here is to create a Google Drive folder named “Archived Classes” and drag and drop completed classes from Google Classroom into this folder for safekeeping.

NOTE: You may never need or want to do this. This process doesn’t affect Google Classroom performance; it simply makes it easier to work within Google Drive for current classes.

Google Classroom has quickly become an invaluable tool for many teachers around the world. To keep it--and you--running most efficiently, it’s important to keep it maintained and organized. The good news? Unlike your physical classroom, where you have to move desks, take inventory, and haul boxes, you can clean up your Google Classroom at your kitchen table, coffee in hand, and in your pajamas--and it will still feel just as good when it’s done.

Want to learn more about what Google Classroom can do for you? We'd love to talk.

How To Password Protect Notes In OneNote For Windows 10

The password protection utilized in OneNote keeps your notes safe. Whether used in a scholastic, corporate, or business setting, the encryption and versatility of OneNote will give you control over who, and when, specific sections in your notebook can be accessed. 

OneNote is an incredible tool for getting organized and creative. The ability to lock, and unlock, specific sections within a notebook lends itself to many educational applications. Teachers can sharing the entire semester’s notes in one Notebook and unlock one section at a time. They can also place different versions of tests, quizzes, and study guides within each section, and then alternating between them and a new section to prevent hacking. 

If you haven’t used this capability before, it’s a relatively straightforward process. Locking down sections of your notebook is the easy part; coming up with a password you won’t forget, on the other hand, may be a bit more difficult.

Adding a section password:

When a notebook section has been protected with a password, all of its pages are locked and hidden from view. For additional security, password-protected sections will automatically lock after a designated period of inactivity.

1. Right-click the name of the notebook section that you want to protect.

2. Choose “Password Protection “

3. Choose “Add Password”

4. Type the desired password into the Enter Password box.

5. Retype your password into the Confirm Password box. Press Enter, and you’re set.

How to lock all password protected sections

If passwords have been applied to one or more sections in your notebook, they can all be locked simultaneously.

1. Right-click on any protected (but currently unlocked) section, choose Password Protection

2. Choose Lock Protected Sections. All protected sections will be locked immediately. 

In order to unlock a protected section:

Protected sections will be locked automatically when you exit OneNote. To unlock, simply:

1. Click on the section you want to unlock.

2. Type the password into the Password box

3. Press Enter. 

How to change the password for a protected section:

1. Right-click on any protected (but currently unlocked) section whose password you want to change.

2. Choose Password Protection

3. Choose Change Password. (If this option isn’t available, then you must create a password for that section.)

4. Enter the current password into the Old Password box.

5. Enter the new password in the New Password Box.

6. Re-enter the new password into the Confirm Password box. Press Enter.

NOTE: Each section in your Notebook is independent of the other sections. Changing a password for a section will only affect that section. The above steps must be repeated in order to change passwords for all other sections.

Removing the password from a protected section:

1. Right-click on any protected (but currently unlocked) section whose password you want to remove.

2. Choose Password Protection.

3. Choose Remove Password.

4. Enter the current password in the Remove Password window, and press Enter.

Important notes about passwords:

• Passwords cannot be applied to entire notebooks, only to sections within notebooks.

• All passwords are case-sensitive.

• Protected sections will not be included in notebook searches. Sections must be unlocked in order to be searched.

OneNote uses 128 bit AES encryption to secure password-protected sections. This is the same level of encryption that banks and the government use to protect military intelligence and personal banking records. If you forget any of your section passwords, no one will be able to unlock those notes for you (not even Microsoft Technical Support). Use caution when adding passwords to your notebook sections and when changing them. It is strongly recommended that you write down all passwords and store them in a secure location.

This is one of the many features that Microsoft offers. Want to learn more about what OneNote and what Windows 10 can offer for your classroom? Click below.

10 Ways To Use The Windows 10 Fall Creator’s Update

Windows 10 just keeps getting better, and this fall’s Creator’s Update is worth downloading. Here are ten things you can expect with the upgrade, and how you should use them.

Sync files On-Demand

The update’s new on-demand feature allows OneDrive to select data from the cloud when it’s needed—without having to sync full files and folders to a particular device. File Explorer will identify what folders are on the local drive and which ones need to be downloaded, a useful feature for folks who like to travel—and travel light, data-wise.

Add your favorite faces to your taskbar

Now you can pin family, friends, and co-workers to your Windows 10 taskbar, making keeping everyone in the loop that much easier. Drag and drop pictures, gifs, and files right into a contact for a quick way to show sharing is caring.

…and your text messages

Speaking of favorite faces, Microsoft is making sure emojis are front and center (and abundant) for messaging with a separate emoji panel. Access it by holding down the Windows button and the period key at the same time.

Get a Mixed-Reality check

You’ll need to purchase a separate headset from your favorite PC makers (Acer, Dell, HP, to name a few) to take full advantage of Microsoft’s answer to virtual reality, but it could be worth it if you’re a bigger gamer.

Find a design that moves you.

Microsoft is speaking a new design language with the Fall Creator’s update, and it’s moving. Literally. You’ll see the subtle difference in how the operating system looks and reacts; blur effects, menu transparencies, and detail in light, depth, and material make this upgrade one you can see and almost feel.

Game the system

GPU gurus can get their game on with improved performance trackers and metrics, allowing gamers to specifically track and control GPU utilization and memory usage.

Live on the Microsoft Edge

One of the more exciting additions to Windows 10 is the improved Microsoft Edge browser, which brings back the beloved pinned sites on the taskbar. It’s now easier than ever to shop at your favorite online stores, watch your favorite online shows, and keep tabs on your favorite talking head.

Write it down

Microsoft Surface owners will rejoice in the improved touch and inking features of the Fall Creator’s Update, and they’ll also love the new feel of the keyboard (with text prediction) and easier emoji access. For those who avoid typing in general, the new voice commands and dictation features are pretty spot on.

Call it as you see it

If you’re using an Android phone, Cortana will display all call notifications, syncing notifications and giving you the ability to text someone from your PC if you’re too busy to take a call. You can even “tell” Cortana to perform certain actions on your PC with specific voice commands.

…and hear it and say it.

Those who have used headphones with previous Windows versions can lament the poor setting interface. The Fall Creator’s Update remedies much of this with a new volume mixer, easier access t the sound icon, and individual volume control for apps.

These are our favorite additions to Windows 10 from Microsoft. What other features would you like to learn about?