Fifteen Things You Should Know But Maybe You Don't

1. Students do not have email accounts through their district accounts. Their login name (like "smithj1234@my.sduhsd.net") looks like an email address, but we do not have email enabled for students. (This may change in the near future; watch my weekly emails for information if it does.)
2. Blogger and YouTube are owned by Google, and therefore are part of our Google Apps. Your district email account lets you sign in to Blogger and YouTube as well.
3. Nothing will import grades into Aeries. When you find yourself asking "I wonder if this program can import grades into Aeries..." just stop. The answer is no. Sorry.
4. You should be using the "SDUHSD" wireless access. If you're using "guest_SDUHSD" or "School", switch over. You'll be glad you did.
5. Every Emily Dickinson poem can be sung to the tune of "Yellow Rose of Texas."
6. You can access files in your H: drive remotely by going to files.sduhsd.net. If you're on your own computer, try "Advanced Mode" first. If that doesn't work, or if you're on a shared computer, use "Basic Mode".
7. You can save any type of file in Google Drive, not just documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. Just "Upload" a file (or click "New" if you're in the new Google Drive).
8. Wait, there's a "new" Google Drive? Yep. Click on the "gearbox" in the upper right of the screen. You should see a menu choice that says something like "Try the New Drive". Soon it won't be a choice, so the sooner you get used to it, the better.
9. You can drag files from your computer to Google Drive instead of clicking "Upload". You can also drag and drop files to different folders within Google Drive.
10. Student Google accounts are wiped out every summer, so if there's something students want to save, they need to move it to a personal account. (This is another thing that may change in the near future because of changes to the way Google handles accounts.)
11. iPads are not the only tablets that exist. Look into Android tablets, and you just might find something you like, for much less.
12. You can use the Windows Logo key on your keyboard for shortcuts:
• Windows Logo + P : switch projector display
• Windows Logo + right arrow : move the open window to the right half of the screen
• Windows Logo + left arrow : move the open window to the left half of the screen
• Windows Logo + L : locks your computer and requires your password to open it again; useful if you're using your computer in a classroom of students
13. In Chrome, you can use an "Incognito" window to let someone else log in to their email or Google Drive temporarily. From the Chrome menu (the three stacked bars in the upper right), select "New Incognito Window". Then the second person can log in without you having to log out. This can be useful if a student wants to load a class presentation from their Drive on your computer, or if you're working with a colleague who needs to use your computer for a few minutes.
14. If you type "1-minute timer" into a Google Search box, guess what you'll get. Try it out.
15. Google Docs has a "Research" option from the "Tools" menu. If you highlight a word or phrase, then select "Research", a side panel will open up with a search for that term. You can then insert links and citations directly into your document from the panel.