ASA Weekly Tech Tips and News for May 4, 2018

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The spring winds are blowing in new tools from Windows to free up space on your hard drive, and a new Gmail, that comes along with some nice new features! Currently the new Gmail is on a voluntary opt-in basis. You can choose to use the new interface, or stay with what is now called Classic Gmail. When you decide you are ready, you can turn it on - it has some great features, like snoozing messages until you have time to deal with them and SmartReply to save you time responding to messages. Read all the details and decide when you're ready to make the switch. If you are not interested in switching, as with all other new Google features, it will be voluntary for awhile, and then it will be forced upon you. I haven't yet seen a date for the end of Classic Gmail, so you still have time to ease into the new Gmail. I've been using it for the past week, and do not miss Classic Gmail at all. In addition to several posts about new Gmail, there's a good reminder about how to tell which email attachments you should never open, preventing eye strain, and Google Forms tips. If you haven't yet embraced the wonderful world of Google Forms, take a look at all the time savers it can bring to your classroom.

• How to Avoid Computer Eye Strain and Keep Your Eyes Healthy
• Use Windows 10's New "Free Up Space" Tool to Clean Up Your Hard Drive
• The New Gmail Interface Launches Today
• Gmail's New Design Will Include a 'Confidential Mode'
• Google Tasks - A Very Simple Task Management App
• Reminder - These Are Attachments You Should Never Open
• Google Forms:  Set Your Default Preferences
• How to Send Certificates via Google Forms
• 25 Ways to Use Google Forms in the Classroom (with examples!)
• End the School Year with Epic Review Olympics (Free Templates!)

How to Avoid Computer Eye Strain and Keep Your Eyes Healthy

How to Avoid Computer Eye Strain and Keep Your Eyes Healthy, from How-To Geek by Melissa Karnaze
After last week's post, your neck and back should be feeling much better with proper computing posture. Now it's time to take care of your eyes.

Use Windows 10's New "Free Up Space" Tool to Clean Up Your Hard Drive

Use Windows 10's New "Free Up Space" Tool to Clean Up Your Hard Drive, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Running out of space on your Windows 10 hard drive, or is your computer slowing down? It might be time for a spring cleanup with this new tool that came with the April 2018 Update.

G Suite Updates:  

The New Gmail Interface Launches Today

The New Gmail Interface Launches Today, from How-To Geek by Justin Pot

This actually became available last week. Gmail will not prompt you to try out the new format, but you can turn it on if you wish, by clicking on the gear icon in Gmail, and selecting Try the New Mail. There are lots of new features and time savers in the new version. If you choose to give it a try, you will be able to reply to messages without opening them (from your inbox), when sending messages with sensitive information you can choose a date for them delete themselves (self destructing emails), snooze emails until you are ready to deal with them, and SmartReply, where Gmail suggests a reply to a message. In the new inbox view, you can see and open attachments without even opening the message, and by hovering over the message (not opening it) you can archive, delete, respond to a meeting invitation, archive or snooze the message. Google will also "nudge" you to remind you about unopened emails in your inbox that it thinks need attention. In addition to these features, from your inbox, you can also easily access Calendar, Keep, Tasks and Add-ons from the icons in the side panel on the far right. You can also work offline. On your mobile device, you can set your notifications to only alert you for high priority messages, and you can add the new Tasks app that integrates with Tasks on your desktop Gmail. To see the full announcement from Google, including demonstrations of these features, take a look at the G Suite Updates blog post. At some point in the upcoming months, Google will actively begin suggesting you use the new Gmail, and as with all other new formats, eventually it will automatically change to the new format. The look is only slightly different, and most functions are still in the same place as the old Gmail, so it shouldn't be confusing to switch to the new format, but feel free to do so whenever you are comfortable.

Gmail's New Design Will Include a 'Confidential Mode'

Gmail's New Design Will Include a 'Confidential Mode', from The Verge by Tom Warren
The Confidential Mode features are still in a coming soon status, but they are fabulous security features, so I wanted to highlight them apart from the rest of the wonderful new features in the upgraded Gmail. When they arrive in a few weeks, you will be able to require passwords to open emails, or set an expiration date on emails you send. This is perfect when emailing sensitive or confidential information that you don't want sitting in someone's inbox, or on their phone, indefinitely.

Google Tasks - A Very Simple Task Management App

Google Tasks - A Very Simple Task Management App, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

If you are unfamiliar with Tasks, it has always been part of Gmail to be used as a simple "to do" list. You can easily add items to the list manually, or by linking an email, and you can also add a due date so the task appears on your calendar. In the new version, you can now also add subtasksOn the desktop version of Gmail (not the mobile device app), Tasks appears at the bottom of the right toolbar (see image above). (In old Gmail, you used to click the Gmail logo and turn it on.) For mobile devices (phones, tablets, iPads, etc.) there is a new Tasks app. Before this, we couldn't access Tasks from mobile devices, so this is a welcome addition. Now if Google would just add a recurring date feature.

Reminder - These Are Attachments You Should Never Open

Reminder - These Are Attachments You Should Never Open, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
While we're on the subject of email, it seems fitting for a reminder on how to be careful when determining if you should open a mail attachment. There is a very helpful, short video that makes it clear what to look for in the message. It's crucial to keep these skills fresh!

Google Forms:  Set Your Default Preferences

Google Forms:  Set Your Default Preferences, from The Electric Educator by John Sowash
You can change the default preferences in Google Forms, so you never forget to collect email addresses (within the ASA/DOGR domains only) or assign quiz questions point values. Set the preferences so they are the way you want them for every form you create.

How to Send Certificates via Google Forms

25 Ways to Use Google Forms in the Classroom (with examples!)

25 Ways to Use Google Forms in the Classroom (with examples!), from The Electric Educator by John Sowash
If you are not yet using Google Forms in the classroom, you should truly investigate this very useful tool. It does quizzes well - and grades them, but there are so many other things you can do with Forms as well, such as bell ringers, image quizzes, certificate creator, elections, etc. Forms continues to evolve and add new features, and is pretty intuitive to use. I'm available for a one on one session to get you started as well.

End the School Year with Epic Review Olympics (Free Templates!)

End the School Year with Epic Review Olympics (Free Templates!), from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
It's that time of year when students mentally have one foot out the door. Here's an idea for keeping them engaged while they review.