Google Extensions are tools you can add to your Chrome browser to make it more productive. These can be shortcuts to integrating web content into tools you already use, study aids, platforms for student activities, gmail and so on. They are easy to add to your browser, and are easily accessed from your toolbar. The extensions below have excellent applications in education.
Scrible allows you to mark up web content. Students can highlight and annotate web content, and then share their annotated content with the teacher. Scrible can be used for articles and current events, close text readings, analysis of literature, the list is endless! When the student clicks the share icon on the Scrible toolbar, he sends his teacher a link to his annotated content. This is also a great tool for provided teacher feedback directly on web-based student projects, such as a Prezi or Weebly the student has created.
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Watch this video tutorial on how to use the Scrible Toolbar! |
Screencastify allows for simple screencasting of a browser tab. The extension uses an enlarged arrow to show the movement of your mouse, and also records voice and/or webcam input. The screencast can be saved directly into your drive or uploaded to YouTube. This tool does not require any software to be downloaded, so it can work with Chromebooks and tablets as well.
There are a ton of great extensions out there, and before you know it you'll have a toolbar full of them! Extensity allows you to access, disable and manage all of your extensions from a list that drops down from this one extension. You can hide those extensions you only use occasionally, and just access them from this list. It's a great option if you like to stay organized and avoid clutter.
This extension allows you to easily take screenshots of all or part of any web page. Once you've captured your screen, that image automatically opens with tools to annotate and edit. You can add text and symbols, and even blur out areas of the image you don't want to show!
Google Dictionary allows you to instantly get the definition and pronunciation of virtually any word on any web page. Simply highlight the word you want to know and click on the dictionary on your toolbar.
Click the Google Translate icon to translate entire webpages into the language of your choice. This is a great tool for English Language Learners, as well as students learning a foreign language.
Most people utilize URL shorteners for social media sites that restrict the number of characters you can post, but they are also great for directing students to a particular website. Simply click on the goo.gl extension from any website and you will instantly get a shortened URL web address that you can copy or write down, as well as a qr code you can share or post. Just write this short little URL on the board and your kids can easily type it into their own browsers and get to the page!
Daum Equation Editor allows you to make beautiful, customized formulas that can be saved as images or copied and pasted into other applications.
Twitter is increasingly becoming a powerful classroom tool. You can have your students tweet reactions to information, links to articles and resources, comments about videos - the list goes on and on! If you utilize Twitter in your classroom, Tweetdeck is a must! Tweetdeck allows you to view portions of Twitter in a column format, allowing you to specify what accounts and hashtags you want to currently display. For example, in your Algebra class you may add a column for #parabolas to your Tweetdeck so you and your students can quickly view what everyone is saying about parabolas at the moment. You'll be surprised at the number of videos, direct applications and references that will pop up in the feed! This extension just launches the Tweetdeck application (you can also access it directly in the website or with a Chrome App) to make it easier to access.
QuickMark QR Code allows you to right click in the blank area of any web page and instantly generate a QR Code for that link. QuickMark will also decode QR Codes found on the web, allowing students to use any computer or Chromebook as a QR reader.
Checker Plus for Gmail shows notifications in your tool bar and can make a sound when you have new mail. You can also just click on the extension icon to access your gmail without having to leave your current page, go to a specific page or log in. You can set up multiple accounts on this one extension, and clearly differentiate between the mailboxes.
This extension allows you to quickly open a new Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing or Form in a new tab without going into your drive.
Print Friendly allows you to create printer friendly versions of any web content. By just clicking on the icon in the toolbar, this extension generates a printer friendly version of the web page you are on at the time. From there you can also delete any content you don't need, allowing you to print only the elements necessary and conserving your printing.