Day 3 of the #12daysofedtech

I love it when I learn about new Google Chrome Productivity Hacks!  For this blog entry, I am going to share 5 Google Chrome hacks that will help you save time and lighten your load.  These hacks are resources, websites, tips & tricks, etc. that falls under the umbrella of productivity.

#1 Daily Routine Bookmark Bar Folder

There are parts of your day that are the same each day.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could shave off some of the time it takes to do these repetitious tasks?  Use a daily routine bookmark bar folder to help speed up daily processes.

1. 1. Create a folder on your bookmark bar and label it “daily routine”
   2. Add url’s that you use frequently to the folder (attendance, email, daily news, school lms, etc)
   3. Right click on the folder  and select the “open in a new tab group”

#2 Create QR Codes from the Search Bar

1. 1.  Type in the URL of a webpage or resource in the Chrome Search Bar
   2. Click on the arrow on the right side of the search bar
   3. Select “Create a QR Code”
   4. Download Code

#3 Use Favicons as Your Bookmarks

Change the look of your bookmarks bar to be favicon “little icons” instead of words.

1. Display your bookmarks bar by clicking on the 3 vertical dots on the top right of your chrome browser
2. Hover over bookmarks
3. Select show bookmarks bar

Add favicons to your bookmarks bar

1. Go to a webpage of your choice
2. Click the star on the URL search bar
3. Delete the text in the name field
4. Click on enter

#4 Send a Tab to your Phone

Have you worked on your laptop and wish you could send a site to your phone?  This is actually a lot easier than it looks.  Simply make sure your same google account is logged into both the phone and laptop.

1. Go to the webpage of the site that you want to send to your phone
2. Right click the tab above the Chrome search bar
3. Select send to other devices
4. Select your phone
5. A pop-up message will appear on your phone that says “Tab Received”
6. Hit open

#5 Cha Cha Slide

Ok, so this “productivity” hack may need some explaining.  Technically, this one may be a little counter-productive, but I am going to put it on the list as a reminder that a brain-break is a great way to refocus and be more productive.  Research shows that music can brighten up your day, put you in a good mood, and make you more engaged in what you are doing.  I am going to end this list of 5 with a fun Google Chrome hack.

1. Open the Google search bar
2. Type in “Cha Cha Slide”
3. Click the microphone and watch your Chrome tab dance to the Cha Cha Slide