Throwback Thursday--Spooky Teacher Hacks

It's Throwback Thursday... remember these hacks from last year? They still work and I've added a few more. 

According to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of hack is: a clever solution to a tricky problem. Sounds like something a teacher would do. Tip, tricks, and hacks… just in time for Halloween.

• Google Research Tool. Did you know you can open a search window inside Google Docs? Open a new document. Go to Tools> Research. Using the Research tab, you can add content to your document and create the citation all in one place. To read more about the Google Research tool, click here.
• Windows 7 Snipping Tool. Use the Snipping Tool to capture a screenshot. Choose the whole screen or just a portion of the screen. Then paste it into a document and write the explanation to create a great handout. Watch this video for a quick demonstration on how to use the snipping tool. 
• Browser Tip. Did you know if you accidentally close a tab in Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox you can reopen it by selecting CTRL+Shift+T? On a Mac, use Command+Shift+T to reopen the last tab. (This can be repeated to open the last 10 tabs.)  
• Save More Trees. Print an article without all the ads using the web site, Print-Friendly, or add the Chrome extension by clicking here.
  
  
• Google Translate. Do you teach Spanish or French? Do your students need help with proofreading? Have student copy and paste their writing into Google Translate. Then have Google Translate read it back to them. They will hear the missing words and incomplete sentences. (I found a typo in this post that I hadn't seen before.) Read more about additional features in Google Translate here.
• Format Painter. This is one of my favorite tools! The format painter is a great way to put the finishing touches on a document. Whether you are choosing the perfect font or making all the headings in a document stand out, you can use the format painter to make changes quickly. First, highlight the item that you like, click Format Painter. Next, highlight the item that you want to apply the formatting to in the document. Watch this video for a quick demonstration on how to use the format painter. 
• Kahoot Quiz Gallery. Don't start from scratch. Search the Kahoot Quiz Gallery to find, duplicate, and edit a quiz to create a quick review activity. Click here to learn how to duplicate and edit Kahoot quizzes.  
• Paste Special Characters. Do you need a special character like ☠ or ✄? Go to www.copypastecharacter.com. Select the symbol or special character and it will be automatically copied to your computer's clipboard. Return to your document and paste (Ctrl + V).

What’s your favorite hack? Post a comment below and tell us about your spookiest tips, tricks, time savers, web sites, and apps. Happy Halloween!