Personalized Toolbar
Create a personal toolbar that is functional and great for presentations!

www2.yisd.net/it/personaltoolbar

With busy schedules, finding great useful links that can improve teaching and learning can be time consuming.  Use these tricks and tips to find great interactive, online resources that really teach, remediate, strenghten, practice, and enforce concepts.

Searching Techniques:

• When searching for a topic, use a Boolean search to find quality websites more efficiently.
• For example, suppose you would like to create a track for scientific notation.  Put quotes around the subject desired such as "scientific notation."
• Add the word "interactive" to the search.  This will  narrow down the search to websites that contain the type of activities most appropriate for addition to your links page.
• In our example, we would search the following term:  "scientific notation" interactive 

Critical For Determining Quality Useful Links:

• Links should contain a teaching component, guided practice, or interactive, independent practice
• Link description should be very detailed with explicit topics and content stated
  
• Different teaching or guided practice activities should be very detailed with explicit directions and guidance for requirements
  
• Should not contain excessive text
• Should engage students

Use these guidelines when selecting links to use with your students.

Let's find some great sites for your useful links.  Remember, the sites should teach, provide guided practice, and independent practice.  For our practice link, we will find two quality websites. Follow these steps:

• Go to Google at www.google.com.  Note:  If you have access to a search engine such as netTrekker, we highly recommend that you use it. 
• Type "Scientific Notation" interactive (with the quotes) in the "Search" field and hit return.
• Use the Quick Scan techniques provided on this page to determine which sites should be opened.
• Looking at the first site on the list, Eighth Grade Skills - interactive sites to use for assessment practice, let us scan the description.  The words "interactive quizzes" seems to indicate this site provides assessment but not teaching.  Let's skip this site.
• The site titled "Scientific Notation" has the words "interactive math lesson teaching" in the description.  This is a site worth looking at.
• Open this site.
• Answer the following questions:
  • Does the site have an attractive look?
  • Does the site have a teaching component, guided practice, or independent practice component?
  • Does the site have excessive text?
• The site does seem to have all of the components.  There is a "Learn," "Practice," and "Play" component.  Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.
• Use the back arrow to return to the Google search and continue looking for another quality site.
• The next site on the list, Comparing Scientific and Standard Notation Numbers, also has a great description but upon looking at the website URL, you will be able to see it is the same website as the second website on the list.  Let's continue down the list.
• Looking at the description for the site, Exploring Exponents and Scientific Notation Video Interactive, there are some keywords that indicate that we should investigate the site further such as "video" and "play interactive."  Based on, let's open this site.
• Answer the questions above for evaluating a good site. 
  
• This site has a introduction video connecting scientific notation to the real world and an interactive activity.  The site has an independent practice PDF that the student could open on the computer and complete on their own paper and turn in or put in their notes.  Based on this, let's use this site.   Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.

Getting More Widgets 

• Click on the Dashboard icon in your dock.
   
• Click on the plus sign at the bottom left and click on "Manage Widgets".
  
• A window will open up and click on  "More Widgets"
  
• Your browser will open up with many widgets from which you may choose.
  
• For our example, select the "Just For Fun" category, and "Hula Girl" widget.  Select your widget and download.
• Go to your desktop and click on your download to install your new widget.  The download will have an icon of a small  black box. 
   
  Once clicked, you'll see a box open like the one that follows.  Click on "Install."
• Go back to your Dashboard to activate your new Widget.

Great Widgets To Try:

• Category:  Transportation, Widget:  Gas - Allows you to find the lowest gas prices in your neighborhood.  Remember, click the small "i" on the widget to flip it over to personalize it with your zip code for nearest locations. 

Widgets

Widgets - widgets are mini-applications that help with day-to-day activities.  The "Dashboard" on the Mac side will have some widgets already installed when you receive it. Usually, you'll have a  calculator, calendar, address book, and more.   However, you can add more widgets based on your individual needs and preferences.

Opening the Dashboard: