"Canned Responses" in Gmail

What is that? QR Codes in the Library...

Source: http://goo.gl/iEO6J

I have been working on this project for a few months now. There have been a few technical and logistical challenges to overcome but it is finally ready for the Grand Opening. Working with the high school librarian we have been able to add student-written reviews to in house library books and make them accessible to students on the web and (probably more importantly) on their cellphones. We have done this using QR codes. (Follow the link to learn more about QR codes).  

A couple of months back our library adopted a new cataloging system from Follett Software Company; Destiny Library Management. The most exciting thing I heard about the new cataloging system was the ability for students to write their own reviews of books in the library. I instantly saw this as a great opportunity to make the library a more collaborative and connected space. 

After one quick discussion, the high school librarian was completely on-board and excited for this new challenge and opportunity. It took a little experimentation and prodding to get the first students to write reviews, but we are off and running with a handful of reviews written which are linked to QR codes that have been pasted to the inside covers of the books.  

This the official "debut" to the district as a whole, but I have been talking with other staff members to brainstorm some ideas to promote this among the students. 

• Chocolate - The librarian will be offering a small treat to students who write a review for a book. Can’t go wrong there... 
• Advertisement - We’ve already hung a poster about QR codes in the library but we’ll be making additional efforts to let students know what is happening and get them involved. 
• Integration - I’ve got multiple english and reading teachers who are making plans to integrate book reviews into their curriculum and more specifically integrate their classes with the library on new and different ways. 
• Education - All of my students know what QR codes are and how they work, but that is about it in the school population. Part of this process will be sharing this tool with other students and teachers. 

Hopefully this is the beginning of a new implementation of new technology in the larger school community. If you have more ideas of how we could expand or improve this please leave a comment! 


For more info on QR Codes you can also look here: http://goo.gl/aFR5s

Using Groups in Gmail to Make Your Life Better!

Gmail provides a number of tools to make your life easier. One of these tools is Groups. With groups you can assign different contacts to a group and when sending an email you can enter the group name rather than typing in each individual or sending an email to a large number of "extra individuals."

The process of creating and populating a group is fairly simple and explained well here (http://goo.gl/Qu9dj) so I won't repeat it. Or if you would prefer a video tutorial watch here (http://goo.gl/lr90g).

Here are a few ways that I use my contacts groups:

• I have a group set up for each of my classes. That way I can send an email to my students very quickly to give them assignments, information, updates or anything else. 
• I have a group set up for the teachers that have the freshman class for study tables. This allows me to request students to visit me without overloading other teachers' emails. 
• I also have groups set up for students that I work with in extracurricular activities for Lights-On activities, Key Club, Robotics, etc. Again it is a great time saver. 

If you have any questions or other ideas for Gmail tips you might be interested in just leave a comment below!