Where's that degree sign?

Tutorials and tips for iPad and iPhone

Here's a choice from the wide range of sites offering help for iPad and iPhone users. These articles and tutorials range from those suitable for beginners to more advanced tips for users who may have missed one of dozens of hidden features built into iOS and its apps.

It is now four years since I first owned an iPad, but even as recently as three weeks ago I had not found the degree sign hiding above the zero on the keyboard. I hope you will have fun learning something new from one of the sites listed below.

1. iOS guides Dozens of tutorials for iPhones and iPads very clearly presented.
2. iPad basics A series of free tutorials for beginners.
3. Navigating around your iPad Covers a range of gestures, swipes and button presses as well as detailing how to search your iPad.
4. 8 tips and tricks for browsing with Safari All of Safari's useful features, this article includes clear screenshots.
5. Every iOS trick you will need Lots of iOS tips and features often missed by beginners and seasoned users too.
6. Tips poster Visual tips for highlighting text, saving images and other common functions.
7. 101 iPad tips and tricks Divided into easy sections for you to learn a variety of functions to make better use of your iPad.

Searching everywhere

Tip of the day - 7

Add-ons for quick searching

Google is a useful search engine but there are times when an alternate search tool would serve you better.
Add a range of other Search Providers in IE and now you are one click away from searching the tool you need without having to go to that site first.

1. IE 8 - Select the down arrow on the far right side of the top tool bar. (IE9 Select the gear icon and choose Tools)
2. Choose Find More Providers Add your choices and select whether you want to have search suggestions turned on or off. 
3. Choose Manage Search Providers to put them in your preferred display order.

Now when you click in the search bar, select the tool of your choice before entering your search term.

Inspiration for this post came from Chris Betcher, who tweeted a link to his excellent Searching Everywhere tutorial for Chrome. Thanks again Chris.

Hyperlinking text

Tip of the day - 6

MS Word - 2

It’s time to tidy up those long web addresses you’ve been adding to documents. Are you teaching your students to provide hyperlinked documents? That’s how we are reading nowadays, so let’s teach them to write that way too. A simple way to start is to use a common word processor.

In MS Word simply choose Insert - Hyperlink. Paste the hyperlink in the address field then fill the Text to display box. Add a Screen tip if you want to provide extra information about the link that the user will see when they hover over the hyperlink. If you leave the screen tip blank, it will display the embedded web address. 

This works in the suite of Office products so if you are using PowerPoint for a class task or assignment, have the students learn how to correctly embed links to sites they have used. PowerPoint is not the place for a full scale bibliography.

Use Insert hyperlink to tidy up links in spreadsheets and emails. Tidy up hyperlinks in documents before uploading to your LMS so that the students and parents view a cleanly formatted document.

Use Insert hyperlink to provide quick navigation through a lengthy document or provide a user with an embedded email address. Once a basic understanding is reached, time to venture into the world of online hyperlinked documents. Many students will already be able to do this, but let's be sure all members of our learning community have this basic skill.
You may also like to read Jenny Luca's post on Hyperlinking text - a skill that needs some lovin'
Our library website also provides lots of tips on the ICT guide.

Renew and refresh those docs

Tip of the day - 5 

MS Word 1

Do you have old MS Word documents that need renewal? While you are busy editing the content, here’s a quick start method for updating your documents.

1. Open document, use CTRL–A to Select all
2. Choose the diagonal down arrow on the Change Styles icon.

3. Choose Clear Formatting 

4. Choose the File tab and Convert. This will provide access to all the Styles inbuilt in Word 2010.
Now you can go over your document and choose Headers, Subtitles, Strong and Emphasis as needed, using the Toolbar to select each element.

5. Choose a Style from the Change Styles button. You will see the changes displayed as you roll over the choices. 

6. Save as .docx Your file size will be smaller and the built in style elements enable easy building of Tables of Content for longer documents.

Need some MS Word help? Check with your IT folks to see if your school or organisation has an enterprise agreement that provides free access to Microsoft elearning courses. If not, there are plenty of free YouTube tutorials. Check these sites for free lessons too.
GFC Learn free

Microsoft Office tutorials
Office Training Microsoft site

The bottom toolbar - Customise IE

Tip of the day - 4

IE Toolbars 2

The bottom toolbar in IE has a handy tool which reveals all the directories, folders and files on your computer. To see them at a glance, turn on the Desktop Toolbar. Here's how to do it.

Right click in a blank space on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen to reveal this menu. Select Desktop to turn on this useful tool.

Now the word Desktop will appear on the bottom toolbar.
Click on the double arrow to reveal the menu, roll up to My documents or My Computer to see all the directories, folders and files on your computer. Simply move your mouse to the left to reveal files inside folders without having to click open folder after folder.

Stuck with IE? - customise the toolbars

Tip of the day - 3

IE toolbars - 1

Stuck with Internet Explorer as your browser at work? Make its toolbars work for you.
Right click in the blank grey space below the web address (URL) or Choose View - Toolbars

Make sure Lock the Toolbars is turned off i.e. it does not have a tick next to it.
Now you can drag the favicon for any site (the little symbol at the beginning of the URL) on to your toolbar for quick access. Left click and drag to the “grey space.”

Help desk could be useful!

The shortcut to your library is indispensable of course!

Right click on any favicon you now have on your toolbar and rename it to suit your needs.
Now you have instant access to oft visited sites without cluttering your desktop, trawling through your Favorites folders or finding them in your online bookmarks.

Here’s a section of my Toolbar

Free libraries on demand - Australia

Tip of the Day - 2

This is the second in a series of tips for the staff at school but you will find your local libraries provide similar services. Pop in today and ask your librarian.

• Get your free Library card from the State Library of NSW to access all their databases from home
• The National Library of Australia also provides this service.  Register for your free card here

The National Library of Australia eResources

The state libraries in each Australian jurisdiction have similar arrangements. If you are a resident of another state find the details here.
State Library of Victoria
State Library of South Australia
State Library of Western Australia
State Library of Tasmania
State Library of Queensland
Northern Territory Library

Passing on learning

In a few weeks I will be retiring from paid work in school and moving to a quieter life. In a concentrated effort to share some things I've learnt from a variety of places over the years, I'm sending a Tip of the Day to staff at school via email, as it is still the preferred method of communication within many schools. I'll credit ideas where I can find them, but some lessons have been absorbed from many sites, apologies in advance to those not cited.
Here's today's offering.

Passwords

If you are not using a random password generator here’s a quick tip for generating your own unique password.

1. Take a phrase unique to you e.g. I’ve worked at Trinity Grammar School for eleven years!
2. Take first letter of each word, turn one word into numbers, add some capitals and that becomes - IwaTGSf11y!
3. Now use that with first and last letters of site you are logging in to

Examples:

for Google - IwaTGSf11y!ge OR gIwaTGSf11y!e OR geIwaTGSf11y!
Repeat one of those patterns: for Facebook - IwaTGSf11y!fk for Twitter - IwaTGSf11y!tr

Easily remembered by you, change the pattern and/or phrase every 6 months – Stay safe online!
Within minutes of sending the email I'd had half a dozen positive acknowledgements. Lesson of the day for me, remember to keep sharing, what you think is obvious may be new information for others.

Useful sites about passwords

Common Craft Secure passwords
The Mozilla Channel How to choose strong passwords
Keepass KeePass Password Safe