Easy to use and free … what could be better?
hrome Extensions are one of those topics that I never know how to handle. For some people they are more common than sliced bread, but others have never even heard of them.
Well, no matter which one of those people you are, you are going to LOVE this.
If you’ve never heard of a Chrome Extension, stay here.
If you already know what they are, just jump down below to “The Top 5 Chrome Extensions for Teachers” section.
WHAT THE HECK ARE EXTENSIONS??
Google Chrome is the dominant internet browser these days, and for good reason. It seems to work well with every website and both PCs and Macs.
(Tip: if you are a Safari user and can’t get something to work correctly on a website, switch to Chrome and bingo … it will work perfectly).
Chrome Extensions are like mini programs “attached” to Chrome that allow you to do fun and helpful things. Normally Extensions are free and do one particular thing. Here is a super easy example: I have an extension called “Custom Cursor” that allows me to change my cursor from a regular one to something fun like a pizza slice or a ninja sword. That is all it does.
HOW DO YOU GET EXTENSIONS??
All you need to do is this:
- Open your Chrome browser
- Go to the Chrome Web Store (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions)
- Browse all the Extensions, or search for a specific one.
- Click Add to Chrome
Here is a screenshot of the Chrome Extension called “Mote” in the Chrome Web Store:
Once you click on “Add to Chrome”, you should see it just to the right of your Chrome Address bar. If you do NOT see the little icon there after you install it, click on the “puzzle piece” icon. There will be a little “tack” next to the extension you want to see on your Chrome bar. Once you do that, it will look like this:
Now that it is installed, just click on it whenever you need it. It’s super easy!
*Careful because Extensions start to be a little addictive! If you install too many of them, it will slow down your browser.
TOP 5 EXTENSIONS FOR TEACHERS
In no particular order…
- Awesome screenshot
Now before you say “Oh I already know how to make screenshots, I don’t need this”, just give me a chance to explain.
I love this extension because it makes screenshots and screen recordings super easy and in only ONE STEP. So now you can take a screenshot of a document, website, assignment etc, and then annotate it right there at the same time! No need to download the screenshot, then upload it to a photo editing app to annotate it, then download that to send to your students. Now you can do all of that right in this extension!
For example, imagine I want to take a screenshot of my Google Classroom. Just click on the Awesome Screenshot extension and choose “Capture > Visible Part”.
Then you will see a toolbar on the side that allows you to add a circle, arrow or even blur out the areas you don’t want other people to see (do that with the “teardrop” tool). Then you can save it or send it directly to your students.
You can also use Awesome Screenshot to record your screen in video format. There are tons of things you can do quickly and easily with this extension!
2. Equatio
This extension is for math and STEM classes. It allows you to easily add math and science expressions to your digital documents without having to search for them on the Insert > Symbol menu on your computer.
But that’s not all! It has a handwriting feature that allows you to write the formula by hand with a stylus and it will convert it to text. There is also a microphone that will listen to you speak and convert that to text as well.
It even has a test and quiz feature that will help students insert the same types of symbols into their answers. All of this and it’s free!
3. Custom Cursor for Chrome
This is not an essential extension for your class … just a fun one.
It allows you to change your cursor from the regular black arrow to a neon pink one, a cartoon character, a sword or an emoji. Will this cursor transformation fundamentally change your teaching? NO. But will it be a way to engage the students? YES. They love it! What cursor will you have today? It’s a mystery….
Here are a few examples:
4. Talk & Comment
This extension is super versatile and a true time saver. It allows you to leave voice notes anywhere. Once you install this extension, you will see a little microphone on the far right side of any window you have open on Chrome. Click that, and it will record your voice for up to 30 seconds. When you finish, it gives you a link to paste the audio anywhere you want.
Like this:
I love to record audio comments as feedback on student essays or any written document for that matter. It’s so much more personal! It also eliminates misunderstandings because they can hear the tone of your voice. Plus, it is 10x quicker to talk than to write! It’s a win win!!
But you can use it in a million other ways too. You could post it to social media, on a messenger app, on a blog post comment or anywhere else you can think of. It’s truly a unique way to give feedback, offer a comment or share your ideas.
5. Wakelet
This one I seriously use on a daily basis. As I spend a lot of time online, I always find websites that are interesting with all kinds of stuff that I don’t want to forget. But if I close the website, there is no guarantee I will find it again!
In comes Wakelet.
This extension allows you to save the link to any website so that you can easily find it later. You create “collections” or groups of links so that you can keep them organized within Wakelet.
I have a collection for “EdTech”, a group for “Teacher Resources” and a group for “Travel Destinations” (hey, I can dream, can’t I?) Now I never lose any website or online resource.
There are lots of other ways teachers are using Wakelet with their students, but I’ll save that for another blog post!
I told you I would only include 5 Chrome Extensions, but what the heck, here’s a sixth one, just for fun:
6. Giphy
This fun Chrome Extension allows you to insert a GIF, sticker or animated emoji just about anywhere.
(A GIF is a 3 second video with no sound that plays on a loop and doesn’t require you to press play.)
Why do we need this???
Because life just needs more humor and silliness, that’s why.
This is just a fun way to get your message across or insert something humorous into a document.
Call me crazy, but it works!
It looks like this:
IN SUMMARY:
There are literally millions of Chrome Extensions to choose from. The important thing is to pick and choose them well because if you have too many, they tend so slow down Chrome. Some are fun and silly, and others will seriously make you more productive and save you time.
So now tell me in the comments which one you like or which ones I missed???
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