After You've Been Reimaged . . .

When you have been reimaged, or start using a new computer, there are a few personalized settings you'll probably want to set up. Below are two of the most common.

Create or update your email signature in Outlook.

Set your work hours in Outlook, then set up Skype to forward calls to voicemail while you're teaching.

Encore Tip! Never Memorize a Password Again

We're re-running this tip today because creating and managing secure passwords we can remember continues to be a challenge. Enjoy!

Today’s Topic: Memorize a System for Passwords INSTEAD of Memorizing A Bunch of Different Passwords

Who? Users who are overwhelmed with the number of secure passwords they are expected to generate and remember.

Why? We sign up for more online services and accounts every day and each one requires us to create a password. You likely realize that secure passwords are particularly important for your bank, district logon, and retail accounts that store your financial information. They are just as important for your Facebook and personal email accounts as well. I’ve just mentioned 5 different instances of needing a password, and it’s never a good idea to use the same password for more than one thing. This week’s F1 Tuesday seeks to give you a solution to managing all those different passwords.

How? Watch this short screencast:


Never Memorize a Password Again--Once You Have a System from 10Tech on Vimeo.

Stay in Contact: Easy Ways to Message Parents

Do you need this F1 Tuesday? Find out by taking a look at the Learning Targets:

• I can use Skyward's Message Center to post messages to and/or email parents/students.
• I can download parent and/or student information from Skyward (e.g. contact information, birthdays, etc.) into a spreadsheet. 
• I can import contact information from a spreadsheet into Outlook in order to create a new contact group.

How to send emails or post messages to Skyward Family/Student Access using Skyward's Message Center: Screencast: Skyward Message Center

How to download parent contact information from Skyward into and Excel CSV file then import that file into your Outlook contacts:

1. Step 1: Download information from Skyward (e.g. parent email addresses) into Excel: Screencast: Download from Skyward to CSV
2. Step 2: Import Excel (CSV) contacts into Outlook Contacts: Step-by-step written instructions Screencast for importing Excel into Outlook: Screencast: Import CSV to Outlook
3. Step 3: Put imported contacts into a new Outlook Contact Group: Screencast: Creating a New Contact Group

Learn how to disable/enable your email desktop alert notifications

Today’s tip is a rerun of a tip we shared back in 2010, but it’s still a good one, so we’re running it again today. Please note, though, that the demo video was filmed back when we were using Outlook 2007--now we use Outlook 2013. Worry not, though! The first two ways I show you are still accurate. The third way is outdated and is probably a method you wouldn't use anyway.


Today’s Topic: Learn how to turn off (or on) the New Message Alert Notification feature of Outlook.

Who? Users who don’t want to be embarrassed when new messages pop up for others to see while they are presenting. Also, users who find themselves easily distracted while working on a project may benefit from turning off this feature.

Why? Because it can be distracting, and sometimes embarrassing, for those watching your presentation.

How? Watch this short screencast:

Disabling the Outlook New Message Alert Notification from 10Tech on Vimeo.
(Note: This demonstration features Windows 7 operating system and Office 2007—we are currently using Outlook 2013, but the steps outlined in the first half of the video are still correct.)

New Year's Resolution: Get Your Email Inbox to Zero and Keep It That Way

What? Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way. Look at mine!

Why? Email is a huge mental burden. Whether or not you realize it, having 17, 200, 1,494 (my current number) or 25,000 emails in your inbox weighs you down. Too many of us use our inbox as a to-do list--a to-do list that we never really ever complete.

How? This is a longer F1Tuesday than usual, but it's worth it! If you follow the steps below, this will be one F1Tuesday that really pays off!

Step one: Clean things up in one fell swoop.

Pick a date some time in the recent past and move all emails from before that date into a folder labeled as such. If you need to, you can always go looking for an old email in that folder, and you’ve gotten it out of your inbox without touching it. Point for you!

This first video shows you how to tidy up your folders--many of us have almost as many folders as we do emails. Let's declutter!

This video show you how instantly archive tons of email by moving them to an "Old Email" folder.

Step Two: Get Your Workflow Flowing

Implement a simple workflow that regularly and consistently gets messages OUT of your inbox. The goal is always to empty your inbox. I like Merlin Mann’s system:

1. Determine when and how often you will process items in your inbox--you’ll only need 5-10 minutes for this. Maybe choose a time shortly after you get to work in the morning and again after lunch or after school. Depending on your role, you may have to implement your workflow more frequently. But remember, all you’re doing it clearing out the email from your inbox--you should only need to set aside 5-10 minutes for this task each time you do it.
2. When it’s time to process items in your inbox, figure out what you need to do with each email and then do it. Here’s Mann’s list
• Delete: just get rid of it (delete or archive it)
• Delegate: get someone else to deal with it--forward the email and delete it
• Respond: if it takes just a few minutes, do it right now, then delete it
• Defer: put it on a to-do list, archive it, and deal with it later
• Do: handle whatever the email actually needs you to do if immediate action is required, then delete it

This video shows you how I processed some of my email with this system.

3. Revel in your empty inbox, close your inbox and go back to your work.

4. Set aside time in your work day to work on the items that you've deferred.

Step Three: Make It Stick

Practice your new system and refine it to meet your needs. Remember that any new habit takes a while to take root. Be disciplined.

Tips and Tricks

Afraid of deleting something you might need later? Make a folder labeled “Archive” and move emails you think you can delete but are afraid to right away. This is sort of a delaying your deletion, but it gets it out of your inbox which is the goal. Hooray!

Do you forget to delete messages you've already dealt with or delegated? When responding to or forwarding a message you want to delete after sending, start using the Quick Step “Reply & Delete” option. This video shows you how to use Quick Steps--a real hidden gem.

What should you do with the emails that you can’t respond to right away? Move them to a folder called “Respond Later.” Of course, then, when you’re ready to work on those items, you can open that folder and work on them. The point is that you’ve got them out of your inbox for now. This video shows how you can create custom Quick Steps to make this even easier.

Want to hang onto an email in case you need the information in it later? Put it in a folder called “For Future Reference.”

Chrome Extravaganza!

Today's Topic: Chrome Boot Camp

Who?  Chrome browser users.

Why? Chrome works better for some websites and online tools so its use is on the rise. Below I've assembled several short demos that will help you use Chrome.

How to Make Chrome Your Default Browser (if you want)

Set Up Homepage(s) in Chrome

Import Bookmarks from IE to Chrome

Add Multiple Profiles to Your Chrome Browser to Make Switching Accounts Easier

Add a Theme to Chrome 

Add Useful Extensions to Chrome

Finding Public Folders and the Tahoma Electronic Bulletin Board in Outlook 2013

Today's Topic: Outlook 2013: Finding Public Folders and the Tahoma Electronic Bulletin Board

Who?  Outlook users who are wondering how to get to the list of public calendars and/or the TEBB.

Why? The interface for launching the folders view changed in Outlook 2013 

How? Watch this screen cast.