Tech Tip Tuesday Edition 5

MSD 25 Instructional Technology Team

Accessibility Tools for Student Chromebooks

Did you know that Chromebooks have many powerful tools to help students such as dictation, on-screen keyboard, and magnifiers just to name a few? These accessibility tools are located in settings. Here's a look at the available tools and how to help students turn them on and off.
Chromebook Accessibility Features How to Turn On and Off

View the November PD Calendar!

The Staff Professional Development Course offerings will now be available on the MSD website for your planning purposes. There are also now drop-in sessions that will function like office hours where TOSAs are available to help with your individual needs.


Click on the link below to view the full calendar and sign up for courses.


PD Calendar

Googling for Students: How to Yield More Accurate Search Results

1. Use quotes to search for an exact phrase
This one’s a well-known, simple trick: searching a phrase in quotes will yield only pages with the same words in the same order. It’s one of the most vital search tips, especially useful if students are trying to find a specific result for research.


2. Use an asterisk within quotes to specify unknown or variable words
Here’s a lesser known trick: searching a phrase in quotes with an asterisk replacing a word will search all variations of that phrase. For example, "famous * libraries" will bring up presidents' libraries, but also movie libraries. This is a way to broaden searches for students.


3. Search specific websites for keywords use "site:"
Think of the “site:” function as a Google search that searches only a particular website. If you want to see every time TIME.com mentioned Google, use the search “Google site:TIME.com”. This would narrow all information and help you sort through large sites.


4. Use “define:” to learn the meaning of words—slang included
Streamline the dictionary process by using, for example, “DEFINE: mortgage.” For words that appear in the dictionary, you’ll be able to see etymology and a graph of its use over time alongside the definition.


For a printable document with these and more search tips, click the image above or link below.


Google Search Tips

Timeless Tech Tips

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Our Instructional Technology Team