Shut off Spell Checker in Docs

This I just found and it might be useful in two or three applications: You can shut off the spell checker in Google Docs. Most people are smarter than I am, and so probably already knew that.  Here's the quote from the help page: 

Spelling suggestions as you typeAs you type, Docs automatically underlines in misspelled words in red. Right-click an underlined word to see the suggested correction and replace the misspelled word.You can turn off the spell-checker by unchecking Show spelling suggestions from the Viewdrop-down menu

Click here for the full page.

There are two times I can use this:
1) During an everyday type activity when I want students to focus on composing volumes rather than editing and fretting over perfection.
2) During California Exit Exam proctoring when a very few number of my students have "use of a word processor with the spell checker turned off" written in as an accommodation during the testing.  Then I can have them sign in to a convenient Chromebook without disrupting the other testers or having to arrange a second adult proctor to escort them to a separate place with a clunky desktop that may or may not work, or possibly has an older version of Word etc. etc.

I hope this is useful for others too.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Docs

I continually have to look these up, so I'm holding the link here on this site.
I find the help button in Docs does not have all the shortcuts I'm looking for, most notably the "insert comment" shortcut key which is "command+option+m".   Less clicking when I get my students using Docs for their writing. :)

This will become important if I ever get my next task off the ground: daily warm ups using Google Docs which should get some form of feedback (i.e. comments) from me (perhaps on a weekly basis. . .).

Link to the shortcuts

Sorry, no pics for this one.

Notes to Self

Just a brief to do list for my class web site this month:

• I need to create the blurb that goes with my Useful Links page on my class website. Also, I need to add some more useful links from my bookmark bar so there's a few in there to start.
• I need to complete the course syllabuses for Alg 1 and Eng 10 
• get the curriculum maps from the department chairs
• Need to find the permission slips that are used in district for video recording classes (mostly for reflecting on my lessons, but there are a few projects I want to do that would require some student faces in front of the camera.)
• upload that form to website (embed as a google form?)

One of my previous goals was to include pictures with this next blog post, so here's a couple:

First is a screen shot of some summer work I've been doing:

You'll see this again soon.

Next one is a shot of all the faculty in their Master's hoods as we walked out for commencement in June at my last school.