PPS Instructional Technology

As you are working through teaching virtually, having a system where you can easily do tasks on the computer is key. Here are some helpful tips and shortcuts to make your life easier. QUICK 1 PAGE PRINTABLE VERSION HERE Split Screen Having a split screen means you have one window on one side of your device monitor and one window on the other. This allows you to see two things at once. Example: Your Google Meet and your presentation. On a Chromebook, you can quickly do a split screen by using the shortcut:  Alt + [  to move left Alt + ]  to move right . To learn more about how to do a split screen on Chromebooks, Windows 7 or 10, or a Mac, head to the  PPS Family Tech Tips site in the Online Learning Tips  section. Open a Closed Tab If you have ever accidentally closed a tab you were working on, then this shortcut is for you! This shortcut will reopen the tab you closed most recently. If you closed multiple tabs, just keep using the shortcut...

The Problem: You or your students have a keyboard showing up on your screen, even though you are not using a touchscreen and have no desire to use your mouse to type. What’s Happening? Chrome OS has numerous accessibility features built into the operating system.  One of those features is an on-screen keyboard. You will see a hand next to the time in the lower right corner if accessibility features - like ChromeVox, on-screen keyboard, high contrast mode, or screen magnifier - are turned on.  If the on-screen keyboard is also enabled, they you will see an icon of a keyboard there as well. How do I fix it? To turn off the on-screen keyboard, click on the area in the bottom right corner where the clock is located.  Select Settings.  Scroll down to the bottom and select “Show advanced settings…”. Scroll down until you see the “Accessibility” section. Uncheck “Enable On-screen keyboard” Close the Settings window. You can also turn it off by clicking on ...

A printable version can be found here. The Problem: You or your students are typing away on your Chromebook and all of a sudden you realize when you type the “s” key, it is no longer an “s” but instead a “o”. What’s Happening? Chrome OS has the ability to switch between multiple keyboard layouts and languages.  Usually we all use the US standard keyboard, but some people may use the Dvorak, US International, or even Colemak keyboards.  When the keyboard gets “messed up” it is usually because it was either intentionally or unintentionally changed to a different language or keyboard style. How do I fix it? Switching between keyboard layouts is pretty quick and easy, which is one of the reasons that we sometimes do it by mistake. The first step in fixing the problem is to determine which keyboard you are using.  To do this, look in the bottom right corner of your screen.  If you are using the standard US Keyboard (which is the one we are used to usi...