I want to read those article but I just can't find the time.

This post is part of a series dedicated to mobile devices. The BIG idea is learning new ways to make the most out of the phones we carry. All the recommendations will be free.

Scenario

There are so many great articles to read but I just can't find the time. Things are busy, I have more ear time than eye time. I need to have someone read them out loud to me when I am driving, walking, or at the gym. So far my kids are not taking me up on this so I had to find another way.

Solution

Pocket! This simple freemium app will read articles out loud. It has been a lifesaver and helps me stay up to date on things I find important or interesting.

Getting Started

Download Pocket to your device.

Next Steps

Find something you want to read about but just don't have time. Maybe it is about a political candidate or gene editing.

Once you have found the article, click the little share icon in your web browser.

Find your newly installed Pocket app and click it.

The article you just added will appear at the top of your list. Click it.

Click the headphones at the top to have the article read out loud.

I use these tools most often. Sometimes I increase the speed from 1x to 1.5 or 1.6.

My mind might drift a bit so I use the backup 15 seconds button often.

Do Now

Find a few must-read articles for your ride home today. Add them to your Pocket.

Bonus, go to https://getpocket.com/ and you can access all of your saved things on Pocket on your laptop!

Pocket's help site is pretty good, there are links you might want to look at.

I also YouTubed How to use Pocket or Using the Pocket App to find what people are saying and learn new ways to use the app.

Comments

Like your ELMO but with an iPad (elementary classroom teachers)

I used AirServer to create the infinity mirror effect. We were in a meeting today and Dominic told us about this fantastic idea. As we discussed all things technology he explained one method of using the iPad as a portable ELMO. It was too cool not to share. Step 1 Make sure you have AirServer running on your laptop. 1. Click the Windows key on your keyboard or click the icon in the lower left of your screen. 2. Just start typing AirServer. 3. Click AirServer. Don't see it? Contact technology or your building tech person. Step 2 Connect your teacher iPad to your laptop. 1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Start by swiping in the bezel, the black plastic part surrounding the screen. 2. Click AirPlay Mirroring. 3. Click your name. Step 3 Open the camera app and instant portable ELMO! Anything you see in the camera's len will be broadcast to the big screen. I just used this method to take a picture of my notebook as a demonstration of how co

Who is emailing me? The Blue Man Group??? (Add an image to your Google account.)

WHY It is always nice to put a face with a name. Sometimes we need a tiny little reminder of what someone looks like because we don't see them very often. Follow these steps to add/change the image associated with your Google account. HOW Open your email. Click your image. It might just be a blue circle if you have not added something already. Click Change . Find an image you like. Your amazing new image will appear. From now on everyone can put a name to a face!

Annotate PDF? How might I do that?

So I have a PDF and I need to edit it. Here is one method that works pretty well for me. Open Word. Click File . 1. Click Open . 2. Click Browse . 3. Find the PDF you want to annotate. 4. Click Open . Click OK when you see this box. Bam! Your PDF now opens in Word. Note: you maybe have to click Enable Editing at the top of the screen. Finished editing and want to turn it back into a PDF? Click File . 1. Click Save As . 2. Click This PC . 3. Pick a location. I usually save things to my desktop. 4. Click Save as type - and choose PDF. 5. Click Save .

Learning in the Lou

Search This Blog