3 Quick Things: Boomerang, Google Teacher Tribe, & Nimona

In my second "Three Quick Things" post, I get down to business with taming your e-mail with Boomerang, getting weekly inspiration from Google Teacher Tribe, and enjoying the heck out of a graphic novel with Nimona.



  • Boomerang: Is it just me, or are you bombarded by e-mail on a daily basis?  Whether its a vendor sending out news of new products, a professional organization sharing resources, or a teacher asking for my thoughts on an upcoming project, I feel like I am constantly wading through message after message.  I am the type of person that wants (no...NEEDS) to leave my inbox in an orderly heap; I try to take on actionable items right away and then file or delete those messages, leaving only the things that need review in my inbox window.  However, the problem is that some of the actionable items aren't really actionable for a few days, or they contain lists of students who will be absent from the building in well over a week.  Enter Boomerang for Gmail, a Google Chrome extension that I'm trying out and currently loving.  To make a long story short, Boomerang gives you much more control over your inbox than regular old GMail can.  Receive a message at 2 PM that you'll need to act on tomorrow morning?  Use Boomerang to schedule that message to re-deliver itself to your inbox at that time!  Need some productive time to work and don't want the distraction of new messages popping up in a separate tab?  Boomerang allows you to pause your inbox!  I'm still in the trial stages with this extension, but I'm excited for its possibilities--anything to try to tame that e-mail monster!

  • Google Teacher Tribe Podcast: I'm an audiobook listener; whether I'm taking a run, going for a car ride, or even just putting on my make-up in the mornings, I want a good story to keep me company.  So, while I'm also all about the professional development, I hadn't made the leap into podcasts.  That is, until the #GTTribe hashtag kept popping up on my Twitter feed.  Now, Kasey Bell and Matt Miller were already a couple of my favorite Google rockstars to follow in Twitter--there have been many times when I've read one of their tweets and immediately altered my plan for the day based on one of their tips.  Their podcast takes this to the next level.  The tips, tricks, and updates are enough to sell me, but listening to their love of what they do is truly inspiring.  Plus, the 30-minute format is just right for listening as I get ready and drive in to work.  If you're looking for a once-a-week dose of Google-y wonderfulness, definitely check out the Google Teacher Tribe.

  • Nimona: My graphic novel section features its fair share of manga, which can be wonderful in its own right, but every once in a while I come across a graphic novel that stands out from the pack.  Nimona by Noelle Stevenson is one of those.  With art that celebrates all body types, a story that mixes humor and drama to perfection, and symbolism dripping from every page, it's one that I can't stop booktalking.  In fact, check out my Flipgrid booktalk right here! 
Love,

Your Library

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