This week, I’ll be posting updated suggestions for getting your computers and tech ready for the blitz of projects you’ll swear to accomplish in New Year’s resolutions. Here’s what you’ll get (links will not be active until the post is live):
- 8+ ways to speed up your computer — December 13
- 9 ways to update your online presence — December 14
- Back up and image your computer — December 15
Regular readers of Ask a Tech Teacher know that these are updated every December. New readers: consider these bulletproof vest in the technological battle so that you can triumph with glee rather than succumb in dramatic fashion.
9 ways to update your online presence
For most teachers I know, life flies by, filled with students, parents, meetings, grading, and reflection. There are few breaks to update/fix/maintain the technological tools that allow us to continue our trade.
This includes your online presence and all those personal profiles. But it has to happen or they won’t do what we need. If they are not updated, we wonder why our blog is not getting visitors, why our social networks Tweeple are not generating activity and why we are not being contacted for networking. Here is a short list of items that won’t take long to accomplish:
- Update your online profile–on your blog, your gravatar, FB, Twitter, professional groups, your PLN. Have you changed direction? I changed jobs? Adding new posts or articles your friends would like to know about? Are your contact details up to date? This, by the way, should be done once a quarter, but at least in the New Year.
- Clean up your FB feed–delete images and comments that you no longer find as funny as when you first posted them or make them private. If you have active social media, employers will check it. Make sure it represents you.
- Update old messages–start with the most visited articles (under Site statistics) and descend (in case you run out of time). Consider refreshing them with new images or banners.
- Check individual post tags and categories–rearrange the options so that they authentically group your writing.
- Check the sidebar–for outdated and no longer relevant widgets and links. Include new parts that add utility. Move the pieces to give a new look. Current thinking is “less is more”. Consider putting rewards, PLN groups, memberships on separate pages noted in the menu bar.
- Check your pages‘– are they still relevant? Could some be nested under other pages to save space and/or make them easier to find? While you’re at it, make sure the least-visited pages are up-to-date.
- Check how your blog looks on smartphones and iPads. Does it display correctly? Otherwise, consider switching to a responsive theme that automatically adapts to a variety of digital devices.
- Unsubscribe from lists you no longer have any interest. It also frees up your time!
- Update the stores where you sell books if you are a teacher-author. This includes your Amazon author page, Teachers pay teachers, BarnesandNoble.com, Google Play and others – prices, descriptions, categories, giveaways. I need to do it more often.
Do you have any maintenance issues to suggest for the New Year? I would like to hear them.
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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over 100 technical resources, including a K-12 Technology Program, K-8 keyboard program, K-8 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in technical education, master teacher, webmaster for four blogs, a Voice of the Amazon VineCASW presentation editor, freelance journalist on technology education topics and author of technology thrillers, Chase a submarine and twenty four days. You can find his resources at Structured learning.